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Dairy-Free

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free)

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strawberry rhubarb crisp on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

This strawberry rhubarb crisp is perfectly sweet, slightly tart, and finished off with a crumbly oat topping! This easy vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free dessert is a total crowd-pleaser and is perfect for summer parties. Serve this strawberry rhubarb crisp warm with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream for a delicious, healthier dessert!

Strawberry Rhubarb crisp in a baking dish surrounded by fresh strawberries.

One of my mom’s signature desserts is a strawberry rhubarb pie. Now I was never much of a pie person (still am not), but I LOVED this particular pie. Aside from being totally freaking delicious, rhubarb is pretty intriguing. I just couldn’t get over how delightfully sour and tart it was. I’ve wanted to recreate my mom’s strawberry rhubarb pie for a while now, but to be completely honest, I just don’t have the energy these days to make a whole a** pie. And that’s where pie’s easygoing, more forgiving younger sister comes in – fruit crisp! This strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe couldn’t possibly get any simpler, but still houses all of the delicious flavors I remember from my childhood.

What You Need To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb – OK let’s chat about rhubarb for a second. I know rhubarb is known and loved in some parts of the world. Though in my part of the world, it’s barely ever talked about (which makes me sad, because it’s worthy of our attention). Therefore, if you’re not familiar with rhubarb it’s a tart-tasting fruit that kind of looks like a pinkish/red celery stalk. Rhubarb is always paired with some type of sweetener to balance out its extremely tart flavor. The result is this almost sour candy flavor that is just incredible!

Strawberries – Oh, happy strawberry season! Strawberries, unlike rhubarb, are an extremely common fruit and I think we all know what they taste like. And the key here is fresh strawberries, as they taste best. You have the option to either leave your strawberries whole or slice them in half.

Almond Flour – Almond flour replaces the all purpose flour in this recipe. Aside from aiding in making this crisp gluten-free, I especially love the nutty flavor this flour gives this crisp. If you don’t have almond flour, you can use almond meal instead. If you don’t have either of those, feel free to use all purpose flour instead!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Add dairy: If not vegan or dairy-free, use regular butter instead of dairy-free butter in this recipe.
  • Use different fruits: Feel free to use whatever berries you’d like in this recipe in place of both the strawberries and rhubarb. Whatever fruit you decide to use, just make sure it measured out to a total of 6 cups.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (V/GF/RSF)
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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (V/GF/RSF)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

Ingredients

  • For the filling:

  • 3 cup rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces

  • 3 cups strawberries, halved

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest, optional

  • For the crisp:

  • 1 cup oats, see Notes

  • 1/2 cup almond flour, see Notes

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/4 cup dairy-free butter, see Notes

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • Add all filling ingredients to a bowl and toss to coat fruit, then transfer to a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  • Add all crisp ingredients to a bowl and mix together with a fork, then sprinkle over filling.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Almond Flour: You can use regular all-purpose flour instead of almond flour if you’d like.
  • Dairy-Free Butter: I used Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks for this recipe, as they’re my favorite for baking. Though you should be able to get away with using any non-dairy butter you’d like. And if you’re not vegan or dairy-free, you can use regular butter instead!

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Dairy-Free

Hummingbird Cupcakes (GF/DF)

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Straight on shot of hummingbird cupcakes sitting on a cutting board.

These hummingbird cupcakes are the perfect spring-time sweet treat! They taste incredibly decedent despite being grain, dairy, and refined sugar-free. These adorable cupcakes are chock-full of delicious crushed pineapple and shredded coconut. And in case you thought they couldn’t get any better, they’re also topped off with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting that is out-of-this-world good.

Hummingbird cupcake topped with pineapple and toasted coconut with a bite taken out.

It’s funny because I’m literally eating a hummingbird cupcake (and getting cream cheese frosting all over my keyboard) as I write this. I’m full-on addicted to the babies. They’re sweet, but not too sweet. Incredibly versatile – enjoy them as a snack, dessert, or heck you can even eat them for breakfast!

The first time I ever ate a hummingbird-anything was at this cute little muffin place by my parents house. My mom got me to try one of their hummingbird muffins and I’ve truly been hooked ever since. I then discovered hummingbird cake and was like – woahhhh, I didn’t know life could get EVEN better! And in case you’re like, Sam WTF is a hummingbird cupcake?! It’s similar to carrot cake, but has crushed pineapple and shredded coconut instead of carrots. It also features a cream cheese frosting, just like carrot cake. If you’re looking for a muffin instead of a cupcake, simply make these without the cream cheese frosting. My suggestion here is – take a plain cupcake, top it with a little crunchy almond butter, and enjoy it as a sweet afternoon snack!

