I make tasty desserts without sugar... and flour... and gluten. What's left? Check out Healthy Indulgences Blog to find out! 
Indulge in Healthier Baked Oatmeal for breakfast! Comfort food that’s low carb and protein-packed.
Baked oatmeal reminds me of college. Those mornings when I had a few minutes to hit up the hippie dippy vegan-friendly eatery on campus for their beloved brunch, I would make beeline for one of their giant portions of aromatic cinnamon-sprinkled carby goodness.
Being home in Florida I no longer have access to those bowls of manna, so I recreated their baked oatmeal with a protein-packed twist. It’s lower in carbs with a creamier, richer mouth feel and an added touch of vanilla to kick up the flavor and make you feel like you’re eating dessert for breakfast. Isn’t that why people eat breakfast in the first place?!
With eggs, sliced almonds, and blended up cottage cheese (shh! you’ll never know it’s in there) this meal will stick with you longer than the couple of hours that oats and sugar would take to digest and leave you ravenous before noon. My favorite way to eat this oatmeal is cold, in bar form, driving to class or munching the first few minutes of lecture.
My recipe for a Sugar-free, Healthy “Coffee-cino” frozen coffee drink. Move over, Starbucks!
The days of overspending on a sugary, fattening frozen coffee drink are over.
I’m currently sipping a homemade, sugar-free mocha “Coffee-cino”that cost way less than $3.50 to make. It has all taste with half the calories and carbs of the real deal. Diabetic coffee lovers, carb watchers, and college students – this one’s for you guys. Come take a coffee break with me and make your own!
Healthy, Homemade Granola Bars (pssst… they’re Sugar-Free!)
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These are not your typical granola bars. What’s so special about ‘em? Look closely…
You don’t see any oats, do you? Or sugar. I know you can’t see there’s no sugar, but I promise you it’s not there (okay, so there’s 1 tiny teaspoon of honey in the whole recipe!). Low carbers and gluten-free eaters, take heart. These snack bars are sure to satisfy your craving for this formerly forbidden treat.
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Fluffy, Diner-Style Healthy Pancakes… Low Carb and Gluten-Free!
Going to keep this post short and sweet. It’s been a busy weekend! Summer term is already wrapping up, with only a couple weeks of class left.
This morning, I got a craving for pancakes! I’ve been searching for a healthy low carb version of those fluffy white stacks of carb-fog-inducing bliss ever since I saw my friends chowing down on flapjacks at my favorite breakfast diner, The Golden Griddle. It’s a mandatory stop on our annual trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at the end of the school year. Every May, Dukies take over this quaint restaurant for a weekend, and get served by the likes of our super friendly waitress Kathleen, and other purveyors of Southern hospitality. We’ve had Kathleen as our server for two years running, so going to Golden Griddle now feels like a special welcome from the small beach town.
These pancakes are just perfect–fluffy, light, and lacking that musty whole grain flavor that tends to be associated with “healthy” bread products. In other words, they taste every bit as good as high carb white flour pancakes! They’re not grain-free, but they are dairy-free and gluten-free if made with certified gluten-free oats. I grind mine into a fine meal in my Magic Bullet or coffee grinder. If you’re looking for grain-free pancakes, check out this recipe using almond meal from Laura Dolson’s low carb about.com site. The blend of coconut and oat flours used here is much more budget-friendly (and low in calories, if you’re interested) than a nut meal based dish. Stay tuned for a recipe for all natural sugar-free “maple syrup”! If you don’t mind sucralose/Splenda sweetened products, the Maple Grove Farms brand sugar-free syrup is a satisfactory replacement for the carb filled “real thing.”
I eat a small serving of two flapjacks as an accompaniment dish to my standard breakfast of scrambled eggs and nitrate-free bacon, not as a main meal. Double or triple the batch to share the love!
Topped with real buttah. Viva la low carb!
Healthy Low Carb Pancakes
Makes 2 medium flapjacks. Serves 1.
