VeggieConverter

Helping moms introduce meatless meals with ease.

English Ginger Biscuits

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Gluten-Free English Ginger BiscuitsIf you're a fan of British Bake Off or you've just watched the Downton Abbey movie, English Ginger Biscuits might be on your mind lately. The girls and I are huge Bake Off fans and have been following along this season as well. I haven't yet seen the movie, but enjoyed the Downton Abbey series, so today I lift my tea cup in homage to both shows with these English Ginger Biscuits from the Great British Bake Off Big Book of Baking. 

We fell in love with ginger biscuits on the train in England and absolutely had to learn to make them ourselves when we came back home. This recipe is absolutely fantastic served with a cup of PG Tips English Breakfast Tea. I think the real treat of these cookies, err, biscuits is the double ginger. Having both ground and fresh ginger in the mix makes them super gingery, but not overly spicy. And the cinnamon sugar is fabulous. 

English Ginger Biscuits

Ingredients

1.5 inches fresh ginger, grated

6 tablespoons butter, diced

1/4 cup molasses

350 grams gluten-free flour

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground ginger

240 grams cinnamon sugar,* divided

1 medium egg, room temperature, beaten

1-2 baking sheets

silpat(s)

*Place a cinnamon stick in 250 grams of sugar and leave to infuse for a couple of days or, if needed immediately, mix about 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the sugar instead. 

Method

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Measure 2 rounded teaspoons of the fresh ginger into a small pan.

Add butter and molasses, melt gently over low heat, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Sift flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, 200 grams of the cinnamon sugar and mix well.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add the egg and melted mixture to the well.

Mix together ingredients with your hands. Form a dough. 

Roll the dough into about 25 walnut-sized balls. 

Arrange on baking sheets. Flatten. 

Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until the cookies are slightly darker around the edges. 

Let cool for about 5 minutes on the pans before transferring to a wire rack. When cold, store in an airtight container for about 5 days, if they make it that long.

Looking for more English treats? Check out our scones!

Gluten-Free English Ginger Biscuits

Yield: 24

English Ginger Biscuits

English Ginger Biscuits

Are you a British Bake Off or Downton Abbey movie fan? You'll love this recipe for English Ginger Biscuits. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1.5 inches fresh ginger, grated
  • 6 tablespoons butter, diced
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 350 grams gluten-free flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 240 grams cinnamon sugar,* divided
  • 1 medium egg, room temperature, beaten
  • 1-2 baking sheets
  • silpat(s)
  • *Place a cinnamon stick in 250 grams of sugar and leave to infuse for a couple of days or, if needed immediately, mix about 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the sugar instead.

Instructions

Method

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Measure 2 rounded teaspoons of the fresh ginger into a small pan.

Add butter and molasses, melt gently over low heat, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Sift flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, 200 grams of the cinnamon sugar and mix well.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add the egg and melted mixture to the well.

Mix together ingredients with your hands. Form a dough. 

Roll the dough into about 25 walnut-sized balls. 

Arrange on baking sheets. Flatten. 

Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until the cookies are slightly darker around the edges. 

Let cool for about 5 minutes on the pans before transferring to a wire rack. When cold, store in an airtight container for about 5 days, if they make it that long.

© Kristi
Cuisine: English / Category: gluten-free

Wolfberry Banana Bread Pudding

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Wolfberry banana bread pudding is surprisingly easy and super tasty.

Banana Bread Pudding | @VeggieConverter

We had a metric ton of frozen bananas, so we made a huge batch of banana bread muffins. And, well, to be honest, we were sick of banana bread muffins about halfway through the big batch.

So, they got stale. I flipped through some cookbooks for an easy bread pudding recipe to adapt and found one in my 1965 version of the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook.

I cannot believe how easy this recipe was to whip up. Stale bread (muffins), basic custard mix and bake. Done. We swapped in Ningxia wolfberries for the raisins in the original recipe. I did this primarily because I don't like raisins, but also---bonus points---wolfberries are crazy high in antioxidants.

With polyphenols and polysaccharides, the exotic wolfberry is touted around the world for its taste and nutrients. Documented use of wolfberries dates back to the Ming Dynasty, where they were part of ancient Chinese culture.

Young Living’s Organic Dried Wolfberries are dried with a gentle  process makes these USDA-certified organic wolfberries versatile and easy to incorporate into lots of recipes. You can add wolfberry benefits to anything from stir-fry to baked goods.

Wolfberry Banana Bread Pudding

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook, 1965

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups milk (regular or dairy-free)
2 slightly beaten eggs
2 cups stale banana bread or muffins, cubed (about 1-inch)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup wolfberries (I get mine HERE)
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine milk and eggs.

