Category: Desserts

Peach Scones (Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Low Sugar, Low Carb, Paleo)

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Peach. Scones. Need I say more? Peaches just scream summer and I absolutely love getting my hands on some fresh local peaches and baking up muffins, cakes and all of the things!

This was my first attempt at baking grain free scones and they are a win! 

I’m off to Italy next week and I have a feeling my breakfasts will be filled with croissants, muffins and scones – foods I’m not typically used to eating in the morning. But guess what?! I can’t freaking wait. Bring on the chocolate croissants, the pizza and pasta and the espresso 😉

I do not have one single ounce of guilt or food fear about what I’ll be eating in Italy. I’m going to embrace indulging. But here’s the thing. My body craves eating fresh fruits and veggies, fish and quality meats. So although the indulging will definitely be in full effect, so will the healthy eating. There will be a healthy balance -my healthy balance – and I’m ready to embrace it. 

And with that said, these peach scones are definitely a healthy indulgence. In fact, the ingredients are quite simple and if you’re looking to bring the sugar content down even more, I suggest using Lakanto (my favourite sweetener). You can order it here off the PureFeast.com site. Be sure to use code – HOLISTICWELLNESS – on your first three orders over $75 to save 10%. 

Lakanto is monk fruit. It’s a no cal sweetener and does not impact blood sugar. I used a bit of maple sugar in this recipe because it adds a slightly caramel flavour, which I thought would compliment the peaches well. 

In fact, I wanted to drizzle on some homemade caramel sauce but didn’t have the time. If you’re up for adding some more deliciousness to your peach scones, try my homemade caramel sauce. Click here for the recipe. It’s the same caramel sauce I used for my pecan cookies (which are REEEE-diculously good!). If you haven’t made them yet, it’s a must try. 

OK, I’m off to pack (and eat a scone). Enjoy these treats and savour every bite. Ciao!

Peach Scones (Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Low Sugar, Low Carb, Paleo)

Paleo friendly, grain free summer peach scones
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Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword: dairy free, gluten free, grain free, low carb, low sugar, paleo
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Samantha Gladish

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, sugar, sea salt, and baking powder.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together coconut oil, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and egg. Fold the wet mixture into the dry until a dough forms. (The dough should be pliable but not crumbly or stiff; add a little more milk, a teaspoon at a time, if it's dry.) Fold the peaches into the dough.
  • Place the dough onto the lined pan and form a disk shape/circle, about 1inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges (like a pie or pizza). Move the pieces apart by approximately 1 inch. Bake for about 20-22 minutes, until golden.
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Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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Lately I’ve been experimenting with different flours, such as tigernut, cassava and soon I’ll give plantain a try. But this delicious Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Bread turned out way better than I thought! #cassavaflourforthewin 

This experimentation is due to the fact that I’ve been trying to avoid almond flour – which is my fav! On an AIP protocol, nut and seeds are not allowed, hence the swap to new flours. 

I love baking with almond flour, but almonds also came back high on my IgG Food intolerance test and so I’ve decided to cut them out, and since I’ll be going AIP in a few short weeks, it makes all the sense to begin this process now. 

A huge challenge with the AIP protocol is eliminating eggs. Not eating eggs for breakfast isn’t a big deal for me, but not being able to bake with them!? UGH! Huge challenge. And because I would normally swap eggs for a flax egg, this is not do-able on AIP. 

So, because I’m not on the AIP plan fully as of yet, I’ve kept eggs in this recipe. I tried baking with a ‘gelatin’ egg the other day and well… it did NOT turn out as expected. Not every recipe I make is a hit. There are epic fails around here!

I love cassava flour for a number of reasons, including:

  • it is free from inflammatory proteins
  • it is a good source of resistant starch, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut
  • it’s totally grain- and gluten-free
  • it contains minerals like calcium, manganese, and iron
  • it’s a great source of fiber

What I especially love about it is that you can can use a 1:1 measure with most traditional white flour recipes. That’s a HUGE win as swapping flours in recipes isn’t always an easy thing to do. 

This banana bread was a little denser but-oh-so-delicious. I’m officially a fan of baking with cassava flour and can’t wait to create more recipes with it. 