Ingredients:
1.5 tablespoons organic heavy cream OR 2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 large egg
3.5 tablespoons water (use only three if using coconut milk)
1/4 cup sifted oat flour (made from GF oats)
2 tablespoons sifted coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract OR 2 tablespoons sugar-free sweetener
Preparation:
Heat a nonstick pan (yes, I use nonstick and refuse to apologize) to medium heat, or until a drop of water sizzles and “dances” around the skillet. You don’t have to grease it. When measuring oat or coconut flour, sift a bit of it (or whisk it until the lumps are broken up), and lightly spoon the amount called for into a tablespoon or quarter cup measure. Level off with a knife. Whisk together egg and cream, and add dry ingredients. Whisk batter very well until there are no longer lumps. Let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up. Pour or scrape batter on to skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on surface of pancake. Flip and cook other side for about 30 seconds. Serve with butter and sugar-free maple syrup, or a bit of honey, if desired.
~12g net carbs per serving
What is your favorite healthy breakfast? Leave a comment and share it with us!
Recipes from other blogs you might enjoy:
Grain-Free Coconut Flour Pancakes @ Organic and Thrify
Gluten-Free Flapjacks @ Elana’s Pantry
Low Carb Almond Ricotta Pancakes @ Denver Low Carb Examiner
Purely Pecan Pancakes @ Local Forage
Healthy Banana Nut Muffins
All of my baking supplies are gone. They were taken from the dorm kitchen under the cover of night, either by a prankster or an angry cleaning lady (I’m assuming the latter). I asked around as to the whereabouts of my cake pans, mixing bowls, measuring cups, and Magic Bullet parts, and got no answers. Such is college life!
With my new limited stock of kitchen tools, I bring you these simple, comforting Banana Bread Muffins. With a touch of cinnamon and a sprinkling of pecans, these gluten-free sugar-free low carb muffins will trick your senses into thinking you are eating more than the sum of their parts. Flourless and sugarless, you might ask what exactly makes up these delicious morsels. Mashed banana, organic butter, eggs, and one of my favorite healthy ingredients… coconut flour!
Baked goods made with coconut flour are nothing short of miraculous. Lots of eggs and a bit of ground defatted coconut can be transformed into everything from English Muffins to Red Velvet Cake to Brownies to Pancakes. The possibilities are endless, and easily adaptable to a sugar-free lifestyle. For me, the best aspect of baking with coconut flour is not having to grind almonds! Every time I want to make baked goods using almond flour, I grind the sliced almonds myself with my trusty Magic Bullet blender. Being able to scoop flour directly from the bag (well, after sifting) always feels like such a luxury now!
My other recipes featuring coconut flour:
Red Velvet Cake
Not-tella Swirl Cupcakes
Crispy Pizza Crust
English Muffins
Pick up some coconut flour at your local Whole Foods, or inquire about this product at the health food store in your area. If you’re worried about coconut flour causing everything you make to taste like coconut, fear not. In fragrant, flavorful treats like these healthy banana muffins, there is not even a hint of coconut flavor to confuse your palate. These muffins would be wonderful as a banana bread loaf, baked for a bit longer at a lower temperature.
Look at all those crunchy pecans!
Banana Bread Muffins
Makes 10 muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sifted organic coconut flour
4 tablespoons organic unsalted butter, softened
6 large eggs
3/4 cup mashed banana (2 medium bananas, overripe to the point of being black)
1/2 cup erythritol
1/4 teaspoon good-tasting pure stevia extract
1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beat butter with erythritol until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Combine coconut flour with baking powder, cinnamon, stevia, and salt, and beat into batter until there are no lumps. Beat in mashed banana. Fold in nuts, reserving a couple tablespoons for sprinkling the tops. Pour batter almost up the top of greased muffin papers (the shiny tins work best), and top with nuts. Bake 35 minutes, covering the muffins with a sheet of foil after the 30 minute mark. Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes, then remove and let muffins finish cooling on a wire rack. When completely cooled, transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 24 hours, then move to the refrigerator.
~5.5g net carbs per muffin of a recipe
For best results, serve warm with a pat of Kerrygold butter!
What do YOU like to make with coconut flour? Leave a comment and share!
