Pancakes are yummy and donuts are great, but this sweet, crunchy, gooey dutch baby is LIFE CHANGING. This dish is from my first cookbook, Homestyle Vegan, which came out last year. It's packed full of 80 comfort food recipes with inspiration from my favorite real food dishes. Healthier baked beans? Yup! Baked Sea Salted Soft Pretzels? Uh huh! Biscuits with Mushroom Gravy? I've got you covered! You can buy one of the last few signed copies of my cookbook (with a few included surprises!) here. Ready to get to the recipe? Let's get moving! Intended as a dish for sharing, this recipe is perfect for a group brunch or after a morning of heavy drinking. We cut the sugar way down, but it still packs enough sweetness to cure your sweet tooth and impress your friends. This isn't an everyday breakfast; this is a lounge in your pj's 'till noon 'breakfast', a 'celebrating our anniversary' breakfast, a you-scored-your-dream-job-and-it's-time-to-celebrate breakfast - you get what I'm saying, right? This is a treat yo'self, no guilt, love your life breakfast - because I think we could all use a few more of these. You can still drink your green smoothie on the side! But you so deserve this, babe. So let's bake! This turned-up-pancakes party is getting started and you know you want to be there!

I can't believe how quickly summer's gone by! It's nearly over and I'm just not ready, you feel me? I need more beach days, more cozy nights under the stars, more s'mores, more tan lines. I've been so busy with yoga teacher training and transferring the new site over (hope you dig it!) the last few weeks I just haven't enjoyed summer enough! I'd love to get to the beach this afternoon, but today the best it's getting is this sweet, simple summer sipper - and that's totally okay with me. If you haven't grilled peaches before friends, you are missing out. They're one of my summer must-haves! As soon as fresh, fuzzy peaches make their way into our farmers markets I buy as many as I can get my hands on, halve them up, and throw 'em on the grill! They're great just like that - don't get me wrong - but if you wanna really step up your summer game and enjoy grilled peaches  for breakfast, too, then you've just gotta start making smoothies with them. And with So Delicious' new Peach Coconut Milk Yogurt you can make the peachiest, creamiest smoothies! I love this yogurt. It's not my everyday go-to because it is a little sweeter, but that's why it's perfect here. A little more decadent, rich in flavor, and with flecks of real peach inside - it takes this smoothie from good to delicious. You're going to love it! And seriously, grilling peaches couldn't be easier. It takes just a few minutes on each side and will make you question ever eating a raw peach again. The ingredients are simple but you'd better hurry - summer's almost over! Find out more about So Delicious Dairy-Free Products + grab a $1 OFF coupon for your yogurt here! 

INGREDIENTS
3 fresh peaches, halved with pits removed
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup So Delicious Peach Coconut Milk Yogurt
1/2 cup cashew milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice)
1 heaping cup ice (option to sub in a frozen banana or some frozen, steamed sweet potato here for creaminess)
1 tablespoon psyllium husk 
fresh mint, for garnish 

DIRECTIONS
Sprinkle your fresh, halved peaches with the nutmeg and cinnamon and grill them over medium heat 3-4 minutes per side, or until fork tender with visible grill marks. 

Place your grilled peaches, So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt, cashew milk, and ice or banana into the blender and blend it all up until it's nice and creamy. Pour it into 1 large or 1 smaller glasses and drink it up. Enjoy! 

NOTES
A full container of So Delicious Peach Coconut Milk Yogurt is jusssst over 1/2 cup. Use it all or take a bite and pour the rest in the blender!

You can use white or yellow peaches here - your choice!

Psyllium husk is great for digestion but also totally optional here.

Last week Alex and I took a day to start wedding planning together - FINALLY! So far, we have a venue, at The Riverbed Farm in Anaheim, and a date - June 10th, 2017, but other than that we've got nothing planned. Whoops! Time seems to be flying by at this point so my next big things to mark off the checklist are our save the dates and invitations, finding a caterer and finalizing details like the drink menu and decor. I'll have a post up soon on all the details and what we've learned so far in planning our vegan wedding!

In the meantime, a girl's gotta eat, and I've been loving all the fall produce we've been getting in our CSA box + seeing in supermarkets lately. We went on a date day last and ended up at a cute little kombucha + fermented goods bar in Costa Mesa called Farm + Culture Co. that served these yummy bites made with purple sweet potato and I was totally inspired. I wanted to create something similar, but with a little more focus on something sharable for the Fall season - so we came up with these Purple Sweet Potato Pie Squares. These pie squares are an incredibly gorgeous color - shockingly purple! - that just make you wanna eat 'em up. These bars are: 

• chewy
• sweet
• nutty
• rich
• indulgent 
• full of vitamins A, C, B6, Beta Carotene + Fiber
• packed with protein
• pretty darn good for you!

