Last weekend after I finished making these pancakes, I decided to get on it and bake up this tasty bread before the heat set in. I love mangoes more than most things in life and it’s a miracle this extra-sweet, extra-juicy one made it into bread at all. It’s okay, I’ve eaten almost the entire loaf to make up for it. And no, I don’t feel guilty about that, thank you very much. Now someone could lend me a pool to lay by, I’d appreciate it.

Vegan Banana Mango Bread
Joy the Baker

Makes one loaf

My bread isn’t as pretty as Joy’s. I’m okay with it (real life). But I’m in love with this bread – it’s healthy and wholesome and just plain delicious. I’ve got to get myself some more mangoes.

3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ripe mango, sliced into chunks
granulated (or turbinado) sugar for topping

I bought some protein powder about a month ago in hopes of supplementing my plant-based diet, where protein is often a challenge. But honestly, protein powder scares me. In the past I’ve never been a fan and honestly didn’t know where to begin, so I consulted Mama Pea. Homegirl knows her protein powder.

These little “cookies” make a tasty snack packed with fruit and protein. They aren’t a dessert, but they are a super-tasty way to fuel or recover from a workout, and are a great way to use that scary protein powder. Not bad, right?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cookies
Barely adapted from Peas and Thank You 

Makes 16-20 cookies

1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup natural peanut butter*
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 scoops (each scoop approx. 21 grams) of protein powder of your choice
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
scant 1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/4 – 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, depending on the size of your bananas

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined (adjust amount of milk based on the consistency of your dough – start with 1/4 cup and if it looks too dry, add a little more).

Scoop batter by heaping tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet, and bake for 9-12 minutes, until cookies are firm. Cool completely and store in an airtight container (cookies will keep 4-5 days).

*I made Kath’s homemade peanut butter a few weeks ago, and used it here. If you’re a peanut butter lover like me and have a food processor, get on this!

I thumbed through the book for the first time while on my bike trainer the other day, and this quick bread immediately caught my eye. The combination of fresh basil, sundried tomatoes, and black olives is what sold me and made for one delicious bread. It’s hearty and flavorful without feeling overly heavy. We ate some with dinner that night and it was hard to wait that long!

Mediterranean Olive Bread
The Joy of Vegan Baking

Makes one 9-inch loaf

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 1/2 cup water*
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon each chopped fresh rosemary, and basil, or 3/4 teaspoon each dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup nondairy milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped pitted black olives
1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease an 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pan.

In a food processor, whip the flaxseed and water together until thick and creamy.

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the flours, baking powder, herbs, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed mixture, milk, and olive oil.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and fold until about three-quarters of the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the walnuts, olives, and tomatoes, and fold just until the pieces are distributed and the dry ingredients are moistened; the batter will be stiff and a little sticky. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

*This is the equivalent of 3 eggs. Eggs aren’t an issue for me, so I used 3/4 cup liquid egg whites instead.

My shoulders are still stiff from one too many plane rides, (more on that later), and I can already tell it’s going to be a busy, messy-hair week. Can you relate? I thought so. Lucky for you, I have just the snack.

Double Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Eat, Live, Run

Makes about 12 bars

1 very ripe banana
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chopped banana chips
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups quick cooking oats

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork and then add the canola oil and brown sugar. Mix well until there are no sugar lumps left.

In another (smaller) bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and oats. Mix into wet ingredients and add banana chips and chocolate chips.

Pat batter down into a greased square 8-inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let cool before cutting into squares.

It’s that time of year where the berries are starting to turn up in full force, and when I find myself thanking the good Lord for our proximity to California. I made these with lots of strawberries and some blackberries thrown in for good measure. And then I continued to munch on the blackberries as I worked. There’s a reason these are more pink than purple.

These squares are lovely and rustic and completely natural. There is no guilt here (so forgive me the lack of butter and sugar). You can thank me later!

Berry Bliss Oat Squares
Slightly adapted from Oh She Glows

Use any berries you like for these — I think frozen berries would work just fine, though they might need a little extra stove time thanks to the extra liquid. I think the next time I make these I’ll increase the batter mixture by about a third — I’d like a little more crumble on top! These could be easily made gluten-free simply by using gluten-free oats.

Makes about 12 squares

1 1/2 cups strawberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup blackberries
1 ripe banana, chopped
1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons warm water
3 cups old fashioned oats, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a 8inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper. In a small bowl mix together cornstarch with warm water to form a paste. Make sure all clumps are gone. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the berries, banana, and 1/4 cup maple syrup. Bring to a boil and stir well. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and the pre-mixed cornstarch. Whisk until all clumps are gone and set aside.

Place 1 1/2 cups of oats into a food processor and process until a flour/fine powder forms. Add this processed flour, remaining 1 1/2 cup of oats, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Stir. Now add in the wet ingredients (applesauce, remaining 1/4 cup maple syrup, water, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla) and mix well. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan and push down firmly with fingers to smooth out.

If you want a smoother berry filling, pour berry mixture into the food processor and process until desired consistency (an immersion blender would work as well). Grab the prepared berry filling and spread over the top of the oat base until smooth. Now crumble the remaining oat base mixture on top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is slightly golden and firm. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

So sometimes, I think the best thing to do is make granola. It’s hard to mess up and takes very little energy. And I’m willing to bet at least a dollar that you have enough random things in your pantry to make a pretty good granola. Doesn’t that just sound like a relief?

And if making granola means you can eat chocolate for breakfast, I’m in (with fruit and yogurt, and some slightly more sensible cereal, of course).