Place cubed bread into 8-inch baking dish.

Pour liquid over bread cubes.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Place the baking dish in a shallow pan on oven rack.

Pour hot water around the pan, about 1-inch deep.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, about 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and outside comes out clean.

Wolfberry Banana Bread Pudding

Wolfberry Banana Bread Pudding

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups milk (regular or dairy-free)
  • 2 slightly beaten eggs
  • 2 cups stale banana bread or muffins, cubed (about 1-inch)
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup wolfberries
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Combine milk and eggs.
  3. Place cubed bread into 8-inch baking dish.
  4. Pour liquid over bread cubes.
  5. Stir in remaining ingredients.
  6. Place the baking dish in a shallow pan on oven rack.
  7. Pour hot water around the pan, about 1-inch deep.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, about 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and outside comes out clean.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

 

Wolfberry Banana Bread Pudding Recipe

Grapefruit Curd

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Grapefruit curd, I didn't set out to make it. It just happened.

Grapefruit Curd

The girls have a new favorite citrus fruit and, I'll be honest...it comes as a bit of a surprise. It's grapefruit. We got a big box of red grapefruit as a holiday gift and they went nuts for it. I really love citrus curd, so, we decided to whip up a batch with one of the grapefruits. It was fantastic. It might've been even better than lime or my previous homemade favorite, plum curd.

If you've never made curd at home, it's crazy easy to put together and it's great in all sorts of ways. Just grab a spoon and eat it right out of the ramekin, spread it on toast or pastries or use it to make tarts or small pies. You won't regret trying this tasty way to elevate just about whatever fruit yo have on hand. I love it most with citrus, stone fruit and berries, but I encourage you to experiment with mixes of your favorites.

Grapefruit Curd

Ingredients

Makes about 12 ramekins
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 cup grapefruit juice
Splash of lemon juice
5 eggs
Pinch salt
Zest of 1 grapefruit
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-2 drops grapefruit (vitality) essential oil (optional)... I get mine HERE
1-2 drops lemon (vitality) essential oil (optional)... I get mine HERE

Method

In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar.

Beat in the eggs slowly.

Add salt and juice. The mixture will look curdled.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened (do not boil), 3 to 4 minutes.

Add in zest, vanilla and essential oils.

Cool to room temperature, whisking frequently.

Transfer to small bowls, cover and chill for a couple of hours. The curd can be stored in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Serve as is or over muffins, pound cake or other pastries.

Grapefruit Curd

Grapefruit Curd

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup grapefruit juice
  • Splash of lemon juice
  • 5 eggs
  • Pinch salt
  • Zest of 1 grapefruit
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 drops grapefruit (vitality) essential oil (optional)... I get mine HERE
  • 1-2 drops lemon (vitality) essential oil (optional)... I get mine HERE

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar.
  2. Beat in the eggs slowly.
  3. Add salt and juice. The mixture will look curdled.
  4. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened (do not boil), 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Add in zest, vanilla and essential oils.
  6. Cool to room temperature, whisking frequently.
  7. Transfer to small bowls, cover and chill for a couple of hours. The curd can be stored in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  8. Serve as is or over muffins, pound cake or other pastries.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

 

Grapefruit Curd Recipe

Homemade Applesauce

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Homemade Applesauce Cooking with Kids | @VeggieConverter

Homemade applesauce is stupid easy. I mean, seriously. I know, I know. You hear that a lot on the internet or see it on Pinterest or whatever and you're like, yeah, right... But, really. Homemade applesauce is like, the easiest thing to make. I used to make it all the time when the girls were babies. It was one of their favorite baby foods.

I got out of the applesauce habit for a little while, but I recently picked it back up again and I made the recipe. Wait for it...even EASIER. Booyah. Yeah, I'm bringing that back. (Not really.)

You see, originally, I peeled off the skins. And I thought to myself...self, why peel off the skins? There are a ton of nutrients in there and plus, don't you hate peeling? Plus, you have this swank blender. So, you know, I stopped peeling off the skins. Ahhh, glorious.

So now, this is what I do. I core the apples. I stick said apples in the crockpot. I pour in the meager three other ingredients (lemon juice, cinnamon or cinnamon essential oil and vanilla...that's it) and I turn on the crockpot. Then I go away and jam out in the living room with my kids for hours. Or I sleep, or whatever. Depending on you know, whether it's midnight or not.

You don't get midnight urges to make applesauce? Meh. Different strokes.

Once that little episode is over I scoop the whole sh'bang into the blender, blend that business and pour it into a couple of quart canning jars with the sweet reusable lids. Boom. Applesauce for daaaaaaays.

