Treats

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Raisins – (Toddler Approved!)

Happy Fall Y’all! It’s officially here, and I have a new Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe for you with Chocolate Chips and Raisins that is grain free and Toddler Approved! My Grandson, Theodore, was here yesterday when I was testing them, and he LOVES them! Look at the pictures of him enjoying one below! 🙂 These muffins are sweetened with maple syrup, have healthy olive oil in them, pumpkin, raisins, spices, and my favorite allergen free dark chocolate chips!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Raisins - Grain Free

Here is my little grandson who is 13 months old eating one. He was saying “Mmmmmm!” as he ate it!

Toddler Grandson Enjoying a Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Muffin baked by Mimi

Yup, he totally loved them!

Toddler Approved Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Raisins

Healthy muffins are great to have on hand, so I like that this recipe makes a larger batch. You can also freeze half of them.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Raisins Toddler Approved!

Pumpkin Spice Muffin - halved

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Raisins (Toddler Approved!)

Preheat your oven to 350º degrees F. Lay out two muffin pans with muffin wrappers. I like these unbleached natural baking cups. They never stick and there are no dyes in them. This recipe makes 17 muffins.

Ingredients For The Batter:

6 Pastured Eggs

1 Can of Pumpkin (I use this organic brand)

1/2 Cup of Coconut Flour

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

1/4 Cup of Pure Maple Syrup

1/2 Cup of Raisins

1/2 Cup of Dark Chocolate Chips (I use this allergen free brand that is delicious!)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves

a pinch of Nutmeg or Mace

Ingredients for the Topping:

1/3 Cup of Raisins

1/3 Cup of Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, pumpkin, olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat with a hand held electric mixer until combined. Add the coconut flour, salt, spices and baking soda, and blend for two minutes. Fold in 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips.

Scoop the batter with a muffin scoop into your prepared muffin pan. In a small bowl, mix together the raisins and chocolate chips. Then, sprinkle evenly on top of the muffins. tap very gently into the batter.

Bake in your preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the tops spring bake when touched.

Remove from the oven, and cool for five minutes, then remove from the muffin tins and cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy these delicious pumpkin spice treats, and share them with those you love! 🙂

Sam

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Raisins - Gluten Free

Grain Free Spice Cake with Dairy Free Maple Buttercream and Blackberry Swirl

Birthday Spice Cake with Vanilla Blackberry Buttercream

It was my birthday this week, and I am a self-professed cake addict! So what is a girl gone grain free to do when she misses her traditional spice cake, comes from an artisanal baking background, and wants something fancy for her birthday dessert? Well it’s been on my to do list to make a celebration cake recipe of my own for a few years now, and I finally did, with some inspiration from some of my favorite traditional baking books and my love of blackberries!

I made this cake with three layers. The recipe is written for individual layers so that you have the option to make two or three layers for your cake depending on how many servings you need. Three layers makes the cake look more impressive and serves twelve people, two layers will serve eight.

Grain Free Spice Cake with Dairy Free Maple Buttercream and Blackberry Swirl

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350º degrees F.

Grease 8″ cake pans with organic shortening, and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut into a circle to fit the pan. I do this by setting the pan on top of the parchment and drawing a circle around the outside of the pan with a pencil and then cutting out the circle.

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup of Coconut Flour

3 Pastured Eggs

1/3 Cup of Coconut Milk

1/4 Cup of Applesauce (no sugar added)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup

1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon of fine Sea Salt

1/8 Teaspoon of Cloves

1/8 Teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/2 Teaspoon of Fresh Lemon Juice (this is added at the end to activate the baking soda)

Directions:

Add the eggs and coconut milk to a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand held electric mixer. Add the remaining wet ingredients except the lemon juice, and mix with for one minute. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients in two batches to the wet ingredients, mixing for one minute after each addition. Finally, add the fresh lemon juice and mix for approximately 30 seconds. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

Cool on a wire rack for five minutes before removing the cake from the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Grain Free Birthday Cake with Vanilla Blackberry Buttercream

Blackberry Syrup

You can make the syrup up to three days in advance. But you can also make it on the day you bake the cake. It is straightforward and cools quickly.