The sweet potatoes are paired with warm fall flavors like maple, cinnamon, and ginger on a chewy cashew-date-macadamia crust that makes them irresistible and much like a traditional sweet potato pie - but far healthier! They're are totally naturally sweetened, and you can omit the maple syrup if you prefer to keep them date-sweetened only. Eat them on their own or top them with a bit of whipped cream and a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg for the perfect fall treat. They're an indulgence you don't have to have any guilt about, so go ahead - have two!

INGREDIENTS
Cashew Date Macadamia Crust Layer:
1 1/2 cups cashews
1 cup macadamia nuts (or skinless almonds)
1 cup pitted dates
3 tablespoons coconut oil

Purple Sweet Potato Pie Layer:
1.5 lbs purple sweet potatoes, boiled, skinned + mashed (about 2 1/2 cups mash)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Cashew Date Macadamia Crust Layer:
Soak the cashews and macadamia nuts in warm water for at least one hour. Drain off the liquid, and pour the soaked nuts into the food processor. Add in the pitted dates and coconut oil and process until a sticky crust forms.

Grease or line a 9x9 inch glass baking dish. Scrape the crust mixture into the baking dish and use a rubber spatula to spoon to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan. Refrigerate or freeze to set the crust, about one hour, before topping with the sweet potato mixture. Wipe the processor bowl out with a paper towel and set aside.

Purple Sweet Potato Pie Layer:
​Place the sweet potatoes into a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the water and let cool completely. Once cooled, remove the skins and toss 'em into the compost or trash bin. Place the sweet potatoes into the processor bowl with the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Process on high until the mixture is completely combined and smooth.

Pour the mixture over the cooled crust layer and spread it evenly around. Place the baking dish back into the freezer to firm - they'll be much easier to slice this way. Once they're firm, about 3+ hours later, slice the bars even squares. Serve immediately or let soften in the fridge until you're ready to enjoy!

NOTES
Makes 16-20 bars. Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for several days or the freezer indefinitely. 

Purple Sweet Potatoes are different than Japanese Sweet Potatoes, which are purple on the outside but white on the inside. Make sure you double check or your pie squares - while delicious! - certainly won't come out looking like ours. 

I'm a little late to the party when it comes to posting about golden milk, but I am OBSESSED. And I had to share this in case any of you haven't been lucky enough to stumble upon it yet. If you're still staring at me like 'What the heck is GOLDEN milk?' then let's back this caboose up a bit; Golden Milk is made from steaming milk and blending in spices, sweetener and vanilla to create a steamer that tastes similar to a chai or spiced tea, but is much creamier due to the milk, and a little warmer thanks to the addition of the turmeric. Golden Milk recipes have kind of exploded online lately, and I was lucky enough to try some at a friends a few months ago, where I totally fell in love with it. We'd also tried an amazing version by Califa Farms at Expo West this year, but it wasn't worth paying $4 a bottle for. So I've started making it myself at home! It's way cheaper and feels good knowing I can make an equally delicious version at home for about a tenth of the price. 

I love whipping one up whenever I want a sweet, warm drink or after a workout to help curb next-day soreness. Turmeric is a flavor you may recognize typically from curries, but but pairs perfectly with the sweetness of this drink. On top of being an anti-inflammatory, turmeric also boasts antioxidant and anti-depressant properties, as well as is considered a 'cure-all' spice for overall health and wellness in India. Plus, turmeric naturally whitens teeth! Seriously, just look up everything turmeric does - it's a pretty amazing little spice and something we should all be incorporating a bit more of into our daily lives. Which is why this super simple recipe is the PERFECT way to try it for yourself. Chances are you already have all the ingredients on hand to make it - so what're you waiting for? Cheers to your health! 

INGREDIENTS
16 ounces (2 cups) almond or coconut milk
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground turmeric 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
​pinch of black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat your almond or coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat (do NOT bring to a boil). Add in the maple syrup, turmeric, vanilla and other ingredients, whisking until the spices are completely dissolved. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the milk is hot and everything is well combined. Taste and adjust the flavors to your preference, if you like.

Serve immediately OR let the milk cool to room temperature, then serve over ice. Refrigerated leftovers can either be reheated or served chilled over ice as well.

NOTES
Serves 1-2.

Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated or enjoyed over ice for up a week. 

Turmeric STAINS. Badly. Avoid using white dishes to cook or serve in unless you can wash them right after, and if you do get some turmeric stains on your countertop, I've read that vegetable oil and regular cleanser will usually get it off. 

Turmeric DOESN'T stain your teeth! It's actually proven to be a tooth whitener, so no need to brush your teeth after drinking unless your prefer it. 

