Archive of ‘Dietary Restrictions’ category

Beverages, Dairy-Free, Featured, Holiday and Seasonal, Paleo/Primal, Pumpkin, Vegan

Secret Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe (Sugar-Free and Better Than Starbucks!)

What’s the secret to making a healthy, diabetic-friendly version of Starbucks’ infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte at home? 
sugar-free-low-carb-pumpkin-spice-latte-dairy-vegan-coconut-milk-cashew-stevia-erythritol-atkins-health-heathier-homemade-final

It involves real pumpkin, fresh spices, and a crock pot! You’re gonna brew up a batch of your own PSL flavored coffee creamer, so that you can have this nourishing and delicious treat every morning on the go! A few glugs of this sweet nectar of the gods (it’s that good!) will transform your coffee into something magical…

Homemade Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte

DId you know that the Starbucks version doesn’t contain any actual pumpkin?! 

The best part about making PSL lattes at home is that you can control the sugar and type of milk used. The recipe below is sugar-free and dairy-free! It’s made from a blend of creamy cashew milk and coconut milk, which creates an amazingly rich, silky smooth “cream” that lightens coffee just like dairy cream!

To keep this treat diabetic-friendly, I sweeten it with natural, calorie-free sweeteners called stevia and erythritol. You could use xylitol as well (3/4 cup xylitol = 1 cup erythritol), or mix erythritol and xylitol together for an even better sugar-free sweetening option. Keep in mind that xylitol will cause your blood sugar to rise, whereas erythritol and stevia will not. I like adding 2 Tablespoons of xylitol to the recipe below for an extra boost of sweetness. (*whispers* Find out why you need to combine sugar-free sweeteners in the Healthy Indulgences E-Cookbook!)

To make this paleo, simply swap out the sugar-free sweeteners for maple syrup or coconut sugar. 3/4 cup of maple syrup should sufficiently sweeten the creamer.You’ll want the Pumpkin Spice Creamer to be quite sweet since it’s a concentrated mix that gets diluted by coffee, so keep that in mind if you’re adding your own sweeteners. 

So, how can we make a PSL coffee creamer that tastes like pumpkin without any chunkiness from the pumpkin puree? I’ll show you how!

(more…)

by | 25 Comments
Bread and Muffins, Dairy-Free, Featured, Fruit, Grain-Free, Holiday and Seasonal, Low Carbohydrate, Paleo/Primal, Vegan

Almond Flour Biscuits + Pumpkin Apple Butter (aka Fall In a Jar!)

These paleo biscuits will rock your world.

low-carb-gluten-free-biscuits-bright

 Slathered with Pumpkin Apple Butter, which tastes like a cross between pumpkin pie and apple pie, these biscuits will satisfy the fiercest of carb cravings.

pumpkin-apple-butter-trader-joes-imitation-recipe-2

Sugar-Free Pumpkin Apple Butter make your house smell the best it’s ever smelled, getting you in the mood for pumpkin spice lattes and color changing leaves and knit scarves and all of the other seasonal accoutrements taking over storefronts and Pinterest.

(more…)

by | 38 Comments
Chocolate, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Fruit, Ice Cream, Paleo/Primal, Peanut Butter, Uncategorized, Vegan

Healthier Ice Cream Bars and a GIVEAWAY! Banana + PB + Chocolate = Bliss. (Paleo, Low Carb, Dairy-Free, Vegan)

This post contains a product review, a sponsored giveaway, and affiliate links which generate commission for the blog if you click and purchase. Read more about Healthy Indulgences review disclosure policies here.

UPDATE: The giveaway is closed now, and the winners have been picked. Check your email to see if you’ve been selected for one of the NuNaturals stevia prize packages!

Paleo Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars

healthy-homemade-ice-cream-banana-popsicle

Do you remember eating peanut butter n’ banana sandwiches as a kid?

