Refined Sugar-Free

Candied Yams with Cacao Nibs & Pecans

Candied yams naturally sweetened with coconut sugar and pure maple syrup served with cacao nibs and pecans. Perfect for a vegan holiday side to share!

Whenever we went to my grandma and grandpa’s house my grandma served candied yams for dinner.

I loved them because to they tasted *so* much better than your average sweet potatoes.

That’s probably because they were dripping in sugar-y syrup, which little Lauren thoroughly appreciated.

I haven’t had candied yams in years, but I wanted to make a lightened up version that’s vegan and naturally sweet.

This version is totally refined-sugar-free and lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and pure maple syrup.

These Candied Yams with Cacao Nibs and Pecans are still sticky sweet and comforting.

Top them with cacao nibs and chopped pecans for a fun vegan holiday side to share!

…

Pumpkin Apple Baked Quinoa

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Pumpkin apple baked quinoa bakes in an hour for a delicious meal prep breakfast full of fall flavor. Serve warm or chilled with your favorite cozy toppings!

When I was visiting North Carolina this past summer my family surprised me with all sorts of plant-based baking!

My favorite was an Apple Baked Quinoa that my aunt made for our Sunday morning breakfast.

It takes an hour to bake, so I recruited everyone for a family yoga session so we could stretch while it baked.

We moved into tree and triangle while the oven filled the living room with the smell of baking cinnamon and apples.

After savasana, we enjoyed the quinoa warm with nut butter, granola, and more baked apples.

It was so delicious that I immediately started scheming of my own variation…one including pumpkin.

This Pumpkin Apple Baked Quinoa bakes in under and hour for a delicious meal prep fall breakfast!

…

10 Warm Breakfast Bowls to Make

By Flora & Vino 1 Comment

10 warm breakfast bowls to cozy up to on cold fall and winter mornings. Sweet and savory options packed with plant-based protein to start the day strong!

This week I’ve been craving hot breakfasts.

The kind that make stumbling out of bed and into the kitchen a little easier.

My go-to lately has been grain-free hot cereal with blueberries, granola, and nut butter.

These bowls will warm you from the inside out and are perfect paired with a mug of steaming coffee.

If you’re still in an only oatmeal rut, maybe you might want some cozy vegan breakfast bowl inspiration, too?

At first this post started as a collection of warm cereal bowls, but then I decided to add some savory breakfast bowls, too.

This collection of 10 Warm Breakfast Bowls to Make has sweet and savory options that are packed with plant-based protein to start the day strong!

I’ve included lots of creative options like baked quinoa, tofu scramble, and even millet for breakfast.

Bookmark this recipe collection and come back to it for some warm inspiration to help you get out of bed on cold mornings.

…

Chocolate Baked Oatmeal

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Chocolate baked oatmeal with nuts, banana, almond butter, and chocolate chips. Bake it in under an hour for dessert for breakfast!

I’m going to get straight the point of this post: I love this Chocolate Baked Oatmeal so much!

So much that when M decided he liked them too, I baked him another pan so we could each have our own.

I packed both pans in our cooler and took them to southern Virginia this summer to visit family.

In the mornings at the mountain home, I enjoyed my baked oats with fresh berries, yogurt, and granola.

This Chocolate Baked Oatmeal is made with nuts, banana, almond butter, and dark chocolate chips for a nourishing breakfast that tastes like dessert.

Make a pan for a cozy breakfast situation that is concise, decadent, and nutritious!

…

Halloween Recipe Round Up

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

20+ vegan and gluten-free Halloween inspired recipes including candies, baked goods, and snacks. Mix and match to create the perfect spooky spread.

Friends, I can’t believe that I’m running my first marathon THIS WEEKEND.

Me. 26.2 miles. Chicago. Let’s go.

As I tend to do with big milestones, I find myself subconsciously dividing my life into two eras: pre-marathon and post-marathon.

Mostly, it’s a lot me saying in response to any given task, “I’ll get to it after the marathon”.

But that’s because my brain is full of the race map, carb-loading, running gear, and, oh, you know, SURVIVING it.

The longest I ran on my training plan was 20 miles, which felt challenging but doable.

They say that the last 6 miles is all *mental*; a comforting belief that I’m clinging to.

At least I won’t be running it alone!

My friend in Chicago will be joining me for the race.

And M will be there, too, meeting me at checkpoints so I can throw layers at him and chug electrolytes and dried fruit.

In the midst of planning and prepping for a long weekend in the windy city, it occurred to me that I don’t have a proper Halloween recipe round up on F&V.

So, instead of stressing about whether I will or will not return a marathoner (I will, I will!), I put together a fun mix of Halloween recipes for you.

This Halloween Recipe Round Up includes over 20 vegan and gluten-free Halloween inspired recipes including candies, baked goods, and snacks.

Mix and match them this year to create the perfect spooky spread!

…

Maple Cinnamon Baked Mochi

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Oven-baked mochi dipped in maple syrup and topped with cinnamon and toasted pecans. Bakes in under 10 minutes for a unique sweet snack or dessert!