And then, I put them in these little babies from LunchBots and send them with my kids' lunches. And they gobble them up. And when they're home, they ask for like thirds and fourths. And so do their friends! Because this applesauce is amazeballs. Seriously, it's freaking delicious. Go make some and hide some from your kids. Enjoy!

Why homemade applesauce?

You can find some pretty yummy and healthy organic applesauce these days. You can get applesauce in glass jars that is simply organic apples and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in a jar. Awesome. That's great. You totally couldn't do that everywhere even just a few years ago.

Organic groceries have come a loooong way in a short period of time. And you know why that is? Because we're voting with our wallets. Boom. We're saying, we don't want that pesticide Dirty Dozen polluted apple junk anymore and we're not going to take it. And (because they don't want to go broke) companies are listening. Yay!

So, why not just buy the jarred stuff? Well, you totally can! I do it when I don't feel like making it. Or when I'm out of town, or whatever. I like this applesauce. But, it's spendy. Not that organic apples are the least spendy thing in the world, but I can usually get a 5.5 pound flat of organic apples at Costco for around $8 or $9, and that makes almost two batches of this applesauce.

Now, I make usually 2 quarts of applesauce per batch. And the jar I buy is about 23 ounces. So, you know, two batches of 2 quarts, so 128 ounces for $9 versus the jarred stuff of 23 ounces for $10-13. I'd say you do the math, but I totally just did it for you.

Plus, when you make your own, you can make it your own. Introduce new flavors and textures or whatever you like. EXPERIMENT!

Why reusable containers?

Those cute little snack packs are expensive. And, let's face it, super wasteful. All that plastic and cardboard ends up somewhere. You can try to recycle it. But from what I understand, a lot of recycling gets dumped in the landfills these days due to contamination because of single stream curbside recycling services. Shameful.

So, using adorable and reusable containers like these LunchBots ones (or your favorites...they didn't give me these or ask me to write this, I just love them!), can save you money and the planet grief in the long-run. Win-win!

Homemade Applesauce

Makes about 2 quarts

Ingredients

3 pounds organic apples (I used Gala), cored (don't bother peeling!)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon or 3 drops cinnamon (vitality) essential oil (I get mine HERE)

Instant Pot Method

Place apples in your instant pot.

Pour in remaining ingredients.

Add 1 cup water.

Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, allow to naturally release.

Blend, jar and refrigerate.

Slow Cooker Method

Place those beautiful apples (unpeeled, but cored) into a 4-6 quart slow cooker.

Homemade Applesauce Cooking | @VeggieConverter

Pour in remaining ingredients.

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Scoop it all into the blender.

Scooped Apples Applesauce | @VeggieConverter

Blend.

Blended Applesauce | @VeggieConverter

Pour into canning jars with or other sealable container.

Refrigerate.

Or, you know, eat it. Because it's freaking delicious.

Eat Applesauce | @VeggieConverter

To freeze and store for baking and recipe needs: place 1/4 cup in silicone muffin tin slots. Flash freeze until solid (at least 4 hours). Remove applesauce rounds from muffin tin (pop out) and divide applesauce pucks among gallon reusable bags or freezer bags to refreeze.

To use: Thaw individual serving in a bowl on the counter and use in recipes as egg and oil substitutes.

Love it? Pin it, please!

Stupid Easy Homemade Applesauce | @VeggieConverter
Yield: 24

Homemade Applesauce

Homemade Applesauce

Homemade applesauce is stupid easy. I mean, seriously. I know, I know. You hear that a lot on the internet. But this is easy for real!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds organic apples (I used Gala), cored (don't bother peeling!)
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Place apples in your instant pot.
  2. Pour in remaining ingredients.
  3. Add 1 cup water.
  4. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, allow to naturally release.
  5. Blend, jar, and refrigerate.
© Kristi
Cuisine: American / Category: vegan

Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils

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Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils

Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils

You've probably noticed by now that I, like most humans, LOVE dessert. I also LOVE Young Living Essential Oils (learn more here).

So it seemed like a no-brainer for me to start making desserts with essential oils in them. And then I decided to look for some inspiration for MORE ways to make delicious desserts that use essential 0ils. And then this post happened.

If you want to learn more about Young Living Essential Oils, you can start right here. Whether you like fruity, chocolate or cinnamon spice desserts, you can make something extra delicious with essential oils. And, bonus, many of these are gluten-free, too, so you can enjoy them if that's an issue. A couple of my favorites are the lime bars and snickerdoodles. But they are all so good, it really is super hard to choose.

But without further ado, here is my list of Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils. Enjoy!

