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30 Minutes or Less

Extra “Cheesy” Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

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close-up image of vegan spinach artichoke dip with chips

Perfectly creamy and extra “cheesy” vegan spinach and artichoke dip! Perfect for entertaining, bring this easy vegan recipe to your next party or potluck. A handful of simple ingredients, a blender, a baking dish, and 30 minutes is all you’ll need!

Overhead image of vegan spinach artichoke dip in a skillet with chips on the side.

What You’ll Need To Make This Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Cashews – Raw and unsalted cashews are the base of this hearty plant-based dip. You’ll start by soaking them in boiling for water for about 10 minutes, this’ll soften them and help them blend. I love using cashews in this recipe for not only their buttery flavor, but for how nutritionally dense they are! This vegan spinach artichoke dip is so much healthier than the classic kind, and higher in protein.

Nutritional Yeast – I know what you’re thinking …nutritional what? Just hear me out. Nutritional yeast is a totally natural, plant-based ingredient with a nutty, “cheesy” flavor. I use and love this Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast for all of my savory vegan recipes. It’s surprisingly versatile and tastes delicious sprinkled over popcorn, pasta, potatoes, and in this recipe. Though if you’re not vegan and/or have no interest in getting yourself some nutritional yeast (you’re missing out), you can easily replace the two tablespoons of nutritional yeast with two tablespoons of powdered parmesan cheese.

Lemon Juice – A touch of lemon juice mimics the tanginess found in most dairy products. And because this vegan spinach artichoke dip is completely dairy-free, the lemon juice is necessary. Though if you don’t have any fresh lemon juice on-hand, you can use a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.

Artichoke Hearts – Arguably the best part, one whole can of drained artichoke hearts give this side dish its signature hearty texture. They key here is using a can of artichokes packed in water, not oil!

A tortilla chip being dipped into vegan spinach artichoke dip.

Tips and Tricks

  • This vegan spinach artichoke dip tastes best straight out of the oven! When making for guests, I recommend blending and prepping this dish ahead of time, then popping it in the oven right before your guests arrive. This’ll guarantee the dip is bubbling hot, and tastes its best for friends and family.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. To reheat, you can either microwave on high for 45 seconds, or bake at 425° Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes.
  • Serve this plant-based dip however you’d like! I enjoyed mine with a side of crispy corn tortilla chips. Though you can even serve it with a side of fresh veggies for a super healthy, vegan snack.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free version of this recipe, use raw and unsalted sunflower seeds in place of the cashews!

Add Cheese: If not vegan or dairy-free, go ahead and top this spinach artichoke dip off with some shredded parmesan and/or mozzarella right before baking.

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

Perfectly creamy and extra “cheesy” vegan spinach and artichoke dip! Perfect for entertaining, bring this easy vegan recipe to your next party or potluck. A handful of simple ingredients, a blender, a baking dish, and 30 minutes is all you’ll need!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, unsalted

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk, I used almond milk

  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

  • 4 cups fresh spinach, or 2 cups frozen spinach

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
  • Soak cashews in a heat-safe bowl with boiling water for 5-10 minutes, then drain.
  • Add soaked and drained cashews to blender along with the non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Blend until super smooth and no lumps remains.
  • Add drained artichoke hearts and fresh or frozen spinach to blender and pulse 2-3 times to finely chop the veggies.
  • Transfer to an oven-safe dish or skillet and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and bubbly.

Recipe Video

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Breakfast

Almond Flour Banana Bread

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sliced almond flour banana bread with chocolate chips

Super healthy and delicious almond flour banana bread! Made with whole, good-for-you ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally irresistible. Toast up a slice of this grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free banana bread as a comforting, yet nutritious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

overhead image of almond flour banana bread

What You’ll Need To Make Almond Flour Banana Bread

Almond Flour – The one and only flour we use in this grain-free recipe is almond flour. Almond flour is a favorite among low-carb, gluten-free, and paleo recipes. It yields little-to-no flavor and, when done right, bakes up beautifully soft and tender. If you don’t already have a bag of almond flour in your pantry, I highly recommend you go pick some up. I’ve tried pretty much every brand of almond flour out there, and my favorite so far is this Anthony’s Almond Flour. Though whichever brand of almond flour you decide to use in this recipe, make sure it’s blanched almond flour, and not almond meal.

