Category: Plant-Based

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

These cozy banana oatmeal muffins are easy to whip up in a blender! Add streusel for a sweet crunch, or go healthy with a sprinkle of oats. Got a few spotty bananas on hand? Try these cozy Banana Oatmeal Muffins! These tasty muffins are beautifully fluffy and moist, perfect for using up this tasty fruit. Even better: they’re mostly made with whole grain oats! There’s a bit of flour to give it a light body, but these muffins are almost just as a bowl of oatmeal. Top them with a light streusel topping and they’re a tasty treat that works any time of the day. Here’s how to make them! Banana oatmeal muffins…made in a blender! These banana oatmeal muffins are so cozy and easy to whip up! The key: they’re made in a blender! It blends the oats into a fine flour, and makes it easy to put together the dough. There are no mixing bowls needed! Here’s what to know about this type of muffin: Use the ripest bananas you can. Bananas make magic when they’re brown and spotty. The riper the better, here! You’ll get a beautifully banana-scented flavor and the best sweetness. A quality blender makes […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

These cozy banana oatmeal muffins are easy to whip up in a blender! Add streusel for a sweet crunch, or go healthy with a sprinkle of oats.

Banana oatmeal muffins

Got a few spotty bananas on hand? Try these cozy Banana Oatmeal Muffins! These tasty muffins are beautifully fluffy and moist, perfect for using up this tasty fruit. Even better: they’re mostly made with whole grain oats! There’s a bit of flour to give it a light body, but these muffins are almost just as a bowl of oatmeal. Top them with a light streusel topping and they’re a tasty treat that works any time of the day. Here’s how to make them!

Banana oatmeal muffins…made in a blender!

These banana oatmeal muffins are so cozy and easy to whip up! The key: they’re made in a blender! It blends the oats into a fine flour, and makes it easy to put together the dough. There are no mixing bowls needed! Here’s what to know about this type of muffin:

  • Use the ripest bananas you can. Bananas make magic when they’re brown and spotty. The riper the better, here! You’ll get a beautifully banana-scented flavor and the best sweetness.
  • A quality blender makes easy work of it. A high speed blender is best: but these work in even the slowest of blenders. It just takes a while longer!
  • Don’t over-blend. Whiz just until the ingredients come together into a smooth dough.
Banana oatmeal muffins

Add streusel topping or an alternative for healthy banana muffins

The fun part about these banana oatmeal muffins? They have a crunchy, sweet streusel topping! It adds just the right sweetness to every muffin bite. But if you want an even healthier banana oatmeal muffins? Here’s an alternative:

  • The streusel blends butter, oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon. Mix them together with a fork until crumbly. You can also use coconut oil as a vegan option.
  • Turbinado sugar makes the crunchiest topping. Turbinado sugar is raw sugar with large, light brown crystals. It makes a great crunchy texture on top. Use brown sugar as a substitute if desired.
  • For healthy banana oatmeal muffins, use just oats and sugar. Roughly chop the oats with a knife. Then sprinkle both raw oats and turbinado sugar or brown sugar on top. It’s easier and healthier!
Healthy banana oatmeal muffins

Variations and mix-ins!

There are lots of great mix-ins for banana oatmeal muffins! Of course if you’re looking for a healthy banana muffin, stick with them as is. But to mix it up, try these variations:

  • Blueberry banana muffins: Fold 1 cup blueberries into the batter before baking.
  • Banana chocolate chip muffins: Add 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips to the batter.
  • Banana walnut muffins: Add 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts to the batter.

Storage info for banana oatmeal muffins

What’s the best way to store banana oatmeal muffins? These muffins have special storage instructions because of the crunchy topping. Here’s what to know:

  • Store at room temperature 4 days with a paper towel, or lightly covered with foil. If you store in a sealed container, the topping can become very soft. Instead, add a paper towel to the container to absorb excess moisture. Or simply cover the top of the container with foil.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months. These banana oatmeal muffins freeze well. The topping may not have quite the same texture after freezing, but they’re still delicious. The oat and sugar topping may do better after freezing.
Banana oatmeal muffins

More banana muffins

Looking for more options? We’ve got lots to choose from. Banana muffins are somewhat of a hobby around here! Here are our top muffin recipes starring banana:

This banana oatmeal muffins recipe is…

Vegetarian, plant-based, vegan, and dairy-free. For gluten free, go to Gluten Free Banana Muffins.

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Banana Oatmeal Muffins

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 10 muffins
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

These cozy banana oatmeal muffins are easy to whip up in a blender! Add streusel for a sweet crunch, or go healthy with a sprinkle of oats.

Ingredients

For the batter

  • 3 large ripe bananas (broken into pieces)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil
  • 1 egg (or flax egg for vegan)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or 1/2 tablespoon almond extract)
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (for gluten free, go to Blender Muffins)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel topping (or use 3 tablespoons roughly chopped oats & 2 tablespoons turbinado or brown sugar)

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons rolled oats
  • 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar or dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter (or coconut oil for vegan)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Mix the streusel topping ingredients, with the butter cut into small pieces, in a small bowl with a fork until crumbly. Or, mix the optional chopped oats and brown sugar. Set aside.
  3. Combine all the batter ingredients in blender and blend until a smooth batter forms (don’t over blend). Pour into 10 muffin cups. Crumble a bit of the streusel topping onto each muffin.
  4. Bake 25 to 28 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few clinging crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins and place them on a cooling rack. Cool 1 hour until room temperature. Store up to 4 days in a sealed container with a paper towel inside (to keep the topping crumbly) or frozen up to 3 months. You can also refrigerate the muffins, but they can become dry and the topping becomes soft. 
  • Category: Muffins
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Muffins

Keywords: Banana oatmeal muffins

More banana recipes

Got bananas on hand? There’s lots more to make! Here are a few more banana recipes to try:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Tofu Tacos

This tofu tacos recipe is what easy dinners are made of! The filling is spiced to perfection, making it a vegan meal everyone will love. Here’s a fast and easy dinner that went over like a charm over here: Tofu Tacos! While it’s not typically served in a tortilla, tofu is ideal for tacos. Its neutral flavor takes on whatever flavors you season it with: and these tofu crumbles are quite the kitchen trick. Add cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and smoked paprika, and the filling is bursting with flavor! You can whip up these easy tacos in just 20 minutes, making them ideal for weeknight meals. Wait: you can make a block of rubbery white tofu into the best vegan tacos filling? Here’s how. First off: is tofu healthy? There’s a lot of misinformation related to the health benefits of this soy product, so we get this question a lot. Here’s the thing: Tofu in moderation is part of a healthy diet (several times per week). Per to the Harvard School of Nutrition, soy is a nutrient-dense source of protein that can safely be consumed several times a week. It’s likely to provide health benefits, especially when you eat it as an […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This tofu tacos recipe is what easy dinners are made of! The filling is spiced to perfection, making it a vegan meal everyone will love.

Tofu Tacos

Here’s a fast and easy dinner that went over like a charm over here: Tofu Tacos! While it’s not typically served in a tortilla, tofu is ideal for tacos. Its neutral flavor takes on whatever flavors you season it with: and these tofu crumbles are quite the kitchen trick. Add cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and smoked paprika, and the filling is bursting with flavor! You can whip up these easy tacos in just 20 minutes, making them ideal for weeknight meals. Wait: you can make a block of rubbery white tofu into the best vegan tacos filling? Here’s how.

First off: is tofu healthy?

There’s a lot of misinformation related to the health benefits of this soy product, so we get this question a lot. Here’s the thing: Tofu in moderation is part of a healthy diet (several times per week). Per to the Harvard School of Nutrition, soy is a nutrient-dense source of protein that can safely be consumed several times a week. It’s likely to provide health benefits, especially when you eat it as an alternative to red meat and processed meat. For more, go to Straight Talk About Soy and Is Tofu Good for You?

