I’m sitting here typing up this post on April 1st, while the sleet & snow falls outside. There are so many things I love about living in New England, but springtime snow is definitely NOT one of them. As much as I’m done with the cold, I’ve decided to embrace this (hopefully) last snowfall by staying inside, sipping piping hot tomato soup for lunch, getting in a lot of cuddles with the kiddos, cooking up a big comforting pot of Jessica’s chicken & dumplings for dinner, and baking these blondies.

I derived inspiration for these chewy bars from Detoxinista’s Paleo Almond Butter Blondies, which I made a couple of weeks ago and we scarfed down in just a matter of days. I kept the same concept of keeping the blondies free of flour, but I swapped the almond butter for peanut butter and added an extra egg so they would turn out even chewier. I also cut down a bit on the sugar, but not to fear, they are perfectly sweet enough!

The top of the blondies develops a crisp crust, but the insides stay soft and chewy; the perfect combination of textures in any kind of cookie bar. They’re super easy to whip up, take only 20 minutes to bake, and you probably already have all of the ingredients in your kitchen.

These blondies turned out to be the perfect antidote to the crummy weather, but I have a feeling I’ll be making them over and over again even as the snow melts and it begins to actually feel like spring outside.

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies {Grain- & Gluten-free}

by Lauren Zembron (inspired by Detoxinista)

Ingredients (16 blondies)

• 2 large eggs, preferably organic
• 1 cup creamy/smooth all-natural unsweetened peanut butter, (the only ingredients should be peanuts and salt), preferably organic
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unrefined granulated sugar, such as evaporated cane juice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8 inch square (or 7 x 11 rectangular) baking pan with parchment paper (leave a bit of excess paper hanging over the sides of the pan to allow for easy removal).

Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl until lightly beaten, then stir in peanut butter, vanilla, sugar, baking soda, and salt with a rubber spatula or spoon until smooth. The batter will be very thick.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and spread it into an even layer. A pastry roller comes in handy here.

Baking for 20 minutes (or 19 minutes if using a 7 x 11 pan), or until the tops of the blondies are golden brown. They will rise in the oven, but then deflate while they cool.

Let blondies cool completely before lifting them out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper. Cut into squares.

Store in the fridge.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving (1 bar)

• Calories: 220 calories
• Total Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 16mg
• Sodium: 156mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 17g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 12g
• Protein: 6g

If you’re reading this post, that must mean that you haven’t given up on me despite my sporadic posting as of late; and for that, I wholeheartedly thank you! Life is happily crazy with two kiddos, and I am having difficulty finding time to devote to the blog. Nevertheless, I’m not giving up developing recipes and sharing them with you, so please stay tuned for more posts in the coming weeks!

So. These parfaits. We’re in the middle of a few day heat wave here in Massachusetts, and I’m mostly gorging on an abundance of fresh summer fruit… but chocolate hath no season, (neither do bananas, for that matter), so these parfaits are perfect any time of year. The dark layer is a rich chocolate peanut butter avocado pudding, and the light layer is a luscious banana “cream” made from cashews.

Obviously the flavor combination is a win, but what also works beautifully together is the dense texture of the pudding juxtaposed with the airy “whipped” consistency of the cream. Neither layer is overly sweet, which allows you to actually taste the flavors in each component.

An added bonus is that these parfaits require zero cooking! All you need are a good blender and food processor, and you’re set to go. Just grab a spoon, and dig in!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding and Banana Cream Parfaits {No-Cook, Vegan}

by Lauren Zembron

Ingredients

For the chocolate peanut butter pudding

• 1 medium-sized ripe Hass avocado, (it should have black skin & yield slightly when gently squeezed), peeled & pitted
• 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp smooth natural unsweetened peanut butter (the only ingredients should be peanuts and salt), preferably organic
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• tiny pinch salt
• 2 Tbsp nondairy milk of choice

For the banana cream

• 1 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 8 hours (or 4 hours if you have a high speed blender)
• 2 medium-sized overripe (brown-skinned) bananas, peeled
• 1/4 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (this is to prevent the cream from browning; even with the addition of lemon juice, discoloration may occur if the cream sits for too long)
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Instructions

For the pudding

Place avocado, maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla extract into the bowl of a food processor and process until well-blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add in the cocoa powder, salt, & milk, and process until well-combined.

For the cream

Drain the soaked cashews and place in a blender along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.

