Fat PHAT Bombs – High Fat, High Protein & Sugar Free

Are you ready for a sugar free treat that is full of healthy, gut supportive, hormone loving FAT?

Ya… I thought you’d be excited!

My good friend Marni, over at the Ultimate Health Podcast shared a recipe for Carob Cookies on her FB page the other day and I went ahead and just had to make them and added in a few extra ingredients of my own.

And the best of part; you only need are 5 simple and healthy ingredients, that you probably already have on hand! #bonus

One of the ingredients in this delicious fudge or bark or phat bomb (it’s just so many things, I’m not sure what to call it!), is carob.

If you don’t have carob powder, you can use cacao powder, but you would need to add some sweetness to the batter. I would suggest Lakanto or maybe stevia. This would keep it sugar free. Otherwise, you can use some brown rice syrup or maple syrup. Raw cacao powder is quite bitter, so it would definitely need a touch of sweetness.

So why carob?

Well, you know I’m a big fan of cacao and it’s loaded with lots of minerals and goodness, but it does contain caffeine and theobromine, which can be stimulating for some people. And, often times, when people are looking to lower inflammation and/or histamines in their body, chocolate/cacao needs to be eliminated, whereas carob can still be enjoyed! 

In the effort to support those trying to lower inflammation and heal their gut, carob is a great alternative to chocolate/cacao. And best part of all, this recipe is incredibly supportive for those who are trying to eliminate sugar. 

I know how difficult it can be to kick the sugar habit, but by introducing more healthy fats and quality protein, you’d be surprised how quickly your cravings can diminish.

I think you’ll love this guilt free, delicious treat! Be sure to let me know how you like it and how quickly your family eats them up!

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups large coconut flakes
  • 2 tbsp carob powder (toasted or roasted, NOT raw! I use Bob’s Red Mill brand, otherwise use cacao powder)
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil (not melted, but soft, room temperature)
  • 2 heaping tbsp raw almond butter
  • 1 scoop organic Chocolate Whey Protein Powder (I used Progressive Organic Whey. Use your favourite brand and type).

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Scoop out onto a plate or tray covered with parchment paper. Evenly spread out ‘batter’ and put in the freezer for 30-40 minutes. Once frozen, break up into pieces and enjoy! 

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No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

Ok seriously, this pie. It’s ahhhmazing!

I’m sure I’ve given you my rant before on peanut butter (it’s not something I eat often and tend to only enjoy it as a treat or when a serious craving hits), but you can’t make peanut butter pie without peanut butter. I mean, c’mon now! You’d be crazy to do something like that!

Well, truth is I am a little crazy because I actually mixed in sun butter with peanut butter and the deliciousness of this concoction is well…. ahhhmazing! 

Ok, but really, enough about the pie. Let’s talk about the pictures, because as you know, I love to take my own food photos but it ain’t easy. 

I just couldn’t get the right photo of this amazing pie and the lighting was off and the background wasn’t right, but I just had to share the recipe with you so I’m letting go of perfection and posting the pictures anyways. 

I took a few shots so you can see the amazing crust and and my fancy little chocolate drizzle on top. I really wanted to top this pie with some coconut whip but I just didn’t have any. I would highly suggest you serve this pie with a nice dollop of coconut whip (not the gross whip cream people!) and if you have a piping bag, you can even make it extra fancy and pipe some whip around the pie. 

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As a random note, this crust is so delicious on it’s own, I was eating it right out of the food processor. You could actually roll the crust into balls or roll and then flatten into raw cookies. I would add in some protein powder and go a little easier on the sugar if you do decide to make cookies or balls. 

I used gelatin powder in this recipe to add some thickness to the filling. There are many different types of gelatin on the market, but Great Lakes is my favourite. You can click here to see it. 

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Ok, so, let’s get to the baking, or more like the un-baking and whip up this amazing pie. As an FYI – you can use all sun butter and ditch the peanut butter altogether in case of allergies. 