 

Fruity Desserts with EOs

1. Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls from Veggie Converter

lemon-balls-745x419-1

2. Mojito & Cream Popsicles (Paleo) from Holistically Engineered

paleo-mojito-and-cream-popsicles_-001-1

3. Lemon Vanilla Coconut Butter Bites from The Rising Spoon

lemon-vanilla-coconut-butter-bites

4. Paleo Baked Apples from Holistically Engineered

baked-apples_f1

5. Gluten-Free Coconut Key Lime Bars from Veggie Converter

key-lime-bars-fb-2

6. Paleo Orange and Cream Ice Cream from Holistically Engineered

low-carb-orange-and-cream-ice-cream_-001

Chocolate Desserts with EOs

7. Easy Peppermint Fudge from Veggie Converter

fudge

8. Peppermint Chocolate Truffles from Homemade Mommy

trufflesv3

9. Paleo Flourless Chocolate Peppermint Cake from Holistically Engineered

paleo-flourless-chocolate-cake-001

10. Orange Chocolate Fresh Fruit Truffles from Cheerfully Imperfect

strawberrytruffles-1024x768

11. Gluten-Free Peppermint Brownies from Veggie Converter

peppermint-eo-brownies-1

Cinnamon Desserts with EOs

12. Paleo Sweet Potato Pie from Veggie Converter

sweet-potato-pie-3

13. Paleo Almond Butter Cookies from Veggie Converter

almond-butter-cookies-3

14. Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookies from Veggie Converter

snickerdoodles-gfree-fb-1

 

Do you have any other tasty recipes that use essential oils? Feel free to share them with me in the comments! I'd love to have more yummy desserts to devour! 🙂

 

Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils

Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls

By

paleo lemon coconut balls | @VeggieConverter

Paleo lemon coconut balls? Yes, please! Lemon + coconut plus done in less than 30 minutes? Oh, yeah!

I am not a huge chocolate dessert person. I mean, it's yummy. But if I get to choose, I prefer citrusy desserts. I love lemon bars, but I don't make them too terribly often.

I love these key lime bars in particular. But, they take a little while.

So these paleo lemon coconut balls---which are grain and dairy free and done in less than 30 minutes---are a great quick, yummy dessert for me. Plus, they have hazelnuts inside, so they are delicious and chock full of protein. Win!

Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls

adapted from Coconut Caramel Macaroons
Makes 12-15

Ingredients

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk or cream
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
15-20 drops of lemon (vitality) essential oil (I buy mine HERE)
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup hazelnut flour or almond flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Mix together maple syrup, coconut milk or cream, coconut oil and lemon essential oil.

To the bowl of a food processor, add the shredded coconut, almond flour and the maple syrup mixture.

Pulse until the mix is finely chopped and holds together when squeezed into a ball.

Drop 1 tablespoon size balls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

Make sure the balls are packed tight; if needed, use your hands to finely pack the balls together.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops of the balls just begin to appear toasted.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Results

Wow, these paleo lemon coconut balls are super lemony and fantastic. I can't believe how easy they are, too!

The kids and Mr. Meaty all loved them and they were an easy recipe for the kids and I to make together.

Super win. We'll be making these many more times and experimenting with new flavors, too.

Yield: 12-15

Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls

Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk or cream
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • 15-20 drops of lemon (vitality) essential oil
  • 2 cups shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup hazelnut flour or almond flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  3. Mix together maple syrup, coconut milk or cream, coconut oil and lemon essential oil.
  4. To the bowl of a food processor, add the shredded coconut, almond flour and the maple syrup mixture.
  5. Pulse until the mix is finely chopped and holds together when squeezed into a ball.
  6. Drop 1 tablespoon size balls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
  7. Make sure the balls are packed tight; if needed, use your hands to finely pack the balls together.
  8. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops of the balls just begin to appear toasted.
  9. Serve cold or at room temperature.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

 Love it? Pin it, please!

paleo lemon coconut balls | @VeggieConverter

Paleo Sweet Potato Pie

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Sweet Potato Pie | @VeggieConverter

I big puffy heart custard pies (minus the gluteny crust). So this custardy sweet potato pie with a cookie crumb/pecan crust is absolutely perfect. The recipe comes from a great cookbook I recently acquired, the Outlander Kitchen Cookbook. 

The cookbook is based in part on foods from the awesome scifi-romance series, Outlander. The natural herbal remedies and yummy whole foods recipes mentioned in the book series in such detail always intrigued me. So when I saw the cookbook, I knew it would be great to try.

I love old cookbooks and this one is based primarily on modernized versions of recipes from the 1740s, so you can't get much older in a cookbook. The best part about old cookbooks is they don't use convenience foods, so it's all real, whole ingredients. I made a few minor alterations to make this recipe grain free and dairy free.

