You’re going to love this chocolate chia seed pudding. Seriously, though! I’m always suspicious of chocolate “desserts” made with sneaky healthy ingredients like avocado or sweet potato. I can taste them, so they don’t taste like a real dessert.

This chia pudding, however, is a wholesome treat that I truly enjoy. It actually boasts some impressive nutrition stats, including 8 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and some healthy plant-based fat. It’s easy to make, too—much easier than traditional custard-based puddings.

You’ll need only four ingredients for the base recipe: your milk of choice, chia seeds, cocoa powder and maple syrup. Once mixed together and left to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, the chia seeds plump up and offer a subtle texture. The end result is rather magical!

Continue to the recipe...

The post Chocolate Chia Pudding appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

This vegetable stir fry tastes as good as it looks! It features perfectly fork-tender, seared vegetables in a glossy sauce that leans more savory than sweet. I love the vibrant combination of broccoli, bell pepper, carrot and red onion shown here, but you can change up the vegetables with the seasons.

Serve it as a simple side dish, or turn it into a full meal by adding rice and protein, like the crispy baked tofu shown here. Add a sprinkle of green onion and just-toasted sesame seeds, and this healthy homemade dish will taste much fresher than takeout.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Vegetable Stir Fry appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Introducing weeknight-friendly fattoush salad! This EASY, 1-bowl, 20-minute version is our inspired take on the classic Levantine dish. Think fresh, crunchy veggies tossed in a bright pomegranate dressing with herby mint leaves, crispy pita chips, and pomegranate arils (major YUM)!

It’s a refreshing side to pair with other Mediterranean- and Middle Eastern-inspired recipes, or toss in some chickpeas to make it a light meal on its own.

Easy Fattoush Salad (1 Bowl!) from Minimalist Baker →

Are you familiar with socca? If not, please let me introduce you! It’s basically a rich, savory and salted chickpea flour pancake cooked in piping hot olive oil. The edges are crispy and chewy, the insides are flaky and tender, and the bottom is lacy and golden. It is just so good. You’ll have to try it.

Socca is a street food popular in Nice, France, with origins dating back centuries (it’s closely related to Italian farinata). I had the chance to try the real deal on our honeymoon, and I’m obsessed with this homemade version.

To make socca, you’ll need a bag of chickpea flour (I like to use Bob’s Red Mill, which is available in well-stocked grocery stores). You probably have the remaining ingredients already—olive oil, water, salt, pepper and cumin. That’s it! You’ll find step-by-step photos and a brief cooking video below, followed by the recipe.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Socca appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Friends, welcome to a land where you can float on strawberry dream clouds all day long. This chia pudding is next-level but still ultra simple (5 ingredients!). Just blend strawberries into your favorite milk, sweeten to taste, add chia seeds, and chilllllll.

The result is a heavenly, fiber-rich snack or breakfast that tastes just like strawberries and cream but more sophisticated — mmmmmm. Let us show you how it’s done!

Strawberries & Cream Chia Pudding from Minimalist Baker →

If you love our Sweet Potato Chickpea Tacos, get ready for another FAVE! Meet: the Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea TACO SALAD! It’s got fresh kale + romaine, crunchy tortilla chips, smoky roasted chickpeas + sweet potatoes, and a creamy jalapeño dressing. 

The result? BIG flavor, lots of textures, and ready in just 30 minutes (hello, weeknight ease with weekend flavor)! Let’s make this satisfying, flavorful, plant-based dinner!

A little multi-tasking and some speedy knife skills are the tricks to keeping this a 30-minute meal!

Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Taco Salad from Minimalist Baker →

Move over, Ranch, there’s a new creamy dressing in town that’s stealing our hearts! This cheesy jalapeño cashew dressing is our new go-to for salads, wraps, and dipping veggies. It’s savory and creamy and has a subtly spicy kick!

Bonus? It comes together in just 5 minutes with 9 simple ingredients. Grab your blender. Let’s do this!

Ingredients to Make Cashew Dressing

• Cashews – this versatile nut creates a rich, creamy base that’s naturally oil-free and neutral in flavor, allowing the other flavors to shine!

Cheesy Jalapeño Cashew Dressing from Minimalist Baker →

While recently making our tahini cookies for what felt like the millionth time, we thought, Why not add chocolate to this party? The result was even better than we imagined. Introducing: fudgy chocolate tahini cookies studded with chocolate chips! They’re vegan, gluten-free, and absolutely delicious — like a brownie and cookie in one!

All you need for these? 1 bowl, 8 ingredients, and about 20 minutes.

Fudgy Chocolate Tahini Cookies (1 Bowl!) from Minimalist Baker →

These sizzling fajita vegetables will liven up your dinner table. The recipe features colorful bell peppers and red onion, seasoned and cooked to golden perfection. It was inspired by Tex-Mex fajitas and the veggies I always request on my Chipotle burrito bowls.

It took me quite a few tries to nail the texture that I had in mind—I wanted my peppers and onions caramelized on the edges, cooked until mostly tender, yet far from mushy. I finally figured it out, and I’m so glad to share this simple and foolproof method with you today.

Finished with a squeeze of lime juice, this vibrant side dish is ready in 20 minutes or less. You’ll find serving suggestions below to build your meal around it.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Fajita Veggies (Chipotle-Inspired) appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

These energy balls are lifesavers! When you’re hungry in between meals, running out the door without breakfast, or craving a wholesome little treat, these energy balls will come to the rescue. They’re the perfect healthy grab-and-go snack.