(more…)

by | 45 Comments
Candies, Chocolate, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, Holiday and Seasonal, Low Carbohydrate, Paleo/Primal, Peanut Butter, Sugar-Free, Uncategorized, Vegan

An Easter GIVEAWAY + Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Egg Candies (a.k.a. “Better-than-Reese’s” Eggs!) for a Healthier Holiday

My name is Lauren, and I’m a Reese’s peanut butter egg-a-holic.

sugar-free-homemade-reeses-peanut-butter-cup-eggs

Earlier this month, I received a request from a reader, Deb, to create a healthier version of the highly addictive, seasonal candy that is the Reese’s egg. Knowing there are many low carb eaters out there who face the temptation to hoard these candies every Easter, I was determined to create a healthier alternative. It would be  dairy-free, soy-free, and paleo for my primal peeps and allergen-averse candy fiends.

(more…)

by | 18 Comments
Candies, Chocolate, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, Holiday and Seasonal, Low Carbohydrate, Sugar-Free, Vegan

Homemade Chocolate Candy Bark and my Kindle E-Book!

Boy oh boy, it’s good to be back in the kitchen! Back with a little something special for the holidays, of course. It’s sugar-free, dairy-free chocolate candy bark! Isn’t it purdy, lounging on a gold doily?

Sugar-Free,

G-l-a-m-o-r-o-u-s, baby!

Doilies are works of art, aren’t they? I see them as small, papery miracles. They make any food visually appealing. They make you feel like you have some sort of “eye” for decorating. They come in classic white, or SHINY!!! I’m a firm believer in their ability to make everything better. 

This festive candy is made with a smooth and sweet chocolate base that contains no milk, but all of the richness of traditional milk chocolate bark. This candy bark is one for your Christmas cookbook.

(more…)

by | 25 Comments
Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Paleo/Primal, Sugar-Free

Homemade, Healthier Pop Tarts! A sugar-free and scrumptious low carb version of the breakfast treat.

If you haven’t heard yet, the E-Cookbook is up for sale! It’s $5.99 and stuffed full of printable recipes and sugar-free baking tips n’ tricks. To everyone who’s already gotten a copy: Thank you SO much for supporting my experiments in the kitchen! The Kindle and Ipad versions are in the works. You asked, and I shall deliver! Like my Facebook page and follow my Pinterest board for updates.

———————————————

Healthier Pop Tarts! Say what?!

It’s the breakfast I used to fantasize about as a little kid, walking hand-in-hand with my mom in the grocery store. She would always lovingly shoo me away from the sugary cereals and snacks, so these pre-packaged frosted hand pies were a rare treat for me.

Until college. Then, anything was game! Ever heard of the freshman 15 30? Yeah, that totally happened to me. Pop Tarts helped make it happen. That’s why I decided to give a Healthy Indulgences make over to Kellogg’s best selling junk food-for-breakfast product. My low carb version of the iconic pastry is gluten-free, no sugar added, and equally yummy!

Sugar-Free Homemade Pop Tarts
(more…)

by | 30 Comments
Chocolate, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Fast n' Easy, Fruit, Grain-Free, Ice Cream, Low Carbohydrate, Nut-Free, Paleo/Primal, Syrups, Sauces, and Dressings, Vegan

Announcing an E-COOKBOOK (!!!) and Instant Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce for Sugar-Free Sundaes!

UPDATE: The giveaway winner for the Bento lunchbox is commenter #55, Suzie. Thanks for participating in the giveaway, everyone!

———————————-

Pictured below is my instant strawberry ice cream with rich homemade hot fudge sauce that’s low carb and sugar-free. Both the ice cream and hot fudge can be made paleo, dairy-free, and vegan. You’ll be able to recreate allergen friendly sundaes that are every bit as yummy as those sundaes you’ve enjoyed at ice cream parlors. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the recipes…

low-carb-hot-fudge-sundae-final
With the end of summer comes the beginning-of-school-year scramble! New pens and pencils and binders are carefully arranged in book bags, and text books are purchased begrudgingly by students (hint: Amazon and half.com are your friends). Wardrobes and hairdos and parking permits are revitalized and renewed!


