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Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Posted on April 2, 2020June 24, 2020 by biglittlebites

I don’t know why this is my first chocolate chip cookie post… but I promise you this – it won’t let it be my last. We make cookies on the reg’ over here, and I just don’t see that kind of kitchen experimentation ending anytime soon.

This recipe is titled Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies, because she makes them by herself, from scratch – and she’s only six. That means you (or your kids) can get baking too! After all, it’s never too soon to teach your kids how to make you dessert. This is a bare bones Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe in which a few essential ingredients elevate it to beyond. I’m going to talk more about that in a little bit, but first let’s talk about what makes Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies SO delicious.

You know how when you want a cookie that’s got that perfect crunch texture on the outside but as your teeth sink in, you get to the soft and chocolatey, gooey stuff? I’ve got the ingredient, prep, temp and bake time down to a science to get that perfect tooth feel so that you can just follow along!

What Makes Gemma’s Chocolate Chip Cookies so GOOD

Now that I have you here, let me preach some INGREDIENT essentials you’ll want to stock for this recipe.

Coconut Oil

Our daughter Minka is allergic to dairy, so I’ve grown accustomed to using coconut oil in place of animal fats in baking. I love that coconut oil can be substituted 1:1 for butter and find it works best when softened, rather than melted. Since the rest of the ingredients are room temperature, it won’t solidify when mixed into Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookie batter. I always choose the least processed version of everything, so I buy unrefined, virgin, cold pressed coconut oil. If you’re not allergic or vegan, you can simply use butter and I recommend grass-fed for the BEST buttery taste!

Coconut Sugar

Sugar doesn’t do great things for our bodies, no matter what kind is consumed. It’s not lower in calories or “healthier” than regular sugar, but it is lower on the glycemic index meaning it won’t spike your blood sugar as much as regular sugar. Coconut sugar is also not as processed as regular sugar. I like that it doesn’t make Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies overly sweet, but just sweet enough.

Flax Eggs

Minka also has a severe egg allergy, and it’s looking like baby Cash is following in her footsteps. I always bake without eggs and I’m going to teach you how. First, let me clarify – Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies would be just as divine with a equal substitution of real eggs. However maybe you’re vegan, allergic to eggs or just don’t want to waste two perfectly good morning eggs on dessert, when you can’t tell the difference anyway? And that’s the truth guys – you won’t know the difference! This recipe calls for 2 flax eggs, and here’s how you do it:

2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds
5 tablespoons of water
Stir and let stand for 10 minutes before adding to recipe

Oat Flour

This is the magic ingredient to a perfectly chewy texture! Oat flour is made by grinding up oats, and it’s naturally gluten-free so it’ll be gentle on your gut. If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you an simply grind up oats. Oat flour makes Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies texture really stand out, as it lends the cookies a nice chew. White flour is overly processed and bleached, has no nutritional substance and is simply not good for our bodies at all. Alternatively, oat flour is a nutrient-dense source of carbohydrates and helps lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure and adds extra fiber to your day. Oat flour works great in cookies! For a gluten-free version, almond flour works perfectly!

Redmond Real Salt

If you’re new to Big Little Bites, let me share that Redmond Salt has been my go-to daily salt since I first discovered it in 2015 for being so pure and unadulterated with all of the natural minerals still in tact. This discovery was made prior to blogging, but since then I have developed a relationship with the brand and am so proud to offer you 15% off with code “BLB” when you shop Redmond Salt and their products.

Vanilla Bean Paste

Sure you can just use vanilla extract, but if you’re not using vanilla bean paste in your baking – you are missing out on LIFE. The flavor profile is vanilla, vanilla, vanilla – out of this world, and if you don’t know what that means, just know it’s 100x better than your average joe vanilla extract. Here’s the thing though, most pastes list sugar as the first ingredient, meaning there’s more sugar than vanilla in the bottle. I’ve found the best vanilla bean paste there is, and they have 376 positive reviews for a reason. It’s expensive compared to imitation vanilla and even to vanilla extract, but I promise the 8 ounces will last you a long time, and it’s totally worth it. Your mind will be blown.

Sea Salt Flakes

Sea salt flakes are large, thin slivers, pyramids or even small little chunks of sea salt. Why are sea salt flakes necessary if you’ve already added salt to the dough? Well, I’m so happy you asked! Topping Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies with these beautiful sea salt flakes adds a complex flavor that instantly elevates the cookie as soon as you bite in! Make it your last step and piece de resistance! I use this brand of sea salt flakes because they are so trusted in the food industry and have been making flakes since 1882, using traditional artisan methods. Also, because Redmond doesn’t make sea salt flakes yet.

Dark Chocolate Chunks

Regular chocolate chip morsels are good… but they don’t really stand a chance next to dark chocolate chunks. Once you make a cookie with my favorite dark chocolate chunks, you will never look back. The dark chocolate chunks I love have the simplest ingredient list you can find at the store when you’re not making the chocolate yourself: sugar, unsweetened chocolate and cocoa butter. Their chocolate chip morsels are also just as delicious and of the same quality and standards! I love buying in packs of 2 to save money, but if you must use a different brand, look for one that doesn’t include soy lechitin and natural flavors.