Ingredients:

1 pint of fresh blackberries

1/4 cup of honey

pinch of salt

Directions:

Reserve seven blackberries for the top of the cake. Place the remaining blackberries, honey and pinch of salt into a small saucepan, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer the blackberries, honey and salt for ten minutes on the stove. Using a fine mesh sieve and a bowl, pour the blackberries into the sieve over the bowl, and gently press the juices into the bowl. Discard the pulp and seeds. Cool in the refrigerator or let cool at room temperature. Set aside for when you are ready to decorate the top of the cake. You will want to make sure it is completely cool before swirling in on the top of your frosting.

Dairy Free Maple Buttercream

The inspiration for this buttercream comes from Joanne Chang owner of Boston’s Flour Bakery!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of Maple Sugar

6 Egg Whites

1 1/2 Cups of Organic Shortening

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Directions:

In a medium metal mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and maple sugar. Place the pan on top of a simmering pot of water to create a double boiler. The water should be about 4 inches deep and not able to touch the bowl with the egg slurry in it. Whisk the egg and sugar occasionally for about 6 to 8 minutes until it is hot to the touch. It should be 160º degrees. I used a thermometer to test.

Pour the egg and sugar into bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, or you can use a hand-held mixer. Whip on medium-high until you get a beautiful white fluffy meringue. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the shortening to the meringue one dollop at a time (about a tablespoon) until all the shortening is incorporated into the meringue. Increase the speed back to medium, and beat for 2 to 3 additional minutes. The buttercream should be smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and continue to beat for another 1 to 2 minutes.

It you are not using the buttercream within 30 minutes, refrigerate until you are ready to do so, and then fluff it with the mixer before spreading onto the cake.

Now, get your blackberry syrup and lets frost! Your cake is cooled right?

Grain Free Birthday Spice Cake

To frost the cake. Place a dollop of frosting on your cake stand, and place the first cake round on top of it. This helps keep the cake in place. Spread frosting on the first layer out to the edges. Place the second layer on top, and repeat if you are using a third layer. Place the last layer on the cake and then with an offset spatula frost the sides of the cake as you turn the stand. Now, frost the top of the cake. After the cake is frosted the way you like it, place small spoonfuls of the blackberry syrup artfully around the cake. Make the marbled design by drawing the sharp tip of a knife through the syrup repeatedly from one side to the other and through your syrup dollops to create a marbling effect. Let your inner artist shine! 🙂 Top with the reserved blackberries. Refrigerate the cake until you are ready to serve it.

It’s time to celebrate!!!

Farmhouse Jumbo Molasses Cookies

Molasses has such an earthy, rich flavor, and it has vitamins and minerals in it unlike it’s refined sugar counterpart. I revamped this old family favorite to make it refined sugar free and grain free and bring you a bit of the old fashioned farmhouse feel. The flavor is outstanding in this soft cookie with cinnamon, ginger and cloves! I have tested it on 1-year-olds, teens, and my hubby and tweaked them four times before getting them how I wanted them.

Farmhouse Jumbo Molasses Cookies – Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free, Paleo

Here is an article about some of the benefits of blackstrap molasses from Natural Living Ideas – 10 Blackstrap Molasses Benefits That Will Convince You To Get A Jar.

