Banana Bread v2.0

Here is yet another delicious banana bread recipe (the recipe that inspired mine is found here). The first one banana bread recipe I posted a few years back is made with coconut flour. This one is equally as good and healthy, and gluten free of course. My kids go bananas for it (no pun intended!) and would eat all four mini loaves in one sitting if I let them (which I don't, to their utter dismay).

This recipe will make two standard 8x4 inch loaves or 4 mini loaves, which is how I make it. You can sub shredded zucchini for the bananas if you wish (I've made it both ways).

Banana Bread v2.0

Wet ingredients:

3 ripe bananas (or 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini)
4 eggs
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
20-30 drops liquid stevia

Dry ingredients:
1 cup sprouted brown rice flour
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sucanat or coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans or 4 mini loaf pans with coconut oil.

In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork until almost smooth. Add eggs and whisk. Add remaining wet ingredients and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Once mixed, add to wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add chocolate chips is using and stir once more to incorporate.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let rest in the pans for about 15 minutes before removing and slicing.

Chocolate Chip (or Raisin) Cookies- Grain Free/GAPS Option

We've been in GAPS mode for a few weeks now, after having completed the GAPS intro diet for 7 days. I'm loving this diet! It's completely free of grains and sugar, with the exception of honey, and the food on the diet is just so nourishing. My skin is loving it too. I don't think my face has ever been so soft as it was after the intro diet.

We began it as a way to jumpstart the renewing of our bodies through nutrition, to clean out our guts, and to hopefully just feel better overall. I can say that both my husband and I do feel better, lighter. For a few years now, I've been in and out of a grain-free phase and I seem to keep coming back to it time and time again. Using my body as my guide, it tells me that I do better on a meat-and-veggies-diet more than anything else, so for now, that is what I am going with.

The GAPS community is growing too. Any google search will prove that. I think more and more people are realizing the connection of nutrition and health and it is exciting to read about the amazing results people are having when they truly commit to healing their bodies through nutrition!

While the bulk of the GAPS program is bone broth-based meals, including meat and veggies, there are GAPS "legal" ways of getting to enjoy the occasional treat, such as these cookies. They are so good, it's hard to believe they are so good for you. My husband actual words were "so phenomenal" (a high praise for a no-holds-barred critic of my cooking!). So whether you are following a GAPS, grain free, paleo, primal, etc. diet or lifestyle or just want a tasty, healthy, high protein treat, these cookies are for you!

Chocolate Chip (or Raisin) Cookies- Grain Free/GAPS Option

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or raisins for GAPS option

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one extra large or two small cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate, smaller bowl, melt coconut oil and add honey. Stir. Add vanilla and stevia and stir again. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Add in chocolate chips (or raisins for GAPS option) and stir until fully incorporated.

Using you hands, shape dough into small rounds about an inch in diameter, place on prepared cookie sheets and flatten slightly with your palm. Repeat with remaining dough. You should have approximately 14 cookies.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before eating.

Zucchini Banana Bread (grain and sugar free)

I am on zucchini overload right now, as it is just flowing in from my CSA like the land of milk and honey. I love the stuff; I've been sautéing it in grass-fed butter, roasting it, grilling it, and of course, using it in zucchini bread. I've made this bread several times now, each time changing up a thing or two to get to the "perfect" consistency. And this is it!

The key to this bread is in wringing out the excess water from the shredded zucchini before adding it to the batter. Otherwise the bread becomes too soggy (although still very good) and harder to cut without it falling apart.

I'm getting back on my high protein/fiber kick, and that is where this recipe really shines. Made exclusively from blanched almond flour, it is a sure fire way of getting the muscle-building protein and digestion-pleasing fiber in, while ditching the grains altogether. And the truly amazing thing about baking with blanched almond flour is that there is no need to add xanthan gum to bind things together. For some reason, it just works without it (something very rare in gluten free baking). Some people have sensitivities to xanthan gum; I personally don't, but if you do, it's just another reason that you will love this recipe.

Zucchini Banana Bread (grain and sugar free)

Dry ingredients:

3 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup xylitol
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon powdered stevia
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:

4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 heaping cups shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 4 mini loaf pans with coconut oil cooking spray (I use Pampered Chefs stoneware mini loaf pan).

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then add milk, vanilla, and banana and stir. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.

With a paper towel, wring out the excess water from the shredded zucchini, then add to the batter and lightly stir a few more times to fully incorporate the zucchini.

Pour the batter into prepared loaf pans, lightly spreading the tops of the loafs with the back of a spoon to even out.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loafs come out clean. Cool in pans for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

The bread can be left out on the counter for the better part of a day, but thereafter wrap the loaves in a paper towel, seal in a ziplock bag, and store in the fridge.

