Chocolate Shortbread Caramels (Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free)

I feel like all I’ve been posting lately are dessert recipes. I can’t say for certain, but I have a pretty good idea why this is so. I have a giant desktop folder filled with attempted recipe creations and photos; some of which were successes (which are placed in the “blog” section) and others which were massive failures (which are placed in the “please, for the love of God, do not make this again” section). Every few days or so, I scroll through the photos and recipes, picking out the ones that I want to share with all of you…

And somehow the ones I’m most excited about are always the desserts.

The photos of chocolate call to me..

These shortbread cookies are the perfect combination of sweet, salty and crunchy. In addition, they are refined-sugar and grain-free, and are nice to take to parties because of how they keep.

Ingredients:

(Crust) —

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 coconut sugar
• 1 egg, from a pasture-raised hen
• 1/2 cup grassfed butter (use coconut oil for paleo option) – at room temp
• Pinch sea salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

(Caramel)–

• 1/2 cup grassfed butter (or coconut oil) – at room temp
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

(Chocolate) —

• 1 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Combine all crust ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer or stand mixer. Spread onto a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes, then place in freezer to cool.
3. Next start on the caramel. Combine butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, until mixture thickens and a caramel color begins to develop.
4. Spread caramel layer over crust layer and place in freezer until hardened completely.
5. Next work on the chocolate layer. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil until liquified. Spread over cooled caramel layer and place in freezer to harden.

Slice and serve! Enjoy!

Grain-Free Cookies with Chocolate Ganache Filling

Okay, guys. Get ready for the yummiest cookies you’ve ever tasted! Made with whole foods ingredients and free of grains and refined sugar, you can enjoy these treats guilt-free or serve them up at your next gathering of conscious-eaters.

Just try not to eat the whole batch yourself! 😉

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 1 and 3/4 cups almond flour (soaked for maximum nutrient absorption)
• 3 tbsp coconut flour
• Pinch sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup (or a little bit more, if necessary) of grass-fed butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• handful chocolate chips

Filling:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp coconut milk (full fat version, in BPA-free cans)

Directions:

1. First, let’s start with the ganache. In a mixing bowl or a stand mixer, combine coconut oil, cocoa and maple syrup. Slowly add coconut milk while mixing, and beat until lumps are gone.
2. Refrigerate until the cookies are done.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt and baking  soda.
5. In a small bowl, combine butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir in chocolate chips.
7. Roll the dough into little balls (about 1 and 1/2 inches in diameter) and place them, evenly spaced, on a greased baking sheet. With the bottom of a drinking glass or the rounded side of a spoon, press down very lightly to create a flattened top on the cookie.
8. Bake for 12-13 minutes.
9. Remove cookies from oven and let them cool completely before spreading ganache. Spread evenly between two cookie-halves and serve.

Enjoy!

Grain-free Peanut Butter Squares!

I know I’ve said this before, but there is something about the combination of chocolate and peanut butter that is so amazingly good! Add a little cookie-crunch and we’re golden.

This recipe was a quick, weeknight dinner creation. And lucky for us, it turned out delicious (which was a real life-saver, because the dinner I made was somewhat less-than-delicious)!

I used almond flour in the “crust,” and as always, I recommend soaking and dehydrating your almonds before grinding them into flour for maximum nutrient absorption. You can use store-bought almond flour as well, but keep in mind that the phytic acid levels are relatively high in almond flour.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp melted grass-fed butter or melted coconut oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• Pinch sea salt

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3 tbsp melted grass-fed butter or melted coconut oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Let’s start with the crust. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, combine first four ingredients.
3. Line an 8 x 4 baking sheet with parchment paper and press the crust into the pan, making sure it’s packed down firmly. Bake for 12 minutes.
4. Refrigerate crust while you make your filling.
5. In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, butter and maple syrup. Mix it well. Scoop out about 3/4 of the mixture and spread it onto the crust. Make sure you reserve the last 1/4 of the mixture.
6. Place the bars in the freezer quick to firm them up.
7. Once the PB mixture is on, add your cocoa powder to the remainder of the filling mixture. Stir well.
8. Spread chocolate mixture onto cooled bars.

Refrigerate to store or eat them immediately 🙂

Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bars

Do you think chocolate for breakfast is acceptable? I do. I could eat chocolate at any time of the day, but the combination of chocolate, sprouted quinoa and oats makes a surprisingly delicious, protein-packed breakfast bar.