Related content from other blogs:
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins @ Elana’s Pantry
Wheat-free Recipes with Coconut Flour @ Cheeseslave
Coconut Bread @ Nourishing Days
Paean to Peanut Butter– Peanut Butter Granola
Peanut butter is a substance that makes me dangerous. Chillin’ in the fridge, accessible by spoon and finger, it’s in mortal peril every minute. To avoid this internal struggle, I only purchase jars of this spreadable bliss for immediate consumption in recipes.
This post is dedicated to George Carver.
Fortunately, this nirvana-in-a-jar is healthy and relatively low in carbohydrates, containing 4g net carbs per 2 tablespoons. That’s a good-sized portion for its satiety factor. It’s a good source of biotin, vitamin e, and antioxidant polyphenols (heart-healthy compounds that fight free radicals). It also contains a small amount of resveratrol, the anti-aging component of red wine. Who knew? Be happy and combat wrinkles with PB (taken internally, not topically)!
Start your day in a good mood with a big dose of PB! This version of my grain-free (no oats here!) granola is heavenly with a rich peanut butter-y taste and smell. It’s a very flexible recipe, so if you don’t have some of the nuts and seeds listed, fear not! Just throw whatever you have in there and it’ll come out crunchy and roasted with a sweet coating. Pair it with sliced apples and yogurt for the perfect flavoring combination. I’m thinking peanut butter granola in almond milk with a few teensy slices of banana (1/4 of a large one) for a decadent pre-workout breakfast. It’d also be pretty kickass making sweet love to my chocolate granola in the same bowl. Reese’s cups cereal, anyone?
Peanut Butter Granola (Grain-Free)
Makes two heaping cups
Ingredients:
1/4 cup all natural peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or oil
-3 tablespoons erythritol or xylitol, powdered
-1/4 teaspoon black molasses (optional)
-1/8 + 1/16 teaspoon pure NuNaturals stevia extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon flax meal
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons nut meal (almond, pecan, whatever you like)
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Melt butter or oil with peanut butter in a small bowl in microwave until liquified. Powder erythritol in a coffee grinder or blender. Whisk erythritol, blackstrap molasses, additional sweeteners, and sea salt into peanut butter mixture. Mix dry ingredients together and stir in wet ingredients, using your hands to coat the nut and seed blend. Spread mixture over a parchment paper-lined baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring the mixture around occasionally. Remove from oven and spread over a paper towel set on a baking rack. It will continue to dry out as the moisture evaporates. Bake granola for an extra 10 minutes if the mixture still seems moist after cooling. Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze.
~7g net carbs per half cup
I’m lovin’ it– The Healthy Egg McMuffin
I really like breakfast food, and in my previous unhealthy life, didn’t always make time for a delicious and healthful breakfast. Me and Mickey D’s, we go way back. During my crazy mornings senior year of high school, a quick stop at McDick’s took 5 minutes on a good day. You could chow down in your crappy space in the parking lot until the first bell rang, or just sneak the McMuffin in between your books if you had the cool teacher. They are unbelievably sturdy little buggers, and you ever notice how they don’t even mold… but I digress. Ah, fond memories… until the GERD set in before 2nd period.
Fast forward to now, where I still get a hankering for a fast food-style breakfast sandwich every once in awhile. With my gluten-free low carb english muffin recipe, you can enjoy the McMuffin and the period after consumption! The only hard part of this operation is the bun. Make up a batch and keep ‘em in the fridge for food emergencies. I like organic or imported cheddar (no rBGH!), free-range organic eggs, and uncured pork sausage. I cheated this time and bought the round little patties from a box (they photograph better, nyah nyah!), but you could snag a tube of organic pork and make ‘em yourself! Finances permitting, I ususally go that route and cook up a giant batch at once. They keep in the freezer and reheat just the pre-cooked kind for breakfast in a pinch.
Now don’t give me that look. Quit making excuses for running out the door with a donut clutched in your teeth. Instead of hitting the snooze button, get out of bed 10 minutes earlier to assemble this made over breakfast classic that will satisfy the convenience food junkie inside you.
