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Ingredients Archives: Vanilla

Sugar Detox Chocolate Clusters

By on May 27, 2019 in Guilt-Free Treats

A few months ago, I taught a health class to a group of ladies. I talked about how to give up sugar and they asked what I do for a treat. They were shocked when I admitted I eat squares of 100% chocolate. It’s true! I love it! While it’s a bit of an aquired taste, it’s totally doable. I generally suggest people start with something like 80% and work their way up, but it’s possible to transition.

I have to admit though, I get bored of my 100% chocolate. I occasionally want something with more flavor and texture that feels like a treat. That’s why I came up with these candies. They are so delicious! They taste sweet from the addition of orange, cinnamon and vanilla; but have no sugar. Plus adding nuts gives them a few different textures in each bite.

I genuinely feel like I’m eating an indulgent treat with these, but they have nothing in them I wouldn’t add to a breakfast smoothie!

If you aren’t up to the 100% yet, feel free to make these using a little bit sweeter chocolate. Again, I wouldn’t go lower than 80%. I really recommend trying these as written though.

Also, if you’re doing the 21 Day Sugar Detox these are totally approved!! If you’re curious about trying the 21 Day Sugar Detox, check out this post I wrote about my experience here.

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Healthy Remake: No-Bake Cookies (Vegan, No Sugar)

By on October 9, 2018 in Guilt-Free Treats

When I was a kid, I was basically a professional at making no-bake cookies. This was kind of awesome because my mom (who is a great cook) could not make them. Since she loved them so much, I got to make them a lot. My BFF and I still reminisce about how we used to come home from school and make no-bake cookies in my mauve and mint Formica-clad kitchen. Awe the 90’s.

Fast forward a couple of decades. I’m still a big fan of no-bake cookies. There are few better treats in my opinion. The problem is, the butter and milk are a problem for me. I cannot do dairy unless I want to spend the next week covered in rashes and acne. Since I don’t think it’s fair to have acne and gray hair, I try to avoid dairy (and I don’t really like scratching all day).

But being the amazingly caring wife I am, I told my husband I’d make him ANYTHING he wanted for his birthday dessert. His answer: no bake cookies. I looked at him for a moment like he’d just kicked my childhood puppy. How could he do this to me??? I couldn’t even lick the pan! I decided to put my wants aside and make him his treat… sort of.

Yes, I made him a batch of standard no-bake cookies full of butter, milk and sugar. They were fabulous, of  course, but I knew my self control would get the better of me. I got out a smaller saucepan and made some dairy-free no-bake cookies at the same time. The success had me almost in tears. I licked the pan, I ate the cookies and I was even able to keep them all to myself because they all wanted Daddy’s cookies. It was pretty awesome.

Since I was making my own batch and since sugar doesn’t exactly make me feel awesome either, I used Lakanto sugar substitute (monk-fruit/erythritol combination). You could use plain cane sugar instead, but I was very satisfied with the substitute.

The thing I really love about these cookies is that they are stable at room temperature. So often when I make a “substitute” it has to be kept in the fridge or freezer or it will just turn into a puddle. These stored fine at room temperature in a glass container. Not that they were around long…

This recipe is gluten-free and vegan so it’s versatile enough to take to events or share with friends. Now my husband can ask for no-bake cookies anytime and I can still be an awesome wife without sulking.

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5 Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding

By on July 12, 2017 in Guilt-Free Treats

We do dessert every Sunday night because it just makes life better. A few weeks ago I made some grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free cookies. They were DELICIOUS, but I wanted something more. I didn’t have much time so I decided to whip up some extremely easy, creamy, sweet chocolate peanut butter pudding. Dipping the cookies in the pudding was basically heaven!

It all starts with coconut cream. Coconut cream is the solid portion of canned coconut milk. Getting it is super simple. Just stick a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge for a few hours (I usually stick mine in the night before). I really like to use the Thai Kitchen brand. I prefer the taste and consistency to other coconut milks. Then using a spoon, gently scoop the solid cream into a bowl. You’ll be left with a clear liquid. Save this for smoothies or to thin out your pudding a bit.

Coconut cream is so stable, you can add it the honey, cocoa powder and vanilla all at the same time.