Quality ingredients make all the difference in flavor for Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies, separating the big girls from the little girls, if you will.

Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies PRO TIPS:

Refrigerate the cookie batter for at least 30 minutes, prior to scooping onto the baking sheet.
Gemma scoops the batter with this easy scooping tool.
Do not flatten the cookie batter scoops before baking! Leaving them round, results in a better shaped cookie.

Bonus Tip:

Another great thing about Gemma’s Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe? If you’re a fan of eating raw cookie dough – this one is free of raw eggs!

chocolate chunk cookies sprinkled with sea salt flakes on a parchment lined baking sheet

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Gemma's Chocolate Chunk Cookies

A healthier take on a delicious, sweet staple! Gemma's Chocolate Chunk Cookies are easy to make and full of flavor because they're made with the best quality ingredients.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Dessert

Equipment

Stand mixer or electric mixer

Ingredients

3/4 c softened, but not melted, coconut oil or grass-fed butter
1 1/4 c coconut sugar
2 flax eggs or organic eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
3 c oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 c dark chocolate chunks
sea salt flakes for sprinkling

Instructions

In a stand mixer, or using an electric mixer, beat the oil and sugar together, on medium-low speed until creamy and well combined. Add the flax eggs and vanilla bean paste and mix for another few seconds.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add it to the batter and mix on low speed until combined.
Stir the chocolate chips in by hand, cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drop cold batter by tablespoons onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1.5 inches apart from one another. Gently push down on the tops to flatten just a tad. Sprinkle each cookie with some sea salt flakes.
Bake for 15 minutes until the edges of the cookies are just beginning to turn brown. Allow to cool on the bakin sheet for a 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

Posted on November 25, 2019May 7, 2020 by biglittlebites

I couldn’t wait to start getting my Christmas decorations up early this year. I fully admit to being one of those people who take the Halloween decorations down and immediately take out the Christmas stuff! Anyone else right there with me?? My reasoning is totally related to the fact we always travel out of town to see family over Thanksgiving and Christmas. The time we spend in our own home, enjoying our decorations, is actually pretty minimal. I maximize that time by getting everything out in November, so that it doesn’t feel like I’m taking it all back down only two or three weeks later.

We’ve been lighting up our tree every night and enjoying the ambiance, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely over all the Fall things! I’ve been in the kitchen using up my stash of homemade pumpkin puree to whip up all things pumpkin spice, and today I have an amazing Pumpkin Pancake recipe to share with you. I started making vegan pancakes on the regular, back when I learned hubs was allergic to dairy and realized one of our daughters is allergic to dairy as well as egg. I also have to admit, I love eating plant-based as much as possible. I’ve perfected the recipe over the years and can promise you – you won’t even notice egg and dairy are missing!

Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes are ULTRA thick and fluffy, and super delicious! Dairy happens to be one of the most inflammatory foods out there and while you won’t notice any difference in flavor in this recipe, you will notice you don’t feel overstuffed and weighed down. Another essential ingredient for feeling good, is using sprouted whole wheat flour. If you haven’t tried it yet, I sure hope you do! Sprouted flour is easier to digest, higher in several nutrients and totally worth the swap.* When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*

I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve for substituting egg and dairy in pancake recipes, that never fail me. The best part is, these tricks lead to the fluffiest pancakes EVER! Keep reading to learn more!

The Ultimate Guide to Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

For pancakes to be vegan, the egg, milk and butter all need to be avoided. Instead of cutting out one or all of these ingredients completely, I simply substitute them with alternatives that result in the fluffiest pancakes around!

I replace eggs with “flax eggs.” If you’ve never made a flax egg before don’t be intimidated – it’s easy and is an excellent egg replacer in any baking recipe that calls for 1 or 2 eggs. You’ll only need ground flax seed (the one I linked is my favorite, and one bag of it lasts forever in my fridge!) and water. Scroll down for easy directions on how to make flax eggs.

Another secret to ultra-fluffy pancakes, is the addition of vegan yogurt! I’ve linked my favorite clean-ingredient one to use, and I always make sure to buy the “unsweetened.” I love that this recipe uses minimal sugar and that the pancakes are only sweetened by applesauce and coconut sugar, which is low on the glycemic index.

How to Make a Flax Egg for Baking:

1 tablespoon of ground flax seed
3 tablespoons of water

In a small ramekin or bowl, stir together flax seed and water. Leave undisturbed for at least 10 minutes before using in a recipe. The mixture will be thickened and resemble the consistency of egg white.

The bowl on the left shows the pumpkin puree and flax eggs being stirred together. The bowl on the right, shows all of the ingredients mixed together.

Once everything is mixed together, I heat my griddle to 325 degrees and grease it with a smear of coconut oil just before I’m ready to cook. I use a 1/4 c measurement to scoop batter onto my hot griddle, and flip the pancakes when they appear to be bubbling slightly on top.

