Sugar Free Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

While I don't normally love banana bread, I do love chocolate chip banana bread! This recipe delivers the sweet treat in a much healthier way. I used Swerve instead of sugar (erythritol sweetener) and almond flour in addition to flaxseed. The big trick is to use Lily's dark chocolate chips sweetened with erythritol and stevia! This allows a truly sugar free treat that packs in protein to keep you going through the day.
For this recipe, I use 1 cup of gluten free Bob Red Mill flour mix, but you could sub that for 1/2 Cup almond and 1/2 Cup coconut flour if you need this to be Ketogenic diet friendly. If batter is too thick with that variation, add an extra egg and optional extra banana. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1 Cup Bob Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour mix
• 1 Cup almond flour
• 1/8 Cup flaxseed, ground
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 Cup Swerve Erythritol sweetener
• 1/2 Cup avocado oil or coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 Cup walnuts - optional
• 1/2 Cup Lily's dark chocolate chips, sweetened with erythritol and stevia

Bake at 350 F. Mix ingredients together, well, and bake in two 8 inch bread pans aprox 35-40 minutes or until bounce back slightly in the middle and brown around edges and top.

Gluten free sugar free peanut butter cookie

This is a simple recipe, and it's delicious. What no one will know is that you skipped the sugar for a zero calorie alternative, leaving a high protein, low calorie sweet that can serve as a granola bar while tasting like dessert. Enjoy!
Ingredients:

• 1 Cup natural unsweetened peanut butter
• 3/4 Cup erythritol or lakanto crystals
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• optional 1/4 cup carob or chocolate chips (these will add sugar)

Bake at 325 on stoneware pans for aprox 17 minutes. If baking on metal pans, start checking at 11 minutes. These will need to cool completely before being removed from pans. If you remove them when they are still warm, they will crumble, so let them set. Enjoy!

Gluten free Thumbprint Cookies Dairy free Egg free

These are free of many top allergens such as soy, gluten, dairy, and eggs. They are also sweetened with natural organic apricots and stevia. The end result is a delightful little cookie treat that serves as a vehicle for protein without the normal sugar load of a traditional cookie.
Ingredients:

• Apricot puree - boil 1 cup of dried, organic, natural apricots with water until soft. Drain remaining water and puree in blender or food processor. 
• 2 Cups almond flour (or mix of walnut flour and almond flour)
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp stevia 
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp organic palm shortening or coconut oil

Method:

Blend shortening/oil with 2 Tablespoons of apricot puree. Add nut flour, stevia, soda, and salt. Blend. Scoop cookies onto stone baking pans and press thumbprint into each. Fill each thumbprint with a small amount of apricot puree. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-15 minutes. Cookies will turn golden around edges when done. Let cool before removing from pan.

*Note, this is a good option for SCD (specific carbohydrate diet), GAPS, or Paleo dietary plan

Grandma's Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies gluten free & dairy free

 Once a year, I bake cookies that are loaded with sugar and I don't look back. It's Christmas time and while we strive for healthy food choices throughout the year, it's nice to share a trip of nostalgia during December family gatherings. My Grandma made the best chocolate cookies, and she had a never ending supply. I can't imagine how many hours she must have spent baking cookies in her lifetime. For years, I tried to duplicate those cookies, but they never came close. Of course, I bake with gluten free flour, which is a big difference, but even still, the flavor was always off.

While visiting my in laws one day, my father in law shared a cookie he baked for us. I took a bite and froze. That was it! It was gluten free, and it was RIGHT!  What on earth was different? It was the shortening! I have never baked with shortening. I used oils, coconut oil, earth balance, but not shortening! So, off to the store I went. I purchased the Spectrum Organic Palm shortening, and put it together. Now, I bake these for Christmas, and maybe for a special birthday gathering here or there. They are a hit with everyone, and no one even knows they are gluten free. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Palm Shortening - organic
• 1/2 Cup Earth Balance butter stick (I used soy free)
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1/2 Cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 2 organic eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 Cup all purpose gluten free flour (this is Pamela's Artisan Blend)
• 1/2 Cup almond flour (or replace with more of the gluten free all purpose)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Cup dairy free gluten free chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix liquid ingredients well. Add sugars, blend. Add remaining ingredients, mix. Bake rounded teaspoons of dough, packed well and placed 2 inches apart. I prefer baking on stonewear pans (like a pizza stone) but you can choose whatever you have in the kitchen.  Bake 10-12 minutes (may vary depending on pan). Cookies will begin to golden all around, and they will be ready. Let set for a few minutes before removing from pan.

