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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.

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Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

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!
Print Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

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

Instructions

  • 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.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

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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.

4.34 from 3 votes

Almond Flour Banana Bread

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.
Print Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 10 slices

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

Instructions

  • 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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Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

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30 Minutes or Less

Fresh and Delicious Niçoise Salad

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close-up image of nicoise salad in a bowl

A classic French Niçoise salad, fully loaded with all things fresh and delicious! Bursting with seasonal spring veggies such as crisp green beans, baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and capers. This hearty Niçoise salad is then finished off with a tangy and herby dijon vinaigrette.

overhead image of nicoise salad in a bowl with dressing on the side.

What You’ll Need To Make This Niçoise Salad

Dijon Mustard – This French mustard works perfectly in this French recipe! Two tablespoons of tangy, slightly spicy Dijon mustard gives our dressing loads of delicious flavor. If you don’t have Dijon mustard, you can use spicy brown mustard or 1 teaspoon of ground mustard seed in its place.

Olive Oil – Plenty, and I mean plenty of olive oil is essential to a smooth and creamy vinaigrette! I like having two different kinds of olive oil in my kitchen – one cheaper, less flavorful kind, and one higher quality kind. The higher quality olive oil is exactly what I’d reach for in this, or any, salad dressing recipe. Whereas the cheaper, less flavorful olive oil is perfect for cooking, since much of its flavor will get cooked off anyway!

Baby Potatoes – These creamy, adorable potatoes are traditional to all Niçoise salads recipes. Either red or yellow baby potatoes will work here (I used a combination of both). To prep them for this dish, give them a good scrub under cold water then slice each one in half. Once prepped, quickly boil the baby potatoes until fork tender, then coat in dressing and add to your salad!

Lettuce – Really any kind of lettuce would work in this salad! Boston or butter lettuce taste both fresh and crisp, and are the perfect base to this hearty salad. However, I’ve swapped out the lettuce for arugula, baby spinach, and romaine – all were delicious!

Eggs – Hard boiled eggs, soft boiled eggs, or anywhere in between! There are a ton of boiled egg how-tos out there on the internet, in case you need some guidance. I followed this jammy egg recipe and my boiled eggs turned out PERFECT.

Tuna – It’s not a Niçoise salad without some flaked tuna! Similar to the olive oil in this salad recipe, we want to use good quality tuna as well. Also, look for solid canned tuna, as opposed to chunk light tuna. And for an even richer, more flavorful tuna, use tuna packed in oil – it’s extra buttery and delicious!

close-up image of nicoise salad on a plate

Tips and Tricks

  • When making the Niçoise salad dressing, *slowly* pour in the olive oil, while whisking. Doing this will help to emulsify the oil into the dressing, creating a smooth and well-combined vinaigrette. And take your time here, because rushing this step could cause the dressing to separate.
  • Boil the fresh green beans for no more than a few minutes! Green beans cook quickly, and can overcook even quicker. Therefore, to ensure they maintain their crisp-ness, boil them for no more than 3 minutes, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking!
  • Add this Niçoise salad into your weekly meal prep! To do this, simply chop and prep all salad ingredients, then whisk together the dressing. Divide and assemble your salads into four separate containers, and store the dressing on the side – then, when ready to eat, dress your salads and enjoy!
nicoise salad on a plate with white wine on the side

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a vegan Niçoise salad, leave out the hard boiled eggs, and replace the tofu with a cup or two of cooked lentils.

Make it Paleo: This recipe is easily made paleo by leaving out the potatoes! If you’d like, you can even use cauliflower florets in their place.