Elvis Granola
Adapted from Eat, Live, Run

1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup natural peanut or almond butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup flaxseed
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 275°F.

Bring the canola oil, maple syrup, peanut butter, salt and cinnamon to a simmer on the stove. Cook for three to five minutes.

While that’s cooking, mix together the oats, wheat germ, peanuts and flaxseed. Pour hot syrup mixture over the oats and toss well to coat. Spread out granola onto two lined sheet trays and bake for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning trays midway through.

Let granola cool completely before adding the chocolate chips.

Crazy for granola like me? I also like to make this cranberry-pistachio kind and this sweet and salty variety.

My most favorite grocery store is (not suprisingly) Trader Joe’s. Have you been to a TJ’s before? They have a wonderful array of unique food and baking products with tons of all-natural and organic, and pretty much everything is store-brand so it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. We went to Vegas for a weekend last year and the stop we made at Trader Joe’s on our way back was the highlight of the trip for me. Again, I know, I’m crazy.

I have been reading about TJ’s peanut flour on many a food blog over the past few months and while we were in St. Louis over Christmas I dragged my poor parents and grandparents to buy some. And then I proceeded to carry it on the plane and the TSA people almost took it away from me. I probably would’ve cried. I have my priorities, clearly. But seriously, I’ve been so excited to try this.

Yesterday I finally broke open the tiny bag and used Emily’s recipe for my first attempt. So, so good! The peanut flavor is subtle but definitely there, and it adds some protein which I am always in desperate need of. The crazy thing is that this is significantly healthier than the usual banana bread and yet I want to eat the whole loaf right now.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Slightly adapted from Daily Garnish

3 medium ripe bananas
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup raw sugar (or granulated, I suppose)
1 cup peanut flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips (vegan chips available at Whole Foods!)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a loaf pan and set aside.

Whisk together bananas, applesauce, oil, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture, and stir to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter in loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

High-Altitude Notes: Bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes.

And yes, okay, I put walnuts in it. You can leave them out if you want, but gosh, they’re tasty. I don’t know. I eat weird things like quiche for dinner, so maybe you shouldn’t listen to me after all. But Joy definitely knows what she’s talking about, and this is her recipe. That’s good enough for me.

(Vegan) Pumpkin Walnut Bread
Slightly adapted from Joy the Baker

This is hands-down the moistest, most delicious pumpkin bread I’ve ever made – so moist, in fact, that it can be hard to slice prettily. It may crumble into piles of deliciousness. Not a problem in my house, but to give this as a gift I’d bake it in those cute little disposable mini-loaf pans. Tie a ribbon around it and you’re good to go!

Makes 2 regular loaves

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, or just under two cups
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a rack in the center of the oven. Grease and flour two loaf pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a medium bowl, carefully whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, and maple syrup.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold all of the ingredients together. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well, finding any stray flour bits to mix in. Fold in most of the chopped walnuts, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the batter once in the pan.

Divide the dough between the two greased pans and sprinkle with a few walnut pieces. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

And now, because I’ve been listening to way too much Taylor Swift, because I’m in love with my peppermint mocha creamer and therefore drinking a lot of coffee, and because I’m dangerously close to being done with my Christmas shopping, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone. Between now and the big day, I’ll be sharing twelve gift-ready recipes, starting today! I know I’m getting a slow start at this, but you aren’t really done with your holiday baking yet, are you? We can all always use one more good recipe.

Today’s is for cranberry coconut cookie bars, and they just happen to be vegan. Please don’t let this scare you if you’re more of a traditionalist – I didn’t tell Ryan that they were vegan until after he had happily eaten about six. They’re sweet and delicious without the threat of a sugar coma, and I’d venture to say that they’ll be a strong contender against any traditional cookie spread. And if you happen to have a vegan friend, I know what you’re giving them for Christmas.

Cranberry Coconut Cookie Bars
Adapted from Hangry Pants

Makes about 12 bars

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vanilla soy or almond milk*

Stir together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add oil, vanilla, and milk, and stir to combine, adding a bit more milk if needed. Press into a greased 8×8 baking pan.

Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, cut into squares, and serve!

*If you want to substitute regular milk here, I’d up the vanilla extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons.

High-Altitude Notes: none!

Strangely enough November is nearly always my favorite time of year. I know it’s cold and often bleak, but to me November has always meant the start of the holiday excitement, which I love. Thanksgiving is a big holiday in my family and one that I dearly love. This year we find ourselves fifteen hundred miles away from our families and for me it’s put rather a big damper on November. Which naturally, leads to chocolate.

Although I can’t seem to nail down much of anything that I really feel like baking, these bars from MamaPea grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Almond Joy is my favorite candy bar (except for maybe Three Musketeers, but good luck recreating that one) and the idea of a bar cookie capturing their essence was just what the doctor ordered for a case of November grumpies.

Almond Joy Bars (vegan!)
Adapted from Peas and Thank You

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup old-fasioned oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup natural almond or peanut butter
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons agave nectar
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk (soy, almond, etc)*

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8X8 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, coconut, oats, almonds and chocolate chips.

In a smaller bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until combined. If mixture is too dry, add a splash more milk.

Spread dough into bottom of pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until set and golden brown around edges. Let cool (refrigerate if desired) before cutting into bars.

*If you’re not concerned with keeping these vegan, feel free to use regular milk. I had vanilla soy milk on hand, so I went for it!

High-Altitude Notes: Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes.