Quinoa Flakes Archives - Strength and Sunshine

Oat-Free No-Bake Granola Bars (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)

July 1, 2019 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 52 Comments

These 3-ingredient no-bake granola bars are so easy to make! This recipe for healthy homemade granola bars is oat-free, gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free! These chewy bars make a great grab-and-go breakfast or kid-friendly snack! They’re sugar-free and naturally sweet, plus packed with protein and nut-free!

You know those moments when you’re like, “Why didn’t I think of this sooner!?” This is one of those times. Oats are the foundation of any good granola bar, but the hardest grain for a celiac to digest even when they are safe and 100% purity protocol. Noshing into a big ‘ole granola bar doesn’t sit well for many of us. Alternatives to the famed granola bar would be bars made from nuts and loads of sticky refined sugar. Granola bars are not so allergy-friendly, nor are many of the store-bought versions healthy. But what if we could change that with a healthy, homemade, no-bake recipe?Read More

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies

February 24, 2016 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 146 Comments

The classic chocolate chip cookie with the protein punch of quinoa. Healthy, gluten-free, vegan, quinoa chocolate chip cookies that will fool anyone into thinking they’re eating a decadent dessert. These call for a double batch!

Savory, sweet, dinner, side dish, DESSERT? Ah!!! You know I write all my posts over the weekend and trying to figure out which recipe I wanted to post today took me all week plus the weekend. Then it was a mad rush to edit and write! I didn’t plan on posting these cookies for a few more weeks, but, well, they’re just too good to wait any longer! I made enough of these cookies to have stocked in my freezer and have been heating them up for a mid-morning “protein” burst the last couple of weeks. Daily cookies? Good stuff!

I think we can all agree that the chocolate chip cookie is the ultimate classic cookie. Everyone has had a chocolate chip cookie and everyone has a recipe…maybe. Actually baking did happen in my childhood at least. More than “just add water“. The ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of the Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips.

I’m pretty sure I’ve told you about making chocolate chip cookies as a kid before, but maybe not all the memories. So let’s take a trip down memory lane to a simpler time full of young innocence and gluten-filled goodies. Even then, ever since I can remember, I’ve just loved the excuse to get in the kitchen and cook or bake. So when my mom would randomly call out to my brother and I, asking if we wanted to help with some baking, I ran!

From what I remember, it was always nighttime, maybe after dinner, but it would be dark outside, the kitchen would be warm with the oven preheating and the overhead ceiling lights giving the room an orange glow. The big (and still only) red glass mixing bowl would be set down on the table, the all-purpose flour, and a bag of semi-sweet chocolate “morsels” to the side. I’d make sure I got prime spot in front of the bowl, kneeing up on the kitchen chair. To keep it fair, my brother and I would take turns adding each ingredient to the bowl.

First we would measure and dump in the flour to the big red bowl. Then one of us would measure out the brown sugar (which we always joked about how it looked like “poop” when combined with the melted butter). There was the the glorious smell of vanilla extract! I loved dumping that in! It was my favorite smell! Then the milk and egg which my brother and I both had my mom do. No scary raw egg cracking for us! Last but (really) not least, we got to add in the chocolate chips.

Now, obviously some of those chocolate chips ended up straight in our mouths, but for the most part, we got them in the batter where they belonged 😉 (P.S. my family DOES NOT eat raw cookie dough or any batter. That is so dangerous and never happened in our house!). But then came my favorite part and the most “work”. Mixing the batter!

When you first start, the batter is so hard to mix and we would have to mix for SO long (it felt like). My brother and I would take turns when our arms go tired, but then the batter would become smooth and the only bumps would be the great feel of the chocolate chips gooping around in the batter. I just loved that feeling of mixing the smooth batter! Of course, that also signaled that out work was over. My mom would be the one to drop the cookie batter ever so evenly on the bare greased cookie sheet while my brother and I started counting down the minutes until warm fresh baked cookie would be taken out from the oven in all their aromatic chocolatly gooey hot glory!

They say one of the simple pleasures in life is a fresh baked warm from the oven chocolate chip cookie, and they are correct. It’s one of those experience everyone must have (multiple times) in their lives. It’s pure and utter magic. Since I want everyone to be able to experience that (as well as myself, yet again), I had to make allergy-safe chocolate chip cookies. I whipped them up on a whim, all with quinoa! Quinoa flour, flakes, and of course a bit of arrowroot for the chewy factor. While baking they smelled EXACTLY like “real” chocolate chip cookies. And to my even bigger surprise, when I had my brother try one he said, “Wow, there taste like the actual thing!” <——- Mind blown! I can attest to that too! The crumb and texture is exact and the chew is perfectly how a cookie should be. No to mention the abundance of studded chocolate chips though out! These quinoa chocolate chip cookies are a MUST make, 5 times over!