Whip this up with a hand mixer and then add in the peanut butter. I call it good there. But this pudding is extremely thick. So thick this could even double for a frosting. If you like a thinner pudding, just keep whipping in the liquid from the coconut milk until you’re satisfied.

I highly recommend this with a cookie… or three…


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Guilt-Free No-Coffee Pumpkin Spice Latte

By on November 23, 2016 in

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I don’t drink coffee. But when fall hits, I become a Starbucks junkie. My favorite: White hot chocolate with pumpkin. It’s like a warm cup of fall in your mouth. But… it’s also a warm cup of processed sugar and artificial flavoring.

So today when it was cold and I wanted to swing by a Starbucks for my fix, I realized I didn’t need their bad ingredients. I could make a delicious, warm pumpkin drink that didn’t make me feel like I had made a horrible choice like wearing shoulder pads.

This is the perfect drink for a cold day. Plus you have some options to make it even more guilt-free.

This calls for canned coconut milk. Coconut milk is full of healthy fats and gives this a creamy texture. But if you want to cut the fat and calories (which fat really is good for you, but if you’re getting your fat elsewhere, this may be a good option), use unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead.

This also calls for maple syrup which not only makes it sweet but gives it a warmth that goes perfectly with the pumpkin and spices. If you want to cut out the sugar completely, use stevia. My favorite is English Toffee Sweet Drops (click here for link).

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I’m not going to lie, the full-fat, maple-syrup sweetened version is better. You just can’t fake that amazing flavor. But the almond-milk, stevia-sweetened version is also delicious and worth drinking.

Plus, this is a great way to use extra pumpkin. It makes me so sad when I use half a can of pumpkin and go back to use the other half later only to find it has patches of mold. It’s downright heartbreaking.

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The Best Pumpkin Dish You’ll Make This Fall

By on November 4, 2016 in Guilt-Free Treats

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Excited doesn’t really cover how I feel about this recipe. I made it on a Sunday and literally dreamed about it the night before. Yes, I am that big of a loser and yes, it did live up to my dream.

I used to make a pumpkin dump cake that made my heart happy. It was creamy and warm on the bottom with a crunchy, sweet top. I LOVED it! The problem was, it was loaded with both white and brown sugar and was topped with a cake mix…. which you had to add even more sugar to. I thought about cheating and just making the darn thing (Yes, it would have been worth it), but before I sold my soul I decided to try to make a healthier version.

I’m SO glad I did. The pumpkin layer is warm, creamy, sweet and bursting with fall flavors. The topping contrasts nicely with the creamy base and the flavors work perfectly together. This is a perfect dessert for a cold night. Though since this dessert is so good I almost cried, I’ll probably make it for my birthday… in April.

So if you believe all men (and women) are entitled to the pursuit of happiness, make this… now. No really. Go do it.

A few tips first (sorry for the false alarm. Hopefully you aren’t running to grab your slow cooker).

Make sure you grease your slow cooker. If you don’t, instead of talking about how much you love me, you’ll be cursing me to the depths of Hades. Grease that sucker!

Yes, this has a lot of ingredients, but it truly is a dump cake. Two bowls and a slow cooker. That’s it. You don’t even have to beat the pumpkin layer in stages. I really did just throw everything in a bowl and beat it.

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Make sure you distribute the topping evenly when you sprinkle it over the pumpkin. This is basically going to cook up like a cake layer, so you want it as even as you can get it. Though since it is a dump cake, you really can’t ruin it. This just makes it better.

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The same goes for the butter. This provides a lot of the liquid for the cake layer, so you’ll want it even. But again, you can’t ruin this. The moisture from the pumpkin and the steaming affect of the slow cooker will get any spots you miss.

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As far as the pecans go, they are totally optional. If you hate pecans or they kill you if you eat them, you should leave them out. I love the flavor of pecans with pumpkin and fall spices so I left them in. You can even substitute them with another nut if you like. Not peanuts though. I like peanuts as much as the next squirrel, but that just sounds wrong.

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Lastly, this is a dish that is amazing on its own, but is even better topped with something cold and creamy. While ice cream would be amazing, we decided to go with something a little healthier and use coconut cream. Don’t worry. If you can hold a hand mixer, you can make coconut cream. Click here for instructions from The Pioneer Woman. We sweeten ours with honey.