Here at A Couple Cooks, for years we avoided tofu though we ate mostly vegetarian and vegan recipes. The past few years we’ve come around to it as a delicious and easy to prepare vegan protein! We just didn’t know the best ways to prepare it. Speaking of, here’s one of our new favorites…

Tofu Tacos recipe

How to turn a block into tofu tacos filling

Yes, it’s easier than you think to make a flavorless block of pressed soy into a delicious tofu tacos filling! The secret: tofu crumbles. You’ll break the tofu into smaller irregular shaped pieces, then mix it with delicious seasonings. Here’s what to do:

  • Crumble the tofu with your fingers. Yep, throw it right into a bowl and crumble it up! It’s usually pretty cold at this point (since it’s refrigerated), so you’ll have to grin and bear it.
  • Add olive oil and the secret spices. In this case, that’s cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and smoked paprika.
  • Cook in a skillet for 8 to 10 minutes. You’ll want it to be just browned and becoming lightly crisp on the outsides.

The easiest taco toppings

To keep these as a quick and easy dinner recipe, we went for the simplest toppings imaginable. Of course, you can customize them as you’d like! Here’s what we do when we’re in a rush:

  • Sliced red cabbage with lime: Thinly slice it, then spritz with lime juice and add a few pinches salt. You don’t even need to measure!
  • Pico de gallo: Get store-bought for the quickest prep.
  • Torn cilantro: No need to chop: just tear it with your fingers.
  • Yogurt mixed with hot sauce: This is our other favorite taco sauce trick! Take some vegan yogurt and swirl it with Mexican hot sauce (we like Cholula). It makes an instant creamy, spicy sauce. You can also use storebought salsa or taco sauce (or make homemade).
Tofu tacos filling

More tofu tacos topping ideas

The toppings listed above are the quickest and easiest: and usually they’re all we need! But if you want to get fancier, we’ve got lots of great options. Here are some fun tacos fillings ideas:

Tip: warm your tortillas

Here’s our biggest tip for tofu tacos, or tacos of any kind: warm your tortillas! There’s nothing worse than a taco with a tough, cold tortilla. Here’s how to warm tortillas like a pro:

  • Place them over the flame of a gas burner (preferred!). The best way? Place each tortilla directly on a gas burner for a few seconds per side. It lightly chars the edges and warms the tortillas. Then throw them into a tortilla warmer!
  • Or, warm them in the oven. If you don’t have a gas burner, you can warm them in the oven. Go to How to Warm Tortillas.
Tofu tacos

More great tofu recipes

There are so many great recipe to make with tofu! As I mentioned above, we used to avoid tofu but now we like including it as part of a healthy vegetarian and vegan diet! Now that we know the best ways to prepare it, we always look forward to including it in weekly meals. How about you: are you a tofu convert too? Have you always loved this tasty soy protein?

Here are a few more great tofu recipes we’d recommend in addition to these tofu tacos:

This tofu tacos recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Tofu Tacos

Easy Tofu Tacos

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 tacos
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This tofu tacos recipe is what easy dinners are made of! The filling is spiced to perfection, making it a vegan meal everyone will love. 

Ingredients

For the tofu

  • 12 to 14-ounce block extra firm tofu
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

For the tacos

  • 2 cups red cabbage
  • Lime wedges
  • Fresh cilantro leaves, torn
  • Pico de gallo (purchased or homemade)
  • Vegan yogurt (or regular), mixed with salt and Mexican hot sauce to taste (we like Cholula brand)

Instructions

  1. Make the tofu crumbles: Drain the tofu container, then pat the tofu dry with a clean dish towel. Place the tofu in a large bowl and use your fingers to break the tofu into roughly bite-sized crumbles. (It might be a little cold on your hands: don’t worry, it should only take a few seconds!). Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and spices.
  2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the tofu and cook on medium high for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up large pieces into bite sized chunks and stirring occasionally, until browned and lightly crispy and the liquid evaporates. (The exact timing depends on the tofu brand.)
  3. Assemble the toppings: Thinly slice the red cabbage, and place it in a bowl. Spritz with the juice of 2 lime wedges and add a few pinches kosher salt. Mix the vegan yogurt with Mexican hot sauce to taste, and add a few pinches of salt. 
  4. Warm the tortillas: Warm and char the tortillas by placing them on an open gas flame on medium for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until they are slightly blackened and warm. (See How to Warm Tortillas.)
  5. Serve: Place the tofu crumbles in the tortillas, then top with toppings and enjoy. 
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican inspired

Keywords: Tofu tacos

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Grape Smoothie

This grape smoothie recipe is tangy sweet with just 4 ingredients! It’s an easy breakfast or snack that’s a great use for frozen grapes. On our way to making smoothie recipes with all the fruits and vegetables, we met a smoothie that surprised us. This weirdly delicious Grape Smoothie! The flavor is such a pop of sweet tart and delicious, you might not believe it on first sip. Who knew frozen grapes were the key to the tastiest of all smoothies? Consider us impressed. This one stood out to us in our list of 30+ smoothies as a simple, easy and healthy way to feel like you’re eating a treat. Here’s what you need to know to make it! Ingredients in a grape smoothie This grape smoothie is ultra simple: in fact, it’s got one of the shortest ingredient lists for any of our smoothie recipes. Here’s what you need: Grapes: We prefer the sweet flavor of red grapes in this smoothie! If you have green grapes, you can certainly use them too. They’re a little more tart, so you could add a little honey or maple syrup as necessary. Banana: No need for frozen banana: use a room temperature […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This grape smoothie recipe is tangy sweet with just 4 ingredients! It’s an easy breakfast or snack that’s a great use for frozen grapes.

Grape Smoothie

On our way to making smoothie recipes with all the fruits and vegetables, we met a smoothie that surprised us. This weirdly delicious Grape Smoothie! The flavor is such a pop of sweet tart and delicious, you might not believe it on first sip. Who knew frozen grapes were the key to the tastiest of all smoothies? Consider us impressed. This one stood out to us in our list of 30+ smoothies as a simple, easy and healthy way to feel like you’re eating a treat. Here’s what you need to know to make it!

Ingredients in a grape smoothie

This grape smoothie is ultra simple: in fact, it’s got one of the shortest ingredient lists for any of our smoothie recipes. Here’s what you need:

  • Grapes: We prefer the sweet flavor of red grapes in this smoothie! If you have green grapes, you can certainly use them too. They’re a little more tart, so you could add a little honey or maple syrup as necessary.
  • Banana: No need for frozen banana: use a room temperature banana here.
  • Greek yogurt: We love adding Greek yogurt to smoothies because it’s protein packed. You can also make this smoothie vegan by simply adding more non-dairy milk.
  • Milk: You can use any type of milk you’d like here, or if you don’t stock it, substitute water.
Grape smoothie

Allow 2 hours for frozen grapes (or overnight)

Are frozen grapes good for smoothies? Yes! Frozen grapes are perfect for adding an icy texture and sweetness to smoothies. They’re a bit sweeter than frozen blueberries and strawberries, which makes them great for adding to smoothie flavors of all kinds. Add them to your next blueberry smoothie or strawberry smoothie to mix it up!

How long does it take grapes to freeze? Allow about 2 hours for grapes to freeze completely. It’s also easy to toss them into a freezer safe container and freeze overnight.

Flavor variations and add-ins!

This grape smoothie is a great canvas for adding interesting flavors to your puree. In fact, we can think of about 100 variations. Here are some favorites:

  • PB&J: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut butter for a PB&J vibe
  • Vanilla: Add 1 scoop vanilla protein powder or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Berries: Substitute 1 cup frozen blueberries, raspberries or strawberries for half of the grapes
  • Mango: Substitute 1 cup frozen mango for half of the grapes
  • Pineapple: Substitute 1 cup frozen pineapple for half of the grapes
  • Coconut: Add a handful of shredded coconut or coconut milk
  • Chocolate: Add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Grape smoothie recipe

Make it a vegan grape smoothie (& add protein!)

This grape smoothie has Greek yogurt, like many of our smoothie recipes, to load on protein and healthy probiotics. But want a vegan smoothie? Here’s what to do:

  • Use non-dairy milk for the Greek yogurt and milk (start with 3/4 cup). You don’t need Greek yogurt here: though it does add some creamy body! Use a non-dairy milk like almond milk or oat milk. Coconut milk also works, but it’s high fat: consider using just 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/4 cup almond or oat milk.
  • Add back some protein! You’ll lose some protein from removing the yogurt. Here are some ideas for adding plant based protein to smoothies:
Grape smoothie

Smoothie storage

This grape smoothie is best right after you blend it up. But you can make smoothies in advance! Store them up to 1 day, refrigerated in a sealed container or a mason jar with the lid on. If it separates, just shake it up and you’re good to go!

