This summer was just so damn hot — so unbelievably disgusting and hot and sticky outside, and the only thing that could cool me down was copious amounts of ice cream.

Plus, going to get ice cream is just a really great friend date.

In fact, the best ice cream I’ve had out this year was on a friend date! It was this peanut butter soft serve situation that I absolutely, positively inhaled. Soft serve is my absolute favorite kind of ice cream, and as you probably know from spending approximately .2 seconds on this blog…peanut butter is my favorite food.

So this combination? Kinda unforgettable.

But as we all know, the only thing that can make peanut butter even better is chocolate. So I decided to borrow my parents’ ice cream maker and make it happen! And thus, this truly outrageous dairy-free ice cream was born!

Now look, this is a very easy recipe (provided you have an ice cream maker, which is, unfortunately, necessary) but it also takes some time. It’s mostly just chilling time though, so it’s nearly all hands-off.

Also: there’s an entire cup of peanut butter in here. I KNOW. We’re crazy like that. It makes this ice cream so unbelievably rich, and it helps mask any lingering coconut flavor from the coconut milk and cream.

I also opted to add just a splash of vodka to prevent the ice cream from freezing rock-hard (aka what happened the first time I made this recipe without it). Because it’s homemade, it’ll still freeze harder than store-bought ice cream, but the vodka + allowing it to thaw on the counter a few minutes before eating will bring it back to a delightfully scoopable texture!

Finally, the “stracciatella” part comes from streaming in melted chocolate right before the ice cream is done churning. It freezes as soon as it hits the cold ice cream, so it creates this satisfying, shattery, ribbony texture that drives me a little crazy in the best way. Each and every spoonful has a few (or more) speckles of chocolate!

I went absolutely bananas over this ice cream. The balance of salty, sweetness, and richness is truly one of the best things to come out of my kitchen in a while.

Mom, I’m going to need to keep your ice cream maker for a bit longer — I’m going to be making this recipe on repeat.

Vegan Peanut Butter Stracciatella Ice Cream

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A churned vegan ice cream recipe inspired by stracciatella gelato…but with a peanut butter base! It’s creamy, rich, and speckled with chocolate bits!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 1.5 pints
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Churn
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Ice cream base:

• 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut cream
• 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup natural, salted, creamy peanut butter*
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon vodka**

Chocolate:

• 3/4 dairy-free, semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons refined coconut oil

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Instructions

1. Add all of your ice cream base ingredients into the base of a high-powered blend and blend until completely smooth.
2. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a large, shallow container and fit with a lid. Chill in the fridge until cool, 4+ hours.
3. Once cool, churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions while you melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil and mix well. You want it to be thick but streamable when you drizzle it from a spoon.
4. Once your ice cream is two-ish minutes from being done, stream your melted chocolate into the ice cream maker. The chocolate will freeze as soon as it hits the ice cream, forming flat streaks of chocolate chips throughout. 
5. Enjoy immediately for a “soft serve” texture, or freeze until solid for a more scoopable situation. Yay!

Notes

* The only ingredients should be peanuts and salt!

** Vodka prevents the ice cream from freezing rock-hard. Because it’s homemade, it’ll still freeze harder than store-bought ice cream. But allowing it to thaw on the counter a few minutes before scooping will help!

Adapted from Nora Cooks!

The post Vegan Peanut Butter Stracciatella Ice Cream appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Tbh, I’ve been having a weird couple of days. Just kinda feeling off. So I decided to fall back on the thing that can and always does make me very very happy: baking.

I wasn’t looking for some sort of complicated baking project; I just wanted to work with my hands, measure ingredients, and have a really delicious baked-good in front of me in just a few minutes.

Enter: these muffins!

They’re based off of this muffin recipe, which is a recipe based off these Zucchini Muffins from Pinch of Yum.

They’re made (almost) entirely in the blender/food processor. I really love recipes like that –– it almost seems impossible that a batter made in a blender can be so springy and toothsome in texture. But man, it couldn’t be easier. Which is especially helpful when you’re in a bit of a funk!

