Category Archives: Sweet Treats

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Sweet Treats
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Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Crisps

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Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Crisps

Yes, I’m back. It has been a while, I know. The great part about blogging is, when life happens, you can put it on hold. A lot has been happening in life right now that has kept me from finding time to blog, but it has also been keeping me from cooking. I’ve been picking up some consulting hours, managing the never-ending business of summer with two kids, as well as, preparing for some life changes in the coming year. I never want to post a recipe I am not proud of or back a product we don’t really love or find a perspective that isn’t really worth discussing. Then our farm share started up and I was forced to get creative. What do you do with a boat load of fresh strawberries that only last a day or two and a big bunch of rhubarb….dessert!

Strawberries and Rhubarb

Strawberries and Rhubarb

I love strawberry rhubarb pie. I am a sucker for the sour/sweet combo and it is a perfect light dessert for summer. However, I am a horrible piecrust maker. It is something I hope to master some day, but I just can’t get it right. Even in my pre-gluten-free days, I could never get a perfect flaky crust. Usually I just bought a premade crust from the store, but the ingredients are horrible and they don’t taste that great anyway.

Filling

Filling

Crisps or crumbles are the perfect alternative to pies. They have the same great flavors and I love having some flexibility over the crumbly topping. The combinations are endless – oats, quinoa flakes, nuts, seeds, honey, maple syrup, coconut, and beyond. They have the added simplicity of not having to make dough and roll out a piecrust.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found on the blog Pinchofyum.com. I really liked how simple the recipe is and I like the nutty topping. I made some changes based on my personal taste and texture preferences. I also altered the recipe so it could be made into “mini” crisps. I like the mini versions because they keep your serving size in check and every crisp gets its own sticky gooey border. By the way, this recipe is also grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and vegan.

Crumbles

Crumbles

My favorite part of this recipe is making the crumbly topping. I do this all using my hands, no pastry cutter or fancy tools required. After adding the dry ingredients to the bowl, simply add in the coconut oil and mix together with your hands until crumbles form.

Ready to bake!

Ready to bake!

My husband has had his share of strawberry rhubarb crisp as I developed the recipe, but he wasn’t complaining. I typically whipped up a batch after the kids went to bed and we enjoyed it together as we watched our favorite grownup shows. This will be a treat we enjoy every summer. I hope you enjoy it too.

Right out of the oven

Right out of the oven

P.S. I’ve also enjoyed a mini crisp for breakfast topped with a scoop of plain unsweetened yogurt!

Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Crisps
 
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vegan, paleo
Author:
Recipe type: sweet treats
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • Filling:
  • 1.5 cups chopped strawberries
  • 1.5 cups chopped rhubarb
  • zest from one lemon
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder (can also use cornstarch)
  • Topping:
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • ½ cup chopped pecans (or hazelnuts, walnuts)
  • 2 Tbsp coconut flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tbsp coconut oil, plus more for greasing ramekins
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Lightly grease 6 ramekins with coconut oil.
  3. Place all 6 ramekins on a baking sheet.
  4. Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a medium bowl.
  5. Evenly distribute filling into each of the 6 ramekins.
  6. In a separate bowl combine almond meal, nuts, coconut flour, and salt.
  7. Add the coconut oil and mix ingredients with hands until “crumbles form” and the oil is well distributed.
  8. Evenly distribute crumbles over filling of each ramekin.
  9. Place baking sheet with ramekins in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned.
  10. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes and enjoy as is or top with your favorite whipped cream or ice cream.

 

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Sweet Treats

Honey Lemon Chia Pudding

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Honey Lemon Chia Pudding

Chia pudding is a quick, easy, and delicious treat to whip up. If you have ever added chia seeds to a smoothie, you know that they sometimes stick to the sides of the pitcher. This is because, when wet, they form a gelatinous coating. For chia pudding, we use this to our advantage. The chia seeds do all the work. All you need are chia seeds and a liquid to make a pudding-like consistency.

Chia Pudding Close Up

Chia Pudding Close Up

As always, I like to use non-dairy milk when I can. Almond milk works perfectly for this recipe, but you can also use coconut milk or a combination of the two. I also love the combo of honey and lemon zest. I am a big fan of Meyer lemons. They have a more concentrated lemon taste and their skin and zest is super yellow. I love seeing the lemon yellow specks in my chia pudding.

