No Sugar Pumpkin Muffins (cf,df,ef,gf,sf)

 

 

Over the past few weeks,

our son C, who has multiple food sensitivities,

has taken himself off of sugar

in an effort to support his gut health.

While I admire his determination to foster good health,

it's been a bit of a challenge finding goodies for him to enjoy.

He also gave up his beloved pumpkin bread  

(which contains sugar) for breakfast,

which he's been making himself for the last few years.

He's been eating apple slices or watermelon as his sweets,

but I wanted to provide more of a treat for breakfast and snacks.

 These muffins are just the ticket.

They are corn, dairy, egg, gluten and sugar free,

which supports his goals.

(He's not allergic to eggs, but this recipe is vegan.)

I found the recipe in the allergy-friendly cookbook

Babycakes.

I remember reading this book of recipes many years ago,

when C was just starting his gluten-free journey.

Momma had to learn a new way to bake

and this book helped me along that path.

It was good to revisit the pages and figure out

which things he might like best.

I swapped out maple syrup for the agave,

as I've read some not-so-nice things about it.

I also omitted a couple of ingredients that I didn't have on hand.

They turned out great!

Another resource for maple syrup recipes that I plan to peruse is  

Souly Rested, 

where Michelle shares an array

of maple syrup sweetened concoctions.

 

 

 

For now, this recipe will do just as it is.

I can imagine tweaking it to add fruit, nuts or seeds.

There are limitless possibilities with this basic recipe.

These muffins (or cupcakes), are delightfully moist and flavorful.

The recipe made much more than 12 regular-sized muffins.

In fact, I was able to make over a dozen standard muffins,

as well as 12 mini-muffins.

Here's my version,

although you can find the original recipe here.

Give 'em a go and let me know how you like them.

Babycakes Pumpkin Muffins

2 C gf flour
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 C light olive oil
2/3 C maple syrup
2/3 C unsweetened almond milk
2 T vanilla extract
1 1/2 C pumpkin puree
1/2 C hot water

In a large mixing bowl,

combine dry ingredients and whisk to aerate.

Add oil, milk, syrup and vanilla to bowl,

and mix thoroughly.

 Fold in hot water and pumpkin puree.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place paper liners in muffin tins.

Place 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin tin and bake 20 minutes,

remembering to turn pan around at the halfway point.

Let cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Crispy Rice Treats

 

 

Four ingredients.

That's all it takes to give your tastebuds a real treat.

No dairy.

No gluten.

No sugar.

 

I'm not really a marshmallow fan, 

but these goodies might remind you of a similar confectionery,

popular for decades using comparable ingredients. 

Not having used brown rice syrup for years,

I had forgotten how much like caramel it tastes.

There's a "maple-y" flavor to it, but it is still subtly sweet.

 

The website My Quiet Kitchen

features healthy, clean recipes, both savory and sweet.

If you go to the site, you may notice the recipe is from 2019.

Well, it's no surprise to me that I am late to the party on this one.

I usually am.

But who cares, when it's this good.

Here's my version with the link for the original recipe.

Next time, I may add some Lily's dark chocolate to the mix.

One suggestion-they are better not refrigerated,

as they tend to dry out.

Believe me, they won't last long,

especially if you're feeding a crew,

so no worries about leaving them out for a day or two at room temperature.

 

Note:  (I halved the recipe, 

as it was the first time I was preparing it,

so I used a brownie pan instead of the 9X13 size.)

 

My Quiet Kitchen

 

1 C Sunbutter

 1 C brown rice syrup

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 C crispy rice cereal 

Melt nut/seed butter, syrup and vanilla over low heat.

Add to the bowl of measured cereal and mix well.

Press into a 9X13 pan and let cool.

Keep at room temperature for two days,

then refrigerate the rest.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Date Cookies (cf, df, gf, sf)

 

 

 Living without processed sugar has become

relatively easy.

I always knew that it affected me

(my skin, my gut),

but it wasn't until I did an elimination diet

a couple of years back that I realized

how addicted to the stuff I was.

Thanks to some mighty creative bakers who are happy to share,

white sugar is just not part of my diet anymore. 

In fact, about a month ago,

I treated myself to a French Cruller at a local coffee joint,

and it was shocking to my tastebuds.

After you stop eating processed sugar,

it's like overload when you partake of it.

 

These chocolate chip cookies were fabulous

and absolutely no sugar was involved

(even the chocolate chips are sugar free!).

I tweaked the original recipe to my liking.

I'll take any excuse to add nuts to recipes,

so I added walnuts here.

I could see shredded coconut fitting in nicely as well.

