Desserts – Page 9 – Nat's Ladle

Gluten Free Vegan Banana Muffins with Maple Frosting

Published on January 4, 2014 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Gluten Free Egg Free Banana Maple Muffins

Next time you see a bundle of overripe bananas in the supermarket marked down to next to nothing, don’t walk on by! There is sooo much you can do with ripe bananas! I just cut them up and chuck them in the freezer where they keep nicely until I want to create a recipe with them – or I just have them as they are! There is truly nothing more divine than frozen bananas, and they are great in smoothies and milkshakes, too!

My hubs asked me for some cakes he could take to work, so I made some banana muffins – some without frosting for on the road, and some with frosting for a little indulgence at home! These are wonderfully moist, packed with fiber from flax, and they are delicious in many ways. Due to the mashed banana inside, there is no need to add heaps of fat, so they are are a healthy ~~cheat~~ treat for those wathing their waste lines! The vegan maple frosting works beautifully with the banana flavour, too. Oh, and they are pretty foolproof, so you better start making them now – your kids will love you for these! (My hubby is a bit like a child in that he loves unhealthy things – he gobbled these up though, so I am secretly snickering behind his back that these are healthier than he thinks. I didn’t tell him about the flax!)

Makes 12 muffins

3 over-ripe bananas, mashed
100 g arrowroot starch
50 g white rice flour
50 g brown rice flour
100 g sugar or other sweetener (you should use at least some “real” sugar to achieve a nice texture and colour)
90 g low-fat vegan spread
50 g honey
30 g flax
3 tbsp almond milk
1 tbsp molasses
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla

Frosting
75 g powdered sugar
60 g low-fat vegan spread
5 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla

For the muffins, preheat oven to 180 ° C. Melt spread, sugar, honey, molasses and vanilla over low heat until spread is melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the mashed bananas and almond milk (I know it’s tempting, but don’t eat this mix – at least not all of it!). Mix flours, flax, and soda in a different bowl, and slowly add banana-butter-mixture to the flour mixture. Mix until well combined, then scoop into muffin pan and bake for approx. 20 minutes or until muffins pass the skewer test. Turn off heat, let muffins rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn to wire rack and let cool completely.

Only scoop the frosting on top of the muffins once they have cooled down completely, as otherwise it will melt. Whip all ingredients for the frosting until light and fluffy, then store in the fridge until stiffened up and decorate the muffins.

Tip: Mix some walnuts or other nuts or chocolate chips mixed in the muffin batter.

Enjoy!

Almost Calorie Free Vanilla Almond Sorbetto

Published on January 1, 2014 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

As I have made icecream in pre-dairy free days, I knew that you needed to add some sort of sugar to achieve a consistency anyone would actually like to delve into – I was wrong.

In fact, you can make sugar-free icecream. This is obviously not your usual Sara Lee dessert – but the lack of sugar, fat and calories is worth the slightly more solid texture of this creation. You shouldn’t compare this to the industrialised icecream which has bucket loads of creepies, but as a dessert in its own right, which is easy, quick, inexpensive and very refreshing – perfect for those Aussie summer days when the mercury climbs over 35 ° C. Just to think that you can have ICECREAM without sending your blood sugar through the roof and making your pancreas work overtime?

It is possible, after all.

500 ml almond milk
2 tbsp stevia or erythritol
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients in a tupperware dish, then freeze until hard, break up and whip in your food processor until smooth.

Enjoy!

Vegan, Sugar Free, Paleo After Eight (Mint Chocolate Chip) Icecream

Published on December 15, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

It’s summer in Australia! And which foodstuff screams “summer” like no other? Icecreeeeeeeaaaaaam!!!! (Although I have it all year round…don’t judge). Well, I have mentioned before that I am a total icecream junkie – an obsession which was slightly compromised by the diagnosis of dairy intolerance. nevertheless, I have showed in the past that it is possible – and, in fact, delicious – to make healthy homemade dairy free (i.e. vegan) icecream.

I have become a little bit tired of coconut-based dairy-free icecreams, however. I have heard of avocado-based icecreams, but forgot about it, since I thought avocado in an icecream was pretty close to spinach in an icecream – it just doesn’t work. The other day, though, when I – after a long, avocado-less time – devoured a creamy, luscious, decadent Hass avocado, I just thought “there must be something to avocado icecream” – it is just soooo creamy and full-bodied, and it doesn’t have a strong flavour on its own, which makes it PERFECT for icecream. Most vegan icecreams are based on coconut and/or banana, but neither of these ingredients has a very neutral flavour. Avocado has. The only problem is – unlike banana and coconut, avocado has a VERY gaudy colour, so unfortunately, you ar epretty much confined to doing “green” icecream with it. This is not a problem though, as I have always been a huge fan of “after eight” or mint chocolate icecreams. I wanted to give it a try.

