As you might know, I am a big fan of legumes. From falafel to hummus to stews, it would be easier to list my recipes without lentils, beans, chickpeas and co. than the one with them as there are so many! And the reason for that is simple – they are delicious, filling, cheap, and prepared in a jiffy. They are full of fiber and a very good plant-based source of protein. Together with grains, any legumes form a complete protein. Take that, omnivore! But if you think, grains and legumes are only for soups and salads, you haven’t tried my vegan ginger snap biscuits yet!
Vegan Ginger Snap Biscuits
You are probably wondering what on earth is going on here. A post about vegan ginger snap biscuits and then all the carry-on about legumes? Makes no sense? Not so fast! With recipes floating around for cookies and biscuits containing beans (yes, you read that right), the idea to give your afternoon snack a protein and fiber boost while lowering the fat content isn’t exactly new, but I thought I’d update my old ginger snap biscuit recipe and bring you a sparkling new, vegan, gluten free and lowfat version!
These babies are not only a cinch to make, they are also a guilt-free treat, and a very satisfying at that. Even my hubby was excited and he usually doesn’t like healthified snacks at all, so take that as one more reason to get the cannellini bean tins out!
Vegan Ginger Snap Biscuits {vg, gf, lf}
Makes 25
1.5 cups rolled oats 1.5 cups besan (chickpea) flour
1/2 tbsp glutenfree baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp (or more) ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp freshly ground sea salt pinch of cayenne pepper 1 tin cannellini beans (reserve 6 tbsp of the liquid from the can, see next row!)
6 tbsp aquafaba (cannellini bean “brine”, i.e. the liquid from the can)
3/4 cup brown sugar
Combine dry ingredients (oats, besan, baking powder, spices and sugar) in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Process the beans with the aquafaba in a high-powered blender and add the resulting mush to the dry ingredients. Heap a teaspoonfull each on a prepared baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 15 minutes until lightly golden at the edges. Taste best on the same day but can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.
You probably thought you would never have a donut again. Well, I hate to tell you, but you were wrong, this time. You really can have it all, and these donuts are not only ready in a jiffy, but they taste truly delicious and seriously chocolatey. With only 7 g of carbs per mini donut, they won’t leave you feeling slumpy, either. no go forth and bake.
Makes 12 mini donuts
100 g red sorghum flour 50 g potato starch 30 g cocoa powder, Dutch processed 100 g erythritol 1/2 tsp baking soda pinch of salt 1 flax egg (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp milled flaxseed dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water) 100 g plant milk dash of vanilla 25 g melted coconut oil
for the glaze: 150 g extra dark vegan chocolate 50 g coconut oil dash of vanilla
sprinkle (optional)
Preheat oven to 230 °C. For the batter, mix the dry ingredients first, then mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to dry ingredients until well blended. Place into donut pan and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool completely. For the glaze, melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over very low heat until completely melted and well combined. Add vanilla. Glaze the donuts and ornate with sprinkles, if you like.
Delicious cookies that are vegan paleo and ready in minutes – it’s just not fair…
So let’s take one chocoholic baker with two magic hands, three utensils, four minutes of time, five senses, and six to seven ingredients (depending on whether you like vanilla or not, but I think it’s lovely). Then it takes eight minutes of baking, and you’ll be on cloud nine in vegan heaven – or paleo heaven, gluten-free heaven, or dairy-free heaven, or low-carb heaven, or whatever your heaven might be. Actually, I’d prefer to say “chocoholic heaven” ’cause that’s what these cookies are – heaven for chocoholics.
I made 16 of these cookies 24 hours ago, and now we are down to four. FOUR! I mean, it’s just hubs and me for the moment, and we gobbled up 12 chocolate cookies in one day between the two of us! Honestly, these cookies are soooo good, they’ll be gone before you know it – but your friends/family/neighbours/colleagues/better half/kids will never know they are gluten free, grain free, and sugar free! Not that anyone would care anyway, as they are just sooo delicious! But it’s good to know that they are allergy-friendly (provided the eater isn’t allergic to nuts!)