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Rebecca Pytell
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Yield: 12 1x
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Scale

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Quinoa Flakes
3/4 Cup Quinoa Flour
1/2 Cup Arrowroot Starch
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp Butter Emulsion (optional)
1/3 Cup Granular Erythritol
1/2 Cup Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir/whisk until you have a smooth batter.
On a Silpat lined baking sheet, blob and smooth down, about 2 tablespoons each, 12 cookies, evenly spaced out.
Bake the cookies in the oven for 20 minutes. Allow them to cool a bit before devouring (if you can).
These freeze very well and can be reheated in 30-40 seconds for a nice warm cookie snack!

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1

Would you like a cookie? If you were to make one Strength and Sunshine recipe, right now, I would want you to make these! I promise, you may just rethink your Toll House classic when you get a taste of these! Quinoa chocolate chip cookies for EVERYONE! The joy, comfort, warmth, and love, it’s all right here just waiting for you! From my kitchen to yous, xoxo

So tell me:

+ I’m scared to ask, but I have to. Are there any NON chocolate chip cookie people out there? Bless your sad soul 🙁

+ What’s your favorite baking memory you have as a child? Definitely these cookie nights!

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Seckel Pear & Pistachio Scones

December 30, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 101 Comments

Lovely whole grain gluten-free vegan scones for an elegant winter breakfast or brunch. Seckel pear & pistachio scones are perfect paired with a warm mug of coffee or tea.

Scones! Never have I ever had a scone until a few weeks ago. They are mighty fine triangles of yum! I’ve always felt as though scones were so elegant and fancy. A complete brunch or tea-time treat. Taking the fancy further and using Seckel Pear and Pistachios, just made me feel like I should be eating them with a queen or some royal figure 😉 That totally was not the case, but we can all dream, right?Read More

Recipe ReDux #25 Blood Orange Quick Bread

November 22, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 135 Comments

A unique, sweet, and zesty quick bread that couldn’t be easier! Blood orange, with its “raspberry-like” citrus notes makes the perfect addition to this wintery gluten-free & vegan quick bread!

November’s Theme – Creative Quick Breads: The holiday baking season is upon us. And this month we’re going way beyond grandma’s banana bread. From sweet to savory and whole-grain to gluten-free, show us your new quick bread creation fresh from the oven. And if you have a tip for wrapping and giving your lovely loaf, please share that too! (Recipe ReDux)

I hope you like to bake, or at least, my recipes are making you want to at least try to like it! I’ve always said on this blog, from the very beginning, that I was not a baker, but a cook. I scoffed at baking and the lack of creativity and freewill it allowed. But that is just silly and I apologize to mocking the art of baking. Baking is much more a black and white science, but it is one that I am growing to love o so much. You might have realized this after the influx of baked goods showing up here on Strength and Sunshine, and I hope you’re prepared for a lot more! This is the season of baking and I feel it’s my duty to uphold that (even though I want to post recipes of than baked goods).Read More

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Layer Brownies

October 19, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 171 Comments

Where pumpkin, peanut, and chocolate combine! Pumpkin Peanut Butter Layer Brownies will make you rethink your definition of brownie. These gluten-free and vegan brownies are the healthiest of holiday indulgences, you won’t have to stop at one!

Or shall I say “breakfast brownies” 😉 That’s right, another dessert that can double as breakfast too (it did for me!) When I tell you they can be breakfast, that’s your signal that these are “healthy”. You know on Strength and Sunshine that I do not post sugar, fat, calories filled foods. That’s not me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t produce a killer treat either!But enough of that. I’m too excited about these brownies to ramble!

I actually had the hardest time thinking of a name for these. I wasn’t really sure (still not sure) what exactly this treat is. I was told they look like brownies, yet I felt they were more of a breakfast cake, at least taste and nutrition-wise. I kept agonizing over it for a few weeks and finally came to the consensus that yes, these should be brownies. But then came deciding on an actual title for these brownies. What would be the most enticing combination of words?