Oh! and if you want to take this recipe up a whole other level, use it to make french toast. Like for REALS! Dip the slices in some whisked egg and add to your pan coated with coconut oil and watch the magic happen. If you’ve never had Banana bread french toast before you are missing out!

It’s seriously epic and if you’ve got kiddos in the house, they will literally start to worship you. You’ll become the breakfast goddess – no joke! 

Ok, onto the goods! Enjoy 🙂 

Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Hearty and moist Cassava Flour Banana Bread that is completely Paleo approved! This delicious loaf is free of added sugars and if dairy free, gluten free and grain free.
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Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
1 hr 25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
1 hr 25 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 overripe medium bananas
  2. 3 large eggs
  3. 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used the carton)
  4. 2 tbsp coconut oil melted and cooled
  5. 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  6. 1 1/2 cups Cassava Flour
  7. 1 tsp baking soda
  8. pinch sea salt
  9. 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  10. 1/2 -1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a standard loaf pan (8.5x4.5 or 9x5) by coating with coconut oil.
  2. In a food processor, blend together bananas and eggs.
  3. Add in coconut milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and incorporated.
  4. Add in cassava flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Blend until well incorporated and smooth.
  5. Add in chocolate chips, gently pulse until mixed into batter then pour into prepared loaf pan. Batter will be slightly thick. Smooth out the top, and bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mainly clean (crumbs are okay.) Alternatively, I also baked this at 375F for 50-55 mins. Totally your call.
  6. Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, gently cut around edges of the bread to remove from the pan.
  7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then slice and serve!
Notes
  1. *Feel free to add in chopped nuts or seeds or even dried fruit.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Cacao Coconut Almond Butter Cups (Keto, High Fat & Sugar Free)

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I’ve been obsessed with making fat bombs. Mainly because I love spending time recipe creating, but also because I want to be able to enjoy something sweet every now and again without a boat load of sugar. 

Enter these fat bombs. 

They are high fat and sugar free. Now of course, you can always add in more sweetness if you like as cacao can be slightly bitter, but I much prefer them without the sweetness and the extra guilt. 

Not to mention the insane cravings that start to follow once you consume too much sugar. Ever notice that? You go sugar free or low carb for a while and then – BAM – one bite of a sweet cake or cookie or piece of bread and your cravings come back full force?

It’s normal. Sugar triggers pleasure receptors in your brain, which cause you to want more and more and more. 

This is why I like to keep my sugar intake very low and my fat intake high. It keeps my sugar cravings at bay, it helps to balance my blood sugar, it keeps my brain fuelled and it provides me with lots of energy. Plus, fat is incredibly important for hormonal health. 

Fats are structural components of some of the most important substances in the body, including prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that regulate many of the body’s functions.

You need fats because they regulate the production of sex hormones, which can often be the reason why some teenage girls and women in general can experience amenorrhea (no period). 

So if you’ve been hesitant about including fats in your diet, don’t be. Just be sure to choose the right kinds, such as: coconut oil, ghee, grass fed butter, animal fats (ideally from organic, grass fed, pasture raised animals), olive oil, avocado oil and avocado. 

I hope you enjoy these yummy fat bombs as much as we do. We keep a bunch in the freezer all the time for a quick grab and go snack or treat. I originally made these for my trip out to Banff. I wanted to have something healthy and high fat to fuel me while on the plane. 

Originally, I made these without the almond butter and they were great, though a little more on the bitter side. As a note – the almond butter does mean they will melt quicker, so just an FYI if you do plan on traveling with them.

I also used my new silicon molds which I’m obsessed with. They are amazing for baking as nothing sticks to them, plus they are reusable.

You can click here to get them on amazon. I also got the mini silicon baking molds. These were great for my Chocolate Cherry Fat Bombs. 

I highly recommend them for all your baking necessities 🙂 Enjoy and happy baking!