What You Need To Make Hummingbird Cupcakes

Almond Flour – I chose almond flour as the base of these cupcakes for two reasons. One, it’s grain-free, making these cupcakes so light and healthy that you could literally eat them for breakfast if you wanted to. And two, it yields a soft, crumbly cupcake that doesn’t fall apart when bitten into, but also isn’t too dense.

Coconut Sugar – Just a 1/2 cup of coconut sugar is all you need in these cupcakes! This is what I mean by they’re sweet, but not too sweet. Coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than the usual white sugar. It also contains many more vitamins and minerals than most other sugars. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can either use brown sugar, cane sugar, or white sugar instead.

Mashed Bananas – You won’t find a single hummingbird recipe without mashed bananas in it. In conjunction with the pineapple and coconut, a little banana is truly magnificent. It adds a touch of sweetness and incredible flavor. You can use 1 cup of apple sauce instead, if you’d like.

Crushed Pineapple – Like I said earlier, crushed pineapple is a main ingredient in these hummingbird cupcakes. I buy canned crushed pineapple and rinse out the liquid before using in this recipe. Though you can use finely chopped fresh pineapple instead.

Shredded Coconut – Similar to the crushed pineapple, these wouldn’t be hummingbird cupcakes without a little coconut. My one thing when baking with coconut is to make sure it is unsweetened. Our cupcakes are sweet enough, we don’t need the coconut adding to that.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Paleo – Leave out the dairy-free cream cheese frosting and you’ll have yourself delicious little paleo hummingbird muffins!
  • Make it Vegan – Use your favorite egg-substitute in place of the eggs in this recipe. I have not tested this recipe using flax eggs, though I can image that it will yield less-fluffy but still tasty cupcakes.
  • Make it Sugar-Free – Leave out the frosting and sub 1/2 cup of your favorite sugar-free sweetener for the coconut sugar. You can also leave out the coconut sugar altogether, if you’d like!
Hummingbird Cupcakes (GF/DF)
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Hummingbird Cupcakes (GF/DF)

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

12

cupcakes
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Almond Flour, see NOTES

  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar

  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted, see NOTES

  • 1 Cup Mashed Banana, about 2 bananas

  • 2 Eggs, see NOTES

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  • 1/2 Cup Crushed Pineapple, drained

  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut, unsweetened

  • For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 1/2 Cup Dairy-Free Cream Cheese

  • 1/4 Cup Dairy-Free Butter, softened

  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 1
  • In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 2
  • In a small bowl, mix together the coconut oil, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 3
  • Add the wet ingredients, crushed pineapple, and shredded coconut into the dry ingredients and mix to combine.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 4
  • Fill each cupcake liner with 1/4 cup of batter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 5
  • Transfer cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.DSC_0118Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 6
  • Make the frosting by adding all ingredients to a bowl and beating with either a hand or stand mixer until combined. Dollop frosting onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy!DSC_0118Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 7

Notes

  • Almond Flour: Be sure to use almond flour, not almond meal.
  • Coconut Oil: You can use 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or melted butter instead.
  • Eggs: I like to remove my eggs from the fridge a couple hours before baking. If your eggs are too cold when added to the batter, they might cause your coconut oil to re-harden.

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Breakfast

Ultimate Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Banana Bread

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Slices of gluten-free and dairy-free banana bread stacked on top of each other.

This gluten-free and dairy-free banana bread is truly the best EVER! Fool your friends and family with this recipe that tastes just like the real thing. Toast up a thick slice of this ultimate gluten-free and dairy-free banana bread, then top it with your favorite non-dairy butter for a heavenly snack!

Gluten-free and dairy-free banana bread with a slice removed.

Not sure why, but I hated banana bread as a kid. Though I started to enjoy it a few years ago. And well, I quickly went from hating it, to enjoying it, to being totally obsessed with it. And I am specifically obsessed with this ultimate gluten-free and dairy-free banana bread recipe. It’s light, fluffy, not too sweet, and yields the perfect amount of that yummy banana flavor. I love this recipe so much that I often use this trick to ripen all of my bananas, because I’m way too impatient to wait for them to ripen on their own.