This grape smoothie recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, see the substitutions listed in the recipe.

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Grape Smoothie

Grape Smoothie (4 Ingredients!)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 small or 1 large
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This grape smoothie recipe is tangy sweet with just 4 ingredients! It’s an easy breakfast or snack that’s a great use for frozen grapes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups seedless red grapes, frozen at least 2 hours or overnight
  • 1 banana (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup milk (or almond milk or oat milk)
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or 1/4 cup non-dairy milk for vegan, see below)

Instructions

  1. Before starting the recipe, remember to freeze the grapes!
  2. Place all ingredients in the blender starting with the milk and yogurt, breaking the banana into pieces. Blend until smooth, adding a splash more liquid as necessary to come to the desired consistency. 
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Blended
  • Cuisine: Smoothie

Keywords: Grape smoothie

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Peanut Butter Oatmeal

This peanut butter oatmeal is the ideal healthy and easy breakfast recipe starring whole grains! Here’s the trick to making it taste great. There’s no breakfast better than oatmeal, in our minds! So let us introduce you to a daily staple around here. This delicious Peanut Butter Oatmeal! Here’s the thing: oatmeal be gloppy and gooey, or under-seasoned. But cook up a pot the right way, and it tastes like a dream. Here we’re sharing our favorite method for chewy toasted oats, and there’s a peanut butter banana variation if you prefer a little natural sweetness. Plus we’ve got the all important key: when to add the peanut butter. We make this every day (no joke) and it’s incredibly filling…and satisfying. Also try: Easy Banana Oatmeal The key to peanut butter oatmeal Here’s the thing. We figured that peanut butter oatmeal would be absolutely delicious if you throw spoonfuls of creamy peanut butter right into the pot and cook. Wrong! Here’s what happened, and how to avoid it: Don’t put peanut butter into the pot while the oatmeal is cooking. Why? When it’s done, you can barely taste the peanut butter. Even if you add a load of PB, there’s […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This peanut butter oatmeal is the ideal healthy and easy breakfast recipe starring whole grains! Here’s the trick to making it taste great.

Peanut butter oatmeal

There’s no breakfast better than oatmeal, in our minds! So let us introduce you to a daily staple around here. This delicious Peanut Butter Oatmeal! Here’s the thing: oatmeal be gloppy and gooey, or under-seasoned. But cook up a pot the right way, and it tastes like a dream. Here we’re sharing our favorite method for chewy toasted oats, and there’s a peanut butter banana variation if you prefer a little natural sweetness. Plus we’ve got the all important key: when to add the peanut butter. We make this every day (no joke) and it’s incredibly filling…and satisfying.

Also try: Easy Banana Oatmeal

The key to peanut butter oatmeal

Here’s the thing. We figured that peanut butter oatmeal would be absolutely delicious if you throw spoonfuls of creamy peanut butter right into the pot and cook. Wrong! Here’s what happened, and how to avoid it:

  • Don’t put peanut butter into the pot while the oatmeal is cooking. Why? When it’s done, you can barely taste the peanut butter. Even if you add a load of PB, there’s something about the flavor and texture that’s just not right. (Trust us.)
  • The best way? Swirl it on top right before serving. Yeah, so it’s oatmeal topped with peanut butter. But this is the only way to get big peanut butter flavor! Top it right away and the warmth of the oats makes it heart meltingly good.
Peanut butter oatmeal

Why it’s the best oatmeal: toasted and chewy!

The other part to this peanut butter oatmeal? You’ve got to make the best pot of oatmeal imaginable! Over here, we’re anti creamy, gloppy oats with no texture. Our best oatmeal is lightly chewy and toasted before you add the liquid. This makes it utterly irresistible. Here are the keys to toasted oatmeal:

  • Toast the oats in butter or coconut oil until fragrant. It takes just a minute or two, but it makes a big difference.
  • Add liquid and cook on low without stirring. This easy method makes the oats chewy with separate grains, instead of a gloppy mess.
  • If you like it creamier, add milk at the end. Add as much milk as you like to get to a creamier texture to these oats.

Variation: peanut butter banana oatmeal

Like your oatmeal sweet? No problem! Adding mashed bananas during the cooking time makes a beautifully creamy body to the oatmeal and a lightly sweet flavor. This is one of our favorite variations, and a quicker way to get the flavor of our banana baked oatmeal. Try this variation when you have a few ripe bananas on hand!

Peanut butter banana oatmeal

Peanut butter oatmeal toppings

How do you like to top your oatmeal? This peanut butter oatmeal is absolutely perfect with just a swirl of nut butter on top. I’ll admit: my daily oatmeal (and I do eat this every day) is simply oats, peanut butter, and salt. I like it on the savory side! But want to jazz it up a bit? Here are some ideas:

  • Honey or maple syrup: a small drizzle is all you need!
  • Jam or jelly: PB&J oatmeal is where it’s at! Try our homemade strawberry jam
  • Berries: Blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries pair well
  • Banana slices: Especially if you do the peanut butter banana variation
  • Bee pollen: The confetti in the photos is bee pollen, and it adds a nice crunch

More variations: change up the nut butter!

It goes without saying, but peanut butter oatmeal can morph into all sorts of other types of oatmeal just by changing the nut butter. We love making lots of different nut butters at home, but these days you can easily find them at your grocery. Here are a few fun variations:

  • Almond butter oatmeal: top it with homemade almond butter (the vanilla bean or chai variations would be killer)
  • Pecan butter oatmeal: we especially like this homemade pecan butter on oats
  • Cashew butter oatmeal: another great option! Cashew butter has beautifully sweet flavor

Oatmeal nutrition info

Why eat oats in the morning? Well, these whole grains are a wholesome and filling breakfast idea that’s hard to beat. Here are some of the nutritional benefits of oats (source):

  • Oats are high in plant based protein. 1 cup of raw oats have 11 grams protein. That’s about 20% of your daily need!
  • Oats are high in fiber. 1 cup of raw oats have 8 grams of fiber, which is about 30% of the daily value.
  • Oats are very filling: they may reduce appetite and help you eat less calories.
Peanut butter oatmeal

More oatmeal recipes

There are so many great ways to eat this versatile grain in the morning! Here are a few favorite ideas:

This peanut butter oatmeal recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Peanut butter oatmeal

Peanut Butter Oatmeal

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (8 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 0 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 7 minutes
  • Yield: 2 to 3 servings
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This peanut butter oatmeal is the ideal healthy and easy breakfast recipe starring whole grains! Here’s the trick to making it taste great.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
  • 2 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats (do not use instant oats or steel cut oats)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup milk, oat milk or almond milk (or additional water)
  • Sweet variation: 2 ripe bananas, mashed (optional)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons peanut butter
  • Other toppings as desired: small drizzle honey or maple syrup, berry jam, fruit, etc.

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter or coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats and toast for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant.
  2. Add the salt and cinnamon. Turn the heat to low and carefully pour in the water and milk, stirring. Add the mashed banana, if using. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until tender, then remove from the heat. Serve immediately for a chunky texture, or stir in an additional 1/2 cup milk for a creamier body. The texture is intentionally chewy (not gloppy or soggy!). Top with the peanut butter and any other toppings as desired. 
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: Peanut butter oatmeal

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Black Bean Tacos

This black bean tacos recipe takes just 15 minutes! It’s a fast and easy dinner idea that’s easy to customize and pleases everyone. On the lookout for those elusive recipes that are healthy, easy and delicious? Meet our new favorite: these easy Black Bean Tacos! We created this recipe to be totally customizable based on your diet and available time. It stars our 5 minute black beans, a quick taco filling idea that’s bursting with flavor in just a few minutes. Top it with all the best taco toppings: corn, avocado, pickled onions: and a sprinkling of feta cheese. If you have time, we love it with cilantro lime sauce: but taco sauce and sour cream does the trick too! There’s really something for everyone with this one. More seriuously easy tacos? Try our Refried Bean Tacos or Egg Tacos! How to make the easiest black bean tacos These black bean tacos are beyond easy: and they work with whatever toppings you’d like! The secret behind them is the easy black bean filling. Here’s what to know about how to make the fastest black bean tacos there are: Mince garlic, then cook 30 seconds in butter and olive oil. The […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This black bean tacos recipe takes just 15 minutes! It’s a fast and easy dinner idea that’s easy to customize and pleases everyone.

