What’s better than a gooey brownie? A gooey brownie with CARAMEL! That’s right friends. We’re making Turtle Brownies that are 100% vegan and gluten-free but don’t lack in the flavor department. Would you believe me if I told you the base of these brownies is made from black beans? That’s right! Not only are these brownies delicious, but they’re also healthy 🙂

If you try this recipe, let me know! I love seeing your comments, ratings, and photos tagged #livingwellwithnic on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

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Vegan Turtle Brownies (Gluten-Free)

These turtle brownies are rich, decadent, and so delicious! Made with black beans and topped with date caramel, crushed pecans, and chocolate chips. Vegan and gluten-free.

Course Dessert

Keyword black bean brownies, Brownies, gluten-free brownies, turtle brownies, vegan brownies

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 10 brownies

Ingredients

• 1-15 oz can of Black Beans rinsed thoroughly and drained
• 2 Flax Eggs 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water
• 3 Tbs Applesauce
• ¾ cup Cacao Powder
• ¼ tsp Sea Salt
• ¼ cup Coconut Sugar
• ¼ cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder

Toppings

• ⅓ cup Pecans chopped
• ¼ cup Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips
• ¼ cup Date Caramel 5 Medjool dates blender with 1/4 cup nut milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (you will only need 10 slots). Rinse and thoroughly drain your black beans.
• Prepare the flax eggs by combining flax and water in a small bowl.
• Add black beans, flax eggs, applesauce, cacao powder, vanilla, salt, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and baking powder to a food processor or high-speed blender.
• Puree until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Add the brownie batter to the prepared muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger. Then add a spoonful of date caramel to each brownie and smooth it down with the back of a spoon.
• Top with pecans and extra chocolate chips. Then bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the tin. Mine only took 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so gently run a knife around the sides, and then lift out with a fork.
• The insides are meant to be fudgy. Enjoy with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice-cream – YUM!

The post Vegan Turtle Brownies (Gluten-Free) appeared first on Living Well With Nic.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I’m craving all the chocolate treats (anyone else?). I love flowers, but I’m a chocolate girl at heart! Now, when I say chocolate, I’m talking about the real deal. Dark chocolate, made with 100% cacao powder.

Raw vegan desserts are some of my favorite things to make because they’re SO easy and also pretty darn healthy. These truffles are sweetened with Medjool dates, which are one of my favorite natural sweeteners. Since they’re high in fiber, the release of their sugars entering your bloodstream enters at a much slower rate than maple syrup, for example.

The base of these truffles is made from cashew butter, almond flour, and cacao powder. Cashew butter has a really nice, neutral flavor (compared to peanut or almond butter) and pairs so well with the chocolatey flavor or the cacao powder.

The almond flour is the perfect binder, while cacao powder adds that deliciously rich chocolate flavor. You want to make sure you use cacao powder and not cocoa powder. Cacao powder is 100% natural, while cocoa powder is extremely processed.

Once all of the ingredients come together in the blender, roll the mixture into balls, and then roll your balls in hemp seeds, cacao nibs or cacao powder. You can also leave them plain if you prefer!

If you try this recipe, let me know! I love seeing your comments, ratings, and photos tagged #livingwellwithnic on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

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Raw Vegan Chocolate Truffles

These Raw Vegan Chocolate Truffles make for a tasty sweet treat, without the added sugar. Date-sweetened and made with cashew butter, and cacao powder. They're gluten-free and vegan.

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword Raw Vegan Truffles, Truffles

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 12 Medjool Dates
• ⅔ cup Cashew Butter
• ½ cup Almond Flour
• 3 Tbs Cacao Powder

Toppings

• Cacao Nibs
• Hemp Seeds
• Cacao Powder

Instructions

• Add the Medjool dates to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary.
• Add the almond flour, cashew butter, and cacao powder. Blend until completely combined and smooth.
• Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to make tablespoon-sized balls. Roll into balls between your hands. Place the hemp seeds, cacao nibs, and cacao powder in separate bowls, and then roll each ball into one of the toppings.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

The post Raw Vegan Chocolate Truffles appeared first on Living Well With Nic.

