The holidays are a wonderful time of year to bake your favorite treats to give and to enjoy. Traditional baking contains unhealthy processed ingredients like margarine, granulated sugar, and refined flour to name a few. Replacing those ingredients with all natural ingredients is the best way to start. Instead of sugar try sweeteners like honey, 100% maple syrup, or unsweetened applesauce. Processed flour has been shown to promote several chronic diseases like obesity, thyroid disease and type 2 diabetes, instead of refined flour try ground flax seed, almond flour, or wheat flour for added nutrients. The right kind of fat is essential to your diet, but the wrong kind of fat can wreak havoc on your overall health, instead of using margarine use real butter (grass fed preferably), coconut oil or clarified butter, ghee.
Another option when baking is to add ingredients packed with nutrients into the baked items. Adding pumpkin puree, ground flax seed, banana puree, protein powder, unsweetened applesauce or chopped walnuts are all tasty items that can add nutrition to your baked items.
Try some of these delicious recipes this holiday season, they are great for gifts, parties or just fun treats to have around the house for you and your family to enjoy.
Protein Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2/3 c gluten free rolled oats
1 c pumpkin
2 whole egg
2 Tbsp. almond or coconut flour
2 Tbsp. protein powder (vanilla)
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Serve with grass fed butter or apple butter
Directions:
Pre-heat oven 350, mix all ingredients, line cupcake pan with liners or grease, bake for 15 minutes or toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 25-30 minutes in fridge.
Easy Berry Chocolate Clusters
Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries and raspberries, thawed, rinsed and divided
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tbs. coconut oil
Directions
1. Rinse berries, spread on paper towels and pat dry.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Stir chocolate and coconut oil in double boiler and melt slowly.
4. Gently fold in berries.
5. Make clusters by spooning 4 or 5 warm chocolate coated blueberries onto wax paper, placing them 1 inch apart.
6. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
7. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
Better Brownies
Ingredients:
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup
1 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup packed pitted dates
¼ cup almond milk
2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 inch square pan with foil and coat lightly with oil.
2. In a food processor, blend almonds, cocoa, chocolate, baking soda and salt until ground. Pulse in dates, maple syrup, almond milk, oil and vanilla until a smooth paste forms.
3. Beat egg whites until medium peaks form. Stir in 1/3 of almond mixture, then fold in remaining mixture. Spread in baking pan.
4. Bake until a toothpick comes out almost clean, about 30 minutes.
Almond Butter Blondies
Ingredients
1/2 c coconut oil melted
2/3 c honey
1/2 c almond butter
2 egg
2 tsp vanilla
3 c almond flour/meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c dark chocolate chips
Directions
1. Line 9×13? pan with parchment paper or grease
2. Combine all wet ingredients, then combine all dry ingredients and then combine dry to the wet ingredients. Spread batter into pan.
3. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.
This is a preview to an article that will be featured in Bakers Journal Magazine. Check back for the full article.
Dr. Kantor’s greatly anticipated new children’s book, The Green Box League of Nutritious Justice, is now available. Be sure to order this highly reviewed book, filled with healthy living tips for the whole family. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Children’s Miracle Network.