Baking Tips

Below you'll find some general baking tips for making Vocoa products.

We develop and test all our products in a home/consumer convection oven with the convection fan turned off since we imagine that's what most people will have. We use consumer grade dark metal pans which are closer to glass in how they cook. Lighter metal pans do not conduct heat as well and additional time and/or slightly higher temperature may be needed if using light metal pans.

When cooking samples for events, we use light metal quarter sheet pans and a commercial convection oven. We reduce our baking time as a result, and temperature to 325 degrees.

Baking Tips

  • Always be sure to fully preheat your oven prior baking your Vocoa baking mix. Our mixes are so fast to prepare, your oven may not be fully preheated when your pan is ready to go in! We did not factor in any additional preheating time in our directions.
  • If you have any doubts about how your oven runs (hot or cool) you may want to use a thermometer to confirm that your oven has reached the desired temperature and adjust your temperature up or down as needed.

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  • Be sure to blend your ingredients thoroughly. We suggest 100 strokes since that's what our moms always told us! You want to make sure that all of the wet and dry ingredients are fully combined so that you don't get an uneven texture (a wet/raw middle with crunchy corners for example).
  • When setting your timer, make sure you start with the lower end of the suggested time range, if not sooner, until you are familiar with how our products bake in your oven.
  • Allow the product to cool for the full suggested fifteen minutes still in the pan. The product continues cooking while in the pan and the texture dramatically improves. The gluten-free flours in particular can be very sticky if you try to consume them when they're still hot.
  • When the products are done, the loaves will start to crack on the top. The brownies and cinnamon treat mix will start to pull away from the sides of the pan. A knife inserted will come out clean for the brownies. The loaves and muffins will bounce back when tapped (rather than sink/stay flat where you tapped them) when done.

 

Recipes, Variations and Add-Ins with Vocoa

Check back here regularly and follow us on Pinterest to see more plant-based recipes using Vocoa, dairy-free hot cocoa mix! We have also included some add-in and variation ideas for our Vocoa baking mixes.

Have one to share of your own? We'd love to hear from you! Tag us on social media or send us an email at info@vivealth.com.

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Mini-Lemon Muffins

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  • Wash and slice one lemon, cut away the fruit and cut the rind into smaller rectangles that will fit nicely on the mini-muffins.
  • Make Vocoa Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Loaf Mix as directed by adding plant-based milk and light tasting oil and mixing thoroughly.
  • Distribute batter evenly into mini-muffin pans (batter should make about 36 mini-muffins).
  • Place one piece of rind gently on top of the center of each mini-muffin.
  • Reduce baking time to 10 - 15 minutes (be sure to check them after 10). If a toothpick doesn't come out clean, pop them back into the oven, but be sure to check them every 1 - 2 minutes. One minute is a long time for a mini-muffin! 

Lemon Muffins with Cranberries

  • Add in: 1/4 cup of cranberries (if using canned cranberry sauce be sure to rinse off the cranberries)
  • Save about 24 cranberry pieces to put on the tops
  • Mix in the remaining cranberries into the batter after you've combined the Vocoa Lemon Loaf mix with the plant-based milk and oil.
  • Pour into two medium-sized muffin pans.
  • Place two cranberries on the top of each muffin, bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees and allow to cool as normal.

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Orange Banana Oatmeal Vocoa Cookies with Walnuts

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Ingredients

  • 2 "eggs" (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 6 tablespoons of water)
  • 3 bananas (mashed)
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of vegetable or canola oil
  • Juice from two oranges
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups of oats
  • 1 1/2 cups of flour
  • 4 tablespoons of Vocoa cocoa mix
  • 1 cup of chopped walnuts

Process

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and line baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with coconut shortening.

Step 2

Mix ground flaxseed with water. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow to thicken.

Step 3

Combine mashed bananas, sugar, oil, orange juice and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add oats. Add chilled ground flaxseed and water mixture.

Step 4

In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Mix in Vocoa cocoa mix. Add to wet mixture.

Step 5

Add chopped walnuts (optional).

Step 6

Spoon into mounds on baking sheet two inches apart.

Step 7

Bake in preheated oven until edges are firm (about 8 - 12 minutes). Transfer to cookie sheet and allow to cool.

Variations

  • If bananas are very ripe, you can use less sugar.
  • For healthier cookies, applesauce can be substituted for oil.
  • For dryer cookies, orange extract may be used instead of orange juice.
  • For chewier cookies, bake for 8-10 minutes and allow to cool on cookie sheet for 3 - 5 minutes prior to transferring to cooling rack.
  • For gluten free cookies, substitute a non-wheat flour (such as almond or rice) - just be sure to follow package directions for proper substitution ratio.

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Vocoa Mug Cake

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons rice flour (or other suitable flour that will absorb liquid, almond flour will not)
  • 2 tablespoons Vocoa cocoa mix
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon applesauce (unsweetened)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Process

Step 1

Mix baking powder with one of the other dry ingredients to improve distribution and mixing.

Step 2

Add wet ingredients to mug (applesauce, water and vanilla extract) and stir.

Step 3

Add dry ingredients (flour, cocoa mix, sugar, baking powder).

Step 4

Whisk with fork until mixture is a thick liquid.

Step 5

Heat in the microwave for 50 – 60 seconds.

Step 6

Enjoy as is, or top with garnish (such as blueberries)!

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Frosted Brownies

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Ingredients

  • Vocoa Brownies prepared as directed and cooled completely (ideally refrigerated)
  • 2 C confectioners sugar
  • 3 Tbs. oat (or other plant based) milk (use more or less if you want more drizzle or slightly thicker frosting)
  • 1 tsp. peppermint extract (or spearmint or other extract of choice!)
  • 3 drops of green food coloring (or other color of choice!) 

Process

  1. Combine ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
  2. Mix using a wooden spoon making sure food coloring mixes thoroughly.
  3. If it's too runny, add more confectioners sugar, if it's too thick, add more plant based milk...be sure to mix thoroughly first or you may inadvertently add too much sugar or plant based milk!
  4. Spread or drizzle on cooled brownies.