Sweets & Treats

SunButter Cinnamon Smoothie

Quick and easy shake with SunButter and plenty of cinnamon. Fruit-free and low-sugar option included. Perfect for a post-workout snack or light breakfast.

What are you watching right now?

I just started watching Bridgerton on Netflix and I’ve got to say; I’m kind of obsessed.

If you haven’t seen it yet, the best description I’ve heard so far is that it’s a mix between Gossip Girl and Jane Austen.

You’re intrigued now, aren’t you?

It takes place during the Regency era in England, where siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family search for love.

And drama ensues, of course.

Check it out!

It’s nice to have a new show to cozy up to at the end of short cold January days.

But during the daylight, let’s stay energized for the next Netflix marathon, OK?

This SunButter Cinnamon Smoothie is perfect to make for a light breakfast or quick snack!
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Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Almond butter chocolate chunk cookie bars layered with a chocolate date topping. A fun vegan, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free dessert!

How’s 2021 treating you so far, everyone?

It’s been really busy here.

Between creating blog content, working on a cookbook deal, and the day to day life stuff, I feel like the best visual representation of myself is somewhere between the exhausted and skeleton emoji.

But I really can’t complain because all of this; all of this awesome expansive busy-ness are dreams of my own creation.

I wrote “I published a cookbook” in my manifestation journal over and over and over.

Every single day in 2020 until in fall it finally came to fruition and I forwarded the acceptance email to M with big capital letters that read, “THIS IS SO EXCITING.”

I’m trying to access and harness that initial wonder and excitement in this busy season of overwhelm.

I don’t think you’ll have *any* trouble harnessing wonder and excitement when it comes to my latest recipe today.

It may be crunch time for me, but it’s munch time for you.

These Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars are entirely n0-bake with TWO layers of vegan and gluten-free deliciousness.

Let’s make cookie bars!

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Cherry Chia Pudding

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

//#ad// This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Cherry chia pudding with protein that’s lightly sweetened with maple syrup. Top with fresh cherries, apple chips, and hemp hearts!

Hi, dear friends, and happy 2021.

Since we last spoke, we collectively said goodbye to the longest, hardest, weirdest year yet.

After I cheers-ed away 2020 with champagne and lots of cookies, I woke up on January first feeling a little forlorn.

Yeah, I was in a bit of a post-holiday funk, as is typical for me after New Years Eve.

I cried a little, almost bought a bunch of plants, decided against it (where to put them???), then watched a lot of feel good TV reruns.

Things started to shift after I hopped onto an impromptu video call with girlfriends to talk meal prep and workout goals for the coming week.

Making plans and getting back into a routine always does wonders for my morale.

It made my heart swell to see us all in our Brady brunch Zoom boxes, hurrying around our virtual spaces, cleaning, shopping, and doing respective Sunday tasks.

It’s those kinds of interactions that make this weird world feel normal and worth it.

So, maybe our 2020 feelings didn’t magically disappear come 2021.

But we can still plan for an amazing year, where literally anything is possible.

Get back into our back-to-work groove with this Cherry Chia Pudding that’s easy to mix up in advance for a sweet snack!

Because I’m cheering (cherrying?) you on this year.

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Pumpkin Apple Bake

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

//#ad// This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Pumpkin apple bake made with pumpkin puree and apples naturally sweetened with banana. Perfect for a breakfast or holiday side dish!

My laptop has about the same birthday as Flora & Vino, the blog, circa January 2017.

Which means they’re both just on the verge of their fourth birthday.

So it’s actually kind of a miracle that the glowing lettered squares on my keyboard *just* started sticking this week.

Since last weekend the “y” and “l” keys require aggressive tap-tap-tapping with my index finger before they grace the cursor with their appearance.

Which, naturally, led to a whole heck of a lot of typos this week.

Guys, do you know just how many words contain a “y” and an “l”???

Too many.

You’d think with all of the food I photograph that a sticky spill might be the culprit, but I can’t pinpoint any instance of spillage.

Hm. I guess I need to make a visit to the tech store sometime soon.

Well, you know what else is sticky but a lot sweeter?

This Pumpkin Apple Bake that’s made with pumpkin puree and apples, sweetened with banana.

It’s excellent to whip up for a unique cold weather breakfast or holiday side!

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Pistachio Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan and gluten-free sugar cookies dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with pistachios and sea salt. Perfect for healthy holiday baking!

The Christmas countdown is officially on, with only *three* more sleeps until Christmas Day.

Do you have any creative Christmas plans?

Most of my social plans this year are virtual, aside from spending time with M on Christmas Day.

But the one thing I refuse to do any differently is the holiday baking.

With that in mind, I have *one* more Christmas cookie post for you to add to your holiday baking list.

These Pistachio Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies are the cutest cut outs you’ve seen all year!

Vegan and gluten-free sugar cookies dunked in dark chocolate and sprinkled with pistachios and sea salt.

They’re basically all I want for Christmas!

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20 Vegan & Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

20 delicious vegan and gluten-free cookies to bake this holiday season. Perfect for a cookie exchange or to leave out with almond milk for Santa!