This past weekend I visited Colonial Williamsburg with my cousin, my cousin’s husband, and M for a couples weekend getaway.

Williamsburg has a special place in my heart because it reminds me of the family trips we took there as a kid.

I have fond memories of ginger cakes from The Raleigh Tavern Bakeshop, strolling down Duke of Gloucester Street, and shopping in the market square.

So it was a lot of fun to be there with family and show M all of my favorite spots!

We walked the historic area by day, dined in taverns by night, and spent the after hours at a beautiful Bed & Breakfast.

While historic Colonial Williamsburg doesn’t exactly lend itself to the vegan diet, there were plenty of “hip” places nearer to the William & Mary campus.

It was a lovely weekend, and I came home with a full heart and a well-rested mind.

When we got home, I felt so refreshed and rejuvenated I created this Maple Cinnamon Baked Mochi.

This unique sweet snack or dessert starts with oven-baked mochi dipped in maple syrup and finished with cinnamon and toasted pecans.

It’s the perfect energizing fall bite!

…

Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats

By Flora & Vino 1 Comment

Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats with dark chocolate and fresh or frozen cherries. Perfect for a healthy grab and go breakfast for the week.

I come from a long line of oat-eaters.

I’ve known for a while that my mom eats them almost every morning.

Then, when I was recently in North Carolina visiting extended family, I realized that the oat-love extends to my aunts and uncles, too!

We sat around the table and comparing notes on how we take our morning bowl of oats.

It’s actually comical how similar our tastes are, miles apart and without familial influence.

We all love texture– all the nuts, seeds, berries, and nut butter.

Some of them are even on the overnight oats bandwagon, or, ONOs, as I fondly refer to them.

So, how do you take your oats?

I’ll have to ask my family if they’ve ever thrown in chocolate and cherries– which is my current favorite combination.

These Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats are made with dark chocolate and fresh or frozen cherries.

They’re perfect for a healthy grab and go breakfast for the week!

…

Vegan Blackberry Sundae

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan blackberry sundae made with plant-based vanilla ice cream and a homemade refined-sugar-free blackberry compote. Serve with more berries and mint!

This summer my mom mentioned about a blackberry sundae she’d had some 20+ years ago.

The recipe idea stuck with me throughout the sticky humidity and heat of August in Maryland.

I’ve always loved sundaes; strawberry and hot fudge and banana split.

But a blackberry sundae was something new to my dessert repertoire.

Naturally, I had to try making one at home for the holiday weekend.

I know the hot days left in the season are numbered, but I want to share this Blackberry Sundae recipe as one last ode to summer.

This Vegan Blackberry Sundae is made with your favorite plant-based vanilla ice cream and a homemade refined-sugar-free blackberry compote.

It’s easier and faster to make at home than driving to your local diner or ice cream parlor!

…

SunButter Yogurt Dip

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

SunButter Yogurt Dip made with non-dairy yogurt, Organic SunButter, and a hint of maple and cinnamon. Perfect as a nutritious dip for sliced apples!

This week I take my second course in Lead Climbing at my indoor climbing gym!

Lead climbing is my latest project in my climbing journey.

Instead of having a set anchor point, the climber leads with the rope, clipping the rope into carabiners along the way.

So, basically, the climber sets new anchor points as they climb!

Climbing like this allows for more versatility in the nature of the climbs, and my ultimate goal is to be able to lead outdoors with M.

But first, I’m trying to master all of the new information indoors.

In class, we have to practice catching and taking falls as both belayer and climber.

When my instructor shouted, “Lauren, Fall, Fall, Fall!” I had to just…let go.

It’s a weird thing to intentionally *fall*, and my feet found the wall again before I could really register the falling or the fear.

It also was a very real representation of what I knew to be true: that the worry, anxiety, and dread is often so much worse than the thing itself.

But I do wish that this SunButter Yogurt Dip had caught me for a sweet soft landing.

This light and fluffy dip is made with just 4 ingredients and is the perfect partner to sliced apples for snack time!

…

Baked By Melissa’s Green Goddess Salad

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

My version of the viral green goddess salad with cabbage, herb-y green dressing, and chickpeas. Perfect to meal prep for a fresh lunch!

If you’ve been following me on social media, you know that I joined TikTok this year.

Because social media is big part of my job, I rarely find myself scrolling without a purpose.

TikTok, however, is an entirely different story, friends.

In the evenings when I’m too tired to make the move from the couch to the bed, I fall down a Tik Tok rabbit hole.

My thumb seems to move entirely of its own volition, descending through messy kitchens, viral sounds, and couples humor.

It’s like the wild, wild west.

Many evenings the app makes me laugh out loud, causing me to shove my phone in M’s face and plead, “Just WATCH this,” between giggles.

He’ll roll his eyes and say, “I don’t understand TikTok!”

Well, you don’t have to understand or even like the app to appreciate the recipe that I’m sharing today.

This Green Goddess Salad is my version of the salad from Baked By Melissa that was EVERYWHERE on the internet earlier this year.

And I saw it first on…you guessed it…TikTok!

…

Refined Sugar-Free

Footer

what’s happening now on instagram