Lightly toasted, smeared in dairy-free butter, dairy-free cream cheese, and a drizzle of honey is the my preferred method of enjoying this ultimate gluten-free and dairy-free banana bread. I also love enjoying it as an afternoon snack with a big ole’ dollop of crunchy almond butter on top. It’s also totally delicious on its own! I recommend slicing it and then storing it in the fridge, to maintain its freshness. I also recommend doubling this batch and throwing a few slices in the freezer for a later date. Simply remove from the freezer, toast until defrosted and enjoy!

What You Need To Make Ultimate Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Banana Bread

Gluten-Free Flour – I use and love Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour, it has truly never failed me. Though if you’re not gluten-free, you can easily sub all purpose flour for the gluten-free flour in this recipe.

Cinnamon – While developing this recipe, I realized that no other banana bread recipes out there include cinnamon. To me, adding cinnamon was a no-brainer. I honestly thought it was one of those signature banana bread ingredients. When I realized no one else includes it in their recipes, I tried making this recipe without it. Oh man, never doing that again! Cinnamon adds incredible flavor and aroma to this recipe that it simply, to die for.

Mashed Banana – Make sure your bananas are SUPER ripe for this recipe. The more ripe your bananas are, the softer and sweeter they’ll be in this recipe. If you don’t have any ripe bananas but want to make this banana bread, use this trick! I use the quickly-ripen banana method often and can attest to its success. Now as far as mashing goes, remove the bananas from their peel, place them in a bowl and press down on them with the back of a fork. You’ll want to mash your bananas until you achieve a consistency similar to apple sauce. Measure out the 1 and 1/2 cups of banana once they are completely smooth.

Eggs – Remove your eggs from the fridge an hour or two before using them in this recipe. Room temperature eggs are always ideal in baking. If your eggs are too cold when mixed into the batter, they may cause the melted butter or oil you used to harden.

Non-Dairy Milk – Any non-dairy milk will work in this recipe. I used a homemade almond milk and has great results. If you’re not dairy-free, you can easily swap the non-dairy milk with cow’s milk.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Vegan: Use two flax eggs or your favorite egg-substitute in place of the flax eggs in this recipe. Expect your bread to be slightly more dense than the one pictured, but still delicious!
  • Add Gluten: Use all purpose flour instead of gluten-free flour in this recipe.
  • Add Dairy: Use melted butter instead of coconut oil and cow’s milk instead of non-dairy milk in this recipe.
Ultimate Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Banana Bread
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Ultimate Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Banana Bread

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SnacksCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

slices
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

50

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

This gluten-free and dairy-free banana bread is truly the best EVER! Fool your friends and family with this recipe that tastes just like the real thing. Toast up a thick slice of this ultimate gluten-free and dairy-free banana bread, then top it with your favorite non-dairy butter for a heavenly snack!

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Gluten-Free Flour, see Notes

  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

  • 1 1/2 Cups Mashed Banana (about 3 bananas), see Notes

  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar, see Notes

  • 2 Eggs, see Notes

  • 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil, melted

  • 1/4 Cup Non-Dairy Milk, see Notes

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and grease of line a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  • Mix together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, coconut sugar, eggs, melted coconut oil, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract.
  • Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
  • Transfer batter to your prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • Gluten-Free Flour: I use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. Whatever gluten-free flour you use, make sure it contains xantham gum. If you’re not gluten-free, use all purpose flour instead.
  • Mashed Banana: Remove very ripe bananas from their peel, place them in a bowl, and the mash them with the back of a fork. Continue mashing until you achieve a consistency similar to apple sauce. Measure out the mashed banana then use it in this recipe.
  • Coconut Sugar: Feel free to use white sugar, cane sugar, or brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar in this recipe.
  • Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature before using in this recipe.
  • Non-Dairy Milk: Use any non-dairy milk you’d like in this recipe! I use homemade almond milk and have always had great results. If you’re not dairy-free you can easily use cow’s milk instead.

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30 Minutes or Less

Healthy Blueberry Donuts (V/GF)

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Healthy Blueberry Donuts Recipe

These healthy blueberry donuts are my favorite vegan spring treat! They’re soft, sweet, and bursting with juicy fresh blueberries. These donuts are light and nutritious, but taste just as goods as the ones you’d pick up at your local bakery. Serve these healthy blueberry donuts warm with a drizzle of blueberry glaze – YUM!

Healthy Blueberry Donuts

How Healthy Blueberry Donuts Came To Be

I love all food, but there is a special place in my heart for donuts. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or how full I already am, I will NEVER turn down a donut. My personal favorite are cake donuts, I love that crispy outside and crumbly inside. Now I can’t ever give up regular deep-fried gluten and dairy-filled donuts, but I will try to supplement a few of my donut cravings (they come often) with a healthier donut version when I can. These healthy baked blueberry donuts are a riff off my apple cider donuts from last fall. I really wanted those apple cider donuts, but I also wanted something that felt and tasted more like spring. That’s how fresh blueberries entered my donuts and a gorgeously bright purple-y/pink blueberry glaze found its way on top.

I should also note that these healthy blueberry donuts are in fact SO healthy, you could eat them for breakfast. This recipe includes healthy grains, healthy fats, and just a touch of sugar. If I plan on enjoying these for breakfast, I’ll leave a couple without icing and top them with almond butter instead. This extra healthy variation also makes for a great afternoon snack!

What You Need To Make Healthy Blueberry Donuts

Oat Flour – You can make oat flour by taking dry rolled oats and blending them until you achieve a flour-like consistency. There is also always the option to buy already ground oat flour at the store, but I find making it myself to be much cheaper and super easy. If you make the oat flour yourself, be sure to blend it until no large oat pieces remain. We don’t want chunks of rolled oats in our donuts, just a nice smooth flour.

Flax Eggs – If you’re not vegan, you can use 1 real egg in place of the flax eggs. Though if you’re looking to make these donuts vegan, combine 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Whisk the flaxseed meal and water together, then let it sit for at least 5 minutes or until it thickens. Once the flax “eggs” are thick, you’re free to use them in this recipe.

Non-Dairy Milk – Really any non-dairy milk will work here! I used almond milk which made delicious healthy blueberry donuts. Though you’re free to use any nut, seed, soy, or even cow’s milk you’d like.

Almond Butter – Feel free to use any nut or seed butter you’d like in this recipe. I prefer almond butter because it lends little-to-no almond flavor to these healthy blueberry donuts. Another flavorless nut butter option is cashew butter. Though feel free to use peanut butter, pecan butter, walnut butter, or even sunflower seed butter if you’d like.

Blueberries – I haven’t personally tried this recipe with frozen blueberries. The fresh blueberries bake up perfectly in my opinion, and I just can’t picture the frozen blueberries doing the same. Luckily, blueberry season begins this month so you shouldn’t have any trouble picking up a fresh pint of blueberries next time you’re at the store!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Add Dairy: Use 1 cup of cow’s milk instead of non-dairy milk in this recipe.
  • Use All-Purpose Flour: Swap out the oat flour for 1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour instead.
  • Not Vegan: Use 1 egg instead of the flax eggs in this recipe.
  • Make it Nut-Free: Use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
Healthy Blueberry Donuts (V/GF)
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Healthy Blueberry Donuts (V/GF)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

12

donuts
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

These healthy baked blueberry donuts are my favorite vegan spring treat! They’re soft, sweet, and bursting with juicy fresh blueberries. These donuts are light and nutritious, but taste just as goods as the ones you’d pick up at your local bakery. Serve these healthy blueberry donuts warm with a drizzle of blueberry glaze – YUM!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups Oat Flour, see Notes

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

  • 2 Flax Eggs, see Notes

  • 1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk, see Notes

  • 1/2 Cup Creamy Almond Butter

  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar, see Notes

  • 1 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  • 1/2 Cup Fresh Blueberries

  • Flor the blueberry glaze:

  • 1/4 Cup Fresh Blueberries

  • 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a donut pan.
  • Mix the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
  • In a separate small bowl, mix together the flax eggs, non-dairy milk, almond butter, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold in the fresh blueberries
  • Fill your donut pan with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove from molds and let cool on a wire rack.
  • Add the glaze ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Then top cooled donuts with blueberry glaze.

Notes

  • Oat Flour: Make oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a blender until a flour forms.
  • Non-Dairy Milk: I used almond milk, but you can use any non-dairy milk you’d like.
  • Coconut Sugar: You can use white sugar or cane sugar instead.

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