Sweet Treat Saturday: Paleo Pecan Pie Bars

For some reason figs remind me of the consistency of pecan pie. We had a plethora of figs in the freezer, so I came up with the recipe for pecan pie bars!

Printable Recipe

Filling:
1 egg
2 c figs
2 tbs coconut flour
2 tbs butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs maple syrup
1/4 c roasted pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine ingredients except pecans in a sauce pan and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans, save 10 or so to press into the top of the bars.

Crust:
1/3 c coconut oil
15 dates
1/2 c almonds

Process the dates in a blender. Remove and set aside. Process the almonds until finely chopped then add in the coconut oil and dates. Process until it starts to clump together. Remove and spread in the bottom of a parchment lined 9x9 baking dish.

Add the filling on top of the crust, press in extra pecans, and bake for 40 min. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice into bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. This can be served warm or cold and goes great with ice cream!

Sweet Treat Saturday: No Bake Cookies

These were inspired by my cheesecake crust. They are simple to make and are super tasty! Perfect for a hot day when you don't want the oven heating up the house.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tbs coconut
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 c almonds
12 dates
1 square of dark chocolate
1 tsp cinnamon

Process the dates in a blender or food processor and set aside. Add the almonds and dark chocolate to the empty blender and blend until finely chopped. Return the chopped dates to the blender, add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until well combined. Spread on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, or form into balls and flatten into cookies. Freeze for at least 2 hours. I made mine in to bars, so I cut them when I removed them from the freezer. Store in an air-tight container in the freezer.

Nutrition Notes: These are meant to be a treat. The serving size should be 1 small bar. Dates are extremely high in sugar, so they should be limited if fat loss if your goal!

3 Ingredient Ice Cream

I have been searching high and low for a knock-off ice cream recipe that doesn't require an ice cream maker (my momma had one and gave it away!! how dare she.) I wanted something simple, relatively healthy as far as treats go and with a good texture. This is what I came up with so far! It has a fluffy smooth texture. I would like to try different variations and try a version that uses an egg like traditional ice cream. Let me know what you think!

Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups whipping cream
2 tbs-1/4 cup honey (I made this with 2tbs and it was sweet enough for me, but E would like it better with 1/4 cup)
1 can full fat coconut milk (make sure to find a BPA free version)

How to:
Chill your coconut milk overnight in the fridge. This is extremely important, it makes the milk thicken. Whip the whipping cream until peaks form making whipped cream. Chill in the fridge. In a sauce pan heat the coconut milk with the honey until it decreases in size. It should take about 30 min. and you will need to stir often. This is a dairy free version of condensed milk. Keep a close eye on the milk because it will boil over out of no where!! No need to ask me how I know that ;) Let the condensed coconut milk cool and remove the whipped cream from the fridge. Whisk the condensed milk into the whipped cream until well combined. Store in the freezer for at least 4 hours or until frozen. Let thaw on the counter 5-10 minutes before serving. I looovveeed this ice cream so I hope you do too!

Sweet Treat Saturday: Dairy Free Cheesecake

Cut into pie pieces

Or cut into bars (this shape stores well minus the toppings)

We are big fans of cheesecake around here! I wanted to create a paleo version and saw that you can use cashews in stead of cream cheese! I've actually never made a real cheesecake, so this was an experiment that happened to go really well. I made a second cake with a different crust and half the honey, and it did not turn out as tasty. It was still easily edible, but not as treat like.

Printable Recipe

FIRST: Soak 2 cups of cashews in water overnight.

For the crust:
1/2 cup almonds (you can soak these and dry them before using to get rid of the anti-nutrients, but the crust may not be as crunchy)
10 pitted dates
1/4 cup coconut oil

Put the dates in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Remove and set aside. Put the almonds in the food processor and process until finely chopped as well. Add the dates back in and the coconut oil. Process until the mix starts to clump and is well combined. Line a cake pan with parchment paper and press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 for 5-10 min (you can skip this step if you want a raw, no bake version). Place in the freezer while you prep the cheesecake.

Love those little helping hands! So easy a 1.5 year old can do it.

For the cheesecake:
2 cups of pre-soaked cashews
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey (we made another version with 1/4 cup honey, so try if you want! you can also swap for maple syrup for a vegan version. I'd like to try Stevia next to find a fructose free version.)
1/2-1 cup of fruit or extras (we made a blueberry version, and a plain version topped with blueberries from our blueberry picking! Feel free to add chocolate, or nuts. Anything you can think of!)