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Actually, my boyfriend loved it so much, he ate most of it, which he might not be willing to admit too! Shhh! Don’t tell him I said that. 

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
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For the filling
  1. 2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
  2. 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
  3. 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
  4. 1⁄4 cup brown rice syrup
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ground vanilla
  6. 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  7. 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin, divided
For the crust
  1. 1 cup raw cashews
  2. 1⁄2 cup raw almonds
  3. 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  4. 2⁄3 cup coconut sugar
  5. 1⁄4 cup cacao powder
  6. 1⁄2 stick grass fed butter, melted
  7. 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract or ground vanilla
  8. pinch of fine sea salt
For the chocolate drizzle
  1. 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
  2. 1⁄3 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Refrigerate both cans of coconut milk overnight to help the coconut cream separate from the water. When you’re ready to make the pie, open the cans. The coconut cream should have separated from the water and risen to the top. Scoop off the creamy layer.
  2. To make the crust: Pulse the cashews and almonds in a food processor until a nut meal begins to form. Then add the rest of the crust ingredients and pulse until combined. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch tart pan and up the sides as much as possible. Place the pan in the fridge to harden the crust.
  3. While the crust is chilling, make the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, brown rice syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and coconut cream until smooth and well combined. Once smooth and combined, reduce the heat to low and add the gelatin 1⁄2 teaspoon at a time, whisking continuously, until the gelatin has completely dissolved and the mixture has thickened.
  4. Pour the filling mixture over the crust and smooth it out with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, until firm.
  5. Once the pie is firm, make the chocolate drizzle: melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler. Using a spoon, scoop up the melted chocolate and pour it over the pie, moving the spoon back and forth to create a pretty pattern.
  6. Store the pie in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
Adapted from from www.Paleomg.com
Adapted from from www.Paleomg.com
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Raspberry Banana Ice Cream

It’s safe to say that summer has arrived despite the long delay! And when I think summer, I think icey treats! Who doesn’t love a nice big bowl of ice cream on a hot summer day? Since summer has now arrived, let’s enjoy this summer treat we have all loved since we were kids. As I am focusing on family nutrition, I love to create recipes I know would work for kids and families on a busy schedule. This is such an easy recipe and takes about 5 minutes to make!

Quality
Remember quality is key here, raspberries and bananas are heavily sprayed fruits, so buying organic from your grocery store or from a local farmers market is important. As stated on EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) site, raspberries were ranked 27th and bananas were ranked 32nd on pesticide residue levels.

Freezing
Frozen fruit is great to buy! Some companies use what’s called flash freezing where they pick the fruit at its peak ripeness and then freeze almost immediately. Check for packages that say ‘picked and flash frozen within 4 hours’ and make sure to check the ingredient label for any added sugars. Freezing that quickly after being picked will preserve and trap the nutrients at its most optimal level so your body can enjoy the benefits it needs and deserves.

The Benefits
What’s so good about raspberries and bananas anyways? Well, bananas are high in potassium as well as vitamin B6. Also, the vitamin C and manganese content found in bananas provide antioxidant protection against free-radical damage. Also, this delicious fruit is high in fibre! Raspberries include phytonutrients such as ellagic acid and flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol. They also contain anthocyanins, which give rasberries their deep red colour among countless other health benefits. 

Stephanie xo

Raspberry Banana Ice Cream
Serves 3
Healthy Homemade Ice Cream
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Total Time
5 min
Total Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 organic frozen bananas
  2. 1 cup of organic frozen raspberries
  3. 1 tbsp. maple syrup
  4. 1 tbsp. unrefined coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Throw all ingredients into a blender.
  2. Blend until smooth or desired texture is reached.
  3. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop three large servings of ice cream into a bowl.
  4. Sprinkle any desired toppings such as walnuts, almonds, pine nuts or cacao nibs (optional).
Notes
  1. I enjoyed my ice cream as is, without any added ingredients on top and it was delicious! However, feel free to add nuts in order to add some protein to complement the quality fat and fibre in this tasty little treat.
  2. Enjoy!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
References:
• The World’s Healthiest Foods, George Mateljan

• Environmental Working Group, Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php#

 

 

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Almond Butter Cups & Cacao Coffee Frappuccino to Kick Start Your Week!