Farmhouse Jumbo Molasses Cookies

Makes 7 – 8 Jumbo Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350º degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

3 Eggs

1/4 Cup of Blackstrap Molasses (I use this kind)

1/4 Cup of Pure Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup of Coconut Oil (soft but not melted)

1/2 Cup of Coconut Flour

1/2 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Cider Vinegar

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon of Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon of Cloves

4 Teaspoons of Coconut Sugar for the tops of the Cookies

Directions:

In a large bowl with a hand held electric mixer, cream together the eggs and coconut oil. Add the molasses, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy and combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients except the coconut sugar. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Add the second half of the flour mixture and beat for one minute. Add the apple cider vinegar. This will activate the baking soda. Beat for approximately 30 seconds. Set the cookie dough aside for five minutes and grab the coconut sugar. This allows the coconut flour to absorb the wet ingredients. With a large muffin sized scoop or a 1/4 cup measure, scoop balls of cookie dough onto your parchment lined cookie sheets, spacing them three inches apart. Sprinkle each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon of coconut sugar. With three fingers, gently press down on the cookies to flatten evenly. See photo below. The coconut sugar keeps the dough from sticking to your hands when you press, and it adds a nice crunch to the top.

Pressing Farmhouse Jumbo Molasses Cookies

Bake in your preheated oven for 13 to 15 Minutes just until set. If you over bake them, they will not be as moist as they could be, and who doesn’t like a moist cookie?

Farmhouse Jumbo Molasses Cookies – Gluten Free, Grain Free

Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the cookie sheets.

Farmhouse Jumbo Molasses Cookies – Dairy and Gluten Free Made with Coconut Flour

These keep at room temperature for three days, and they freeze exceptionally well!

Enjoy!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Peach Mango Sorbet

Peach Mango Sorbet - Paleo

The peaches are so good this year, and I have been finding ways to enjoy them almost every day while they are fresh and in season. One of the ways I have been eating them is by making a fresh sorbet with peaches and mango in my blender for instant sorbet. I peel and dice the fresh fruit and freeze it first. Find the full recipe below.

Peaches are packed with nutrition and soluable fiber and aid digestion. Here’s a great article on 18 Amazing Benefits of Peaches including skin health, vision, immune system and anti-aging properties. I added just 1 1/2 tablespoons of low glycemic coconut sugar to the recipe that serves three. It is important to buy organic peaches, because they are on the dirty dozen list.

Here’s the simple and delicious recipe for you to enjoy!

Peach Mango Sorbet

Ingredients:

2 Organic Peaches, Washed, Peeled, Diced and Frozen

1 Mango, Washed, Peeled, Diced and Frozen

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons of Coconut Sugar

Directions: Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender with a plunger (I used a Vitamix) and blend until thick and creamy. Serve immediately, or place the sorbet in a glass freezer dish and freeze for later. If you save it for later, remove the sorbet from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for ten to fifteen minutes to soften.

Enjoy your day!

Sandra

Grain Free Peach Cobbler

Grain Free Peach Cobbler on a Spoon

The peaches are fresh, juicy, ripe, and begging to be baked into something with cinnamon and nutmeg. There is nothing like peach season for eating peaches! They are at their most excellent and not to be missed! Peaches are sweet juicy pleasures, but they also are packed with health benefits and a broad range of nutrients!

The fiber in peaches helps keep you regular, they are rich in ascorbic acid and zinc (which also has anti-aging properties) to aid your immune system, rich in vitamin C and flavonoids for healthy skin, and contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health.

The batter for the cobbler features coconut flour, pastured eggs and natural maple syrup as the sweetener.

Grain Free Peach Cobbler

Grain Free Peach Cobbler

Preheat your oven to 350° degrees. Grease a 8″ x 8″ square pan with coconut oil.

Ingredients for Filling:

4 cups of peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced (about 4 peaches)

1/4 Cup of Maple Syrup (I used local)

2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed)

1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/8 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Toss the peaches and filling ingredients together in a bowl, and set aside to let them start releasing some of their juices.

Ingredients for Cobbler Topping:

1/3 Cup of Coconut Flour (I use this brand) scooped and leveled, it makes a big difference with coconut flour how it is measured!