Next time, I think I will add some oats

to replace some of the almond flour.

You can find the earnest baker's version here.

 

 One of the sweeteners in the recipe was date syrup,

and fortunately, it was easy enough to find out how to whiz it up in a blender.

It's as simple as combining these ingredients:

1 1/4 C dates

1 1/2 C water

1 teaspoon lemon juice.

 The mixture will keep for 3 weeks in the fridge.

This recipe made much more than I needed for the cookies,

so I will be using it to bake more treats for my son,

who has taken himself off of sugar.

 

If you're still consuming sugar of any kind,

be prepared because these may not be sweet enough for you.

As for me, I think I've found a new secret ingredient.

 

Chocolate Chip Date Cookies

(theearnestbaker.com)

 

1 3/4 C almond flour

1/2 C arrowroot powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

2 Tablespoons date syrup

1/4 C coconut/light olive oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 medjool dates, chopped

2 handfuls chocolate chips

(I use Lily's)

1 handful walnuts, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together dry ingredients,

then add syrups, oil and vanilla.

Fold in dates, nuts and chocolate chips.

 

Use small ice cream scoop to place on baking sheet.

Bake 7-9 minutes until golden,

then remove from oven and flatten with a fork.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Gluten-Free Tortillas (cf, df, ef, gf, sf, vegan)

 

 

 

I found a new website called Ela Vegan for vegan recipes.

You can find it here.

Her recipes are so simple and clean as a whistle.

These gluten-free tortillas/crepes/wrappers are fantastic!

The end product depends on how much water is added,

so these transform from thicker sandwich wraps

to less thick but hearty tortillas,

to thinner crepes for dessert.

 

They look like conventional crepes, right?

Believe it or not, they are quite healthy!

That wasn't even my first desire when I was watching her videos, 

but it is an added bonus.

 

My mom, also known as Mimi,

 being the amazing French chef that she was,

used to make us crepes every New Year's.

It was one of the traditions we adored as kids.

She would have three separate skillets on the stove,

and could hardly keep up with us devouring them

hand over fist.

Ah, the good ole' days!

 

It's been a while now that I've been frustrated

with the offerings of tortillas at the grocery store.

I wasn't even looking for something necessarily gluten-free,

but these fill the bill remarkably well.

I've reintroduced gluten into my diet

over the past few weeks with success.

But I still have a gf son, and I enjoy finding new recipes

that we can both test out.

I'm sure making them from scratch yourself

would be wonderful,

but I needed something that was quick

and didn't require a beloved abuela to teach me.

These did not disappoint.

 

They are made with 4 ingredients 

(although I added garlic powder for the savory version),

fry up fast in a cast iron skillet,

and can be made savory or sweet!

What else could a gal ask for?

 

These are too good not to share.

 

Gluten-free Tortillas

 

1 C chickpea flour

1/2 C tapioca flour or arrowroot

1/3 teaspoon salt

(1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)-savory version

3/4-1 C water

 

Add dry ingredients to bowl, whisk to aerate.

Add water as needed to acquire desired consistency.

Pour 1/3 C batter into skillet or pan.

Cook 2 minutes each side.

Enjoy!

 

Allergy-Friendly Pumpkin Pie

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Day last week was wonderful,

as it always is to someone who claims it as her favorite holiday.

 A full day dedicated to counting my blessings

suits me just fine.

Pumpkin pie is always on the dessert menu,

but this year, only Big K partook of the store-bought version.

I found a recipe that is corn, dairy, gluten and sugar free

for C and I to enjoy.

This adaptation didn't disappoint.

 

 

It started with a homemade gluten-free crust.

I'm not that big on pies,

and I don't do rolled cookies,

so I haven't had much practice with this rolling pin.

This dough came together so easily

and it helped that I made it the day before the big feast.

 

This crust is corn, dairy, and gluten free,

although there is a little bit of sugar in it.

For those staying away from oil,

this pie shell would work out just fine.

You can find the original crust recipe on Lori's

My Quiet Kitchen.

I subbed out the white rice flour and tapioca starch

for our usual Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour mix.

 

The pie filling was blended in our high speed mixer,

which took all of about 3 minutes.

The recipe came together in short order

and turned out even better than I thought it would.

Because I had never made it before,

and I was a little concerned that it wouldn't set up like traditional pumpkin pie,

I overcooked it a wee bit.

Next time, I will be sure to stick to the suggested baking time,

knowing that it will be just dandy.

If you have a loved one with multiple sensitivities,

I hope you'll give this recipe a try.

Just one more reason for gratitude.