Black bean tacos

On the lookout for those elusive recipes that are healthy, easy and delicious? Meet our new favorite: these easy Black Bean Tacos! We created this recipe to be totally customizable based on your diet and available time. It stars our 5 minute black beans, a quick taco filling idea that’s bursting with flavor in just a few minutes. Top it with all the best taco toppings: corn, avocado, pickled onions: and a sprinkling of feta cheese. If you have time, we love it with cilantro lime sauce: but taco sauce and sour cream does the trick too! There’s really something for everyone with this one.

More seriuously easy tacos? Try our Refried Bean Tacos or Egg Tacos!

How to make the easiest black bean tacos

These black bean tacos are beyond easy: and they work with whatever toppings you’d like! The secret behind them is the easy black bean filling. Here’s what to know about how to make the fastest black bean tacos there are:

  • Mince garlic, then cook 30 seconds in butter and olive oil. The combination of two cooking fats makes for the very best flavor. But you can substitute all olive oil if you’d like!
  • Add drained but not rinsed black beans and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Here’s the key: a little bit of the can liquid will remain on the beans, making a thick sauce for the tacos.
  • Note: all black bean brands are different. Some canned black beans are more tender than others. We like this best with a black bean brand that’s very tender vs a more al dente type of bean. You’ll have to experiment to find your favorite!
Black bean tacos recipe

Customize your taco toppings!

Once you’ve got the black bean filling, it’s time for toppings! We’ve listed our favorite toppings in the recipe below. You can customize based on your preferences and diet. But it is important to have a few elements. Here’s what to note about topping your black bean toppings:

  • Crunchy veggies are required! Because black beans are soft in texture, you’ll need a crunchy contrast. Here we used chopped romaine and corn. Use these if at all possible!
  • You’ll need a good sauce. A good sauce is the key to a tasty taco! Purchased taco sauce or salsa and sour cream is the fastest option. If you have 5 minutes, make our Cilantro Lime Sauce.
  • Cheese is nice, but optional. We like adding a sprinkle of feta crumbles or queso fresco: you can also use shredded cheese.
  • Add other veggies as desired! We love it with avocado and the bright tang of pickled red onions, made in advance. A few sliced jalapeno peppers are nice too. If you have lots of time, make them with roasted sweet potatoes for an even tastier taco!
Black bean tacos

Sauce options for black bean tacos!

There are lots of other sauce options for these tacos! Here are a few more great options listed in terms of timing and diet preferences:

Tip: warm your tortillas

Here’s our biggest tip for black bean tacos: warm your tortillas! There’s nothing worse than a taco with a tough, cold tortilla. Here’s how to warm tortillas like a pro:

  • Place them over the flame of a gas burner (preferred!). The best way? Place each tortilla directly on a gas burner for a few seconds per side. It lightly chars the edges and warms the tortillas. Then throw them into a tortilla warmer!
  • Or, warm them in the oven. If you don’t have a gas burner, you can warm them in the oven. Go to How to Warm Tortillas.
Black bean tacos

Make gluten free or vegan black bean tacos

It’s easy to adapt these black bean tacos for various diets! Here’s what to do:

  • For gluten free, use corn tortillas. There are also lots of gluten free tortilla options these days, like cassava, sweet potato, and more. Check your local grocery!
  • For vegan, use vegan toppings. Use all olive oil for the black beans and omit the cheese toppings. Add a vegan sauce like Cilantro Sauce.

Black beans nutrition

What makes these black bean tacos such a great healthy dinner idea? They star black beans! Black beans are:

  • Excellent source of protein. 1 cup has 15 grams of protein, about 30% of your daily protein needs.
  • Excellent source of fiber. 1 cup also has 15 grams of fiber, about 50% of your daily intake.
  • Lower glycemic index compared to many other high-carbohydrate foods, meaning they cause a smaller rise in blood sugar after a meal.
Black bean tacos

This black bean tacos recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Print
Black bean tacos

Easy Black Bean Tacos (15 Minutes!)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (8 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 tacos (4 servings)
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

This black bean tacos recipe takes just 15 minutes! It’s a fast and easy dinner idea that’s easy to customize and pleases everyone.

Ingredients

For the black beans*

  • 2 15-ounce can black beans
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 1 tablespoon butter (or substitute more olive oil for vegan)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 scant teaspoon kosher salt

For the tacos

Instructions

  1. Make the black beans: Drain the beans, but don’t rinse them. Mince the garlic. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant but not yet browned. Add the beans (drained but not rinsed), cumin, kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until warmed through and the liquid cooks down and thickens. Taste and add additional salt if desired. 
  2. Assemble the toppings: Review the toppings above and prep them as desired.
  3. Warm the tortillas: Warm and char the tortillas by placing them on an open gas flame on medium for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until they are slightly blackened and warm. (See How to Warm Tortillas.)
  4. Serve: Place the black beans in the tortillas, then top with toppings and enjoy. 

Notes

*Variation: Add Roasted sweet potatoes to make Sweet potato black bean tacos.

**If you have 5 minutes, it’s well worth it to make the Cilantro Lime Sauce! Or make the vegan Creamy Cilantro Sauce in advance.

  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican inspired

Keywords: Black bean tacos

More with black beans

Love beans? Here are some of our top black bean recipes:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Quick Vegan Curry

This vegan curry recipe is full of healthy vegetables and big flavor: and it takes under 25 minutes! The perfect fast and easy dinner. We’re always on the lookout for fast flavorful dinners, and this one is now regular rotation. Try this quick Vegan Curry! Here, coconut milk and curry powder make healthy vegetables taste like a decadent treat. And, it takes under 25 minutes to whip up! It’s an ode to the simplicity of plant-based ingredients and great seasoning. This spin on our chickpea curry has even more veggies and nutrients without affecting the overall cook time…which is crucial on weeknights, in our book. It comes out so delicious in such a short time: you’ll feel like a kitchen magician. What’s a curry, anyway? Curry is a pretty loose term. Per Bon Appetit, it was a word used by colonizers to simplify what they saw in foreign cuisines. Today, the word “curry” usually describes a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. The dish is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England. Keep in mind that curry powder is a Western invention! Curry powder takes […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This vegan curry recipe is full of healthy vegetables and big flavor: and it takes under 25 minutes! The perfect fast and easy dinner.

Vegan curry

We’re always on the lookout for fast flavorful dinners, and this one is now regular rotation. Try this quick Vegan Curry! Here, coconut milk and curry powder make healthy vegetables taste like a decadent treat. And, it takes under 25 minutes to whip up! It’s an ode to the simplicity of plant-based ingredients and great seasoning. This spin on our chickpea curry has even more veggies and nutrients without affecting the overall cook time…which is crucial on weeknights, in our book. It comes out so delicious in such a short time: you’ll feel like a kitchen magician.

What’s a curry, anyway?

Curry is a pretty loose term. Per Bon Appetit, it was a word used by colonizers to simplify what they saw in foreign cuisines. Today, the word “curry” usually describes a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. The dish is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England.

Keep in mind that curry powder is a Western invention! Curry powder takes the common spices of Indian curries and packages them into a spice blend. Authentic Indian spices are mixed up by the cook and vary based on the region and household.

Vegan curry recipe

Looking for an authentic Indian dinner?

If you’d like an authentic Indian dinner recipe, head to our Masoor Dal (Indian Red Lentils). This recipe was shared with us directly from Asma Khan, an Indian chef with a popular restaurant in London. You’ll love these creamy flavorful lentils, and you can serve with basmati rice as well! Another great resource for authentic Indian recipes is chef and author Madhur Jaffrey.

Ingredients in this vegan curry recipe

Making a curry is not part of our cultural heritage; it’s an ode to the flavors and techniques of an Indian-style tomato based curry! We hope you’ll find it’s a great way to eat lots of veggies…fast! Here’s what you’ll need to make this curry in a hurry:

  • Yellow onion
  • Bell pepper: A medium red bell pepper provides 169% of your daily vitamin C (source), so we’re always sneaking peppers into our recipes!
  • Garlic
  • Fresh ginger
  • Spinach
  • Chickpeas: Chickpeas add plant-based protein, helping this dish stay filling
  • Peas: Peas are also legumes and add a hit of plant-based protein
  • Olive oil
  • Fire roasted tomatoes
  • Curry powder and cumin
  • Coconut milk: While many Indian curries use dairy, some use coconut milk for creaminess, which is perfect for a vegan curry
Vegan curry

Fire roasted tomatoes…and a substitute

Canned fire roasted tomatoes are one of our secrets for quick dinners. Why? These tomatoes are charred over an open flame, making their flavor taste sweeter right out of the can. Ever tried some tomatoes that taste metallic or bitter out of the can? Fire roasted tomatoes solve that problem. They’re a type of tomato, not a brand, and you can find them in many grocery stores in the US these days.