As for me, I’m still stuck in summer mode. Sure, I have my schedule for courses set, my books ordered, and the prospects of new faces and intellectual discovery (shout-out to all my nerds out there!) getting my mind a’buzzing with possibilities. It’s an exciting time, every semester, you know? It’s the thrilling feeling of anticipation that comes with new beginnings, with novelty, with plunging headlong into the unknown.

It all sounds a little dramatic, you say? Well, I have to keep myself excited during my extended undergraduate education, hah! To all you people who knew what you wanted to do with your lives when you were 18 – “congratulations and you suck,” in the immortal words of Marina Keegan, God rest her beautiful soul.

That same feeling—that sense of anticipation—is the one I’ve been getting for the past four years blogging, constantly revising recipes in my messy test kitchen, trying this plate, that camera angle for food photoshoots, and opening my email inbox to new questions that pose new challenges to navigate in the kitchen. The wonderful people (that means YOU) who have given me tips and left helpful comments on the site and Facebook page are the other, more important, reason I’ve kept blogging. Thanks to your encouraging words and donations this website lives on!

After receiving numerous questions from you about sugar-free baking and substitutions, I decided to work on tidying up all the information on this blog into one project. The culmination of this summer’s efforts is the Healthy Indulgences e-cookbook! It’s finally ready, and will be posted for sale on the redesigned website on Monday, August 19th is posted for sale here!
by | 55 Comments
Cookies, Dairy-Free, Fast n' Easy, Low Carbohydrate, Peanut Butter

Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies (aka Fresh Peanut Butter Cookies!) – A lower sugar, high protein version of classic PB cookies.

These peanut butter cookies are just like grandma’s, but changed up just a little to boost the protein and reduce the sugar. Oh, and they’re gluten-free. Make this one your new classic peanut butter cookie recipe!

Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free, Low Carb)

You’re still holding on to that old recipe card, aren’t you? Hmm, well, did I tell you that the dough is made in a food processor, so preparation is a breeze? Yup, it’s true.

Making fresh PB in my Kitchenaid food processor, a Christmas gift I’ve finally gotten around to using. Much more powerful than my smaller food processor, it makes nut butter in minutes. Love!

Freshly Ground Peanut Butter

 
Did I mention you can grab all of the ingredients for these healthier cookies during your next trip to the grocery store? Also true.

Sorry, grandma. I love ya, but that cup of sugar and white flour have gotto go!

 
Made with real butter, freshly ground peanut butter, oat flour, and a mere 1/2 cup of sugar, these cookies have half the carbohydrates of your old favorite recipe…
Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies, pt. 2

…and ALL of the addictive, salty n’ sweet peanut butter cookie taste.

(more…)

by | 29 Comments
Cakes and Cupcakes, Chocolate, Dairy-Free, Fast n' Easy, Grain-Free, Low Carbohydrate, Paleo/Primal, Sugar-Free

Healthy Instant Chocolate Cake (aka 1 Minute Microwave Cake) and a GIVEAWAY!

UPDATE: The giveaway winner has been contacted. Thanks for participating, all!

This healthy yet decadent spin on the beloved One Minute Muffin is sure to hit the spot when you’re crunched for time and craving the sweet stuff.

Microwave Chocolate Cake In A Mug

 
Picture this: It’s lunch time, and you’re utterly fatigued after a grueling Monday morning full of meetings with clients/problem sets and paper writing/chasing after the little ones/[choose your own adventure] and your stomach is grumbling. 

by | 134 Comments
Cakes and Cupcakes, Fast n' Easy, Low Carbohydrate, Sugar-Free, Uncategorized

Busy Day Cake (aka Blender Cake!) – Moist, Yellow Cake That’s Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free

On a busy day, there’s nothing better than a slice of cake.

Low Carb Yellow Cake w/Creamy Sugar-Free Frosting>

To satiate your sweet tooth on those mile-long-to-do-list days, it’s tempting to hit up the grocery store or corner bakery for a pre-made slice, full of trans fatty, sugary frosting and white flour. For gluten-free eaters and low carb dieters avoiding sugar, there are few options for a quick fix. What’s a stressed out cake-lovin’ healthy eater to do?

(more…)

by | 38 Comments

1 2 3 4 … 10