Honey Lemon Chia Pudding

Honey Lemon Chia Pudding

This recipe makes about 4 full ramekins of chia pudding and they will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. This recipe is designed to serve as a base for whatever you are craving at the time. It can be used as a dessert, breakfast, or snack, and it can be dressed up with a variety of accompaniments. Adding fresh or dry fruit, nuts, seeds, or shredded coconut, can make an amazing dish. However, I can eat this chia pudding as is, right out of the fridge.  It is a healthy alternative when you are craving a sweet treat.  Enjoy!

Honey Lemon Chia Pudding
 
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Vegan, Paleo
Author:
Recipe type: Sweet Treats
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cup almond milk
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • zest from one lemon (preferably a Meyer lemon)
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup raw chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients, except the chia seeds in a bowl. Whisk until well combined.
  2. Add chia seeds and mix thoroughly.
  3. Leave bowl on the counter. Over the course of 20 minutes, whisk mixture every few minutes to avoid lumps and create an even distribution of the chia seeds. You will notice that the mixture thickens over the 20 minutes.
  4. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
  5. Divide mixture among 4-5 ramekins or other small bowls.
  6. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  7. Serve chilled as is or add toppings as desired.
  8. The chia pudding will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 

 

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Cashew Chocolate Chip Dairy-Free Ice Cream

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Cashew Chocolate Chip Dairy-Free Ice Cream

As part of my journey to eat better, I decided to remove dairy almost completely out of my diet. This was a personal choice based on what I think is best for my body and it has made a huge difference in how I feel every day. Occasionally I will have some butter or hard cheese. Unfortunately, since removing dairy, I now suffer some negative symptoms if I indulge in dairy products such as heavy cream, milk, cream cheese, and ice cream. My symptoms usually include a stomachache and acne breakout. This is a very common reaction for many who give up dairy products. Some may read this and think, maybe I shouldn’t have given up the dairy since I seemingly tolerated it well before. However, my interpretation is much different. I think, wow, my body really didn’t like all that dairy I was eating for so long.

A secondary goal I made for my family after I gave up dairy was to drastically reduce dairy in my kid’s diets as well. They eat butter, some cheese (mostly via pizza) and yogurt in their smoothies. However, they don’t drink cow’s milk (we opt for almond milk instead) and they eat coconut milk ice cream at home.

Coconut milk ice cream is becoming very popular and you can find it in most grocery stores next to the other traditional ice cream. It has a very creamy smooth texture and you can find it in a variety of flavors. It has a subtle coconutty taste, but it is very light and usually unnoticeable. My kids don’t even flinch when they eat a bowl of coconut milk ice cream or popsicle. Whether you eat dairy or not, it is a great frozen treat and, many consider, a healthier alternative.

Coconut milk ice cream found at the supermarket is great, but it is usually full of additives. Also, flavor options are more limited versus traditional cows milk ice cream. However, it is really easy to make at home using a regular ice cream maker. Unfortunately, you will need an ice cream maker to create the smooth consistency of ice cream, by forming small ice crystals rotating against an ice-cold surface. I have the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid® mixer, which works great and you don’t need a separate unit to store.

I use canned coconut milk because it is usually free of additives, except for guar gum. I prefer the brand Native Forest because it is organic, non-GMO, and the cans are BPA-free. The trick with coconut milk is avoiding separation while keeping it cool. Even at room temperature, full fat coconut milk will form a thick layer of fat on top. Although heating the coconut milk will make an even solution, it will eventually have to be cooled to freeze in the ice cream maker. My trick is to utilize a blender to prepare the coconut milk solution for the ice cream maker quickly. Also, instead of using granulated sugar, I prefer honey (not raw, minimally processed, but liquid) or maple syrup. These sweeteners are already liquid, so they don’t need heat to be incorporated into the coconut milk mixture. All you need to do is combine the coconut milk, honey/maple syrup, vanilla extract and a few ice cubes and blend until smooth. The blender will take care of any separation of the coconut milk and incorporate the sweetener. The final solution is cool and ready to go directly into the ice cream maker.

Cashews and Chocolate Chips

Cashews and Chocolate Chips

Once the coconut milk ice cream starts to solidify and is soft in the ice cream maker (about 10 minutes for the model I use), add whatever flavors you want (nuts, fruit, chocolate, nut butters, etc.). For this recipe I like salted cashews and chocolate chips. Vegan chocolate chips give a nice crunch similar to a dark chocolate and the cashews complement nicely with the vanilla/honey flavored coconut milk ice cream. However, feel free to add whatever you want.