Can’t find fire roasted tomatoes? No problem! Just use the best quality crushed tomatoes you can find. One thing we’ve found in making this vegan curry is that some brands of crushed tomatoes can be very thick. If your tomatoes are very thick, just stir in a little more coconut milk after simmering to balance out the sauce.

Serve with rice or other grains

This quick vegan curry is best served with rice or another whole grain! We like it with basmati rice, a long grain rice with an aromatic flavor that’s traditionally grown in India and the surrounding countries (Pakistan, Nepal, etc). Because of that, it’s best paired with Indian-style curries (whereas Thai curries are great with jasmine rice).

Of course, you can serve this curry with any whole grain you’d like! If you want to stray away from rice, there are lots of rice substitutes. Try quinoa, cauliflower rice, or even lentil rice (we get ours online).

Vegan curry

Another side to pair with a vegan curry

This vegan curry is so filling, you might not need a side dish! But if you’d like another side, naan bread is a nice side for an Indian-inspired curry. You can easily find packaged naan bread at the grocery, but often it’s not vegan. If you prefer, you can make our Vegan Naan Bread: it’s warm, soft and full of garlic flavor.

Make ahead and storage info

Can you make this quick vegan curry ahead? Yes! To meal prep, you can easily make it 1 day in advance and refrigerate until serving. Then just reheat it gently in a skillet, being sure not to overheat it so that the sauce doesn’t evaporate. Leftovers stay good for about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Or, you can make the rice in advance if you’re serving with rice! This is especially helpful with brown rice, which takes up to 40 minutes to make. To reheat the rice, place it in a pan on the stovetop and add a splash of water. Heat gently for a few minutes until the water evaporates and the rice is warmed through.

Vegan curry recipe

More curry recipes

This quick vegan curry is a favorite of ours that we make on the regular! Here are a few more great curry recipes we love:

This vegan curry recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Print
Vegan curry

Quick Vegan Curry

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 22 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This vegan curry recipe is full of healthy vegetables and big flavor: and it takes under 25 minutes! The perfect fast and easy dinner.

Ingredients

  • White or brown basmati rice, to serve*
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 medium bell peppers (we used 1 yellow and 1 orange)
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 cups (5 ounces) baby spinach leaves (or chopped spinach)
  • 28-ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (or best quality crushed tomatoes)**
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder (or garam masala)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk

Instructions

  1. Cook the rice: If serving with rice, start the basmati rice (or use an Instant Pot.)
  2. Prep the vegetables: Dice the onion and bell peppers. (For super speed, you can go to Step 3 and mince the garlic and ginger while they cook.) Mince the garlic. Peel and mince the ginger (or grate it).
  3. Saute the veggies: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and peppers saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and spinach and saute for 2 minutes until the spinach is fully wilted.
  4. Simmer: Carefully pour in the crushed tomatoes and their juices, then add the curry powder, cumin, salt, chickpeas, peas, and coconut milk. Cook for 5 minutes until bubbly. Remove from the heat. If desired, stir in a little more coconut milk (depending on the tomato brand*). Serve with rice.

Notes

*Or make the rice in advance, which is helpful for brown rice because it takes longer to cook. To reheat the rice, place it in a pan on the stovetop and add a splash of water. Heat gently for a few minutes until the water evaporates and the rice is warmed through.

**Fire roasted tomatoes are a special type of canned tomato that’s become widely available at most grocery stores. If you can’t find them, use the best quality tomatoes you can. All brands vary widely: we’ve found that some can be rather thick, so in that case we stir in a little more coconut milk at the end.

  • Category: Curry
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Indian inspired

Keywords: Vegan curry

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Oatmeal Bars

Here’s an oatmeal bars recipe that’s beyond easy! These healthy breakfast bars are irresistibly tasty and great for busy mornings and snacks. Here’s a recipe that’s perfect for breakfast and all those in between moments, too. This ridiculously easy no bake Oatmeal Bars recipe! These were big winners in our house and quickly solidified themselves into the weekly repertoire. These breakfast bars star peanut butter, honey, and Old Fashioned oats, and they’re a healthy breakfast or snack you can feel good feeding yourself or your family. In fact, I had to remind myself I didn’t need to sneak these like a treat. Ingredients for this oatmeal bars recipe These oatmeal bars have just 4 ingredients plus salt (because salt’s a given, right?). This makes them easy to whip up on moments notice…and we do. Here’s what you’ll need to make them: Old Fashioned rolled oats: That’s the standard oatmeal you’re used to, not steel cut oats! Because it has the texture of rice, it’s not a substitute here. Peanut butter: Use creamy, no sugar added peanut butter. If all you have is sweetened, leave out a bit of the honey. Use sunflower butter as a nut allergy substitute. Honey: Honey […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Here’s an oatmeal bars recipe that’s beyond easy! These healthy breakfast bars are irresistibly tasty and great for busy mornings and snacks.

Oatmeal bars

Here’s a recipe that’s perfect for breakfast and all those in between moments, too. This ridiculously easy no bake Oatmeal Bars recipe! These were big winners in our house and quickly solidified themselves into the weekly repertoire. These breakfast bars star peanut butter, honey, and Old Fashioned oats, and they’re a healthy breakfast or snack you can feel good feeding yourself or your family. In fact, I had to remind myself I didn’t need to sneak these like a treat.

Ingredients for this oatmeal bars recipe

These oatmeal bars have just 4 ingredients plus salt (because salt’s a given, right?). This makes them easy to whip up on moments notice…and we do. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

  • Old Fashioned rolled oats: That’s the standard oatmeal you’re used to, not steel cut oats! Because it has the texture of rice, it’s not a substitute here.
  • Peanut butter: Use creamy, no sugar added peanut butter. If all you have is sweetened, leave out a bit of the honey. Use sunflower butter as a nut allergy substitute.
  • Honey: Honey adds a warm, golden flavor and a nice sticky texture. See our notes on vegan substitutes below.
  • Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds just the right hint of complexity.

Of course, you’ll need a little salt to round it out for the perfect flavor. Make sure to use kosher salt, since it flavors foods more gently than table salt.

Oatmeal bars recipe

How to make no bake bars: a few tips

Over here we love a good no bake recipe: and not just because you don’t have to wait for the bake time! No bake recipes are as close to no fail as you can get. Here are a few tips to note about the process of making this oatmeal bars recipe:

  • Use a small glass to get them perfectly flat. You’ll mix the ingredients together then throw them into a square pan with parchment underneath. Pat them as flat as you can, then roll over the top with a small glass. It gets the most uniform texture.
  • Freeze first! Freeze the pan for 15 minutes, which sets the bars. They will still be a little soft at this point.
  • Cut into bars. Then cut them into bar shapes. You can eat immediately, but we prefer waiting for another 1 hour of refrigeration for them to set completely.
Oatmeal breakfast bars

Make large or small oatmeal bars (we prefer small)

One of the things we like about this recipe is cutting the bars smaller: to get more of them! Here are a few notes on the pros of smaller oatmeal breakfast bars:

  • Make 32 rectangle-shaped bars for more servings & less calories and sugar. The sugar in a small bar is only 1 teaspoon, and it’s still a super satisfying snack or treat. We prefer this size for most versatility (though the photos show the squares).
  • Make 16 square bars for breakfasts. If you’re eating them as breakfast bars, you’ll probably want a larger bar to be more filling. Of course, you could just eat 2 small bars!

Vegan oatmeal bars variation

Want to make these into vegan oatmeal bars? We typically use maple syrup as our liquid sweetener of choice, which is vegan. But in this recipe, the flavor and texture of honey is integral to the structure of the oatmeal breakfast bars. Here’s our preferred vegan sweetener:

  • For vegan oatmeal bars, try agave syrup! It’s a little thicker than maple syrup, so it will work a little more similarly to honey. You can also try using a little less (see the notes below).
  • You can also try maple if it’s your only sweetener on hand. Just note that the bars will do better right from the refrigerator. Use a little less than the honey amount as well.
Oatmeal bars

When to eat oatmeal bars…breakfast, snack or anytime!

