This vegan paleo coffee blondies recipe will soon become a kitchen staple. They are soft, chewy, and completely guilt-free. Once you master this recipe, consider adding in other fun ingredients, such as chocolate chips, dried fruit, or nuts. Other ways to play with this blondies recipe is to replace almond butter with another kind of creamy nut butter or to replace the applesauce with one mashed banana.

Completely devoid of eggs and butter as well as white sugar and white flour, this blondies recipe homes in on animal-friendly alternatives, such as almond butter, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and almond flour. The result is a dessert dish that you can even have for breakfast, especially with it having the energy-boosting effects of coffee in tow.

The most important thing to remember is that the almond flour should be as finely ground as possible. That way, it best mimics regular flour and allows the blondies to remain as dense and moist as possible. If you want to make them kid-friendly, simply nix the coffee powder. I imagine you don’t want your kids energy levels any higher than they already are.

Vegan Paleo Coffee Blondies Recipe

Makes about 10 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup creamy almond butter
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use about 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil to grease an 8’’x8’’ glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut sugar, coffee, applesauce, and coconut oil. Stir in the almond flour and baking soda. Use a spatula to fold all the ingredients together so they are evenly combined.

Spread the mixture into the glass baking dish and use a spatula to smooth out the top. Pop into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Once finished, let cool for at least 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

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I usually make a mid-afternoon pot of coffee, enjoy a leisurely cup, and the rest is leftover, staring me down saying: “you’re wasteful, Ashlee.” Whoa. If this happens to you, you can do one of two things:

Action One: Decant the cooled coffee into a glass bottle or jug, add agave, cardamom, cinnamon, and almond or coconut milk to taste. Pop the lid on and shake, shake, shake.  Put in the fridge and the next day, you have a delish iced coffee that’s ready for on-the-go enjoyment.    -or-

Action Two: MAKE THESE. Pronto. Coffee is a wonderful sub for traditionally fattier ingredients and makes this muffin fluffy and a bit crunchy on the edges.  The consistency of the muffins and icing turned out reminiscently donuty (donut or doughnut? I’m gonna use both). If you’re so inclined, or you want to gift to friends, by all means, pour the batter in a doughnut pan and go on with your bad self. I don’t have a doughnut pan (cue the violins), so I present to you…muffins.

Vegan Coffee Muffins with Mexican Cocoa Glaze

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Yields: 24 muffins

For the Glaze Icing

• 1/4 cup vegan margarine
• 3/4 cup unsweetened pure cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup warm, brewed coffee
• 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 – 2 cups powdered sugar (depending upon how thick you want your icing)
• Salt, to taste
• Optional: Pinch of cayenne, orange zest, cardamom, and/or almond extract to flavor more exotically

For the Muffin Batter

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm coffee
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine (or coconut oil or your preferred baking fat substitute), melted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Generous dash of cinnamon
• Spray coconut oil, or your choice of veggie oil to grease pan

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 12-cupcake tins with coconut oil or your choice of mist vegetable oil.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together coffee, melted vegan margarine, and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  If the batter is too thick to pour easily, add a bit more coffee.

Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pans.  The batter will be relatively thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Single glazing gives just enough punch of flavor, while double glazing makes for more decadent, doughnut-like results.

For the icing, melt the vegan margarine and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring consistently. Gently add the coffee and vanilla extract.  While stirring, gradually add a bit of the powdered sugar to desired consistency (should still be liquid and viscous).

Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before icing.  Drizzle icing or dunk into a larger batch of icing (especially fun with the donut version) and top with chopped pecans, coconut, orange zest, or whatever you please. Allow glazed muffins to cool on a cooling rack and serve.  Or, if you’re particularly adventurous, double- or triple-glaze those puppies for a more decadent result.

Serve and make friends. Or just eat them all yourself. – Ashlee Piper

Ecorazzi covers news and gossip on celebrities and notables in support of the environment and humanitarian causes. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image: emmadiscovery

The post Vegan Coffee Muffins Recipe with a Mexican Cocoa Kick appeared first on EcoSalon.