While the pancakes are cooking, make the quick candied pecans to top your pancakes with. They don’t take long to come together, and in my opinion, are an essential topping for Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes!

But don’t forget the maple syrup! Artificial “pancake syrup” is made mostly of corn syrup and food dye to resemble the real stuff, which is sap from a tree. Real maple syrup is rich in caramelized flavor and provides manganese, zinc and even calcium, among other nutrients and antioxidants. Every Fall, I keep my eyes open at the grocer, for bourbon, barrel-aged maple syrup – it’s one of my favorite flavor finds and the packaging is usually so chic! I also think a bottle of bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup makes a really great, unique and special holiday gift for all of the important service people in our lives. Imagine surprising your postman with a beautiful bottle tagged with a thank you note, inside your mailbox!

Print Recipe

Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

The ultimate fluffy vegan pancakes full of Fall flavor and super healthy!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Equipment

Griddle or skillet

Ingredients

1.5 c sprouted whole wheat flour
1/4 c golden coconut sugar
2 tsp baking powder
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk yogurt
2 flax eggs see post for easy instructions!
1/4 c applesauce, unsweetened
1/4 c water
2 tbsp expeller pressed, virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp vanilla

Quick Candied Pecans

2 tsp expeller pressed, virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 c pecans

Instructions

Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

Preheat griddle to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together.
In a medium bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients.
Add half of the dry ingredient mixture, to the wet mix and stir to loosely combine. Add the remaining half and stir well. The mixture will be thick.
Immediately before cooking, grease griddle with a brush of coconut oil. Using a 1/4 c measuring cup, scoop batter onto hot griddle.
Cook the pancakes for about 4 minutes per side, or until you being to see air bubbles (or pockets) on the top side.
While the pancakes are cooking, begin working on the Quick Candied Pecans (directions below).
Remove hot pancakes to a plate. Top with Quick Candied Pecans.

Quick Candied Pecans

In a small skillet over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil.
Add coconut sugar to the oil, and stir every few minutes until it's mostly dissolved. About 5 minutes.
Stir in pecans, making sure to coat evenly. Cook for another 5 minutes, being careful not to let the sugar burn.

Chili Lime White Bean Tacos with Guacamole

Posted on September 17, 2019October 30, 2019 by biglittlebites

* When you purchase qualifying items via product links, I earn a small commission at no cost to you *

Holy GUACAMOLE! You haven’t enjoyed lived until you’ve tried every vegan taco on this blog 😉 In our home, we strive to eat plant-based 75% of the time. It doesn’t always happen… especially since my last pregnancy, where I began craving every animal food on earth… but I strive, I really do. I like to eat mostly plant-based because that’s when I feel my best. Is there any easier way to get more veggies, and plant-protein, into your families bellies than by making dinner a TACO NIGHT. That’s right, I said it – Mexican is the best way to go. So let’s go!

Vegan Tacos

First of all, if you want to feel good when you eat beans, you’ve got to trust me and sprout them first. It’s definitely the way to go. I like to sprout large batches of beans and store them in the freezer in gallon bags, so they’re ready to go when I want to add them into recipes. White beans really have no particular flavor on their own, so they work well in a taco recipe where you want the seasonings to prevail. Speaking of seasonings, I am totally obsessed with Trader Joes Chili Lime seasoning and keep my spice cabinet fully stocked at all times. This spice blend is the easiest road to delicious tacos every time, and you won’t be disappointed. In this Chili Lime White Bean Taco recipe, I combine the chili lime seasoning with smoked paprika (so good) and a touch of cumin. Lots of bold flavor, but if you want to kick the spice level up, add in a 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper to the mix. For this crazy crew of 4 kids, I skip the heavy duty spice and keep it nice with the seasonings listed in the recipe below. You might be shocked to see jalapeños in the top right hand corner of this photo, but truth be told, when you roast them per the directions below, they are SWEET and SMOKEY – YUM. After roasting, peel the skins off and literally smear ’em right into your tacos. Optional, but delicious.

white bean tacos on a sheet pan with roasted jalapeños

You can’t have Mexican food without a trio of bell peppers. Ok fine, you totally can, but I love fajitas and fajitas include bell peppers so I’m including them in my taco night. Plus, this is a great way to add veggies to your tortilla! The bell peppers get nice and sweet when you pan sear and sauté them with a little oil, so go ahead and let them brown a little, but be careful not to burn and create carcinogens in your food.