This is by far the best and creamiest icecream I have ever made, and the best thing is, this one really IS sugar free (just a bit of lovely honey). As the avocado is rather fatty, you don’t need any refined sugars to create this oh-so-good creamy icecream taste. It just tastes like your regular icecream from the shop! It also needs only five minutes of churning (you probably don’t even need an icecream maker), and you can serve it instantly or freeze it – it won’t affect the texture.

I was sceptical at first whether I should try creating an avocado-based icecream, as I didn’t want to waste my lovely avocados on a recipe which potentially wouldn’t work. Am I happy I did give it a shot! You cannot go wrong with this. Trust me.

I used regular chocolate chips for this (shhhh—-don’t tell anyone!), but you can buy paleo approved ones or make your own – so you can deffo make this a paleo icecream! Oh, and I call it an “After Eight” icecream, as that’s what “dinner mints” are called in Europe – you ought to have this cutie at any time of the day though! Hm…yum yum! Better get started right away!

Makes 1 small tub (500 ml) (for 2 gluttons like my hubbs and me or 4 normal people)

2 ripe Hass avocados (~200 g)
130 ml almond milk
3 tbsp raw honey
peppermint aroma/edible peppermint oil (to taste)
chocolate chips to taste (approx. 60-70 g)
optional: a few fresh peppermint leaves

Blend everything until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least six hours or overnight. Churn in icecream maker for approx. 5 minutes (not the usual 20 minutes). Enjoy chocolate peppermint bliss.

Enjoy!

No-Bake Homemade Gluten Free Granola aka World’s Yummiest Muesli

Published on December 13, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

Is your breakfast so delicious that you wish breakfast time would never end? No? Then it might be time for my homemade granola! This divine creation combines the right amount of crunchy with the right amount of chewy and a little bit of sin mixed in! The unique, unusual and super delicious taste stems from a dash of tahini (sesame paste) which also balances any excess sweetness. Hands down, you won’t want to stop sinking into this yummy goodness – if only it wasn’t so filling! This chocolate, sunflower, sesame and date granola doesn’t only taste awesome, it’s also awesome for you! Yummy goodness from healthy wholegrain rolled oats, magnesium and fibres from dates, and healthy fats from tahini and sunbutter – and it is easy, too! You don’t even need to rev up your oven!

200 g (certified gluten free) rolled oats (instant ones would probably work, too) (you can toast the oats before to get a crunchier granola, but it isn’t necessary)
100 g sunflower seed butter (sunbutter)
50 g tahini (sesame paste)
50 g dates, pitted, chopped
optional: chocolate chips, dried fruit, sunflower/pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds
100 g melted honey
pinch of salt

Mix all dry ingredients in a big bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a different bowl until well combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix (with your hands) until very well combined and a sticky, crumbly mass – this will be veeery sticky, but that’s the fun part – you are officially allowed to lick your fingers!

Delicious Homemade Date and Sesame Granola

Press the granola mass into a 20×20 cm baking dish and freeze for a couple of hours. Tale the “granola cake” out of the dish and break into lumps. Enjoy with cold milk, yogurt or just as a snack.

Enjoy!

Homemade Apple Cinnamon Granola (Sugar Free, Nut Free, Wheat Free)

Published on December 8, 2013 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Dear friends, Christmas is coming around veeeery fast – too fast if you ask me – but here in the Southern Hemisphere, the days are getting hotter, so the time for a big, steaming bowl of hot porridge are over – for now. It’s time t move on to a lighter breakfast snack, so I tried to make some homemade apple cinnamon granola – a light alternative to oatmeal without lacking a xmas-y touch.

Making granola is not as difficult as it sounds, and in fact, this granola is as HEY – healthy, easy, and yummy – as all my other recipes. You can make a big batch and store it in an open-mouth jar, where it will keep fresh for a while. My granola contains no sugar – only natural fruit sugars – and only a tiny pinch of healthy coconut oil, no other oils, especially not palm oil or other scary things! Besides, this one is nut-free (for a nutty granola see here), so even the nut allergy sufferers among you can enjoy their granola!

I love this as a healthy snack by itself, a nourishing breakfast with almond milk or natural yogurt, or to add some pizzazz to fruit salads and compôtes.

