Pecan Pie Granola Cereal

Have you seen the price tag on clean granola cereal? It's not cheap and you can't control how it's sweetened. 

However, the good news is, you can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost! This recipe is so simple a child can make it! My daughter helped me make our first batch but she will be making it on her own next time.

Pecan Pie Granola Cereal

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Old Fashioned oats
• 3 Tbps Coconut Sugar
• 3/4-1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup raw pecans (no oils added), chopped
• 1/3 cup honey (local is best choice) or use Pure Maple Syrup
• 1-2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup organic unrefined coconut oil, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees 

1) Add the top 5 ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.

2) Add honey, vanilla and coconut oil to a small bowl and mix well.

3) Add the wet to the dry and mix (we used our hands) until evenly coated.

4) Spread evenly on a baking pan. Bake for about 20-30 min, stirring every 10 min. 

NOTE: It will harden as it cools. Eat it dry or pour some UNSWEETENED coconut milk or almond milk on it. It's delicious!

Enjoy. 

Dairy Free Spinach Artichoke Dip

I've got some good news and some great news for ya. The good news... I have a dip for you that is so delicious. The GREAT news... it's dairy free! And I don't even miss the dairy. True Story.

Give this a try. Even if you "hate" cashews.

Dairy Free Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• approx. 5 oz Organic Spinach (rough chopped, more so if you don't plan to throw it in the blender)
• 1 small sweet onion (chopped, I use my Vitamix)
• 3-4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tbps Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 Tbps lemon juice (approx one lemon)
• 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts (approx 12-15oz), chopped.
• 1-1 1/2 cup of cashew cream*

Directions:

1) Saute the spinach, onions, garlic and EVOO in a pan until spinach has wilted nicely.

2) Add in the sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dijon mustard, lemon juice and artichoke hearts. Stir.

3) Add in the cashew cream and stir until combined.

4) Eat cold or bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. I love it warm straight from the oven. 

NOTE:  I use my Vitamix to make this. After I have made the cashew cream I add in all the stuff from the oven pan (which I don't bother chopping my spinach much or the artichoke hearts because the Vitamix will do that) I coarsely chop on #4 until it's the consistency I like. Then I pour directly into oven dish. So simple!

*Cashew Cream:

Soak 3/4-1 cup of cashew in enough filtered water to cover them for AT LEAST 2 hours or overnight (especially if you don't have high speed blender they will need to soak longer).

Drain and rinse and add to blender with 1/2 cup of filtered water. Blend on high until it's smooth and creamy. You can add more if you need to to get it to the creamy consistency. 

ENJOY!

Carrot Cake Muffins

My daughter and I created these together. We think they turned out great. If you are gluten free you could try making these will oat flour. Or a mix of your two favorite gluten free flours.

They turned out very moist which is great when working with wheat flour. This is a GREAT way to get some veggies in your morning or on the go! Plus, coconut oil is said to help reduce appetite. Win Win!

Carrot Cake Muffins

Ingredients:

Makes 12-18 muffins

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup coconut sugar (I like to grind mine in the Vitamix)
• 1 Tbps cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 1 Tbps pure vanilla extract (read the ingredients not the front label)
• 1 cup raw pecans
• 6 dates (if you don't have these, then add more coconut sugar by 1/4-1/2 cup)
• 1 cup pure pineapple juice (or you could just grind pineapple into a liquid in your Vitamix)
• 3/4 cup Organic Coconut Oil, unrefined. (My favorite is Barlean's but I often use Costco Organic due to budget and the amount we go through)
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups grated carrots (I chopped mine in the Vitamix instead)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

1) Mix the flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt in a bowl. Set aside. 

2) Add pineapple juice, pecans, vanilla and dates to high speed blender (I'm obsessed with my Vitamix) and blend until smooth. You can leave it chunkier if you wish but my kids don't care for nuts in their muffins so I hide them.

