Chocolate-Almond Butter Freezer Bites (Vegan, GF, and Sugar-Free!)

To see all recipes, scroll to the top and click on Recipes or just click here!

A little bite of chocolate is always a good thing.

A little bite of chocolate and almond butter is a very good thing!

These little treats are not only adorable, they’re also healthy! It’s true!

Made with coconut oil and stevia, they are loaded with antioxidants, healthy fats, alkalizing properties, and pure deliciousness.

You could use liquid stevia, but I like the slight crunch of the granulated kind in these candies.

Since coconut oil melts at body temperature, it’s important to keep these nibbles in the freezer or fridge until you’re ready to chomp.

They’ll also start to melt onto your fingertips, but that just means you get to lick off the melted tastiness. Oh, well

I made these in an empty ice cube tray, but you could use candy trays, or even mini muffin tins. Whatever makes it easier to get them into your mouth quicker will probably be the best choice.

Chocolate-Almond Butter Freezer Bites (Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Sugar-Free!)

Ingredients

• 1 large bar of unsweetened dark chocolate (113g). I used Ghiradelli 100% cacao.
• 6 Tbsp. raw coconut oil
• 8 Tbsp. granulated stevia
• 2 Tbsp. raw almond butter

Steps

1. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil.
2. Add the stevia and blend well until melted together.
3. Drop 2/3 of the chocolate mix into an ice cube tray and freeze for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from freezer and divide the almond butter among the 14 pieces.
5. Cover the almond butter with the remaining chocolate mix.
6. Freeze for 15 minutes. Keep chilled until ready to eat. Enjoy!

Adjust the recipe as necessary for your needs and tastes. You can determine the nutritional content of your final product using Recipe Calculator.

Do you prefer small bites of treats like this, or would you rather have one larger piece (of pie, say)?

How dark do you like your chocolate?

Almond Butter Cut-Out Cookies (Vegan)

To see all recipes, scroll to the top and click on Recipes or just click here!

Almond Butter Cut-Out Cookies (Vegan)

Since my first attempt at baking with coconut sugar was such a success, I could hardly wait to try making other cookies ~ you know, just to verify that it carmelizes well and tastes good in all cookie recipes! Quality assurance testing

Luckily, Valentine’s Day rolled around, which brought into my hands a brand-new heart-shaped cookie cutter. Awwwww!

Almond Butter Cut-Out Cookies (Vegan)

Around here, we loooooooove our almond butter. I’m a fan of raw but my honey likes it roasted, so we switch it up. I made these cookies with raw almond butter, but I know that depending where you are in the country (or world!), raw almond butter can be hard to find and/or extremely expensive.

The point is, ANY nut butter would make these cookies work! Peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, cashew butter… ooooh, I’m getting ideas! Must. Make. More. Cookies.

Ahem. Once we polish these off, that is.

Almond Butter Cut-Out Cookies (Vegan)

If you’re in a rush ~ or super-eager to get these cookies into your belly ~ you don’t have to make them cut-outs, either!

Instead of refrigerating the dough (see Step 6, below), use it right away. Roll it into 1″ balls and press flat with the back of a fork, then bake at 350F for 12 minutes. Refrigerating helps stiffen the dough, making it easier to handle for cut-outs… but if you just can’t wait, then go for it!

Almond Butter Cut-Out Cookies (Vegan)

Almond Butter Cut-Out Cookies (Vegan)

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups pastry flour (I used Arrowhead Mills Organic)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 2/3 cup raw almond butter
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tsp. coconut (palm) sugar
• 1/4 cup rice milk, almond milk, or coconut milk
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger OR 1 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Steps

1. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Beat together the almond butter and 3/4 cup of coconut sugar. Beat in the milk until fluffy, followed by the ginger and vanilla.
3. Stir in the dry mix at low speed or by hand until just combined. Do not over-mix.
4. Gather the dough into 2 balls and knead each one a few times. Flatten each ball into a disk, then cover and refrigerate 3 hours or up to 2 days.
5. Preheat oven to 350F.
6. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll one disk of dough at a time unti it is 1/6-inch thick. Press together any dough cracks with your fingers.
7. Cut shapes with cookie cutters or a paring knife. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets. Re-roll the dough scraps and continue until you’ve used all the dough.
8. Sprinkle the top of each cookkie with a pinch of the remaining coconut sugar.
9. Bake about 12 minutes, until just dried on top and light brown on bottom.
10. Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Adjust the recipe as necessary for your needs and tastes. You can determine the nutritional content of your final product using Recipe Calculator.

Do you like almond butter?

Do you eat nuts, and if so, do you have a favorite?

Things I Love Thursday

Following the tradition of great bloggers and photographers around the globe, I’m instituting one of my favorite bloggy themes: Things I Love Thursday, also sometimes known as Thursday Things. Ten things (or thereabouts) from around the Internets that I love for any reason. It’s random and educational! Enjoy and happy almost-Friday.

1. Yoga with Santa

from "Santa's Christmas Routine" by Sanga Yoga

Brought to you by the creative minds at Sanga Yoga, this e-book is both adorable and beautifully produced!

2. Gluten-free Almond Butter Espresso Freezer Cookies

(from Eating Bird Food)

Courtesy of Eating Bird Food. All I have to say is YUM. And I love the idea of using chia as an egg replacer. I have a delicious sugar-free protein cookie recipe, made with almond butter and chia, that got me through triathlon training. I’ll have to post ‘em up here one of these days!

3. A Year of Discipline

Having trouble coming up with resolutions for 2012? This Harlequin Blaze author practiced a different discipline each month during 2011, including a month of going to the gym every day; giving up coffee for a month; and giving away an item a day to Goodwill.

It reminds me of 2010, when I resolved not to buy any clothes for an entire year. That resolution was so successful, in fact, I’m thinking of doing it again in 2012!

One of my 2011 resolutions was to complete my first triathlon. As we know, it was a huge success. In 2012, I’ll be doing my first marathon: the San Francisco Marathon on July 31! After that, who knows?

Do you make resolutions? Do you stick to them?

4. Speaking of triathlons…

I registered for the Mermaid Triathlon in Alameda, on June 9, 2012! I’ll admit, my first one was so much fun, I can hardly wait to start training for my second. The Mermaid Series events are fun and supportive, and they’re women-only! Interested in joining me??

5. Vintage Spacemen Magazine covers

from swapsale.com

For those of you who don’t know, my nickname for years has been Spacegirl (alternatively known as Spacekitten). It’s a long story why, but suffice it to say, I have a soft spot (very soft) for vintage sci-fi images. So when I saw these old issues of Spacemen Magazine, I just about flipped.

6. Tomboy Style

from Tomboy Style

One of my new favorite fashion blogs. Super-classy, prep-meets-urban, girl-meets-outdoors.

Another soft spot? Aspen in the 1970s. Swoooooooon.

7. Before and After: Tahoe Cabin Makeover

(from Sunset Magazine online)

Needless to say, I would like to dress in some cute Tomboy Style clothes with a ’70s Aspen twist and hang out here.

8. The art of Lori Earley

(art by Lori Earley)

Any and all, but particularly this lovely lamb image.

9. The Mel Bochner exhibit at the National Gallery of Art

Amazing! by Mel Bochner

If you’re in D.C., you’ve got to check it out!

10. NPR’s Favorite New Artists of 2011

Free music downloads! Also, good stuff

Any other good stuff I missed out on over the last week??

Happy Thursday! ♥