gluten free – Page 4

Maca Espresso Energy Balls {gf, vg, nut free}

Published on January 8, 2017 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

I hope you love all my recipes, but you gotta love these maca espresso energy balls. If you don’t – seriously, what’s wrong with you? Just kidding, I mean, no kidding. These energy balls are so crazy insanely delicious it is actually a sin I haven’t put them on the blog sooner. They are buttery, scrumptious, decadent…I am lost for words. And they pack a serious nutritional punch. All this requires five super-healthy ingredients and five minutes of your time. Yes, that’s right.

Want to know what’s in them? Five superfoods that will get you out of your afternoon slump before you have time to yawn:

Medjool dates – chock-full of fibre, aminoacids, potassium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, B vitamins and lots of other goodies.
Oats – one of the healthiest foods on the planet, they contain a type of fiber called beta-glucan, which helps lower levels of bad cholesterol. Plus, manganese, selenium, magnesium, vitamin E and zinc to boot.
Carob or Cacao – carob contains gallic acid which has antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties. Carob also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, D and E. It is a lower fat and naturally sweet alternative to cacao. However, you can totally use cacao instead, which has 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries and is the highest plant-based source of iron.
Maca – rich in vitamin B vitamins, C, and E. It provides plenty of calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and amino acids and is known to balance hormones and mood. It is also a caffeine-free source of energy.
Espresso coffee – loaded with antioxidants and may even protect against diabetes. Improves cognitive function, mood and fat burning

If that wasn’t a reason alone to get rollin’ – these will also be the easiest energy balls you’ll ever make. Just pulse the ingredients in a high-powered blender and after 15 seconds (!) you will have a malleable dough. No mess, no fuss. Just what you want when you need an energy kick. You can eat them straight away but they will firm up and improve texture in the fridge. They would last a while, at least a week – though I highly doubt that you’ll leave them for that long!

I have mentioned before that I am in love with Medjool dates. The feeling that you are eating something naughty and indulgent when it’s a gem of nature can only be topped by eating bananas! And it’s not only the taste, the texture is just so exquisite, it’s like a buttery caramel fudge made with butter, cream and lots of sugar! None of those nasties in these little babies, however. They are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, nut free, soy free, refined sugar free, and – unlike most recipes for energy balls or bliss balls – very low in fat.

The oats will make sure to fill you up so you don’t need to reach for the bag of Skittles on your co-worker’s desk, while the dates proved slow-releasing carbs without the sugar crash that would normally lead you to yet anouther trip to the vending machine. Carob, maca and just a little bit of coffee (that can of course be caffeine-free if you want) provide a gentle energy kick without the jitters. Maca espresso energy balls for the win!

Maca Espresso Energy Balls

Makes 12 balls

115 g Medjool dates
60 g rolled oats
2 tsp carob (or cacao)
1 tsp maca
1 tsp instant espresso powder

Just blitz all ingredients in a high-powered blender until a doughy ball forms. Shape into 12 balls and store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Bliss Balls {vegan, gluten free, nut free, refined sugar free}

Published on December 29, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

The other day, I got upset at my hubby for buying expensive Medjool dates instead of those dry, hard, brittle dates from the drygoods section that are indefinitely cheaper. (When you have a midget and a mortgage, you tend to worry about financials.) How wrong of me! One bite and it was bliss all the way. I just could not get over that wonderful caramel taste. It reminded of the most exquisite butterscotch toffees. Then, that luxurious velvety texture…I had to admit once more that hubs had been right all along, and that he had hit the jackpot with these beauties. Bliss. Seriously. And what better way to make use of a blissful ingredient than bliss balls? Carrot cake bliss balls it was.

I am not a newbie to bliss balls (see here), but have always been reluctant to splash out on Medjool dates rather than dried dates. The latter, obviously, require some soaking before you can do something bliss ball-y with them, so not having to soak the Medjool dates was another win for lazy, I mean, busy me. It so happened that I had some carrots to use up, too, so something in my head screamed “carrot cake”. While I don’t have a particular sweet tooth, I have a bit of a weakness for carrot cake (as can be seen here, here, and here).