I also love these muffins because they’re loaded with ingredients that just make me feel good. I don’t know the scientific reasoning behind why dates, chia seeds, oats, applesauce, and cinnamon make me feel good, but they do. And because they’re so delicious, I don’t question it.

These muffins are actually very similar to the breakfast I have nearly every morning, just baked. And while I took the base from my Apple Spice Muffin recipe, I really loved adding some toasted walnut chunks and frozen wild blueberries (the teeny tiny ones!).

I also really like that there’s no refined sugar in these muffins –– the sweetness comes entirely from the applesauce, dates, maple syrup, and blueberries!

These muffins are a texture-lover’s dream. The batter won’t be totally smooth, and that’s okay. It’s fun to bite into a muffin and get some crisp walnut, some oats, and a bit of gooey date, all in the same bite.

I don’t find them too sweet, so I really love a couple of these topped with peanut butter for breakfast or as a snack at any point in the day. Of course, you could always save them for dessert if you fancy.

This recipe comes together in a snap, and I really think you’ll love the textures and flavors these mighty muffins have to offer. Enjoy!

Wholesome Vegan Blueberry Walnut Muffins

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5 from 1 review

A mighty wholesome muffin made with ingredients like oats, chia seeds, dates, applesauce, and blueberries! Love these as a breakfast or snack!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 22 minutes
• Total Time: 37 minutes
• Yield: 7 muffins
• Category: Snack
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if desired!)
• 4 medjool dates, pitted*
• 1/4 cup neutral oil, like avocado
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup chopped raw** or toasted unsalted walnuts
• 1/3 cup frozen wild blueberries (the tiny ones!)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Position the rack in the middle of your oven.
2. Mix your chia seeds and water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken for five minutes.
3. Add your oats, dates, oil, maple syrup, applesauce, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and your thickened chia mixture to your food processor or blender, and blend until relatively smooth. It’ll be a bit chunky, and that’s okay!
4. Grease seven cups of a muffin pan with a bit of oil***.
5. Pour your muffin batter to a medium mixing bowl. Add your walnuts, and stir well to combine.
6. Add your frozen blueberries and gently mix. If you mix too much, the colors from the blueberries will bleed.
7. Add batter to prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the way full. Using a damp finger, flatten the top of each muffin to ensure even browning.
8. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when softly poked.
9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before carefully removing them and allowing them to cool completely on a cooling rack. I even like popping them in an air-tight container once they’ve cooled to room temperature and then sticking them in the fridge overnight!

Notes

*Dates: If your dates are hard or cold, cover them with hot water for a few minutes to soften them. Then drain them completely, squeezing out any extra water.

**Walnuts: If using raw walnuts, I highly recommend toasting them for extra flavor. Either bake them in your preheated oven for a few minutes or toast them in a pan on the stove, stirring constantly. Stop when they become fragrant and brown (be careful not to burn!).

***Oil: I prefer coating each muffin cup with oil over using muffin liners. The oil helps the sides set and gives the muffins a nice “crust.”

The post Wholesome Vegan Blueberry Walnut Muffins appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Why, you may ask?

Well, if you’ve been around Fooduzzi for a while, you may recall that Fooduzzi and I share birthdays.

It’s true! Nine whole years ago today, I decided to press publish on my very first blog post.

I didn’t know what I was doing, the pictures are… there, and I didn’t know the difference between a Post and a Page. But I started.

It was (and continues to be) one of the best gifts I’ve ever given to myself. Fooduzzi has opened up so many incredible opportunities for me and has introduced me to countless amazing people. AND! It continues to allow me to do the things I love (cook, write, design, and connect with readers!).

I couldn’t be more thankful for the nine years we’ve been keeping this lil corner of the internet warm and full of vegan eats. Thank you for being here and for reading.

To celebrate our birthdays, I always publish a chocolate-peanut butter recipe. Every year.

