Tag: baking

Gluten Free Banana Peach Muffins

Posted on

Ok, so banana muffins and banana bread could be one of my baking favorites! I went to buy a banana muffin at wholefoods the other day (and not to knock wholefoods cause I seriously love that store!) and I had a look at the ingredients in their freshly baked banana muffins. A whole lot of sugar added, and not the best quality oils used in the process.

So… that brings me to my seriously yummy homemade banana and peach muffins. Banana muffins with a twist! My boyfriend even liked them, so they must be a winner! These muffins are wheat and dairy free for all of you out there like me that have (or are trying) to eliminate these from their diet.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!

Happy baking!

Banana Peach Muffins
Yields 15
It's your classic banana muffin with a twist, adding in peaches for some extra sweetness.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup wheat free oats (blended)
  2. 1 cup almond meal/flour
  3. 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  4. 2 peaches
  5. 1 banana
  6. 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
  7. 3 tbsp coconut palm sugar (optional)
  8. 1 tbsp baking powder
  9. 1/2 tsp baking soda
  10. 1 tsp cinnamon
  11. 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Place oats in food processor and blend until a powder-like consistency is formed
  3. Combine all dry ingredients including oats, almond meal, flax seeds, coconut palm sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon
  4. Peal peaches and cut into small cube-like sizes
  5. Peal banana, slice thinly and then cut into halves
  6. Toss peaches and banana into the dry ingredient mixture
  7. Heat coconut oil on stovetop until melted and add both wet ingredients (almond milk and coconut oil) to mixture
  8. Mix well until all banana and peach slices are covered
  9. Line muffin cups in the muffin tin
  10. Pour mixture into muffin cups and place into oven
  11. Bake for 45 minutes
Notes
  1. You can make multiple batches of these and then freeze them. They are a fantastic healthy snack you can pull out of the freezer when you are busy on the go!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

Cacao Walnut Superfood Cookies

Posted on

Boo-ya!! These cookies freakin’ rock!

I don’t know about you but my cupboards are always stocked with cacao. I use it a lot! From smoothies, to cookies, cakes, bars, and all kinds of desserts, cacao is my go-to chocolate saver. 

Did you know that cacao is one of the richest sources of Magnesium? Yup! It’s true!

Magnesium serves many, many functions in the body. From detoxification, to relaxation and sleep, this mineral is uber-importante!

Personally, I recommend supplementing with magnesium (magnesium bisglycinate is my preference). I take 400mg before bed to help with sleep and relaxation and to help relieve muscle soreness. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night with a calve muscle cramp. You know what I’m talking’ about! It ain’t pretty. In fact, it really sucks. 

And ladies, if you’re dealing with PMS cramps, be sure to take magnesium a week prior to your period. Not only will it help with cramps, but breast tenderness too. 

OK… now onto the baking! 🙂 

These cookies, which freakin’ rock, (did I say that already?), are super soft and chewy and loaded with some incredible superfood goodness. They lasted ONE day in my house! They are also amazing crumbled and served on to of my Vanilla Maple Chia Pudding. They are Paleo approved and could be vegan if you substitute the egg for a ‘flax’ egg. 

Enjoy!

Cacao Walnut Superfood Cookies
Yields 15
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 cups almond flour/meal
  2. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  3. 1/4 cup Cacao Powder
  4. 1/4 cup Cacao Nibs
  5. 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
  6. 1 cup Shredded Coconut
  7. 1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder
  8. 1 tsp cinnamon
  9. Pinch of Himalayan sea salt
  10. 1/2 cup maple syrup
  11. 3 tablespoons melted Coconut Oil
  12. 1 egg or vegan egg substitute
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix almond flour, baking powder, raw cacao, vanilla and cinnamon.
  3. Stir in cacao nibs, walnuts and shredded coconut.
  4. Whisk remaining wet ingredients, maple syrup, egg and coconut oil in a bowl and add to dry mixture. Use a large spoon to combine.
  5. Scoop out tablespoon sized mounds onto your baking sheet and gently press down.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, less time for more chewy cookies, more if you prefer a crunchier texture. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
  1. *To make flax egg - One egg equals = 1 tablespoon flax meal plus 3 tablespoons water. In a small bowl, add flax meal followed by water, stirring as you go. Place mixture in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow mixture to bind. Once mixture is set, replace with egg in recipe.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

Chocolate Chip & Cinnamon Banana Bread – Paleo Style

Posted on

Chocolate. Cinnamon. Bananas. What a combo!