What I love about carrot cake is that you can fix your 3.30 snack attack without the sugar rush as the carrots and nuts in carrot cake provide for some fibre and protein to soak up the carbs that would otherwise wreak havoc in your bloodstream. Plus, the wintery spices give it a bit of a festive and mysterious touch. In short, I figured that Medjool dates+carrots+oats+a few spices and a bit of coconut might be worth a try. Yes, even the precious Medjool dates could not be precious enough for some healthy experimenting.

I have to say that this is one of my recipes I am most excited about, if I dare say so myself! I can’t believe just how good these are, with none of the guilt! And as they are low in fat and refined sugar free, they are even material for a kid’s party – none of the kids will notice they are devouring something healthy, and you don’t have to worry about the sugar crash. They are also nut free, as coconut is botanically not a nut and most people who are allergic to tree nuts can safely eat coconut. Coconut also provides vitamins and magnesium, with the carrot adding a beta carotene and fibre boost and the dates being an excellent source of iron, manganese and long-lasting energy.

These balls are so easy to make with just a few ingredients, so there is no reason not to make these today and fight the munchies!

Carrot Cake Bliss Balls {vegan, gluten free, nut free, refined sugar free}

Makes 18 (possibly more if you don’t eat as much of the batter as me! :-D)

2 large carrots, grated
10 Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup oats
3 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp molasses or coconut syrup
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Just blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until you reach a malleable consistency. Shape into walnut sized balls and enjoy straight away or store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Lowfat Lentil Carrot Hummus {vg, gf}

Published on December 19, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Have you ever considered making hummus with lentils? If you haven’t noticed already, I love all things legumes with their only downside being a little hard on the ol’ stomach at times. Which is why lentils are great. i have mentioned before that lentils might be easier to digest for some and with their hearty, meaty flavour are a nice alternative to chick peas and other beans. With lots of garlic, carrots and red peppers and only very little fat coming from healthy tahini paste, this hummus is infinitely better for you and tastes – in my humble opinion – better than any store-bought hummus! It is also incredibly quick to make with ingredients you likely have in your pantry. I’d consider this an allround win.

This lowfat lentil carrot hummus has been tried and tested by friends and family. It never fails to hit the spot, so give it a go! Tasty with just the right amount of spice, much lower in fat than store-bought hummus and very filling. I doubt you’ll be in a hurry to buy hummus from the shop again! It is also vegan, gluten free, soy free, refined sugar free, and nut free – a great recipe to have in your repertoire for entertaining as you’ll tick most dietary requirements! Tip: Try it with my 5-minute vegan gluten free naan bread!

Lowfat Lentil Carrot Hummus

1 tin lentils, drained and rinsed
½ cup grated carrots
½ cup roasted red peppers (can be from the jar)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dukkah (optional)
3 tsp souk spice mix or blend your own with a pinch each of black pepper, allspice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, cardamom, cayenne, and nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp tahin (omit if you want to make it fat free)
pinch of salt

Just blitz everything in a high-powered blender and –

Enjoy!

Oil-free Blueberry Muffins {vg, gf}

Published on December 8, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Back in the days when I ate wheat and dairy and generally all things processed and sugary I had a staple recipe for blueberry muffins, which – on the rare occasions that I baked – I always fell back to. I loved it as it was lower in fat than other muffin recipes, replacing most of the fat with buttermilk. It was also dirt-easy to make, requiring just one bowl – perfect for a fast food-addicted 20-something university student without a dishwasher! The muffins were always a success and the recipe was customisable meaning you could use any fruit you wanted in place of the blueberries.

A solid muffin recipe is the first and most basic thing in a baker’s repertoire so once I got into this whole gluten free baking thing, I knew I had to tweak my old go-to. My new gluten-free version of this was just as popular but still relied on refined gluten-free flour and dairy. So after the first step – creating a gluten-free muffin recipe – I needed to come up with a way to make it wholesome and not rely on conventional gluten free flour mixes that with their less than ideal nutritional profile literally make you hungry while you eat! However, not only did I want to create a gluten free and oil free muffin, but also a vegan muffin. Yogurt and buttermilk are great in gluten-free muffins as they really provide that texture that we love and miss about conventional baked goods. The acid in the milk combines with the baking soda to yield moist and tender products. Using yoghurt or buttermilk also means you can nix most of the oil, butter and eggs! So how to replace dairy?