Cinnamon Bread Mini Loaves (gluten free, sugar free)

These mini loaves are so good and baking them makes your house smell amazing. I love anything with cinnamon in it (and in fact use it on a daily basis, multiple times). There is something so grounding, so warming about this spice. It makes for the ultimate comfort food (I even put it in my chili). And it provides the main attraction for these wonderful bread loaves.

My son wanted to bake something special for his Awana teachers, Miss Jill and Miss Bonnie, so I suggested these. He thought it sounded like a great idea. So we'll be wrapping up one of these for each of his teachers and we'll enjoy one for snack time. I've made this recipe several times, the original inspiration coming from the blogsphere somewhere, I really wish I could remember where so I could give proper credit to its source, but alas it was quite some time ago and my recipe revisions are all that remain. I did, in fact, change many things from the original version, but nonetheless it always good to site back. So please forgive me this one time. :)

I bake my mini loaves in the Pampered Chef stoneware with the four mini loaf dividers. I've had this stoneware for years, getting it as a gift from my father in law back when my husband and I were newlyweds (almost 10 years ago now!), and I only started using it in the last few months since we moved. I had always been intimidated about baking in stone (don't ask me why), but now that I've baked in stone several times, I love it. It makes the best baked goods. I highly recommend stoneware for baking. In fact, I aim to add more stoneware pieces to my collection in the years ahead.

Either way you bake this, be it in stoneware or glass, you will be super impressed with this delicious, gluten and sugar free cinnamon bread.


Cinnamon Bread Mini Loaves (gluten free, sugar free)

Dry ingredients:
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup xylitol
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
1 egg
1 1/4 cups almond milk or raw cow's milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three mini bread loaf pans with coconut oil (I use the stoneware from Pampered Chef).

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk egg with milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir again to fully incorporate.

Pour batter into prepared bread loaf pans, spreading out the tops evenly.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let set about 10 minutes before slicing.

Blueberry Biscuits

Sometimes it's all about marketing, even to a five year old. This morning I was asking my kids what they wanted for breakfast and listed off several options: pancakes, eggs, smoothie, fruit... "No, no, no," they said.

"Hmmm," I replied, "How about scones?"

"No!" my five year old exclaimed back.

Well, ok, I really wanted scones. So what to do? One more option, "How about biscuits?" (that are really scones in disguise, just marketed differently.)

"YEAH!!!" they cheered.

Biscuit-like scones it is! I wasn't really in the mood for something savory, so I decided to make my biscuits just a tad sweet by making them into blueberry biscuits. At any rate, these biscuits were a hit, gobbled by the mouthful by my kids. Breakfast success! And they are so easy to make, you can whip them up in mere minutes.

If you are avoiding grains (as I often am), just replace the sorghum flour with almond flour.


Blueberry Biscuits

Dry ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1/3 cup coconut oil, liquified
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 drops liquid stevia

1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, then add remaining wet ingredients (through stevia) and whisk again to combine.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until thoroughly combined. Add in frozen blueberries and carefully stir again as to not break the blueberries up too much that they cause the mixture to turn blue.

Spoon drop biscuits onto prepared baking dish and slightly flatten the tops with your palms.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.

Makes about a dozen.

Pumpkin Bread (gluten, sugar, and dairy free)

We are overloaded with pumpkins right now: some from our CSA and some from the pumpkin patch. It seems we just couldn't resist stocking up on these lovely vegetables. Last week, I roasted a pumpkin and had the puree sitting in the fridge, waiting to be baked into something delicious.

I began scouring the internet for a gluten free pumpkin bread recipe but was unable to find one that fit the criteria of my gluten free pantry staples. I was also shocked at how much sugar the recipes I found called for: 1- 2 cups in some cases for one loaf of bread! Yikes! Needless to say, I was anxious to try my hand at my own recipe, one using a lot less sweetener (and a sugar free one at that) as well as incorporating some extra protein in for this pregnant body.

In this recipe, I state using a pumpkin puree, but to be honest, my pumpkin wasn't completely pureed... I actually used the flesh of the cooked pumpkin in the consistency it was when I scooped it out of the shell- a bit chunky. I thought at first that maybe this would impact the taste, but not at all. In fact, it gave the bread an almost rustic feel, where I noted a few chunks of cooked pumpkin in each slice. So wether you used pumpkin puree (from a can or fresh) or cooked pumpkin right out of the shell, either way will deliver a wonderfully moist pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin Bread (gluten, sugar, and dairy free)

Dry ingredients:
1 cup Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour (or use 3/4 cup brown rice or sorghum flour + 1/4 cup arrowroot or tapioca powder)
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup Xylosweet (xylitol) + 1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves)
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/4 cup water
1 cup pumpkin puree (either fresh or canned)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a bread loaf pan (I used an 8x8 size) with coconut spray.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, then add EVOO, water, and pumpkin and whisk again until fully incorporated. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir a few times until batter is completely mixed.

Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before removing and slicing.

Simple Bread (gluten, grain, and dairy free)

My inspiration for this recipe comes yet again from Elana. Gosh, I love her. Her recipes are so simple and always delicious. Since the weather has cooled, my yearning to bake has come alive. And today I just needed a really good, gluten free bread. Everyone in our house has been eating a lot of toast lately (organic, yes, but filled with gluten no less), so I've been feeling a bit left out. This morning I sought to change that by making a gluten free bread that I can indulge in just like the rest of 'em.

I used Elana's Bread 2.0 recipe as a guide, but since she bakes hers in the Magic Loaf 7.5x3.5" pan and mine is currently packed away in the storage unit, I only had access to an 8x4" pan, which means I needed to increase a few ingredient proportions to make sure this bread did not come out of the pan completely flat. I also added some extra virgin olive oil to make this bread a little more savory and moist. I am very happy with the results! My kids seemed to gobble this up too, always a sure-fire sign that a recipe is blog-worthy. I love how the top of this bread gets nice and brown, slightly crunchy to the touch, giving it a rustic, comfort food feel.

Since I've had this bread at least three different times throughout the day, I've had ample opportunities to top it off with various twists: butter and honey, jam, plain, and almond butter. Elana recommends spreading it with goat cheese, which sounds divine. You can eat it for your morning toast, make a nice sandwich out of it for lunch, or serve it alongside some soup for dinner (we ate it with our Thai Coconut Chicken Soup tonight). Very versatile, very healthy, very high in protein and fiber; simply a bread you can eat and feel really good about.


Simple Bread

Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cups almond flour
3/4 cups arrowroot powder
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
5 eggs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (ACV)
1 teaspoon agave or honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan with olive or coconut oil.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, EVOO, ACV, and agave. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Use a small silicone spatula to remove from pan. Slice and serve.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

This recipe came to me from one of my girlfriends who makes a version of these that looks divine, but unfortunately for me, is not gluten free. So I've had to adapt the recipe to fit my gluten and sugar free dietary needs. And let me tell you, these granola bars take the cake! They are so delicious!

My first batch of these were devoured for breakfasts and snacks by my family, very quickly, proving their addictiveness. Although the list of ingredients seems a little long, this recipe does, in fact, come together very quickly.

So the next time you're craving one of those packaged granola bars for a quick breakfast or snack, try whipping up a batch of these instead. In this case for sure, homemade trumps store bought by a long shot.


Coconut Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups certified gluten free rolled oats
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup raisins, dried cherries, or dried cranberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon cinnamon
pinch salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquified
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan with coconut oil.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk egg and add remaining wet ingredients. Continue whisking until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir thoroughly. Pour into prepared baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars. Let set another 30 or more minutes before indulging.

Makes 16-24 bars (depending on your size preference).

Cinnamon Honey Scones (gluten, grain, and dairy free)

I've sort of been on a scone kick as of late. I've always loved the things (see here and here for some of my other scone recipes) and with the crispness of the morning air the last week or two, these divine baked goods have been calling to me (either that or it's a random baby craving from my pregnancy... I'm really not sure). I've made these a few times and they've definitely satisfied not only my craving, but also my body with the high protein and high fiber content. My kids love to eat them spread with fruit-sweetened jam, and I think they are excellent with a dab of butter and some extra honey. Sometimes we eat them alone, but they are also a wonderful compliment to some eggs and fruit for a weekend brunch.


Cinnamon Honey Scones

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
1 egg
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 teaspoon Xylosweet
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly spray with coconut oil cooking spray).

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until combined. Form into a dough ball and place dough ball onto prepared baking sheet. With slightly wet hands, press the dough ball into an 8 inch even circle.

Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top of the scone circle. Score the scone circle into 8 even wedges.

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cut through the scored wedges to separate. Place back in oven for 2-4 more minutes to allow the edges of the scones to crisp up a bit (I like mine a little crispy).

Enjoy with fruit-sweetened jam or grass fed butter and raw honey.

Makes 8 scones.