I love baking, as you know, and it’s been a while since I whipped up a banana bread. Let alone, a gluten free, grain free, dairy free banana bread, with NO added sugar!

This bread is DA BOMB! It’s so full of flavour and free of many allergens.

I got the idea from Make Ahead Paleo to include a cinnamon-y topping. I’ve never done this in the past and couldn’t resist testing it out! This delicious “crust” added the perfect sweetness. I highly suggest you test it out! I guess you could say there is some added sugar, since it’s included in the topping, but you can feel free to omit this.

So let’s get baking! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do 🙂Image 3

Image

Paleo Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread
Makes 1 LoafIngredients:

DRY:
1 ½ cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup arrowroot starch
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground vanilla bean
½ tsp sea salt

WET:
3 large ripe bananas
4 eggs
1/3 cup hemp milk (almond or coconut work well too)

EXTRAS:
1 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
½ cup walnuts (optional- I didn’t use any)

TOPPING:
1 tbsp coconut sugar
¾ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp almond flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl combine all DRY ingredients. In a large bowl combine all WET ingredients using a hand mixer. Mix until bananas are well combined and mixture is fluffy. Add DRY ingredients into WET and stir until fully incorporated. Stir in EXTRAS. I used chocolate chips. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil and pour in batter.

In a small bowl combine TOPPING ingredients and sprinkle evenly on top of loaf. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from loaf pan and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with grass fed butter or your favorite nut butter. YUM!

Enjoy xo

To your AMAZING Health and Abundance,

Samantha xoxo

SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

Chocolatey Black Bean Brownies

Posted on

Image 2Simple, easy, and mess free!

These brownies are so easy to make. Pile all your ingredients into a food processor and viola! You’ve got delicious brownie batter made from BLACK BEANS!

Yes…ya heard right! These brownies are made with heart healthy, fibrous black beans. I was shocked at how moist they were! They are absolutely delicious and will become a new dessert staple of mine 🙂

I’m prepping for a Women’s Seminar next week and need to introduce them to easy and simple ways to prepare gluten free goodies, minus all the expensive gluten free flours out there. Let’s face it, almond flour, coconut flour; as much as these are staples in my baking, they can be quite costly.

So if you need a chocolate fix that won’t break the bank, make these brownies!

Black beans are packed with protein and fiber, two key macronutrients that help to keep you fuller for longer. This is also beneficial for balancing blood sugar levels.

“One cup of black beans provides over 4 grams of soluble fiber, and this is precisely the type of fiber that researchers have found especially helpful in lowering blood cholesterol levels. Decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarct (MI, or heart attack) have both been associated with increased intake of soluble fiber from food” – WHF.

In just 1 cup of black beans, you’ll get a super dose of magnesium, B1, folate and iron. All nutrients essential for your health. Not to mention the extra magnesium and antioxidant boost you’ll get from the added cacao powder!

Now let’s get backing!

Gluten Free Chocolatey Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

1 14oz. can black beans (I use Eden Organic)
3 organic eggs
½ cup of cacao powder
½ cup coconut oil, softened (room temp)
½ cup coconut sugar
½ cup of dark chocolate chips
1 tsp ground vanilla bean or vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
and grease a brownie pan with coconut oil.
2. Add all ingredients except walnuts to a food processor and puree to create your batter.
3. Add batter to brownie pan and gently stir in walnuts.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

 

Other ingredient options:

– Add 1/3 cup dried cherries for extra sweetness

– Try using ½ cup maple syrup instead of coconut sugar

– Butter works well instead of coconut oil

– High quality cocoa powder can substituted for cacao

– Top with toasted coconut flakes

 

SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

Paleo Bread- No Grains or Gluten Here!

Posted on

Paleo. What the heck does this mean?

First off… let’s not get so hung up on the word Paleo. Basically, this is a type of ‘diet’ that focuses on eating more like our caveman ancestors. Focusing on wild game, grass fed meats, quality fat sources, such as coconut oil, grass fed butter, olive oil, avocados, etc. As for carbohydrate sources, grains are omitted and replaced by a small intake of fruit (yes, fruit is a carbohydrate source) and squashes and sweet potato.

Grains are pretty non-existent on a pale diet and quite honestly, I am all for that!!

Wheat, whole wheat, pasta, bread….are wreaking havoc on our brains and our waist lines! More on this in a later post.

Bread and Paleo don’t typically go together, but I’m all for breaking the rules! As with any ‘diet,’ there needs to be a little wriggle-room for you to enjoy your favourite foods. Plus, it’s so easy to ‘healthify’ just about any recipe.