After a bit of research I decided to recreate the sourness from the yogurt/buttermilk with some apple cider vinegar in almond milk. Instead of conventional gluten free flour I used a mix of freshly ground oat flour, almond meal and flax meal (with the flax also replacing the need for eggs). Apple sauce and blueberries keep these muffins nice and moist, so there is no need for eggs or oil. I will probably still tweak the flour part a bit, as the flax gives a somewhat coarse texture but for the time being this is a great recipe if you want a tasty and filling muffin that is gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free, oil free, low in fat and refined grain free and is easy and quick to make with some simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry!

Oil-free Blueberry Muffins {vg, gf}

Yields 16 mini muffins

½ cup almond milk
1 tb apple cider vinegar
2 cups oat flour
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup flax meal
½ cup coconut sugar
½ cup apple sauce
Pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
2 tsp of baking powder
dash of vanilla
1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 180 °C and lightly grease a muffin pan or use paper muffin cups. Mix the almond milk with the apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for the two ingredients to react. Then add oat flour, almond meal, flax meal, coconut sugar, apple sauce, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and baking powder and whisk just until combined. Fold in the blueberries and pour the batter into the prepared muffin tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Healthy Madras Curry with Chickpea Tofu

Published on December 4, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Please, can you please all make this curry? Seriously, it’s soooo good! Like, I-want-to-eat-all-servings-by-myself type good. And guess what? Because this curry is really light and healthy, you can! If you are organised and disciplined (I am neither), you double or triple this recipe and freeze leftovers as it freezes really well and makes for a great stand-by on busy weeknights (I already see you dialling that takeaway number, but you will never again after you have tried this recipe). If you are looking for an alternative to Indian takeaway, enter my healthy Madras curry with chickpea tofu!

What I love about our local Indian takeaway is how you can customise the protein and the degree of spiciness in the dishes. What I am less keen on is the amount of cheap oils, butter and cream in Indian takeaway curries and the feeling that you have swallowed a whale (or turned into one). So I’ve been looking to come up with a good alternative that is healthy, easy, quick, inexpensive and, most of all, tasty. It seems like I nailed all these briefs at the first time! This stuff is hearty, satisfying, exotic, just the right amount of spicy, filling without sitting like a rock in your stomach, nourishing and comforting!

Using light coconut/almond milk, this dish is a lot less heavy than traditional Indian dishes and very low in fat, with the fat mainly coming from healthy coconut oil. If you like things extra creamy, you could use full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream although I really prefer the lightness of my recipe. I love my carbs so I tend to serve brown rice on the side with also lends this meal a nice crunch, but if you limit your carbs, you could try cauliflower rice. As a protein, I used Burmese chickpea tofu to create a soy-free vegan meal. I don’t mind soy anymore but I try to not go overboard with it. You can of course use “normal” tofu, tempeh, paneer or whatever protein suits your taste buds and dietary requirements.

If you aren’t familiar with chickpea tofu though, I’d definitely recommend trying it. I made mine using the recipe by the incredibly talented vegan Richa. I looked at several recipes for no-soy tofu, and hers was by far the most straightforward one. It literally comes together in ten minutes and is set in the fridge in under an hour. I was so pleased to have found a cheap, easy, healthy and lowfat alternative to regular tofu! The texture is almost the same as tofu and it has a subtle, not overwhelming earthy chickpea flavour which I love. I actually make a big batch and munch on it as a snack. With its gooey, slightly rubbery consistency, it feels like having naughty cheese, only that due to the chickpea flour, chickpea tofu is low in fat while boasting fiber, iron, potassium, manganese, copper, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, vitamin B-6 and thiamine!

Sounds too good to be true? Then get cooking!

Healthy Madras Curry with Chickpea Tofu

Makes 3 servings

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped (optional, leave out for low FODMAP)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tbsp ginger powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried coriander
1 tsp curry powder or garam masala
a pinch of turmeric
chili powder or fresh chilis, to taste
1 recipe chickpea tofu, chopped
1 tin (400g) tinned tomatoes
sea salt and pepper to taste
dash of lemon juice
dash of light coconut milk or almond milk
500 g steamed vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas
brown rice or cauliflower rice, to serve

Heat the coconut oil in a deep saucepan and add garlic, onion if using, ginger, cumin, coriander, curry powder, turmeric and chili powder. Fry the spices until they are aromatic. Add the chopped chickpea tofu and fry until lightly browned, then add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes, adding a little bit of water as necessary. Stir in lemon juice, coconut milk and vegetables and serve immediately with rice.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Vegan Avocado Brownies

Published on November 24, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

Luscious chocolate brownies that are vegan, oil-free and gluten free sounds like an oxymoron, but if you have avocados, you can make the impossible a reality. With their neutral taste and creamy texture, avocados are the perfect replacement for nasty processed oils and antibiotics-laden eggs. Avocados are also a perfect complement to dark chocolate and cacao, so using avocados to make brownies was a no-brainer for me.

