Gluten Free Almond Sugar Cookies

In my effort to cut down on processed sugar in our baking at home, it's a little hard to make the traditional sugar cookies that the kid's crave this time of year. I found this great alternative to sugar cookies on Detoxinista and modified it to use what I have in my pantry. The result was fabulous-- though I'm not sure my children were impressed by the lack of color in the frosting. We may have to work on that! The coconut flavor combined with the almonds is perfect. These almost reminded me of the Samoa Girl Scout cookies. Sounds strange, because there's no chocolate or caramel, but that's immediately what my mind went to when I first tried them. If you'd like, you can use raw honey instead... it would help the frosting "set up" a little more.

Gluten Free Almond Sugar Cookies
18 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 8-10 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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FOR THE COOKIES:

• 2 cups almond meal (I used Trader Joe's)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened (or use butter instead, but the coconut gives these a wonderful flavor!)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
 

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of fine sea salt

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together cookie ingredients until well combined. 
3. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper and form cookie dough into 15 equal round balls. Place on the parchment paper and press down with your hand. 
4. Place in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. They will not look done, but they probably are. If you cook them for much longer, the bottoms will burn.
5. Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes.
6. While they're cooling, make the frosting. This doesn't seem like much frosting, but it's the perfect amount for these cookies. :)

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    122 calories   9.8g fat   8.1g carbs    2.3g protein    6.2g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Detoxinista.

Mini Apple Pie Bites

November is here! Hard to believe, but it's really here! That means Thanksgiving and I tend to associate that with a growing waist band. I don't know about you, but I tend to indulge a lot more over the winter months, and get out of my exercise habits too. It's my mission to keep my pants buttoned up and looking good this season. Anyone with me?!

I have an incredible recipe, in my humble opinion, I'm sharing with you today. I think it's delicious, sweet, and cute. What more could you ask for in a dessert? It's bite-sized - so you can eat as much, or as little as you want. At under 50 calories a piece, I think you can have more than one with your Thanksgiving feast.

Apple Pie Bites
16 SERVINGS 
PREP: 25 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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FOR THE CRUST:

• 1/2 cup almond meal (or almond flour works too)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup ice cold water

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 cup diced skin-on apple (I used a granny smith apple, but any firm, sweet and tart apple would do) 
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

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FOR THE CRUST:

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together almond meal, flour, and cinnamon. Add the maple syrup, apple sauce and water. Stir until it forms a soft dough. Divide the dough into 16 even squares. Press the dough into the minimuffin pan (I used a large muffin pan, but only went about halfway up the sides). Use your fingers to press in the dough so that it lines the bottoms and sides of each well.

FOR THE FILLING:

1. In a another medium bowl, mix together the apples, applesauce, vanilla, maple syrup and cinnamon. Spoon this apple mixture evenly on top of the dough mixture already placed in the muffin pan. 
2. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edge of the tarts are lightly brown. Serve warm. Keep these in your refrigerator up to 3 days.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 apple pie bite    43 calories   1.5g fat   6.7g carbs    1.1g protein    3g sugar   

To dress these up a bit for Thanksgiving, feel free to add a dollop of cool whip and sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top. Enjoy!

Recipe from Eating by Elaine.

"Crunchy" French Toast

Breakfast has never been my strong suit. I'm always pushing snooze, until I have to rush to get ready - and run out the door without eating something. Realizing this is extremely unhealthy, besides making me drag throughout the entire day, I try my best to discover breakfast ideas that I just can't resist. This is one of those that I would wake up early for. A delightful french toast coated with cereal adds a little more flavor and gives it a "crunch" that will get you out of bed and excited to start the day!

"Crunchy" French Toast
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK:10 minutes            READY IN: 15 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 slices bread
• 1 cup cereal of choice (I prefer Special K Fruit and Yogurt, but Cinnamon Life is good too)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Beat egg in shallow bowl. Add milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. 
2. In a separate shallow bowl, crush cereal into small pieces. 
3. Place bread in egg mixture, coating both sides, followed by the cereal mixture.
4. Bake on medium-low heated griddle. Add desired toppings.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    2 pieces of bread    158 calories   5 g fat  20.7 g carbs    7.5 g protein    6.6 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Linking up here

Indulgence Moment: Cake Mix Oreos

Oreos bring out my sweet tooth like no other food. I just can't stop. Especially when I dip it in peanut butter and soak it in milk, just how they do it on "The Parent Trap." Best idea ever. However, I feel like I'm piling up the calories just thinking about them, so I hardly let my sweet tooth get the best of me. I was really craving oreos one night but I didn't have the energy to go shopping, so I decided to whip some up in the kitchen. This recipe makes a nice crisp cookie and the filling is addicting! I ended up having to give some away so I wouldn't eat them all! These will be a hit at any party... or a Friday night home alone.