So if you’re following a Paleo diet, you might be craving for a big hearty slice of bread. That’s where this recipe comes in.

It’s grain free and made primarily from almond flour!

It’s nutty texture is amazing. I love having a slice of this bread toasted with some almond butter, or as a side to my chilli toasted with some grass fed butter. Either way its delicious!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

Image 8

Paleo Bread

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
4 large organic eggs
1 tbsp raw honey
3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 F. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, then add the honey and apple cider vinegar. Whisk to combine. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir together. Pour the batter in a well greased loaf pan (I greased mine with coconut oil). Bake the bread for 45 minutes, until bread is golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean.

Easy peesy!

* Feel free to add some cinnamon or ground vanilla bean to sweeten to the dry ingredients.

* Or try a more savoury bread by adding in dried herbs such a thyme or rosemary.

 

Enjoy!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

Holiday Chocolate Bark with Almonds, Goji Berries and Crispy Rice

Posted on

Chocolate!

Did I say the magic word?

I think it’s safe to say that this time of year, a little extra chocolate gets consumed. Lot’s of baking is going on in my house for sure, and I’m definitely taste testing everything!

Sooo….if you’re gonna get to baking or making some chocolate bark, why not healthify it?

That’s just what I did with this recipe!

I added in some healthy fats and protein from almonds, some potent antioxidants and minerals from goji berries, and just for some extra crunch, I used a gluten free crispy rice cereal.

And let’s not forget about the actual chocolate! I highly suggest you purchase organic chocolate. You can even take it a step further and get organic RAW chocolate. Good quality chocolate will make all the difference in your bark!

So let’s get to the recipe!

Image

Ingredients:
2 bags of organic dark chocolate chips (you could also use 2 bags of Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips)
1/4 cup of raw almonds, chopped
1/4 cup goji berries, roughly chopped
1/4 cup gluten-free crisp brown rice cereal
Pinch of fine ground sea salt

Directions:

Prepare a baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. In a double boiler, melt chocolate over low heat. Add in 1 cup of chocolate chips at a time. Constantly stir the chocolate so it doesn’t burn and stick to the pot. Once chocolate is melted, add in all your ingredients and give your chocolate a nice stir to incorporate all ingredients. Slowly pour you chocolate into your baking dish. You may want to spread it out or flatten slightly. Transfer to the fridge and let site for about an hour, or until completely solid. Once bark is completely solid, you can break it up into pieces and store in an airtight container in your fridge. It will last for weeks! Unless of course you eat it all! 🙂

Enjoy!

To Your Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

 

 

 

SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

Delicious Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies!

Posted on

I LOVE baking!

I’m always tweaking recipes and up for the challenge to health-ify desserts!

I make these delicious flour less almond butter cookies (recipe here!) and they are a huge hit! So I thought I would take that same recipe and make brownies!

I made a few slight changes and it was a success! Yippee! PLUS, they are gluten free! How great is that?!

You can whip up these bad boys in no time, with very little mess in the kitchen! 😉

Image

Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

 

Ingredients:

1 cup almond butter (I used chunky for the extra crunch)
1 organic egg
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking soda (aluminium free is BEST!)
1/3 cup of coconut sugar (organic cane sugar or sucanat would work well too)
½ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 – 1/2 cup organic chocolate chips (you can get dairy free chips and make this recipe vegan!)

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a brownie pan with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and pour batter into pan. NOTE – the batter did not completely fill the brownie pan. I used my fingers to press the batter down into the pan, making it quite flat. It ‘almost’ fit the pan, but not quite. This is ok! They still came out amazing! If you have a smaller pan (6×6), use that! Bake brownies for approx. 22-25 minutes. Cool brownies for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Simple, easy and super tasty!!
Enjoy!
Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂
SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

Almond Butter Cookies

Posted on

I made these scrumptious cookies yesterday and was so pleased how they turned out I just had to share the recipe with you! These cookies are full of fiber, omega’s (healthy fats) and sweetened with maple syrup. Best of all they are super easy to make! I guarantee they won’t last long in your house!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup maple syrup ( I used grade B syrup)
3 Tbsp safflower oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup almonds, chopped (walnuts would work great too!)
1/2 cup gluten free chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, mix together almond butter, maple syrup, oil and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, blend together flour, baking soda and salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Fold in the chopped almonds and chocolate chips.
Refridgerate the dough for at least an hour.
Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flaten balls with your hand or the back of a spoon. Bake for 10-12mins, until edges are slightly golden brown.

Happy Baking!

SHARE THIS!
Share on Pinterest

@holisticwellnessfoodie