In fact (and luckily for us), there is not a single unhealthy ingredient in them. There is no flour and no grain whatsoever, no dairy, no trans-fats, and they are sweetened exclusively with dates – no refined sugar here. Almond butter instead of artificial, trans-fatty margarine boasts a healthy dose of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats which keep you happy and satisfied, egg is a well-known treasure of amino acids, vitamins and minerals, dates instead of refined sugar deliver magnesium for better sleep, and unsweetened cocoa comes with antioxidants which offer numerous health benefits. They are great as a pick-me-up between meals and a great dessert for when you have those chocolate cravings after dinner.
What are you waiting for? Make these cookies!
Makes 16 cookies
250g natural almond butter 1 flax egg (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp milled flaxseed dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water) 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/2 baking soda 80g dates 20g cocoa dash of vanilla
Preheat oven to 180 °C. Mix all ingredients in a good food processor. Roll into a ball, scoop approx. 1,5 tbsp of dough onto a prepared baking sheet and bake for eight minutes. The cookies will still be a bit soft, but that’s ok.
If you thought fast food was unhealthy, think again! Sure, gulping down trans-fat laden chicken wings while you are running for the train is wrong on many levels, but healthy eating doesn’t mean having to skip the hairdresser’s appointment for lack of time. In fact, there are lots of recipes for microwave breads out there. Yes, you read that quite right. There is breads that you can prepare in the microwave in less than two minutes! If this sounds too good to be true in your ears, have a go at my 2-minute Paleo crumpets! This recipe is adapted from Louise Hendon’s Microwave Paleo Bread, and I don’t only enjoy that I can bake delicious gluten free, grain free “bread” and still have time to go for my pamper package at the local day spa, but I also love its nutty taste and subtle flavour as well as that it’s so versatile!
Next to the fact that you can satisfy any cravings for carbs and bread you might have in less two minutes and with virtually no net carbs, these crumpets come jam-packed with fibre, vitamin E, and healthy fats! And let me repeat that once more: They are absolutely and truly paleo, meaning they are grain free, sugar free, dairy free, soy free, and, in general, worry free. Whether you follow a gluten free or low carb diets, these little babies will fit your lifestyle! Lacking the pernicious sweetness of traditional crumpets, these tasty round slices don’t only pair up nicely with ricotta and homemade jam, but I actually love them with butter and gluten free AussieMite or dunked into a hearty soup! There is really no reason not to try this great recipe. Whether as a filling breakfast option, lunch or dinner component or hearty afternoon snack, just whip up a handful ingredients and get your microwave going!
Makes 2 crumpets
30 g almond meal 10 g flax meal pinch of sea salt pinch of baking soda 20 g butter (or oil of choice) 1 egg
Mix all ingredients in a large mug until thoroughly combined. Pat down into mug and smooth surface. Microwave on high for one and a half minutes. The crumpet should easily come out of the mug. Cut into desired thickness and enjoy with favourite topping whilst still warm.
Grain Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free – what’s not to love?
Inspired by my flourless peanut butter cookies, I was keen to turn these babies into a paleo version. As the original recipe is already flourless and absolutely dairy and grain free, this was peanuts…er…cashews, in this case! The base for flourless nut butter cookies is always the same – nut butter of choice, sweetener of choice (if you like, not a must!), and egg replacer, in this case a flax egg – a pinch of salt, vanilla, and baking soda add a little “oomph” to it, and optional ingredients such as nuts, dried fruit or chocolate chips take the whole thing over the top!
These cookies come jam-packed with goodies – antioxidants, minerals, and healthy fats from delicious cashews and cashew butter, and cranberries for added tang and antioxidant boost! And yes, they really are paleo! Yummy treats that are even good for you. Besides that – if these aren’t some of the most delicious cookies you’ve ever had, then I don’t know what in the world would please you!
