dessert

CHUNKY MONKEY BANANA BREAD MUFFINS (GLUTEN-AND-DAIRY-FREE) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

comfort in the form of food. i think it’s a place where we’ve collectively found relief in these times (if we’re fortunate enough). the past few weeks i’ve been craving everything from eggs, to meaty pasta dishes, buttered toast, and very specific baked goods. i think the psychological toll of a pandemic has us reaching to foods that soothe us/make us happy. no wonder then, the internet is aflame with homemade sourdough, pasta & carbs aplenty, banana bread, focaccia, etc., etc., etccccc. yes, many have more time on their hands to cook and pick up a new hobby, be that cooking or baking. but many of us, have way less time if there are children running or crawling around the house. i am grateful to be able to spend this time with my family, so many with essential jobs don’t have the opportunity to do that. but i would be remiss if i didn’t mention that i’m exhausted. both frank and i can easily feel overwhelmed at any given moment. despite that, we’re trying to make the most of our days - art projects, little morning walks, lots of music and dancing, and baking - lots of baking!

but let’s talk muffins, because we all deserve one (or 10). i took a bit of liberty with the recipe title. if you’re familiar with the ben & jerry’s ice cream flavor, chunky monkey, then you already know there’s banana and lots of chocolate chunks and walnut pieces. not much has changed here, except that instead of ice cream, it’s chunky monkey in muffin format. which naturally means you can eat one any time of day.

we use a couple brown, spotty bananas - the kind that sit on the counter that no one wants to touch (they should be that ripe). from there we use a few different flours to get a super puffy/fluffy gluten-free muffin with a good texture to boot. i call for 1 cup + of chocolate chunks because you will want and need more to top these muffins. while a couple ingredients are non-negotiable, many of them can be swapped for what you have on-hand - so ask away in the comment section if you don’t have some of the ingredients, and i can do my best to guide you, because you’re going to want to make these asap 😉

all my love and wishes for good health ❤️

chunky monkey banana bread muffins | gluten-and-dairy-free

notes:

while i love the combination of flours here to achieve a really good muffin, some can be substituted if you don’t have them all on-hand. please ask in the comment section and i will do my best to guide you :)

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| makes 12 large muffins |

  • 1 cup fine brown rice flour

  • 1/2 cup almond flour

  • 1/4 cup arrowroot flour

  • 1/4 cup oat flour

  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1 cup banana (roughly 2 large bananas), smooshed with a fork

  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil

  • 2 large pasture raised eggs, at room temp

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup chocolate, plus more for topping

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, plus more for topping

method

  1. preheat oven to 350°F, and line a muffin tin with 12 liners.

  2. in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. in another large bowl, whisk together the smooshed banana, oil, eggs, and vanilla. mix the dry ingredients into the wet a little at a time, until combined. then fold in the chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

  3. evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin tin liners, and top with extra chocolate and walnuts.

  4. bake in the center of your oven until a cake tester inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.

  5. let muffins cool for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the muffins to a cooling rack.

  6. eat warm, or at room temp. muffins will stay good for roughly 3 days on your counter, covered with parchment paper.

similar recipes:

STRAWBERRY-OAT COCOA MUFFINS

STRAWBERRY-OAT COCOA MUFFINS

COZY BANANA BREAD GRANOLA

COZY BANANA BREAD GRANOLA

DARK CHOCOLATE KABOCHA SQUASH MUFFINS

DARK CHOCOLATE KABOCHA SQUASH MUFFINS

ALMOND-Y DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES (GRAIN-&-DAIRY-FREE) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

while it’s feeling like summer here in socal, my heart and soul is with the rest of the country who are trying to power through the last few weeks of winter. living my entire life in new york, the last month or two of winter was brutal. all i wanted was longer days, no more dirty/slushy city snow, and i lived just to see those first few sprouts of green grass shoot through the ground. so, since i can’t ship you warm temperatures, i offer you comfort in the form of food. particularly these deep, dark chocolatey scones.

whenever february and march hits i always go for something super chocolatey. there’s something about the depth of dark chocolate that can soothe just about any ailment, especially seasonal blahs. we keep these scones on the higher end of the nutritional spectrum - they’re filled with healthy fats like almond flour, and coconut milk, and the recipe on a whole (minus the chocolate chips) uses only 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar. we’re using an egg here for binding matters, but i definitely think a flax egg could stand in its’ place for a vegan option. and to keep these super low-glycemic, i use stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips which are really good; and we add a little almond extract offering that marzipan-y almond flavor which takes these to the next level. all-in-all, sustenance and nourishment in the form of scones. i’m here for it.

fyi, these are the perfect weekend treat, and a quick but satisfying baking project, if you’re looking for one ;)

happy end-of-february! we made it! XO

almond-y dark chocolate chip scones | grain-&dairy-free

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notes:

  • for a vegan option, you could swap the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax, mixed with 3 tablespoons water).