Just when you thought smoothie bowls couldn’t get any better, we’re adding a waffle to the mix! That’s right – this Waffle Smoothie Bowl is an elevated spin on plain old waffles or a smoothie. We’re pairing them together and creating the most epic breakfast!

Van’s® Waffles are not only delicious but super nutritious as well. They have a wide variety of varieties and flavors that cater to several different dietary needs such as gluten-free, corn-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. Enjoying Van’s for breakfast can be a bright spot in your day!

I’m all about fun toppings when it comes to smoothie bowls. Cacao nibs are one of my staples so I added about a tablespoon of those and then, of course, added a few pieces of a Toasted Van’s Gluten-Free Original Waffle and Blueberry Waffle. YUM!

This smoothie bowl makes for the perfect breakfast or post-workout snack since it’s packed full of clean plant-based protein, as well as healthy nutritious carbohydrates from the waffle.

If you try this recipe, let me know! I love seeing your comments, ratings, and photos tagged #livingwellwithnic on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

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Chocolate Banana Smoothie Bowl

This smoothie bowl makes for the perfect breakfast or post-workout snack since it’s packed full of clean plant-based protein, as well as healthy nutritious carbohydrates from the waffle.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Keyword Chocolate Banana Smoothie, Vans Waffles

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup Almond Milk
• 1 cup Frozen Zucchini
• ½ Frozen Banana
• ¼ Avocado
• 1 scoop Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder

Toppings

• 1 Van's Gluten-Free Original Waffle toasted
• 1 Tbs Cacao Nibs
• ½ Banana

Instructions

• Blend almond milk, frozen banana, frozen zucchini, avocado, and protein powder into a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
• Toast the waffles, cut in half, then into quarter pieces and arrange on the smoothie bowl.
• Add the sliced banana and sprinkle of cacao nibs.

The post Chocolate Banana Smoothie Bowl appeared first on Living Well With Nic.

Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. I think I’m so fond of it because I grew up with my dad making homemade veggie lasagna with roasted eggplant, carrots, peppers, and ricotta cheese of course. I wanted to experiment and make my own Vegan Lasagna and the verdict is that it’s DELICIOUS.

It’s made with less than 10 ingredients and it’s a lot more simple to make than you might think. The first thing you’ll need to do is prepare the “meat”, which in this case, is tempeh, which is a vegan source of protein. We’re also adding some mushrooms to extra veggies. To give the tempeh and mushrooms a little flavor boost, we’re using coconut aminos (gluten and soy-free sauce that tastes like a sweeter soy sauce). Add in some Muir-Glen fire-roasted tomatoes and marinara sauce and you’ve got the tastiest filling for your lasagna.

I found Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes at my local coop (Lakewinds in Minnetonka). I grew up supporting coops and still do because I love their values and what they stand for, especially their concern for the local community. You can find your own local coop using this store locator: https://www.strongertogether.coop/all-coops. And guess what? Muir Glen Canned Tomatoes will be on sale from Jan 22 – Feb 4!

Now, for the cheese layer, I love using Miyoko’s Dairy-Free Mozzarella Cheese. It shreds really nicely and tastes just like regular mozzarella cheese! It even melts really well, which is sometimes hard to find with vegan cheeses.

It’s time to start layering! Remember this order – sauce, noodles, cheese. You’ll repeat that twice for a total of three layers of lasagna goodness. You can sprinkle with some nutritional yeast on top or fresh parsley.

This lasagna is comforting, hearty, healthy, flavorful, and plant-based. You’re going to love it!

If you try this recipe, let me know! I love seeing your comments, ratings, and photos tagged #livingwellwithnic on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

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Vegan Lasagna

Made with less than 10 ingredients, dairy-free, and gluten-free. A classic spin on your favorite lasagna made with tempeh, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, spices, dairy-free cheese, and gluten-free lasagna noodles. A delicious, comfort meal!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Lasagna, Vegan Lasagna

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 Tbs Avocado or Coconut Oil
• 8 oz Tempeh finely chopped
• 2 Tbs Coconut Aminos
• 1-25 oz Jar of your favorite Marinara sauce
• 14.5 oz Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes No Salt
• 1 cup Mushrooms

Cheese

• 8 oz Vegan Mozzarella I used Miyoko’s brand
• 2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast plus more to taste