The guacamole necessary in this recipe is chunky and gets a touch of sweetness from the tomatoes I use and tartness from plenty of lime juice. As far as tortillas, when I want to keep things totally clean and healthy, I usually reach for these delicious and thin tortillas (hint: find them for much less at Whole Foods), but for this recipe I went for the homemade flour tortillas sold at Trader Joes. I know you’re going to love these vegan Chili Lime White Bean Tacos with Guacamole because even my kids go for seconds 🙂

Chili Lime White Bean Tacos with Guacamole

1/2 red onion, sliced
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
8 jalapenos
4 cloves garlic, 1/4 inch thick slices
4 c northern white beans, cooked
2 tbsp chili lime seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
a few sprigs of cilantro for garnish
1 recipe guacamole

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add onion and 2 tablespoons of oil to the hot skillet and stir a few times, for 7 minutes.
Grease a sheetpan with a little bit of coconut oil. Place the jalapenos (whole) on the pan and place into the oven for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through to brown on all sides.
Reduce the heat on the cast iron skillet to medium-low and add the sliced garlic, cooking for an additional 4 minutes.
Add the beans to the skillet, along with all of the seasonings and stir well. Allow to cook for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Make one recipe of Big Little Bites guacamole
Move the bean mixture to a dish and cover to keep warm.
Raise the heat on the skillet to medium and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Immediately add the sliced bell peppers with 1/8 tsp of real salt and cook until softening and just browning on the edges.
Remove jalapenos from the oven, and turn the temperature down to 200 degrees.
Gently peel and throw away the skins from the jalapenos. Place the jalapenos on a small serving dish.
Warm tortillas of choice in the 200 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.
To assemble the tacos, layer a tablespoon of guacamole, a heaping large spoonful of bean mixture and sliced bell pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro to serve.

Peachy Pie Steel Cut Oats

Posted on September 12, 2019October 30, 2019 by biglittlebites

Peachy Pie Steel Cut Oats

Our oldest daughter absolutely adores peaches! Which is pretty convenient, being that we moved to the Peach State of Georgia, just last year 🙂 Since peaches are on the Dirty Dozen list, I only choose organic, to minimize the toxic load on our bodies. With 4 kids, and the prices of organic peaches being so high, I have formed a silly habit of stockpiling them at the bottom of the fruit drawer where they aren’t to visible to little eyes. After all, if they eat them too fast, they’ll be gone, and then it’s back to the grocery store for me. It’s a pretty lame habit, does anyone else find themselves doing that?

I definitely have budgeted for organic foods, but it just feels wrong to pay $1.26 per peach! We are a family of six, so one peach per person, per week, is $7.53 – yikes! To some, it may feel very tempting to go conventional, but knowledge is king and knowing what pesticides do to our bodies is enough to make me buy only buy organic… and then hide them in the fridge, I guess. Haha! This is where sourcing an organic farmer at your local farmers market comes in handy!

Due to this hide-and-seek game I’ve made of peaches, sometimes they over-ripen before we get a chance to eat them all, but that’s exactly when this Peach Pie Steel Cut Oat recipe does its best!

How to Make it

Choose the softest, juiciest peaches you can find, and chop them up into tiny bite size pieces. I always set aside 1/2 a cup of sliced or diced fresh peaches to garnish the top of my oatmeal bowl with.

Dig up some nuts from your pantry, and coarsely chop them. Honestly, any nut will do, but pecans fit the theme, so we will go with that for the sake of the recipe.

Have you ever cooked steel cut oats? I know it’s frustrating that they take longer to cook, especially when you’re trying to get kids out the door to school, or you’re just really hungry and WANT FOOD NOW! Have you wondered about steel cut oats v. rolled oats? Steel cut oats are far less processed and I love the chewy texture. If you really want to step up your game, try dry-toasting the oats over low heat before you add the liquids! The first step in this recipe, is to combine the oats, water, vanilla and cinnamon in a medium-sized pot. Set the temperature to high until the oat mixture begins to boil, and then cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. You can shorten the cooking time in half, if you soak the oats the night before. I add in my chopped peaches about halfway through, because if you include them at the beginning, they’ll overcook and lose much of their flavor.

My biggest piece of advice? Do NOT skip the peach pie topping! It’s literally SO delicious and adds a lot of flavor to the finished product. I use coconut sugar in most of my cooking because it’s much lower on the glycemic index than refined sugar and won’t cause a spike in blood sugar. This becomes especially important when we are talking about the first meal of the day. Normally, I prefer not to add any sweetener to oatmeal, because I’d rather save sugar for a dessert and minimize it elsewhere in my diet. However, 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar spread out over 4 servings in this recipe, isn’t going to be an issue and it really helps the nuts get that caramelized flavor. So first, you’re going to break down some of that sugar into the oil over medium-low heat, making sure to stay close by and stir as needed because it’s really easy to burn the coconut sugar. Next, add in the nuts and spices, to get that delicious, toasty flavor. This really is the perfect transition recipe from summer to fall!

My kids just love this oatmeal recipe, and I hope you all love it too!

oatmeal in a bowl topped with peach slices and toasted pecans

Print Recipe

Peachy Pie Steel Cut Oats

Cook Time30 mins

Course: Breakfast

Servings:

Ingredients

1 c steel cut oats
4 c water
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 peaches, cored and cubed
1/4 banana, mashed

Peach Pie Topping

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

Combine oats, water, vanilla and salt in a medium pot.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Halfway through, add the peaches.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat.
Add oil and coconut sugar and stir frequently for 5 minutes.
Add nuts and spices, continuing to stir for another 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the sugar, and lower the heat if necessary!
Pour carmelized nuts and all the oil into the pot of oats and stir.