Wax Paper Lined Loaf Pan

Wax Paper Lined Loaf Pan

One final trick I’ve used is storing homemade ice cream in metal loaf pans lined with wax paper. The loaf pans are the perfect size and the wax paper protects the ice cream from forming ice crystals.

Get creative and try coconut milk ice cream. It is so quick and easy to make at home and I promise you won’t miss the cow’s milk. Enjoy!

Cashew Chocolate Chip Dairy-Free Ice Cream
 
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Vegan, Paleo
Author:
Recipe type: Sweet Treats
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk (I prefer Native Forest brand because the cans are BPA-free)
  • ⅓ cup honey (liquefied, but minimally processed. I like Nature Nate’s brand)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 ice cubes
  • ¼ cup vegan mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand which is dairy and soy-free)
  • ½ cup chopped roasted salted cashews
Instructions
  1. In a blender combine coconut milk, honey, vanilla extract, and ice cubes.
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Add mixture to pre-chilled ice cream maker and operate per product directions.
  4. When coconut milk ice cream is solidified but soft, add the chocolate chips and cashews.
  5. Allow mixing for 1 minute so chocolate chips and cashews are evenly incorporated.
  6. Scoop ice cream out of ice cream maker into storage container, such as a wax paper lined metal loaf pan.
  7. Freeze for at least 2 hours, so the ice cream is hardened.

 

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Sweet Treats

Dairy-free Healthy Chocolate Cream Popsicles

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Dairy-free Healthy Chocolate Cream Popsicles

We are quickly approaching the dog days of summer and nothing beats the heat like a frozen treat. When my son first went gluten-free, we ate a lot of ice cream. I always felt bad that he couldn’t have all the other gluten containing treats during holidays, birthday parties or other gatherings, so his treat was the ice cream or frozen yogurt shop. However, as I began to take a closer look at my family’s nutrition, I decided to cut out a lot of dairy and replace it with plant-based alternative milks such as almond milk and coconut milk. Don’t get me wrong, we continue to visit the ice cream shop and we especially like the frozen yogurt places with their vast selection of toppings (only the gluten-free ones of course), but we swap out the dairy where we can.

One of the easiest places to swap out dairy is ice cream. I think full-fat coconut milk does a fantastic job mimicking the properties of cream. I have had great success using coconut milk in my ice cream maker (recipes coming soon) that every family member has enjoyed. There are also a variety of coconut milk based ice creams hitting the supermarket. However, an easy way to make a non-dairy frozen treat at home, is popsicles. You won’t need a fancy ice cream maker, but you will need Popsicle molds and a blender.

One of my other tricks is using gelatin. I got this idea from Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D. of The Paleo Mom. She is a great Paleo blogger and author who does a great job explaining the science behind nutrition. Gelatin serves 2 purposes in these popsicles. Gelatin chemically reduces the formation of ice crystals in the Popsicle, making a smoother consistency during freezing. Also, gelatin is a fantastic supplement to anyone’s diet. Gelatin, not Jell-o, is great for your skin, hair, muscles, and joints. It is high in protein, collagen, and essential amino acids. Adding gelatin to this Popsicle recipe is an easy way to sneak this great supplement into your kid’s diet.

You can use unflavored gelatin available at the supermarket (typically Knox brand), in packet form, but I highly recommend using a high quality gelatin. I really like Great Lakes brand beef gelatin (reddish orange container available on Amazon), which is harvested from grass fed cows.

Enjoying a popsicle

Enjoying a popsicle

This recipe is very versatile. You can easily replace the liquid ingredients with your combination of choice. My kids love chocolate, so we like to add a little chocolate to everything. Also, I use agave nectar because it is a liquid, it doesn’t have a strong flavor, and a little goes a long way. However, you can easily swap in honey or maple syrup.

I hope you cool down this summer with a healthy Popsicle!

Dairy-free Healthy Chocolate Cream Popsicles
 
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Dairy-free, Paleo, Makes 6-8 Popsicles depending on the size of the molds
Author:
Recipe type: Sweet Treats
Ingredients
  • 1 cup almond milk (preferably a brand that does not contain carrageenan)
  • 1 Tbsp unflavored gelatin
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa
  • ¼ cup agave nectar
Instructions
  1. Pour almond milk into a saucepan.
  2. Add gelatin and allow it to “bloom” for a few minutes. Meaning, the gelatin will not dissolve, but you will see it begin to turn translucent.
  3. Gently heat almond milk and gelatin just until gelatin dissolves.
  4. In a blender, add coconut milk, baking cocoa, agave nectar, and almond milk/gelatin mixture.
  5. Blend until thoroughly combined.
  6. Add mixture to Popsicle molds and freeze for 4-6 hours or overnight.