It will always be my favorite flavor combination, and I never ever run out of ideas for combining the two. Here’s how we’ve celebrated in chocolate-peanut butter style the past nine years:

• 1st birthday: Peanut Butter Cup Muffins
• 2nd birthday: Snickerdoodle Buckeyes
• 3rd birthday: Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls
• 4th birthday: Vegan Buckeye Cake
• 5th birthday: Swirled Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice and Bake Cookies
• 6th birthday: Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites
• 7th birthday: Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
• 8th birthday: Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache Frosting
• 9th birthday: Vegan Soft Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (today’s recipe!!)

To be completely honest, I’ve tried quite a few chocolate-peanut butter recipes these past few weeks. Some were too sweet, others weren’t flavorful enough, and a few didn’t have the right texture.

But for all of those recipe failures, I couldn’t be more tickled with what we ended up with: super soft and chewy peanut butter cookies with crispy edges, drizzled or dunked in chocolate.

Simple is sometimes best, and that’s exactly the case with this recipe today!

Ingredients are pretty standard for a vegan cookie:

• A flaxseed egg
• Vegan butter
• Brown and white sugar
• Vanilla
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt

To make these extra special (it’s our birthday, after all!) I decided to use vanilla bean paste, which has such a delightful, strong vanilla aroma that you can’t really get with extract. Extract will work just fine, but the paste is really delicious!

Then you can dip, dunk, or drizzle them in chocolate. I mixed some dark and semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips together, melted them down, and just had fun.

As I mentioned, the cookies are soft, so I actually like chilling them in the fridge completely before eating. I think the texture is so much better and chewier once they’ve had a chance to “set” in the fridge.

That said, if you like warm/room temp cookies, you can bake the cookies for an extra minute or two to make sure they’re completely set (while still staying pretty chewy!).

Happy birthday, Fooduzzi! I love ya to the moon and back.

Vegan Soft Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

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Soft, chewy chocolate peanut butter cookies! These vegan cookies are so easy, require minimum chilling time, and are ready in about a half hour! So good.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 12 cookies
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES:

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup no-stir peanut butter*
• 1/2 cup lightly-packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste/vanilla extract
• 1 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

FOR TOPPING:

• 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (I used a combo of dark and semi-sweet!)
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil (refined for no coconut flavor)

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix your flaxseed and water (this is your flaxegg!). Set aside.
2. Add vegan butter and peanut butter to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a big bowl and a hand mixer!), and beat to combine for 1 minute. The mixture should get nice and fluffy. Scrape down the sides.
3. Add both brown and white sugar, and beat for another 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is cohesive and fluffy. Scrape down the sides.
4. Add your vanilla bean paste and flaxegg, and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides.
5. In a separate bowl, add your flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
6. In two batches, add your flour mixture to your butter/peanut butter/sugar mixture, combining between each. Mix well, about 20 seconds, until everything is combined.
7. Stick the bowl with the dough in your fridge, then preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Once your oven is pre-heated, take your dough from the fridge and roll them into golfball-sized balls. The dough will be sticky but workable.
9. Place 8 cookie balls on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes.
10. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and bang the sheet on a heat-safe surface a couple times to get the cookies to flatten. Then bake for another 7-9 minutes (for a total of 13-15 minutes baking time)**.
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
12. Meanwhile, melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil (I used a microwave with 30-second bursts). Drizzle chocolate over your cookies with a spoon, allow to set in the fridge, and enjoy!

Notes

* Use a no-stir peanut butter (not a natural one) for best results. I like the no-stir peanut butter from Trader Joe’s.

** If you like warm/room temperature cookies, bake for 15-17 minutes so that the cookies are completely set. I like underbaking and keeping them in the fridge –– they’re extra chewy this way!

Adapted from The Cookie Dough Diaries.

The post Vegan Soft Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies appeared first on Fooduzzi.

If you’re a sweet potato fan, you must put this recipe on your to-make list this season.

I always have a couple of sweet potatoes in my pantry. Always. They’re one of my favorite starchy meal add-ins, and I especially love them when they’re roasted.

They have such an incredible natural sweetness that’s accentuated when roasted slow in the oven.

And now that the temperatures are dipping (finally!), it’s time for my oven to do some heavy-lifting in the meal department.

While this recipe offers the coziest of vibes, it’s extremely simple and straightforward.