For the parfaits

Layer the pudding and cream into small glasses, refrigerate until chilled, and enjoy.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: 340 kcal
• Total Fat: 23g
  • Saturated Fat: 4g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 100mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 30g
  • Dietary Fiber: 11g
  • Sugars: 13g
• Protein: 9g
• Vitamin D: 0%
• Calcium: 8%
• Iron: 10%
• Potassium: 930mg

There’s no doubt about it: this granola is completely dessert-worthy! The oat mixture itself has all of the flavors of cookie dough, and when you add chocolate chips to the toasted oats, they melt into clumps of chocolate chip cookie deliciousness.

I’ve found, (thanks to my mom), that storing homemade granola in the fridge, especially during the warm summer months, allows it to maintain its crispiness better than leaving it out at room temperature. Refrigerating also prolongs the granola’s freshness; although that’s not much of an issue in our house considering the speed at which we polish off a batch of granola… especially this one!

I highly recommend enjoying this chocolatey granola as is, with a glass of ice-cold milk on the side.

Happy eating!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dessert Granola

by Lauren Zembron

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275°F. Line a 9 x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or unbleached parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oats, almond meal, & salt. Add in the oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract; stir until well-mixed.

Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheet, pressing down lightly on the top to create an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes

Gently stir the granola, add in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips, and stir to incorporate. The chocolate chips will melt, creating clumps of chocolatey granola… this is precisely what you want!

Repeat step 3.

Remove the granola from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Let cool completely before eating. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving (1/2 cup)

• Calories: 220 kcal
• Total Fat: 12g
  • Saturated Fat: 7g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 75mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 27g
  • Dietary Fiber: 3g
  • Sugars: 15g
• Protein: 3g

Snack cake. Those two words – individually – make me happy, but put them together and I’m downright blissful. Cake that you can justifiably get away with eating at any time of day? I’m in 100%. How about you? If for some odd reason you’re still not sold, just feast your eyes on that glossy peanut butter sauce…

… which, as it cools, slightly hardens into a caramely, sticky, delicious glaze crowning the chocolate chip-speckled banana cake below.

If there’s a more phenomenal flavor trifecta that peanut butter/chocolate/banana, then I have yet to taste it.

I could eat this snack cake all day long!

Chocolate Chip Banana Snack Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze

by Lauren Zembron

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 9 inch pie plate (or cake pan).

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk mashed bananas, oil, both sugars, egg, and vanilla extract until well-combined.

Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a wooden tester (or toothpick) inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

When the cake has about 5 minutes left to bake, make the glaze by whisking together the peanut butter, maple syrup, and milk in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and drippy (about 3-4 minutes), then remove from the heat.

When the cake is done, pour the glaze evenly over the top and let the cake cool completely.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving (1 slice)

• Calories: 325 calories
• Total Fat: 18g
  • Saturated Fat: 8g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 60mg
• Sodium: 280mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 35g
  • Dietary Fiber: 2g
  • Sugars: 21g
• Protein: 6g

I typically eat plain yogurt, but when I was offered the chance to try Noosa Bhakti Chai and Pumpkin Yoghurt, I accepted without hesitation… and I am so glad I did because this yogurt is fantastic! Thick, rich, and creamy plain yogurt is swirled with ribbons of sweetly spiced yogurt.

It’s certainly dessert-worthy, but I made an overnight oats parfait with the Bhakti Chai Noosa, a ripe pear, and my Crunchy Chai Spice Granola Clusters, and it was the best breakfast I’ve had in quite a long time.

This parfait has everything going for it: flavor (hello double chai!), texture (creamy + crunchy), sustenance (oats), and a touch of decadence (delicious yogurt). I wrote the recipe to yield one serving, but I highly recommend doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the recipe so you can a) share or b) enjoy a few parfaits throughout the week (just wait until you’re ready to eat to assemble the different components!).

Chai Pear Overnight Oats Parfait

by Lauren Zembron

Ingredients (1 serving)

Instructions

The night before you intend to eat the parfait, combine the oats, yoghurt, milk, water, and chopped pear; stir to combine;, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, layer the overnight oats with the granola clusters.Powered by Recipage

*I received free product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: Approximately 400 calories per serving
• Protein: Approximately 12-15 grams per serving
• Carbohydrates: Approximately 70-80 grams per serving
• Dietary Fiber: Approximately 8-10 grams per serving
• Sugars: Approximately 35-40 grams per serving
• Fat: Approximately 7 grams per serving
• Saturated Fat: Approximately 1-2 grams per serving
• Cholesterol: Approximately 5-10 milligrams per serving
• Sodium: Approximately 60-80 milligrams per serving

Pumpkin spice gets all of the love this time of year, (I succumb to the temptation as well, and will be posting a pumpkin spice recipe soon), but what about other aromatic autumnal spice combinations? Chai spice is basically pumpkin spice with the addition of cardamom and allspice; you’ve still got the sweet cinnamon, spicy ginger, and warm nutmeg & cloves, but the additional two spices give the blend a deeper, more exotic flavor profile.

