Guilt Free Hot Cocoa

It seems like fall weather is here to stay, so it's time for some warm, cozy drinks!  One of my personal favorites and one of the classics is hot chocolate!  Hot chocolate carries so many fond memories for most people, I think.  The only thing - it's not that healthy for us.  Have no fear though!  A healthy version is easy to make and you can get rid of that instant hot chocolate powder that is made up of all sorts of crazy unnatural, processed junk.  Get ready to get cozy with this simple, healthy hot chocolate!

Ingredients
3 Cups unsweetened Almond Milk
My personal favorite is Whole Foods organic unsweetened almond milk. It seems much creamier and richer than all the other brands I have tried. They are usually available in 2 packs which saves a little money. 

2 TBS Cocoa or Cacao powder
The difference between the 2 is that cacao powder is considered raw - meaning it is subjected to low amounts of heat which does not ‘cook’ any of the antioxidants away aka cold pressed.  Cocoa on the other hand has been processed in heat.  Cacao is very high in antioxidants and is considered a super food for this reason.  Cocoa does not have as many antioxidants due to the heating process.  With this being said, you are heating up your hot chocolate so the cacao does not remain in its raw state.  So there really is no benefit to using the cacao over the cocoa in this recipe.  If you were making a cold drink or not heating or cooking with it, cacao would be a much better option.

2 TBS Honey, Xylitol, or Pure 100% Maple Syrup (Aunt Jemima doesn't count!!)
For anyone using xylitol (people on Candida Clear) it may need a little bit more.  Just do a little taste test to try it out first.
1/4 TBS of Cinnamon

Over medium heat mix the almond milk and cocoa/cacao powder. Let it heat up, but not boil. I probably kept mine on the stove for 10 min total and stirred occasional. After it's nice and warm take it off the burner and let it sit. Add in your cinnamon and sweetener (xylitol, honey, or maple syrup) at this time and stir. The clumps of cocoa will continue to dissolve the longer it warms up. 

Let it sit for a couple minutes and stir occasionally. Enjoy!!
 

No Bake Coconut Crispy Treats

This is the perfect, healthy alternative to a Rice Krispy Treat.  These take no time to make and are a great dessert for all ages! Plus, they are void of all junk sweeteners and filler ingredients in processed desserts and treats. So, make a big pan of them and feel good about having a healthy treat for your family!

Ingredients:
4 Cups Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Coconut Oil, Melted
1/3 Cup Maple Syrup or Honey
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions:
Toast coconut in a skillet over low heat.  Once toasted, put in a bowl and mix in maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Lastly, add in melted coconut oil and stir all together.

Pour coconut crispy treats into a 8×8 pan.

Cover the pan with wax paper or parchment paper and press the coconut mix down evenly over the whole pan.

Refrigerate coconut crispy treats for 1 to 2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes.  Once set, they are ready to cut up and enjoy! Keep leftovers in the fridge or freezer.

Optional - drizzle with healthy dark chocolate (3 ingredient homemade recipe here) or add crushed almonds with sea salt on top too!

Recipe adapted from: The Coconut Mama

Healthy Cool Whip

This cool whip is delicious and is only 2 ingredients!  It takes 1 minute to make and taste amazing! All you need is a can of coconut milk (not what you find in the refrigerated aisle).  It can be found at Kroger in the health food section or in the international aisle.  Put a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours).  This will allow the water and cream to separate which leaves a whipped cream consistency on top and a watery part on the bottom of the can. 

Once refrigerated take the top section out of the can.  You can throw away the bottom watery section.  Next add your sweetener.  I added 1 Tablespoon of honey, but maple syrup or xylitol are other options. You could even add a teaspoon of vanilla to give it a little more flavor too! Mix up and that is it! 

Enjoy! Try dipping your strawberries in it or add it to plantain pancakes! 

Perfect Plantain Pancakes

Hi everyone!  Becca here to tell you about one of my favorite pancake recipes.  Sunday mornings mean big breakfasts in our house.  Since going gluten free and then grain free, I have searched for a decent pancake or waffle recipe.  Some recipes were absolute flops-no pun intended- and others were pretty good.  It wasn't until I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs that I finally found a permanent replacement.  

This recipe is completely whole foods! No grains, no dairy, no gluten!  Best yet, it is kid approved and delicious!   Since Emery is in school, I have been making 2 batches each Sunday.  One for breakfast and the other to freeze and send to school each day as a snack.  He loves them!  Use with your favorite Grade B pure maple syrup and enjoy!

Ingredients
2 large green plantains
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp of cinnamon
Any other fun add-ins (blueberries, chocolate chips, pecans)
Extra coconut oil for frying

Instructions
1. The green plantains are pretty hard to peel.  I have found it is easiest to cut each plantain into a few pieces and then gently slice through the peel.  

2. Place the peeled plantains and the eggs into your food processor or Vitamix/Ninja.  Blend to form a smooth batter.

3. Add everything else to the food processor and mix for another 30 seconds.

4. Lightly oil your pan and pour batter for your waffle or pancake. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes or until the sides are starting to starting to brown and firm up. Flip!  And cook on the second side for 1½-2 minutes.

Recipe adapted from The Paleo Mom.

Healthy Chocolate Pudding

I have experimented with a couple different recipes for chocolate pudding and this is my favorite so far!

All you need is unsweetened cocoa, almond milk or other milk substitute, xylitol or honey and chia seeds. Chia seeds are packed full of nutrients, fiber and healthy omega 3 fatty acids which are great for the heart and brain!

Instructions
Mix together 1 cup almond milk, 3 tablespoons chia seeds, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons xylitol or honey.  You can add more depending on how sweet you like it! Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes and then enjoy!

When you first put all the ingredients together the cocoa may sit at the top and not mix well because of the cold almond milk.  After 5 minutes it will start to settle in.  After ten minutes do a final stir and everything should be mixed together perfectly.

This is the perfect recipe to customize to your liking. Raspberries, almonds or coconut would be really yummy with this pudding!

Enjoy.

Easy Strawberry Xylitol Jam! Only 3 Ingredients!

Last week I mentioned I would have something to add to the banana bread. Well, here it is!  This strawberry xylitol jam recipe was given to me by a patient and whoa am I glad they did.  It's super easy and only 3 ingredients and perfect for all things that taste amazing with jam.

Ingredients

1 pint (4 cups) of fresh strawberries

1/4 cup sweetener of choice (honey/coconut palm sugar/xylitol)

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Slice the stems off the strawberries and put in a food processer/blender until strawberries are almost liquid.

Place in a skillet over medium high heat, then add the lemon juice and natural sweetener of choice.  Note: If you use honey make sure it is stirred in.  It has a harder time mixing in at the beginning because the consistency of it.

Keep on medium high heat for 10 minutes and stir frequently.  It will be bubbly on the top and the jam will start to get a thicker consistency. After ten minutes remove from heat and place in a jar to let cool. Enjoy!

I was amazed how delicious it is! Put over your baked goods, pancakes, banana bread, homemade chocolate, Greek yogurt, or use as a topping for cake.

Ps.  It keeps for around 10 days in the fridge in a sealed container.

Healthy Sweet Treat - Caramel Apple

Here is a healthy twist on a 'caramel' apple!  It isn't nearly as messy, and is a great treat to satisfy the sweet tooth and still eat clean.
Together eat a bite of an apple with 1/2 a date. 

I bet you will be surprised! (In a good way!)