Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet

Here’s an easy recipe for a refreshing summer treat! No sugar needed to make this simple sorbet.

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen rhubarb
1/2-1 cup coconut water (or plain water)
Sugar or stevia (optional)

1. Blend strawberries and rhubarb with 1/2 c water in a powerful blender. Start on a low setting and increase to high. Push the fruit down if the blender struggles.

2. Adjust the consistency by adding more water as desired. Adjust sweetness to preference. I thought it was perfect with coconut water and no additional sweetener.

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This fresh tasting treat is a great way to use rhubarb for something a little different! Enjoy!

GF Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Don’t question it, just make these cookies and let them blow your mind. Perfect. Moist. Soft. Chewy. Vegan… Gluten free… Paleo-ish.

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
Additional stevia or brown sugar to adjust sweetness
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
As many carob chips (or chocolate chips) as you like

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Purée the beans in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

2. Fold in remaining ingredients and combine well. Spoon onto lightly greased baking sheet to make about 10-12 cookies. Bake for 10 mins or until bottoms are golden.

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Please make these! They’re amazing.

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Easy Homemade Nutella and Nutella Cream

It really irritates my that Nutella is marketed as a healthy breakfast food. It’s not! One serving, 2 tbs, has 21 g of sugar! That’s more sugar than you’ll find in two servings of frosted flakes.

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(Image source NYtimes.com)

I later discovered an alternative to Nutella- Justin’s Chocolate Almond butter and hazelnut butter. With only 7 g of sugar, it’s a healthier option to reach for when craving a chocolatey nut butter. Unfortunately, as delicious as Justin’s butters are, they’re just too expensive for me. $9.99 per jar is steep when you’re tempted to eat the whole thing at once.

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(Image source swansonvitamins.com)

It recently dawned on me that I could make my own healthier version of Nutella using the almond butter I buy at Costco! For $10, you get 26 oz of nut butter instead of just 16 oz. I like that this recipe is easy to make, but it’s just labor intensive enough to discourage you from going back for more.

Here’s how to make your own single serving of homemade Nutella with only 1-2 g of sugar:

Ingredients:
1-2 tbs (or 1 heaping spoonful) creamy almond butter
4 drops of liquid stevia (or just a tiny bit of your favorite sweetener)
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa

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Combine the three ingredients in a small bowl and blend thoroughly with a spoon.

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For a creamy, frosting-like variation, add 1-2 tbs of True Whip or your favorite whipped topping. You could use homemade whipped cream for this. I chose True Whip (found at Whole Foods) because it’s made from slightly better ingredients than regular Cool Whip and has only 25 calories and 2 g sugar per serving.

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Wow, with the addition of whipped topping takes this treat to another level. Tastes like cool and creamy s’mores!

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Keep in mind that this is still a dessert, not a health food! You could probably have it with breakfast knowing it’s a better choice than regular Nutella, but always enjoy nut butters in moderation unless you’re looking to bulk up.

Coconut flour pumpkin mug cake

This recipe is almost sugar detox friendly, but I cheated a little bit with the addition of stevia. Sometimes dessert cravings strike and you just need a little instant gratification without too much guilt. This dessert is perfect for times like that.

Ingredients:
1/4 c pumpkin purée
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp honey or 1 packet stevia
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tbs milk
2 tbs coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt

1. Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Combine in a lightly greased mug.

2. Microwave for 90 seconds. Enjoy!

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The pumpkin works well in this recipe! It keeps the coconut flour moist. I had my mug cake with a little whipped cream.

Sugar detox mug cake

I finally decided to take on the challenge of making a sugar detox friendly dessert! This mug cake is a perfect treat to enjoy when you’re craving baked goods and need them now!

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 green tipped banana
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs coconut milk (or whole milk)
2 tbs coconut flour
Dash of salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

1. Begin with a lightly greased mug. Mash the first 4 ingredients well. Add the remaining three ingredients and combine thoroughly.

2. Microwave for 1:30-2:00 mins until the batter has risen and is set.

3. If you’re feeling fancy, top the mug cake with a sprinkle of cocoa powder or make a banana cream “frosting” by blending the remaining 1/2 banana with a bit of heavy cream or coconut milk.

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Not bad! It’s a bit dry and not as sweet as it could be (obviously), but it’s pretty darn good for a no-sweetener dessert!

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I’ll work on other variations for you to try soon!

Banana Mocha Frozen Coffee

11 days down on the sugar detox! I’m dragging this morning, though. Tired, cranky, no energy… So I decided to make a little pick-me-up drink instead of my usual (gross) unsweetened coffee.

In a blender combine:

1 frozen, peeled green banana
6 oz strong brewed coffee, chilled (make it stronger by adding some instant coffee to the brewed coffee)
1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c milk
6 or so ice cubes

Blend until smooth! Makes 2 normal glasses or one massive mocha (what I need this morning).

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This is much better than my regular coffee! What better way to start a Friday morning than a workout and a creamy, slightly sweet frozen coffee? Enjoy! TGIF!

Healthy Vanilla Banana Milkshake

Another satisfying dessert recipe with no sugar added:

1 frozen peeled green tipped banana
1/2 c cottage cheese
1/2 c coconut water
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 ice cubes (optional)

Blend on high setting until very creamy.

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Chia Pudding

Dessert cravings last night got my creative juices flowing! This pudding is so tasty, you’d think it shouldn’t be allowed on a sugar detox (or maybe those are my deprived taste buds talking). In any case, I think this is a great treat to enjoy on the sugar detox when you’ve already had your fruit for the day. If you’re not avoiding sweeteners, go ahead and add in some stevia or honey. Toss in some berries, too!

Basic recipe:
2 tbs chia seeds
1/4 c coconut water
1/4 c whole milk, coconut milk, or almond milk
1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

Combine ingredients and stir vigorously to combine. Refrigerate for 15 mins up to overnight to obtain desired consistency.

This pudding is fun to eat, kinda like tapioca. Chia seeds have a fabulous nutrition profile and fill your stomach with fiber, so you can indulge knowing you’re actually having a nutrition dense snack!

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Smoothie

Last night I was really craving something sweet and creamy after a weekend of hiking, carrying people, and horseback riding in the mountains.

On the sugar detox, though, I’m only allowed one green apple or one green banana all day. I already had an apple in my morning smoothie, so I went to bed and made this creation just now:

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Here are the ingredients for my sugar detox, sweetener free pumpkin cheesecake smoothie:

1/2 c cottage cheese
1 green tipped banana, peeled and frozen
1/4 c canned pumpkin
5 ice cubes
1/2 c coconut water
1/4 c milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice

Blend until smooth to make two big glasses of creamy “dessert” shake. All that cottage cheese gives this smoothie a big dose of protein, making it a suitable replacement for protein shakes using sweetened protein powders.

If you’re not sugar detoxing, I encourage you to add 1 tsp of your favorite sweetener. This shake was just below my threshold for sweetness, so I bet the tiniest amount of sugar, agave, honey, or stevia would really bring out the flavors. Enjoy!