Healthy Snacking

Apple Pie Crumble Bars

Apple Pie Crumble Bars with an almond oat crust and crumble topping with a stovetop apple pie filling. The best fall breakfast or snack!

I *love* apples, mostly because I can let them sit on the counter for a while and ponder delicious ways to use them.

They’re not fickle like summer berries, where you need to use them THE DAY you purchase them.

Or like Flora’s leash training, which some days feels easy and other days (read: most of the time) I think she’s the one walking me.

But, I digress.

We were talking apples, not Aussies!

One of M’s favorite recipes that I make this time of year is a vegan apple crumble.

It’s also one of my favorite ways to use up a bunch of apples that I got at the grocery store, farmers market, or apple orchard. This year, I decided to get a bit creative and turn his favorite apple recipe into…bars!

These Apple Pie Crumble Bars are made with an almond oat crust and crumble topping with a stovetop apple pie filling.

It’s still easy to make with simple ingredients, but crumble turned bars means they’re portable, concise, and convenient.

Slice them into squares and enjoy them for the *best* fall breakfast, snack, or dessert.

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SunButter & Jelly Energy Bites

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

SunButter & Jelly Energy Bites made with oats, Medjool dates, No-Sugar-Added SunButter, and your favorite jam. The perfect snack!

It’s that time of year where healthy snacks are invaluable, am I right?

Seriously, what I wouldn’t pay for a healthy homemade snack when I’m running from dog mom-ing to teaching yoga to shooting recipes.

It’s the weeks where I don’t meal prep snacks where I stare at the open fridge between meals asking myself, “What do I even eat?!”

Usually after this question I end up opening my chocolate drawer and grabbing a block of chocolate and calling it a day.

And while chocolate is delicious and I eat it daily, I think we can all agree that it’s not super sustaining.

Hello, sugar crash at 11 AM.

Then I found these prepackaged peanut butter and jelly bites at the grocery store a few weeks back and I enjoyed them!

The snack concept is that jelly is in the center and the doughy ball surrounding it is made of peanut butter.

They were nice plop in my mouth after finishing up weighted dumbbell sets, or while running from Flora’s puppy teeth (ouch!).

However, I didn’t want to continue to pay for the packaging, so I decided to make my own at home.

They’re easy to make and store well in the refrigerator for an energizing lift.

These SunButter & Jelly Energy Bites are made with oats, Medjool dates, No-Sugar-Added SunButter, and your favorite jam.

They’re the perfect bite-sized snack packed with plant-based protein and complex carbs to fuel your goals and dreams.

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Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake made with oat and almond flour with Artisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter and a creamy coffee frosting.

When people ask how things are going, I *try* not to default to “Good, but busy”; as my standard response.

It feels true, but I’d like to get a little more creative.

Because busy has a connotation of the mundane, the dragging, the blah.

And truthfully, my “busy-ness” is completely comprised of things of my own doing and choosing.

I’m spending a lot of time in the kitchen creating fall recipes for YOU, friend! A job that doesn’t always feel like work and definitely never tastes like it.

When I’m not in the kitchen for work (read: you!) , I’m in the kitchen for us (read: me!) meal prepping so the fridge isn’t *only* full of the treats I’m testing.

My days are also peppered with puppy training, articulating “Touch!”, “Let’s Go!”, and “Down!”, with an encouraging lilt and a bag full of homemade dog treats.

Then I have the hours devoted to sequencing my next Saturday yoga class; noting the shapes, the breath, and the themes.

I always squeeze in non-negotiable movement into my days, whether it’s yoga, climbing, running, or just a long neighborhood walk.

All in all, these are problems that past Lauren would have *loved* to have had.

Yes, my days are exhausting and full, but I’m usually smiling at the end of them.

So, friend, if you ask me how I’m doing, I’m going to smile and shove a piece of Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake in my face.

How’s that for a response?

This Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake made with oat and almond flour with Artisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter and a creamy coffee frosting.

You’re going to want to enjoy a slice later with a mug of something warm.

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Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

By Flora & Vino 1 Comment

Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread made gluten-free with almond flour and oats. Super moist and chocolate-y with pumpkin puree and dark chocolate!

Don’t mind me while I ease into stew, casseroles, and baked goods.

This week we had Flora in the kitchen while I opened the oven and slammed the fridge and rattled pots and pans.

