Egg Free, Gluten Free Pancakes

Well hello there, friends. It's been quite a while since I've posted something here. This past winter and spring (which was really just winter that lasted through the end of April... ugh!), I found myself completely immersed in the task of settling into life at home with my three young boys. Homeschooling, cleaning, preparing nutritious meals, reading, and staying sane (thank you God, Kay Arthur, and yogaglo.com) have been consuming most of my time.

BUT now the sticky notes of recipes are piling up in my kitchen! It's time to do something about them... get some of those recipes on this blog... finally.

A while back, I ran out of eggs, and wasn't picking up another dozen from my farmer for a few days... and we desperately wanted pancakes. So I created this egg free recipe and I'm so happy with it that it's become my go-to pancake recipe ever since. My boys love them. In fact, last night we ate them along with some organic chicken sausages for dinner (what kid doesn't love breakfast for dinner?). I like to smear mine with freshly ground peanut butter and my boys love drizzling them (or dousing them) with pure maple syrup.

The ingredient list seems long, but really they are easy to prepare. I find the buckwheat flour to be essential as it helps to hold the pancakes together nicely, which is especially important when you're cooking gluten free.

Egg Free, Gluten Free Pancakes

Egg replacer:
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons water

Dry ingredients:
1 cup sprouted brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or sucanat
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup + water

Preheat a pancake griddle over med-low heat.

Mix flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Set aside.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add flaxseed mixture, coconut oil (melted), honey, and vanilla. Stir.

Begin adding water slowly, up to 1 cup, and stir. The batter will thicken upon standing, so you may want to add an additional 1/2 cup water if the batter sits a while before you pour onto the griddle.

Pour about 1/4 cup batter into round circles onto the griddle. Wait until bubbles form on the top of the pancakes (about 3-5 minutes) and flip. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with 100% pure Grade B maple syrup.

Makes about a dozen pancakes.

Honey Mini Muffins (grain and sugar free)

My kids have been begging me for mini muffins lately. So this past weekend, I went out and bought a mini muffin pan, knowing full well that it would get lots of use. Bright and early Monday morning, we set out to make our first batch in our new muffin pan.

Since I've been sticking to mostly GAPS friendly ingredients lately, I decided to make these with honey. I also know that honey is the sweetener of choice for my kiddos (they ask for it at least once a day), so I knew they'd go bonkers for "honey" muffins. (They've also been reading a lot of Berenstain Bears books lately; maybe that has something to do with the honey fettish?)

These turned out so good, I knew I had to blog about them. To prove just how good these muffins are, I'll tell you that I've already made them a couple of times this week (they go that fast!). And I know they'll be requested yet again by the time the weekend rolls around.

I don't mind my kids noshing on these yummy muffins one bit; not only are they delicious, but they are also nutritious. Try them for breakfast, as a simple snack, or as a side with some soup or chili.

Honey Mini Muffins

Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 24 cup mini muffin tray with paper liners.

In a bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk all liquid ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until completely incorporated (batter will become thicker upon standing).

Pour batter into prepared mini muffin try, filling about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until tops are golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Cupcakes (with Beets)

I have young ones, and don't all young ones love cupcakes? Well, mine do at least. They've been asking me to make cupcakes for a while now, and happily, I obliged them with this healthful version of the iconic kids dessert.

This recipe brings me back to the Deceptively Delicious days, when I was putting pureed veggies into nearly everything I cooked. I'm out of that phase now, mostly because I currently don't have any babies eating pureed foods. My focus now is on getting my children to eat veggies- whole- and this proud mama must say that they are really good veggie eaters. (Of course some days they still refuse, but I keep trying!)

But with these cupcakes, there's no need to coerce anyone to eat their veggies, as you can't even tell they're in here. The beet puree lends these cakes to their nice moist consistency (and added nutritional value). As noted, you can also use a squash or pumpkin puree in its place, or a combination of any of the three, without notice to the overall taste.

Cupcakes they may be, but indulge my friends, completely guilt-free, as these babies are so good for you!

Chocolate Cupcakes (with Beets)

Wet ingredients:
1 1/4 cups beet, squash, or pumpkin puree (or a combination of these)
1 cup dates, pitted
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
4 eggs
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla


Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon stevia powder
pinch salt

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

Add all wet ingredients in the order listed in a Vitamix or other high powered blender. Blend until completely smooth.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add blended wet ingredients and stir to combine.

Pour mixture prepared muffin tin. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Let set for 15-30 minutes before eating.

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.