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Okay. Now you are armed with what you need so go and make it. Now. It’s not a false alarm this time…

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Better than the 70’s: Healthy Peanut Butter Fruit Dip

By on September 9, 2016 in Guilt-Free Treats, Healthy Snacks, Holidays

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I clearly remember New Year’s Eve growing up. We’d get together with my BFF’s family (no, seriously. We’re in our 30’s now and we still talk multiple times weekly). The adults would do horribly boring things (like chat about things other than Barbies and tutus) and the kids would run around all night. A few weeks before, we’d order a bunch of those super junky toys from Oriental Trading. We would play with those toys all night, or until they broke 20 minutes later. The most memorable toy was an ice cream cone with a trigger. When you pulled it, the ice cream part shot off the cone part. Yep. My childhood rocked.

We always had a ton of awesome food too. I’m sure there were cookies and meat trays, but the thing I remember the most was my mom’s fruit dip. I know that seems strange for an 8-year-old to have a hankering for fruit dipped in a sugary substance over a chocolaty brownie, but it was just so good! It was straight from the 70’s complete with a tub of cool whip, cream cheese and a crap-load of sugar. Nothing says “Happy New Year” like a sugar coma.

I was thinking about said dip and my ice cream cone shooter the other day and became sad that I can no longer live in ignorance about the unhealthy reality of my beloved fruit dip. That’s when I went on a mission to create a new fruit dip. A fruit dip that would put the 70’s fruit dip to shame and wouldn’t give you diabetes.

I wanted it to be easy, so I decided to keep the ingredients to a minimum. Instead of the cool whip portion, I used a full-fat Greek yogurt. It helped the dip have the same creamy consistency without all the artificial ingredients. I found this fabulous Greek yogurt at Sprouts. Make sure you pick one without a lot of added junk.

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Instead of cream cheese, I used peanut butter. I mainly did this because peanut butter is just awesome, and has the ability to make things feel sweet without adding sugar. Since we nixed our artificial sweetener by removing the cool whip, we needed a little flavor. The peanut-butter made it PERFECT!

To bump up the flavor, I just added in a little vanilla and cinnamon. The dip isn’t overly sweet, but since fruit has natural sweeteners, the combination of fruit and dip gave this the perfect sweetness. If you want a little more sweetness though for a special occasion like a New Year’s Eve party complete with awesomely-cheap toys, feel free to add a little honey.

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So now not only do you have a fruit dip free of sugars and artificial ingredients, but one packed with protein and healthy fats. It’s good enough to have for breakfast!

Hopefully this dip will help my children make as many awesome memories as I had as a kid. But I need to find the ice cream shooter to ensure that.

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Guilt-Free Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

By on July 8, 2016 in Breakfast

As a kid, I always got excited when I heard the ice cream truck. Since it was summer, I was generally in my black and rainbow striped swimsuit running through the sprinklers with half the kids in my neighborhood. We’d hear the music and run toward the truck with all our might and quarters. Aside from that, there was another truck that brought joy to my heart: the Schwan’s truck. We’d get so excited when the “Schwan’s man” would come each week. My mom always bought two things (she bought more but I wasn’t really interested in raw chicken breasts and salmon patties). One, push-up ice cream pops. Remember those? I can still taste of that delicous peach ice cream combined with the taste of plastic and cardboard as I licked the tube trying to get every last drop. The second things she always got; cinnamon raising biscuits. These things were so addicting. Many a Sunday morning, I’d wake up smelling those delicious biscuits. The fact that they came with a tube of frosting made them that much better.

Maybe I was feeling nostalgic because it was close to mother’s day, but a few weeks ago, I was craving these biscuits, but didn’t want to eat something that I’d regret later. Then I realized, since I know how to make healthy biscuits, I could easily recreate these!

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I started with my healthy drop biscuit recipe. To them I added cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. As with the drop biscuits, I was way too lazy to roll and cut them, but you certainly could if you had the motivation. Since I wanted them to have that round look the ones from my childhood had, I rolled them and shaped them with my hands.