Cake Mix Oreos
Makes roughly 16 cookies 

PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 8 minutes            READY IN: 18 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

COOKIE:

• 1 package devil's food cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil

FILLING:

• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
2. Add oil and eggs to cake mix and mix together until well blended. It will be pretty thick, so I just used a wooden spoon.
3. Roll the batter into balls about the size of a quarter and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. 
4. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the cookie sheet until just warm. Carefully move cookies to a cooling rack.
5. Prepare vanilla filling by creaming butter and shortening together. Mix in vanilla. Add sugar slowly while mixing until you reach your desired consistency. 
6. Assemble cookies by placing about a tablespoon of filling in the center of a cookie (I used a ziplock bag with a small hole cut on the corner to pipe them onto the cookies) and top with another cookie of similar size. Press down slightly on the filling to make sure the cookie sets. 
7. Continue previous step until all cookies have been filled. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cookie    312 calories   17.2g fat  38.8g carbs   1.9g protein   28g sugar   

Indulge and smile!
Recipe adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

Low-Fat Banana Bread

I have a confession to make: I'm a bread lover. Every Saturday my dad makes fresh whole wheat bread and I could easily make my way through a whole loaf on my own. Don't worry, I share - but isn't bread so very addicting? That's why I've tried to find a healthy alternative to banana bread (one of the most addicting breads out there.) Substituting applesauce for butter really adds some flavor and cuts down on the calories... as long as you can be disciplined and not eat the entire loaf!

Low-Fat Banana Bread 

12 SERVINGS 

PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 45 - 60 minutes            READY IN: 1 hour 15 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a large bowl mix flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. 
3. Add eggs, applesauce, bananas, and vanilla. (If desired, add raisins and walnuts.)
4. Pour batter into lightly greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan.
5. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until inserted fork comes out clean.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 slice    202 calories   1.1 g fat   44.6 g carbs    3.8 g protein    22.4 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe from All Recipes

Recipe Refresh: Blueberry Almond Zucchini Bread

With fall here, the zucchini plants are bursting and everyone is looking for ways to use up all the zucchini they have on hand. A nice, warm piece of sweet zucchini bread is always a favorite, but many recipes are loaded with fat and sugar, with very little nutritional benefit. I tried to find a way to refresh some of the traditional zucchini breads, increasing fiber and protein by substituting whole grain flours (see my "Healthy Tip" below), minimizing sugar and fats by using applesauce, and adding in almonds and blueberries (rather than chocolate chips) for a unique flavor burst. What came out was a moist and delicious loaf of zucchini bread that I could feel better about enjoying just a few more slices than I care to admit!

Blueberry Almond Zucchini Bread

Makes 2 loaves

PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 50-60 minutes            READY IN: 80 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 small/medium zucchini)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour*
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped almond pieces

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 350º. Spray two bread pans (8x4 in.) with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl mix zucchini, applesauce, oil, eggs, extracts, and sugar. In a smaller bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture slowly, mixing completely.
3. When the batter is smooth, gently fold in the blueberries and almond pieces (you don't want to mix the blueberries too hard, or your bread will turn a grayish blue).
4. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. For a nice finished look, sprinkle with oats and a sprinkling of sugar. Bake the loaves for 50-65 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (the loaves should be a nice dark golden color). Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pans.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/12 loaf   144 calories   6.4 g fat   17.7 g carbs    3.3 g protein    10.3 g sugar

Original Recipe*	Pass the Fresh Recipe Refresh!
270 calories	144 calories
13 g fat	6.4 g fat
2 cups sugar and 37 g carbohydrate	Just 1 cup sugar and 17.7 g carbohydrates
1 g dietary fiber	2.7 g dietary fiber

*Original recipe nutrition information based off of this recipe.

 

*Healthy Tip: 

Whole wheat flours are an excellent way to make homemade baked goods more nutritious. They add fiber and protein, along with a list of other healthy things! But, they can be more tricky to bake with. White whole wheat and whole wheat pastry flour are both excellent ways to use whole wheat, because they are still made from the whole grain and have all the benefits, but they bake more like (though still not the same as) white all-purpose flour. Here are some links with tips and info on baking with the different kinds of wheat flours:
   Pinch My Salt: What is white whole wheat flour?  
   Health Nut Nation: The difference between whole wheat pastry flour and whole wheat  
   The Kitchn: Substituting white whole wheat flour

Enjoy!

Recipe Inspired by Prevention RD

Baked Berry Oatmeal

This breakfast dish is a huge crowd pleaser and will leave your guests singing your praises until they leave. You can add just about any toppings you like on your traditional oatmeal and it turns out with little effort. And with a little cinnamon, it makes your kitchen smell yummy too. We like to make this over the weekend and the leftovers make a great reheat in the microwave for busy weekday mornings.

Baked Berry Oatmeal
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 35-40 minutes            READY IN: 50-55 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash sea salt
• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 cups milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Preheat oven to 375º and spray an 9" x 13" baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix the oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt, half of the berries, and half of the white chocolate chips. Pour mixture into the baking pan.
3. Place the remaining berries and chocolate chips on top of the oatmeal as well as the cut up banana.
4. In another bowl, wisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract. Pour this mixture on top of the oatmeal.
5. Gently shake the baking pan to make sure the milk mixture is spread throughout the dish.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top of the oatmeal is golden brown and the milk mixture has set.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/2 cup serving    174 calories   7.3g fat   23.3g carbs    4.3g protein    12.5g sugar   

For variations of this dish, try substituting any berries you have on hand, nuts, regular chocolate chips, etc. The options are endless! Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.