Now, every man and his dog seems to make chocolate cake with avocado as a “secret” ingredient these days, so I am probably not going to shock anyone anymore by saying that these yummy gooey brownies have avocado in them. Both my husband and daughter love avocado, and they are in season right now, so needless to say, we are going through quite a few at the moment. As they ripen very quickly, this recipe doesn’t only make sure that you get your dose of healthy monounsaturated fats in one super-fudgy yet good-for-you brownie, it is also a great way to rescue any avocados you might have lying around that are past their prime! I hate wasting food so if you can create something nutritious to fix your chocolate cravings while being good to your wallet and the planet too, then why not?

Honestly folks, if you don’t try this, you are really missing out! These brownies are seriously rich and chocolatey and so fudgey it’s ridiculous. Your junk-loving friends, relatives and kids will never be able to tell that they pack a punch: Besides superfoods avocado and raw cacao, there is oatmeal for healthy carbs, protein and fibre, vegan protein powder to keep you full and satisfied as well as coconut flour, psyllium and flaxmeal for some more protein, fibre and nutrition! Needless to say, they are gluten free, vegan, dairy free, soy free, refined sugar free and oil free! How about that? Like most of my recipes, this is a fuss-free affair – melt chocolate, mix everything together and bake for 20 minutes. Easy as that!

Shall we get baking?

Gluten Free Vegan Avocado Brownies

60 g vegan dark chocolate
150 g brown rice syrup, divided
flesh of 1 large ripe avocado, mashed
1 large ripe banana, mashed
50 g ground rolled oats
2 tbsp rice or pea protein powder
2 tbsp raw cacao
1 tbsp flaxmeal, almond meal or LSA
2 tsp coconut flour
1 tsp psyllium husks, flaxmeal or chia seeds
1 tsp gluten free baking powder

Preheat oven to 180 °C or 350 °F and grease a 20x20cm baking pan. Melt chocolate and 100 g brown rice syrup in a double boiler until melted and smooth. Let cool slightly. In a different bowl, mix avocado, banana and 50 g brown rice syrup until smooth. Stir in melted chocolate mix until smooth, add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Spoon into baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Healthy Twix Bar (grain free, sugar free, vegan, paleo, low fat)

Published on August 23, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Who doesn’t love a Twix bar? The combination of a crumbly biscuit, gooey caramel and creamy chocolate certainly never goes astray. Shame only that the original Twix bar is so full of sugar and industrial oils – not to mention that for us gluten free folks, it is off-limits anyway. So I thought I come to your rescue and create a healthy version of this popular treat.

As part of my subscription to a monthly box with organic goodies, I was regaled with a packet of coconut flour recently. Though by no means a coconut flour newbie, I have experimented a bit with the stuff lately and just love how it is so easy to create yummy and healthy goodies with it. As it sucks up all the moisture of any other ingredients you mix it with, it is also a great staple for lowfat baking as mixing it with mashed banana or apple sauce yields terrific results. Once I had nailed my shortcrust base, it was time to think of the caramel (knowing that I would use my favourite Lindt chocolate as topping). So it came in handy that Minimalist Baker has this recipe for making a one-ingredient date caramel. A one-ingredient date caramel ticks all my boxes for healthy, easy and yummy delicacies. And I tell you, the stuff rocks. I use it in yogurt, on icecream or porridge. It tastes just as indulgent, creamy and buttery as store-bought caramel – minus the fat and the sugar slump! For this recipe, I use the caramel of about 4 dates, but I’d recommend making the original recipe and keeping any leftovers in the fridge – they won’t stay there for long!

