Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

If you’re like me, you never like waiting for cookies to bake. Here is a healthy recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough that you can indulge in right away! No baking needed and great for a post-workout snack!

1 ¼ cups chick peas

2 tbs natural peanut butter

3 tbs maple syrup (or mix of maple syrup and honey)

1 tbs coconut oil 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tbs chocolate chips

Blend everything but the chocolate chips in a blender or food processor. Add in the chocolate chips and shape into balls or just dive in a with a spoon. The “dough” can be stored in the freezer - just let it thaw for a few minutes before eating.

Sweet Potato Brownies

Here is the ultimate guilt-free snack! Low in calories, high in vitamins. Gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free. Absolutely delicious. 

2 medium sweet potatoes or 1.5 large ones

2/3 cup almonds (I used a mixture of almonds and hazelnuts)

½ cup quinoa flakes

½ cup dates

3 tbs cacao powder

3 tbs maple syrup

2 tbs shredded unsweetened coconut

Pinch of salt

Splash of almond milk

Peel and chop sweet potatoes and boil until soft. Soak the dates in water to soften then add them to the almonds, quinoa flakes, cacao powder, coconut and salt in a blender or food processor. Add a splash of almond milk to help it blend as much as possible. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Pour in a square baking dish and bake for approx. 30-40 minutes or until the top becomes darker and crispy. They will be very moist so let them cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares. They can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. 

Bring back the Holidays! Gingerbread Balls & Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I always say I love the snow because it reminds me of Christmas. But once Christmas and New Years have passed and we are back into our daily routines, I wish all that snow would just disappear. This gloomy weather has inspired me to bring back the smells and flavours of my favourite holiday season. If you're like me and love everything gingerbread and pumpkin, you will enjoy these recipes. I'm lucky that my mom shares my love for healthy, gluten free treats so I have her to thank for these ones.

Side note: Medjool dates and regular pitted dates differ significantly - in taste, texture and even in baking. I'd recommend getting the large Medjool dates with pits that are found in the fresh produce section. Once you try them you will never go back to the regular "baking dates".

Gingerbread Cookie Balls 

2 cups raw almonds, pecans or a combination of both6 Medjool dates, pitted3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled or 1/2 teaspoon ground gingerdash ground clovesdash ground nutmegpinch of salt

For rolling: shredded unsweetened coconut or almond meal 

Simply add all ingredients to a food processor or Nutribullet. Once everything is processed, take small handfuls and roll into little balls. To make them look picture-worthy, roll the balls in shredded coconut or almond meal which gives the illusion of powdered sugar. You can make your own almond meal by processing raw almonds until a very fine powder forms.Place the balls on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and leave in the fridge for an hour or so to harden or eat them right away if you can't resist. 


Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1.5 cups almond milk (or lactose free milk)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (I use E.D. Smith)
1 very ripe frozen banana
1 tsp cinnamon
dash ground cloves
dash ground nutmeg
2 medjool dates or 1 tbs maple syrup to sweeten it
4 small ice cubes

Blend all ingredients together (I highly recommend the Nutribullet) and enjoy the sweet taste of Christmas!

Banana Muffins

Took me a couple of tries but I've finally perfected my gluten free banana bread! Since I have a tendency of eating dessert for breakfast...and lots of it, I made sure these were extra healthy. No oil, no sugar and no "xanthan gum" - only natural ingredients for this girl!

3-4 very ripe bananas
2 whole eggs
1.5 cups gluten free all purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
.5 cups instant quinoa flakes
.5 cups unsweetened apple sauce
5 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Splash of almond or regular milk
Dash of salt
Cinnamon to taste

Optional
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or dark chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Mash bananas and mix in all wet ingredients first. Slowly add the quinoa flakes and flour. I didn't need to use my electric mixer, a fork works just fine. You can either spoon batter into muffin tins or a loaf pan. Make sure to swipe some coconut/olive oil or cooking spray before pouring the batter so it doesn't stick. Bake for approx. 45 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown.

Almond Berry Bites

Here's a great alternative for butter tarts or fruit squares that normally  have a pastry crust. I like to try different fillings but this one is my favourite. Adding a couple tablespoons of coconut oil will make the filling a softer, cheesecake texture while water or milk will make it more of a frozen dessert.

Crust
1 cup almonds
1 cup dates
.5 cup water/almond milk

Filling
6 large dates
1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen berries
Almond extract
.75 cups of water/almond milk (slightly less if you're adding coconut oil)

Blend all crust ingredients in a food processor until it forms a thick paste. Spoon out small portions into a mini-muffin tin to form the tart shell. Place shells in the fridge while you are making the filling. Blend all filling ingredients together in a blender and pour into the tart shells. Place in the freezer for about an hour to let them harden. Great summer snack!

Spaghetti Squash

I have now found the best alternative for my all-time favourite Italian dish, pasta! Pasta is one of those meals I just couldn’t give up after going gluten free. I’ve tried rice pasta, corn pasta and quinoa pasta, and they are all very good. This recipe is even better for you since you’re essentially just eating a vegetable!
Although it takes a long time to make, you get about 4 meals out of one squash so it’s definitely worth it – promise!

1 spaghetti squash (yellow, oval shaped)
olive oil
oregano
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (Warning – these are extremely hard to cut so make sure you have a strong knife and cutting board.. and be careful!). After taking out all the pits and stringy stuff, brush a tiny bit of olive oil on the surface and sprinkle some salt, pepper and oregano on top. Put it in the oven, flesh side up, for approximately 1 hour. Once the hour is up, take out the halves and use a fork to scrape all the flesh into a bowl – it will create spaghetti-like strings. Top with tomato sauce or for a nice change I like to add margarine, extra oregano, and walnut pieces.

Pecan Pie Squares

In case you haven’t noticed, I have a bit of a sweet tooth. Since most desserts are filled with gluten, butter, cream, corn syrup etc., I’ve made it my goal to find healthy alternatives that still satisfy my sweet cravings.  Even though I get in trouble at the dentist office from time to time (sorry Dr. L!), I try my best to stick to natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, dates, or agave. Here is a summer treat that tastes like the real thing… just better for you!

Crust:
1 cup pitted dates
½ cup almond flour
¼ cup shredded coconut

Before pouring everything into a food processor, it helps to soak the dates in water for a few minutes to make them easier to blend. Once all ingredients are blended together, place the mixture into a flat cake dish (I use corningware) and pack it in with your hands so it forms a smooth bottom layer.

Filling:
1 cup pitted dates
½ cup chopped pecans
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp maple syrup
Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Splash of almond milk

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until completely smooth. It should look like melted ice cream. Pour the mix over the bottom layer and sprinkle with a few chopped pecans. Place the dish in the freezer overnight or about 4 hours. Take it out 10 minutes before serving to ensure it’s easy to cut. Close your eyes and you will think you are eating chewy pecan pie! Yum!