Feel free to use a Paleo-ish sweetener such as stevia – but, in fact, I just like them unsweetened! The cashew butter provides a natural sweetness which is balanced by the tang from the cranberries in a lovely way – no need to add any extras!
While the gorgeous smell and crumbly, buttery texture will bring back childhood memories of your grandmother’s shortbread and long pre-Christmas baking afternoons, the fact that these cookies do without the trifecta of evil – flour, sugar, and trans-fatty margarine – will make you enjoy them even more! And with only Paleo-approved ingredients, even your cross-fitting boyfriend can afford to munch another one of these!
Makes 15 cookies
1 jar (250 g) all-natural cashew butter 100 g natural cashews 100 g unsweetended dried cranberries 1 tbsp flaxseed, dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water (“flax egg”) dash of vanilla 1 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 180 °C. Mix all ingredients by hand. Scoop 15 1-tablespoon sized balls onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes while you like the remaining dough out of the bowl (addiction alarm!!!). Leave to cool and devour or store in an airtight container.
Crunchy, Chewy, Scrumptious Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
I am addicted to peanut butter. I used to love classic peanut butter cookies, preferably without chocolate as to not adulterate the taste of peanut. All I wanted was to recreate a gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe, but I’m getting increasingly tired of replacing wheat flour with commercially processed starches. Since I love baking, I cannot always avoid these starches, but I’d walk many miles for a recipe that waives all flours and starches altogether.
This happened to be an experiment which, I’m proud to say, seem to have nailed at the first attempt. It’s just too easy, and without finicky gluten free flours, there is no risk of bad surprises! These peanut butter cookies are absolutely ace, consist of seven simple ingredients and take 15 minutes to make – five minutes preparing and ten minutes baking. What’s not to love? Crispy and crunchy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside, with just the right balance of sweet and salty, you and your loved ones would never guess these are flourless!
This could almost be a paleo recipe as it completely foregoes grains and dairy – if it wasn’t for the peanuts. I know peanuts are not paleo as they are a technically a legume, but, hell, I don’t care, and you won’t care either once you have a bite of these! This is just too good not to share, and who knows, maybe you could turn it into a paleo recipe by using sunbutter instead of peanut butter and any sort of nuts or seeds instead of peanuts?
Makes 8 large cookies
100 g peanut butter, crunchy 100 g unsalted peanuts 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water) 50 g coconut sugar 1 tsp vanilla pinch of baking soda pinch of sea salt
Preheat oven to 180 °C. Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and remember to leave the larger portion of the dough for actually baking, not pre-bake munching! Line a cookie tray or use a silicon sheet. Scoop 8 similar-sized portions (approx. 2 tbs each) out of the dough and slightly roll into balls. Arrange on the sheet, about 5 cm apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until puffed on the outside and still soft on the inside.
If my flourless low-carb brownie cookies were still a bit too dry and crumbly for your liking, you are in for a treat! And a fudgy, squidgy, decadent one at that! These brownies are again flourless and paleo, but thanks to yummy avocados, they are super moist, smooth, rich, dense and, yup, fudgy!
You read that right, there is avocados in there! As you might know, I am a demon for avocados, and they occupy a regular place in my diet, whether as dip for crudités, in chicken salad, or as a nutritious addition to my breakfast smoothies. And as a passionate baker, it’s only natural that I incorporate them in my baking and dessert-making, too! The thing is, chocolate and avocado is just a match made in heaven – the Mexicans got that quite right! If you don’t believe me, whip up some avo with cocoa powder and taste it – see what I mean? It’s wizardry. But you don’t need to be Harry Potter to make the world’s best brownies! Brownies that even taste like there was icing on top, even though there isn’t! Now, ain’t that magic?