 

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Sweet Treats

Grain-free Cinnamon Sugar Fun-Dough Cookies

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Grain-free Cinnamon Sugar Fun-Dough Cookies

Being gluten-free and eating whole food, does not mean we have to take the fun out of baking.  This recipe is for the kids and the kid in all of us who love having fun with our food.  My kids love making this quick dough and rolling it around to make shapes, letters, creatures, and anything imaginary.  They especially love eating the results of their creativity.

I have fond memories of making bread sticks with my grandma.  She would always give a lump of dough to my brother and I to have fun with.  We would make fun creations and eagerly await the finished product baking in the oven.  Unfortunately, the bread my grandma makes so well no longer fits into the gluten-free world we live in.  However, I don’t want my kids to miss out on those special memories and they don’t have to.

This recipe is inspired by a bread stick recipe written by Danielle Walker of Against All Grain.  Her recipe is great and my kids love her savory bread sticks, but I wanted to make a sweet version.  I didn’t even think about the possibility of using the dough to create fun shapes until after I developed the recipe.  The dough is so easy to shape and roll, I just started making my own creations as a way to get my oldest involved in baking.  He loves sea creatures, as you can see by this lovely octopus!

Octopus Cookie

Octopus Cookie

What makes this recipe so easy is that it is grain-free.  You won’t need a whole pantry full of flours and starches to make this from scratch.  It utilizes almond flour and coconut flour, as well as, great wholesome ingredients, which are in-line with the Paleo approach to eating.  The finished product is a lightly crispy cookie, but moist, and has a graham cracker type flavor, perfect for kids.

This recipe couldn’t be easier, but a picture is worth a thousand words, so I thought I might start with a quick tutorial before giving you the printable recipe.  Here goes…

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients in a stand mixer and combine until it forms a dough and balls up on the paddle.

Step 2:  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Cut a second piece of parchment paper for rolling your dough adjacent to the baking sheet.  The second piece of parchment will be used to roll out your creations and then transfer onto the baking sheet.

Parchment and Dough

Parchment and Dough

Step 3:  Remove dough from mixer and form into one large ball.  Divide the large ball into 5 equal parts and roll each into a ball.  Each of these 5 balls can be divided into 4 smaller pieces for rolling.  In total, you will have 20 smaller pieces of dough to form.  The amount you use is totally up to what you are creating.  Sometimes I just need one piece to make a circle, but several pieces to make letters or animals.

Rolling Dough Balls

Rolling Dough Balls

Step 4:  Take a small ball of dough and roll with your finger tips until you form a pencil thick stick.  If it cracks a little, just wet your finger tips and form back into shape.  From there, be creative.  We make geometrical shapes, letters, creatures, twists and spirals.  You can be creative and let your little one make some abstract art if he or she wishes (we do that a lot too)!

Ready to bake

Ready to bake

Step 5: Once your creations are complete and transferred to the baking pan, bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies turn just slightly light brown on the edges.

Once they are cool, go ahead and let your kiddos dig into their creations!

Grain-free Cinnamon Sugar Fun-Dough Cookies
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Sweet Treats
Serves: approx. 20 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 ¼ cup almond flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp macadamia nut oil (can also use any nut oil such as walnut, almond, or vegetable oil)
  • 1 Tbsp honey (raw is best)
  • 2 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar (can also use brown sugar or sucanat)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix all the ingredients in a stand mixer and combine until it forms a dough and balls up on the paddle.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut a second piece of parchment paper for rolling your dough adjacent to the baking sheet.
  4. Remove dough from mixer and form into one large ball on the parchment paper.
  5. Divide the large ball into 5 equal parts and roll each into a ball. Each of these 5 balls can be divided into 4 smaller pieces for rolling. In total, you will have 20 smaller pieces of dough to form.
  6. Take a small ball of dough and roll with your fingertips until you form a pencil thick stick. Use the stick to make different shapes or creations.
  7. If it cracks a little, just wet your fingertips and form back into shape.
  8. Transfer finished cookie creation to the baking sheet.
  9. Once all cookies are transferred to the baking sheet, bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are light brown on the edges.
  10. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on baking pan before removing.
  11. Cookies can continue to cool on the pan.