Pistachio Chiffon Cake gluten free, dairy free

 This variation on an old classic is a luxurious cake to serve when you have guests. By utilizing an instant pudding mix, you can change the flavor dramatically. The tall stature and light fluffy texture of this cake is a winner. I even prefer this to angel food cake, as it has a depth in flavor and texture that makes angel food seem almost one dimensional by comparison. My sister in law just returned from France, and as she bit into her second piece of the day, she commented that she forgot she was eating a gluten free cake. The texture will fool anyone.
So, if you have a couple hours to spend in the kitchen, and someone to share with, this is worth the effort.

Ingredients for cake:

• 9 eggs (separate whites from yolks, discard 3 yolks)
• 2 cups Pamela's Artisan blend gluten free flour 
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 lightly rounded tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 tsp pistachio instant pudding mix (or other instant pudding mix of choice)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Begin by separating the yolks from the whites into 2 bowls. Discard 3 yolks. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl (the glass bowl pictured) and make a well in the center. In a measuring cup, mix the 5 tsp of instant pudding mix with 3/4 cup of water. Add to the flour mix. Also add in the egg yolks, vanilla and mix well until smooth (3-4 minutes).

With clean beaters, bring the egg whites and cream of tartar to stiff peaks in a separate clean bowl. Beat on medium high until stiff peaks form. Fold the fluffy whites into the batter mixture. Folding does not need to be perfect (see photo of nearly finished folded batter to the right)

Pour into a fluted tube pan or angel food cake pan. I opted for a fluted tube pan, and I had a bit extra that I cooked in a separate glass dish. You can cut through the batter in a figure eight motion to eliminate air bubbles (this is done with a knife).

Fill LESS full than I did. You can see I filled mine to the brim, and the result was that it spilled over just a bit in baking. Fill 1/2 -1 inch under that line so there is room to grow. Bake at 325 degrees F for aprox 70 minutes. (check at 60). Cake is done when it springs back to touch and turns golden across the top. Flip upside down to cool (I used a bottle to hold the pan upside down). Cool completely before removing from pan. To remove, take a butter knife and loosen the cake around the sides, then tap from the upside down position until cake falls out onto your platter.

 Once the cake has cooled, I trim the fluffy over growth from the pan (the bottom, so to speak) and put that in a separate container to snack on later. The cake remains to be frosted. You can use a simple sugar icing, a whipped cream, or other. I opted for a basic shortening and powdered sugar frosting, but I added 5 tsp of instant pistachio pudding mix to 4 Tablespoons of almond milk and mixed that into the frosting blend. This enhances the mild pistachio flavor.

While this is more time consuming and less healthy than my average dessert, it is a wonderful cake for special occasions and for specialty flavor requests.

Pamela's Artisan Flour used in Cake - a wonderful gluten free dairy free review

My youngest decided to bake her first cake, completely on her own.  She jumped in with a tricky recipe, deciding to make an espresso chocolate chiffon cake. I didn't have high hopes for this beast turning out, but a wonderful friend and her daughter suggested the use of Pamela's Artisan blend flour for cake. We sampled a cake our friend made with this flour blend, and it was among the best gluten free cakes I had tried.

So, my daughter followed the standard Chiffon Cake recipe, only changing the flour 1:1 with Pamela's Artisan blend. The result? Perfection.  This particular recipe utilizes folded in egg whites, similar to an angel food cake, the the texture was spot on. Spongy, moist, and delightful.
Now that I am sold on this flour mix for the perfect gluten free dairy free cake, I will look froward to testing out some other recipes and comparing them with the new mix.

Thanks to Shannon and Ariadne for pointing us in the right direction!

