Health-minded chocoholics will go crazy for these guilt-free brownies made with super clean ingredients! JUMP TO RECIPE
I confess to being a little bit obsessed with brownies – more specifically, healthy brownies. Ever since I discovered that delicious, decadent, authentic tasting brownies can be made with nutritious foods like black beans, avocados, sweet potatoes, tahini, lentils, and bananas, I’ve been on a mission to develop as many of these guilt-free recipes as I can. Sweet and Salty Chickpea Brownies are my most recent creation and they are soooo good! (You can find links to all my other healthy brownie recipes at the end of this post.) (more…)
These modern-day gingerbread men are made with coconut oil and have a soft, chewy texture with classic gingerbread flavor. JUMP TO RECIPE
Nothing gets me into the holiday spirit more than making gingerbread cookies. This year I updated my old recipe, one I’ve been using for many years, and came up with Coconut Oil Gingerbread Men. These cookies have a soft texture and classic gingerbread flavor and are so much fun to decorate. My old gingerbread men recipe calls for vegetable shortening, and in the past I used Crisco to make these cookies, but I no longer use partially hydrogenated fats (also known as trans fats) because they’ve been linked to inflammation and heart disease. A great replacement for products like Crisco is coconut oil and it can be used 1:1 so it’s an easy substitute. (more…)
A healthy, delicious, frozen treat with intense blueberry flavor. Low in calories and chock-full of antioxidants. JUMP TO RECIPE
There’s nothing earth shattering about frozen yogurt, but I’m still willing to bet that once you try 5-Minute Wild Blueberry Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, it will rock your world, and, quite possibly become your favorite summer-time treat. Why? Because not only is it delicious, and super easy to make, but it’s rich in antioxidants and has the most gorgeous, vibrant color. And if that alone doesn’t make you want to instantly whip up a batch, then consider this: each serving is less than 100 calories with only 8 grams of sugar. Compare that to the same size serving of ice cream, which clocks in at a minimum of 150 calories with 16 grams of sugar or more! And, that’s a conservative estimate – many popular brands of ice cream contain far more calories and sugar than that. (Click here to see the numbers.) If you have a nightly ice cream habit, just switching to 5-Minute Wild Blueberry Vanilla Frozen Yogurt may help you lose anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds over the course of a year. Now THAT’S earth shattering! (more…)
A healthy remake of classic chocolate pecan turtle candies. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. These little bites are sweet, chewy, chocolately, and utterly delicious! JUMP TO RECIPE
Anyone who has a sweet tooth knows that when cravings strike, they’re hard to ignore. Even those of us who aren’t “addicted to sugar” won’t pass up a sweet treat every now and then. We can blame our yearning for sweet tasting foods on our early ancestors, who evolved to crave sugar because it was a good source of energy and protection from starvation. But the amounts and forms of sugar consumed back then were quite different than what’s readily available to us today, and this has led to over-consumption and, some would argue, contributed to the obesity crisis here in the U.S. So, what’s a sugar-loving person to do? In my opinion, the worst thing you can do is deprive yourself of sweets. Instead, look for ways to reduce your sugar consumption. Read nutrition labels carefully, and as much as possible, steer clear of foods with added sugars, especially refined and artificial sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup and aspartame. And, when reaching for treats and desserts, choose ones sweetened naturally, without processed/refined ingredients. These Vegan Chocolate Turtle Bites fit the bill. They’re free of gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and are also vegan. Candy doesn’t get much healthier than this! (more…)
This moist delicious quick bread has twice the protein and fiber as most banana bread. One of the best uses ever for overripe bananas! JUMP TO RECIPE
Quick breads are no-yeast breads that can be made in a wide variety of sweet and savory flavors. These easy-to-make loaves are not only super-fast to make, as the name implies, but are a lot less finicky than bread made with yeast because you don’t need to be concerned about proofing the yeast (a process whereby you test the yeast ahead of time to make sure it’s active/alive) or whether you have the right climate for your bread to rise properly. Banana bread is by far the most popular in the quick bread category but most recipes you’ll come across call for all-purpose flour and refined sugar. This recipe for Chickpea Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is a bit healthier. It swaps out all-purpose flour for gluten-free, protein and fiber rich chickpea flour, uses coconut sugar in place of a refined sweetener, and throws in some dark chocolate chips to make it even more decadent. If you’re like me, and you stopped making banana bread once you decided to cut back on gluten and refined sugar, you can say HELLO to banana bread again! This rendition of traditional banana bread is every bit as tasty as any you’ve ever had – I promise! (more…)