1/3 Cup of Coconut Milk

2 Tablespoons of Melted Coconut Oil

3 Pastured Eggs

1/4 Cup of Applesauce (no sugar added)

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (gluten free here)

1/2 Teaspoon of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling the top before baking

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, add the eggs and beat with an electric hand mixer until frothy. Add your coconut milk and beat. Slowly pour in the melted coconut oil while beating. Add the applesauce, vanilla extract and lemon juice and blend. Sift together the coconut flour, cinnamon and baking soda. Add it to the egg mixture, and mix with the electric mixer for one minute. It will thicken.

After mixing up the cobbler topping, pour your peach filling into the prepared 8″ x 8″ square pan. Dollop the cobbler batter on top as desired and sprinkle with some additional cinnamon, about 1/4 teaspoon, no need to be perfect with this, just a pinch or so though.

Bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes. The peaches should be bubbling and the cobbler topping golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool slightly before serving warm. You can also reheat any leftover cobbler quickly in the microwave if you want to eat it warm.

Sliced Peaches in Pan for Grain Free Cobbler

Peach Cobbler Filling

Batter on Peaches for Baking a Grain Free Cobbler

Ready to Bake above.

Serves Six

Enjoy!

Sandra

*Affiliate Link – I receive a very small commission (cents) when you purchase products I recommend through my Amazon links. I use these products myself and never recommend anything I haven’t tried and use regularly. The small commission helps me keep my blog up, so if you have enjoyed my posts and recipes, I appreciate your support. You don’t pay any extra for your products. Thank you.🙂

Double Chocolate Bakery Style Cookies

Double Chocolate Cookies - Coconut Flour Baking

We talked about getting in your vegetables, which is so important to our overall health! Community and celebrations are equally important and a key factor that Octogenarians living in the Blue Zones of the world all have in common. Celebrations invariably have food, including sweet choices. Balance is key and not diving in face first into a whole batch. Believe me, I’ve been there! Think college years! I myself love a delicious treat that is full of healthier ingredients! So, here is one we enjoy here at my home that I am proud to bring to any gathering!

Double Chocolate Cookies Date Sweetened Coconut Flour

This Double Chocolate Jumbo cookie recipe is a healthier version of a coffee shop cookie, but just as delicious, with less guilt, and more benefits! I used a date paste I made myself with just pureed dates. You can easily make a batch and keep it on hand in the refrigerator, or make just enough for this recipe. It takes very little time! There are local pastured eggs in these beauties, Enjoy Life chocolate chips (here) which are dairy and soy free, raw cacao and heart healthy olive oil. Let’s bake!

Jumbo Double Chocolate Grain Free Cookies

These are perfect for a picnic or while sitting in the park waiting for the Fireworks!

Double Chocolate Jumbo Cookies with Coconut Flour

Double Chocolate Bakery Style Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350º degrees.

Date Paste Directions:

Soak 1 1/2 cups of Medjool Dates in hot water for five to ten minutes until soft. Drain and remove the pits. Blend in a blender with 1/2 cup of hot water. That’s it! Date Paste. You will use 1/2 cup in this recipe. The rest lasts a long time in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it or make just enough for these cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup of Date Paste

1/2 Cup of Olive Oil

1/3 Cup of Coconut Flour

1/4 Cup of Raw Cacao Powder (here)

2 Pastured Eggs

1 Tablespoon of Grass Fed Collagen (optional here)

1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/2 Cup of Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips (here)

Directions:

With a handheld electric mixer, cream the olive oil and date paste. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. In a separate bowl, sift together with a wire whisk the coconut flour, raw cacao powder, salt, baking soda and gelatin. Add it to the date and egg mixture, and blend thoroughly. Fold in the mini chocolate chips, then let sit for five minutes. The coconut flour will thicken up the batter. Scoop the dough onto a large parchment lined cookie sheet with a muffin sized scoop, spacing the cookies evenly into 8. Flatten slightly with a fork so the tops are even. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on the cookie sheet for ten minutes. Mmmmmm!

Enjoy your day!

