Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Blondies

Ingredients

3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons milled flax seed
1 cup creamy peanut butter

¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¾ cup rice milk, room temperature

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup strawberry preserves or jelly

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8”x8” cake pan with greased parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the milled flax seed and water and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

  

To the flax seed mixture, add the peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla.  (Tip - If you heat the peanut butter in microwave for 30-45 seconds.  It makes it much easier to work with.)  I used a spoon to combine all of my ingredients.  The batter gets a little thick so it was easier to use a spoon than a mixer.

Add the rice milk and combine thoroughly.

Sift together baking soda and flour.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  The mixture will be quite thick.

Spoon half of the batter into the lined cake pan.  I find it easiest to spread the batter with my hands since it is so thick.

Spread the preserves over the batter in the pan (as if you were spreading preserves on toast).

Spoon the remainder of the batter on top of the preserves.  Again, I found it easier to work the batter with my hands.

Bake for 22-28 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.