Directions:
Drain your soaked cashews and add to the food processor. Add in the lemon juice, coconut oil and honey. Process until smooth. This will take some time, so be patient! Around 5-10 minutes. You may need to scrape the sides every so often. The batter should be smooth without any chunks of cashews. Add your extras at the end and pulse to the desired consistency.

Remove the crust from the freezer and carefully spread the cheesecake filling onto the crust. Smooth the cheesecake until it looks pretty and return it to the freezer for at least an hour. I recommend chilling about 4 hours. When it is done slice it up and enjoy! We had ours as pie pieces first, but then decided cutting it into bars would be best. I cut the whole cheesecake into bars and stored it in an air tight container.

All of our blueberry picking paid off with this yummy compote!

For the compote put 1 tbs of water in a sauce pan and a handful or 2 of blueberries. Cook down for about 5 min. until it becomes compote-like.

We even made a blueberry version!

Nutrition Notes: This is definitely a treat. One small piece should be the serving size. The honey makes it high in carbs and fructose. Nuts like cashews should only be eaten in small amounts. This would be a perfect dessert for a holiday meal!

Gettin' Figgy with It: Fig Almond Coffee Cake

My Great Aunts have this awesome fig tree in their yard and my momma brought me a sample after my eye surgery last week. I fell in love and made her take me to pick more! She claimed to hate figs, but was singing a different tune after she retried them. We didn't know what to do with them all besides fig newtons and eating them fresh.

Here is our first fig recipe, check back for more later! I have a gallon baggie of figs chillin' in the freezer.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped figs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup almond butter

1 egg

1/2 cup chopped almonds

Pinch of salt

Chop your figs in a nut chopper, blender or food processor. Remember to remove the green stems. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and transfer to a baking dish. Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes. 

Serve with whipped cream or bulletproof coffee!

Nutrition Notes: Figs are great as a treat, but are high in fructose. They also have similar effects as prunes on the digestive system so be warned! ;) Make sure to wash them before eating! You never know what could be lurking around.

No-Bake Chocolate Candy Bites

I've been trying to cut back on my fructose intake lately. That means limiting my fruit consumption and cutting back on sweeteners including honey and maple syrup. I have a terrible sweet tooth as you have heard, and I am trying hard to rein it in!! My momma makes these delicious paleo chocolates, so I thought I'd put a few spins on them to make them sweetener free/fructose free. I will list the honey-sweetened version as well for those of you with room to splurge!

Printable Recipe

Base Ingredients:
1/2 cup freshly ground almond butter (I'm assuming other nut butters would work well, so feel free to give it a try! Remember peanuts are a legume and have inflammatory properties.)
1/4 cup coconut oil (make sure to use a coconut tasting oil, unrefined or virgin; I use Tropical Traditions Brand)
1/4 cup cacao powder (cocoa powder works as well, but I suggest transitioning to cacao powder)

Choose your sweetener:
None (best option for fat loss and gut health)
1/2-1 tsp Stevia (promotes good gut health, but there is limited research on long term effects)
1/8-1/4 cup of Honey (high in fructose, promotes Candida overgrowth in the gut, should be used sparingly and only as a treat!)
1/8-1/4 cup Maple Syrup (same as honey, but vegan)

Add-ins:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp mint extract
Whole almonds or other nuts like pecans

Combine your base ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well mixed. Choose your sweetener and add it in. (This recipe fills a 12 count mini muffin tray, so I made 3 different versions, one row of each.)  Add any extras you want except the whole almonds. Using spoon, transfer the mix to a mini muffin tray, ice cub tray, or a silicone candy mold(this is the best option). If using whole almonds, press them into the center of each candy piece. Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour. The candies should be solid, you can remove them from the pan and store them in a baggie in the freezer, or you can cover them. These melt quickly!

Health Notes: The raw cacao powder and coconut oil in these babies do great things for your health! I can't even begin to list all the health benefits of coconut oil. A good serving size is 1-2 Bites. Remember that consuming large amounts of almonds(nuts in general) or almond products can lead to weight gain.When using Stevia, only use pure Stevia. Most groceries only sell the processed kind which have added ingredients...yikes! I buy mine from an herb lady in town. It is ground Stevia leaf, so the only ingredients are leaves! Whole Foods has decent brands and offers a liquid version. Always, always, always check the label!