You’ll tossed some cubed sweet potatoes with maple syrup, oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. The potatoes never get too sweet, even with the addition of maple syrup, because the small amount of apple cider vinegar is there to tame the flavors a bit. Then you’ll simply roast the potatoes, covered, at 400 degrees F.

I like popping the top off for the last five minutes of roasting to develop some extra caramelization and flavor, but it should take about 30 minutes for your potato cubes to become soft and tender.

And since they’re nice and soft after roasting, I like to top them with something crunchy. Enter: granola!

I’ve been having a true moment with granola, and I love the crisp, nutty bite it gives this final dish! I used a maple-flavored version, but a cinnamon one would be great as well. Anything with seeds and/or nuts is a plus because they bring even more texture to the party.

And that’s that! A very simple, highly delicious side dish for your this-time-of-year needs.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Vegan Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Granola

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An easy Thanksgiving side dish that’s totally vegan and only requires 7 ingredients! Full of texture, not too sweet, and a big crowd-pleaser.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ~1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• salt + pepper, to taste
• a few handfuls of granola (maple-flavored or otherwise!)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine your sweet potatoes, maple syrup, oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix to coat, then dump all of the contents onto your prepared baking sheet, spreading into an even layer.
3. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, then bake for 15 minutes.
4. Carefully remove the potatoes from the oven, uncover, and toss with a spatula.
5. Return to an even layer, cover, and bake again for an additional 15 minutes.
6. Carefully remove the cover and bake for another 5 minutes, or until done to your liking. At this point, your potatoes should be soft and slightly caramelized. The maple syrup burns quickly when the potatoes are uncovered, be vigilant!
7. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and scoop your potatoes (and any liquid) into your serving plate/platter/bowl. Top with lots of granola, and serve with additional granola on the side!

Notes

Adapted from Eating Well.

The post Vegan Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Granola appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Does it need a full-blown article on the internet? Questionable.

Does it deserve a full-blown article on the internet? Absolutely.

I’m a big big fan of pumpkin, cinnamon, and all-things fall. This truly is my favorite time of year (followed closely by winter), and I feel like a whole new person when wearing my turtlenecks, boots, and jackets.

So I want to incorporate the very best things about this time of year into my every day. And if I can add a little fall flare to my snack time, it’s a huge win.

This parfait situation is so good, full of good fall flavors, and just really fun. Anything with the name “swirl” in the name is automatically fun, right? And it really couldn’t be more simple.

You’ll take some plain plant-based yogurt (use your fave, but I’ve been loving the unsweetened cashew stuff from Trader Joe’s), and swirl in some vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste if you have it for those cute little vanilla specks!). Then set it aside.

In another bowl, mix some pure pumpkin puree with cinnamon, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom). In the US, you can find pumpkin pie spice already mixed in the spice aisle, but feel free to skip it and use more cinnamon. Similar vibe and way easier for a simple snack like this!

Of course, you could totally just mix all of this (aka the yogurt and the pumpkin mixture) together and save a bowl, but then you wouldn’t have the swirl, and as previously established, swirled food is more fun. That said, you do you!

Then layer it in a cute little glass with granola. I used a store-bought maple granola for the fall vibes, but feel free to use your fave.

A perfect little fall treat in a jar! It’s simple, cute, super fun, and really very delicious. Enjoy, my friend!

Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Yogurt Parfait

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A simple, fall-flavored snack! Using dairy-free yogurt makes this recipe totally vegan, and you can use gluten-free granola if desired.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 parfait
• Category: Snack
• Method: Mix
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
• vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (what I used), if desired
• 1/3 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1–2 handfuls granola (maple or your favorite flavor)

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix your yogurt and vanilla. Set aside.
2. In another small bowl, mix your pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
3. Swirl your pumpkin mixture into your yogurt mixture.
4. If desired, grab a jar and add half of your pumpkin/yogurt mixture followed by a layer of granola. Repeat, topping with additional granola.* Enjoy!

Notes

*Of course, you could just mix all of this together in one bowl of maximum ease. But the swirling and layering is fun if you have a bit of extra time!

The post Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Yogurt Parfait appeared first on Fooduzzi.