Rustic Buckwheat Cinnamon Raisin Scones (gluten free)

I just love scones. A good, hearty, not-too-sweet, a tad crumbly, baked piece of heaven. As I mentioned in an earlier post on my strawberry scones, I used to enjoy scones every morning with a cup of coffee on my way to early morning classes in college. This recipe is probably my favorite gluten free scone version I have ever had. When I say rustic, I mean rustic, just how a good scone should be. The buckwheat flour is really what gives it that over-the-top rustic feel, along with the warming cinnamon spice and chunky bits of raisins.

And this scone recipe is not-too-sweet, seeming almost more biscuit-like than dessert-like. With only a tablespoon of agave and the raisins alone to provide the sweetness factor, it's not overpowering with sugars. Since I gave up refined sugars a year or so ago, my taste buds have become particularly sensitive to sweetness in any food. Some desserts I simply cannot eat anymore, because they are just "too" sweet for me. It's actually amazing to me that once you give up refined sugars (and decrease sweeteners of any kind, even kinds that don't raise blood sugar levels, such as stevia, xylitol, agave, etc.), your body just doesn't crave them anymore. Don't believe me? Try fasting sugars and sweeteners for at least 21 days and just see what happens (after the initial detoxing period of a week or so is over!).

I can't take the credit for this recipe. It comes from Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's cookbook. It was the first of her recipes from this book that I tried, and have made a few versions of it, trying to get my perfect version. I use a different flour blend than Amy; one of my flours of choice here is buckwheat flour. And I offer substitutions to the butter and cream if you want to keep it dairy-free. I personally like using butter in this recipe as opposed to coconut oil because I feel the butter really enhances the richness factor (but either are good). I have also tried this recipe without the xanthan gum, just to see what happens. It's still good, but definitely a lot more crumbly. I opt to keep it in.

Probably my favorite thing about these scones is the smell. You'll swear you are baking cinnamon rolls when these bad boys are in the oven!

Rustic Buckwheat Cinnamon Raisin Scones

3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder (could substitute tapioca starch)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
pinch salt
5 tablespoons chilled butter or solidified coconut oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup coconut milk beverage (such as So Delicious), almond milk, or cream
1 tablespoon agave
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
egg wash (1 egg, lightly beaten, with 1 teaspoon water added)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Xylosweet (xylitol)

Put a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. (Alternatively, you can use a baking sheet, and no need to preheat it in the oven.) Lay a 10 inch wide section of parchment paper on the counter.

In a small bowl, add the warm water and raisins.

In a food processor, add buckwheat through salt. Pulse several times to combine. Add butter or coconut oil in chunks and pulse a few more times until resembles a crumbly mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the coconut milk, agave, and vanilla. Add egg mixture to food processor and pulse a few more times until a soft dough forms. Drain raisin soaking water, add raisins to processor, and pulse a remaining few more times until raisins are coarsely chopped and blended into dough.

Form the dough into a ball and place on the piece of parchment paper. Wet your hands and gently press the dough ball into an even 8 inch circle. Score the circle into six even slices with a sharp knife. With a paint brush or silicone brush, brush the egg wash over the entire circle, making sure to get all sides coated lightly. In another small bowl, combine the cinnamon and Xylosweet, then sprinkle over the scones with a spoon.

Remove the pizza stone from the oven and place the parchment paper with the scones on top of the stone (or put the parchment paper with the scones on the baking sheet). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cut through each scored scone as to separate them completely. Place back in oven and bake for additional 3 minutes.

Let rest about five minutes before enjoying.

Makes 6 scones.

This post is a part of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays...

Banana Chocolate Pudding Pie (with Avocado)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, last week I made a version of Kelly the Spunky Coconut's Banana Chocolate Cream Pie. And is it ever good! Free of grains, sugar, and dairy, it feels so much more like a super food or power food than dessert. Truly, you can feel completely guilt-free eating this. It's light, not heavy at all, which I like in dessert-like food. Although the list of ingredients is lengthy, I believe the end result is well worth the effort of gathering them all for this recipe. I've been shaving off slices of this a few times a day... for me and my baby (well, he's not really a baby anymore, he's 16 months now, but he's my baby!). I actually love feeding this to him because he's getting doses of fruits and veggies and protein in every bite, and he thinks it's dessert!

This would also be a good dessert to serve at your Easter gathering. I mean, who doesn't love chocolate? And after a meal that's probably a bit more heavy than usual (as holiday meals tend to be), a light and delicious pudding-like pie is just the ticket to get everyone in the mood to hunt for Easter eggs (that is if you participate is such pagan festivities, right Dad?). Well, whatever it is you do on Easter, be it hunt for Easter eggs or just simply go to church and get together with family, this dessert is a great choice.