Noodles

• 1-10 oz Box of Gluten-Free Lasagna Noodles

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set out a 9×13 inch or similar size and lightly grease with olive oil.
• Begin by preparing your sauce. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, tempeh, and mushrooms and begin sautéing, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes.
• Add coconut aminos and continue sautéing for another 5 minutes.
• In the meantime, if using noodles that require boiling, bring a large pot of water to a boil (otherwise skip this step). Once boiling, add a pinch of salt then add lasagna noodles. Cook according to package instructions (don’t overcook). Then drain and set aside.
• Next, add your marinara sauce and Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes to the tempeh and mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook on low for about 5 minutes. Add nutritional yeast as well. Turn off heat and set aside.
• Grate your cheese and set aside.
• To begin assembly, add a thin layer of marinara sauce to your baking dish. Then add a layer of the cooked pasta noodles (or uncooked noodles if using no-boil). Top with a handful of cheese and spread into an even layer.
• Add another layer of marinara sauce and use a spoon to spread over the cheese layer to coat. Then add another layer of noodles. Top with more cheese and spread into an even layer.
• Top with another layer of noodles and top with remaining sauce. Optional: Top with additional vegan cheese.
• Transfer to the middle rack of your preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes uncovered, or until the sauce is bubbly and/or the edges are browned.
• Carefully remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Then slice, serve and enjoy.

The post Vegan Lasagna appeared first on Living Well With Nic.

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Roasted Vegetable Medley

Course Side Dish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 Japanese Yams
• 2 Sweet Potatoes
• 2 Parsnips
• 1 cup Brussels Sprouts

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425F. Chop all vegetables into cubes, roughly bite-sized pieces.
  
  
• Add to a mixing bowl and coat with avocado oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Toss to mix everything together. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and bake at 425F for 35-45 minutes. Toss vegetables halfway through.
• Serve immediately. Store leftovers in a glass container for up to a week.

The post Roasted Vegetable Medley appeared first on Living Well With Nic.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Silk®. All opinions are mine alone. #NourishYourNewYear #CollectiveBias #Sponsored 

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Save on your favorite Silk® Almondmilk (or try something new) with this Ibotta offer.

The post Just Add Silk to Your New Year Routine appeared first on Living Well With Nic.

Puppy Chow or Muddy Buddies, whatever you want to call it; this stuff is AMAZING. Don’t tell me you didn’t devour this treat when you were a kid! I forgot how yummy it was until I had a few handfuls (or ten) when I was making this recipe.

Want to see me make this recipe on Twin Cities Live? Click the video below!

I love the idea of making this around the holidays and giving it as a homemade gift in a mason jar with a festive holiday ribbon. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love receiving homemade food as a gift? I know I do!

Let’s chat about ingredients. I wanted to make this recipe as clean as possible without sacrificing taste (duh), so I used gluten-free Rice Chex Cereal, all-natural peanut butter, coconut oil, dairy-free dark chocolate, and organic powdered sugar (you can’t really have puppy chow without powdered sugar).

It’s so quick and easy to make, but don’t bank on it lasting too long in the house. It’s just too addicting 😉

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Puppy Chow (Dairy-Free)

This Gluten-Free and Vegan “Puppy Chow” recipe is just as delicious but has a healthier spin to it by using coconut oil and dairy-free chocolate. Made with only 5 clean ingredients and has no refined sugar. Ready in under 30 minutes!

Course Dessert

Keyword muddy buddies, puppy chow

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 11 cups

Ingredients

• 11 cups Rice Chex Cereal
• 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (dairy-free)
• 1 cup All-Natural Peanut Butter
• 2 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
• ¼ cup Coconut OIl
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• Measure Chex Cereal into a large bowl and set aside.
• In a small saucepan over the stove, melt together chocolate, peanut butter and coconut oil on low heat until fully melted, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Pour mixture over cereal, stirring gently until evenly coated. Pour half of the mixture into a large 2-gallon resealable storage bag or a Tupperware container (with a lid).
• Add half the powdered sugar. Seal bag and shake until well coated. Repeat with the other half of the cereal. 
• Spread onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet to cool.
• Scoop into mason jars and give as a fun holiday gift! Or store in an airtight container in refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy!

