Chocolate all day, errryday

It’s never too early for chocolate. Especially when there is a royal wedding to watch. Yes or yes? This chocolatey bowl of baked oats and Navitas Organics cacao powder is just what the doctor ordered on this chilly Saturday morning. Look for the dEATs on this bowl of yum below!

It’s a wee bit chilly this morning, but I’m determined to go to the Green City  Farmer’s Market this morning in Lincoln Park. While I’ve already killed one sage plant this year, I continue to retain the hope that this is the year my black thumb will turn green. Only time will tell! Stay tuned for my debacles in trying to keep a simple herb alive. How my bulldog continues to survive at life is beyond me.

Given the chill, I was yearning for something to warm me up this morning. During the week, I usually make a standard bowl of oatmeal with Quaker Oats original packets and some frozen fruit (wild blueberries are my fav), but I love that everything slows down a bit on the weekends so you can take a bit more time to indulge. Knowing that I’m headed to the Farmer’s Market and will likely pick up lots of fresh veggies & fruit, I felt a little less guilty about a chocolate indulgence for breakfast. But, this isn’t as indulgent as you may think since the chocolatey goodness comes from superfood cacao powder, carob chips and my specialty vegan chocolate sauce.

Not familiar with carob chips? Well, get familiar my friends! Also know as the “other chocolate chip”, these little bits of goodness resemble chocolate, but are vegan, dairy, nut and gluten free. Carob chips are made from the pods of the carob tree, which is in the pea family and native to the Mediterranean region. The pods are dried and ground up to make carob powder, which is then used to make carob chips. Carob has a natural sweetness and is less bitter than chocolate, but don’t expect it to be quite as rich and velvety as chocolate. Check out the additional health benefits of carob in this article from Dr. Axe, including reducing cholesterol, aiding upset stomachs and managing blood sugar.  Now, on to the cacao breakfast bake!

Cacao Breakfast Bake
Serves: 1

Ingredients:
– 1/3 C rolled oats
– 2 T almond flour
– 1 T cacao powder (like Navitas Organics)
– 1/4 tsp baking powder
– 1 T maple syrup (omit if Whole30)
– Pinch of salt
– 1/3 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
– 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
– 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 T carob chips
– Your choice of toppings (shown: strawberries, coconut flakes and vegan chocolate sauce)

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat over to 325 degrees F. Coat an individual ramekin or oven safe bowl with coconut oil or cooking spray of choice.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, almond flour, cacao powder, baking soda and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl – maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla and coconut oil. Mix until combined. Fold in the carob chips. Reserve a few for topping.

Step 3: Spoon the batter into the greased ramekin or oven-safe bowl, topping with the remaining carob chips. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on preferred thickness.

Step 4: Remove from the oven and anxiously await the cooling process – approximately 5 minutes. Enjoy with your favorite toppings!

Recipe adapted from Running with Spoons.  Enjoy this cacao breakfast bake!