Carbnite

I came across something called carbnite on Instagram and after some heavy research, I decided to try it. The basics of it are you limit carbs to 30g or less for 10 days then have a carb fest on the 10th night without stuffing yourself.  The theory is that your body should be running on fat supplies for those 10 days and then when you eat carbs, for 1 you are preserving your sanity and 2 you are able to burn the carbs quickly after being without them for a week. The idea is that   the calories in the carbs get stored as muscle instead of fat cells. Tonight was my first carbnite and I wanted to make sure I stayed mostly Paleo. (I may have had a few potato chips with salsa :)) i can see how this could work well for me because its easier for me to restrict carbs of I have a goal in mind. I'm also surprised by the fact that Im not dying to eat carbs on day 10. Anywho I've been wanting to grill fruit all summer and finally got around to it.

I used 2 whole peaches and 1/2 cup of whipping cream. Cut the peaches in half and throw out the pit. Place face down on a grill (my momma has this neat electric indoor grill that we used). Grill for 15 minutes. Watch closely as all grills vary. You want them to be soft and have dark grill lines. Remove from the grill and serve with fresh whipped cream! We sprinkled cinnamon on ours. This makes enough for 4 servings. 

What have you been grilling this summer?

Paleo Brownies Take 1

These brownies are simple and easy to bake! I'm still working on tweaking the recipe to perfection. I'll post back if I make any changes.

Printable Recipe

I adapted my recipe from Baker Gal.
Here's what you need:
1 cup almond butter
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg

Combine all ingredients and beat to mix everything together. Pour into a glass pan. I lined mine with parchment paper, but I think that was unnecessary. Cook at 325F for 35 minutes.

Coconut Flour Pancakes

I have been trying to perfect a perfect coconut flour pancake recipe for a couple months, and I think I've finally got it! Let me know what you think!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 egg whites, 1 egg (I would like to try just 2 whole eggs next time)
3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
Coconut oil or butter to grease pan

Melt the butter in a skillet and leave to heat up. Pancakes cook better in a well heated pan. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour batter into the pan (about a 1/4 cup, but measuring is not important). Swirl the batter around in the pan so it spreads out, making a thinner pancake. Cook on one side until bubbles form and start to pop. Loosen from the pan and use a spatula to flip. If you're fancy you can flip it just using the pan (I'm practicing ;)). When the bottom is browned, 2-3 minutes, remove from pan and keep warm in the oven or microwave. Finish cooking the batter and serve with maple syrup or honey. Makes about 6 pancakes.

Health Notes: Everything in the pancakes is healthy. Be careful adding maple syrup and honey because both are pure sugar! If you have a clean protein powder, feel free to add it in. You may need to add more liquid to keep the consistency.

Juicy Juice

Juicing is quite the rage at the moment. It has always been trendy among dieters. For some reason the idea of drinking food is always paired with weight loss. This does not make sense in any shape or form!! I decided to test out the juicing fad when I spent the weekend with my momma. It did not work out for me. I was hungry within in an hour, my sugar cravings were through the roof, and I ended up taking in more sugary carbs, and calories in general. I also felt sooo guilty tossing out the pulp (fiber!). I do understand the good side of juicing. Some people claim it detoxifies your body, but eating healthy real foods will rid your body of inflammation just as well if not better. It seems to be easier for your body to absorb the nutrients from juiced foods quickly without having to go through the digestive process, but what happens when you skip the digestive process? You gain weight. Especially if you are insulin resistant and carb sensitive (ME!!!). Your body is doing less work for more nutrients, and it is likely going to store those bad boys. Juicing isn't "bad" for you, but if weight loss is your goal, I do not recommend it. It is better to eat the foods in their whole form. You will be more satisfied and you'll burn calories in the digestion process. Now if you're just into juicing for the occasional treat go for it! Everyone is different so if juicing works for you let me know! I'd love to hear your side of the story.

Update: A friend asked me about juicing tonight and I had a revelation! I think that juicing is a great way to kick start a real food diet or and changes from processed food to all natural food. It gives your digestive system a break and helps it transition from junk food to healthy fruits, veggies, and proteins. 

Here is a juice I did find a use for! I made this as a pre-workout drink to boost my electrolyte stores and give me a minuscule (lemons and limes are not high in fructose) jolt of quick energy from the fructose in the fruit. It was tangy and E said it made his whole mouth explode (you know that tingling feeling you get when you eat something sour). Also did you know you can use a blender and a nut milk bag to make juice! No need to invest in a juicer.

Mean Green Kool-Aid (E named this)
Ingredients:
1/2  lemon peeled
1/2 lime peeled
1 small cucumber
1 broccoli stalk
1/2 cup almond milk
*This is not a sweet drink. If you are dying for something sweet throw in half an orange, but remember that it is packed with fructose.