Yes, we love these oatmeal bars because they are perfect for those times in between meals when you’re hungry and don’t want to grab and unhealthy option. Here are a few ideas we’d recommend:

  • Breakfast: Grab them as you go out the door, or crumble over Greek yogurt
  • Snack: Grab one from the fridge anytime
  • Sweet treat: This is all we need to feel like a satisfying treat without a splurge. They’re especially good for kids (our son loves them!)

Oatmeal nutrition info

What’s so great about eating oats for snacks and in oatmeal breakfast bars? Well, these whole grains have a lot of good going on. Here’s some of the benefits you get from oats (source):

  • High in plant based protein. 1 cup of raw oats has 11 grams protein, or ~20% of your daily need!
  • High in fiber. 1 cup of raw oats has 8 grams of fiber, ~30% of your daily need.
  • Very filling: Oats may reduce appetite and help you eat less calories overall.
Oatmeal breakfast bars

More oatmeal recipes

It might sound silly as a “foodie” and cookbook author, but one of my favorite foods ever is oatmeal! I eat it every day and it’s always satisfying and filling. Here are our top oatmeal recipes:

This oatmeal bars recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, see the notes in the recipe.

Print
Oatmeal bars

Easy Oatmeal Bars (4 Ingredients!)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 16 large or 32 small
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

Here’s an oatmeal bars recipe that’s beyond easy! These healthy breakfast bars are irresistibly tasty and great for busy mornings and snacks.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (no sugar added, or sunflower butter for nut free)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons honey (or 1/2 cup agave syrup* for vegan)
  • 4 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. Add a sheet of parchment paper to a 9 x 9 pan. Place the ingredients in the pan and press it into an even layer. Use a small glass to roll over the top to get it smooth. 
  2. Freeze the bars for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the freezer and use the parchment to lift it out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares or 32 rectangles. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. You can eat right away, or refrigerate for about 1 hour for a more solid texture.  

Notes

*Maple syrup is generally our sweetener of choice, but the flavor and texture of honey really make these bars. Since maple syrup is not as sticky as honey, for vegan substitute we recommend agave syrup. 

  • Category: Snack
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: Oatmeal bars, oatmeal bar recipe, oatmeal breakfast bars

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Vegan Scones

This vegan scones recipe makes beautifully golden and sweet scones with no dairy! Add fruit like blueberries an easy icing drizzle. What’s better than a fresh scone on a lazy morning? For a stellar plant-based version of this popular baked good, try these Vegan Scones! They come out golden and lightly sweet, an ideal morning treat for weekends or entertaining. Like a good scone, they’re scented with vanilla and orange zest (non-negotiable, we think). And even better? They’re endlessly customizable. Add fruit like blueberries or cranberries, or drizzle with an easy powdered sugar icing. Ready to get baking? Ingredients for vegan scones The ingredient list for vegan scones looks just like a normal scones recipe, with the exception of 3 ingredients. There’s no egg, there’s a vegan butter substitute and a vegan milk substitute. Here’s what to have on hand: All purpose flour and whole wheat flour: Adding whole wheat adds a robust flavor and a bit more golden color, which is helpful in a vegan scones recipe Granulated sugar: Substitute coconut sugar if desired Baking powder and baking soda Salt Vegan butter or coconut oil Oat milk (or almond milk) Vanilla extract Orange zest: This makes the flavor really […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This vegan scones recipe makes beautifully golden and sweet scones with no dairy! Add fruit like blueberries an easy icing drizzle.

Vegan scones

What’s better than a fresh scone on a lazy morning? For a stellar plant-based version of this popular baked good, try these Vegan Scones! They come out golden and lightly sweet, an ideal morning treat for weekends or entertaining. Like a good scone, they’re scented with vanilla and orange zest (non-negotiable, we think). And even better? They’re endlessly customizable. Add fruit like blueberries or cranberries, or drizzle with an easy powdered sugar icing. Ready to get baking?

Ingredients for vegan scones

The ingredient list for vegan scones looks just like a normal scones recipe, with the exception of 3 ingredients. There’s no egg, there’s a vegan butter substitute and a vegan milk substitute. Here’s what to have on hand:

  • All purpose flour and whole wheat flour: Adding whole wheat adds a robust flavor and a bit more golden color, which is helpful in a vegan scones recipe
  • Granulated sugar: Substitute coconut sugar if desired
  • Baking powder and baking soda
  • Salt
  • Vegan butter or coconut oil
  • Oat milk (or almond milk)
  • Vanilla extract
  • Orange zest: This makes the flavor really pop! Don’t even consider omitting it
Vegan scones

Vegan butter vs coconut oil: use either one!

You can use either vegan butter or coconut oil in this vegan scones recipe! It’s nice to have the ability to use either here, which is true with our vegan pie crust. (But with vegan biscuits, you absolutely must use vegan butter.) Here are a few notes on the two choices:

  • Coconut oil scones: Coconut oil is very easy to work with! Make sure it’s solid, which it should be at room temperature unless you live in a hot climate. Use refined coconut oil, which has a neutral flavor.
  • Vegan butter scones: We slightly preferred the texture with vegan butter for these vegan scones, but both were delicious! The exact texture and flavor that will result depends on the brand of vegan butter and what it’s made of. Check the ingredient lists and find one that is minimally processed with real food ingredients. We like Miyoko’s Vegan Butter, which is made with mostly cashews and coconut: it happens to be organic, too.

One note about texture of vegan scones

One note about the texture of this scones recipe. Vegan scones are slightly more caky than crumbly. If you want a perfectly crumbly scone, real butter is key. But our family absolutely loved these scones, so they’re still absolutely delicious. Just keep in mind, the texture is slightly less crumbly than a standard scone like our Blueberry Scones.

Vegan scones recipe

Tip: Chill time is essential!

When you’re making vegan scones, or any sort of scones for that matter, chill time is key. Why? If your dough is room temperature or warm, the scones will spread in the oven. Take it from us: we’ve tested many versions of them! There’s nothing worse than opening the oven to a melty, spread-out scone. Follow the chilling instructions in the recipe below closely to get the best shaped scones. You’ll thank us later!

Add 1-minute powdered sugar icing

These vegan scones are delicious on their own. But if you’d like, you can add an easy powdered sugar icing to take them over the top! We used our favorite quick icing that comes together in 1 minute. You can keep it white, or go pink with cranberry juice like we did (we styled it as a holiday recipe). Here’s what to know:

  • Make 1 minute icing. This Powdered Sugar Icing is so easy to mix up: it really takes 1 minute! Use oat milk instead of milk for vegan.
  • If you’d like, use cranberry juice to make a pink cranberry icing. We wanted a cranberry flavor to go with the orange zest. So we simply used 100% cranberry juice in place of the milk in the icing. It makes a beautiful vegan pink icing!
  • Top with crushed nuts or sprinkles. To make them like the photo, top with crushed pistachios. Or use whatever sort of sprinkle topping you’d like!
Vegan scones recipe

Variations: how to customize vegan scones!

This vegan scones recipe is a template recipe. The orange and vanilla scented base is perfect for customizing to whatever you’d like. Here are some great ways to customize it:

  • Vegan vlueberry scones: Add 1 cup fresh blueberries to the dough, mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar if desired. (We prefer fresh blueberries in scones: frozen melt and turn the dough purple.)
  • Lemon blueberry scones: Substitute lemon zest for the orange, and add fresh blueberries. Top with plain powdered sugar icing and lemon zest.
  • Cranberry scones: Add 1 cup dried cranberries; keep the cranberry glaze.
  • Cherry pecan scones: Add 1 cup dried cherries and 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans.
  • Chocolate chip scones: Add 1 cup dark chocolate chips.

What do you like in your scones? Let us know in the comments below.

