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.

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.

Gluten Free Yeast Bread

When you're craving bread, you're craving bread. I don't have this craving often, but for some reason, I've been wanting a warm, yeasty bread to use for toast in the morning, smothered with some nut butter and fruit-sweetened jam. This bread is perfect for that (and would also be perfect for sandwiches), reminding us gluten free folks that we can have our bread and eat it too.

I use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour here. I really like this stuff as the main ingredient is chickpea flour, lending this blend to it's high fiber and protein count. I have to admit, I was a little nervous that using this blend would give the bread a "bean-y" taste, but was pleasantly surprised that this taste disappears completely once the bread is baked.

I always think that baking gluten free bread is going to be a daunting task, but time and again find that it really is very simple. If you hesitate in making this bread due to the time involved, let me encourage you that it will go faster than you think, and once you smell that delicious bread baking in the oven, your woes over time spent will vanish. In fact, a great idea is to double the recipe and make two loaves at one time. You can use one loaf for your bread needs over the first few days and with the other loaf, simply cool, slice, and freeze it in a plastic bag (with all the air sucked out) for future use. This way you will have great gluten free bread anytime the craving calls.


Gluten Free Yeast Bread

1 1/4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon palm sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (ACV)

1 cup all purpose gluten free flour blend (Bob's Red Mill is what I use)
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup arrowroot powder
2 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x4 inch baking pan with parchment paper or coat with coconut oil cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and palm sugar and stir until mixture gets bubbly. Let rest for about five minutes. Then add eggs, EVOO, and ACV. Stir again.

In a separate bowl, GF flour blend, sorghum and arrowroot flours, xanthan gum, and salt. Stir. Add yeast mixture and stir until a dough forms. Place dough into prepared baking pan, cover with a kitchen towel, and set in a warm place to rise for about an hour (until loaf doubles in size).

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest in the pan for at least 5 minutes before removing, slicing, and eating.

Pumpkin Cornbread

I've been on a blogging break lately. My world has been a bit crazy, as it turns out. In the last month, I've had my third child and moved into a new house (in that order). My dear parents and friends have been so supportive of me and my family during this time, providing us with lots of healthy, gluten free meals. I've been craving a lot of soup lately, and as it turns out, soup is a great meal to make for the new mom, especially one with a gluten sensitivity. (Check out Ali's post on nourishing the new mom for ideas on the perfect foods to feed moms during this phase of life.)

With all of these soups, stews, and chilis we've been eating lately, it's nice to have something "bready" to go along with them, so the other day I found a few minutes between nursing my newborn and chasing my toddler around the house to make this cornbread. The original recipe is one from Ali of the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen; I adapted proportions and made a few ingredient substitutions to fit what I had on hand in my pantry.

Overall, this is an excellent cornbread, getting rave reviews from my husband and four year old (in fact, I was told that it was "scrumptious" at dinner last night). And it is really easy to make, which is what I need right now during this postpartum season of life.

Pumpkin Cornbread

Dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup sweet brown rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 cup almond milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (I used a puree from a roasted pumpkin pie pumpkin, but you could use canned pumpkin if that's all you have)
1/4 cup agave
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish with coconut oil.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs through coconut oil until smooth. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Baby News

My husband and I welcomed with love our new baby, Cole Christian, into the world on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. He was born at home (planned home birth) with the help of two amazing midwifes, Kate Saumweber-Hogan and Melanie Gray. I am so in love with this new little miracle, my third son. I thank God that he is healthy and perfect.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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...

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.

Hearty, Seedy Gluten Free Bread

I was so thrilled to wake up this summer morning to rain and cooler temperatures, not that I love rain or cooler temperatures in the summer, but it gave me a prime opportunity to turn my oven on. All summer long I have been banned from this wonderful kitchen appliance because it makes our 90 year old home way too hot (we don't have central air). So it's been grill, grill, grill for us the last few months. But oh, this morning I jumped at the first cool breeze blowing through my window to make some gluten free bread that I have been craving!

I admit, I have been a addict to Elana's Pantry for a couple of years and was elated when she came out with her Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook last year. I especially fell in love with her gluten free breads. As a gluten free girl myself, bread seems to be the thing gluten-freers miss when they make the initial conversion. I don't actually crave (grain) bread anymore, but it is nice to have the option of bread- you know- for sandwiches, as toast with eggs, etc.

For this recipe, I started with Elana's Scrumptious Sandwich Bread base recipe, and added/changed a few things to come up with this hearty, seedy version. The star ingredient in this recipe- almonds- are a great nutritional start, packed with protein, fiber, and minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. Then you add the buckwheat flour, also high in protein and fiber, and the flax, pumpkin, and chia seeds, all rich sources of vital essential fatty acids and fiber, and this bread becomes your go-to Super (Wonder) Bread! Even if you are a gluten-ite, try this recipe for sheer nutritional deliciousness.

My favorite ways to eat it are toasted and topped with either goat cheese or pesto. But it does make an amazing sandwich too; use it in place of sprouted grain bread for the Ra-Kel.

Hearty, Seedy Gluten Free Bread

3/4 cup creamy almond butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend almond butter and eggs in bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Add in flax, buckwheat, arrowroot, baking soda and salt and continue mixing until smooth. Add pumpkin seeds and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into greased 7 x 3.5 inch glass baking pan (I use the Pyrex brand) and bake 40-45 minutes until slightly browned and toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool 30-60 minutes in pan before removing. Elana recommends storing the bread wrapped in a paper towel and closed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use within 5-6 days or freeze for up to 3 months.