3) Whisk the eggs together and gradually add in the coconut oil (You will need to melt the coconut oil, but don't get it too warm and cook the eggs)

4) Add items from steps 2 and 3 to the bowl in step 1. Mix until incorporated.

5) Fold in the carrots.

6) Scoop into muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean)

NOTES: When using whole wheat flour you need to move quickly, so don't make it and walk away. Or forget you are even baking muffins in the first place.  It will lead to firm muffins. You need to scoop it right after it is mixed.  

My baking isn't rocket science. If it isn't easy, them I'm not doing it! With that being said, if you don't have coconut sugar you could use raw cane sugar instead. You could even try honey instead of coconut sugar (which is a great choice).  It's all about finding what you want to sweeten the muffins with that is considered clean. 

Also, keep in mind my family is off refined sugar. This muffins are plenty sweet to us but that may not be the case for someone just starting to {eat clean}. You can always add more dates to help sweeten and get more fiber in the process. Everyone needs a little more fiber in their life. 

ENJOY!

{gluten free & dairy free} Clean Brownies

I have only made this recipe in mini bite size Silicone molds.  It was a huge hit and they are perfect for fitting into the kid's Planetbox lunch system.

This recipe is sweetened only with dates and coconut sugar.

{gluten free & dairy free} Clean Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Organic (cold pressed) Coconut Oil (I love Barlean's), melted
• 1/2 cup Water + 12 pitted dates (blended in Vitamix until creamy)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup Organic Coconut Sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend Ghirardelli)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup Millet Flour

Optional: I added 5 mini Enjoy Life dairy free chocolates on top of each before baking. 

Directions:

1) Mix coconut oil, "date water", 2 eggs, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl.

2) In a small bowl mix the cocoa powder, baking powder, sea salt, and millet flour.

3) Add the dry to the wet and mix well.

4) Add batter to whatever baking dish you will be using (spray with oil). I'm guessing 9 x 9 pan if you are going a full pan brownie route. I will have to update that later if I try it. 

5) Bake at 350 until toothpick comes out clean. Approx 13-18 minutes.

Cinnamon Baked Donut with Sugar Glaze

I have no idea why I have decided to start making donuts again...but I have!  My kids are happy about this new found passion for all things donut!

I found a donut tin at Goodwill a couple years back (I need to keep looking for another one there!) Goodwill is a swell place to find lots of great deals on kitchen tools that need a new home. You can save a lot shopping there and chances are high that a lot of items didn't get much love in their old kitchen before landing themselves on a shelf at Goodwill.

As far as donuts go, I am going to call these a WHOLE FOOD treat.  It has WHOLE white wheat flour, it has coconut sugar instead of regular sugar, it has a whole pear in the recipe and is dairy free! And I should mention the obvious...it's baked not fried.

Now, remember I said TREAT, this is not something I recommend you eat daily, but compared to donuts elsewhere there is no comparison to nutrients in this donut! And, in my world, I don't think there is much you should have to live without! 

Cinnamon Baked Donut with Sugar Glaze

Adapted from: JoyTheBaker

Ingredients:

Makes 6 donuts

For the Donuts:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar (see notes)
• 2 Tbps Extra Virgin Cold Pressed UNrefined Coconut oil (I recommend Barlean's), melted
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pear or apple (grated, minced, or pulverized by the Vitamix)

For the Glaze:

• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (see notes)
• pinch of salt
• 1-3 tsp of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1)  Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a doughnut pan and set aside.

2)  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and coconut sugar.  Set aside.

3) In a smaller bowl whisk together coconut oil, vanilla, milk, pear/apple and egg. Add to dry ingredients.

4) Stir together until no flour bits remain and all of the ingredients are well combined.  Try not to overmix the batter.  That might create rubbery doughnuts.

5) Use a small spoon to dollop batter into the prepared pan.  Smooth out and fill each doughnut in the pan three-quarters full with batter.

6) Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them and try not to over-bake them.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the doughnuts cool, make the glaze.