A healthier version of classic shortcake biscuits made with the Italian ancient grain farro. JUMP TO RECIPE
Once the warm weather arrives here in the Boston area, one of the things I really look forward to is local strawberries. Usually by mid-June the season is in full swing and the farm stands in my neighborhood are bursting with this sweet, delicious fruit. (Botanically speaking, strawberries are actually considered fruit, not berries! Read more about this little-known fact here.) Supermarket strawberries can’t hold a candle to fresh picked, and unless you buy organic, they’re usually loaded with pesticides. So I make sure I enjoy the season while it lasts which always includes a serving or two of strawberry shortcake. This year I’m putting a twist on the classic dessert by making it with these delicious Farro Shortcake Biscuits. (more…)
A remake of traditional Scottish oatcakes. These not-too-sweet-cookies have a rustic whole grain texture and rich maple flavor. JUMP TO RECIPE
Maple Glazed Scottish Oatcakes are a perfect example of my penchant for taking classic recipes and putting my own spin on them. Oatcakes are not traditionally thought of as a sweet treat. In fact, in Scotland, where oatcakes have been a dietary staple since the 14th century, they’re eaten as an alternative to bread, often replacing toast for breakfast. But classic Scottish oatcakes look like cookies and I thought their wholesome ingredients would pair well with maple syrup to create oatcakes that could be enjoyed more as a dessert or snack. Rather than simply adding maple syrup to the oatcake batter, I decided instead to top each oatcake with a thin layer of maple glaze and then throw a pecan halve on top. These not-too-sweet cookies have a rustic whole grain texture and rich maple flavor. They’re definitely not your average oatcakes! (more…)
Rich chocolate flavor in a healthy brownie made with lentils. Lower in sugar and higher in protein and fiber than regular brownies. JUMP TO RECIPE
If I hadn’t already known that one could make delicious tasting brownies with foods like black beans, sweet potatoes, and avocados, I might have been skeptical when I first heard about lentil brownies. After all, lentils are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. Who would ever think you could use them to make rich and decadent desserts? But now that I’ve been a food blogger for a few years, I’m quite familiar with how healthy foods can be disguised in baked goods and the magic that happens when, in combination with other nutritious ingredients, they’re transformed into delicious treats – ones far better for us than their classic counterparts. If you don’t believe me, try this little experiment. Whip up a batch of Dark Chocolate Lentil Brownies and serve them to your friends, family, or guests, without disclosing that they’re made with lentils. Once you’ve watched everyone gobble them up, ask if anyone can guess what the secret ingredient is. Get ready to see some very surprised looking faces when you tell them the answer! (more…)
A single layer cake you can throw together lightening quick. Versatile enough to be served as a snack, dessert, or even breakfast! JUMP TO RECIPE
Most of us wait for special occasions to make a cake simply because cakes made from scratch are a little labor intensive, but I’m a big fan of simple, every day cakes – single layer cakes you can make at a moment’s notice that don’t require frosting or glaze and are versatile enough to be served as a snack, dessert, or even breakfast – cakes like this Gluten-Free Orange Almond Cake! It can be thrown together lightening quick with ingredients you may already have on hand and takes only about 20 minutes to bake. Now that’s my kind of cake! (more…)
“Candy is dandy” as in these easy to make dairy free chocolate treats sweetened with maple syrup. JUMP TO RECIPE
Valentine’s Day is coming up and if you love classic holiday traditions then maybe you’re planning to give your loved ones some chocolates. If so, why not earn extra bonus points and “make” instead of “buy” them. These Dairy Free Crispy Chocolate Cups are a great homemade Valentine’s gift and you can whip them up quickly without any special equipment. All you need is a handful of simple ingredients and some cupcake liners. (more…)