Some people make this tea with fresh turmeric, whole cinnamon sticks, and fresh ginger. If that's what you prefer, we support you! Also, use whatever other spices you like - maybe some cloves or cayenne. We just use ground spices because they're convenient and encourage us to actually MAKE this! 😝

Cinco de Mayo is TOMORROW! Are you ready?! If you aren't - and even if you are- these super easy Baked Churro Chips are the answer. They bake up in minutes with very little prep needed and are a total crowd pleaser! Who doesn't love a crispy baked corn chip (or wheat, if wheat tortillas are more your thing) coated in vegan butter, cinnamon and sugar? NO ONE. Yup, double negatives. Which means EVERYONE loves them! They're crispy, crunchy, sweet, and almost too easy to eat. So let's eat! 

Looking for a few more last-minute Cinco de Mayo meal ideas? Try one of our favorites!

• Picante Black Bean Hummus
• Cauliflower Queso
• Southwestern Black Bean Salad
• Mexican Wheat Berry Salad
• The BEST Spicy Vegan Chili
• Baked Black Bean Burgers
• Jackfruit Asada Street Tacos
• Chick'n Tortilla Soup
• 'California Burrito' Tacos

INGREDIENTS
14-16 small corn tortillas, cut into quarters
1/2 cup melted vegan butter or coconut oil
1 cup organic sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the tortillas into 4-6 equal triangles. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. 

Lay the chips onto the baking sheet and lightly brush each chip with some of the melted butter or oil. Sprinkle about half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the chips so they're lightly coated, then flip 'em over, lightly brush the other sides and coat them in the remaining sugar mixture. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let chips cool completely before removing from the baking sheet. Enjoy! 

NOTES
You can use whatever tortillas you like, wheat or corn and any size. Just adjust accordingly! 

Here we go again, tempting you with pumpkin baked goods! But hey, you can't really blame us. Pumpkin season is short and it's just now starting to feel like fall over here in LA! We've got a short amount of time and all kinds of deliciousness to stuff into it. We hadn't made the announcement official on our personal pages until last week and I'm SUPER excited to share with you guys that about this time next year, we'll be coming out with our very own published COOKBOOK! Yup. And it's gonna be awesome. We'll start posting teasers of what we're working on and what you can expect  all over social media so keep an eye out for fun sneak-peeks + behind-the-scenes goodies. In the meantime, its still pumpkin season and we've got all kind of baked goods to enjoy, so let's talk about this bread. Its stuffed full of zucchini and pumpkin so its basically just a vegetable. Or at least, that's what I told myself after eating 3 slices yesterday. We're really trying to cut back on the amount of sugar we're eating lately too, so like our recipe for Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, this recipe has about half the amount of sugar you'll find in a traditional zucchini or banana bread recipe. The pumpkin adds some sweetness and helps keep it moist, and if nuts are your thing I bet a sprinkle of walnuts before you tossed it in the oven would be kind of amazing. Either way, we think you're gonna like it. Let's bake!

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup organic pumpkin purée 
3 tablespoons ground flax
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups zucchini, grated

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line or grease an 8x4 in. loaf pan and set aside. 
In a large bowl whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.  Set aside.
Pour almond milk and vinegar into a glass measuring cup and set aside to curdle while you mix up your wet ingredients. To do that, grab a medium sized bowl and whisk together the coconut oil, pumpkin, ground flax, sugars, and vanilla.
Pour in the curdled milk mixture and stir to combine. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix well to combine. Using a large wooden spoon, fold in the grated zucchini. Feel free to use your hands to evenly distribute the zucchini into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and pop it in the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow bread to cool at least 20 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice + enjoy! Bread will last in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. Makes 1 loaf. 

PUMPKIN SEASON HAS ARRIVED! I'm sure you've noticed, since everywhere you look there are pumpkin recipes, pumpkin-flavored foods, tiny pumpkins + gourds for sale, and of course, PSL's. I like pumpkin just as much as the next gal, but I prefer mine to be not SO sweet. Too much sweet pumpkin flavored crap before November and I'm burnt out. That's why it's become Mid-October and we're just now getting around to pumpkin-themed foods over here! These cookies are perfectly fluffy and moist, and have an almost muffin-like texture. They're soft, chewy, and packed with oats and pumpkin spice. Plus, we cut the sugar way down so you can eat like six instead of one. (That's how that works, right?) They're easy to whip up and perfect for serving at parties or just binge-eating while you watch Hocus Pocus. They're also about to become your new favorite oatmeal cookie. Let's bake! 