Who doesn’t love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?!?! I mean…peanut butter and chocolate together…OH SO GOOD!! As much as I crave peanut butter and am tempted to dive into a Reese’s cup every now and then….I don’t!!! Instead, I make my Almond Butter Cups that are TENS times more nutritious and delicious! Peanuts, as yummy as they are, contain a mould called Aflatoxins. Unfortunately, these little nuts just aren’t as good for us as we may think. They are also highly allergenic, so I suggest you do your best to avoid them. Instead…eat almonds or have almond butter and make these divine treats! They are perfect for Halloween, especially if you have little ones with peanut allergies!

Almond Butter Cups

Ingredients
2 bags organic dark chocolate chips
1-2 cups organic raw or crunchy almond butter

Directions
Line a mini cupcake tray with baking cups. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Once melted pour 1-2 tsp of chocolate into cups, making sure to spread chocolate up the side of the cups ( I did this with the back of a spoon). Once all cups are filled, place tray in freezer for 5 minutes so chocolate can harden. Once frozen, place a dollop of almond butter into cups (flatten with finger) and pour remaining chocolate over top. Freeze for 10-12 minutes, or until cups have completely hardened.

Cacao Coffee Frappuccino
This is a delicious morning shake that will really give you a boost! I don’t recommend having coffee first thing in the morning, so you should start your day with warm water and lemon and/or an alkalizing fresh pressed veggie juice….then onto the coffee! This recipe came about when I had leftover organic coffee that I just didn’t want to waste, so into my shake it went! It was delicious!

Ingredients
1/2 cup chocolate coconut water (optional)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 heaping tbsp raw cacao powder
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Coffee (I used about 1 cup organic french pressed coffee)
2-3 ice cubes

Directions
Mix in blender until smooth

 

 

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My Meatless Monday BIRTHDAY TREATS!

It’s my birthday! Ok….was my birthday, and who doesn’t want to indulge in sweet goodness on their birthday? Now…I’m not a total food prude and completely write off all desserts. But I am conscious of choosing the best quality desserts, that are (hopefully) gluten free, dairy free and very low in sugar, or no sugar at all ( yes, I know….this can be hard to come by!). So today, I’m sharing some of my favourite blast from the past recipes that I oh-so-love, and sharing a grain free Blueberry muffin recipe is simply delicious and easy to make! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Grain Free Blueberry Muffins
This recipe comes from my dearest friend Julie Daniluk and her incredible book, Meals that Heal Inflammation. I suggest you pick this book up, if you don’t already have it! It’s loaded with the most incredible recipes! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 tsp aluminum free baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large free range or organic eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries or raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the oil, eggs, honey, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Using a plastic spatula, gently fold in the berries just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
3. Pour some batter into each prepared cup, almost filling the cup.Bake the muffins on the center rack for 25 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 15 minutes. A a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
4. Let the muffins stand for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes 10 muffins.

Blast From the Past Recipes

I LOOOOOOVE these vegan chocolate chip cookies! They are a huge hit every time I make them, and trust me when I say they won’t last long! https://holisticwellness.ca/peanut-butter-pancakes-vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies-dark-chocolate-and-goji-berry-christmas-holiday-bark-sweet-treats-for-meatless-monday/

A strawberry jam filled cookie, with only a few ingredients…now who doesn’t love that! Feel free to try apricot or raspberry jam as an alternative! https://holisticwellness.ca/pineapple-edamame-rice-deliciously-sweet-thumbprint-cookies-for-meatless-monday/

Raw desserts! Gluten free, nutritious and delicious! I think that says it all! You can’t go wrong with a truffle that only requires 4 ingredients! https://holisticwellness.ca/something-sweet-for-your-sweetheart/

Happy Monday!
Enjoy the Sweetness!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

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Almond Butter Cookies

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!

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