I don’t need to mention that these brownies are super healthy coz that’s what this blog is all about – but these are truly nutritious. Lots of healthy fats from avocado, eggs, butter/coconut oil and almond meal, antioxidants from pure cocoa, and only a little bit of carbohydrate from natural honey. No starches, no refined sugar, no processed oils, and absolutely no grains involved. It’s magical. And let me say it again: These are the moistest, fudgiest, most decadent and flavoursome brownies you’ll ever taste.
These brownies are as hard to resist as they are satisfying. A couple of them should be enough to indulge even your most violent cravings, and with 7 (yes, seven) net carbs per two pieces there is absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. It’s also easy as pie to “veganise” them (indeed, paleo and vegan are NOT mutually exclusive!!!) – just use coconut oil instead of butter, maple syrup or your favourite sweetener instead of honey, flax eggs instead of eggs, and Bob’s your uncle! Magic again?
As I haven’t mentioned it yet and can anticipate your questioning look – no, these brownies do NOT taste like avocado, not one bit! Like Harry Potter under his invisibility cloak the avos are there, emphasising the rich cocoa flavour and providing a heavenly consistency of the brownies, but you cannot see, i.e. taste, them.
I am pretty sure that this could become your all-time favourite morning, afternoon and/or bedtime snack, and one your body will thank you for, too! I must warn you though – the raw dough is so, so delicious that there is a certain risk you might devour a considerable portion of it before you slather it into the baking tray. But try to resist the magical charm of the dough as texture, taste and look of the baked brownies are just too good (in fact, magical) to make do with any less amount of dough.
Ready for some magic?
Makes 36 mini brownies
130 g butter or coconut oil 100 g unprocessed cocoa powder 140 g honey 1 tsp vanilla 70 g almond meal good pinch of sea salt pinch of baking soda 2 large eggs or flax eggs 2 large, ripe Hass avocados
Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Prepare a 20 x 20 cm baking pan by greasing and/or lining with parchment paper. Melt the butter/CO together with the cocoa powder in the microwave in 30 second instalments until completely smooth. Stir in the honey, vanilla, almond meal, sea salt, and soda.
Add the avocados to a blender or food processor. Add chocolate mixture as well as eggs and blend until smooth.
Spoon into baking pan and flatten out. Bake on the middle rack for approx. 25 minutes. Let cool and cut into 6×6 pieces (or bigger pieces if you like them bigger, but beware – they really are dense!). Store in the fridge in an airtight container (they will last very long – if you let them last. :-)). Always serve chilled.
So you thought you would never look at a Snickers bar again, didn’t you? Snickers is all about refined sugar, processed oils and dodgy additives. And you were determined not to ruin your health with these anymore. But, heck…you still fancy a good ol’ Snickers every now and then…you start feeling itchy at the sight of your colleague munching down a Snickers in front of the computer. And while you wait for your train home, exhausted from a long day in the office, you are eying the vending machine at the station, one hand on the lookout for small change – only to be relieved/annoyed if it turns out you don’t have enough spare change to afford that little sin. Or you are at the service station, and, oh my, those blue letters on a brown background is just what you need right now. That Snickers bar, so sweet and innocent, nestled between its comrades Mars, Twix, M&Ms…that cure little thing can’t be that bad, can it?
Either you are disciplined, feel deprived and probably pig out on that bag of Doritos in your pantry as soon as you are through the door. Or you give in and feel guilty. So guilty.
Well, you don’t have to feel deprived anymore. And you don’t have to feel guilty anymore. Never – at least not about food, anyway. Promise.
What we are talking about here are Snickers bars….HEALTHY Snickers bars.
No, I’m not selling you some wonder tool here. I don’t promise you to become rich overnight or anything like that. What you will find here is a naughty treat that just happens to be good for you.
Yes, you can have the full Snickers experience, knowing that what you munch on is good, simple, honest food. No sugar. No wheat. No transfats. No additives. These Snickers bars are a dream, a revelation, a delight, luscious, scrumptious, indulgent, with the right balance of sweet and salty that we all love and miss about Snickers…well, you know what a Snickers tastes like, right? So I don’t need to explain anything further. These just taste like the real thing. Only better!