Makes 4 servings

200 g rolled oats
50 g dried apple (unsweetened), very finely chopped
2 tbsp raw honey , agave or maple syrup
15 g coconut oil, melted
generous pinch of cinnamon
generous pinch of sea salt
drop of vanilla

Preheat oven to 150 °C. Combine oats, fruit, cinnamon, and salt in a big bowl. Whisk honey, oil and vanilla in a separate bowl until well combined. Now pour the “wet” ingredients into the “dry” ingredients and mix well with your clean hands as if you prepare a shortbread dough. Be warned though, this is veeery sticky – but the good thing about making homemade things is, you get to lick your fingers legitimately! (And you will with this one, you will!)

Now spread (what’s left of) the mix (after finger-licking) onto a prepared baking sheet (i.e. silicon sheet or a lined baking sheet) and bake for 10-15 minutes until very lightly toasted. Let cool and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Vegan Sugar Free Caramel Butterscotch Sauce

Published on December 4, 2013 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Caramel Latte with Sugar Free Dairy Free Butterscotch Sauce

Okay, I apologise for that humungous title – but I am so excited to have come up with a caramel sauce that is thick and creamy and tastes just like butterscotch caramel, but is completely dairy and sugar free! Howzat? And if this was not enough, it is also extremely quick and easy to make! Yes, you can have your caramelatte (better than Starb*cks) in less than ten minutes – although the caramel thickens up nicely if you leave it in the fridge for a while. What to do with a caramel sauce, you ask? Well, there is caramel latte, obviously, and then there is icecream, pancakes, cakes – and if you just have it straight of the jar (as I like doing) – no harm done! This yummy decadent caramel sauce contains hardly any sugar and only very little fat! Have I mentioned that it is oh sooooo easy?

120 ml unsweetened almond milk
100 g erythritol
1 tbsp molasses
30 g vegan spread or butter (you can use any fat content you like, even light spread)
generous pinch of kosher salt
2 tsp vanilla

4 steps to yumminess
Place all ingredients bar the vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir vigorously until well combined. Bring to the boil, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, constantly stirring. depending how thick you want your sauce to be (it will firm up quite a bit more when chilled). Add vanilla and simmer for 30 seconds or so more, then pour caramel in a glass jar and let cool. Use immediately or transfer to fridge. If the sauce becomes too firm in the fridge, just microwave it for a minute or melt it in a bain-marie before pouring.

Enjoy!

Vegan Paleo Carrot Cake 2.0 {low carb, low fat}

Published on November 25, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

THIS. IS. THE. CARROT CAKE.

I know I should not be so obsessed with something I thought up and made myself. But this carrot cake is – honestly – a stroke of genius.

I know.

In case you don’t, let me tell you – you can find literally TONS of recipes for “paleo carrot cake” on the net. After all, which cake should be more suitable to adapt to a grain free, sugar free diet than this carroty, nutty yummyness and goodness?

However, what is a carrot cake without frosting? It’s nothing! And what do most “paleo” carrot cake recipes offer you as a frosting? Cream cheese frosting! Dairy cream cheese frosting!!! Hello???!!!! How on earth is it paleo with a cream cheese frosting??? What’s the point making a great, healthy, grain free, paleo carrot cake when you ruin your efforts with a dairy frosting? NOT GOOD!

It’s been a while since my first carrot cake recipe, and as I am continuously trying to improve my recipes, I wanted to come up with a true paleo, grain-free version of my favourite cake – not only gluten free, which is still relatively easy, but totally grain free, gum free, starch free and, of course, refined sugar free. And it is vegan, too! And with a dairy free frosting. Yes. A carrot cake with no worries, basically.

Since I couldn’t find a recipe online which appealed to me, I experimented with my two new favourite ingredients – almond flour and coconut flour. By the way, I ended up making muffins again as they are easier to handle and to give away than a slab of cake – but the amounts stated in this recipe should be enough for a round, 9 inch layer cake. The frosting is as easy and foolproof as the whole recipe – just coconut cream with a bit of maply syrup for sweetness and vegan margarine for firmness. Easy peasy!

These beauties are so yummy you won’t even care how many calories are in them, but just in case you are interested – one of these carrot cake muffins contains 100 kcal. 100! That’s less than two apples! Only that these keep you fuller for much longer than apples do. These muffins have all you need to face the day – brimming with protein, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and with few complex carbs, few healthy fats. You can/should have one carrot cake muffin for breakfast. Have two. Have three, and even after three muffins you will still have ingested fewer calories than with your standard bowl of sugary cereals and milk. Three muffins equal the carb intake of 1 banana.

They stay fresh for a long time (you should store them in a fridge though).