Made-over Breakfast Sandwich
English Muffins
adapted from a recipe by Bruce Fife, N.D.
Makes five muffins
Ingredients:
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup coconut flour (Bob’s Red Mill preferred)
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2-3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beat together eggs, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add coconut flour and baking powder, whisking into the batter until there are no lumps. Stir in the cheese. Spoon batter into 5 buttered ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm. Let cool completely before cutting into. For best results, make these the night before you plan on eating them. Store in the fridge.
~4g net carbs per muffin
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Sandwich Assembly Instructions:
Slice muffin in half and toast until heated through. Top one half with slice of cheddar cheese. Reheat sausage per package directions and place on top of cheese. Cook egg in a buttered ramekin or other circular muffin-sized microwaveable dish, covered in plastic wrap, on 50% power for 1 minutes 15 seconds, or until yolk is firm (remember to poke a hole in the yolk before cooking!). Slide egg out carefully. Sprinkle on sea salt and pepper to taste. Place the egg on top of the sausage and top with other muffin half. Consume immediately, or wrap in a napkin and get going!
~5g net carbs
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Don’t have the time or the will to press buttons and get multiple items out of the fridge? Make a sweet variation of the muffins for spreads that don’t play well with garlic!
Sweet Variation of Breakfast Muffins:
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup coconut flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2-3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, finely grated
Throw some peanut butter on your sweet buns, or better yet, bust out PB’s healthier twin sister– almond butter! AB is packed full of monounsaturated fats and flavor, with a distinct natural sweetness. For these reasons, no jar of almond butter lasts long enough to actually put it on something in my house.
Triple Chocolate Yogurt Parfait
Okay, let’s start simple. No cooking required with this one!
Being a chick, chocolate makes everything better. No really, it does. This is why I try to incorporate it into as many meals as possible, and was perfectly content, in the throes of my sugar addiction, replacing real food with vending machine fare. There is something about chocolate that goes straight your head and makes problems magically disappear while you’re licking the melty stuff off the Snickers wrapper. Problem is, the after effects of processed candy can kill the mood. The good news is, dark chocolate contains potent antioxidants exceeding the levels found in red wine (<– not a good breakfast option). The nibs are raw, unprocessed cacao with. Additionally, the saturated fat in cocoa is found to boost good cholesterol levels. Scientific debate aside, it just tastes so darn good!
Paired all of that goodness with yogurt, which provides 15% of your RDA of calcium along with 14g of protein, not to mention the probiotic boost courtesy of the friendly bacterial strains that give yogurt its delectable tang. You wanna get sick less and possibly live longer? You wanna burn fat and keep your hip bones intact when you’re 80? Eat up! It’s kinda crazy how many health benefits are associated with this stuff. With only 11g net carbs, you won’t feel a bit of remorse indulging in what looks (and tastes… promise!) like dessert for breakfast.
from left: flavorganics sugar-free vanilla extract, scharffenberger unsweetened cocoa powder, hershey’s special dark cocoa powder, lindt 85% cacao extra dark chocolate bar, raw cacao nibs
Triple Chocolate Yogurt Parfait
1 7 oz container strained greek-style yogurt (I love FAGE total!)
1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 squares of 85% cacao extra dark chocolate (I like Lindt or Ghirardelli)
sweeteners, to taste
-stevia
-erythritol
splash of pure vanilla extract
cacao nibs
sugar-free whipped cream (optional)
grated chocolate (optional)
Stir cocoa powder into yogurt until thoroughly combined. Melt squares of dark chocolate until liquified in microwave, watching carefully to avoid burning. I like to do this in 10 seconds increments, stirring every time. When chocolate is melted, stir it quickly into a couple of spoonfuls of the yogurt. Add it back into the rest of the yogurt and combine until streaks of chocolate are no longer visibile. Add sweeteners and vanilla extract, tasting and adjusting accordingly. Layer with cacao nibs so you get some crunch with every bite, or just sprinkle the nibs over the top. Garnish with whipped cream and more grated chocolate (use a cheese grater or zester).
Note the spoon standing up in the yogurt. It really is that luxuriously thick!
~11g net carbs per massive sundae