How to store vegan scones

Last notes on this vegan scones recipe: storage! These scones are best the day of baking: let them cool to room temperature so they firm up before enjoying them. If you have some left over (which we always do), here’s how to store them:

  • Store at room temperature for 2 days: Cover them with a dry towel or place in a container with the cover ajar.
  • Refrigerated for 5 days (bring to room temperature or reheat before serving): You could refrigerate for up to 5 days, but they do become rather tough in the refrigerator. If you’d like to store them for longer, your best bet is freezing them.
  • Frozen for 3 months: Let them cool them to room temperature (un-iced), then place them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. When you’re ready to eat, leave them on the counter for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

This vegan scones recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free.

Print
Vegan scones

Easy Vegan Scones

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This vegan scones recipe makes beautifully golden and sweet scones with no dairy! Add fruit like blueberries an easy icing drizzle.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 10 tablespoons cold vegan butter (not margarine!) or solid refined coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup oat milk (or almond milk)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • Mix-ins: 1 cup fresh blueberries, dried cranberries or cherries, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, etc.
  • 1 recipe 1 Minute Powdered Sugar Icing

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Cut the vegan butter into small chunks and add to the flour. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until crumbly. 
  2. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the oat milk, vanilla and orange zest. 
  3. Pour the oat milk mixture into the center of the flour (and any mix ins, if using) and gently stir with a spatula until a crumbly dough just comes together.
  4. Turn the crumbly dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gently pat it into a large rectangle. Fold over the rectangle, placing any floury crumbles in the middle of the fold, and continue patting. If the dough is still floury, fold one more time in the same manner. Then pat into a 7” circle about 1 inch thick. The dough should be more incorporated and fairly firm at this point, try not to overwork the dough. Carefully transfer the dough round to a cutting board and chill in freezer for 6 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. After chilling, use a large knife to slice the dough into 8 pie shaped pieces. Carefully transfer the scones slices to the tray and space evenly in two rows. Lightly brush the top of the scones with a bit of oat milk, then place the tray into the freezer and freeze additional 12 minutes.
  7. After chilling, add the baking tray directly to the hot oven and bake for about 17 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
  8. Cool on a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature. If desired, once cooled make the 1 Minute Powdered Sugar Icing and spread it on top of each scone. (Here we used cranberry juice in place of the milk to make a pink icing, then topped it with crushed pistachios.)
  9. Storage info: Serve immediately; scones are best the day of baking. They keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days. You also can freeze them: cool them to room temperature, then place them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. To thaw them, leave them on the counter for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight. They’re best room temperature, but if you’d like them warmed, place in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes until warmed through.
  • Category: Baking
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Scones

Keywords: Vegan scones, Vegan scone recipe

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Instant Pot Hummus

This Instant Pot hummus is super creamy and easy to make from scratch using a pressure cooker! You’ll be hooked on the flavor. Here’s a fun trick you can whip up with your pressure cooker: Instant Pot hummus! Sure, it’s easy to buy store-bought hummus. But for the very best creamy chickpea puree: homemade hummus is where it’s at! It’s a great trick using your Instant Pot, and perfect if you whip up a big batch of chickpeas. This recipe comes straight to you from our friend Sarah Copeland’s new cookbook, Instant Family Meals: an incredible collection of beautiful recipes and genius tips for your pressure cooker. Let’s get started! Why make Instant Pot hummus? Hummus has grown from a niche food (when we were kids!) to a household staple today. Really, I don’t know what our household would do without it! We do buy our hummus often, but when we can, we like to make it at home. Which is why we love this hummus recipe from Sarah’s book! Why make Instant Pot hummus? It’s got the best flavor. Many purchased hummus brands can be overly intense and garlicky, or too bland. Homemade hummus has just the right integrity […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This Instant Pot hummus is super creamy and easy to make from scratch using a pressure cooker! You’ll be hooked on the flavor.

Instant pot hummus

Here’s a fun trick you can whip up with your pressure cooker: Instant Pot hummus! Sure, it’s easy to buy store-bought hummus. But for the very best creamy chickpea puree: homemade hummus is where it’s at! It’s a great trick using your Instant Pot, and perfect if you whip up a big batch of chickpeas. This recipe comes straight to you from our friend Sarah Copeland’s new cookbook, Instant Family Meals: an incredible collection of beautiful recipes and genius tips for your pressure cooker. Let’s get started!

Why make Instant Pot hummus?

Hummus has grown from a niche food (when we were kids!) to a household staple today. Really, I don’t know what our household would do without it! We do buy our hummus often, but when we can, we like to make it at home. Which is why we love this hummus recipe from Sarah’s book! Why make Instant Pot hummus?

  • It’s got the best flavor. Many purchased hummus brands can be overly intense and garlicky, or too bland. Homemade hummus has just the right integrity in flavor.
  • It’s cheaper! Some hummus brands can be quite expensive: homemade hummus in an Instant Pot is cheaper than buying lots of hummus tubs.
  • It’s a great use for a batch of chickpeas. If you cook up a big batch of chickpeas in your Instant Pot, what better way to use them? Use half for hummus and half for eating.
Instant pot hummus

About the book: Instant Family Meals

This recipe is from the book Instant Family Meals by our dear friend Sarah Copeland, and it truly is a masterpiece! This collection of recipes is beautifully fresh, modern and sophisticated: just like Sarah’s recipes always are. (Her other cookbooks Feast and Every Day is Saturday are both big hits in our house!)

You’ll find recipes like Sweet Potato Tacos, Eggplant Parmesan, Cacio e Pepe Risotto, and Double Chocolate Cheesecake. Yes, please! There are wholesome healthy recipes for people of every diet, including lots for vegetable-forward eaters like ourselves. Congratulations to Sarah on this new masterpiece!

Instant Family Meals

A few tips for the chickpeas

Here we’ve provided a few methods for cooking the chickpeas in this Instant Pot hummus. You can cook lots of chickpeas, or just enough for this hummus. You can also soak the chickpeas to decrease the cook time and make for more tender chickpeas.

  • Cook just enough for the hummus. In the instructions below we’ve provided instructions to cook just enough chickpeas for the hummus recipe. This is great if you’re not sure whether you’ll use the rest of the chickpeas.
  • Make 1 pound chickpeas. You can cook up to 1 pound of chickpeas at one time! If you do this, you can eat the remaining chickpeas or freeze them for up to 3 months. Go to Instant Pot Chickpeas.
  • Soak if you have time. If you have time to soak the chickpeas over night, even better! Soak 1 pound chickpeas with 8 cups water for 10 to 12 hours. Then you can reduce the cook time to 20 to 25 minutes.
Instant pot hummus

Ingredients for Instant Pot hummus

Once you’ve cooked the chickpeas, this Instant Pot hummus is a breeze to whip up! You’ll need a food processor for this task (a blender doesn’t get it smooth enough!). Here’s what you’ll need on hand:

  • Cooked chickpeas
  • Garlic
  • Tahini
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Ground coriander A fun variation on the standard cumin! we loved this
  • Kosher salt
  • Olive oil
  • Water, as needed

A bit about tahini

If you’ve never made hummus before, you’ll need a jar of tahini! Tahini is sesame seed paste that’s most famous for its use in hummus, but it’s used in lots of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipes (like lemon tahini sauce!). Since it’s simply made of sesame seeds and salt, tahini is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, Paleo, keto, and Whole 30 friendly.

If you buy a jar of tahini and aren’t sure how to use it up, we’ve got lots of ideas for you! See our top Delicious & Healthy Tahini Recipes, from hummus to cookies.

Instant pot hummus

More Instant Pot recipes

What else can you make with an Instant Pot? So many things! Alex and I originally weren’t into the pressure cooker trend…until we tried it for ourselves! Here are a few of our favorite ways to use an Instant Pot:

This Instant Pot hummus recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Instant pot hummus

Creamy Instant Pot Hummus

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1/2 cups
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This Instant Pot hummus is super creamy and easy to make from scratch using a pressure cooker! You’ll be hooked on the flavor.