Cherry Almond Coconut Cookies SCD safe gluten free dairy free

The use of coconut flour instead of coconut flakes makes this batch crispier than the other SCD cookies on my site. If you're looking for a crispier grain free option that packs a flavorful punch, give this a try. This is a nice protein packed sweet snack option that travels well. It's specific carbohydrate compliant as well as grain free. Gluten free and dairy free, as always. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (or omit - chocolate chips added, sparingly, for my kids in the photo, though these cookies do not need it)
• 1/4 cup organic coconut flour
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil 
• 1/2 cup honey or 1/4 Cup honey + 1/4 tsp stevia liquid
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together and bake, on stoneware pans, at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until cookies begin to golden around edges and bottom. Let cool. I like to use a small cookie scoop to quickly pop these onto the pan, and then lightly press them down with a fork. They will cook fine without being flattened, but they do not flatten and spread out in baking so you may prefer to press them down a bit. 

Power Bar gluten free dairy free

Here is a bite of a delightful power bar that tastes like dessert to everyone in this house. I call that a win, considering the protein, fiber, to sugar ratio these bars pack inside.  What started as a recipe from Elana's fantastic site has since evolved. I recommend you check out Elana's site, try her version, and see how you like it in addition to trying this version. This is our new house favorite. The catch...make sure you have a VitaMix or high powered food processor/blender, or this will not be a fun project. So, if you're still with me, here's the scoop:

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup ground raw pecans - grind these into a pecan meal first, in the VitaMix. Leave in the blender container. 
• Add all the following ingredients to the VitaMix canister with the ground pecans
• 1 Cup Almond Flour or Almond Meal
• 1 Cup organic unsweetened unsalted peanut butter
• 1/2 Cup milled flaxseed (I mill mine in the VitaMix, then store in fridge)
• 1/2 Cup unsweetened organic coconut flake shreds (Let's Do Organic is my go to)
• 1/2 tsp salt

In a pan on the stove, heat the following over low heat:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (cold process)
• then add 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablesspon honey
• 4 drops stevia

Mix and pour into blender. Use the tamper to pulse the ingredients in the VitaMix at low power aprox speed 7. This should not take long, but you will need to move the tamper continuously to get all the product moved around. I anticipate less than 1 minute.

Scoop into a an 8" square pan, or similar, and smooth with spatula.

In the same stovetop pan as earlier, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (gluten free dairy free variety). Mix together over low heat until melted (should take short time, less than 3 minutes). Spread onto the nut mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. This can also be made with almond butter and only almonds, if you prefer. I like the overall flavor and texture better with this blend, but you can play with what you have on hand.

Enjoy!

Lighter Grandma's Granola gluten free dairy free

Have you tried my recipe for Grandma's Choice granola? If you haven't made it yet, please drop everything and whip up a batch. You'll be so glad you went to the trouble. It is, hands down, the best granola. Ever. This verdict has been reached by numerous class attendees, past clients, and current friends as well as family members.

Now, sometimes I want all of that, but a little more fiber, a little less sweetener, and a little less oil. Here is another recipe that is almost JUST as good as the original, but delivers a slightly healthier version. To make things simple, I call it "Lighter Grandma's Granola". Enjoy!

• 3 ¼ Cups gluten free oats
• 1/2 Cup milled flax seed
• 2 Cups chopped whole raw pecans (unsalted)
• 1 Cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 Cup honey
• 1/4 tsp liquid stevia
• 1/4 Tablespoon salt (or less, this is pretty salty, but that is how I like it!)
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 Cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 Cup flattened rice (optional) or flattened quinoa flakes (optional)*

Mix dry ingredients together. Add liquid ingredients and mix by hand.

Spread onto a large baking dish. (I use a 12x12 glass baking dish and it is the perfect size!)

Bake at 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes. (You CAN bake it at 325 for 25-35 minutes, but it is easy to burn, so you have to watch closely and pull it out before it browns). You don't want this to looked browned when it comes out of the oven. Just a touch darker than when it went in. By the time everything has browned, it is burnt. Also, let it cool completely before transferring to storage. It will set up as it cools.

Where to buy flattened rice? It used to be that EnjoyLifeFoods sold flattened rice as a great alternative to oats for gluten free baking. I buy mine from Indian food stores, and it is labeled at Poha. You can omit this ingredient if you do not have it, and the granola will still be a delight.