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We ate these before I could get a picture, but to simulate the frosting, we drizzled a bit of coconut butter of the top of a few of them. These were so good, I considered putting the black and rainbow swimsuit back on and running through the sprinklers eating one. But then I’d be the neighborhood freak. Oh well. They tasted just as delicious as they did when I was 7.

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Gluten Free 3 Ingredient Pancakes

By on June 10, 2016 in Breakfast

My mom used to make our family a big breakfast every Sunday. Sometimes it was french toast, sometimes waffles and sometimes it was pancakes. Being the awesome mom she is, she’d make my pancake shaped like minnie mouse, complete with pancake eyes, nose, mouth and bow. It was the best breakfast you can imagine.

My kids get pancakes… shaped like circles. Unless I have a batter accident and then sometimes it’s shaped like something from a Rorschach test. Oh well. It’s a pancake, right?

These are our favorite pancakes to make. They are sweet, super easy to make and flip better than any grain-free pancake I’ve ever made.

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I was actually shocked how much these taste like regular pancakes. I thought they’d be really eggy, but the flavor and texture was fabulous. Plus, with only three ingredients, these are the easiest pancakes I’ve ever made. Unless you count adding water to Krusteaz mix…

I mix everything together in a blender because it’s easy, thorough and the spout on the blender jar is the perfect way to pour the batter onto the skillet.

My son ate these with maple syrup, but my daughter and I heated some natural peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds and drizzled it over the top. WOW! That was absolutely amazing. It was one of those meals that makes me wonder why everyone doesn’t eat healthy.

Enjoy your pancakes, no matter what shape they take.

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Guilt-Free Ice Cream

By on February 12, 2016 in Guilt-Free Treats

Two weeks ago, my husband was gone for an entire week. Things started out fine but by Thursday, I was more than ready for him to come home. I pride myself in being a strong, capable woman. When it comes to being a mom, I feel like I’m fairly resourceful and know what to do in certain situations, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t days I want to run for the hills screaming as I go. After spending the early part of the week screaming and fighting, the kids finally came down with a nasty cold Thursday. This was somewhat comforting to know that the reason they were acting as though possessed with demons was because they were getting sick, but it didn’t make things easier. I was still left with two grumpy, sick kids who stayed up all night crying about being too congested to sleep. This is hard as a mom because you feel so helpless. It’s hard to see your kids suffering and not be able to change it. It’s hard to try to explain that the crying is going to make the congestion worse (one day my kids will realize I’m not actually an idiot). And it’s hard to be a happy, compassionate mom when functioning on no sleep and having to run around getting juice and tissues, while listening to the theme song from Superman cartoons for 8 hours straight.

On Friday night, by the time I filled them with ibuprofen, stacked pillows on their beds, filled up humidifiers and oil diffusers, stocked them with water and tissues, I was ready to collapse. And while I don’t condone drowning your sorrows in comfort food, that’s all I wanted to do. I wanted to eat ice cream under a blanket and watch chick flicks until one of my kiddos woke up complaining of congestion. So, that’s what I did. Only I did it a in a healthy way. So now to the point of that rather long, extremely fascinating story: I made this healthy ice cream. I could indulge and feel zero guilt. And making it through that week without having a nervous breakdown or buying a pint of Ben and Jerry’s kind of made me feel like Super Mom.

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No Sugar Chocolate Banana Muffins

By on January 8, 2016 in Breakfast, Guilt-Free Treats, Healthy Snacks

Every morning my son’s breakfast includes a mini muffin. This is my way of cramming a bit more protein and nutrients into him in an unprocessed way before sending him off to second grade to solve the world’s great problems. I always look for muffin recipes heavy on nuts and/or eggs and low on sugar. We generally stick to banana muffins, but to keep things interesting, I’m always trying to find something else. I found this recipe from Yummy Mummy. It looked delicious, but since I was giving it to my son every morning for breakfast, I wanted something without added sugar or sugar substitutes and without chocolate chips. So using Yummy Mummy’s recipe as my base, I came up with a version without sugar. We’re all very pleased with the results and I can continue to give my son a muffin every morning without feeling guilty. Luckily as a mom, there are still plenty of other things I get to feel guilty about every day.

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