The best thing is – my hubs, who is so not into healthy eating, loved them, and that’s the whole point of healthy baking – that nobody thinks it’s healthy!

P.S.: I take back my statement about frosting. These carrot cakes you can have without frosting, they are that good. But frosting doesn’t hurt anyone. 😉

Makes 18 muffins

50 g rice protein powder
75 g coconut flour
25 g almond flour
generous pinch of salt
1,5 tsp. soda
1,5 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp molasses
40 g coconut syrup or date syrup or other liquid sweetener
1 banana, mashed
2 t vanilla
4 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp flaxseed, dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water)
300 ml almond milk
5 large carrots, grated
60 g chopped walnuts
100 g chopped dates

For the frosting
Solidified part of 1 tin full-fat coconut cream, stored in the fridge overnight
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp nuttelex or vegan margarine or coconut oil
stevia to taste

Preheat oven to 180 °C and line a muffin mould with paper. Mix the dry ingredients for the batter (protein powder, flours, salt, soda, spices, flax) until one colour. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients (molasses, honey, banana, vanilla, eggs, almond mik) until well combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend well with hand blender. Stir in carrots, nuts, and dates. Scoop batter into 18 muffin moulds and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting – if at all frosting.

For the frosting, beat coconut cream (only the solidified part at the top of the tin!) with stevia, vanilla and maple syrup until it becomes the texture of whipped cream. Add margarine and whip until it gets to a frosting-y texture. Add more fat if it is not solid enough for your liking. Only use on completely chilled (overnight) muffins and always store in fridge!

Enjoy!

The ultimate, perfect, low-carb, vegan whipped cream

Published on November 13, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

Vegan whipped cream that doesn't taste vegan — Vegan whipped cream that doesn’t taste vegan

I have two predicaments right now. One is, I spend too much on groceries – which is not a sin, but saving money is always preferable. The other is that I don’t seem to tolerate nuts very well, much as I like them. I felt it was time to move away from my original vegan cream recipe which used nuts on to a super creamy, super delicious whipped cream made purely of coconut which is ready in seconds, kind to the tummy, very very easy to make and not least quite a lot cheaper than the nut version – and as close to the real thing as you can get!

Honestly, if you don’t have dairy for whatever reason and you are craving whipped cream (or need it in a recipe) then look no further. I am yet to find a recipe for a healthier, cheaper and easier vegan whipped cream. It can’t get better than this. I am not one to dance around the kitchen, but this one made me do just that. Aaaah, this is soooo good!!!

200ml cold full-cream coconut milk – it has to be solidified and look like the coconut milk in this recipe
1 tsp vanilla (this is not mandatory, but it’s killer)
2 tsp of erythritol or other sugar

Whip up all ingredients in a cold bowl with cold beaters. ~~Scoop out of the bowl with your fingers and be in heaven~~ Serve with cake or icecream or use it for my vegan gluten free carrot cupcakes or ginger snaps. You can add some spices, such as ginger, cinnamon or even chocolate powder for a creative touch to your recipe.

Enjoy!

Instant, healthy, low carb (no carb), vegan, paleo chocolate mousse

Published on November 13, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

The yummyness, the fluffyness, the beauty - chocolate mousse can actually be good for you! — The yummyness, the fluffyness, the beauty – chocolate mousse can actually be good for you!

Marveling at the Wonders of Instant, Healthy, Low-carb, Vegan, Paleo Chocolate Mousse or I Want it All, Act I, Scene I

Test Eater: Wow, this looks great! You must have spent ages making this!
Chef: Not even a minute, dear.
Test Eater: Um. So it’s bought stuff, ay? I thought you make things from scratch!
Chef: All from scratch, darling. (Well, I didn’t harvest the coconut or the cocoa.)
Test Eater (tries some): This is heaven! Honestly, this is one of the best chocolate mousses I have tried, and I am picky you know…actually, I shouldn’t really have a treat like that… (becomes serious) It must be loaded with sugar and carbs!
Chef: Not a trace. This is virtually carb-free.
Test Eater: Yeah right. So it’s filled with bucket loads of artificial sweeteners and other poisonous stuff!
Chef: Just the sweetness of nature, honey. (Well, it doesn’t actually contain honey because it’s carb-free.)
Test Eater: Wow. So I can have as much as I want – but you can’t, since you can’t have dairy! And we can’t offer it to XXX – she’s a vegan!
Chef: In this dessert, there is not a cow in sight – nor any other animal.
Test Eater: OK, I give up. What IS this stuff, and how did you make it?
Chef: Scroll down to the recipe!