Almond Flour Berry Pancakes

Posted on September 2, 2019September 2, 2019 by biglittlebites

Just another dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, free-this, free-that pancake recipe? Hardly! These light and airy pancakes are the perfect base for fresh berries or a berry compote and are anything but the ordinary. A family favorite in our home, these get requested for Saturday morning breakfast, but could easily be whipped up the night before and cooked on the griddle in 10 minutes time on a school morning.

What we Love about Almond Flour Berry Pancakes

We love how light these almond flour berry pancakes are, and the subtle vanilla and almond flavor that pairs so well with berries and maple syrup. The pancakes are not overly sweet and won’t spike your blood sugar first thing in the morning. In fact, the coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than refined sugar, making it a healthier choice to start the day with. Almond flour is also naturally sweeter than traditional flour, and once you add the berry topping and a drizzle of maple syrup, they are just as sweet as you’d expect from pancakes.

I like using almond flour because it’s lower in carbohydrates than traditional flour, much less processed and higher in nutrients and minerals like protein, vitamin E, healthy fats, manganese, magnesium, copper and phosphorous. Almond flour is simply blanched almonds with skins removed, ground into a flour, whereas traditional flour is heavily processed and refined, stripping the nutrients from the wheat. Traditional flour is then left with hardly any fiber or fats, and causes your blood sugar to spike. I consider traditional flour to be empty calories, meaning the calories aren’t providing much nutritionally, and are therefore a waste to consume.

Almond flour has a low glycemic index and is also supposed to help lower bad cholesterol and keeps blood sugar in check, making it a better choice for everyone but particularly for those suffering from type 2 diabetes.

I also love that this a breakfast without any animal products in it. So often, breakfast is made with animal milks and eggs, that it’s healthy to go vegan every now and then and choose plant-based instead. It’s scientifically proven that the more animal foods we consume, the higher our risk is for heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Processed breakfast meats like sausage and bacon, are particularly unhealthy to eat because they metabolize as toxins in our bodies. In fact, did you know that the World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that processed meats are carcinogenic? This means, they have been proven to be a major contributor to cancer based on sufficient evidence in studies. Consuming a few strips of bacon daily, actually increases your cancer risk by 18 percent! Perhaps you are choosing organic or grass-fed bacon or sausage, in an effort to be healthier. This is definitely a great way to avoid hormones, antibiotics and pesticides, but it doesn’t make your bacon or sausage any less processed. The process of salting, curing, fermentation and smoking are what classify these meats as processed, and are what make them so unhealthy to consume, per WHO data.

You don’t need to give up meat completely, but making an effort to eat plant-based more often, makes a significant difference in your overall health! Why not switch things up, and mix this vegan pancake recipe into your weekend breakfast rotation?

How to Make Almond Flour Berry Pancakes

These pancakes are egg-free and dairy-free, making them completely vegan. They are absolutely delicious this way, and you won’t miss the eggs or dairy one bit in the flavor! However, if you are a traditionalist, this recipe works just as well with substitutions:

2 flax eggs = 2 regular eggs

1 c coconut milk + 1/4 water = 1 1/4 c yogurt

The recipe for Almond Flour Berry Pancakes is pretty self-explanatory. I like to make the flax eggs first, so the mixture can sit and thicken while I prep the rest of my ingredients. I combine the ground flax seed and water in a small bowl and just let it rest off to the side. Next, I mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, and the wet ingredients in a small bowl so that when I combine them together, it takes minimal stirring. I want to note that the coconut milk I use in cooking, is the culinary variety. I like the full fat coconut milk and I simply stir it well before I add it to a recipe. Coconut milk adds more healthy fats and is nice and thick, but I cut it with some water so we don’t overdo the fat content in the overall recipe. Alternatively, you could use 1/2 c of coconut cream (even thicker than coconut milk), and 3/4 c of water.

When it comes to the fruit, use whatever you have on hand! It’s summer, so I’m all about using fresh, organic berries while they are at their peak flavor, but frozen organic berries work just as well. Another idea is to mix half of the berries right into your batter, reserving the other half as toppings.

Print Recipe

Almond Flour Berry Pancakes

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Course: Breakfast

Servings:

Ingredients

2 3/4 c almond flour
1/4 c coconut sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 c coconut milk, culinary
1/4 c water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 flax eggs: 2 tbsp ground flax seed + 5 tbsp water allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to using
1 c fresh berries

Instructions

Make the 2 flax eggs and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk.
Combine all of the wet ingredients, including the 2 flax eggs, in a small mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly.
Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients in the medium mixing bowl and stir gently just until combined.
Set a griddle on 300 degrees, or warm a skillet over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Grease the griddle or skillet with 1/2 tsp coconut oil before cooking each batch of pancakes.
Using a 1/4 c measuring cup, scoop batter onto hot surface and flip carefully once edges begin to set.
Top with berries and maple syrup!