The fragrant spice blend is used here to flavor crunchy granola clusters that are lightly sweetened and insanely addictive. You bake the granola at a low temperature in one giant “sheet”, and then break it up into clusters as big or as small as you’d like.

Oat flour helps to hold the clusters together. I love this brand, and keep it on hand for ease of use, but you can absolutely make your own simply by tossing a few big handfuls of old fashioned rolled oats into a high-speed blender or food processor and blending/processing until the oats break down into a fine flour.

Clusters, magnificent clusters!

You could certainly eat this clustery granola with milk for breakfast, but I personally think it’s better suited for snacking on throughout the day.

I helped myself to a few handfuls while taking photos for the post; even Lily couldn’t keep her hands away. In fact, when I asked her if she liked the granola, she said: “No. I LOVE it!”

Well said, kiddo, well said.

Crunchy Chai Spice Granola Clusters

by Lauren Zembron (method of baking adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275°F. Line a 9 x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, oat flour, salt, and all of the spices.

In a medium bowl, combine vegetable oil, coconut (or brown) sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract; whisk until well-mixed. Pour mixture over oat mixture and stir until dry mixture is fully and evenly moistened.

Spread mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Press down so the top is even. A pastry roller comes in handy here, as you want the mixture in as thin & even a layer as possible. The mixture should reach the edges of the baking sheet. The mixture will be sticky, so it can be helpful to lightly wet your fingers or a rubber spatula (if you don’t have a pastry roller) with water before pressing down.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until hard through the center and golden brown, rotating baking sheet about every 15 minutes for even baking.

Let cool completely, then break into pieces.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving (1/2 cup)

• Calories: 235 kcal
• Total Fat: 15g
  • Saturated Fat: 7g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 73mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 22g
  • Dietary Fiber: 3g
  • Sugars: 10g
• Protein: 5g
• Vitamin D: 0%
• Calcium: 3%
• Iron: 9%
• Potassium: 140mg

As mentioned in my Crunchy Chai Granola Clusters post, I’m still infatuated with pumpkin spice everything. Year after year by the end of summer, I find myself on the edge of my seat waiting not only for cooler weather, cozy sweaters, and vibrant fall foliage, but also for the return of the pumpkin spice craze.

I can tell that the trend is still in full swing with the multitude of processed pumpkin spice products clogging stores’ shelves come October 1st, and although I give into temptation now and then, I prefer to make my own pumpkin spice goodies at home.

Baking a loaf of pumpkin bread is a great way to herald in the pumpkin spice season, as it’s delicious, easy, and can be healthy if made with wholesome ingredients… but when it comes crowned with a crunchy pumpkin spice sugar crust, it becomes the ultimate autumnal treat.

I decided on a pumpkin banana loaf not only because there were a couple of brown bananas staring me in the face every time I went into our kitchen, (while is approximately 20 times a day), but also because the bananas lend a natural sweetness to the bread; no need for cupfuls of sugar here. But there IS a pumpkin spice-flavored sugar crust atop the bread, which is sweet, spicy, crunchy perfection.

Whether you’re just now dipping your toes into the pumpkin spice pool or you’ve already dived in headfirst, this quick bread is a fantastic way to celebrate the season!

Pumpkin Banana Bread with Pumpkin Spice Sugar Crust

by Lauren Zembron

Ingredients (1 loaf)

Bread:

Instructions

For the bread:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or line with unbleached parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, all of the spices, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, oil, coconut or brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until well-combined.

Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined.

For the pumpkin spice sugar:

In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and spices; stir to combine.

Pour the pumpkin banana bread batter into the prepared baking pan. Evenly sprinkle with the pumpkin spice sugar.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden tester (or toothpick) inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Let sit in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving (1 slice)

• Calories: 250
• Total Fat: 11g
  • Saturated Fat: 6g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 55mg
• Sodium: 290mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 35g
  • Dietary Fiber: 2g
  • Sugars: 17g
• Protein: 4g