Common dilemmas and how to solve them. A practical guide.
Problem 1: You need your chocolate fix and you are extremely impatient and/or short of time.
Solution 1: Make this chocolate mousse.

Problem 2: You have an insatiable sweet tooth, but you are trying to eat more healthily.
Solution 2: Make this chocolate mousse.

Problem 3: You are on a low-carb and/or paleo diet, but you miss chocolate mousse.
Solution 3: Make this chocolate mousse.

Problem 4: You love chocolate, but you are worried about all the unhealthy ingredients in it.
Solution 4: Make this chocolate mousse.

Problem 5: You need/want to cut out dairy, but you need/want chocolate mousse.
Solution 5: Make this chocolate mousse.

Problem 6: You are a vegan, but you suddenly have an odd craving for chocolate mousse.
Solution 6: Make this chocolate mousse.

Problem 7: You need your chocolate fix, and you need it now.
Solution 7: MAKE. THIS. CHOCOLATE. MOUSSE. NOW.

It takes one minute to make. One minute! Doesn’t matter whether you are suffering from a very sudden, very intense chocolate craving that does NOT allow postponement or whether you need a goodie for a surprise guest or whether you just can’t be bothered spending hours making a great dessert – this is it. Got the in-laws over for Christmas? Why spend hours making dessert when you need/want the time for your beauty routine/yoga lesson/wrapping presents/unwrapping presents? You can make this in one minute. Or less. One minute, that’s 60 seconds. That’s how long it takes – maximum. And that’s a promise. (OK, your coconut milk must be refrigerated, but you should have a couple of tins in your fridge anyway – at least when you are trying my recipes ;-))

I know not everyone cares whether desserts are healthy, but this one is. Spot on. There is no more than three ingredients (four if you count the water): Coconut meal, coconut milk, raw cocoa. That’s it. No sugar, no grains, no dairy, no processed crap, no GMO, no thickener, MSG, emulsifier, colourant or flavouring. Just. Pure. Goodness. Straight from mother nature. It is real, it is paleo, it is nutritious.

It is low-carb, if not no-carb, it is absolutely sugar free, but without nasty sugar replacements that can spike your blood sugar. This is as low GI as it gets. And it is very filling!

It is absolutely dairy free, and it goes without saying that it is also gluten and soy free. It is vegan. It is a very allergy-friendly dessert as even many nut sufferers can have coconut.

Oh, and for those who are interested – it is also veeeeeery delicious. Not to mention divine.

Dear vegans, low-carbers and paleoists, here comes the one-minute-guide how to have your mousse and eat it, too. Thanks for reading, my friend, and if you can spare one more minute of your precious time, you better make this. NOW.

Note: This has quite a strong flavour. If you like your stuff very sweet, you should probably add some stevia or erythritol. Use honey to make it paleo. I don’t sweeten it, as I don’t like my things overly sweet, but then – I’m special. 😉

Serves 1 very hungry chocoholic or 2 normal people 😉

4 tbsp coconut flour
4 tbsp solidified coconut milk (should have been stored in the fridge overnight)
4 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp filtered water

The coconut milk should look like this:

Mix all ingredients bar the water in a small bowl, then slowly add the water while stirring until smooth.

Tip: Use less water to get chocolate halva!

Enjoy!

Vegan Espresso Icecream

Published on November 11, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20195 Comments

I was never much into chocolate or lollies, but icecream was one of the sweet things I ALWAYS needed to have. I couldn’t go past a gelateria whenever I was out and about, and I always had a couple of tubs of the frozen delight in my freezer – until the diagnosis of dairy intolerance ruined it all. My newly bought icecream maker seemed to be doomed to abandonment in the shed. Alas! So I thought…until I found that I can make yummy, creamy, luscious, and decadent icecream creations with one of my favourite newly discovered cooking ingredients – coconut milk! Yes, you can make delicious icecreams and gelatis without dairy, and you won’t really taste the coconut in the final product, so don’t worry. This icecream is the happy marriage of strong and black Italian espresso with creamy and sweet coconut milk – oh my!

Inspired by Channeling Contessa

600 ml full-fat coconut milk or cream
160 ml espresso (I used Nespresso Grand Cru Roma)
100 g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously until well combined. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool, and then transfer to fridge. Chill in fridge overnight – the longer the better! Then churn in icecream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. After 20 minutes or so, it will be like a Frappuccino – transfer to a freezer safe dish and put in freezer, stirring every now and then. After a few hours in the freezer, it’s all ready to go! On the second day, it gets a bit harder, and you might have to let it thaw for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!