 

Cacao Coconut Almond Butter Cups (Keto, High Fat & Sugar Free)
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Ingredients
  1. 3 tbsp raw cacao powder
  2. 3/4 cup cacao butter, cut into small chunks
  3. 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee (I like the vanilla ghee from Lee's Ghee)
  4. 3 heaping tbsp almond butter (crunchy or smooth)
  5. 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  6. Pinch of sea salt
  7. 2 tbsp lakanto or swerve, optional (you can add more or less depending on the amount of sweetness you prefer. Liquid stevia would work well too).
  8. 1/2 cup coconut chips, roughly chopped or broken into small pieces (chopped nuts would work well too)
Instructions
  1. Line a large muffin pan with silicon liners.
  2. Over a double boiler, melt cacao butter and coconut oil or ghee together.
  3. As they start to melt, add in almond butter and cacao, gently stirring everything together.
  4. Add in vanilla extract, sea salt and sweetener of choice.
  5. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in coconut chips.
  6. Pour into silicon muffin molds. I filled mine just over 1/4 of the way. I didn't want them to thick.
  7. Place in the freezer for 1 hour to set. Then remove from freezer when ready to eat. If using the silicon molds, they pop right out of them with ease!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Chocolate Coconut Cherry Fat Bombs (High Fat, Low Carb)

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Chocolate, coconut and cherry is pretty much a magical match made in heaven. 

These delicious fat bombs are so-damn-good and perfect to whip up for your special Valentine. 

I just absolutely love cherries! I buy tart frozen cherries and always keep a stash in the freezer. They are perfectly sweet and in fact, are great for combating inflammation and helping with sleep as they contain melatonin. 

Melatonin is a hormone secreted at night by the pineal gland in the center of your brain to help to regulate your circadian rhythm. In order to produce adequate amounts of melatonin, it’s important that you head outside for at least 30 minutes – 2 hours a day (regardless of the weather), as natural light exposure helps support your natural circadian rhythm.

But melatonin is not only produced in the pineal gland—it is also naturally present in certain foods, cherries being one of them. Their was a study done on participants who drank tart cherry juice post workout to help with their recovery and they found that not only did the cherry juice help combat inflammation, but it also increased melatonin levels. 

Now, if you eat these delicious gems during the day, trust me, you’re not going to all of a sudden do a face plant on the floor and fall asleep. It’s not that strong! But they might help encourage better sleep – bonus!

As we age, we produce less melatonin, which is often the reason why so many elderly men and women struggle with insomnia. And if you throw in autoimmunity or other health complications and conditions, lacking sleep means your body is not healing. 

As I work on healing my Hashimoto’s, sleep has become my number one priority. And guess what? I’m feeling like a million bucks because I’ve been sleeping so well. 

Last year I had so many issues with sleep, getting to sleep, staying asleep and because of it, my healing process was taking a long time. I felt exhausted (obviously) and this started to affect my workouts and my day-to-day. 

Now, I’m working out 4 days a week and sleep through the night. I do take a cocktail of supplements before bed and I’ve been using the true dark glasses at night if I’m watching netflix. These glasses have been a GAME changer for blocking out blue light. I recommend getting both the yellow (for the computer) and the red glasses (the stronger ones for tv and sleep). 

Anyhow, enough talking. Let’s get to these delicious Chocolate Coconut Cherry Fat Bombs. Oh! and Happy Valentines Day xoxo

P.S. Here is the silicon molds I used for this recipe. I ordered it off of amazon here. These molds are a game-changer for baking. Easy clean up and nothing sticks to them!

P.P.S. If you’re loving the high fat, low carb way of eating, then click here to learn more about my metabolic reset weight loss program. This 12 week program is amazing for helping you burn fat and balance your hormones.

Chocolate Coconut Cherry Fat Bombs
Yields 30
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Ingredients
  1. CHERRY FILLING
  2. 1 cup full fat coconut cream (from top of canned coconut milk)
  3. 3/4 cup frozen tart cherries, pitted
  4. 1 tbsp lakanto or swerve (optional)
  5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  6. CHOCOLATE COATING
  7. 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  8. 2 tbsp shredded cacao butter (optional)
  9. 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
  1. CHERRY FILLING: place all cherry filling ingredients into a food processor and combine until creamy. Spoon mixture into mini silicon molds. (you can use any size, I personally like the mini ones. My silicon mold holds 30). Spoon mixture about 3/4 of the way, leaving space to pour in chocolate.
  2. Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden.
  3. CHOCOLATE COATING: over a double boiler, melt together chocolate chips, cacao butter and coconut oil. Once melted and smooth, remove fat bombs from freezer and pour in chocolate over each mold.
  4. Place back in the freezer for 1-2 hours to set and harden. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and pop out fat bombs from the molds. The silicon is great as the fat bombs don't stick and pop right out! These fat bombs melt fairly quickly, so eat right away once out of the freezer.
  5. Can keep stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Sugar Free Almond Butter Chocolate Brownies

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Ready for the fluffiest brownies ever? These sugar free almond butter chocolate brownies are to die for. 