And here is where I stop because if you haven’t already scrolled down to the recipe you have to do that now!
Makes 10 bars
200 g dates, any type will work, chopped into small pieces (sticky, doughy consistency) 70 ghoney 70 g crunchy natural peanut butter (no added oils) 150 g unsalted peanuts 135 g rolled oats 100 g dark chocolate chips, chopped into small pieces 75 gcaramel (note that I used Elana’s recipe for the caramel in this bar, but replaced the palm shortening with butter) pinch of salt
Toast the oats and peanuts at about 180 °C for 10-15 minutes until slightly golden. Put them into a bowl, together with the dates, chocolate, prepared caramel, and salt. Warm the honey and peanut butter over very low heat until smooth. Add to the other ingredients and stir through until all ingredients are evenly combined.
Line a 20×20 cm baking dish with parchment, and fill with the prepared “snickers bar mixture”. Make sure to press the mass firmly into the pan to avoid it crumbling later. Best to cover with a sheet of parchment and use a hammer or your hands to press it down. Freeze for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes in the freezer, take the dish out, lift the parchment, and carefully cut into 10 bars.
People usually think that gluten free versions of all-time-favourites suck. And indeed, most store-bought gluten free cakes, biscuits, and breads suck, and chances are, your first attempts at gluten free baking will too. Mine did, anyway. But it is possible to produce gluten free and even completely grain free versions of your old favourites without sacrificing taste, texture, and experience.
These brownie cookies don’t suck. And I dare say, they taste better than the glutenated versions from the coffeeshop. They won’t send you into a slump, either. Just the best that nature has to offer, organic nut butter, unprocessed cocoa powder, high-quality fats, natural honey. Absolutely no grain, no sugar, and no hydrogenated or trans fats! These are a bit crumblier than normal brownies, more like cookies, which I like, and have an intense chocolate flavour. Are they brownies? Are they cookies? Decide for yourself! Fact is, they are full of chocolatey awesomeness – enough to bust any cravings you might have.
These brownie cookies are not only everything you were looking for in a chocolatey treat, they are also simple and highly customisable. If you are strictly paleo (or allergic to peanuts for that matter), sub any other nut butter for peanut butter and other nuts for peanuts. If you are vegan, use coconut oil instead of butter, maple syrup or erythritol instead of honey, and egg replacer or a chia egg instead of egg. It’s really that simple!
See – there is no reason to give up your favourite treats when going paleo or gluten free! Be warned though, as these are pretty kickass – think Lindt, not Cadbury. So if you are a Cadbury eater, you might have to reconsider – or add (a lot) more sugar!
Makes 12 brownie cookies
200 g crunchy natural peanut butter (or any other nut butter) 100 g roasted, unsalted peanuts 100 g honey 1 egg or flax egg 30 g coconut oil, melted 30 g cocoa powder dash of vanilla pinch of sea salt pinch of baking soda
Preheat the oven to 175 °C. Prepare a 20 x 20 cm baking pan by greasing and/or lining with parchment paper to easily remove the brownie cookies later. Stir all ingredients together in a medium-size bowl and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on middle rack for about 20 minutes (the brownie batter should still be a little bit wobbly in the middle). Let cool on a plate and cut into 12 pieces. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Yes, they damn taste like the real thing! It sounds like several oxymora in one title – “healthy gluten free chocolate chip donuts”. First of all, donuts are not meant to be healthy, especially not if they are chocolate chip! Donuts are sugary, yeasty monsters dripping with unhealthy trans-fats! Second, donuts are not meant to be gluten free. Well, in fact, few baked goods are, but donuts? Gluten free??? Plus, “gluten free” in fact rarely means healthy. Think of all the refined starches in processed gluten free goods, the added sugar and trans-fats…no, “healthy gluten free donuts” just seems too good to be true!