1) In a small bowl whisk together the powdered coconut sugar, salt, vanilla and milk.  Start out with 1 tsp of milk and add more if needed.

Once the doughnuts are completely cool, use a butter knife to spread each doughnut with glaze.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes in the fridge to harden the glaze.  These doughnuts are best serve the day they’re made.  

Enjoy!

NOTES: When baking with coconut sugar I like to blend the coconut sugar into a super fine powder in the Vitamix. I am sure a Magic Bullet would work great too! Make sure when melting the Coconut Oil not to over heat because you don't want to be cooking that egg when you add them together. 

Coconut sugar is rich in nutrients. It is especially high in potassium, and containing almost 10,300 milligrams per liter of coconut sugar. With the same measurement of milligrams per liter, there are 2,020 milligrams of nitrogen, 790 milligrams of phosphorus, 60 of calcium, 290 of magnesium, 450 of sodium, 4,700 of chlorine, 260 of sulfur and also trace amounts of boron, zinc, manganese, iron and copper

The Best Dairy-Free Banana Split Sundae Ever

This is so simple for me to make because I have all these items at home all the time (except the ice cream). But, we may have to change that! ha!

For this recipe I used frozen pineapples and strawberries that I defrosted for a bit prior to making. The frozen pineapple from Costco is amazingly sweet. Highly recommend trying it. Typically in the summer I always have fresh strawberries, but that's not the case in the winter months in Indiana.

The Best Dairy-Free Banana Split Sundae Ever

Ingredients:

• Banana, ripe
• Coconut Bliss Dairy Free Ice Cream-Vanilla
• Strawberries, chopped
• Pineapple, chopped
• Enjoy Life Dairy Free mini chips
• Magic Shell Topping (recipe)
• Raw pecans, chopped

Directions:

1) In a bowl, slice or chunk a ripe banana. Lay it out nicely. You want your sundae to be pretty.

2) Scoop one large scoop of Coconut Bliss on your bananas.

3) Arrange strawberries, and pineapples on ice cream as you wish.

4) Pour magic shell topping over ice cream.

5) Sprinkle Pecans and Chocolate Chips.

6) Enjoy!

NOTES: I get the Enjoy Life at Kroger or Earth Fare.  The ice cream is at Earth Fare or Whole Foods. Make sure there are no oils in your nuts. You could try making dairy free whipped cream from full fat coconut milk but I only had light on hand and that won't work!

Dairy-Free Magic Shell Chocolate Topping

This is beyond simple to make and will impress your kids (if you don't have kids, impress yourself)! 

Dairy-Free Magic Shell Chocolate Topping

recipe adapted from The Coconut Mama

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (I recommend Barlean's)
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder (I recommend Ghirardelli)
• 1/4 Cup Raw Honey or Maple Syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Directions:

Gently heat the coconut oil, cocoa powder and honey together in a small saucepan over low. Stir until ingredients are melted. Add vanilla and salt and mix.  Pour warm magic shell sauce over ice cream or dessert of choice. 

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat over low to reuse.

This recipe makes approximately 1 1/4 cup of magic shell sauce.

NOTES: I added 1/4 cup Barlean's Silk Chocolate Greens powder (which I buy from Amazon) and 1/4 cup cocoa and it turned out great. I don't plan to store this in the fridge, but plan to keep at room temp and use within a few days.

{dairy free} Creamy Potato Soup

Creamy potato soup...with ZERO dairy...yep! I have accomplished it. This isn't completely meatless as I used chicken stock.  I think it adds nice flavor (without adding butter).  I wanted to try to get it completely dairy free, but still seem like a comfort food. 