And guess what? They contain ZERO dairy, gluten AND sugar! Yup, that’s right. No sugar here. Only healthy fats and protein – which is my kind of treat. 

I absolutely love spending time on the weekends testing out recipes. Truth is, I have so many new ones to share with you but I just haven’t had the time to post them on the blog!

But ready for the best part about these brownies? They contain fat burning MCT Oil. I added the MCT on a whim – as I was too impatient to melt coconut oil, so instead, I opted for MCT oil.

#fatburningbrownies

If you’re unfamiliar with MCT oil – which stands for medium chain triglycerides; this healthy oil comes from coconuts and your body actually uses it as a preferred energy source instead of storing it. So just to be clear – FAT does not make you fat. Sugar does.

Now with that said, if you’re eating fried foods and lots of inflammatory vegetable oils – then those types of fats will cause you to gain weight, while healthy fats from coconut, grass fed butter, pasture raised meats, ghee, avocado, olive oil and fish, actually fuel your body, your brain and your hormones – leading to less sugar cravings and more weight loss! Amazing right?

I’d love to see your fat burning brownie creations on social media, so be sure to tag me #holisticwellness and
#fatburning brownies so I can check out your posts and connect with you!

Now onto these delicious gems. Enjoy and happy baking. 

Sugar Free Almond Butter Chocolate Brownies
Yields 16
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup creamy almond butter
  2. ½ cup coconut milk
  3. 3 eggs
  4. 2 tbsp MCT oil (or melted coconut oil)
  5. 1/3 cup lakanto sweetener (monk fruit)
  6. 1 tsp vanilla
  7. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  8. ½ cup unsweetened cacao powder
  9. 2 tsp baking soda
  10. Pinch of sea salt
  11. 2 tbsp creamy almond butter for drizzle
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375° and line a brownie pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine almond butter, eggs, milk, mct oil, lakanto, and vanilla; use a whisk to mix together.
  3. Add cacao, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and mix together well with whisk. Pour into prepared brownie pan.
  4. Over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp almond butter and drizzle overtop of chocolate brownie batter.
  5. Place pan in oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until brownies are cooked through.
  6. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  7. Cut, serve and enjoy!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Grain Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Vanilla Brown Butter Ghee

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I love me a good muffin and I love me some pumpkin! 

I remember in my teens, when I was semi-health-conscious (or at least trying to be), I would pick up whole wheat or bran muffins from the grocery store thinking they were healthy.  I thought I was doing my body good – giving it some good fibre and choosing what I thought was a healthy breakfast or even snack option.

Boy was I wrong.  Obviously, I know better now! Wheat = inflammation. Too many carbs = insulin resistance and blood sugar imbalances. Muffins = not a healthy breakfast option! But let’s face it, every now and again you just want to eat a friggin’ muffin, regardless the time of day or meal. 

And so, grain free, gluten free, dairy free muffins have become my saviour. And trust me when I say, the deliciousness factor is not at all lacking. These moist and fluffy muffins are full of flavour and made without any added sugar; only sweetened with banana.  I upped the ante by swapping out regular butter for Vanilla Brown Butter Ghee from Lee’s Ghee. You can grab 15% off all of Lee’s Ghee + Teas over at www.leesprovisions.com/healthyhormones with the code HEALTHY HORMONES

Anyhow, this ghee is heavenly and is the perfect addition to these muffins (but of course, regular butter or coconut oil will do, so not to worry), and it’s also delicious added to my morning elixirs! 

You can also serve these muffins up with a cup of their delicious Pink Chai tea and start welcoming in the Fall vibes.

These muffins are perfect on their own or you can dress them up with a delicious vanilla frosting or like I did – drizzled on some warmed vanilla brown butter ghee just before serving. Yuuuuuummy! 