So once you got your biscuit and your caramel sorted, it’s time for the chocolate glaze! Just use your favourite dairy free chocolate for a true vegan delight. If you tolerate dairy and are not vegan, you could also use milk chocolate. It#s a matter of taste and experimenting. The date caramel is rather sweet so I try to offset the sweetness with a bitter-ish chocolate. Using milk chocolate would obviously yield a result closer to a “real” Twix bar (whatever is real about the stuff). It’s up to you – but this recipe is sooo easy and requires just 15 minutes in total so I think you should do it again and again and see how you like it best!

Makes one double-finger “Twix” bar

For the biscuit base
40 g coconut flour
40 g “babyfood” (i.e. unsweetened apple sauce, pureed banana or any other pureed fruit)
2 tbsp of plant milk
stevia or erythritol to taste
generous pinch of Maldon sea salt
pinch of gluten free baking powder

For the caramel
1/4 of this recipe

For the chocolate glaze
40 g chocolate (dairy free preferred)

Preheat oven to 180 °C. Line a baking tray with paper. Mix all ingredients for the biscuit base until it comes together in a uniform mass. Roll a ball, then half this ball and shape two “Twix” like logs. Bake until slightly golden, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before adding the caramel.

Meanwhile, prepare the date caramel according to the recipe. Spread evenly onto the biscuit logs.

Break up the chocolate in little pieces, place in a microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave in 30 second increments. Once it is liquid and smooth, drizzle over the caramel logs.

Now, here comes the hardest part: If you can at all resist, place the Twix bars in the fridge to firm up. But there’s no harm in devouring these beauties straight away.

Enjoy!

Low Carb Low Fat High Protein Carrot Cake (grain free, dairy free, soy free)

Published on August 14, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

This carrot cake is almost an insolence. Yes, it is low carb AND low fat – for all of you that can’t decide between the two lifestyles (or simply want to eat a truly delicious carrot cake). Talk about having it all. There is many recipes for healthy treats out there, but this cake is gonna make them blush with envy. Not only is this cake moist, scrumptious and totally utterly delicious (tick tick tick). It is low carb and low sugar with the carbohydrates coming from carrots, banana and just a dash of honey (tick tick). It is low fat with the fat coming from eggs and flax (tick). It is high protein (tick), high fibre (tick) and on top of it all, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, nut free and soy free (tick tick tick tick tick). Another decisive advantage is that if you are ~~lazy~~ busy you can just throw all ingredients together in one big bowl in no particular order and without any laborious instructions such as “put the dry ingredients here…mix the wet ingredients there”, separating the eggs, or melting butter or coconut oil (helped by the fact that there is no fat or oil in there). It also neatly pours out of the bowl (thanks to the flax that keeps everything together)

Given the high amount of protein and fibre, this cake will fill you up for a while which is another plus, and the icing on the cake is the icing on the cake (forgive the pun). It is fat free and sugar free, made of cannellini beans – which is the reason why this cake is not paleo. If it wasn’t for the icing, this carrot cake would be perfectly paleo(ish). So for all our primal friends out there, just omit the icing or use your favourite paleo icing instead. As there is eggs and honey in it, this is not a vegan cake, but you might be able to experiment with chia eggs and rice malt/agave/maple syrup though I cannot vouch for the results.

As a word of warning, if you have IBS, follow a low FODMAP diet or otherwise have problems with fibre, this carrot cake might not be suitable for you or you might just want to go easy and enjoy a small amount. The coconut flour in this recipe is full of fibre which is great but might give certain people intestinal discomfort. Try it for yourself. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

For one cake (approx. 12 large or 24 small slices)

2 heaped tbsp vanilla flavoured pea protein powder
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup flaxmeal
pinch of salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp nutmeg
1 mashed banana
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs
300 ml plant milk
5 large carrots, grated

For the frosting
1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 180 °C and line a round baking tin with baking paper. Mix the cake ingredients in a large bowl until a homogenic mass develops (I did this by hand). Scoop into the mould and bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, process all ingredients in a high-powered blender until completely smooth. You can use it straight away or place in the refrigerator to firm up even more. Tip: If you find the taste of the frosting to bland, you could add spices such as nutmeg or flavouring such as almond or lemon essence.

Enjoy!