Honey Bunches of Oats Granola

Posted on August 12, 2019May 29, 2020 by biglittlebites

I don’t eat cereal anymore. In fact, the last bowl of cereal I ate was in my freshman year of college before I attended a life-changing health class. That being said, I’m an 80’s kid, and 80’s kids lived on a breakfast of processed cereals!!! What was your drug of choice? Personally, I couldn’t get ENOUGH of Honey Bunches of Oats. Those sweet, crunchy lil’ clusters, silvered almonds, the sweet, crunchy lil’ clusters… whoops, did I already say that? Here’s the problem though: not only is Post Honey Bunches of Oats cereal full of genetically modified ingredients (GMO’s), but the ingredients themselves barely qualify as healthy, with fake flavors, fake sweetener and preservatives.

I am not interested in feeding that to my kids, whom I worked too hard to bring into this world. We are just learning so much nowadays, about the rise of cancer and autoimmune diseases, the importance of clean ingredients and the effect on our overall wellness. Breakfast around here centers around minimally processed and whole food choices like oatmeal, chia seed pudding, eggs with veggies, avocado toast on sprouted, flourless bread… and sometimes granola. Granola is a tricky one. Have you ever looked at the nutrition labels on store-bought granola? They are full of processed sugar, added artificial and “natural” flavoring, etc… and I just want something wholesome and nutritious that I feel good about feeding to my family.

Friends, I’m coming at you with some exciting news today! I’ve been working hard on an easy, healthy, nutritious, clean-ingredient Honey Bunches of Oats granola recipe, that will be your new favorite morning treat. Even more exciting, you or even your kids, can easily make this and may already have the ingredients on hand!

Homemade Honey Bunches of Oats Granola

Homemade Honey Bunches of Oats Granola is a brain-food, breakfast trifecta of healthy fats, protein and fiber.

Taking only 30 minutes to bake, and 10 minutes to prep, this can be made day-of or ahead of time! We like to make a batch on Sunday mornings, to store in a gallon storage bag in our pantry for busy school mornings. Pair this with my easy, homemade cashew milk, and breakfast is served!

Print Recipe

Homemade Honey Bunches of Oats Granola

Healthy, nutritious, sweet, crunchy honey bunches you can feel good about eating!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Servings:

Ingredients

4 C Old fashioned oats
1/2 C Chia seeds
1 1/2 C Almond Slivers
1/4 C Coconut Sugar
4 Tbsp Water
1/2 C Coconut oil
1/4 C Honey
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 Tsp Almond extract

Instructions

Heat oven to 325 degrees farenheit.
In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut sugar and water on medium-low heat until it just begins to boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the oil, honey, vanilla, salt and cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, combine the oats, chia seeds and almond slivers.
Pour the coconut sugar mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until everything is evenly coated.
Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour entire bowl onto the sheet pan, and Firmly pat the mixture down flat and evenly so that the layer is about an inch thick. This helps everything get toasted, as well as ensures those perfect crunchy clusters when you break it all apart after baking.
Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes afterwards, before breaking apart.

Homemade Cashew Milk

Posted on August 12, 2019September 6, 2019 by biglittlebites

In our family, we don’t drink cows milk because it’s breastmilk made for a baby cow and not a human, and since we also don’t eat processed cereals, we really only need plant milk once in a while for baking or cream-based recipes or to pour over our Homemade Honey Bunches of Oats Granola I used to just buy it from the store, reading ingredient label after ingredient label in a search to find one with a lesser amount of additives. I eventually became so fed up with the hunt, and fed up with paying $6 for quality nut milk, that I decided to make my own. That was years ago, and I have never looked back! The ingredients in store-bought plant milk are so much more than what I want to put in my body. “Natural” flavors, guar gum, gellan gum, carrageenan, lechitin, xanthan gum, sugar, starch, locust bean gum… the list goes on, and changes, based on what brand you buy.

Making homemade cashew milk is super easy and affordable, so don’t feel intimidated. You only need a few key tools in your equipment arsenal: a blender (doesn’t need to be fancy), a nut milk bag (for straining the “milk” from the pulverized nuts) and a pitcher with an air-tight lid (to store the cashew milk in).

Since I’m making cashew milk myself, I might as well use the best ingredients. I purchase 2 pounds of raw, organic cashews at a time, and store them in my pantry to use as needed. I used to always use vanilla extract in my recipe, but have moved on to vanilla bean paste, because it give nut milk a better, warm, vanilla flavor. The cleanest option is to grind up 3 vanilla pods with 1/4 C maple syrup or honey and 1 tbsp of bourbon, vodka or vanilla extract (easier than it sounds) or you can just purchase this. Other than those two important ingredients, I add water, and a pinch of real salt (use code “BLB” to receive 15% off, and Big Little Bites will receive a small commission that costs you nothing).