*As a note – this batch made 12 regular large muffins + 12 mini muffins (which I baked for half the time). You can divide the batter up however you like. 

*If you’re a pumpkin lover, you might also want to check out my Mini Flourless Pumpkin Muffins here or my Chocolate Pumpkin Torte, which would make the perfect holiday dessert! And if you are looking for more delicious grain free and gluten free dessert recipes, my Healthy Holiday Dessert eBook contains over 30 amazing recipes you can enjoy this holiday season and throughout the year!

 

P.S. If you’re looking for more delicious and easy recipes, come join me inside my Healthy Hormones Recipe Club! Are you confused with all the information out there about how to balance your hormones, lose weight + support your immunity? Can’t keep up with all the different diets; Paleo, Keto, Intermittent Fasting, or which one is even right for you Get a monthly meal plan + shopping list + recipes that will help you to support your body, balance your hormones, detoxify and shed some inches in the process! Each month has a different theme (click here to read what I’ll be sharing over the next few months!) This Recipe Club is available for a super affordable price, so you can easily say YES to putting yourself first, without breaking the bank. Delicious food & zero deprivation, I promise!

Grain Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Vanilla Brown Butter Ghee
Serves 12
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 bananas
  2. 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
  3. 4 eggs
  4. 1/2 cup unsalted almond or cashew butter
  5. 4 tablespoons Vanilla Brown Butter Ghee (butter or coconut oil will work too)
  6. 1/2 cup coconut flour
  7. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  8. 1 teaspoon ginger
  9. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  10. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  11. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  12. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  13. 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  14. 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I like enjoy life brand, which are dairy free)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin pan with liners.
  2. In a food processor, combine bananas, pumpkin puree, eggs, almond butter and ghee and process until well combined.
  3. Add in coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and sea salt and blend until.
  4. Lastly, add in coconut and chocolate chips. Pulse quickly to combine.
  5. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. (*My batter made 12 large muffins + 12 mini muffins - divide batter up based on your preference).
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes - until a toothpick comes out clean and tops of muffins are golden brown.
  7. Serve as is, or add frosting, drizzle with melted chocolate or brown brown ghee. ENJOY! xoxo
Notes
  1. *Feel free to leave out chocolate chips or swap for chopped nuts
  2. *Batter makes more than 12 large muffins.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Banana Cake with Coconut Chocolate Frosting

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I feel like it’s been a while since I posted up a delicious recipe. Truth is, it HAS been a while and I’ve been one busy girl. I was super busy preparing and prepping for my newest online program, Healthy Hormones for Women and in all honesty, I got busy taking care of me. 

As you know, I’m on a mission to heal my hashimoto’s and a part of that healing journey is slowing down and not filling my plate up with so much stuff – which is much easier said than done. I’m sure you know what that’s like!

In fact, I have so many new and delicious recipes to share with you that I haven’t even had a moment to post them. But this amazing grain free, gluten free Banana cake couldn’t wait another minute!

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you for a few reasons:

  1. This cake is insanely delicious and light
  2. It’s grain free and gluten free – yay!
  3. It’s incredibly easy to make
  4. The coconut chocolate frosting is the best thing in life – like ever!

You know I am a baking enthusiast right?! Especially since being more conscious about grains, baking has taken on a whole new level of creativity. And truthfully, with the amazing selection of gluten free and grain free flours nowadays, it isn’t that difficult to bake something healthy, delicious, AIP friendly and low inflammatory.

With the holidays just around the corner (I mean honestly, can you believe christmas is almost here?!), I’m excited to get back into the kitchen and bake up something sweet to enjoy with my family over the holidays. This cake is definitely a winner and I’ll be sure to bring it to our family Christmas party. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and if you’re looking for a delicious and healthy treat for your holiday parties, trust me, this cake is for the WIN! And the best part, no one will know it’s grain free and gluten free (unless you tell them of course!). Plus, topped with the Coconut Chocolate Frosting – you are sure to win over everyone’s heart. 