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon ground flax 
3 tablespoons warm water
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups oats

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl combine ground flax and warm water and stir to combine. Set aside to gelatinize.
In a large bowl, mix together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, melted coconut oil, sugar, brown sugar, water and vanilla. Add gelatinized flax mixture and stir to combine. 
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, using a wooden spoon to mix the two into a thick batter. Pour in the oats and mix together until dough forms. Use a cookie dough scoop or spoon to place 1 inch balls of dough onto a greased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are golden and cookies are cooked through. Let cool, and enjoy! Makes about 24 cookies.

NOTES
*Instead of 3/4 cup of AP and WW flours, you could try using 1 1/2 cups of either one. I haven't tried this recipe with GF flour.

*Your flax egg will come together faster with warmer water. 

*We used a 1 in. cookie dough scoop to measure ours out and got about 24 cookies. For a smaller batch of larger cookies simply use more dough per cookie.

*Leftover cookies can be left on the counter in an airtight container about 3 days, in the fridge for about a week, and in the freezer indefinitely. 

'Tis the season for bright, juicy, super overpriced cherries! But I love 'em, so I don't even mind paying like $6/lb. Especially since I started baking with them. I love them fresh, but they just have such a great, sweet flavor for baked goods! And in this recipe, they compliment the crumby brown sugar + cinnamon topping so perfectly. This cake comes out moist, lightly sweet, and stuffed full of the sweetest summer cherries. Its my favorite cake, of any kind, that I've had in a while. We tried to keep the sugar low in the cake mixture because of the super sweet crumb topping, but its still a splurgy breakfast for sure. I've been super dedicated in my workouts lately (and am even considering trying to get my yoga teaching certification) so I felt no guilt indulging in more than one slice - and you shouldn't either!  And even though coffee cake sounds like a morning thing, to definitely tasted just as good at ten o'clock at night. You could probably sub in any summer berries here for a tasty seasonal treat, and we will definitely be making versions of this recipe year-round. Let's get bak(ed)ing!

INGREDIENTS
Crumble Topping:
1½ cup all-purpose flour*
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
½ cup coconut oil or vegan butter, softened

Coffee Cake:
6 tablespoons vegan butter or coconut oil
6 tablespoons coconut butter
½ cup sugar
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon ground flax meal
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1½ cups all-purpose flour *(GF may work too, but we haven't tried it!)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 heaping cup sweet cherries, pitted and halved


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch glass baking dish and set aside. 
Wash, pit, and halve 1 heaping cup of sweet cherries.
To make the crumble, mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, & salt a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pour in softened coconut oil or butter and use a fork to combine the mixture until small crumbs form. 
In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter or oil, coconut butter and sugar. Add the milk, ground flax, corn starch and apple cider vinegar and stir until completely combined.
In a third mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Don't overmix! Fold in the sweet cherries.
Pour the prepared batter into your greased baking dish and spread the crumble mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes clean of cake and the crumble mixture has turned a nice golden brown. Let cool at least 20 mins before serving. Enjoy! 
Leftovers can be saved in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days and in the fridge for about a week. 

Pumpkin spice latté season has ARRIVED! As the weather gets cooler and cozier (pretty much everywhere except Southern California), the lines at Starbucks are getting longer and vegans everywhere wish they could take part. WHY STARBUCKS, WHY must you put dairy in your pumpkin spice mixture?! Trust me, we vegans love our pumpkin. You'd make a lot of money off of us if you made 'em vegan! But since you don't, we'll find our own, far healthier ways to enjoy delicious seasonal drinks. In our house though, we're just not coffee drinkers. We love tea, and occasional caffeine, but for the most part we're more of a 'chai latté' kinda couple. Keepin' it low key, ya know?
So THIS is how we get our fix. A frothy, foamy, sweet, pumpkin-y cup of steamed dairy-free milk blended with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. It's fall, all wrapped up in a mug. Topped with a spoonful of coconut whip would be lovely, but this drink stands just fine on its own. Its the perfect fall drink for those avoiding caffeine or who just want a kid-friendly version. We know you're going to love it. And in case you forgot, it's GREAT PUMPKIN WEEK here on the site, so check the sidebar to keep up with all the pumpkin recipes!

INGREDIENTS:
16 ounces cold, dairy-free milk (we prefer coconut!)
3 tablespoons pumpkin purée
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional, just enhances the pumpkin flavor!)

DIRECTIONS:
In a saucepan, heat your milk on low to medium heat. Whisk in the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, vanilla, and spices. Heat to desired temperature, stirring occasionally.
If you have a milk frother (we have an attachment on our hand mixer), pour the milk into a large mug -or two smaller ones- and froth milk on high to create a thick foam. 
If you don't have a milk frother, pour the hot mixture into a high speed blender and blend 20-30 seconds, until a thick foam is created. Pour into mugs, and enjoy!
Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated later.