{dairy free} Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients: 

• 6-8 gold potatoes (scrubbed and diced with skin left on)
• one small onion (chopped)
• 1 Tbps Organic EVOO (I recommend Kirkland brand at Costco)
• one small leek (whites/light greens only, chopped, rinsed)
• 4 garlic cloves(minced)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 cups plain rice milk
• 2 cups organic low sodium chicken stock

Directions:

1) Saute leeks and onions in EVOO and garlic in a large pot. 
2) Add thyme, potatoes, rice milk, and chicken stock to the pot. 
3) Cook until potatoes are tender. 
4) Ladle out about 3 cups into Vitamix and blend until creamy. Pour the mixture back in to pot. Salt and pepper to taste.

Top with green onions (and cheese if you if aren't wanting to keep this dairy free). In my opinion it's just as food without the cheese in this recipe. 

Serve with bread (or clean crackers) and large salad.  ENJOY. 

NOTE: Make sure to soak the leeks after they are chopped to get all the dirt off of them. Then rinse. Make sure you use gold potatoes as they have a more creamier taste. 

Gluten Free Muffins {Chocolate Chip Coconut}

I am always looking for something that is simple to make for breakfast or an after school snack with no guilt. These muffins were adapted from a recipe at  100DaysofRealFood.com

I wanted these to be dairy free and gluten free. They are also lacking many other things, like colors, preservatives, and trans fats!

My sweet tooth friend came over the other day and tried these. She loved that they were moist and sweet! Yes, even she thought they were sweet. These do not last in my house so I am going to have to make a lot and freeze some for later.

You can add whatever toppings you would like to this recipe.

Gluten Free Muffins {Chocolate Chip Coconut}

INGREDIENTS

DRY

• 2 cups quick oats (blended into flour with the Vitamix) or 2 cups of oat flour
• ½ cup flaxmeal (I use golden)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

WET

• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup coconut oil (I use Barlean's), melted or ¼ all natural apple sauce
• 1 cup apple juice (You can juice your own if you have time)

FILLING

• About 1 cup of total filling (berries, fruit, nuts, etc. – see below for details)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) In a large bowl mix together the DRY with a fork or whisk.

3) In a separate bowl mix the wet together.

4) Add the dry to the wet and stir.

5) Then add 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut. (This is just for this variation of the recipe)

6) Grease muffin tins or use liners. Fill them ⅔ to ¾ of the way full with batter. Sprinkle 1 – 2 teaspoons of Dairy Free mini chocolate chips. onto the top of each raw muffin in the pan. Then gently mix each one with a fork or spoon. 

7) Bake for 10-13 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature and freeze some for a later date. 

Enjoy!

Here are some options to consider for the fillings:

- blueberries

- diced strawberries

- peeled and diced pears

- applesauce

- either diced or mashed up bananas and chopped walnuts

- raisins and chopped pecans

- grated carrot and chopped walnuts

- orange or lemon zest (only add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of zest per individual muffin)

- a mix of dried fruit bits

- jelly

NOTE: You can easily add the toppings in last and mix in the bowl to avoid the individual mixing of the muffins but that step does insure all muffins have equal ingredients. And please note, my kids don't like coconut but love these!

When I make this using my Vitamix I do all dry ingredients in Vitamix then add them to the wet mixture.

{gluten & dairy free} Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

We love cookies. We love clean cookies! We really love cookies packed with nutrients! My daughter helped me with this recipe. It's great to get kids involved with baking and cooking at a young age. It really teaches them they have control on what goes into their little bodies and how a real cookie comes to be a cookie (not just from a box on the shelf).

 We tasted these in the "test kitchen" and we give them 4 thumbs up! 

These cookies have a lot going for them. 1) They are gluten free. 2) They are dairy free. 3) They are packed with fiber. 4) They have calcium from the almonds and flax. 5) You have the benefits of Organic Cold Pressed Coconut oil! 6) And finally, I used Coconut Sugar instead of table sugar, which will not give you the cookie "sugar crash" like table sugar. Yippee!

