Your Plant-Based Holiday Gift Guide – Give the Gift of Clean Eating this Season!

You might think edible gifts are a holiday highlight —everyone loves a homemade batch of Christmas cookies or peppermint bark.  I am a firm believer that a gift from the kitchen can be one of the best things to receive. This holiday season, I have a few plant-based treats up my sleeve that I think your friends/family will love, no matter their level of indulgence.

Whether you opt for something sweet like our no-bake vegan brownie balls (that are nearly as pretty whatever you package them in)—or something with a bit of a kick (think: homemade pickled veggies), these edible gifts are bound to make someone’s holiday season a little brighter – and healthier! Tis the season…..

Chia Seed Jam

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3 cups Fresh Berries of choice (for holiday purposes I would recommend raspberries/strawberries) 
• ¼ cup Filtered Water
• 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 2–3 tbsp Chia Seeds
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add the berries, water, and maple syrup to a nonstick saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Try to “mash” some of the berries as you stir.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and add the Chia Seeds to the pot; mix until well incorporated, then let sit for 5-10 minutes.
3. Stir in the juice of ½ of a lemon, and transfer the mixture to a glass jar. Use as desired. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Dark Chocolate Vegan Trail Mix

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• 1 Cup Raw Almonds
• 1 Cup Raw Walnuts
• 1 Cup Cashews (I Used Roasted And Lightly Salted)
• ½ Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
• 1 Cup Dried Cherries (Or Cranberries)
• ¾ Cup Dark Chocolate Chips (I recommend using Hu Kitchen chocolate)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour coconut flakes in a small skillet on the stove. Toast over medium-low heat, until lightly golden, gently stirring often. This should only take 2 or 3 minutes. Let cool before mixing with other trail mix ingredients.
2. Place toasted coconut and all remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir to mix. Store trail mix in individual mason jars. Add a decorative holiday ribbon around the lid and you are good to go!

Plant Power Granola Bars

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1 Cup Dates, Pitted, Chopped
• 1 Cup Almonds, Roasted, Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Almond Butter, Oil-Free, Sugar-Free, Salt-Free
• 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
• 2 Tablespoons Chocolate Chips, Dairy-Free (Optional)
• 2 Tablespoons Hemp Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place oats on a baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. While that’s baking, place dates in the food processor and pulse until broken down into a dough-like consistency. 
2. Remove oats from oven and place them in a large bowl with almonds, dates, and any optional ingredients. Melt almond butter and maple syrup in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir into oat mixture bowl.
3. Line 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Add granola bar mixture into pan, pressing down to pack and flatten.
4. Cover and place in the freezer or refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to harden. Remove and slice into bars. Place bars into a decorative or holiday tin lined with parchment paper.

No-Bake Brownie Balls  (You can jokingly present these as lumps of coal) 

INGREDIENTS (makes about 10 Brownie Balls)

• 3/4 Cup Peanut Butter/Nut Butter of Choice
• 4-5 Tbsp Maple Syrup/Liquid Sweetener of Choice
• 3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 3 Tbsp Coconut Flour
• 2 Tbsp Vegan/Dark Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk together the nut butter and maple syrup in a bowl until well combined.
2. Add in the cocoa powder and coconut flour and mix again.
3. Fold in the dark chocolate chips. If at this point the mixture is too sticky to touch, cover and place in the fridge for a few minutes to harden up.
4. Scoop out tablespoons of the mixture and roll into balls with your hands. Leave in the fridge for about half an hour to set.

Homemade Pickles

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 Cup of White Vinegar (Distilled)
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 Cup of Sugar
• 2 Cucumbers – Sliced
• 1/4 Cup of Onions
• 1/4 Cup of Green Peppers
• Capers (Optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a sauce pan over medium heat place the following: Vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil.  Once the sugar has dissolved, take sauce pan off the heat. 
2. In a large bowl place cucumbers, onions, and green peppers. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetable mix in the bowl.
3. Stir for about 10 seconds - transfer to a sterile Mason Jar (24 oz.). Store in the refrigerator. Make sure to shake the jar every couple hours and leave in the fridge overnight. Pickles will be ready in 24 hours!   Good things are worth waiting for.
4. Before gifting, wrap a festive bow around each mason jar.

Vegan Snowball Macaroons

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk (Use Mostly The Creamy White Part)
• 14 Ounces Sweetened Coconut Flakes
• 1/2 Cup Almond Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• Optional: 1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

For the Aquafaba:

• 4 Tablespoons Whipped Aquafaba
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cream Of Tartar

Optional Chocolate Dip:

• 8 Ounces Dairy Free Chocolate Chips
• Coconut Oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Scoop out the creamy white part from a can of coconut milk, then add the liquid from the can as needed to measure 3/4 cup. You want mostly the cream here, but 1/4 cup of the clear liquid is fine and what I used. If it's too hard, microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften.
3. Add the coconut milk/cream to a large bowl along with the sweetened coconut flakes, almond flour, vanilla, and almond extracts and salt. Stir together with a large spoon until well combined.

For the aquafaba: this is your egg white substitute. Pour the liquid from a can of chickpeas into a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the bowl and beat with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form 3-6 minutes. Measure 4 heaping tablespoons of the stiff aquafaba and add to the coconut mixture. Stir in gently until combined.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop heaping tablespoon and form into mounds on the prepared baking sheet, placing about 1 inch apart.

Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 23-25 minutes until the top and edges are golden and toasty. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Optional Chocolate Dip: Heat chocolate chips in a small bowl in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Feel free to add a teaspoon of coconut oil into the bowl to keep the chocolate from burning. Dip the bottom of each macaroon in the chocolate, gently, using a fork as they are quite fragile. Return to the parchment-lined pan, and place in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to set for 10 minutes.