Banana Chocolate Pudding Pie (with Avocado)


Crust:

1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon flax
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Filling:

2 ripe bananas
1 ripe avocado
5 dates
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
10 drops liquid stevia
2 teaspoons chia seeds
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon Xylosweet (xylitol)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, place all ingredients in a food processor and process until coarsely mixed. Press into a 9 inch pie plate and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

For the filling, place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until completely smooth. Pour into cooled pie crust, cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for a couple of hours before slicing and serving.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

This recipe is a tribute to my dad. For years, as many as I can remember, every Sunday morning he would make a batch of muffins and he always put chocolate chips in them. It was like his trademark. And I loved it. Anything with chocolate in it, and muffins were no exception.

This morning, I was thinking about my dad's tradition of the chocolate chip muffins and decided I needed my own Sunday morning chocolate chip muffin recipe. I also wanted a naturally sweet muffin, since chocolate chips are sweet all by themselves, so I thought a banana version would be a great choice. And I love chocolate and bananas together, such a perfect combination. (I couldn't help myself when I saw Kelly of Spunky Coconut's Banana Chocolate Pie recipe last week; it looked so good I had to make it on Friday night... yummy!)

So here you go Dad. A chocolate chip muffin recipe that isn't out of a box, has tons of protein and fiber, and is just delicious. And I saved some extras for you!


Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (gluten free, dairy free, sugar free)

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
4 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut milk beverage (So Delicious), or almond milk
10 drops liquid stevia
2 tablespoons agave
2 ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon Xylosweet (xylitol), optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.

In a medium bowl, add dry ingredients and stir.

In a separate bowl, add wet ingredients and stir.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir together to combine. Add chocolate chips and stir gently to incorporate.

Pour into prepared muffin tin, filling about 3/4 of the way up. Sprinkle the tops with Xylosweet, if using.

Bake 30 minutes, until tops spring back to the touch.

Makes 12-13 muffins.

Strawberry Scones

We're somewhat regressing in our spring weather here in the north. I woke up today and it was colder than it has been the past few days. And I was just cold. So I needed the oven on, bad. I had a bowl full of beautiful organic strawberries sliced in my fridge and thought they would be delicious baked into scones. So off to scone-ville I went.

I used to eat scones all the time back when I was in college. Daily, in fact. An addiction? Quite possibly. It was my quick breakfast of choice as I was running to my early morning classes. They paired so perfectly with a cup of dark roasted coffee (also an addiction of mine in college). But since going gluten free, those days of grabbing a scone at my local bakery or coffee shop are long gone. Now when I have the craving, I have to indulge myself in my own kitchen. Not a problem, since being in my kitchen in now a new addiction of mine.

If you are not opposed to dairy, I think they would be great topped with either freshly whipped cream or grass-fed butter.

Strawberry Scones (gluten free, sugar free, dairy free)

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup sorghum or almond flour (or a combination of the two)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tapioca flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon powdered stevia (optional)
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup non-dairy milk (almond milk, hemp milk, or coconut milk beverage- such as So Delicious)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla

3/4 cup strawberries, sliced thin
1 tablespoon Xylosweet (xylitol), optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir. Add coconut oil (not melted, it's best if it's somewhat solidified) and cut in with a fork or your hands until mixture coarsely crumbles.

In a separate, smaller bowl, combine milk through vanilla and stir. Add to dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms. Add strawberries and stir gently (or use your hands) to mix until combined.

Place dough onto prepared baking sheet and, using your hands, press dough into an 8 inch circle. Using a knife, score circle into 8 even wedges. Sprinkle with Xylosweet, if using.

Bake 18-22 minutes, until a soft crust forms on the top of scones. Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing through scored wedges and serve.

Makes 8 scones.

As I was creating these, I thought they would be perfect for a Sunday morning Easter brunch. Therefore I am submitting these for the Spunky Coconut's Spunky Holiday Easter recipe roundup.

Apple Carrot Muffins

Muffin love! That's what these should be called. Every bite is full of delicious warm and cinnamonny love. I make a variety of muffins each week, as these are one of the most requested breakfast items in my house. These are so great, especially for kids, because there is a whole apple and a few carrots baked right in. They are also great because they're packable, so you can throw them in your purse, diaper bag, or backpack and you've got the perfect go-to snack when you're out and about.

Not that this needs mentioning, but reminders are always good... these are so healthy: packed with protein and fiber, very low sugar, and fruits and veggies included. No need to feel the slightest bit of guilt when eating these babies, or serving them to your loved ones (big and small). My husband is every bit as much a fan of these as are my children.

Apple Carrot Muffins
 
Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons agave
1 medium apple, shredded
2 small carrots, shredded

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch salt
1 tablespoon Xylosweet (Xylitol), optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 8 paper or silicone liners.