Coconut Sugar – A quarter cup of coconut sugar is all you’ll need to sweeten up this healthy dessert recipe! The bananas yield some natural sweetness of their own, and a touch of coconut sugar helps bring that out. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar in its place.

Bananas – About two very ripe bananas should do the trick here! Or, however many mashed bananas you need to equal one cup. And while I feel like this goes without saying, make sure your bananas are super ripe for this recipe. You can tell a banana is ripe when it’s beginning to form large brown spots all around the outside peel.

Chocolate Chips – While optional, chocolate chips make this almond flour banana bread extra indulgent and delicious! If you don’t have chocolate chips, you can easily use one cup of chopped chocolate instead. I recommend semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate for this recipe. And if you’re looking to keep your entire loaf paleo, use your favorite paleo chocolate chips, such as these Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems.

almond flour banana bread sliced

Tips and Tricks

  • Instead of greasing your loaf pan, line it with parchment paper. Also, cut your parchment paper larger than the loaf pan, leaving its edges sticking out from the sides of your banana bread. This’ll make it easier to lift and remove your bread from its baking pan!
  • Leave the almond flour banana bread to cool completely (about an hour) before slicing. Then, once cool, I recommend slicing the bread all at once, before storing. Lastly, store the slices in an airtight container at either room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months!
  • For the ultimate slice of banana bread that’ll leave your tastebuds singing, toast it before eating! Then, once toasted, top that baby off with some vegan butter, ghee, peanut butter, and/or almond butter. Let me tell ya, toasted almond flour banana bread makes for the perfect afternoon snack or nightcap.
the inside of almond flour banana bread

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a vegan grain-free banana bread, try replacing the eggs with three flax eggs. One flax egg equals one tablespoon of ground flax seed meal mixed into three tablespoons of water. While I haven’t tried this vegan option myself yet, I’m sure it’d work just fine!

Make it Added Sugar-Free: Because the bananas are so naturally sweet, you can totally leave the coconut sugar out of this healthier dessert recipe.

Almond Flour Banana Bread

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: Snacks, Breakfast, DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

slices
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

50

minutes

Super healthy and delicious almond flour banana bread! Made with whole, good-for-you ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally irresistible. Toast up a slice of this grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free banana bread as a comforting, yet nutritious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups almond flour

  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

  • 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 very ripe bananas)

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup chocolate chips, optional

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
  • Add in the melted coconut oil, mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla extract – mix until fully combined. Fold in chocolate chips if using, until evenly dispersed throughout batter.
  • Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted down the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack, cool bread completely (about 1 hour) before slicing.

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30 Minutes or Less

How to Cut a Pineapple

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how to cut a pineapple

Cutting a pineapple is easy, when you follow these simple steps! A sharp knife, cutting board, and whole pineapple is all you’ll need. I even provide helpful tips on picking out a perfectly ripe pineapple, and what to do with it once it’s cut!

cut pineapple in a bowl with limes on the side

How To Select The Perfect Pineapple

  • Color: Every pineapple starts off green, and turns yellow as it ripens. Therefore, a pineapple with a more yellow skin will be sweeter, and more ripe!
  • Smell: I never buy a pineapple before smelling it! There’s so much to learn about how ripe a pineapple is based on its scent. So pick up that pineapple and give it a big ole’ whiff. If the pineapple smells sweet and like ..well, pineapple… then it’s perfectly ripe! Though if the pineapple has no smell at all, then it’s not yet ripe.
  • Leaves: The last step to ensuring your pineapple is ripe and ready to be cut, is by checking the leaves. Give those long, tough leaves at the top of the pineapple a gentle tug, and if they come away easily, then your pineapple is definitely ripe. If the leaves are a challenge to pull, then the pineapple likely isn’t yet ripe.
  • Step 1
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  • Step 6

Is Pineapple Healthy?

