Who hates to bake? Ha, I used to until I found a method that made baking foolproof and super easy! As a culinary chef, I prefer to be uber creative and random with my recipes. And since I've always been a rule breaker, the idea of needing exact measurements to bake a dish made me quiver with annoyance. I know I sound a tad dramatic, but I always found baking to be somewhat boring and time-consuming. Eventually I found a way to make baking more enjoyable and efficient! The easiest way to put together a pastry/baked dish is to put all of the dry ingredients into one bowl, and then put all of the wet ingredients into another bowl, and then mix them together! It's quick, it's painless, and it makes the baking process seem more attainable and less intimidating! Now, I used D'vash Date Nectar in this recipe because I'm really trying to avoid any sweeteners that aren't 100% natural! And I absolutely LOVE the flavor of this date nectar because it's sweet, mild, and not overpowering! For more information on D'vash products click on the link below:
https://www.dvashorganics.com Since Christmas is just around the corner, how fun would it be to make gingerbread?! Luckily for me a had a couple zucchinis laying around! So I figured making zucchini gingerbread using D'vash date nectar would make me, and the rest of my fellow health enthusiasts super happy! Here it is, team! My Vegan Zucchini Chocolate Chip Gingerbread! I've added a few links at the bottom of the page so you can be redirected to get more information on the fabulous ingredients I used!
TIME: 1 hr and 15 min
YIELDS: 8-10 Servings
CAL 315 g | CARBS 27 g | FATS 25 g | PROTEIN 4 g | SUGAR 9 g
INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients
2 cups of almond flour 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (I used Pampered Chef brand! So good!)
1/4 teaspoon of powdered ginger 1/4 teaspoon of all spice Pinch of Himalayan Salt
Wet Ingredients 2 tablespoons flax, 6 tablespoons water 2 medium peeled bananas 1 medium zucchini (a cup worth), chopped in large pieces with ends chopped off 2 inch piece of ginger, 1 inch thick - freshly grated 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used Pampered Chef brand! So good!) 2 tablespoons of d'vash date nectar 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
Fillers 1 cup of Lilly's vegan dark chocolate chips 1/2 cup of chopped pecans METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper in a loaf pan. Parchment paper is best use for baking items because it is the easiest way to pull the bread out of the pan. 2. Mix all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and then mix with a whisk. We want to make sure all of the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.
3. Mix the 2 tablespoons of flax seed together with the 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and set aside. It takes a few minutes for the water & flax to coagulate forming out replacement egg! Set aside.
4. Melt the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside. 5. Place the peeled bananas and chopped zucchini in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Make sure all the chunks are pureed into a smooth consistency.
6. Place the banana/zucchini mixture in a large bowl. Peel the ginger with a knife and then grate the ginger directly into the bowl using a microplane. Add the remaining wet ingredients- date nectar, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil.
7. Place the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until well-combined! Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips.
8. Pour the batter into a loaf pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Feel free to sprinkle more chocolate chips on top! 9. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean. 10. Very VERY important to allow the gingerbread to cool completely before slicing otherwise it will fall apart. I like to let my gingerbread cool and then place it in the fridge for up to a couple hours before slicing it. I also like to store it in the fridge because I think baked goods taste best served cold! I slice my pieces fairly thick, about an inch or so. Feel free to slice your pieces thinner so you can have less calories per serving!
Affiliate Links:
D'vash Date Nectar
https://www.dvashorganics.com/products/original-california-dvash-date-nectar
Pampered Chef Vanilla Extract
https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/yoursassy/shop/Food/Extracts/Double-Strength+Pure+Vanilla+Extract/9739
Pampered Chef Cinnamon
https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/yoursassy/shop/Food/Seasoning+Mixes/Korintje+Cinnamon/9712
Lilly's Chocolate Chips
https://www.amazon.com/Lilys-Chocolate-Natural-Premium-Baking/dp/B01MCRBF6T/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2AMGADUN623L0&keywords=lillys+chocolate+chips&qid=1575254556&sprefix=lilly%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-4