 

 

My Quiet Kitchen 

1/4 C oats

3-4 T nut butter (I used more oats)

1 C nut milk

1/2 C + 1 T maple syrup

2 t vanilla

2 1/2 T arrowroot or cornstarch

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

2 t pumpkin pie spice

1/4 t salt

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender

or food processor.

Pour into crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes 1 pie.

Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins

I've been enjoying recipes from Minimalist Baker for a while now.

The love was so great that I even bought her cookbook.

Dana's recipes are often gluten-free and very allergy friendly.

Uncomplicated and quick to put together,

they speak my language.

Here's my version of her 1-bowl zucchini nut muffins.

These are gluten, dairy and processed sugar free,

but you'd never know it from the taste.

You can find the original recipe on page 51 of her cookbook

Everyday Cooking.

These can be kept vegan by replacing the egg

with a flax egg

(1 Tablespoon flax seed meal to

2 1/2 Tablespoons water).

 

These are dense, moist and oh-so delicious.

They are a great addition to the breakfast table,

and handy enough to take on the go.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins

1 egg (or 1 flax egg)

1 C grated zucchini

(squeeze out liquid in a tea towel)

1 banana, mashed

1/4 C coconut oil

1/4 C maple syrup

1 apple, grated

1/2 C coconut sugar

 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 C unsweetened almond milk

2/3 C rolled oats

1/2 C almond meal

1 C plus 2 Tablespoons gf flour mix

1/2 C chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place paper liners in muffin tin.

Into a bowl or mixer, add first seven ingredients.

Mix until well combined.

Add remaining ingredients, 

wiping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Fill muffin tins all the way to the top.

Bake 30 minutes until deep golden brown.

Let cool completely.

Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.

 

No Bake, No Sugar Truffles (gf, df, sf, ef)

There's no need to wait for a holiday like Valentine's Day
for an excuse to make these delectable sweet treats.
My quest for sugar-free desserts and snacks is satisfied 
with these simple and easy-to-make chocolate wonders.
The ingredients can be varied to suit your taste,
so feel free to add nuts, seeds, any type of nut butter
or even a chocolate glaze on top!
Grateful to Dana at Minimalist Baker,
who has made this transition so fabulously easy!
Give 'em a go!

No Sugar Truffles
(Minimalist Baker)
10 dates, pitted
1 T coconut oil
2 T water
1/4 C cacao
3/4 t vanilla
1 1/2 T peanut (or other nut) butter
1 pinch sea salt
1/2-3/4 C almond flour

Add dates, oil and water to food processor,
mix until a paste forms.
Add cacao, vanilla, nut butter, salt and combine.
Add almond flour until mixture forms a ball.
Scoop out in 1 T rounds and transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Roll truffles in cacao powder, chopped nuts or coconut flakes.
Freeze 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

No Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are insanely good.

Believe it or not, no processed sugar is found in their midst.

Just chewy, chocolatey goodness

for those of us who would rather 

not do the sugar thang.

Easy to prepare, quick to fix, with minimal ingredients,

there is nothing not to love about these sweet treats.

There is no need to even turn on the oven!

I am working my way through the

Minimalist Baker website,

marveling at the simplicity and wholesomeness

of all of Dana's well executed recipes.

One of the things I like best about these cookies

and many of the other recipes on the website,

is the flexibility in substituting ingredients.

If someone is sensitive to eggs, dairy, nuts or wheat,

there are usually alternatives offered.

Since peanuts are legumes, not tree nuts,

these cookies can be enjoyed by most everyone,

except those with a true peanut allergy.

The cookies pictured above are the ones I made,

using Sunbutter instead of peanut butter,

because it's what I had on hand.

The result?

Truly scrumptious!

The glaze will no doubt be used over and over,

as it keeps me sugar-free and chocolate happy!

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

(Minimalist Baker)

1 C gluten-free oats

1 pinch sea salt

3/4 C medjool dates

1/2 C peanut butter (or other nut butter)

Chocolate Glaze

3 T coconut oil

3 T cacao powder

1-2 t maple syrup

pinch salt

Add oats and salt to a processor and blend into a flour. 

Add dates and blend for 30 seconds more or until finely chopped. 

Add nut butter and blend until a dough forms.

Scoop out 2-Tbsp amounts of dough and carefully form into mounds. 

Place on a parchment-lined pan or tray. 

Mix ingredients for glaze in a bowl and whisk until smooth. 

Dip the cookies in (about halfway), let excess drip off, 

and place back on parchment-lined pan or tray. Freeze 10 minutes. 

Then dip again for extra thick shell. Chill again. 

Enjoy.