Sure is! Pineapple is pretty much bursting with nutrients. Just one cup of cut pineapple will fill you with fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, folate, potassium, etc. Fresh pineapple is loaded with health benefits, including, but not limited to:

  • aids digestion (thank you, fiber!)
  • fights diseases (hello antioxidants!)
  • reduces inflammation
  • increases immunity
  • and may even reduce your risk of cancer!

How To Store Cut Pineapple

Freshly cut pineapple should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Pineapple will stay fresh for up to five days. If you don’t anticipate eating your cut pineapple within that timeframe, then I recommend freezing it instead. Similarly, store it in an airtight container in the freezer, where it will stay good for up to three months.

How to Cut a Pineapple

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: SnacksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

Cutting a pineapple is easy, when you follow these simple steps! A sharp knife, cutting board, and whole pineapple is all you’ll need. I even provide helpful tips on picking out a perfectly ripe pineapple, and what to do with it once it’s cut!

Ingredients

  • 1 whole pineapple

Directions

  • Lay the pineapple on its side on a cutting board, then use a sharp knife to slice off both the top and bottom ends.
  • Next, stand the pineapple back up and slice off the skin, sliding your knife from top to bottom, following the shape of the pineapple.
  • Once skin is removed, keep the pineapple standing up and cut it into four quarters – one slice lengthwise and the other crosswise.
  • Lay each quarter of the pineapple down on the cutting board, with one of the cut side on the board. Angle your knife inwards to slice and remove the core from the pineapple, then repeat for other three pieces.
  • Last, slice each quarter in half lengthwise before making crosswise cuts to create bite-sized pineapple chunks.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Oat Flour Pancakes (Made in the Blender!)

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maple syrup being poured over a stack of oat flour pancakes

Soft and fluffy oat flour pancakes, with a hint of sweetness! This quick and easy breakfast recipe is entirely gluten-free and dairy-free. Whip up a stack of delicious oat flour pancakes in the blender, with a handful of simple ingredients!

a stack of oat flour pancakes with maple syrup being poured on top

What You’ll Need To Make Oat Flour Pancakes

Rolled Oats – Rolled oats are key to making this recipe work! They blend and cook up beautifully in our pancake batter. Some recipes out there will recommend blending your oats into a flour before adding in the other ingredients. However, I found that adding the whole oats directly in with everything else made no difference in the finished dish, and cut out an extra step! Feel free to use either old fashioned rolled oats or quick cook rolled oats, both will work here.

Milk – I used non-dairy milk to keep these oat flour pancakes gluten-free and dairy-free, though you can use any milk you’d like. Some non-dairy milks I recommend are almond milk, hazelnut milk, coconut milk, and oat milk. I’ve also been loving the Elmhurst’s line of plant-based milks – super simple and healthy ingredients!

Maple Syrup – This unrefined sweetener tastes incredible not only on our pancakes, but inside them too! For a sugar-free breakfast, you can easily leave the maple out of this recipe, or substitute it with half a tablespoon of monk fruit sweetener.

a stack of oat flour pancakes with fresh blueberries on top.

Optional Toppings

Feel free to top your oat flour pancakes with…

  • Chocolate Chips
  • Blueberries
  • Sliced Bananas
  • Sliced Strawberries
  • Sprinkles
  • Raspberries
  • Pecans
  • Butter
  • Maple Syrup
  • or Whipped Cream!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy-Free: Use my dairy-free option and sub the regular milk for your favorite non-dairy milk, it’s that easy!

Make it Vegan: Turn these into vegan and gluten-free oat flour pancakes by replacing the egg with a flax egg. To make a flax egg, whisk together 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Let the flax “egg” sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, until it’s thickened, before adding into this recipe.