These are the best cookies I’ve ever made.

I honestly think that is the case. These cookies… I just can’t quit them!

I have many cookie recipes on this site. Cookies are my love language. Getting them, making them, eating them.

Can cookies be a hobby? If so, it’s my favorite hobby.

But even though I love cookies, I don’t always need a batch of 10 or 12 or more sitting around just for me. Sometimes I want cookies without needing to eat cookies for three weeks straight, you know?

That’s why I love this small-batch recipe. Not only are they crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, there’s only four of them. Perfect to have as a little treat throughout the week without making you feel like you need to eat four cookies a day so you can consume them before they go stale.

Not only are these some of the most delicious cookies I’ve ever had, they also only require one bowl! And minimal chilling! And they don’t require any hard-to-get ingredients!

Your Ingredient Lineup

You’ll need your regular cookie cast of characters: vegan butter, brown sugar, vanilla, plant milk, salt, flour, baking soda, chocolate chips. That’s it. You probably even have all of those ingredients in your house right this very second.

And if that’s the case, there are about 30 minutes that stand between you and four freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies.

I also highly recommend sticking with the weight measurements when you bake these cookies since it’s small-batch and there’s less room for error. A kitchen scale (like this!*) is about $10 and it makes baking so much more accurate. It also cuts down on the amount of dirty dishes by a lot since you don’t need to use a bunch of different measuring cups! Win-win.

My very favorite way to enjoy cookies is straight from the fridge. Yes, a gooey warm cookie is a heavenly experience, but for an everyday cookie experience, cold from the fridge is where it’s at. The edges stay crunchy and the middles are so chewy, almost cookie dough-like!

Regardless of how you like to enjoy your chocolate chip cookies, show yourself a lil self-love and bake some cookies for little ol’ you.

One Bowl Small-Batch Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

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3 from 2 reviews

Emergency small-batch vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe to the rescue! Crispy edges, gooey centers, and ready in 30 minutes.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 13 minutes
• Total Time: 23 minutes
• Yield: 4 cookies
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 42 grams (3 tablespoons) vegan butter, melted
• 50 grams (about 1/4 cup packed) brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened plant milk
• splash vanilla extract
• 56 grams (about 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 90 grams (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) chocolate chips (+ more for topping if desired)
• optional: flaky salt for topping

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Instructions

1. Add your vegan butter to a heat-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave or over a double boiler.
2. Add your brown sugar, plant milk, and vanilla, and whisk well to combine.
3. Switching to a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, add your flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until nearly combined, then add your chocolate chips and mix.
4. Place the bowl in your fridge while you preheat your oven.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (I highly recommend an oven thermometer* here!).
6. When your oven is preheated, divide your dough into four equal sections. Roll your dough (it’ll be slightly sticky, so do the best you can) into balls and place on your prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12-13 minutes.
8. When the cookies come out of the oven, feel free to press some extra chocolate chips and/or flaky salt into the tops for looks.
9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
10. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge (my fave!) or on the counter.

The post One Bowl Small-Batch Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on Fooduzzi.

In fact, if I needed to give up every piece of technology but one, air conditioning would be the one I could not live without.

Goodbye, internet. So long, computer and cell phone. I shall be comfortably cool at a perpetual 72 degrees forever, thank you very much.

That is the reason why I am so hesitant to turn on my oven during the summer. It heats up my house for hours, which makes my air conditioning run for hours. Not fun.

So! I try to avoid my oven in the summer. It’s just not my jam.

And luckily, there are many creative ways to make the foods you’re craving without the use of an oven.

Enter: this stovetop blueberry crumble!

This is a quick recipe, provided that you buy store-bought granola (which is what I did and recommend). This will act as your quick and easy crumble topping. Clever, eh?

There are loads of different granola options available at pretty much any grocery store, so get one that you think would pair well with blueberries. Granola with coconut, almonds, vanilla, and/or cinnamon would all be great, and if you can get your hands on a lemon granola, all the better.

P.S. If you’re less averse to turning on your oven in the summer, you can also make your own lemon granola (it’s my favorite granola recipe ever).