{gluten & dairy free} 
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

Dry:

• 1 1/2 cups Oat Flour
• 1 cup Almond Meal
• 1/4 cup Flax Meal
• 1/2 cup Oats (Certified Gluten free if you have a true allergy)
• 3/4 cup Coconut Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2-1 cup of dairy free chocolate chips (I recommend, Enjoy Life brand)

Wet:

• 2 eggs (Pasteurized is best)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (not imitation)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup Organic Coconut Oil, melted (I highly suggest Barlean's)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325.

2) Mix the dry together in a bowl. Mix the wet together in a bowl. Combine the wet with the dry and stir until mixed well.

3) After lining a pan with parchment paper, a reusable baking sheet liners, or spraying the pan with oil,  scoop tsp size balls onto the pan.

4) Bake for 10-12 min at 325. Move to a cooling rack and let cool.

NOTE: The chocolate and the sugar have a range of measurements. I do this because you can make them sweeter or less sweet to your liking. I always try to go with less sugar the first go around and add more for a special occasion. It's up to your personal preference. Enjoy!

{clean} Frozen {dairy-free} Chocolate Covered Banana Pops

I've been wanting to make these for some time now, but I just keep forgetting...until now! It was so simple and the good news (for me) is that I always have these ingredients on hand in my kitchen.  

{clean} Frozen {dairy-free} Chocolate Covered Banana Pops

Ingredients:

(adapted from spoonful.com)

• 3 bananas
• 1/3 cup creamy nut butter (I used Parkers Farm brand peanut butter from Costco)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate (I like dairy free Enjoy Life brand)
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil (I highly recommend Barlean's brand)
• 6 wooden craft sticks

Directions:

1)  Mix nut butter and cinnamon together.

2)  Cut each banana in half and then slice each half lengthwise.
3)  On one side of each half, spread the nut butter mixture and press a stick flat onto it, about halfway up. 
4)  Add other half of the banana and press together. Freeze for about 45 minutes.
5)  In a small microwavable bowl, melt coconut oil and chocolate chips together, stirring until smooth. (30 seconds at a time) With a spatula or table knife, spread a thin layer of the chocolate over the outside of the banana. (Mine was so runny that I poured the chocolate over each side with a spoon) Freeze for another five minutes, until the chocolate is frozen.
6)  Serve frozen. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three days.

NOTE: Make sure to use parchment paper or your banana pops will stick to the tray (or whatever you are using).  Feel free to add unsweetened coconut or chopped nuts to the outside.  Make them "super" pops by mixing in some ground flax with the butter. Or, if you love chia seeds and their crunch you can sprinkly chia seeds on the outside too! So many options with this recipe.

{clean} Chocolate Chia Pops

These are a big hit from kids to adults. They are simple to make and are packed with superfoods (Chia seeds and Cacao Nibs). Chia seeds are a great source of Omega 3's and high in antioxidants (much higher than flaxseeds even). They are also high in fiber and protein.  Cacoa Nibs are an excellent source of antioxidants as well.  They are also known to be one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium. 

I will have these on hand often through the Spring - Fall months. 

{clean} Chocolate Chia Pops

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or filtered water if you don't have almond milk on hand)
• 1 ripe banana
• 2-3 Tbps Chia seeds
• 1 1/2 Tbps Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (I use Ghirardelli brand often)
• 1-2 Tbps Cacao Nibs (optional)
• 2 Tbps honey (local is best)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Add all ingredients to a high speed blender (like the Vitamix) and blend on high until smooth.

2) Add to Popsicle molds.

3) Freeze overnight.

NOTE: The higher quality of these ingredients you go the better they will taste. I use my own homemade almond milk recipe. Sometimes with just almonds and filtered water (as in this case). 

Also, I use Barlean's Chocolate Powdered Greens for half the cocoa powder when I have it on hand to give them a boost of greens. 

Cilantro Pineapple Green Juice

I love green juices and this one is awesome with the mix of cilantro and pineapple. Give it a try.