Oat Flour Pancakes

4 from 15 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: BreakfastDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

Soft and fluffy oat flour pancakes, with a hint of sweetness! This quick and easy breakfast recipe is entirely gluten-free and dairy-free. Whip up a stack of delicious oat flour pancakes in the blender, with a handful of simple ingredients!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup milk, I used almond milk

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 1 egg

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until a smooth batter forms (about 30 seconds).
  • Heat a tablespoon of butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scoop ¼ cup of batter into skillet and add any toppings you’d like.
  • Cook pancake 2-3 minutes per side, then repeat with remaining pancake batter. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Roasted Beet Hummus

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close-up image of beet hummus in a bowl.

A stunningly vibrant, simple, and healthy beet hummus recipe, made in under 5 minutes! The perfect plant-based snack, appetizer, or side dish. This roasted beet recipe will quickly become one of your favorite ways to sneak more veggies into your diet.

overhead image of roasted beet hummus in a bowl with crackers on the side

I had the BEST roasted beet hummus a few weeks ago while visiting Salt Lake City, Utah. It was perfectly smooth, tangy, and all-around delicious. We ordered it as an appetizer ahead of our meal, but I quickly (…like ate the whole bowl in under a minute) filled up on it. So as I was sitting there, belly fuller than full on the most incredible beet hummus, I took out my phone and made a note to recreate that out-of-this-world appetizer recipe as soon as I got home!

Fast forward a few days, I’m home and stocked up on everything I’ll need for this recipe. Roasted beets, cans upon cans of chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, plenty of garlic, lemons, and of course salt. I quickly began experimenting and I can’t lie, it took a few tries, but I eventually achieved that same flawless, stunningly pink beet hummus as I had in SLC!

What You’ll Need

Roasted Beets – Use as many or as few roasted beets in this recipe as you’d like! I bought pre-roasted beets to save myself a bit of time, but you can definitely roast the beets yourself instead. For instructions on how to cook beets, check out this post I wrote for 40 Aprons.

Chickpeas – Chickpeas are the base to every single hummus recipe out there! They’re high in protein, and blend up super smooth, creamy, and delicious. You can of course cook your own chickpeas for this recipe, but I almost always opt for the pre-cooked canned chickpeas in my recipes. They’re easier, just as good, and will save you a bunch of time. Regardless of what kind of chickpeas you’re using for this recipe (canned or homemade), be sure to drain and rinse them well ahead of placing them in a food processor or blender.

Tahini – Here’s another ingredient you’ll find in all hummus recipes. Tahini is ground sesame seeds, it has a nutty flavor with a slightly bitter finish. This nut-free spread is delicious on its own, slathered on toast, and of course, in this easy beet hummus recipe.

roasted beet hummus being scooped out of a bowl with a cracker

Top Tips

  • Use either a food processor or high-speed blender to blend all ingredients together! I’ve tested both appliances for this recipe, and they honestly both work great. The food processor achieved an ever-so-slightly smoother beet hummus, but the difference was negligible.
  • Homemade hummus can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Yes, the store-bought kind lasts longer, but doesn’t even come close in flavor and freshness to this homemade recipe!
  • Serve this easy snack or appetizer however you’d like! I went with gluten-free crackers, but pita bread, or even a sliced baguette would pair beautifully with this recipe. Also, for an even healthier option, serve your beet hummus with fresh cut veggies such as cucumber, carrots, and bell peppers!

This Roasted Beet Hummus Is…

  • Plant-Based
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-Free
  • Nut-Free
  • Super Healthy
  • & Delicious!

Roasted Beet Hummus

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: Appetizers, SnacksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

A stunningly vibrant, simple, and healthy beet hummus recipe, made in under 5 minutes! The perfect plant-based snack, appetizer, or side dish. This roasted beet recipe will quickly become one of your favorite ways to sneak more veggies into your diet.

Ingredients

  • 1-2 roasted beets

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 1/3 cup tahini

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1-2 garlic cloves

  • juice and zest from 1/2 lemon

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.

Recipe Video

Notes

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