As far as texture and flavor, this creamy, homemade cashew milk hits home with my whole family. It’s hard to compete with the artificial and “natural” flavoring added to store-bought milks, but this is one homemade milk recipe that everyone in my house loves!!

Homemade Vanilla Cashew Milk

Creamy, plant-based nut milk the whole family will love! Made with wholesome, real food ingredients.

1 C Cashews (raw)
4 C Water (we use reverse-osmosis filtered water)
1 tsp Vanilla bean puree (or store-bought paste)
1/4 tsp Real salt

Soak the cashews in room temperature water for at least 2 hours, or even overnight, to optimize the milking process.
Strain the cashews and rinse them very well. Put the cashews into the blender carafe.
Add water, vanilla and salt and puree for 10 seconds.
Place a nut milk bag over the top of a pitcher, or inside of a large bowl, and strain the blended mixture through the bag. Squeeze the bag as you go, pushing as much milk out of the cashewl meal as possible. Seal the pitcher with an air-tight lid and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Chipotle Lime Tempeh Tacos with Avocado Crema

Posted on July 31, 2019May 1, 2020 by biglittlebites

Sometimes, we do taco nights multiple times a week in our house… especially when we are having a busy week, or are hosting company.

Two totally different reasons, right?!

Busy Weekdays Require Easy, Healthy Meals

Busy weeks involve a lot of running around to kids various activities, on top of daily mom life or work. Between laundry, cooking, cleaning, feeding, nap times, school schedules and extracurricular activities – sometimes I feel like I don’t come up for air all day. I’m not complaining, because I’m so happy for this beautiful and chaotic mom-life and even happier that I can provide my family with healthy food on top of the enriching daily life we provide them… But show me an easy, healthy, whole food based meal – and I’m all over that!

Curious what I do all day? Currently, my busy week looks like this:

The last thing I have time for, is spending hours in the kitchen. BUT I am passionate about healthy living and giving my family the best. I want to serve my family a wholesome homemade meal every night. What to do? Tacos!!! Literally, the quickest dinner I can throw together, with endless variations on protein and toppings. This Chipotle Lime Tempeh Taco recipe with Avocado Crema is just ONE of our faves, when I want to go meatless, and accomplish tons of delicious flavor. While this recipe combines tempeh AND sprouted black beans for tons of plant protein, you can totally swap them for cubed chicken, pork or steak and you will still get BOMB results – promise.

An Easy and Fun Dinner when Hosting a Group

The other reason to make tacos: dinner party! When you need a big-batch dinner that’s sure to please – tacos are the answer. The Chipotle Lime Tempeh Tacos recipe easily doubles and triples and is a real crowd pleaser. The flavor combination of chipotle, lime, cilantro, avocado and coconut is so refreshing and flavorful, even your pickiest non-vegetarian friends may be surprised to find they love it 😉 wink, wink. I personally love corn tortillas, and always choose non-GMO and/or sprouted varieties, to keep things healthy and non-toxic but it’s fun to serve a variety of “vehicles.” Some favorite tortillas include sprouted grain tortillas, the grain-free varieties offered by Siete, and some days you just need a traditional homemade-style flour tortilla. Just do yourself one favor, and always read the ingredients to make sure you’re not buying tortillas with all kinds of unwanted stuff added to it (like flavors, preservatives, etc…) * When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*

How to Make Chipotle Lime Tempeh Tacos

Now, let’s get down to business. While not required, I do recommend my method for prepping tempeh prior to marinating. Boil some water and simmer the tempeh in for 10 minutes – this helps prep the tempeh for marinating and achieving the best flavor. I combine the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl, so I can easily whisk them together. This marinade calls for chipotle lime seasoning, and I find mine at Trader Joes in the spice section for the best price. I use this seasoning in most of my mexican-themed recipes and just love it! Once the prepped tempeh cools, cube it and place them side by side in a flat storage container of the appropriate size. Pour the marinade over top to evenly coat the tempeh, cover the dish and let it rest overnight. If you start this recipe in the afternoon and need it that night – 2 hours of marinading will suffice.

When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat your oven and set a skillet to heat on the stovetop. I love using my cast iron skillet for it’s natural nonstick capability, which means I can sauté with less oil. Once the skillet is hot, you can add a little oil and the sliced onions and peppers. I start the onions and peppers first, because they don’t take long to cook, and by time you’re done with them, the oven will be ready for the tempeh!