Cilantro Pineapple Green Juice

• one bunch of Kale (approx 10 leaves)
• one large cucumber
• half of a pineapple (skin removed)
• one bunch of cilantro

{clean} Power Brownies

I pulled this recipe out of Health magazine over 6 months ago to make and I just found it folded up in my spice cabinet. Wow, I'm SO organized.

I changed the recipe to fit my needs. These were originally called energy bars, but my daughter said they tasted like brownies! So, the name Power Brownie was born. 

{clean} Power Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbps organic coconut oil (I use Barlean's)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 Tbps hemp seed or flaxseed (more if you wish, I prefer flaxseed)
• 1/2-3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, plus extra for drizzle (over 60% is best)

Optional: 

1/2 cup raw peanuts (I left them out b/c my kids don't like nuts whole in baked goods)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350. Spray or coat with fingers a 13 x 9 baking dish with Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil. (Mine was a little smaller)

2)  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and hemp seed. In a large bowl, beat coconut sugar and peanut butter until well combined. Beat in eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Add oats and chocolate (and peanuts), stirring to combine.

3)  Spread evening in prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Cool completely in a pan on wire rack.

4)  In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup or less of chocolate chips and melt in microwave for approx 1 min. Or until melted completely. Do not overheat. Stir until smooth. With a fork, drizzle chocolate over bars. Refrigerate until set. 

NOTE:  I make my own peanut butter with 1 cup raw peanuts and 1 Tbps organic coconut oil in the vitamix. I also add the sugar, vanilla, and eggs on low in the vitamix after the peanut butter is smooth.  If you don't, I suggest you slightly heat coconut oil until it's liquid form before mixing.

Use organic products when available.

Use certified gluten free oats and oat flour if you need to completely avoid gluten.  After I am done with my oat flour I have on hand, I will be making my own in the vitamix.  It truly is the best kitchen appliance EVER! 

Also, I will play around with this recipe, I may up the peanut butter to one full cup since my kids don't like raw peanut chunks.  Maybe up the oats too. I will also try making this with honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar. I'll update when I do. Enjoy.

2013 UPDATE: I now make my oat flour in my Vitamix. You can sub out the coconut sugar for light brown sugar if in a pinch. Also, you could do half coconut sugar and half dates. If you want completely dairy free I suggest Enjoy Life brand chocolates.

No-Bake Energy Bites

These little nuggets of love had me at NO-BAKE...These are super simple to make and the possibilities are endless. I just LOVE peanut butter!!! Heck, I LOVE all nut butters for that matter.  These make a great snack in school lunches or on the go, an after school snack to fuel up for homework, and even a great satisfying dessert!

No-Bake Energy Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes (I use untoasted)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (no added oils)
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed 
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips-70% or greater is best (optional)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. {all natural} pure vanilla extract

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

NOTES: I typically make a double batch and use only a 1/2 cup of chocolate for the double batch. It all depends on how many of them you eat a day and how dark your chocolate is as to whether or not you should cut it back.

I make these also with dairy free Enjoy Life brand mini chips. They work great. I get my peanut butter in the cooler section of Costco and it has NO sugar in it. Parker Farms is the brand.  You can make this with almond butter as well. 

Visit this link for more detailed information on this recipe: www.smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com

{eat clean} BROWNIES

{eat clean} Brownies

Recipe adapted from: www.thegraciouspantry.com

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz.) container almond butter
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup honey
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghiardelli 60% Cacao)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

1) Add each ingredient, in the order listed, to a large mixing bowl, one at a time. Whisk in each ingredient completely before adding the next.

2) Pour into an oiled baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

NOTE: I roughly chopped the chocolate chips prior to adding them to the batter.  

UPDATE 2013: Since I have been off sugar a lot longer than when I first posted this my taste buds have changed. I made the recipe this time with 2/3 cup honey instead of the full cup. It worked great.  I also make it with two whole eggs instead of 4 egg whites. I also cut down the chocolate by almost half. Make this with dairy free chocolate chips and you have a dairy free treat! Enjoy.