Almond Butter Blondies | Gluten, Dairy Free + Vegan

Three posts in Three days? This past bank holiday weekend has had me wanting to grab my Macbook again, to enjoy writing and sharing my recent finds and recipes. For those who have stuck around and recognise my little face popping back up on their feeds, hello.

If you happen to follow me on Instagram, where I am far more active - some may say, too active, you'll have seen I've been busy settling into my new home, teamed with a new job and a few other stressful life situations along the way. Back in September I viewed my now home, with the offer accepted that very night. Despite being a first time buyer, sole applicant and not using any help to buy scheme - as well as the property being chain free, it still took from September to February to get the keys. However, the best things are worth waiting for. I finally received the keys on Valentines Day, dashing out of the office to collect and then back to finish the days work. Receiving the keys on Valentines Day was absolute Girl Boss vibes. 

Whilst I may have used the oven for savoury, I had only used it for baking pastries when bribing my Dad to complete DIY with me. Last night I had the urge to bake a little something, teamed with a large tub of Pip and Nut Almond Butter - Coconut, picked up the previous weekend as a little Holland and Barrett red sticker bargain. At 8pm I decided to whip up some Almond Butter Blondies, ready to treat the family. 

If you fancy giving these a go, you'll find the recipe below....you'll be NUTS to not try these.

Ingredients:

• 185g of Almond Butter (the runny kind)
• 90ml of Almond Milk
• 125g Sugar 
• 1Tsp of Vanilla Extract 
• 125g Plain Flour (gluten free, if required)
• 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
• 60g Chocolate Chips

Method: 

1. Line a 8"x8" Baking Tray with greaseproof paper and Pre-Heat your oven to 170-180C. I've made these using both square and circular tins, so don't worry if you don't have the 'perfect' tin.
2. In a bowl, mix together the almond butter, almond milk, sugar and vanilla extract.
3. Once combined, add in the baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Then follow with the plain flour. Fold your dry ingredients into the wet, until no flour shows. 
4. Your batter will now be thick, at this point if you feel it is TOO thick, add a splash of milk. This will make it easier when stirring through your chocolate chips. Remember to save some to top.
5. Once you've added your chocolate chips, press your batter into your tin. Smooth out evenly and scatter the saved chocolate chips on top.
6. Bake for around 20-25 minutes. I'm still getting to grips with timings in my new oven, I would have baked these for a little less. 18-20 minutes. 
7. Once out the oven, leave to cool for 15 minutes. I left mine to cool for the rest of the evening, before removing from the tin and storing in the fridge. This allowed me to cut cleaner/easier in the morning.

To serve, why not serve with your favourite Dairy Free Yogurt? A Drizzle of Almond Butter or Warm for a few seconds in the microwave with a fresh Cup of Coffee. 

Of Course, the beauty of this recipe is how flexible it can be made. If you prefer to not use Almond Butter, you could switch to your preferred nut butter. I imagine Cashew Butter would provide an even creamier, richer batter. Again, I used a Pip and Nut, almond butter - almond+coconut blend - which provides a subtle coconut taste. You could also switch the chocolate chips, for nuts, dried fruit or fresh berries. A White Chocolate, Coconut and Raspberry mix would be delicious. 

Will you be giving these a go? Lucy xx