If there’s one thing you can count on me for, it’s to make a *lot* of noise while I’m baking.

Luckily, Flora seemed more curious about what everything was than scared by the clatter.

(Unfortunately, this recipe is not pup safe, but you can bet more homemade dog treats are coming!)

My first bread of the season turned out to be a wild success, and M and I have enjoyed slices all week long for breakfast and snacking.

It’s not chocolate, it’s not pumpkin, it’s Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread.

And if that wasn’t enough to entice you, I added dark chocolate chunks to really seal the flavor profile into something irresistible.

I *love* baking with pumpkin because it makes your baked goods moist and rich without a ton of oil.

In fact, this bread is baked with no-added-oils and instead relies on healthy fats from nut butter and almond flour.

This Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread is also made gluten-free with almond flour and oats!

It’s super moist and chocolate-y with pumpkin puree and dark chocolate for a healthy snack, breakfast, or dessert.

I love it sliced straight from the fridge as a mid-morning snack topped with peanut butter.

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Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip muffins with superfine almond flour, oat flour, and vegan chocolate chips. Perfect for a sweet snack!

I first made these Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins the day before we went to pick up Flora.

Luckily, I had the foresight to do some hefty meal prep because we brought the new pup home.

These muffins were a recipe founded on a craving in the midst of packing pee pads and toys and two sizes of crates (we weren’t sure which would fit!).

I had no idea how the muffins turned out as I threw them in the car for a healthy snack along with our Tupperware lunch and multiple Nalgene water bottles.

Our Aussie pup was a long 4 hour car ride away, but it was worth every mile.

About an hour before we scooped her up, I unwrapped a muffin from it’s liner and sunk my teeth in.

There weren’t a lot of things at this particular moment that could excite me more than the prospect of meeting my new doggie, but these muffins came close.

They’re fluffy, moist, and dotted with the perfect amount of dark chocolate.

“Oh my god. These are SO good!” I turned towards M in the driver seat, excitedly waving my muffin missing a big bite.

(M agreed later in the week that the muffins were indeed, delicious!)

It was a pleasant surprise and pick-me-up right before the biggest surprise of the year:

Meeting our Australian Shepherd girlie named Flora, who melted our heart at first glance, lick, and sometimes even now, affectionate nip.

I’m so excited to share these Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins with you this fall!

They’re the perfect sweet snack to fuel you for back-to-school adventures, whether that is with or without four legged fur babies.

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Berry Baked Oat Squares

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Berry Baked Oat Squares with rolled oats, almond flour, No Sugar Added SunButter, and berries. Bake and slice into squares for meal prep!

I know that some of you out there are kindred spirits who also enjoy immersing yourself in some good trash reality TV.

And I say “trash” with affection, because I can’t stop watching the Love Island USA 2024 season.

Like, my jaw literally could not drop any lower and it does so every evening and I watch the new tea unfold as I literally drink tea (kombucha) on the couch.

The first season I watched of Love Island was back in 2020, which I excused because I was going through a divorce and a global pandemic while living alone.

Now, my life’s mission is to rope M into being as addicted as I am.

I know I am victorious when he starts glancing down at his phone less and less, and starts asking seemingly innocent questions more and more.

Aaaaand another one bites the dust.

Something else I’m currently addicted to are these Berry Baked Oat Squares.

They’re made with rolled oats, almond flour, No Sugar Added SunButter, and berries.

Bake and slice them into squares for an easy meal prep situation.

By keeping your oatmeal prepped, you ensure that your tea is hot, too.

And they’re the perfect back-to-school snack so you can get back into a routine this fall!

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Strawberry SunButter Bark

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Strawberry SunButter Bark made nut-free with fresh strawberries, No Sugar Added SunButter, and vegan dark chocolate. The best sweet treat!

Hi, friends!

If you receive my weekly emails or if you follow me on Instagram, you know that M and I have some big news.

We’re getting a puppy!!!

Her name is Flora and she’s a red tri Australian Shepherd pup.

I’m counting down the weeks and days until we can scoop her up in early August.

Like with most new and large responsibilities that I take on, I’m a big fan of the little steps every day approach.

This means every day doing either: puppy proofing the house, watching a puppy training video, or just gushing over her latest photo updates with M.

Every day I think we get a little closer to being ready to be puppy parents.

Of course, it’ll be a learn as you go experience for all of us (Flora included!), but I’m so excited to take on this journey with M.