Do you have any holiday baking traditions?

Growing up, we made sugar cookies carefully cut into bells, snowflakes, stockings, and angels dusted in red and green sprinkles.

After leaving home, my “go to” cookie became the Peanut Butter Kiss Cookie; infamous in my circle of friends and family for their peanut-buttery base and soft chocolate center.

Last year my girlfriends invited me over to bake Christmas cookies.

It warmed my heart to shuffle around my friend’s kitchen, happy to pass measuring spoons and chocolate chips and vanilla extract.

There’s something about baking together in a warm, sweet smelling kitchen that makes pre-holiday days truly feel like the most wonderful time of the year.

Which leads me to this round up post of my favorite cookies that I *know* both you and Santa will adore.

Bake one of these 20 Vegan & Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies with you and yours this holiday season.

If you can’t be physically together in person, swap these recipes via text, or schedule a virtual bake-date, or bake and personally deliver to doorsteps.

They’re all vegan, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free with plenty of oil-free and grain-free options.

Happy Christmas and happy baking!!!

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Vegan Shortbread Cookies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan and gluten-free shortbread cookies made with just three ingredients. Enjoy these dairy-free “buttery” cookies with a glass of Prosecco!

This past week on Instagram stories I asked everyone to name one positive thing that happened this year.

The response was overwhelming.

I received notes of weddings, engagements, births, graduations, personal triumphs, friendship, and family.

Guys, I was brought to tears reading all of the beautiful, positive things that happened to and for our community this year.

During 2020.

I was smiling through the tears, though, feeling so much joy for and through each and every one of you and your wins.

It seems that despite all of the hardships of living through a global pandemic, we have lots of reasons to celebrate.

And I know just how to do it.

Pop some bubbly and let’s make some seriously easy 3-ingredient shortbread cookies.

These Vegan Shortbread Cookies & Prosecco are the celebratory cookie and wine pairing you need to finish up 2020 with a bang.

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Homemade Christmas Chocolates

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Homemade vegan dark chocolate Christmas candies made with fun holiday silicone molds for an easy 1-ingredient refined sugar-free Christmas treat!

Does it snow where you are, friends?

Today we got our first snow of the season in Virginia.

The white stuff started coming down around 10 AM and by 11 AM the grass, asphalt, and neighboring rooftops all had a fluffy frosting.

I don’t care what anyone says…I *love* snow.

Snow days always make me feel giddy with childlike anticipation and energy.

I plowed through a holiday shoot in the studio today, powered by holiday hits and the gorgeous light reflecting off my snow-saturated deck.

Afterwards, I dawned my Sorel snow boots, fuzzy hat, and heavy duty gloves to explore the winter wonderland.

If you’re home for the holidays, maybe you’re in the mood for a sweet homemade present.

These Homemade Christmas Chocolates are the perfect DIY Christmas treat that you can make from home!

All you need is some seriously delicious dark chocolate and your favorite holiday silicone molds….

Baked Hasselback Apples

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Baked Hasselback Apples made with cranberries, walnuts, crushed apple chips, and cinnamon. Serve with yogurt for breakfast or ice cream for dessert!

‘Tis the season for…all of the mail.

I finally finished my Christmas cards on Tuesday and carted them to the post office, complete with holiday stamps pressed into the upper right hand corner.

The post office was packed.

I’ve also been receiving an embarrassing amount of packages from my doorstep.

Every day I peak out the front door to see an assorted stack of sealed cardboard squares teetering near my “Home Sweet Home” doormat.

Yesterday I received a beautiful yet mysterious package of pears and apples!

The package didn’t specify a sender, so it was days before I realized that the package of produce was a gift from my parents.

I’m pretty sure I’ll use them in this exciting new recipe I have to share with you today.

These Baked Hasselback Apples are the best way to serve apples as a breakfast, snack, or dessert!

They have a gorgeous presentation and are made with no added sugars and no added oils.

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Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies

By Flora & Vino 3 Comments

Your favorite banana bread turned into breakfast cookies! Gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally sweetened with banana and maple syrup. Perfect for meal prep!

I just received the cutest Christmas ornament from a friend and colleague that I hung on the tree last night.

It’s a ceramic circle with 2-0-2-0 in big bubble letters.

Surrounding the bubble letters are cute drawings and text illustrating all of the activities that exemplify the year.

Some of my favorite examples are: “what day is it?”, “survived the toilet paper shortage”, and “wash your hands”!

I’ve created a new tradition of adding an ornament to my collection each year, but this time I don’t need to search.

I was glad to receive one that so succinctly and sweetly summed up the insanity of the past 12 months.

The one thing the ornament is missing is all of the loaves of banana bread that we collectively baked.

We can’t forget the year of banana bread, folks!

It’s okay, because I baked some into cookies so we can commemorate 2020 and take our banana bread with us no matter where 2021 takes us.

These Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies are made in just one bowl with hearty oats, ripe bananas, and plenty of dark chocolate and walnuts.

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Sweets & Treats

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