The blueberry mixture comes together in a snap –– you’ll just need some fresh blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Dump it all into a sauce pan, and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the blueberries are to your desired crumble texture.

I like mine plenty jammy but still a bit chunky. You can see the texture in the pictures!

Once your blueberry mixture is to your liking, you have a decision to make: do you portion the mixture out into individual servings? Or do you pour it into a pie plate to feed a crowd? As you can see from the pictures, I did both: one for everyone, and one for me to sample ahead of time. A lil treat for the chef, if you will.

You’ll want to add the granola right before you’re ready to serve, so allow it to cool slightly before assembling to avoid sogginess. I really like this crumble warm or at room temperature, but to be fair, I have eaten it straight from the fridge as well. You really can’t go wrong here.

This is such a fun and easy recipe that perfectly celebrates one of summer’s best fruits! Enjoy, my friend!

The post Quick & Easy Stovetop Blueberry Crumble (No Oven!) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

And I mean, it makes sense. All of the ingredients scream nostalgia and summer, and you can make it in the comfort of your very own kitchen in like… five minutes.

Plus they are completely and totally non-put-downable.

I love a s’more. Rich and creamy chocolate + cinnamony graham crackers + ooey, gooey marshmallows = one happy and delicious little treat.

So today we’re taking all of those elements and… rearranging them? And making it a kitchen-friendly, fire-less recipe instead.

You’ll need three bowls, two of which need to be microwave-safe. Once you have that, it’s really just four steps:

Step 1: Melt your chocolate & peanut butter

So peanut butter might not be traditional in your s’mores, but in my s’mores, it’s a necessity. I love the combo of peanut butter + graham crackers, and as we know, chocolate + peanut butter is a match made in flavor heaven.

Peanut butter also tames down the sweetness in this dessert. It adds a rich, salty, nuttiness that really does take this dessert away from “cloying” and into the “wow, I can’t stop eating this” territory.

If you don’t do peanut butter, try a different nut or seed butter like almond or sunflower. Just make sure that it’s salted.

You’ll also want to add a nice pinch of salt here too. Again, for balance!

Step 2: Break your graham crackers

I used thick cinnamon graham crackers in this bark. They are an impulse buy more often than I care to admit, and I love them dunked in almond milk or spread with peanut butter. I ended up using about 100 grams (or 8 total graham crackers).

That said: if you want your s’mores bark to be less chunky, add less graham crackers. If you want it more chunky, add more. You really can’t mess this recipe up. Trust yourself, you s’mores lovin’ fool you!

P.S. If you want to keep this recipe vegan, make sure your graham crackers don’t have things like honey or eggs in them.

Step 3: Melt your marshmallows

I melted my marshmallows for just 30 seconds in the microwave, and it worked perfectly. I simply mixed them with a silicone spatula when they were warm, and it formed an ooey, sticky mixture.

You’ll add your graham cracker pieces to the marshmallow, mix slightly to combine, then mix your warm and melted chocolate mixture.

Use a little bit of care here so you don’t crush your graham crackers, but you will need a bit of elbow grease because things are a bit sticky at this point! The marshmallows get nice and stringy and chewy and weird looking and delicious. Trust me.

Step 4: Freeze!

YEP. We’re freezing these s’mores bites. Why? Because this recipe is a texture playground when frozen.

After you take it from the freezer, the marshmallow is nice and chewy while the chocolate and graham crackers are firm and crispy. You can also let it sit for 5ish minutes at room temperature if you like things a little less firm. It’s really just so good, and I love keeping this bark in the freezer at all times so I can pull out a chunk or two whenever the craving strikes.

I think this would be a great recipe to make with some younger kiddos or late at night when you want a little sweet bite without making too big of a mess of your kitchen.

Regardless of how or when you make these, I think we can all agree with the fact that an easier avenue to s’mores bliss is never ever a bad thing.

Vegan S’mores Bark (No Campfire Needed!)