If you have a juicer add everything to the juicer and you're good to go. If not add everything to your blender and blend until its nice and chopped up. (You can juice the lime and lemon instead of peeling them if you'd like). Strain through a nut milk bag. Save the pulp for another recipe or discard. Did I mention I hate throwing things away?!

This website has a whole list of juice pulp recipe ideas. This is the one I can't wait to try!

P.S. Juicing is so not Paleo. Cavemen didn't own juicers ;)

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia pudding is super popular lately and with good reason! Chia seeds are high in omega 3 oils and they expand in your tummy leaving you feeling full long after. This pudding is similar to tapioca and is incredibly easy to make. Here's how it goes:

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2-3 tbs chia seeds
1 cup coconut milk (you can use almond milk, but it won't be as sweet)
fruit & nuts (optional)

Directions:
Combine the chia seeds and coconut milk in a sealed container. Leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours. The chia seeds will swell and become jelly-like. You can leave it overnight if you like. Remove from fridge, add in any of the extras and serve!

The variations of this are endless! You can add cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice. Let me know what you try!

Tahini Muffins

I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a try. I was excited about it not have much sweetener, and not using almond butter. We eat a lot of almond based foods around here, so having other options is a necessity. The recipe was pretty basic and is vegan. I think I would try using real eggs next time because I am not the biggest fan of flax. It contains phytoestrogens (a nasty plant hormone that mimics estrogen in our bodies) and can't be eaten in its natural state. It has to be ground up to be edible making it very similar to grains. Mark Sisson has a great article explaining the pros/cons. On to the recipe!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup ground flax and 3/4-1 cup water
1/2 cup tahini
2 ripe mashed bananas (the ripeness of the banana can change the taste)
1 tbs cinnamon
2 tbs vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbs honey or maple syrup
1/3 cup canned coconut milk

Mix all ingredients in a kitchen aid mixture, or with a hand beater. Transfer to greased muffin cups. To grease my muffin tins, I use coconut oil and rub it around. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. The recipe mentioned 20-30 minutes, but mine were far from done at 20 minutes. A fork test will not tell you if these are done because they are very dense. Enjoy!

Nutrition Notes: 1-2 muffins is the best serving size. Keep in mind that replacing all your normal eats (muffins, pancakes, cookies) with healthier versions does not promote fat loss.

Almond Pulp

Once you have homemade almond milk you'll never go back! I've noticed that most people discard the almond pulp after they make the milk, so I wanted some options for putting it to good work.  I've made a fancy almond pulp granola and this time I made a low key granola with ingredients on hand.

Ingredients 

Dried almond pulp

2 tbs honey

2 tbs sunflower seeds

2 tbs pumpkin seeds

How to:

1. Dry the almond pulp on a cookie sheet for an hour at 250F

2. Transfer the dried pulp to a bowl and stir in the other ingredients. 

3. Bake for another 20-30 minutes until golden in color. 

4. Serve alone, with almond milk, or with homemade whipped cream!

Another option is to simply dry the almond pulp and use it as almond meal. I was so excited when I realized this. You could even use it for chicken strips!

2 Ingredient Pancakes

These pancakes have 2 ingredients! Rosita shared them with us, and I decided to make them for E.

What you need:
1 banana
1 egg
cinnamon (optional)

With a fork mash together the banana and egg. Grease a frying pan and pour the pancakes into the pan. You should be able to make about 4 pancakes. Let cook on one side until the bottom is a golden brown and easy to flip. Flip it over to the other side and cook 2-3 more minutes. Serve alone or with butter and 100% pure maple syrup. You could add fruit to the batter before you cook them and that would be great! I doubled the recipe to make more for E, but one batch is plenty for one person.

Health Notes: Still making too many treats! My hungry husband needs all the carbs he can get, so these are a great choice for him. Make sure to use 100% pure maple syrup and not one that is made with high fructose corn syrup. These are a good source of protein and carbs. They would be a great post workout meal for anyone trying to gain muscle mass. These are health friendly, but not fat loss friendly.

We made a blueberry version while I was visiting my sister in Iowa. Isn't my nephew the cutest!

Almond Butter Blueberry Muffins

These are another favorite of my momma's. I don't love that she has replaced all her old favorites with "healthy" versions instead of changing her ways, but at least she's trying! I know she will get there.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup almond butter
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1 whole banana or 1/2 cup frozen blueberries (feel free to try other fruit and nut variations!)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a bowl combine the almond butter and honey, then add the eggs. Stir until smooth and stir in the baking soda. Add nuts if you wanna, and decide if you want banana bread or blueberry muffins. If you choose the banana mash it in now, if its blueberries you want save those for later. Pour the batter into a greased muffin tin. Cupcake liners are wasteful. After you've poured in the batter add about 5 frozen blueberries to each cup. Don't be OCD about it...you can do 6 in some, 10 in another, 3 in one; just sprinkle them in. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until a fork comes out clean.

