Looking for a nourishing snack that satisfies your sweet tooth? These bliss balls deliver a rich walnut and coconut fudge flavor in every bite-sized piece, naturally sweetened with agave nectar. Just one or two can power you through a mid-morning slump or afternoon cravings. No guilt, just goodness.

Author Matt Amesen

Makes about 20 balls


Ingredients:

• 3 cups raw walnuts
• 1½ cup carob powder
• 2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
  
• 1/2 cup agave nectar

Instructions:

1. Grind the walnuts in a food processor until they have a buttery consistency.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the carob powder and shredded coconut and mix well. Add the ground walnuts and the agave nectar and mix well.
3. Press the mixture into a 2 tbsp  balls and roll.
4. Or cover and freeze until thoroughly chilled for a more solid consistency before cutting and serving.

Author: Kathryne Taylor
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
I recently tried this baba ganoush recipe and had to share it with you. You don't even need a food processor. If you have an eggplant, you probably have everything else you need on hand already. Add a few crackers, veggie sticks, and maybe some cheese, and you've got a delicious grazing board to share.


Ingredients

• 2 pounds Italian eggplants (about 2 small-to-medium eggplants)
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
• ¼ cup tahini
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant and garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
• ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place them in the prepared pan with the halved sides down.
   
   
2. Roast the eggplant until the interior is very tender throughout and the skin is collapsing, about 35 to 40 minutes (this might take longer if you are using 1 large eggplant). Set the eggplant aside to cool for a few minutes. Flip the eggplants over and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon, leaving the skin behind.
   
   
3. Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl, then transfer the flesh to the strainer and discard the skins. Pick out any stray bits of eggplant skin and discard. You want to remove as much moisture from the eggplant here as possible, so let the eggplant rest for a few minutes and shake/stir the eggplant to release some more moisture.
   
   
4. Discard all of the eggplant drippings, drain and wipe out the bowl, and dump the eggplant into the bowl. Add the garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant and stir vigorously with a fork until eggplant breaks down. Add the tahini to the bowl and stir until it’s incorporated. While stirring, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue stirring until the mixture is pale and creamy, and use your fork to break up any particularly long strings of eggplant.
   
   
5. Stir in the parsley, salt and cumin. Season to taste with more salt (I usually add another ¼ teaspoon) and more lemon juice, if you’d like a more tart flavor.
   
   
6. Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl and lightly drizzle olive oil on top. Lastly, sprinkle parsley and smoked paprika on top. Serve with accompaniments of your choice. It’s also great on sandwiches!

https://cookieandkate.com/epic-baba-ganoush-recipe/

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar (I used coconut sugar)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I used 1/4 cup of applesauce)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips or other mix-ins, optional

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a muffin pan and set aside. (I sprayed avocado oil inside paper liners)

2. Add peeled ripe bananas to a large bowl. Use a fork (or masher or hand mixer) to mash well. 

3. To the mashed bananas, add the Greek yogurt, brown sugar, eggs, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined.

4. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.

5. If using any mix-ins, gently fold them.

6. Use a cookie scoop to scoop batter into the prepared muffin pan.

7. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown and the tops spring back when gently pressed.

8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer muffins to a wire baking rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

​https://nutritiontofit.com/greek-yogurt-banana-muffins/

I love this recipe because it satisfies the craving for something sweet and naughty - but it doesn't use any sugar AND it's full of protein. It's so good!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 12 hours
Yields: 6 servings
Author - Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

• 16 ounces silken tofu* (455 g)
• 5 ounces roughly chopped vegan dark chocolate or semisweet vegan chocolate chips or morsels (140g, about 1 cup)
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup or agave syrup (60mL; substitute coconut sugar or cane sugar)
• A pinch of salt
  
  

Instructions
​
1. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or by heating in the microwave.

• To make a double boiler, bring a half-full, small or medium pot of water to a boil. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and position it over the open pot. Stir the chocolate with a spatula as it melts in the bowl. Once the chocolate is glossy and smooth, remove the bowl from heat. 
• To melt the chocolate in the microwave, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it for 30 seconds, then stir. The chocolate will be only a little melted at this point. Continue microwaving it in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is glossy, smooth, and entirely melted. 

2. Add the melted chocolate and all other pudding ingredients to a powerful blender or a food processor. Blend until the pudding is completely smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Stop to scrape the blender down if there are any bits of unblended tofu or chocolate, then continue blending for another final 30 seconds. 

3. Pour or spoon the pudding into one large storage container or into 6 ramekins or small mason jars. Refrigerate the pudding for a minimum of four hours or up to 48 hours to set.

Enjoy!
Notes
*If using 12 ounces of tofu:

Follow recipe instructions scaling all ingredients to 0.75x the original amounts (12 ounces firm or extra firm silken tofu, 3 3/4 ounce / 115 g chopped vegan dark chocolate or vegan dark chocolate chips, 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons maple or agave syrup, a pinch salt).

You can also use two 12-ounce packages of tetrapack shelf-stable silken tofu to obtain the 16 ounces called for above. Store your remaining 8 ounces for soups, smoothies, or sauces.

Storage and freezing:

The pudding will keep for up to five days in the fridge. You can also freeze it, in one large portion or individual portions, for up to 6 weeks. Defrost overnight in the fridge before enjoying.