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A quick and easy summertime dessert! This vegan s’mores bark comes together in minutes and is a great solution for getting your s’mores fix without the campfire!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Mix
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 6 ounces (a little less than 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
• 2 tablespoons salted peanut butter
• nice pinch of salt
• 6 large or 8 medium (or ~100 grams) cinnamon graham crackers*
• 14 marshmallows*

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Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, add your chocolate chips, peanut butter, and salt. Melt in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until warm and melted. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, break your graham crackers into bite-sized irregular pieces. Place in a bowl.
4. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt your marshmallows in 30-second increments in the microwave. Mine took just 30 seconds. Stir until thick and sticky.
5. Immediately toss your graham cracker pieces into the marshmallow mixture and mix. Add your melted chocolate, and mix until everything is well incorporated and coated in chocolate.
6. Pour the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet, spreading the mixture into one layer. It’s okay if the mixture is separated into chunks — you’re going to break it up with your hands later anyways!
7. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to set, 10-20 minutes.
8. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and break up the bark into bite-sized pieces (or cut it with a knife). Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge/freezer for later! If you store it in the freezer and it’s too hard, you can allow the bark to come back up to room temperature for 5ish minutes before consuming so the marshmallow is easier to chew.

Notes

*If you’re making this recipe vegan, ensure that the starred ingredients are vegan and don’t contain ingredients like milk, butter, and/or honey. Vegan marshmallows can be tricky to find, but the marshmallows from Trader Joe’s are vegan, as well as a brand called “Dandies” that can be found at places like Whole Foods.

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But wow is this recipe so good.

To be honest, I never really understood the whole “cold foam” thing. In my mind, it was essentially a cold cappuccino, which didn’t sound good at all.

And in fact, when I worked as a barista and people would order an “iced cappuccino,” I had to ask them “are you sure?” because it was such a strange order.

But alas, cold foam has taken over specialty coffee shops around the US, so I figured it was time to give in and see what all of the hype is about.

And like, yeah, I get it.

Will I be replacing my morning coffee with almond milk with a cold foam’d beverage? No.

But will I look forward to a cold foam’d treat every once in a while? Yes.

I decided to add cookie butter to the mix because I had some left over from this recipe. It’s so good, but it’s not one of those things that I go through very quickly. So I’m thrilled to have another use for it now!

If you’re unfamiliar, cookie butter is essentially peanut butter… made out of cookies. These kinds of cookies, in fact! Aka those delicious little cinnamony, crisp biscuits that you get on flights nowadays (or in a family-sized box at Costco).

They’re accidentally vegan, as is (most) cookie butter! You can find it at Trader Joe’s or versions of it at your favorite mega mart (or online obv!).

You’ll simply make a syrup with it by melting it and mixing it with some water, and then you add it to your coffee. Mix, then add ice.

Then comes the cold foam. I have a milk frother (that’s an affiliate link, btw!) that froths hot or cold milk, so that’s what I used. And I found some unsweetened vanilla oatmilk at Trader Joe’s, and it ended up being an excellent purchase for this recipe. The vanilla really pairs beautifully with the cookie butter, and I loved that it was unsweetened because the cookie butter is obviously already pretty sweet.

If you don’t have a fancy milk frother, you can purchase a stick frother (like this –– that’s another affiliate link) or you can put your cold milk in the base of a french press and quickly move the plunger up and down until it foams like we did here).

I’m typically a coffee purist, but man was this a fun little treat. I love dipping the cookies that are the base of cookie butter in coffee already, so combining them was a force to be reckoned with.

Three cheers for drinking your cookies!

Cookie Butter Iced Coffee with Vanilla Oatmilk Cold Foam

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Such a fun, refreshing coffee treat for summer! It’s vegan as written, plus it’s extremely easy to make and even easier to drink!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 minutes
• Total Time: 7 minutes
• Yield: 1 drink (with leftover syrup)
• Category: Drink
• Method: Stir
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIE BUTTER SYRUP:

• 1/4 cup creamy cookie butter
• 2 tablespoons water

FOR EACH DRINK:

• 8 ounces warm coffee*
• 1–2 tablespoons of your Cookie Butter Syrup
• ice
• 1 cup cold unsweetened vanilla oatmilk
• pinch cinnamon (optional) 

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Instructions

1. MAKE THE SYRUP: Add your cookie butter and water in a small saucepot over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is all one texture and combined. The mixture may darken slightly and it will be pourable and the consistency of thick caramel (see photo). Pour into a heat-safe container and set aside to cool slightly.
2. FOR EACH DRINK: Add your warm coffee to a glass of your choosing and mix in 1-2 tablespoons of your cookie butter syrup. Add ice.
3. Make your cold foam choosing your desired method** using the oatmilk and a pinch of cinnamon if desired. Pour on top of your coffee mixture. Drizzle with additional cookie butter syrup if desired and enjoy!