The post Puppy Chow (Dairy-Free!) appeared first on Living Well With Nic.

Ahhh Christmas. The best time of the year! I love everything about this holiday; decorating the house, cutting down a Christmas tree, sipping on hot chocolate by the fire, watching all the holiday movies (White Christmas is top on my list!), wrapping presents, spending time with loved ones, and of course, baking all the sweet treats. It wouldn’t be Christmas without chocolate and peppermint, right?

When I was thinking of a fun new holiday goodie to make this year, I asked my husband for some ideas and he voted peppermint bark! Since traditional peppermint bark is made with white chocolate (which is dairy-based), I wanted to try to come up with a “healthier” version that still tasted like the real deal.

Enter the Peppermint Bark Popcorn. It’s made with dairy-free dark chocolate, cacao butter, peppermint extract, and peppermint candies (you can’t skip these!).

I’m going to let you in on a little secret – cacao butter is basically a vegan version of white chocolate. You just need a tiny amount for it really to enhance the flavor!

You could go get really creative with this basic chocolate-drizzled popcorn. You could mix some lightly salted, roasted nuts (cashews would be delicious) in with the popcorn before drizzling it with chocolate. You could even sprinkle it with toasted coconut flakes or red and green sprinkles!

This popcorn makes for a very festive, homemade gift. Simply pour it in a mason jar, tie the jar with a Christmas ribbon and add a little note to make it extra special 🙂

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Peppermint Bark Popcorn

A festive holiday treat that makes for a delicious homemade gift! Made with dark chocolate, cacao butter, peppermint extract, and peppermint candies. It tastes like peppermint bark – yum!

Course Dessert

Keyword holiday, peppermint bark, popcorn

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10 cups

Ingredients

• ½ cup Popcorn Kernels
• ½ cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• ½ cup Peppermint Candies or Candy Canes crushed
• 1 tbs Cacao Butter
• ¼ tsp Peppermint Extract
• ¼ tsp Salt

Instructions

• Pop kernels using your preferred method. I personally love making it on the stove using a large metal pot.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out popcorn evenly.
• Melt the cacao butter and chocolate chips in a small pot over the stove. Add peppermint extract, then turn the heat off.
• Drizzle the chocolate over popcorn and quickly sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy pieces before the chocolate sets.
• Allow chocolate to set at room temperature, then break the popcorn into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Store in an airtight container. The popcorn is best served on the day it’s made, but should keep for a couple of days.

The post Peppermint Bark Popcorn appeared first on Living Well With Nic.

The holiday season is officially here and I couldn’t be more excited. The whole month of December is all about Christmas cookies, putting up the Christmas tree, ice skating, and cozying up by the fire with this Dairy-Free Gingerbread Latte (yum!). This Gingerbread Latte taste just like a gingerbread cookie. It’s quickly become my new favorite holiday drink.

Let’s talk about how to make this delicious latte. The base is strong coffee mixed with dairy-free milk. We’re using almond milk, but you could substitute for any dairy-free milk, such as cashew, coconut, hemp, etc. The drink is flavored with warming spices like ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and sweetened with maple syrup. Then we top it off with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon.

I know coffee can taste different depending on your preferences, so you can either make a stronger coffee (more like espresso) or weaker coffee. Totally up to you! I brew my coffee in my Mr. Coffee® Easy Measure 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker. Mr. Coffee® is easy to use, uncomplicated, creates reliable results.

You can hover over this photo to purchase your own Mr. Coffee Maker!

Only Mr. Coffee® keeps it simple to make great coffee, so you can get on with life. I love that this coffee maker allows consumers to enjoy consistent coffee with every cup, taking the guesswork out of making coffee so you can have delicious, consistent results every time. Mr. Coffee® is a brand that my entire family loves and trusts, it is America’s #1 coffee maker for a reason! It’s the easiest to use and most consistent coffee maker I’ve ever owned. Mr. Coffee® Easy Measure coffee maker was awarded as an Editor’s Pick at the 2019 Good Housekeeping Housewares Show and for good reason. Head HERE to read the article!