Breakfast always seems like the most stressful meal in our house, especially considering we are usually out the door by 4:30 AM. Having these little bars prepped ahead of time makes breakfasts a breeze! I like to make a big batch, cut them up and stick them in the fridge for a simple, grab-and-go breakfast. I also sometimes pack one in my lunchbox for a midday treat. 

It may seems like there is a lot of prep to these bars, but the flavor and nutritional benefits all that extra prep brings is so worth it! You can sprout or soak your quinoa and soak your oatmeal in the morning, and by the time you get home from work, you’ll be ready to assemble your bars. Then for breakfast the following day, voila! You’ve got some delicious bars ready to devour! Feel feel to add soaked nuts or dried fruit to make these bars extra special!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sprouted quinoa (learn how to sprout grains here)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup full fat yogurt
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips
• 1/8 cup dried fruit (cherries or cranberries work well)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup nut butter (peanut or almond work well)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch cinnamon
• Pinch sea salt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine oats and yogurt. In a separate small bowl, soak your quinoa in water and a tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.  Let both sit on your countertop for at least 8 hours.
2. After 8 hours, rinse and cook your quinoa. 
3. In a medium sized bowl, combine cooked quinoa, soaked oats, chocolate chips, dried fruit, chopped pecans, maple syrup, nut butter, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 
4. Grease a piece of parchment paper and place it inside of an 8 x 8 pan. Spoon bar mixture into the pan and spread along the parchment paper into one uniform layer. 
5. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. 
6. Remove from oven and let cool, then slice into bars and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Pecan-Stuffed Chocolate-Covered Dates!

Get ready for some of the tastiest, nuttiest and most chocolatey-delicious desserts you’ve ever tasted! Best part is: it’s easy as pie! 

(Actually, it’s easier than pie. Much easier.)

Dates are amazing. They are super sweet and a teeny bit rich, and, when paired with chocolate, they take on a beautiful caramel-y flavor. These little date bites actually, believe it or not, remind me of little mini-candy bars!

There are only a couple of ingredients here and these desserts can be thrown together in less than 10 minutes. Always start with dates that still contain the pit, as pre-pitted dates tend to get a little mashed up and not hold their shape as nicely. You’ll need the shape to be intact so you can stuff them with the nuts. Pitting a date is super easy. See below for instructions.

Ingredients:

• 10-15 dates with the pit still in
• 10-15 raw pecans, soaked and dehydrated if desired for maximum nutrient absorption
• 1 cup dark chocolate, either in bar or chip form
• 1 tbsp coconut milk, optional, to thin out chocolate mixture
• Sea salt, optional
• Parchment paper, for setting

Directions:

1. First, pit the dates. WIth a sharp paring knife, slice the date the long way and gently peel away both sides, exposing the pit. Remove the pit with your fingers, then stuff a pecan in its place. Close date back up (dates are nice a squishy, so they will go back together no problem). Repeat until dates and nuts are gone.
2. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate and milk, being careful not to burn. 
3. Remove chocolate from heat and, while the chocolate is still hot, dip dates into chocolate. 
4. Remove dates from chocolate quickly and place on parchment paper, repeating until all dates are finished. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. 

Enjoy!

Grain-free Double Chocolate Cupcakes

This is my updated recipe for chocolate-chocolate cupcakes. No grains, no refined sugar, and no guilt 🙂

Enjoy this real-food spin on a classic dessert!

Ingredients (cupcakes):

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 tbsp almond flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Pinch sea salt
• 4 eggs from pastured hens, or 4 flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions (cupcakes):

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cocoa powder, flours, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Separately, whisk together eggs, oil and maple syrup.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir.
5. Grease or line muffin tins and bake for 14-15 minutes.

Ingredients (frosting):

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey

Directions (frosting):

Place all three ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate to set and then spread over cupcakes.

Chocolate and Zucchini Muffins (Grain-free and Sugar-free)

I think I’m starting to get the hang of this grain-free baking thing. It took a lot of failed attempts and a lot of dry, mealy muffins, but I think I’ve finally got it down! I’ve been avoiding grains that can’t be soaked or sprouted in order to help heal my digestive system and maintain high-energy levels throughout the day. While eating a (mostly) grain-free diet was immediately rewarding in terms of the way I felt, I did find myself craving the baked goods I had always enjoyed. Breads, cookies, muffins, and pancakes to name a few. 