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Fresh and Delicious Niçoise Salad

A classic French Niçoise salad, fully loaded with all things fresh and delicious! Bursting with seasonal spring veggies such as crisp green beans, baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and capers. This hearty Niçoise salad is then finished off with a tangy and herby dijon vinaigrette.
Print Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3/4 cup olive oil

For the salad:

  • 1 pound baby potatoes, sliced in half
  • 8 ounces green beans, trimmed
  • 1 head Boston lettuce or butter lettuce, chopped
  • 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna, drained (see Notes)
  • 4 eggs, boiled
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 5-6 radishes, ends trimmed and cut in half
  • 1/4 cup mixed olives
  • 2 tablespoons capers

Instructions

  • Make the dressing my whisking together all ingredients except olive oil. Once combined, slowly pour in olive oil while whisking to emulsify oil and create a smooth dressing.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add in the sliced potatoes along with a pinch of salt. Cook potatoes until fork tender, about 10 minutes, then drain from water. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and toss in ¼ cup of dressing.
  • Bring another large pot of water to a boil, then add in trimmed green beans. Cook green beans until tender, about 2-3 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Once cool, remove green beans from ice bath.
  • Assemble all salad ingredients on a large platter – cooked potatoes, green beans, lettuce, tuna, boiled eggs, red onion, tomatoes, radishes, mixed olives, and capers. Drizzle some dressing over salad and serve with extra dressing on the side.

Video

Notes

  • Tuna: Canned tuna packed in oil is ideal here, since it’s moist and has more flavor. However, if all you have is canned tuna packed in water then that works too!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

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    stack of gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle

    Extra crunchy, perfectly sweet gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle! Made with almond flour and sweetened with coconut sugar for a healthier treat. This paleo dessert recipe requires just one bowl and 30 minutes to make!

    gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle in a bowl with milk on the side

    What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Cookie Brittle

    Oil – Any neutral tasting oil will work in this recipe. I’ve made this recipe with both avocado oil and melted refined coconut oil. Avocado oil yields no flavor, while coconut oil yields a slight coconut flavor. Though both baked up perfectly crispy, so use whatever you’d like.

    Egg Whites – By leaving out the egg yolks, we get an even crispier cookie brittle. For help figuring out how to separate egg whites from the yolk, I recommend following this tutorial. And don’t throw out your egg yolks! They’re deeply nutritious, so save them for your morning scramble.

    Almond Flour – Almond flour works flawlessly in our cookie brittle batter. Also, in using almond flour in place of any other flour, we keep this dessert recipe grain-free and paleo-friendly.

    Chocolate Chips – For a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle, you’re gonna need plenty of chocolate chips. However, you can totally replace the chocolate chips in this recipe with anything you’d like. I’ve made a birthday cake cookie brittle using this recipe, by swapping out the chocolate chips for one cup of rainbow sprinkles – so fun and delicious!

    gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle stacked

    Tips and Tricks

    • After 10 minutes of baking, you’ll want to remove your brittle from the oven to gently slice it. For easy slicing, I recommend using a pizza cutter and rolling it through the brittle in all different directions! Though if you don’t have a pizza cutter, use a sharp knife instead.
    • You must let this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle cool completely before eating! If not, it won’t get nearly as crispy. Therefore, transfer your brittle pieces to a wire cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before eating, serving, and/or storing.
    • While not necessary, I recommend storing leftover brittle in an airtight container in your fridge! This will ensure the pieces stay crispy, and the chocolate doesn’t melt.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan: While I haven’t tried this variation myself yet, you might be able to get away with substituting the egg whites for two flax eggs. To make one flax egg, combine one tablespoon of ground flax meal with three tablespoons of water, whisk together then let it sit for 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Once thick, add in the flax eggs just as you would the egg whites. If you take this option, please let me know how it turns out!

    Make it Paleo: Surprise! This dessert recipe is already paleo. Though to ensure it remains paleo, use your favorite refined sugar-free chocolate chips.