The easy to use color-coded measuring system gives guidance on the right ground to water ratio for a consistently better-tasting cup of coffee. It also has a Programmable LED Display and a 4-Hour shut off automatically turns off the coffeemaker, so when you’re rushing out the door in the morning you don’t have to worry about remembering to turn off the coffee maker.

Another feature that I really love about this coffee maker is the advanced water filtration system that removes up to 97% of chlorine out of the water and targets calcium to reduce water hardness. The kind of water you use can make such a difference in the flavor of your coffee! This filtration system ensures that you’re getting the freshest coffee. You can try the Mr. Coffee® Easy Measure coffee maker for yourself from your local Target!

Now, on to how to make this Gingerbread Latte. You need freshly brewed coffee, almond milk, molasses, maple syrup, ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk to combine. You can use a hand-held milk frother to frother the milk a bit. Serve this along with your favorite Christmas cookie and curl up with your favorite movie for the coziest afternoon 🙂 #NewellHomeRefresh

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Dairy-Free Gingerbread Latte

This holiday latte tastes like Christmas in a mug. Made with freshly brewed coffee, almond milk, molasses, maple syrup, ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. Simple to make and so delicious and cozy!

Course Drinks

Keyword coffee, gingerbread, holiday, latte

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Equipment

• Sauce Pan
• Milk Frother (optional)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Almond Milk any dairy-free milk will work
• 2 cups Strong Brewed Coffee
• 1 tbs Molasses
• 2 Tbs Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk together.
• Use a hand-held milk frother to froth the latte before serving.
• Pour into two mugs, sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

Notes

You could also use 2 shots of espresso instead of cofee.

The post Dairy-Free Gingerbread Latte appeared first on Living Well With Nic.

These delicious holiday double chocolate peppermint cookies are made with simple ingredients like dark chocolate, coconut oil, and almond flour. They’re filled with chocolate chips and topped with crushed peppermints!

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s time to get your cooking baking on! I don’t know about you, but I start planning my Christmas cookie list in November because I’m just that excited to make delicious festive baked goods.

It doesn’t get much better than chocolate and peppermint, especially in a Christmas cookie. These double chocolate peppermint cookies are made with almond flour, cacao powder, coconut oil, flax egg, chocolate chips, peppermint extract, and Truvia® Cane Sugar Blend.

Aside from using Truvia in cookies, I love adding it to my brownies, bars, cakes, chia pudding, oatmeal, anything that I would use regular sugar. That’s the beauty of it! It’s so versatile and tastes just like good old sugar.

These cookies would be a great dessert to bring to a holiday party or keep on hand when you want a little sweet treat. Not to mention, they’re super easy to make! I just tossed my ingredients into a bowl and mixed until combined. Chilled the dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes then scooped them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a cookie scooper.

Once they were done baking and warm out of the oven, I used the bottom of a measuring cup to press them down slightly. Once they finished cooling, I finished them with crushed peppermint candies. The perfect touch to making them extra festive!

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Vegan Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

These delicious holiday double chocolate peppermint cookies are made with simple ingredients like dark chocolate, coconut oil, and almond flour. They're filled with chocolate chips and topped with crushed peppermints!

Course Dessert

Keyword Chocolate, Double Chocolate, peppermint bark

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups Almond Flour not almond meal
• ½ cup Cocoa Powder
• ½ cup Coconut Sugar or 1/4 cup Truvia
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 1 Flax Egg 1 tbs ground flax seeds + 2.5 tbs water
• ¼ cup Coconut OIl melted
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• ¼ tsp Peppermint Extract
• ½ cup Dark Chocolate Chips melted
• ¼ cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• ¼ cup Peppermint Candies crushed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Make the flax egg by combining 1 tbs ground flax and 2.5 tbs water. Let sit for a few minutes.
• In a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
• Meanwhile place the almond flour, cocoa powder, Truvia, coconut oil, and baking soda into a bowl and mix to combine.
• Add in the flax egg, melted chocolate, and vanilla.
• Fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Chill dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scooper to make 2 inch round cookies and place them on the cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart.
• Bake for 12 minutes.
• Immediately removing from the oven, press the cookies down slightly using the back of a spoon. Let cool.
• Once cooled, chop up the peppermint candies and sprinkle on top.

Notes

Store in an airtight container.

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