Double Chocolate Cookies Grain Free and Yummy

Lemon Fig Cake

Lemon Fig Cake on a Plate

Lemon Fig Cake

Lemon Fig Cake (Coconut Flour)

Date Sweetened Lemon Fig Cake Using Coconut Flour

Yes, I love cake, and I am a healthy eater and consider myself vegetable forward. I don’t eat refined sugar anymore. I ditched it several years ago in favor of natural sweeteners like dates, honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar. After some practice and experimentation in the kitchen, and reading a lot of cookbooks on baking with alternative sweeteners, (You should see my library, seriously. Does anyone else read cookbooks like novels?) I find I prefer the natural sweetener’s flavors over the white stuff. I like options! Dates give substance to baking, are a whole food, and have a rich flavor similar to brown sugar. Honey is distinct, light, and good for neutral baking. It does have a tendency to over brown at too high of a heat. Maple syrup is very distinctive. I think everyone can picture that flavor on their tongue. It is delicious in chocolate breads and with pecans for example, and coconut sugar has an earthy flavor and is closest in texture and application to refined white sugar.

Lemon Fig Cake Grain Free

Lemon Fig Cake

So, tada………introducing Lemon Fig Cake! Don’t worry if you think you don’t like dates, they are not predominant in the cake. They just add moistness and structure to the cake and contain a ton of trace minerals, calcium and fiber. Dates are a fruit and a whole food sweetener.

Lemon Fig Cake

Ingredients:

6 Eggs (I used local)

1 Cup of Medjool Dates (Soaked and Pitted)

1/2 Cup of Coconut Flour (here)

1/2 Cup of Apple Sauce

1/2 Cup of Dried Figs, halved

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

Zest of 1 Lemon (organic)

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda (Gluten Free here)

1/2 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract (I use this kind)

1/4 Teaspoon of Fine Sea Salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350º degrees F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the dates in a bowl, and cover with very hot filtered tap water, and soak for five minutes. Halve your dried figs from stem to base and set aside. If they are extremely dry, you should soak them as well. In a food processor with a blade attachment, crack six eggs. Pit the dates after soaking and add them to the eggs. Then, process the eggs and dates until you have just little flecks of date in your batter. Add the remaining ingredients, except the figs, and process for about one minute until the batter is a smooth creamy yellow and a thick cake batter. Scrape the batter into your prepared parchment lined pan. Now, add your figs decoratively on the top, cut side up and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched with your finger. Cool on a wire rack, then remove the cake from the pan using the parchment paper as handles.

Lemon Fig Cake Batter (Grain Free)

Batter ready to bake shown above.

Servings 9

Chocolate Fudge Grain Free Brownies

Brownies that are very chocolatey, fudgy and grain free is possible! I kept coming back and experimenting with this recipe over the past several months. Initially they were more cakey than fudgy, and my favorite kind of brownie is fudgy. It is finally blog worthy! Maple syrup is the perfect addition for a chocolate dessert. It compliments the chocolate and is a natural sweetener. There is also some cooled coffee in the recipe to amp it up even further. If you are a baker, you will probably know that coffee makes chocolate taste more chocolatey. Finally, for the ultimate moist fudge flavor, I added 2 ounces of an organic 85% Dark Chocolate Bar. I would very happily make these brownies for my grain loving friends and family with confidence! Aren’t they pretty?

Chocolate Fudge Grain Free Brownies

To make this batch of brownies you will use an 8″ x 8″ square pan. It makes twelve generous brownies or nine jumbo ones.