Blueberry Scones (gluten, dairy, and sugar free)

If you follow this blog at all, you'll have realized by now that I have this thing for scones... I love them. I adore them. I (often) dream about them... the crisp, crumbly, fall-apart-in-your-mouth feeling you get when you eat them. Scones define good coffee house atmosphere for me. Unfortunately, though, there aren't any coffee houses that I can go to to order a scone with my coffee, because coffee house scones are never gluten free (at least not the coffee houses I have been to). Hopefully this will change in the future as more and more restaurants and coffee shops are realizing the huge impact that gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivities is having on our population.

Thankfully, I love eating at home, and cooking and baking my own food. Therefore I can make gluten free scones anytime I want.

Last night the scone urge hit me again, so I started browsing the internet for a new recipe to try. I stumbled upon Jennifer Esposito's website, Jennifer's Way, where she has a host of great gluten free recipes and information in general on Celiac disease and gluten intolerance. I tried out her scone recipe, making a few changes along the way. I am really happy with the results. I know I say this way too much, but these might quite possibly be my favorite scones to date. If you like rustic scones that are just a tad sweet, I think they'll become your favorite too.


Blueberry Scones (gluten, dairy, and sugar free)

Dry ingredients:

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 coconut flour
1/2 tapioca flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:

1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup GF brown rice syrup
1/2 cup ripe mashed banana
2 tablespoons coconut oil, liquified
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia
1/2 cup blueberries (can be fresh or frozen; I used frozen)

1 tablespoon xylitol, optional

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

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk all wet ingredients (except blueberries) in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine. Add blueberries and gently stir again until a dough ball forms (you may have to use your hands).

Place dough ball onto prepared baking sheet and form into a large oval, about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with xylitol. With a wet knife, score scone dough into desired shape (I cut mine crosswise four ways to make 16 scones).

Bake 18 minutes. Remove and cut all the way through the scored dough to separate the scones, so that all sides of each scone are exposed. Put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes to crisp up all sides of the scones.

Banana Pecan Muffins (gluten, grain, and sugar free)

It's muffin mania around here lately. I've been cranking out the muffins a lot these days, as this seems to be the overwhelming breakfast request in my house. I love these muffins in particular because they are so high in fiber and protein, thanks to the coconut flour. Baking with coconut flour can be tricky, but once you get the hang of it (they require a lot of eggs to help them rise and not taste so "chalky"), you will love it for the sheer nutritional content.

This recipe only makes 6 muffins, so I usually double it to make sure we have a few leftover for snacks-on-the-go.

Banana Pecan Muffins

3 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil, liquified
2 tablespoons almond or other milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 cup coconut flour
2-3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
1/2 ripe banana
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 6 cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.

In a bowl, whisk eggs with coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla. Add baking powder, salt, coconut flour, and palm sugar. Whisk again until combined, removing as many lumps as possible. Slice banana into thin slices and add to batter, along with pecans and chocolate chips. Stir again a few times to incorporate.

Pour batter into prepared tin, filling close to the top of the liners. Bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.

Makes 6 muffins.

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.

Banana Walnut Pancakes

I've become an avid pancake maker over the last few years, since my oldest son started eating solid foods. He adores pancakes, mostly because he gets to drown them in syrup or agave, and swirl and swirl the pancake around in it, "Like it's driving on a racetrack," he explains. We usually make pancakes at least once on the weekend, when hubby is home and we get to enjoy a lazy breakfast together as a family.

And being as today is Saturday, pancakes were the requested food this morning. But I wanted to try something new, something different from my standby pancake recipe, something that would get my pancakes...

1) a little lighter
2) a little more golden
3) a little fluffier, like the gluten pancakes of my youth
4) sweet and crunchy, to make the pancake multi-dimesional

I think my recipe hits it right on on all accounts. The star ingredients: arrowroot powder, bananas, and walnuts!

I'm so happy to be adding this pancake recipe to my repertoire. I think I'll try it again next week, swapping out the bananas and walnuts for blueberries and pecans... try this recipe as is, then get you creative with the add-ins.


Banana Walnut Pancakes

1 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon Xylosweet (Xylitol)
pinch salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup almond milk, coconut milk, or cream
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 banana
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat nonstick griddle over medium-low heat.

Combine flours, flaxseed, Xylosweet, and salt in bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk eggs and add milk, water, and vanilla and whisk again. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine, getting out most of the lumps (add more milk or water if necessary to thin the batter to a pourable consistency).

Slice banana into thin slices and add to batter, along with chopped walnuts. Stir again to incorporate.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto preheated griddle and cook for 3-4 minutes, until bubbles start to appear. Flip over with a spatula and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.

Makes 8-9, 4 inch pancakes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I've been on a baking craze lately, just baking baking baking my heart out. It's definitely spurred on by the season: cooler temps, early nights, the need for warmth from my oven. Can you believe we got a bucketload of snow yesterday in Minnesota? I don't know why I'm surprised, it is Minnesota after all, the same state that has been known to have blizzards on Halloween. The snow is pretty, but I'm just not ready for it yet (mentally ready that is). Because the earlier we get snow, the longer our (already long) winters seem to be...

But enough about snow and disappointment, on to some fabulous cupcakes that will lift your spirits and put you right into that thankful Thanksgiving mode... pumpkin cupcakes! These are so fabulous not only because they taste so yummy, but also because they are chock full of healthy ingredients: coconut oil, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, almond and coconut flours... And like all of my baking recipes, these babies are sugar free, gluten free, high protein, high fiber and low carb. In other words, they are the kind of cupcakes you could eat for breakfast- guilt free. Hey that's a great idea, these would be a fun way to celebrate your Thanksgiving morning!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Wet ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut oil
4 eggs
1/3 cup agave
1/2 cup pumpkin (or butternut squash) puree
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon molasses

Dry ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each ginger, nutmeg, and cloves (or 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk eggs in a bowl. Add coconut oil, agave, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and molasses. Continue whisking until combined.

In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until fully incorporated.

Pour batter into lined muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting (recipe to follow).

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Banana Bread

I am on bananas overload at my house. I had a few this morning that were on the verge of too much ripe-ness for my liking, and they were screaming banana bread... so I dug out an old recipe that was written on a sticky note from April of this year and figured if it was good enough that I kept it, it must go up on the blog...

I followed my original recipe verbatim (which that in itself is a near miracle, I usually always change something about a recipe the second time I make it), to see if the results matched that of my first attempt, of which I wrote a note on the bottom of my recipe, "The best banana bread ever! Rivals even the best wheat flour banana bread out there!" (Have I mentioned that I have a tendency to be a bit dramatic?)

And the results at attempt #2? Well, I wouldn't change a thing and my note, right on! I might add to it though, that my recipe is gluten free, refined sugar free, low glycemic, low carb, high protein, high fiber, and high delicious-ness!!! A must-bake for your upcoming holiday gathering. (And trust me, no one will ever know it's so darn healthy!)

Banana Bread


1/2 cup coconut oil
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup almond milk or other milk
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup Xylosweet
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with coconut oil.

Melt coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add to a medium size bowl. Add eggs, vanilla, almond milk, and bananas. Beat with an electric mixer for about a minute.

In a separate bowl, mix coconut flour through cinnamon. Stir to incorporate.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix again with electric mixer until fully combined. Add chopped walnuts and stir one final time.

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let rest on a wire rack for 30-60 minutes to cool.

Slice and serve.

Apple Bread

I think my family may be getting sick of my apple creations these days, but I however, am not. Not in the slightest. I am loving them, craving them, dreaming about them, those gorgeous sweet red fruits from heaven. I picked up a whole peck at the farmer's market last weekend for $8, a steal, I should have bought two pecks, I tell myself... I am about half way through that peck now, and dreading its end. Thank goodness I have access to such amazing organic food at my local co-op year round.

This gluten free, sugar free, quick bread recipe came together rather quickly this a.m. as I was preparing brunch for my grandma. Everyone loved the bread (my three year old ate almost half the loaf in one sitting). My grandma is such a funny lady, very basic when it comes to food. She and prepared, packaged food go hand in hand. To her, a good meal is never complete without a bag of Frito Lays potato chips, a carton of sour cream, and a package of french onion soup mix (for those of you who are wondering how that all works together, you mix the soup mix into the sour cream and it is a dip for the chips...).

When my grandma comes to my house for meals, she never knows what to expect; after all, I have hardly anything packaged in my house, and never do I entertain with it! But she is always complementary. "Kelly, you are such an interesting cook," is usually what I hear, vs. "Kelly, your food is just so tasty and healthy." See the difference? I just laugh.

So my grandma doesn't get my cooking, has never heard of quinoa or kale or roasted sweet potatoes (no joke!), but that is not the point. The point is that she is in her late 80's, has survived her husband by over a year and a half, is still going strong, and I got to spend the afternoon with her. My dad says spending time with family is like spending time with Him, so how could I pass it up?

You need not have any special occasion to make this fabulous bread. The fact that you make it will be occasion enough!


Apple Bread

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1/8 teaspoon stevia powder (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup agave
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 medium apples, grated (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 7x3 or small loaf pan with coconut oil.

Mix dry ingredients in bowl. Melt coconut oil in pan over low heat if not already liquified. Add melted coconut oil to another bowl, add eggs and whisk until combined. Add agave and vanilla and whisk again. Add in dry ingredients and stir. Finally, add in grated apple and give it one final stir to ensure all ingredients are combined.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted to the center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack for about one hour before slicing.