As a bonus, the frosting works great as a dip for fresh berries and fruits. #score

Banana Cake with Coconut Chocolate Frosting
Serves 10
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Dry Ingredients
  1. 1 cup coconut flour
  2. 3/4 cup arrowroot powder
  3. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  4. 2 teaspoons baking powder
  5. 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  6. 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
  1. 4 ripe bananas
  2. 1 cup coconut oil, melted
  3. 1/3 cup lakanto or coconut sugar
  4. 10 large organic eggs
  5. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Coconut Chocolate Frosting
  1. 6 tablespoons coconut oil
  2. 4 ounces dark chocolate (I use enjoy life chocolate chips)
  3. 1/4 cup lakanto or coconut sugar
  4. 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
  5. 1/3 cup coconut cream (place can of coconut milk in the fridge for a few hours then scoop out cream from the top)
Instructions
  1. CAKE: Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 x 12 baking dish (I used a round baking pan) with coconut oil.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
  3. In a food processor, add all wet ingredients and combine until thoroughly combined. Once blended, add in dry ingredients and blend again. Alternatively, you can whisk the wet into the dry ingredients, but blended all together in the food processor creates a silky smooth batter.
  4. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 37-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  5. FROSTING: In a saucepan ove medium heat, combine coconut oil, chocolate and sugar. Whisk until smooth and melted. Add in arrowroot powder and coconut cream. Which until creamy.
  6. Pour frosting into blender and blend on high for 60 seconds to create an ultra smooth and creamy texture (optional).
  7. Pour warm frosting over cake or set in the fridge for an hour to thicken up, then spread onto cake/cupcakes/or use as a chocolate dip with fruit.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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The Perfect Peanut Butter Cookie

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Having a child with several food sensitivities in the house can be challenging. Especially when trying to find ready made treats, or even, when preparing treats at home.

My little man loves cookies, his favorite being peanut butter. We have tried many different store bought and bakery bought options, in a quest to find a cookie that he can enjoy without compromising his health.

Unfortunately, we always end up finding overpriced garbage or just plain old mass-produced, conveyor-belt rollin’, cellophane wrappin’, sugar laden, un-edible garbage.

Needless to say, I have spent countless hours trying to perfect the tastiest and healthiest “egg-less, gluten, wheat and refined sugar free” peanut butter cookies. Proudly I can finally say I have…

…I introduce to you the THE PERFECT PB COOKIE. They’ll never know what ingredients are missing ?

With all the amazing gluten free flours available nowadays, plus with some handy little tricks (like swapping eggs for flax eggs), there are numerous ways to turn a un-healthy cookie into a healthy one!

And the best part… your kids will never even know it! I’ve baked up so many treats for my family and they’ve all happily gobbled them up. 

As for all you moms out there who are trying to get your kids to eat healthier, I’ve found it helpful getting my kids involved in the cooking and baking process. When they see you using whole food ingredients, it just becomes second nature to them to eat those foods versus unhealthy ones. 

What you eat as a family has a profound impact on how your child not only grows and develops, but it impacts the food choices they make as they get older and learn to make their own decisions. 

From one mother to another, I hope your kids love this peanut butter cookie recipe and if peanut butter is an allergen in your household, simply swap it out for another nut or seed butter. 

Enjoy!

The Perfect Peanut Butter Cookie
Yields 12
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
MIX TOGETHER
  1. ¼ cup of coconut oil
  2. ¼ cup of natural peanut butter – I have also used almond and cashew butter, peanut is our favourite
ADD
  1. 1 Flax egg - (Mix 1 tbsp. of flax seeds & 2 tbsps. of water, and let sit for about 10 mins)
  2. ½ cup coconut sugar
  3. 2 tsp. vanilla extract
ONCE ALL WET INGREDIENTS HAVE BEEN COMBINED ADD
  1. 1 cup of gluten free oat flour
  2. 1 cup of almond flour
  3. ½ tsp. of sea salt
  4. ½ tsp. of baking soda
  5. ½ tsp. of baking powder
FINALLY ADD IN
  1. ½ cup of enjoy life chocolate chips. (If you decide to use a different chocolate make sure they are mini chips. The big ones don’t stick to the cookie dough very well)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Roll dough into balls and place onto a prepared cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Depending on how big you make them, you can get anywhere from 12-18 cookies out of this batter.
  3. Bake for 11-15 minutes.
  4. Cool for 5 minutes before devouring them!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Sweet Potato Macro Muffins

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Can you say drool worthy?