Chocolate Fudge Grain Free Brownies

Chocolate Fudge Grain Free Brownies

Preheat your oven to 350º degrees. Line a 8″ x 8″ square baking pan with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

3 Eggs

1/2 Cup of Medjool Dates (soaked in warm water for 5 minutes then pitted)

1/3 Cup of Unsweetened Applesauce

1/4 Cup of Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

1/4 Cup of Raw Cacao Powder

1/4 Cup of Brewed Coffee (cold)

3 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour

2 ounces of Dark Chocolate, finely chopped (I used organic 85% Alter Eco Dark Blackout Bar here)

2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

Directions: Pulse the dates and eggs in a food processor, then blend until creamy, about one minute.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the 2 oz. of chocolate bar. Blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the processor twice. Add the 2 ounces of chopped chocolate and pulse a few times until evenly distributed. You want little pockets of chocolate! Scrape the batter into the prepared square pan. Let sit for ten minutes. Then pop the pan into your preheated oven, and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until just baked. When you insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies you should have moist crumbs on the toothpick. Don’t over bake.

Cool completely, then slice. Viola! Moist and Fudgy Brownies!

Chocolate Fudge Grain Free Brownies

These Chocolate Fudge Grain Free Brownies are Fudgie Perfection! Gluten Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free!

Chocolate Fudge Grain Free Brownies

Three Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Dates are a great addition to your diet! I like to throw a couple in a smoothie to add natural sweetness in whole food form or use them to make energy bites with things like nuts and berries in them. These balls are made up of raw cacao, peanut butter (or a nut or seed butter of your choice) and dates. They are healthy and satisfying! I like to pop in these super quick and easy sweet treats when I have a craving for something chewy and chocolate. The raw cacao is loaded with antioxidants and magnesium and is a natural mood elevator. Dates are full of fiber, vitamins and essential minerals and are a whole food, natural sweetener eaten for centuries. The fat in the peanut butter or nut butter of your choice is satiating, and nuts contain protein. Use a peanut butter or nut butter with no added sugar, just salt.

Three Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls – Yummy!

Three Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of Soft Medjool Dates (pits removed, if they are not soft between your fingers, soak them for five minutes in warm water)

1/3 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons of Raw Cacao Powder (like this)

6 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter (no sugar added)

Directions: Place the dates in a food processor with a blade attachment, and puree. Add in 1/3 Cup of Raw Cacao Powder and the Peanut Butter or nut butter. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed with a rubber spatula. Place the remaining two tablespoons of Raw Cacao Powder in a bowl. With a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the mixture into balls, roll them between your hands to form a round globe, and roll in cocoa powder. The balls can be stored at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or freezer depending on your preference. Pop these in when you need a healthy chocolate fix or a energy boost!

Three Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Eat Your Nutrients!

Smooth and Peachy Coconut Milk Ice Cream

When Spring is getting close and the days are lengthening, I start craving fresh fruity flavors. The beauty of freeze dried fruit is the flavor is intensified, because it is concentrated. So, it is easy to make a fruit forward ice cream or cookie off season. I really like Karen’s Naturals freeze dried fruit. They are organic and contain just fruit, no additives or preservatives. This is a pretty straight forward recipe using just a few quality ingredients to make a smooth and peachy, dairy free, ice cream that tastes fresh, even when peaches are not in season!

Smooth and Peachy Coconut Milk Ice Cream, Dairy Free, Paleo and AIP

Smooth and Peachy Coconut Milk Ice Cream

This recipe makes enough for four generous servings of ice cream. It is dairy free, gluten free and honey sweetened. The squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens the ice cream and gives it the perfect tang.

Serving Up Smooth and Peachy Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Smooth and Peachy Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Full Fat Coconut Milk

1 Bag of Just Organic Freeze Dried Peaches (here)

1/2 Cup of Quality Honey (I use local)

2 Tablespoons of Pure Vanilla Extract (use 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder for AIP)

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/8 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Directions: In a high speed blender, puree all the ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Churn in an ice cream maker. I use this one.

Enjoy! You can store leftover ice cream in the freezer. It is easy to scoop straight from the freezer because of the higher vanilla content. Have a blast of peach before peach season to celebrate the coming of Spring!

If you want to make a fresh peach ice cream that is dairy free in peach season, check out my recipe for fresh and simple peach ice cream here!

Eat Your Nutrients!