Ingredients

For the chickpeas

  • 1 cup dry chickpeas*
  • Water
  • 1 pinch salt

For the Instant Pot hummus

  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 5 tablespoons lemon juice (2 medium lemons)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Water, as needed

Instructions

  1. Place the chickpeas in the Instant Pot, cover with 2 inches water, and add the kosher salt. Lock the lid and place the vent in the “Sealing” position. (If you want to cook 1 pound chickpeas at once, go to Instant Pot Chickpeas instead!)
  2. Cook on high pressure 35 minutes (unsoaked) or 25 minutes (soaked): Note that it takes about 10 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before it starts cooking. Wait while the Instant Pot cooks. (During cooking, avoid touching the metal part of the lid.)
  3. Natural release for 20 minutes: After the Instant Pot beeps, wait for another 20 minutes to let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure. (Tip: We set a timer for this part so we don’t forget!) After 20 minutes, vent any remaining steam by moving the vent to “Venting”, covering your hand with a towel or hot pad. Never put your hands or face near the vent when releasing steam. (The pressure indicator in the lid may drop on its own after 10 minutes, meaning that there is no remaining steam in the pot.)
  4. In the bowl of a food processor, add 2 cups of the cooked chickpeas. (You’ll have a few left over, which you can use for another recipe.) Add the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, coriander, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pulse until smooth, scraping the bowl occasionally. 
  5. Turn on the processor and pour in the olive oil until a smooth paste forms, then add water to get to a creamy consistency (we added 10 tablespoons). Process for 3 to 4 minutes until super creamy and smooth. Taste and add additional salt as needed. Store refrigerated for up to 4 to 5 days. 

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Instant Family Meals by Sarah Copeland, copyright © 2020. Photographs by Christopher Testani. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. 

*If you can, soak the chickpeas for 10 to 12 hours the night before. This decreases the cook time and makes for more tender beans. But you can also do it without soaking and cook longer! 

  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: Pressure Cooker

Keywords: Instant Pot hummus, hummus instant pot

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Christmas Margarita

The Christmas margarita is the best holiday drink! This brilliant cranberry spin is irresistible and perfect for festivities. Looking for a Christmas cocktail that’s fun and a little…unexpected? It’s not often that tequila features in holiday cocktails. But this one is absolutely stellar: try the Christmas Margarita! Why not bring everyone’s favorite drink to your holiday festivities? This one keeps all the character of a classic margarita and adds cranberry juice for a vibrant color and sweet tart nuance. With a garnish of fresh cranberries and rosemary, it’s holiday perfection. We created this drink especially for a virtual holiday party with our friend Sierra: it could not be more festive! What’s in a Christmas margarita? Who doesn’t love a good margarita? (No one.) This classic cocktail is one of the most iconic in the world: it was invented in the 1930’s and is even more popular today. In fact, the classic margarita is on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails. This means there’s an “official” definition of how its made: it’s just three ingredients: lime juice, Cointreau, and tequila. The Christmas margarita is a spin-off on the classic. We’ve kept all the classic ingredients and added 100% cranberry juice. […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

The Christmas margarita is the best holiday drink! This brilliant cranberry spin is irresistible and perfect for festivities.

Christmas margarita

Looking for a Christmas cocktail that’s fun and a little…unexpected? It’s not often that tequila features in holiday cocktails. But this one is absolutely stellar: try the Christmas Margarita! Why not bring everyone’s favorite drink to your holiday festivities? This one keeps all the character of a classic margarita and adds cranberry juice for a vibrant color and sweet tart nuance. With a garnish of fresh cranberries and rosemary, it’s holiday perfection. We created this drink especially for a virtual holiday party with our friend Sierra: it could not be more festive!

What’s in a Christmas margarita?

Who doesn’t love a good margarita? (No one.) This classic cocktail is one of the most iconic in the world: it was invented in the 1930’s and is even more popular today. In fact, the classic margarita is on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails. This means there’s an “official” definition of how its made: it’s just three ingredients: lime juice, Cointreau, and tequila.

The Christmas margarita is a spin-off on the classic. We’ve kept all the classic ingredients and added 100% cranberry juice. Because it’s unsweetened and very tart, we added a splash of simple syrup to balance things out. Here’s what you’ll need to make a Christmas margarita:

  • 100% cranberry juice
  • Tequila (use blanco or reposado)
  • Cointreau
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Simple syrup or maple syrup
Christmas margarita recipe

100% cranberry juice vs sweetened: what to know

When you’re shopping for the cranberry juice for your Christmas margarita, make sure to find 100% cranberry juice, which is unsweetened. You can easily find it at most grocery stores, but it’s right next to the sweetened cranberry juice. Here’s what to know for when you’re shopping:

  • Sweetened cranberry juice aka cranberry juice cocktail has added sugars and sometimes high-fructose corn syrup as sweetener. This type of cranberry juice has been available since the 1940’s for making classic cranberry cocktails like the Vodka Cranberry. However, we like using the modern 100% juice.
  • 100% cranberry juice is unsweetened and made only with cranberries: no added sugar! The benefit? The color is brighter, and you can sweeten your drink to taste.

Did you buy unsweetened? That’s ok, just don’t sweeten your drink as much. Use half of the simple syrup in the recipe below — or even add it to taste.

How to make a salt rim

Of course, a perfect Christmas margarita needs a salt rim! Why is salt used in margaritas? Salt brings out the sweet and sour flavors in the drink. Plus, it’s ultra classic. For the Christmas margarita you could also make a sugar rim if you’d like! Just use superfine or granulated sugar and follow the instructions below. Here’s how to make a salt rim:

  1. Use kosher salt or flaky sea salt (not table salt!). These types of salt are chunky and make for just the right texture on the rim. Or, you can make festive Margarita Salt!
  2. Take a lime wedge and cut a notch in the middle. Then slide it around the rim of the glass. This moistens the rim without having to use your fingers.
  3. Rim the outside edge only. Spread the salt on a plate in an even layer. Tilt the glass into the salt so that the sugar sticks to the outside edge. Shake off any loose salt into the sink.
Christmas margarita

How to make a Christmas margarita!

Once you’ve rimmed the glasses, making a Christmas margarita is very simple: all you have to do is shake the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker! Here’s what to do:

  1. Rim the glass with salt. See above!
  2. Shake in a cocktail shaker. Shake the cranberry juice, tequila, lime juice, Cointreau and simple syrup together with ice in a cocktail shaker (or use a mason jar with a lid).
  3. Strain into a glass and add ice. Strain it into a glass and serve with ice! You can also add fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary as a beautiful garnish. Speaking of ice…

Step it up with clear ice

Want to have the most beautiful look for this Christmas margarita? Look in the photos: see that beautiful crystal clear ice block that looks like it’s cut off a glacier? It’s called Clear Ice. Clear ice is artisan style ice that’s crystal clear, unlike normal ice that’s cloudy. It’s very easy to make at home: Alex created a method that we do with all of our cocktail recipes! Go to How to make clear ice.

Salt rim and clear ice

What to serve with a Christmas margarita

This Christmas margarita is ideal for holiday gatherings: especially a holiday cocktail party! We made this cocktail and our Christmas martini for a special virtual cocktail party with our friend Sierra from Eclectic Kurves. These drinks pair perfectly with nibbles and appetizers! You can make up a holiday platter with some of the ideas below:

When to serve a Christmas margarita

The Christmas margarita is ideal for holiday gatherings in the fall and winter. It works as a:

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Christmas margarita

The Christmas Margarita

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

The Christmas margarita is the best holiday drink! This brilliant cranberry spin is irresistible and perfect for festivities.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) tequila blanco or reposado**
  • 2 ounces (1/4 cup) 100% cranberry juice (not sweetened)*
  • 3/4 ounce (1 1/2 tablespoons) Cointreau
  • 3/4 ounce (1 1/2 tablespoon) fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon simple syrup or maple syrup*
  • Kosher salt or flaky sea salt, for the rim (optional)
  • Ice, for serving (try clear ice)
  • For the garnish: cranberries, rosemary sprig

Instructions

  1. Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of salt (or for a festive look, use Margarita Salt).
  2. Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Shake until cold. Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim. Fill the glass with ice, garnish with cranberries and a rosemary sprig, and serve.

Notes

*If all you can find is sweetened cranberry juice, use half the simple syrup quantity (or add to taste). 

**To make a pitcher of 8 servings, mix together in a pitcher: 1 1/2 cups tequila, 2 cups 100% unsweetened cranberry juice, 3/4 cup Cointreau, 3/4 cup lime juice, 3 tablespoons simple syrup. Add three handfuls of ice and stir until cold. Pour into individual glasses. 

  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Shaken
  • Cuisine: Cocktails

Keywords: Christmas margarita

More Christmas drinks

There are so many great cocktails to serve in the holiday season! Here are a few ideas:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes