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Healthy Cookie Dough (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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scoops of healthy cookie dough on a baking sheet

This healthy cookie dough is perfectly sweet and loaded with chocolate chips! With just 5 ingredients and in just 5 minutes, you’ll have a totally edible and good-for-you cookie dough. Sprinkle some of this healthy cookie dough over your favorite vegan ice cream for a healthier no-bake treat!

scoops of healthy cookie dough on a baking sheet

I’m sure we’ve all eaten raw cookie dough. I may or may not have purchased cookie dough in the past for the sole purpose of eating it raw. I know, don’t judge me! While I never thought twice about shoving spoonfuls of cookie dough in my mouth before it even had a chance to make it to the oven, there was always that little thought in the back of my mind like – this is SO not good for me. If anyone out there is like me and actually prefers raw cookie dough to the baked kind, then this recipe is for you!

This isn’t just any edible cookie dough recipe, it’s HEALTHY edible cookie dough. So healthy, in fact, that you could even enjoy it as an afternoon snack if you’d like! Protein-rich almond flour, a dash of natural maple syrup, and healthy fat-packed coconut oil make this edible cookie dough the most nutritious of its kind. I personally love whipping together a small batch of this stuff at around 3pm on a Tuesday when I am in dire need of a pick-me-up. This healthy cookie dough tastes indulgent without leaving you feeling like you overindulged. Trust me when I tell you this, you NEED this better-for-you sweet treat in your life. And lucky for you, with just five ingredients and five minutes you can have this healthy cookie dough in your life!

What You Need To Make Healthy Cookie Dough

Almond Flour – Almond flour is becoming easier and easier to find at the grocery store these days. I love almond flour for most of my gluten-free baked goods and treats. It also does a darn good job as the base in this recipe. If you don’t already have a bag of almond flour on hand, I highly recommend you go pick one up. And when you do, make sure this vegan and gluten-free cookie dough recipe is the first thing you make with it. Though be sure to purchase almond flour, and not almond meal. Almond meal is not as fine as the flour and will result in a grainier dough.

Coconut Oil – Coconut oil, like almond flour, is becoming increasingly easy to find at most major grocery stores. If you’re not a fan of that coconut flavor, try to use an ultra-refined coconut oil in this recipe. The refining process strips the oil of most, if not all of its flavor. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can easily use melted vegan butter or regular butter instead!

Vegan Chocolate Chips – I use and LOVE the Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips for this recipe. Enjoy Life’s chocolate is entirely dairy, nut, and soy-free. Making it the ultimate addition to this healthier recipe. However, feel free to use your favorite vegan chocolate chips in this recipe. You can even chop up a vegan chocolate bar into chunks and add that to your healthy cookie dough!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

  • Add Dairy: Use regular melted butter instead of coconut oil if you’re not vegan or dairy-free.
  • Make it Sugar-Free: Substitute the maple syrup for your favorite sugar-free syrup, or leave it out altogether. Also, be sure to use sugar-free or stevia-sweetened chocolate chips instead!
Healthy Cookie Dough (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
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Healthy Cookie Dough (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

4 from 12 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

This healthy cookie dough is perfectly sweet and loaded with chocolate chips! With just 5 ingredients and in just 5 minutes, you’ll have a totally edible and good-for-you cookie dough. Sprinkle some of this healthy cookie dough over your favorite vegan ice cream for a healthier no-bake treat!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups almond flour

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil or vegan butter, melted

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips, see Notes

Directions

  • Stir together all ingredients except chocolate chips, until combined.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips and serve.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • I used mini vegan chocolate chips in this recipe, though you can use any kind of chocolate chips or chunks you’d like!

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Dairy-Free

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

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overhead image of vegan graham crackers on a table

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own as a healthy snack or dessert!

vegan graham crackers witha glass of almond milk and rolled oats

I’d like to start off by thanking the person that first invented s’mores. Graham crackers are great, but let’s be honest they’d be nothing without the s’more. S’mores put graham crackers on the map. And it wasn’t until I had leftover boxes of this crispy cookie lying around from s’more-making that I realized how perfect they truly are. They’re soft, light, crumbly, and not to sweet. Graham crackers deserve a moment of their own and I am here to give them that. Think about this for a second – why don’t we place this sweet cracker in the same lineup as say a chocolate chip cookie? They are more than worthy of standing alone in my opinion. Not convinced yet? OK OK just make this vegan graham cracker recipe yourself and you’ll understand.

What You Need To Make Vegan Graham Crackers

Oat Flour – I love baking up my gluten-free treats with oat flour! Not only is it inexpensive, but it’s super easy to acquire. I highly advise against purchasing pre-made oat flour, it’s simply not necessary. Instead, purchase a big bag of oats then grind them in a food processor or blender to make your own cheap and easy oat flour. Oat flour gives these vegan graham crackers their irresistibly soft texture. It also make them healthier and more nutritious!

Maple Syrup – Just a touch of maple syrup gives these gluten-free cookies a bit of caramel color and flavor. You’ll notice that I keep the amount of sweetener in this recipe low because these vegan graham crackers really don’t need much! Maple syrup is a delicious natural sweetener and much healthier than any refined sugar.

Vegan Butter – I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in my vegan/dairy-free baked goods. Though any vegan butter will work here, just be sure to melt it completely before adding it to this recipe. You could also sub the vegan butter for melted coconut oil or regular butter if you’d like!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Add Dairy: Feel free to use regular milk and butter in place of the almond milk and vegan butter in this recipe.

Make it Nut-Free: Use soy, hemp, or coconut milk instead of almond milk to make this vegan recipe nut-free.

Add Gluten: I haven’t tested this myself, but you can try using 2 cups of all purpose flour instead of oat flour. If you give this a try, start with just the 2 cups then add a bit more flour until a dough forms. And of course, let me know how it goes!

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)
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Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

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

16

cookies
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Chilling time

1

hour

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own!

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups oat flour, see Notes

  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar, see Notes

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter or coconut oil, melted

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup almond milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Mix together the oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add in the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until a dough forms.
  • Cover and transfer dough to the fridge for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Remove dough from fridge and roll out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thick.
  • Cut dough into 2-inch squares, transfer to a baking sheet, poke the top of each graham cracker with a fork, then bake for 10-12 mintues.
  • Remove from oven, then let cool slightly on a baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Oat Flour: Make oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a blender or food processor until a fine flour forms and no large oat pieces remain.
  • Coconut Sugar: Feel free to use cane sugar or white sugar in place of the coconut sugar in this recipe!

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Desserts

Gluten Free Oreos (vegan)

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Five gluten-free oreos stacked on top of each other.

These vegan and gluten-free oreos are BETTER than the real thing! Sweet vanilla frosting is layered between two extra-chocolatey, crumbly cookies. These gluten-free oreos are not only fun, but surprisingly easy to make!

Five gluten-free oreos stacked on top of each other.

I. love. oreos. They’re easily one of my favorite packaged cookies (right next to milanos). Thought as I’m sure we all know, oreos are not gluten-free. *womp womp* But now that’s ok! I made these gluten-free oreos with all my celiacs and gluten-intolerant people in mind. These babies are completely gluten-free, though I’d argue they taste even better than regular oreos.

What You Need to Make Vegan and Gluten-Free Oreos

Vegan Butter – Found in both the cookie and the filling, vegan butter is key to this healthier recipe! A cup of softened vegan butter in the cookie dough makes them irresistibly soft and crumbly. While half a cup of softened vegan butter in the filling makes it light and fluffy. I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Baking Sticks in most of my vegan/dairy-free recipes, though feel free to use whatever kind of vegan butter you’d like! Also, if you’re not vegan or dairy-free you can easily swap regular butter in its place.

Gluten-Free Flour – I prefer and recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour, though feel free to use your favorite gluten-free flour in this recipe. When picking out a gluten-free flour for baking, you always want to make sure that it contains xantham gum! If you’re not gluten-free, you can use regular all purpose flour instead.

Cocoa Powder – Any unsweetened cocoa powder will work for these gluten-free oreos! You could even use unsweetened cacao powder for extra vitamins and minerals in your cookies. Cocoa powder is usually pretty lumpy and is the main reason I recommend you sift the dry ingredients in this recipe. Sifting the cocoa powder in particular will ensure that the rich chocolatey flavor is distributed evenly throughout the cookie dough.

Filling gluten-free oreos with vanilla frosting.

Tips and Tricks

  • I know most of us, me included, forget to soften our butter ahead of recipes that call for softened butter. While you can usually get away with quickly microwaving butter to soften it, that trick won’t work for this gluten-free oreos recipe. The dough for these cookies is on the stickier side and if your butter is at all melted going into this mixture, it will make your dough nearly impossible to work with. Therefore, don’t forget to leave the vegan butter out for at least an hour before making this recipe!
  • I didn’t have a cookie cutter small enough for this, so I used the rim of a shot glass to cut out my cookies! If you find yourself in the same boat, take a look around your kitchen for other items you might be able to use. You’ll be surprised by how many round objects can double as a cookie cutter!
  • Any double-stuffed fans out there?? Simply double the filling recipes and pile on that sweet vanilla frosting! You’re free to stuff these gluten-free oreos as much as you want.
Gluten-Free Oreos (vegan)
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Gluten-Free Oreos (vegan)

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

24

oreos
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

These vegan and gluten-free oreos are BETTER than the real thing! Sweet vanilla frosting is layered between two extra-chocolatey, crumbly cookies. These gluten-free oreos are not only fun, but surprisingly easy to make!

Ingredients

  • For the cookies:

  • 1 cup vegan butter, softened

  • 1 cup sugar, see Notes

  • 2 cups gluten-free flour

  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • For the filling:

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • For the cookies:
  • Beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy.
  • Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda together in a separate bowl and mix to combine.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar, mix until a dough forms.
  • Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll into 1/4-inch thick disc, then cut out 2-inch round circles.
  • Transfer all circles onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the fridge to chill for 20-30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • For the filling:
  • Beat all filling ingredients together until light and fluffy.
  • Place a dollop of filling onto each cookie and top with another cookie – repeat for all remaining cookies!

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Sugar: I used coconut sugar in this recipe and had great results! Though feel free to use white or cane sugar.

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Breakfast

Cranberry Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

By
Close up image of cranberry orange scones.

These cranberry orange scones are perfectly flaky and sweet! I took a traditional recipe and turned it gluten and dairy-free with just a few simple swaps. These scones taste incredible with a warm cup of coffee for breakfast or lightly toasted as an afternoon snack.

Cranberry orange scones stacked on top of eachother.

Breakfast in bed was the big thing on Mother’s Day in my house. And because my dad can barely boil an egg, the cooking of breakfast was always my job. I always loved to cook, so I had fun thinking up a breakfast menu for my mom on Mother’s Day. I don’t remember too many menu items from over the years, but I do remember making her cranberry orange scones one year. And the only reason I remember is because I truly couldn’t believe how INCREDIBLE they were! Ever since that Mother’s Day, I’ve thought about those scones frequently. And honestly, I have no good excuse as to why I haven’t remade them sooner?!

Though for this year’s cranberry orange scones, I added my Sam Does Her Best signature gluten-free and dairy-free twist. You know what it is. Not going to lie here either, I was pretty worried these just wouldn’t work sans gluten and dairy. But to my surprise, they definitely did. And not only did they work, but they taste even better than what I remember! So without further ado, I present to you gluten-free and dairy-free cranberry orange scones that will change your Mother’s Day game forever.

What You Need To Make Cranberry Orange Scones

Gluten-Free Flour – I use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Powder, it’s pretty much an exact dupe to regular all purpose flour. Though feel free to use any gluten-free flour you’d like, my only recommendation would be to make sure that it contains xantham gum. Xantham gum is a stabilizer and a key ingredient in holding your baked goods together.

Dairy-Free Butter – Make sure your butter is ice cold for this recipe! I’d even recommend dicing it into cubes and then sticking it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so. Cold butter is signature to any and all scones because when baked, it gives your scones that irresistible flaky texture.

Dairy-Free Milk – I used almond milk and had great results, but feel free to use whatever unsweetened dairy-free milk you’d like in these cranberry orange scones. You also want to make sure that the milk is cold, in order to ensure the butter in this recipe stays cold.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use a fork to combine the butter into the flour. When mixing, lightly mash the butter cubes with the back of the fork. You’re simply looking to break up the butter into the dry ingredients. You’ll know you’re done with this step when you have a crumbly mixture and your butter is the size of peas.
  • Lightly whisk the eggs before adding them into the cranberry orange scones dough. Crack them in a bowl and give them a quick whisk with a fork to break up the yolks before proceeding with the recipe.
  • Make sure your surface is well-floured before transferring the dough onto it. The dough will be quite sticky, but when introduced to flour on your work surface, will be much easier to handle! Continue sprinkling gluten-free flour on the surface, on your hands, or on the dough itself whenever it feels too sticky to work with.
Cranberry Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
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Cranberry Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SnacksCuisine: ScottishDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

8

scones
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

These cranberry orange scones are perfectly flaky and sweet! I took a traditional recipe and turned it gluten and dairy-free with just a few simple swaps. These scones taste incredible with a warm cup of coffee for breakfast or lightly toasted as an afternoon snack.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour

  • 1/4 cup almond flour

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

  • 8 tablespoons cold dairy-free butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

  • 1 cup cold dairy-free milk

  • 2 large eggs, whisked

  • 1 cup dried cranberries

  • For the egg wash:

  • 1 egg, whisked

  • For the icing:

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • 3 teaspoons fresh orange juice

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • Mix together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, sugar, baking powder, and orange zest in a large bowl.
  • Add in the cubed butter and mix with a fork until the butter is the size of peas, then fold in the cranberries.
  • Add in the cold milk and whisked eggs, mix until just combined.
  • Transfer dough to a floured sheet of parchment paper set on a work surface and gently press into a 1-inch thick circle.
  • Slice into six triangles and transfer to a baking sheet, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with extra sugar.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, then remove from oven, gently separate scones, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Make the icing by whisking the powdered sugar and orange juice together in a small bowl, then drizzle over cooled scones.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Ingredient Swaps: Feel free to use all purpose flour instead of gluten-free flour, and leave out the almond flour if you’d like. You can also swap regular butter for the dairy-free butter and cow’s milk for the dairy-free milk in this recipe.

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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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