This recipe is made with oats, honey, nut butter, and toasted nuts and seeds, though it’s endlessly adaptable to suit your preferences. I designed it to offer sustained energy from the whole grains and nuts. One ball is just sweet enough to taste like a treat, and offers a healthy dose of protein and fiber.

This recipe was inspired by my husband’s mom’s interpretation of my no-bake granola bars. She always has a batch in the fridge for her grandkids, and they’ve become a staple in our house, too. I crumbled one over my yogurt just this morning, and they’ve kept my energy level up through this postpartum phase. They’re a perfect homemade gift for anyone who’s in a busy season of life, that’s for sure.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Energy Balls appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Say hello to morning glory muffins, made vegan + gluten-free! A classic treat originally created by Pam McKinstry in 1978 at her Nantucket restaurant, Morning Glory Cafe, these muffins are lightly sweet, subtly spiced, and packed with fruits, veggies, AND nuts. OH yeah! 

Our gluten-free twist uses oat flour and potato starch (no almond flour!) to create a tender muffin that’s wholesome and satisfying.

Vegan Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins from Minimalist Baker →

Who knew that cabbage soup could be this good?! This bright and light recipe is a lovely spin on classic vegetable soup. If you’re trying to get back to healthy eating after the holidays, this warming cabbage soup is an inexpensive wintertime alternative to leafy green salads.

Cabbage soup may have originated in Eastern Europe, but this recipe offers simple Italian flavors. It starts with carrots, onion and celery cooked in a generous drizzle of olive oil. Once those are tender, we’ll add fresh garlic and dried oregano, followed by chopped green cabbage.

You can use an entire small head of cabbage in this soup; it shrinks as it sweats excess moisture and becomes silky soft as it simmers. Crushed tomatoes and lemon juice add welcome acidity, bringing this simple soup to life!

Continue to the recipe...

The post Cabbage Vegetable Soup appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

What’s that? You’d like an easy, delicious soup that practically makes itself and will make all of your wildest dreams come true!? Us too! We can’t guarantee this Creamy Curried Black Eyed Pea Soup does all of that, but it comes close!

This soup is made with simple methods in 1 pot with ingredients traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day to bring good luck and prosperity.

Creamy Curried Black Eyed Pea Soup from Minimalist Baker →

I’ve craved this specific salad all month and finally caved.

Read more »

If you’re looking for a decadent, elevated hot chocolate with wholesome ingredients, this one’s for you! We’ve been serving up this frothy, tahini-infused, super dreamy hot chocolate, and even cocoa connoisseurs agree this one deserves accolades.

Despite being naturally sweetened and blended with water, it’s perfectly sweet, deeply chocolaty, and velvety on the palate. It even sneaks in healthy fats, fiber, protein, and cinnamon for balancing blood sugar levels.

Tahini Hot Chocolate (Super Dreamy, Protein-Rich!) from Minimalist Baker →

The texture and flavor of a cookie with the ease of a bar? Talk about the perfect dessert! Introducing: cranberry orange cookie bars! 

These chewy, buttery cookie bars are packed with zesty orange flavor and pops of tart cranberries. Your new go-to treat awaits with just 1 bowl and 8 ingredients required! Did we mention they’re vegan and gluten-free? No one else has to know.

Cranberry Orange Cookie Bars (Vegan + Gluten-Free) from Minimalist Baker →

This recipe was inspired by Chipotle’s tofu option called “sofritas.” Have you tried it? I often order it on my burrito bowl for some additional plant-based protein. It’s hearty, saucy and spicy, and makes the extra three-dollar charge for guacamole worthwhile.

I based this recipe directly on Chipotle’s ingredient list. Then, I played around with the amounts and the method until it tasted just right. Honestly, I like this version even better! It tastes fresh, flavorful and nicely spiced. Sometimes Chipotle’s sofritas are so spicy that they overwhelm the other flavors in my bowl.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Sofritas (Chipotle-Style) appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Ever followed a restaurant on social media, found yourself drooling over everything they posted, and then realized you’re too far away to place an order? When in that predicament, the only solution is to get into your own kitchen. And so, this Kabocha Chickpea Miso Soup — inspired by Salud in Bend, Oregon — was born.

It’s everything you want in a soup: comforting, nourishing, brothy, packed with that fun squash you bought without a plan (just us?!), and SO quick and easy to make!

1-Pot Kabocha Chickpea Miso Soup from Minimalist Baker →

Monster Cookies have leveled up! Say hello to our healthier twist on the chewy, tender, peanut buttery, chocolate- & candy-studded cookie you know and love. Our version has all the decadence and deliciousness, but it’s vegan, gluten-free, flourless, oil-free, and maple-sweetened (magic, we know)!

Even better? These cookies are a breeze to make! You’ll need just 1 bowl, 9 ingredients, and about 20 minutes until it’s cookie time.

Easy Gluten-Free Monster Cookies (Vegan, Flourless!) from Minimalist Baker →

Making chai lattes has never been easier! This Instant Chai Latte Mix makes comforting chai lattes possible instantly. Just add water and your favorite sweetener and enjoy!

This convenient mix makes it easy to have your favorite spice-filled beverage on busy mornings, at the office, when traveling, and beyond! It also makes a great gift for the dairy-free chai-lovers in your life! Just 5 minutes and 6 ingredients required, friends.

Instant Chai Latte Mix (Dairy-Free) from Minimalist Baker →