Peppermint Brownies and Dairy Free Lemon Coconut Bars using Young Living Essential Oils

Before this post, if you had asked me whether or not I would ever consider baking with Young Living Essential Oils, my answer would have been a flat out "no". Well, as that old saying goes, "never say never"....

 

My friend Rachel recently asked me to make Peppermint Brownies and Lemon Bars using  Young Living Essential Oils for an upcoming event she was hosting. Truth be told, I was a little hesitant, and honestly I was prepared to hate the outcome. I thought the oils would give my baked goods that fake, artificial flavor that I hate. Boy, was I wrong!

 

I am not a fan of mint and chocolate together, but I absolutely loved how the Peppermint Brownies turned out. I did a trial run before the event and my husband and I couldn't stop eating them! They were that good! Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to run out and buy a box of Andes Mints or York Peppermint Patties, but I will be baking these brownies again that's for sure.

 

I also fell in love with these Dairy Free Lemon Coconut Bars using Young Living Lemon Essential Oil. Sometimes lemon desserts just don't capture that burst of fresh lemon flavor, however adding the Young Living Lemon Essential Oil, really boosted the lemon flavor without imparting any artificial taste like you would get with a flavored extract.

 

 

 

I can now honestly say that I'm looking forward to baking and experimenting using the entire line of Young Living Essential Oils. Peppermint and Lemon are just a few of the amazing options available. I'm excited to try out the tangerine essential oil next!

 

If you're interested in finding out more about Young Living 100% therapeutic grade oils, trying out these recipes (or adding essential oils to any of your own recipes), feel free to contact Rachel Lincoln directly. Just as she did with me, she will guide you in the right direction on your Young Living journey!

 

 

 

 

Young Living Peppermint Brownies

Makes 24 brownies (one 13"x9" pan)

 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons Hershey's dark cocoa powder

11 ounces dark chocolate chopped (I use about half of a Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Bar)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

5 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

6-8 drops Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil

 

Follow the directions for "The Most Amazing Brownies" here, but after whisking in the vanilla extract, add 6 drops of Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil and whisk to combine. Taste the batter. If you like the strength of the peppermint flavor, proceed to the next step (folding in the flour mixture). If you would like a stronger peppermint flavor, add 2 more drops of essential oil and whisk to combine, then fold in the flour mixture. Continue as directed.

 

Enjoy!!

 

Store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

 

 

 

Young Living Dairy Free Lemon Coconut Bars

Makes 24 bars (one 13"x9" pan)

 

Crust Ingredients:

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut toasted (plus another 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top of the bars)

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup coconut oil, solid

 

Filling Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Zest from 2 large lemons

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 drops Young Living Lemon Essential Oil

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

 

Directions:

 

Line a 13"x9" pan with nonstick aluminum foil or spray regular aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray.

 

Preheat oven to 350f

 

Add the 1/2 cup of toasted coconut to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until finely ground.

 

Place the ground coconut in a bowl and add the flour, both sugars and salt. Whisk to combine.

 

Add the solid coconut oil and cut the oil into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until mixture looks like coarse meal. 

 

Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake for about 15 minutes or just until crust is lightly browned.

 

While the crust is baking, making the filling -

 

In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then add the lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon essential oil, sugar, flour and salt and whisk well to combine.

 

Reduce oven temp to 325F

 

When the crust is ready, pour the filling over the hot crust and bake at 325f until firm (approx. 15 minutes).

 

Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temp. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

 

Use the foil to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of toasted coconut.

 

Enjoy!

 

Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.