I’m not sure about you, but sweet potato is one of my favourite things to eat! Especially when you roast it in the oven, it becomes so incredibly sweet and amazingly delicious. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that its loaded with beta-carotene aka. vitamin A (hello anti-aging), vitamin C (immune protection at it’s finest), it’s amazingly anti-inflammatory and it’s got a load of gut healthy fibre.

So if you’re not a sweet potato fan (um… you’re crazy!), I hope I’ve convinced you thus far.

I’ve been wanting to make sweet potato muffins for-evvverr now and I just couldn’t figure out if I wanted to use almond flour, or coconut flour, or sweeten with maple syrup, or have it be egg free or add in protein powder… oh baking dilemmas!

And finally, I landed on these amazing gems and got lucky that on my first attempt, they turned out ahhhhmazing!

I decided to call these Sweet Potato MACRO Muffins for a reason – they are loaded with healthy carbohydrates (from sweet potato), protein from eggs and fat from coconut oil; plus they also contain lots of fibre, as I mentioned earlier.

Macronutrients consist of carbs, protein and fat – basically the ‘food’ you actually eat. These are your actually calories. Each macronutrient is almost always found in every item of food, whether that’s a piece of sushi or a raw vegetable; the only difference is how the macronutrients are balanced.

As an example, the nutritional composition of an avocado is generally made up of 75% (good) fats, 20% carbohydrates and 5% protein, therefore this is clearly a fat-based food. On the other hand a banana consists of 95% carbohydrates, with only small amounts of protein and fats.

Micronutrients on the other hand are your vitamins, minerals and antioxidants –  they keep the body functioning optimally and are crucial in order to maintain energy levels, metabolism, cellular function, and physical and mental wellbeing. From everything to vitamin A, C, B vitamins, Magnesium, Manganese and Zinc – each macronutrient contains varying amounts of micronutrients.

But here’s where it gets tricky – say you’re on a 1500 calorie diet to lose weight. Most people have this idea that they can eat whatever they want as long as it equals to 1500 calories. 

But, your micronutrients play a crucial role in those 1500 calories. You can eat 1500 calories worth of oreos but you’ll also be eating way too much sugar, have little to no protein to maintain muscle mass and support growth and repair in the body, you’ll probably become insulin resistant, you’ll have dull skin and over all – feel like shit!

Your micronutrients build your body! We all know there is a difference between eating a few oreos for a snack versus eating an apple with a handful of almonds. What’s better for you? What is actually building your body? Building and supporting your hormones? Fueling your brain?

Ok, I think you get the picture.

So what about those muffins? Well, you can enjoy them knowing they not only contain all your macronutrients but are also loaded with lots of vitamins and minerals to support your health and body. #bakingwin

Sweet Potato Macro Muffins
Yields 12
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Cook Time
25 min
Cook Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. ½ cup coconut flour
  2. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  3. ½ teaspoon baking soda
  4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  5. ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  6. ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  7. 4 eggs
  8. 1 cup sweet potato, mashed (*see notes)
  9. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  10. ½ cup coconut oil, melted
  11. ¼ lakanto (monk fruit sweetener - alternatively you can you coconut sugar or maple syrup)
  12. ⅓ cup pecan, roughly chopped
  13. 3 tbsp shredded coconut
  14. 12 pecans for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease or line a muffin pan.
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices.
  3. In a large bowl beat together eggs, mashed sweet potato, vanilla extract, lakanto and coconut oil.
  4. Add the dry mix into the wet mix and stir until all lumps are gone.
  5. Fold in chopped pecans and shredded coconut.
  6. Divide batter into 12 muffin cups and top each with a pecan.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
  1. *For sweet potato - I roasted a whole sweet potato in the oven at 400F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Roasting it helps to bring out more sweetness and flavour. I popped this in the oven early in the morning so I had it ready to get my bake on in the afternoon. Alternatively, you can peel the sweet potato, add it to a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Once fully cooked, mash it with a potato masher.
  2. *Lakanto - I personally love using this calorie free, sugar free sugar alternative. If you don't have it on hand, you can use 1/4 cup coconut sugar or 1/4 cup maple syrup. Remember, the sweet potato is sweet enough, so you only need a little.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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