Cherry Chocolate Chunk Mini Loaves
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup natural almond butter
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup almond milk (or your preferred vegan milk) at room temp
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling water divided
- 3/4 cup dry sweetener (any type of sugar or evaporated cane juice)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional – you can use another t vanilla)
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 oz chocolate bar chopped into 1/2 inch or so chunks
- 1 cup chopped sweet cherries (thawed if using frozen)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly spray a mini loaf pan with cooking spray. Also, boil some water in a tea kettle (no need to measure yet.)
- Put applesauce, almond butter, milk and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl. Measure out 1/3 cup boiling water and pour into the bowl with the chocolate mixture, mixing quickly with a fork to make a thick chocolate sauce. Add sugar and extracts and mix well.
- Sift about half of the flour, along with the baking soda and salt, into the chocolate mixture, and gently stir just to incorporate, then measure out 1 tablespoon of boiling water and stir again. Now add the rest of the flour mixture and another tablespoon of boiling water and stir just until smooth. Take care not to overmix. Fold in the chocolate chunks and the cherries.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pans, about 3/4 of the way.
- Bake for 26 to 28 minutes. The tops should be puffy and firm. Stick a steak knife into the center of the loaf to check for doneness. A little bit of wetness is okay since it could be from a chocolate chunk or a cherry, but the knife should come out mostly dry.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, then invert pan and place loaves on a cooling rack to cool some of the way. It’s yummy when still a bit warm, with the chocolate chunks oozy and melty. Wrap extra loaves in plastic wrap to keep from drying out. If not using within a day, refrigerate wrapped loaves.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