I love to line my sheet pan with parchment paper, because I’d rather not increase the risk of health issues related to aluminum exposure. Bake your tempeh on the lined sheet pan (adding the beans, halfway through cooking time) and you’ll see it browning and crisping up around the edges – yum! While that’s going on inside of the oven, throw all of the avocado crema ingredients into a blender and whip that up. From here on out, it’s just a matter of assembling tacos, and most people (and kids!) prefer to do that themselves. You’ve got this!

healthy corn tortilla Tacos on a plate stuffed with tempeh and black beans

Print Recipe

Chipotle Lime Tempeh Tacos with Avocado Crema

Excellent meatless taco recipe with homemade avocado crema topping!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Ingredients

Marinade

1/4 c olive oil
1 tbsp chipotle lime seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 lime, juiced

Chipotle Lime Tempeh Taco Recipe

1 package tempeh, prepped ahead
2 c sprouted black beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 orange bell pepper, sliced
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 package non-GMO corn tortillas

Avocado Crema

2 avocado, pitted and shelled
1/4 bunch cilantro, stems in tact
4 tbsp coconut cream
1/2 tsp real salt
1 clove garlic (small)
1/2 c water
1 lime, juiced

Instructions

Cut tempeh into cubes and place into a flat container for marinating. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl and whisk. Pour the marinade over the cubed tempeh and marinate overnight, or at least 2 hours.
Set the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Once it is hot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil, sliced onion and garlic salt to the skillet. Cook for 7 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to brown (turn down the heat if beginning to burn). Add the sliced bell pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes until they begin to soften but remain bright.
Reserving the marinade, remove just the tempeh and spread it on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, adding the beans and reserved marinade, halfway through (coat well before placing back in the oven).
While the tempeh and beans cook, combine the avocado, cilantro, coconut milk, salt, garlic, lime juice and water in a blender. Blend until smooth, and check the taste and consistency, making any liquid or flavor adjustments necessary. Transfer avocado crema to a small bowl or gravy boat for serving.
When the tempeh and beans are finished cooking, transfer them to a serving bowl. Turn the oven off, and throw away the parchment paper on the pan. Add your tortillas to the sheet pan and place back into the cooling oven just a few minutes prior to eating, to warm them.
Sprinkle fresh cilantro over top of the tempeh and beans, and serve!

Mango Cucumber Avocado Salad

Posted on June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 by biglittlebites

My brother-in-law is a phenomenal home chef. Really, he’s so clever with putting ingredients together that when he made us this mango cucumber avocado salad at a family dinner, I promptly had to steal the recipe. I can’t even say I “made it my own,” because it’s just so darn good in the simplistic way he puts it together, it would be blasphemy to change it!

I have to be honest thought. When I think of salad, I think of crisp leafy greens, loaded with tons of fun and interesting veggies – Big Little Bites style! Fruit in salad is NOT my thing… seriously! Unless it’s a tomato or an avocado, I just don’t believe in mixing fruit with vegetables – something about the “sweet” doesn’t do it for me. Well, consider me a convert! But only for this one salad… It’s that good.

This mango cucumber avocado salad is definitely a summer staple in our home, and you’re going to love it. The salad is light, refreshing, colorful, satiating and is basically the perfect bowl of summer! Serve it at room temperature, or serve it chilled – it’s delicious either way.

I love serving it as a snack for the kids, but then I don’t get any. If I want any chance of a taste, I have to serve it as a side for dinner, and savor some sneaky bites whilst preparing the rest of the meal 🙂 This works, unless the kids are helping me make dinner that night – then I’m definitely not getting away with a bite. Send your kids to a friends house while you make this and eat it alone. Just kidding. Kind of.

Mango Cucumber Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

1 mango, peel removed, cubed

1/2 organic english cucumber, peeled if preferred, sliced and halved

1 avocado, peel removed, sliced

Avocado oil

Sprinkle of real salt

Directions:

Assemble the cubed mango, cucumbers and avocado in a bowl. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Eat!

Shishito Peppers

Posted on June 1, 2019July 11, 2019 by biglittlebites

Shishito peppers are showing up everywhere on the food scene these days – and I love buying them to cook at home. Shishito peppers are a Japanese heirloom pepper, and are generally mild on the spicy scale, but every now and then – you may get a surprise spicy pepper! In my opinion, it’s like a game of roulette (there’s a 1 in 10 chance!) and is part of the fun in eating these little guys!

These peppers are really healthy for you because they are full of fiber and antioxidants and contain high levels of vitamin C, making them great for digestive health and disease prevention. Like we needed any excuse to indulge!

Shishito peppers have a thin skin that makes them easy to blister and quick to cook. Cooking them is so easy, and brings out a subtle smokey flavor that lends well to many preparation methods, and to eating an entire bowl on your own. Whoops! Prior to cooking, rinse them well but leave the shishito peppers whole, stems in tact.

Ingredients:

1 package of shishito peppers (no surprise here!)

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 tbsp white sesame seeds

1/2 tbsp black sesame seeds

Organic tamari or soy sauce

Directions:

Heat a cast iron skillet for 5 minutes over medium heat. Swirl in toasted sesame oil for a couple of seconds and toss in shishito peppers. Let the peppers sit for a few minutes to blister on one side, before giving them a stir/flip with a wooden spoon. Let them blister on the other side, cooking about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and move skillet to a hot pad. Sprinkle in sesame seeds and a splash of tamari or soy sauce. Try not to eat them all in one sitting…. or do! 🙂