Healthy Peanut Butter Biscuits (Vegan, Gluten Free, Starch Free, Grain Free, Low Carb)

Published on January 22, 2014 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

My husband loves biscuits. I mean, he LOVES LOVES LOVES biscuits. There used to be times when not a day went by without him buying a colourful packet full of concentrated bombs made of wheat, sugar, processed and hydrogenated oils, emulsifiers, thickeners, and preservatives. And for him, those bombs served as a perfect substitute for breakfast, not to mention that no cup of tea was complete without them. Luckily for me, my gluten intolerance has prevented me from following suit for some time, but even I admit that I DO long for a nice, crunchy bickie along the way – and I don’t even have a sweet tooth!

As probably everyone is aware, the plethora of “gluten free” biscuits lining the supermarket shelves at exorbitant prices might be gluten free – and some of them might even be quite tasty – but they are a far cry from healthy. What I wanted was tasty biscuits that even though they cannot quite replace broccoli are healthy-ish, without creepy ingredients, don’t break the bank, are quick and easy to make, and that even my junk addicted husband would eat. And that happen to be gluten free.

What I came up with was not only gluten free, but also dairy free, soy free, egg free, vegan, and almost sugar free. With just the right amount of almond flour left to produce two dozen of yummy cuties, some ideas, and a healthy dose of curiosity, I set out to create one of my most successful experiments, the result of which hubbs happily gobbles down – and asks for more. Him snooping around the biscuit tin and devouring a handful of these biscuits at work is probably the most convincing argument that these biscuits are good. Very good.

My husband never bought biscuits from the shop again.

They actually don’t taste overly peanut-buttery, so if you really fancy peanut butter, you might want to replace all the vegan spread with the peanut butter and even add some peanuts to the dough. This is a great base for an all-time favourite biscuit recipe, as it is so versatile. You can use other nut butters, giving it a different flavour each time, or you can add cocoa powder and chocolate chips for chocolate biscuits, or dried fruit and oats for muesli biscuits. The choice is yours. They are whipped up in a jiffy and take only 12 minutes to bake. So whether you fancy a morning or afternoon snack right now or need something sweet to conclude a nice meal, head to the kitchen now! These babies are so healthy you can even have them for breakfast!

As the title reveals, my biscuits are not only gluten free, but completely grain free and starch free, thanks to lovely almond flour and my favourite ingredient flax, both of which come with a healthy dose of satisfying protein and fiber, as well as healthy fats, including omega 3! I would recommend using some sort of “real” sugar for a nice texture and colour, but you can probably use stevia throughout if you follow a strictly non-sugar diet. I used half brown sugar and half stevia for the biscuits displayed in the picture, and with 7 g of carbs per large biscuits, they are still fairly low-carb even if you use some regular sugar. I used vegan spread and flax as egg replacer to make a truly vegan biscuit, but feel free to use real butter or beat an egg in the dough – both of which improve the flavour even further. Note that I used reduced-fat spread, as the almond flour already contains a lot of fat. Feel free to use full-fat margarine if fat is not your worry, or butter as mentioned above.

Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking improves flavour and texture slightly, but is not a must. If you don’t chill the dough, the biscuits’ appearance is a bit “rougher”, but they are yummy nonetheless!

Makes 24 biscuits
Inspired by Erin

250 g almond meal (blanched for lighter biscuits or natural as in the pictures)
7 tbsp brown sugar or other sugar
7 tbsp stevia or other sweetener
20 g ground flax seed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
80 g peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
40 g reduced fat vegan spread
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 180 ° C and prepare two baking sheet. Cream peanut butter, spread, sugar, vanilla and stevia until light and fluffy. Mix the almond flour with the soda and salt and carefully fold into the wet ingredients. The dough should be sticky and wet. If it appears to dry, add 2 tbsp of water. Once blended well, you can chill the dough for 30 minutes to achieve smoother looking biscuits (see picture below the cookies on the right hand side). If you are in a hurry or very hungry, just skip this step and put up with coarser looking biscuits.

right: cookies with dough being chilled before baking, left: cookies with the dough not being chilled

Take 1 tbsp, form into a round shape and place onto baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough until you have 24 biscuits. You will probably need two sheets as there needs to be space between the biscuits (they will spread out during the baking process).

Bake for 12 minutes – they might still appear slightly raw, but you must switch off the oven now, otherwise you risk them getting too hard as they will continue too harden. Let them rest in the hot oven for a few minutes, then take out and let cool (if you have the patience).

Store in an airtight (preferably metal) container where they will keep for up to five days.

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!