  • these scones (like most other scones) are best when eaten fresh, but if you’re making them ahead or have leftovers, i would suggest heating them up a bit in your toaster oven before eating.

method

  1. in a mixing bowl, combine the milk and vinegar, give it a little whisk and let it sit for 10 minutes, until it's curdled and bubbly on top.

  2. while the milk and vinegar are resting, whisk together the almond flour, cacao powder, cassava flour, coconut sugar, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. set aside.

  3. to the milk and vinegar mixture, whisk in the egg, melted butter, and almond extract. 

  4. add the wet ingredients to the dry, and use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together. add the chocolate chips and mix once more until thoroughly combined. place the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill.

  5. prepare a clean work surface, and dust it with cacao powder. turn the scone dough out onto it, and dust the top with a bit more cacao. use your hands to spread the dough into an even round with with about a 1-inch thickness. use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter to punch out 5 scones, reforming the dough as you go. place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

  6. preheat your oven to 350°F. bake the scones in the center of your oven for 18-20 minutes, until edges and tops are set. let cool. sprinkle with sea salt, if using, and enjoy! (scones are best when eaten fresh and warm.)

| makes 5 round scones |

  • 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk

  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

  • 3/4 cup almond flour

  • 1/4 cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder), plus more for dusting

  • 1/4 cup cassava flour

  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar

  • 1 tablespoon coconut flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 large egg, at room temp

  • 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted and cooled

  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

  • 1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips (i like these)

  • flaky salt, for topping (optional)

similar recipes:

dark chocolate kabocha squash muffins

dark chocolate kabocha squash muffins

grain-free summer berry scones

grain-free summer berry scones

mini granola & pear scones

mini granola & pear scones

MAPLE-VANILLA CASHEW CREAM /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

we’re talking sauce this sunday, but one that’s creamy and sweet! weekday mornings have the tendency to be monotonous, and this cashew cream aims to jazz up those sometimes boring breakfasts into something that you look forward to. i can easily fall into the smoothie-every-morning routine, but i find that when i have this cream sitting in my fridge i’m more likely to prepare a breakfast that takes me out of the routine and starts my day in a fun, refreshing way. all we do here is soak the cashews for up to 5 hours (or overnight). then it’s a quick whiz in your blender with maple syrup, a couple teaspoons vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, a splash of vinegar (i know, sounds weird, but a little bit goes a long way in giving this cream a little punch), a pinch of salt, and some water to get everything nice and smooth.

when i make this sweet cashew cream, i find that my weekend prep is a bit breakfast-heavy. sometimes i’ll prep a big batch of steel cut oats to heat up for breakfast, or i’ll either buy or make a big batch of waffles or pancakes to defrost throughout the week. i also find that i tend to purchase more berries and stone fruit both to top said oats and waffles, but also for dipping into this cream! i have a recipe on this site (which has always been a popular recipe here) for my favorite steel cut oats with sauteed peaches, and the addition of the maple-vanilla cashew cream takes that creamy note to the next level! a little bit of prep to make breakfasts more desirable goes a long way (in my opinion). i’ve always found that it’s the little things like making a cream/sauce like this that start your days off a little brighter. i hope that you find this as well!

happy sunday, friends! xo!

maple-vanilla cashew cream | v

| makes roughly 1 1/2 cups |

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method

  1. place drained cashews, water, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, vinegar, and salt in the container of an upright high-speed blender. blend o n high, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender, until the cream is completely smooth. taste and add more maple syrup if you want it sweeter, then blend again.

  2. use right away, or transfer the cream to lidded jar and store in your fridge for up to 1 week. the cream will thicken as it’s refrigerated, whisk in a bit of water, a little at a time, until pourable.

ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight (or at least for 5 hours), drained and rinsed

  • 3/4 cup filtered water, plus more if needed

  • 2-3 tablespoons good maple syrup (preferably grade b)

  • 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

  • pinch of fine salt