Notes

* Coffee: Feel free to use freshly brewed, espresso + water, etc. I used espresso powder because I had it in my pantry and used 1 tablespoon mixed with 8 ounces of hot water.

** Milk Frother: I have a milk frother (that’s an affiliate link, btw!) that froths hot or cold milk, so that’s what I used. If you don’t have a fancy milk frother, you can purchase a stick frother (like this –– that’s another affiliate link) or you can put your cold milk in the base of a french press and quickly move the plunger up and down until it foams like we did here).

The post Cookie Butter Iced Coffee with Vanilla Oatmilk Cold Foam appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Leave. Lettuce. Alone.

• If you’ve ever had a bag of slimy, brown lettuce in your fridge, this recipe is for you.
• If you’re sick and tired of throwing away unused lettuce week after week, this recipe is for you.
• If you’ve ever ate a salad and thought, “Wow, the lettuce is adding nothing to this dish, and if it wasn’t here, I probably wouldn’t miss it,” this recipe is for you.

Essentially, we’re taking everything good about a salad and leaving out the not-so-good (aka the lettuce).

Why? Because of all of those reasons up there. ☝️ And also because it’s probably my least-favorite part of any salad.

I’m never like “OH YES ROMAINE TONIGHT!” Or like “Mixed greens?! Yes please!” Or even like “Kale? HECK YES.”

I just… don’t love lettuce.

But I do love veggies. And that’s how the “Just the Toppings Salad” was born.

Is it weird to eat a salad that is just toppings? Perhaps.

Should that stop you? No. Especially if you’ve fallen victim to the high hopes of working your way through a bag of lettuce in a week only to find it in a very different color in a deep, dark corner of your refrigerator the following week.

I definitely don’t know what that’s like. Definitely not.

Groceries are just too dang expensive right now to allow for that. At least in my opinion.

That’s why I’ve been making a version of this salad every day for lunch for about a month. It’s everything I love about a salad, and find that I’m eating more veggies this way because I’m not at the mercy of the lowly bag of lettuce anymore.

I am FREE. And you can be free too, my friend.

I realize this has been a chaotic and silly little post about a lettuceless salad, but it really is very good.

And of course, the beauty of this salad lies in whatever ingredients you have on-hand. I always have a mix of veggies like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, carrots, and olives, but anything you love in a regular salad will work.

I also am just so incredibly into roasted, salted sunflower seeds on my salads right now, so those are not optional. Unless you don’t like them. In that case, you do you.

Add some chickpeas for protein and toast up some bread on the side, and what do ya know! A tasty, veg-filled salad with nary a lettuce leaf in sight.

Out with the food waste, in with yummy, lettuceless salads. Yes, please.

“Just the Toppings” Salad

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Yep, you’re looking at a salad without lettuce. And if you’ve thrown away your last bag of slimy, brown lettuce, this recipe is for you!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 salad
• Category: Lunch
• Method: Chop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

YOUR FAVORITE SALAD INGREDIENTS LIKE:

• 5 baby carrots, sliced thin into circles
• 1/4 an english cucumber, sliced thin into circles
• 6–8 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup chickpeas from a can
• a handful of marinated olives
• 2–4 tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seeds
• salt + pepper
• Everyday Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette (or your favorite dressing!)

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Instructions

1. Cut up all of your ingredients and place them in a bowl.
2. Toss with your dressing and enjoy!

Notes

I think a nice Mediterranean spin on this recipe would be fab by using marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, and maybe even some vegan feta… YUM.

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