In a small bowl, combine wet ingredients (through agave) and whisk until fully combined.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (through salt) and stir.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir to combine. Fold in shredded apple and carrots.

Pour into prepared muffin tin, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle Xylosweet over the tops of each muffin, if using (this gives the tops a nice, golden brown crust).

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool 10-15 minutes in pan before serving.

Makes 8 muffins.

Orange Biscuits

When you're living without gluten in your life, there are certain things that you crave every once in a while from your pre-gluten free days. For most people, it's the bread-y things: scones, muffins, french rolls... I don't crave these things anymore because I have been able to come up with a gluten free alternative for almost all of it.

This recipe is a perfect example of taking something traditionally very glutenous and not only making it gluten free, but making it soar on the nutritional scale. That's why I love using almond and coconut flours so much; they are naturally gluten free and super high in protein and fiber.

I like these biscuits for breakfast every once in a while, but they would also be great served alongside a bowl of stoup or with bistro chicken salad. They are so delicious, you'll want to eat them at every meal (which I have done so far today!).

Orange Biscuits

Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
5 drops liquid stevia
half a naval orange

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 tablespoon Xylosweet (Xylitol), optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk eggs in a bowl, and add almond milk, coconut oil, and stevia. Zest the orange and squeeze its juice into wet mixture. Stir to incorporate.

In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients (through salt) together and stir.

Add dry ingredients to wet and stir again until a wet dough forms. Divide the dough in half with a spatula, then divide each half into four equal portions (for a total of eight).

Spoon one portion at a time onto baking sheet, forming it into a biscuit round. Sprinkle the tops of biscuits with Xylosweet.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.

Enjoy alone or serve with honey butter.

Makes 8 biscuits.

Sausage and Pesto Pizza Pies

This is such a fun, fun, fun recipe. My inspiration is from Kelly The Spunky Coconut's Spinach and Artichoke Pies. I tweaked her original recipe to fit with my own pantry staples and have made it several times, each time changing up the filling to whatever I happen to have on hand and whatever sounds good at the moment (ever the spontaneous cook). This filling happens to be my favorite, a classic paring of sausage and pesto, with a hint of sweet tomato.

I'm telling you though: no matter what you decide on as a filling (try my way first, then once you get the hang of it, experiment a bit), this dough will absolutely transform your gluten free life. I honestly never thought a pizza pie/calzone/pizza pocket/whatever you want to call it, was possible sans gluten. Kelly showed me that, not only is it possible, it is easy and absolutely delicious. I am overjoyed that such a traditionally glutenous meal is now part of my family's mealtime repertoire.

Please note that the chicken sausage I use here is fully cooked (either Amy's or Trader Joe's), which makes the filling come together in very short order. With two young children, I need all the shortcuts I can get. Also note that I always use chicken sausage without a pork casing, because pork is unclean (see Leviticus 11:7), not to mention just plain unhealthy (please read Holy Cow for some amazingly alarming news about swine).

Another great thing about this recipe is that it is kid-friendly. My son tells me at the dinner table the night we ate these, "Huh? Very tasty mommy." (As if he was surprised? That's a four year old, I guess.) Even my baby loved it, and ate half of one all by himself. For leftovers, I packaged each individual pizza pie in a piece of aluminum foil so that it was ready to go in our lunch the next day.

But the best part of this recipe is that it is just fun (haven't I said that already?). Do try!

Sausage and Pesto Pizza Pies

Filling:

1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion
2 chicken sausage links (such as Amy's or Trader Joe's), about 4 ounces
1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons pesto
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pizza pie dough:

2 eggs

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/3 cup almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with coconut oil.

To make the filling, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Chop onion and chicken sausages into bite size pieces and add to hot pan. Add chopped tomatoes. Saute for 5 or so minutes, until onions are translucent. Stir in pesto, turn heat down to low, and simmer until dough is ready.

To make pizza pie dough, whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Melt coconut oil and add to eggs, along with apple cider vinegar. Whisk again to combine. In a separate large bowl, add all dry ingredients and mix. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir with a large spoon until a soft dough ball forms. Divide the dough into 4-5 equal size balls.

Lay out a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Take one dough ball and place on one side of parchment paper. Fold the other side of parchment paper a top of the dough ball. Press down the dough ball with your hand, until it forms a small, even circle. Using a rolling pin, continue to roll out dough until it reaches a 6 inch size circle. Carefully peel off the top piece of parchment paper.

Using a spoon, section the filling into equal size portions, depending on how many dough balls you made. Scoop one portion of the filling onto one half of the dough ball and top with 1/4 cup mozzarella, making sure to leave a 1/4 inch border. Take the parchment paper from the bottom and use it to lift the dough not covered with filling over the top of the filling so it is completely covered, forming the pie. Gently press the edges of the pie together with your fingers.

With the parchment paper underneath, pick up the pie and carefully invert it onto the prepared baking sheet. Peel off parchment paper.

Repeat with remaining dough balls, filling, and mozzarella.

Once all pies are on the baking sheet, bake for 20-22 minutes, until pies are golden brown. Let rest on baking sheet for 10-15 minutes to allow the pie crust to solidify a bit.

Chocolate Cake (with Beets)

This cake is the real deal: chocoately, moist, fluffy, and healthy. Yes, healthy, for a number of reasons. First, there isn't a whole lot of sweetner in here, as compared with most other chocolate cakes out there. Second, it's packed with protein and fiber, thanks to almond flour. And lastly (my favorite part), there are vegetables baked right on in: beets! I recreated Jessica Seinfeld's chocolate cake recipe from her Deceptively Delicious cookbook to be both gluten and sugar free.

If you haven't read her cookbook, I encourage you to grab a copy at your local library and read about her system of keeping pureed veggies and fruits on hand all the time, allowing you to instantly blitz any recipe with nutrients. Then peruse through her fun and creative array of recipes and find a few to try using purees.

I started keeping purees on hand when my oldest was a baby, to use as baby food, and even after he was off of purees and onto solids, I would still keep purees in my freezer and add them to all sorts meals. (Four years and another baby later and you'll still find purees in my freezer!)

I use a bit of a different system than Jessica. Instead of storing purees in plastic bags in the freezer, I freeze my purees in ice cube trays; once frozen, I pop them out and store in a plastic bag, allowing me to have 2 tablespoons of any given puree at any given time (see Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Foods for this method).

This week I was cleaning my freezer and stumbled upon some pureed beets that had been in there for a while. I pulled them out to de-thaw in my fridge for a few days, not really knowing what I was going to do with them at the time. When the baking (and chocolate) urge struck later on in the week, I knew I needed a chocolate cake, so into the cake the beets went!

I do have to warn you though: when you pour the batter into the pan before baking, it will be a nice, deep pinkish color. But once it is baked and cooled, it takes on its natural dark chocolately color that we all expect from chocolate cake, allowing you to be a bit sneaky when feeding this to your kiddos and hubbies alike. I admit, I do love the element of surprise on people's faces when, after they've finished their serving, they find out it has unexpected veggies in it.

Tell me about your experience with pureed fruits and veggies and adding them "deceptively" to other dishes by leaving a comment below...


Chocolate Cake (with Beets)

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons Xylosweet
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
2 tablespoons powdered Xylosweet or sugar (optional)

Wet Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/3 cup pureed beets

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup agave

1/4 cup almond (or other) milk

5 drops liquid stevia (optional)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with coconut oil. 

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. 

Whisk eggs in a separate bowl. Add beets. Melt coconut oil and add to bowl along with the rest of the ingredients (through vanilla). 

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to incorporate, getting rid of most lumps (a few lumps are ok). 

Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle powdered Xylosweet or sugar over the top if using. 

Tastes amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Quinoa Millet Bread

I'm alive!!!

I took a blogging hiatus for a while while I was recovering from some cold/flu/sinus infection crap that hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't do a lot of cooking during this period, and really didn't do a whole lot of anything. So when I started to turn the corner late last week and feel better than I had in weeks, my kitchen was calling like a long lost friend. "Come and bake something in me," my oven beckoned to me... And like a true friend, of course, I obliged.

I've been eating a lot of soup lately to warm my body and nourish my bones. So what was I craving to go with that soup? It's perfect companion: bread. Good bread. Good gluten free bread, that is. Timing could not have been more perfect for Amy's Perfect Bread as my inspiration in creating this quinoa millet bread. Actually, this bread is really just a version of my pizza crust 2.0 (which I have been making faithfully every week for my family's Friday night pizza night, and have been so satisfied with the results!).

This bread is great alone, smothered in butter or almond butter, stuffed with cheese for the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, or sliced thick and used for french toast. Whatever your bread craving may be, this bread will be your new favorite.


Quinoa Millet Bread

Dry ingredients:

2/3 cup quinoa flour
2/3 cup millet flour
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons almond flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:

1 1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Grease a 9x5 inch pan with oil.

Mix dry ingredients in bowl.

Warm water to approximately 105 degrees in a separate small bowl . Add yeast and sugar and give it a stir. Let set about 5 minutes, until bubbles and foam start to form on the top.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, oil, and vinegar in another bowl. Once yeast mixture is foamy, add to egg mixture and stir to combine.