You can see that the most important aspect of these brownies is that pumpkin peanut butter “layer”. More of a frosting texture, if you will. Soft nutty goodness with a taste of Fall. (Not to forget studded with chocolate chips too!) So layer? Frosting? Cream? Just pure greatness? Ah! It was really making me go crazy. However, the flavors were much more important to hit on in the title. Pumpkin and peanut butter…well and chocolate, but I let that at brownie.

Secret to the top layer? There isn’t any actual peanut butter. Yes, you guessed it! Peanut flour! That’s how I kept these from being to heavy. To still have that creamy texture of peanut butter though, the pumpkin saved the day. Pumpkin puree, peanut flour, it’s the new arranged marriage! Pumpkin may have a bit too many marriages now though. At least cinnamon is still in this recipe so…pumpkin isn’t having a total affair 😉

Let me change subject for a second to talk about the proper way to eat a brownie. Some people eat them with their bare hands, others use a fork, but me? I use a spoon! A spoon is a must to get that perfect soft scoop of moist chocolate soft cake, held perfectly in the indentation of the curved spoon. A brownie throne if you will. Another important brownie-eating condition to take into consideration is temperature.

No room temperature brownies here! They either need to be warmed in the microwave or cold/semi-frozen from the freezer! For breakfast one morning, I may have heated a square up in the microwave (in a bowl) and drizzled on some cocoa stevia syrup…then devoured with a spoon. It was rather heavenly might I add! (Don’t judge!) It was pretty much a moment of bliss, maybe even as blissful as these pancakes!

But if you’re not comfortable with eating something like this for breakfast, I won’t get mad. As long as you promise you’ll eat them for dessert 😉 Just some point during the day, grab a bowl, spoon, and a big moist pumpkin-peanut-chocolate square. Eat it slowly with your eyes closed and go on a floating pumpkin journey to heaven. Stay there awhile. It’s a nice place 🙂

Aren’t you glad I didn’t stop yet with the pumpkin goodies? You were warned that I wasn’t stopping with cookies or doughnuts. I’ve never made this many pumpkin things during the season before. For some reason, it was just too much fun to stop! Pumpkin isn’t my favorite thing about the season either. I enjoy pumpkin, but it isn’t the end-all-be-all for me. That may have changed though. At least this year going forward. And with this recipe. It will convert any indifferent pumpkin eater into an all out pumpkin lover!

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Layer Brownies

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Layer Brownies

Author: Rebecca Pytell
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 9 Squares 1x
Category: Dessert, Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Scale

Ingredients

Brownie Base:
1 Cup Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Flour
1/2 Cup Quinoa Flakes
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Pure Pumpkin Puree
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 Tsp Pure Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Extract
1 Flax Egg (1 TB Milled Flax Seed + 3 TB Water)
2 TB Stevia Syrup
1 Cup Unsweetened Cashew Milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Layer:
1/2 Cup Peanut Flour
1/2 Cup Pure Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 TB Stevia Syrup
1 TB Unsweetened Cashew Milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
2 TB Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (optional…but not really)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a small bowl, prepare the flax egg and set aside for 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the brownie base ingredients, as well as the prepared flax egg, and stir to combine for a smooth batter.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all the pumpkin peanut butter layer ingredients and stir to combine for a thick frosting texture.
Now grease an 8×8 baking pan with some coconut oil and pour in the brownie base. Distribute it evenly in the pan and smooth the top.
Now layer on the pumpkin peanut butter mixture as evenly and smoothly as you can over the top of the brownie base. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips if desired.
Bake the brownies in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

I cut these into 9 big squares, but you can also make 12 small 2×2 inch squares if you want a smaller treat to serve.
They can be stored in a covered container for a few days or sliced and frozen.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1

The last few months have really made me LOVE baking. Well, love may be a strong word, but I worked hard on my baking skills this summer. I have cooking down, but baking was always a bit trickier. I have so many fabulous baked goods to share soon enough too. And they best part about baking, besides the end result (usually), is the smell of that baking process! O my! The smell of these brownies. Remember how I HATE the smell of classic brownies in the oven? Well these don’t smell like that. These smell like pumpkin+peanut+love. Can’t describe it, so that just means you MUST make them…NOW!

So tell me:

+ How do you eat your brownies?

+ Just by the recipe, are these more brownie or cake?

*Recipe linking up for the week! Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeOfTheWeek,#StrangeButGood, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Lena’s Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays, Waste Not Want Not!*