Nutrition Notes: another treat! I promise to blog about a real meal next! These are great in small quantities. One muffin would be a good serving size. I do not recommend eating these daily for breakfast. Think of them as a cookie or a cupcake meant only for special occasions.

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm visiting my momma for the week and she has her staples that she likes to bake. While she was working I made her usual recipes for her. These cookies are a healthier version of a chocolate chip cookie, but they are still a treat. Honey is used as the sweetener.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup almond butter
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (we gave 3 squares of a 70% dark chocolate bar a spin in the food processor)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I don't like adding extra nuts, but my momma insists on nuts in her cookies!)

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the almond butter and honey together, then add in the egg. Add the baking soda, chocolate, and pecans, and stir until you have a batter. Using a spoon drop onto a cookie sheet. It should make 12-18 cookies depending on the size. Bake for 10 min. You can check doneness by sticking a fork in one of the middle cookies. If it comes out clean it is done, if its gooey, bake for another 2 minutes until the fork comes out clean. Serve with a nice cold glass of almond milk!

Nutrition Notes: These are meant to be a treat. For some reason when I eat a lot of almonds, I gain put on weight. These also are high in carbs. One cookie would be a good serving size. Good luck only eating one!! I am starting to realize how many sweet treats I make in my kitchen! They're more exciting than steak and vegetables. ;)

Almond Granola

I made almond milk today and wanted to put the pulp to use. I hate wasting! I saw all different recipes for almond pulp, but my momma wanted granola anyway. I decided to use her granola recipe with a few tweaks. Here it is!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2.5 cups almond pulp (this can easily be adjusted if you have more or less left over) 

1/4 cup of honey

1 green apple

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds

1/2 cup dried coconut (I like the thicker pieces for granola)

Preheat the oven to 350F and spread the almond pulp on 2 cookie sheets as thin as possible. Roast in the oven for 30-40 stirring every 10 min until the pulp is dry. Remove from the oven and let cool. In a bowl combine the other ingredients and mix well. Add in the dried almond pulp. Return the mix to the cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 20 min or until golden brown. My almond pulp was pretty wet so I had to bake it for an extra 10 min. It's important to know your oven too! I was using my momma's oven which is much different from mine. All ovens heat differently! This granola is great served alone, with homemade whipped cream or as a topper for a  chocolate snoball. You could even eat it as cereal with almond milk (a little ironic, but pretty tasty).

Nutrition notes: the honey and almonds in this granola make it high calorie and high carb. It is full of nutrients, but is best enjoyed as a snack, treat, or in small portions. A good serving size would be 1/2 cup. Oats are inflammatory food, so almonds make a good replacement for granola. Most oats also have gluten; gluten free is available. 

Almond Milk

Almond milk is my dairy free milk of choice! It's great in smoothies, to make chocolate milk from, or to just drink plain. I was unhappy with the ingredients in the  store bought almond milk, so I searched for a recipe to make my own. After some research I came up with what I thought was the perfect ratio of milk and water. Here it is!

Printable Recipe

Needs:

Jug for storage

Strainer, almond milk bag or dish towel

Blender

Large bowl

Raw Almonds(not roasted or salted)
Filtered Water

Directions:

Soak the almonds overnight in enough water to cover the almonds. Make sure to use a sealed container. After the almonds have soaked discard the water and rinse the almonds. There are anti-nutrients in almonds that have been removed from the almonds and leached into the water after the soaking process. In a blender mix 2 cups of almonds and 4 cups water. You can play with the ratio to cater to your taste. This is what I like best. Blend until smooth! Pour the milk through a fine strainer, catching the milk in a large bowl. If it is still grainy you may want to strain again through a smaller strainer. If using a nut milk bag or a dish towel, lay the towel over a bowl and pour the milk through. Squeeze to extract all the milk. Save the almond pulp for my yummy almond pulp granola recipe or dry it in the oven at 250F for an hour and use it as almond meal! Store the almond milk in the fridge in a sealed container.

Nutrition notes:

Soaking the almonds overnight removes the enzyme inhibitor that can be detrimental to health. Soaked almonds are "healthier" than raw almonds. Almond milk will not have the same health benefits as almonds because the pulp(high in fiber) has been removed. This is a low calorie drink so enjoy!