Add wet mixture to dry and stir until dough ball begins to form. Pour dough into prepared bread pan. Set in a warm place to rise for one hour (the dough should double in size).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let stand an additional 30-45 minutes in pan before removing and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Store in fridge for up to five days, or slice and freeze for up to three months.

This recipe is a part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays...

Mini Blueberry Muffins

I've been striking it right on with the kid-approved food lately. The other night, I made a version of Kelly The Spunkey Coconut's Spinach and Artichoke Pies, and the three of us (me and my three year old and 13 month old sons) devoured half of them for our special dinner in front of the fire. Then this morning, I made these mini blueberry muffins, and as of the time of writing this at 2:15 in the afternoon, 19 of the 24 are gone... (yes they're mini, but 19 in one day for three people? That seems like a lot!).

But it is winter, and we are stuck inside, so I guess snacking on healthy, gluten free, high protein, high fiber, no sugar mini muffins is an ok thing to do.

...Right???!!!...

I'm experimenting more and more with stevia. Dr. Mercola sites it as one of the safest sweetners available; it has no calories and no impact on blood sugar levels. Since avoiding sugar is a major health endeavor of mine and my family, stevia is definitely a good fit. However, you can't just use stevia in the same proportions as you would sugar, as it is 300 times sweeter than sugar. So you have to get a little creative. I upped the stevia amount in these muffins to 1/2 teaspoon to try and decrease the amount of brown rice syrup. I was a bit afraid that the muffins would give off that unpleasant metallic taste that sometimes occurs when using stevia, but not here. It worked beautifully (as evidenced by the number of disappearing muffins on my counter...)! If you don't have stevia or brown rice syrup, you could substitute both of those for 1/4 cup of agave nectar (as agave is sweeter than brown rice syrup).


Mini Blueberry Muffins

Dry:
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon stevia powder
pinch salt

Wet:
1 large egg
1/2 cup almond (or other) milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4-1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 24 mini muffin tin with mini paper liners or grease muffin tin with coconut oil.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg, then add almond milk through vanilla and whisk again.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredient bowl and stir a few times to incorporate.

Gently set blueberries on top of the muffin mixture and with a large spoon, carefully stir the mixture, starting from the bottom of the bowl, moving it over the blueberries until they are fairly distributed into the mixture (you want to be very slow and gradual in this step so as to keep the blueberries from turning the mixture purple).

Using a tablespoon, scoop out muffin mix and place into prepared muffin tin, coming up to the top of the paper liners.

Bake for 22-25 minutes, until muffins are golden brown on top.

Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes before indulging.

Makes 24 mini muffins.

Part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free...

Pumpkin Pie

I've always been a pumpkin pie lover. Anything pumpkin, actually. This time of year, I put it into everything: muffins, waffles, smoothies, rice dishes, cupcakes you name it. I do prefer to make my own pumpkin puree, by first slicing the pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds, and roasting it in a 375 degree oven for 1-1 1/2 hours. I then scoop out the cooked flesh and puree it in my Vitamix or food processor. But when the pumpkin craving calls and I don't have an actual baking pumpkin, I use canned pumpkin out of convenience.

I created this recipe because A) I wanted a gluten free crust for my pumpkin pie and B) I wanted to make it without the traditional evaporated milk. (I'm not much of a cow's milk fan unless it is raw, real, and straight from the cow!) This version utilizes coconut milk, which contributes to this pies incredibly rich flavor. (Please note, though, that although the flavor is rich, the pie itself is not so rich that you can only eat one piece and you're stuffed. It's actually incredibly light on the tummy.)

My crust is a variation of Elana's simple pie crust from her book Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook. I really love her cookbook and would recommend it for sure to anyone who is gluten free, but also to anyone looking to up the protein and fiber value of their everyday foods (almond flour is great for that and super tasty too).

This recipe comes just in time for you to make it for your Christmas gathering with family and friends.


Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

1 cup almond flour

3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1-2 tablespoons water

Filling:
1 can pumpkin puree (or 2 cups fresh)
1 can coconut milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons agave
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves and nutmeg, each

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, combine almond flour through salt in a bowl and stir. Add grapeseed oil and water, one tablespoon at a time. Stir until it forms a dough. Take dough and press into a 9 inch pie plate, spreading the mixture evenly in the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Turn the oven up to 425 degrees.

For the filling, combine all ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Pour into crust (the filling will come over the top of the crust, and this is fine).

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven temp down to 350 and continue baking for an additional 45-50 minutes, until the top is set. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. The top will sink a tad when cooling, but will also become more firm.