So now there actually IS a Flora from Flora & Vino, friends, and it’s not me!

This is kind of an inside joke because I have gotten countless emails over years the addressing me as “Flora” from people who saw my brand name and…assumed.

Also because I think the name Flora is adorable and it’s so on brand, isn’t it?!

You know what else is on brand?

My latest recipe that I’m about to share with you to beat the heat.

This Strawberry SunButter Bark is made nut-free with fresh strawberries, SunButter, and vegan dark chocolate.

Enjoy it for a fresh frozen treat this summer to beat the current heat wave!

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SunButter & Jelly Quesadilla

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

SunButter & Jelly Quesadilla made on the stovetop with grain-free tortillas for a portable on-the-go snack for outdoor adventures.

Summer is for adventuring.

I live for the weekends we pack up and go camping, the Fridays I take off early to climb outdoors, and the day hikes with friends that are always longer than anticipated.

Being a planner, I always like to have my gear laid out, my clothing choices fully supported by the weather, and my food options readily available.

The next big adventure we have coming up is a week long tour of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks!

If you’ve done your share of hiking, camping, and adventuring, you know that the food can be, well, underwhelming.

It’s hard to find something that’s lightweight, portable, doesn’t require immediate refrigeration, and is delicious (that isn’t already a prepackaged bar or bite)!

Back in the day I used to survive on protein bars, trail mix, and veggie slices and then devoured a massive meal afterwards.

And while there’s nothing wrong with the snack-y approach, I found something hugely delicious and satisfying that also happens to be gluten-free and vegan.

Enter the SunButter & Jelly Quesadilla, a now staple in my outdoor adventuring meal plan.

So much so, that all of my friends ask me about it expectantly at the summit, laughing as I pull out my thin and concise aluminum wrapped lunch.

You just need three ingredients to make this SunButter & Jelly Quesadilla and it’s bound to be your new favorite hiking meal.

No more sad smashed sandwiches, soggy bagels, or lukewarm protein shakes!

This is the protein-packed portable meal you can slip into your hiking pack and enjoy hours later on the trail, rock, or campsite.

You can rest assured I’ll be making one daily while I’m in Wyoming!

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Cheezy White Bean Dip

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Cheezy White Bean Dip made with white beans, nutritional yeast, and tahini. Serve with vegetables or crackers or added to salads and bowls.

This past week I gave M the prestigious role of being my accountability buddy for my writing course.

His job is to check in me with daily and ask, “How is your writing going, Lauren?”

Lately he’s taken to asking as a snarky retort to a conversation.

For example, I’ll ask if he did the dishes yet, and he will respond with, “No, but how is your writing going?!”

Well, you got me there.

I think we can agree that while this isn’t the best delivery, but the man is doing a good job of keeping my accountable, friends.

The goal of the class is to have “sitting in the chair” for at *least* one hour every day, practicing our writing.

Luckily, I do a lot of writing for my blog, social media, and correspondence with brands and the F&V community.

But, does that count?

And I’m asking for myself, not expecting you to have a response, friend.

I’m still working on what I want to write, what I want to say, and whether or not that can be found inside of the tiny niche I have created in the vegan food scene.

But today we are very much inside of the vegan food scene, and I’m glad to be here with you.

Today I’m sharing a dip that is to die for.

This is a dip that hands down makes everything taste better, elevated, …MORE.

This Cheezy White Bean Dip is made with white beans, nutritional yeast, and tahini for a delicious dip that’s as versatile as it is delicious.

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Tahini Chocolate Chip Bliss Balls

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Tahini Chocolate Chip Bliss Balls that taste like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie in energy ball form! Perfect for a meal prep snack.

Last week I wore shorts outside on a warmer day for the first time this season.

As is annually customary, I felt naked pretty much the entire walk.

I kept a good pace so as not to blind neighbors with my ghostly legs and managed to stress-walk the 30 minute walk in about 20.

Since it’s warming up, I’ve stopped baking as much and am focusing more on hand-mix snacks and bites.

These Tahini Chocolate Chip Bliss Balls are my favorite fuel right now.

They taste like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie in energy ball form!

If you’ve been here a while, you know that I’m tahini obsessed.

When I realized I didn’t have a bliss ball made with tahini, I was disappointed in myself.

So, please enjoy this post and consider its deliciousness as an apology for keeping you waiting for so long!

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Healthy Snacking

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