    No ratings yet

    Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

    Extra crunchy, perfectly sweet gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle! Made with almond flour and sweetened with coconut sugar for a healthier treat. This paleo dessert recipe requires just one bowl and 30 minutes to make!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/2 cup neutral tasting oil, see Notes
    • 2 egg whites
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3/4 cup almond flour
    • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup chocolate chips

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
    • Mix together the coconut sugar and oil in a large bowl. Add in the egg whites and vanilla extract, mix until combined.
    • Add almond flour, tapioca flour, and baking soda to the bowl and continue to mix until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly dispersed throughout dough.
    • Transfer cookie brittle dough to prepared cookie sheet and flatten into an even, thin layer (about ¼-inch thick).
    • Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and slice into brittle pieces before putting it back into the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes.
    • Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

    Video

    Notes

  • Neutral Tasting Oil: Refined coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil will all work!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    5-Minute Antipasto Salad

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    antipasto salad in a bowl with red wine on the side

    This antipasto salad comes together in just 5 minutes! Quick, easy, and exploding with flavor. Loaded with healthy ingredients, and finished off with a 3-ingredient dressing. It’s also entirely gluten-free, with a dairy-free option!

    close-up overhead image of antipasto salad on a plate with tomatoes on the side

    What You’ll Need To Make Antipasto Salad

    Romaine Lettuce – Fresh, crisp, and extra crunchy romaine is the perfect base to this Italian salad. Romaine is hearty, yet super mild, and won’t take away from all the other flavors we have going on in this dish. However, if you don’t have romaine, you can certainly use any other kind of lettuce you’d like. Some fresh arugula would also taste great!

    Olives – Feel free to use a variety of your favorite olives in this antipasto salad! I used a combo of green and black olives, which were perfectly briny and delicious. I’ve also made this salad with marinated green olives and it was nothing short of exceptional! Also, if you don’t like olives (first of all, how?!), you can definitely leave them out of this salad altogether.

    Salami – I added this Applegate Genoa Salami to my salad, but any brand/type of salami will work here. Smoked salami, spicy salami, thinly sliced salami, etc. will all taste amazing. You can even swap the salami for prosciutto, if that’s more your thing!

    Red Wine Vinegar – Either red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar will blend perfectly into our 3-ingredient dressing. The tangy, sour vinegar brings out the abundance of savory flavors in this salad recipe. However, if you don’t have any vinegar on-hand, a tablespoon of lemon juice makes for a great substitution!

    fork and spoon lifting antipasto salad out of a bowl

    Tips and Tricks

    • This antipasto salad is basically a charcuterie board, served over lettuce. It’s got all the charcuterie things from cured meats to marinated veggies. Therefore, throw any and all of your favorite charcuterie fixings into this simple salad!
    • Make this an Italian-style pasta salad by replacing the lettuce with your favorite cooked pasta! And for a gluten-free pasta salad, use your favorite gluten-free pasta instead.
    • Because this salad holds up so well in the fridge, it’d make a great addition to your weekly meal prep! Simply portion out this salad into four servings, then store the dressing on the side. When ready to eat, remove your pre-portioned salad from the fridge and then dress- that’s it!
    close-up image of antipasto salad

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan: For a vegan meal, leave out the pepperoni, salami, and mini mozzarella balls. You can also replace these three ingredients with your favorite vegan protein, such as chickpeas, white beans, or even lentils.

    Make it Dairy-Free: Easily make this antipasto salad dairy-free by leaving out the mini mozzarella balls. I personally took this option and my salad was still insanely flavorful and delicious!

    5 from 1 vote

    5-Minute Antipasto Salad

    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
    • 12 ounces jarred artichoke hearts, quartered
    • 1 cup mixed olives, halved
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 1/2 pound salami, thinly sliced
    • 1/2 cup pepperoncini, drained and sliced
    • 4 ounces sliced pepperoni
    • 1/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
    • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
    • 8 ounces fresh mini mozzarella balls, optional

    For the dressing:

    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon red wine or white wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

    Instructions

    • Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl or serving platter.
    • Make the dressing by whisking together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over salad. Serve immediately.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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