Baking without grains is challenging but it’s definitely do-able, and I hope the sharing of these recently-mastered recipes will help you all avoid some of the silly mistakes I’ve made in the kitchen (or, more specifically, inside the oven!). 

I’ve always loved zucchini bread, and have recently discovered the beautiful combination of chocolate and zucchini. Sound weird? Try it. I promise you won’t think it’s weird anymore. I decided to add some chocolate to my traditional zucchini bread, and to change up the proportions to eliminate the use of grains. These muffins are perfectly moist without being too dense or gooey in the middle, and are light and bouncy without being dry.

Most baked goods recipes with zucchini call for the massive dehydrating or squeezing out of the zucchini liquid, but I honestly have never stressed about that and have had no issues with watery zucchini. If you’re worried about it, feel free to squeeze out your shredded zucchini with a couple of paper towels. If not, don’t sweat it.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups shredded zucchini, unpeeled
• 2 eggs from pasture-rasied hens, OR 3 flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp grassfed butter OR coconut oil, softened
• 1/2 cup almond, cashew or peanut butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips 
• 2 tbsp coconut or almond flour
• 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Shred zucchini. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, butter or oil, and nut butter. 
3. Slowly incorporate cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla extra. Stir in zucchini.
5. Grease muffin tins or use muffin tin liners, and fill each tin about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Raw Chocolate and Avocado Pudding! (Grain-free and Sugar-free)

There is something so satisfying about a delicious, creamy pudding. This pudding is rich without being too heavy, and is healthy enough to be eaten in large quantities (which I definitely do! :D)

We like this for dessert, especially chilled on a hot summer day. Served with a little chopped fruit, it’s divine. I have even taken to adding a dollop of this awesome pudding to the top of my soaked oatmeal in the morning for a delicious, sweet, chocolatey breakfast! Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (and 2 tbsp) raw cocoa powder
• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/5 tbsp coconut oil, softened
• 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract 
• Pinch cacao nibs or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Chill and serve!

 

Grain-Free, Sugar-Free Banana Bread!

Here it is: the perfected version of my homemade banana bread! I’ve been tweaking this recipe for quite some time, and I think I finally got it down!

This past weekend, Steve and I enjoyed a few days of vacation at a small cottage in Northeastern Wisconsin with my future in-laws. It was so nice to get away for a few days, but it was especially nice to eat some really delicious food! Steve comes from a family of real-food lovers, just like I do, so we always manage to eat well even on vacation, which is always a bonus. 

The banana bread turned out to be the perfect treat to travel with. We enjoyed it both as a quick and easy breakfast, as well as an after dinner treat. And because this bread is grain, gluten and sugar-free, all members of the family could enjoy it! 🙂

Feel free to use either cacao nibs or chocolate chips. Cacao nibs tend not to melt as much as chocolate chips, as they do not contain cocoa butter. Also feel free to use almond, peanut or cashew butter. I’ve made it with all three, and they are all great options! If you’re buying nut butter from the store, make sure to read your labels, as always. Hydrogenated oils are sneakily prevalent in many store-bought nut butters. 

Ingredients:

• 4 bananas, very ripe (browned and stinky is perfect)
• 4 eggs from pastured hens (OR 5 egg replacers — 1 tbsp ground flax+ 3 tbsp warm water)
• 2/3 cup nut butter
• 1/8 cup coconut oil (or grass-fed butter), melted
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (optional, as a sweetener)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (or other preferred flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder (read labels to ensure aluminum-free)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• Pinch sea salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large stand mixer (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), beat together bananas, eggs, nut butter, oil or butter, and maple syrup (if using). Mix until smooth.
3. Whisk in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, extracts, and sea salt. Stir well.
4. By hand, stir in your nibs/chips. 
5. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and pour batter into pan.
6. Bake at 350 for about 45-50 minutes, using the toothpick test to make sure they’re baked through.

Enjoy!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Coconut Smoothie

The perfect after-dinner fix for a severe chocolate craving!

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup ice
• 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Small handful chocolate chips or cacao nibs
• Pinch maple syrup
• Pinch unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

Pull all ingredients except for coconut flakes into a high powered blender and puree until smooth. Garnish with coconut flakes. Enjoy!