Maybe you just recently found out you are celiac or gluten intolerant and are missing your regular trips to the Krispy Kreme store. Or you need to cut back on sugar and starches for health reasons, meaning something like donuts is off-limits. But is it really? What if you could stuff your face with some delish donuts, knowing they contain hardly any sugar, only wholegrains instead of white starches, and healthy coconut oil instead of trans-fats? Donuts that are not only yummy but that won’t send you into an insuline rollercoaster? And what if you could pinch yourself and still find yourself nibbling on these donuts? Donuts that damn taste like the real thing?
It’s not a dream. It’s not a joke. It’s blunt reality. This is even more stunning than Germany’s 7-1 win over Brazil. You can make these. You can make donuts that are gluten free, almost sugar free, wholegrain, low GI, and -yup- healthy in a matter of 30 minutes. And they damn taste like the real thing. Impress your hubby, your kids, your guests, your colleagues and yourself with this sinfully tasty but guilt-free treat. You deserve it! P.S.: You probably don’t need even need to “stuff your face” as these are truly satisfying. Yay for stable blood sugar!
To give you a brief overview what’s in these donuts: Sorghum – high in protein, manages cholesterol levels, high in antioxidants, aids in blood sugar control, promotes digestive health due to its high fiber content, boasts magnesium and copper Millet – copper (helps utilisation of iron), phosphorus (supports nervous system), manganese (supports healthy bone structure), magnesium (reduces migraines and asthma attacks), niacin (lowers cholesterol), high in insoluble fiber Buckwheat – supports cardiovascular system, controls blood sugar, high in minerals, fibre and polyphenolic antioxidants Sea salt – supports immune system, healthy bones, reduces cholesterol levels, controls blood sugar, prevents muscle spasms Eggs – high quality amino acids, vitamins A (for good eyesight), D (bones), E (nerves), K (heart protective), B2 (prevents headaches), B5 (alleviates stress), B12 (fights dementia), folate (bones), phosphorus, selenium (brain), choline (to build cell membranes), lutein (for eye health), support “good” cholesterol
Yogurt – protein, lactose-free, probiotics for good digestion Coconut oil – weight loss, stress relief, increased immunity and much more Dark chocolate – antioxidants
I must admit I am quite pleased with myself as it is the first time I baked something entirely out of wholegrain flours! Donuts are actually quite good for that purpose as they are naturally a bit denser than, say, muffins. But don’t let that fool you – these donuts are soft, moist and luscious, and I promise you, you won’t go back to Krispy Kreme once you had these! And, yes, they damn taste like the real thing!
Who was Krispy Kreme, again?
Makes 18 mini donuts
70 g sorghum flour 70 g millet flour 35 g buckwheat flour 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or erythritol 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt 1/2 teaspoon tapioca 1/5 tsp baking soda
2 eggs 150 g Greek yogurt 125 ml natural almond milk 20 g melted coconut oil 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
80 g dark chocolate chips
For the glaze:
90 g dark chocolate chips 20 g coconut oil hundreds and thousands (optional)
If you don’t have a donut pan, get one NOW. Preheat oven to 180 °C. Use two different mixing bowls, one to mix the dry ingredients (flours, salt, tapioca, soda, sugar) and one to mix the wet ingredients (eggs, yogurt, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla). Make sure the contents of each bowl is a homogenous mass. Carefully add the wet to the dry ingredients while whisking so as to receive a smooth dough. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop the dough into the donut pan and bake for approx. 20 minutes or a couple minutes longer. Make sure the donuts are golden brown and puffy on the outside.
When cooled, prepare the glaze by melting the chocolate chips with the coconut oil in the microwave in a microwave-proof small dish such as a whisky glass. Choose a low setting, microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for another 30 seconds, stir again. You might have to microwave them for another 30 seconds but it depends. Once it looks like glaze, you are ready to go! Drizzle the donuts (or dunk them) and decorate with hundreds and thousands.
Nat's Ladle 