Healthier vegan baking

There are definitely times when only white flour and sugar in baked treats will do. 

However, lately I have been dabbling in healthier vegan baking. 

Sylvia loves sweet foods as much as I do and is reluctant to try new foods at the moment. I have got into the habit of making a healthy sweet treat each day or second day, trying to load it with nutritious stuff. 

I feel better about her eating these kinds of sweets, even if she has had little for dinner (or a Vegemite sandwich!). And of course, it's good for the rest of us too!

I have found some great recipes on other blogs.

These healthier homemade pop tarts were lovely. The dough was a bit fiddly to work with, but worth it in the end. Anything with sprinkles is a winner with Sylvia!

 

Some other favourites are chocolate coated pretzels, spelt blueberry muffins and whole wheat chocolate chip cookies. 

I am quite obsessed with spelt flour at the moment. These chocolate pumpkin spelt muffins are lovely and light, veganised from a recipe I found online (recipe below).

 

I recently bought Whole Grain Vegan Baking. It's a gorgeous book. I only wish I had more time to make everything in it! I'm really enjoying trying the different flours in these recipes, such as barley flour. 

Here are a couple of things I've made from it so far.

Hearty barley fruit bread

Savory barley and potato scones 

I'd love to hear some other healthy baking ideas!

Chocolate Spelt Pumpkin Muffins (adapted from this recipe)

3/4 cup wholemeal spelt flour
3/4 cup white spelt flour
3 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
6 tbsp water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 cup pumpkin purée

Preheat over to 180C. Line/oil muffin pan.

Whisk together flaxseeds and water and set aside.

Mix together flour, cocoa, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

Make a well in the flour mixture and add flaxseed mixture, maple syrup and oil. Mix until combined.

Fold in the pumpkin puree until just mixed in.

Pour mixture into muffin pan and bake until muffin tops are firm, around 20 minutes.