Paleo Sweet Potato Pie

Adapted from Outlander Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup arrowroot cookie crumbs (or 1/2 cup arrowroot flour)

1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar (for crust/topping)

1/2 cup finely ground pecans

1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar (for pie filling)

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon or 2-3 drops cinnamon (vitality) essential oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

zest of 1 lemon or 3-5 drops lemon (vitality) essential oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or 1 drop nutmeg (vitality) essential oil

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes at 400 degree Fahrenheit. Let cool before peeling.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix coconut oil, arrowroot cookie crumbs, 1/3 cup coconut sugar and ground pecans until crumbs are moistened. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture for topping, pressing the rest into a glass or ceramic 9-inch pie plate.

Mix together sweet potato flesh, remaining coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut milk, eggs, cinnamon/oil, vanilla, lemon zest/oil, salt and nutmeg/oil. Beat well to combine.

Pour sweet potato mixture into pie crust and smooth out the top.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sprinkle on topping. Bake for another 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

The Results

Holy wow! First of all, how did I never think to do pumpkin pies with this type of crust? Duh. Grain free and easy. The girls each had at least three pieces on day one. They would've had more, but I said no. Hah. It is absolutely delicious.

It's similar to pumpkin pie, but a bit more rich. If you like custardy pies (no matter what you think  you think of sweet potatoes) give this a shot. Mr. Meaty doesn't care for sweet potatoes. At all. He still thought this was pretty good, considering.

Recipe Card

Yield: 12

Paleo Sweet Potato Pie

Paleo Sweet Potato Pie

This Paleo sweet potato pie recipe is custardy, sweet, tasty, and has a cookie crumb/pecan crust that is absolutely perfect. Perfect for dessert or a snack!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 cup arrowroot cookie crumbs (or 1/2 cup arrowroot flour)
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar (for crust/topping)
  • 1/2 cup finely ground pecans
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (for pie filling)
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or 2-3 drops cinnamon (vitality) essential oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • zest of 1 lemon or 3-5 drops lemon (vitality) essential oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or 1 drop nutmeg (vitality) essential oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Bake sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes at 400 degree Fahrenheit. Let cool before peeling.
  3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Mix coconut oil, arrowroot cookie crumbs, 1/3 cup coconut sugar and ground pecans until crumbs are moistened. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture for topping, pressing the rest into a glass or ceramic 9-inch pie plate.
  5. Mix together sweet potato flesh, remaining coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut milk, eggs, cinnamon/oil, vanilla, lemon zest/oil, salt and nutmeg/oil. Beat well to combine.
  6. Pour sweet potato mixture into pie crust and smooth out the top.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  8. Sprinkle on topping. Bake for another 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert

 

paleo-sweet-potato-pie

Almond Butter Cookies

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Almond Butter Cookies | @VeggieConverter

I've tried a lot of different meals for breakfast since going mostly grain free. This almond butter cookies recipe is one of my absolute favorites. And you wouldn't believe how simple it is.

The recipe requires only TWO INGREDIENTS. What?? All you need is an egg and half a cup of nut butter. I add a couple drops of cinnamon (vitality) essential oil to mine just for an extra kick, but that's totally optional.

You can mix these almond butter cookies up in about two minutes and they bake in just five. So breakfast is ready in less than 10. And since there's no sugar added, these cookies are straight up protein: egg and almond butter. Win.

These breakfast cookies are paleo, grain free, gluten free, dairy free---oh, and bonus---they make a yummy dessert, too.

Almond Butter Cookies

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond butter
1 egg
2 drops cinnamon (vitality) essential oil (optional)

Method

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop mixture onto the sheet by the heaping teaspoonful.

If you want fancy fork marks, freeze the batter on the sheet for about 1 hour. When you get the unbaked cookies out of the freezer, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly press cookies down with a fork (crosshatching the fork marks on top to make a checkerboard pattern).

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes. Let cool and serve.

The Results

It's hard to believe how quickly these can be made. Seriously. Cookies/breakfast in less than 10 minutes? Win.

The texture, according to Mr. Meaty, is a little "weird" when you are thinking of standard cookies. They're not quite fluffy, but not terribly dense either. They're closer to macaroons than sugar cookies.

The flavor is a hit with everyone and the kids didn't balk at the texture at all. Though they did orginally think they were chicken nuggets at first glance. Hah!

 

paleo-almond-butter-cookies

Yield: 4

Almond Butter Cookies

Almond Butter Cookies

I've tried a lot of different meals for breakfast since going mostly grain free. This Paleo almond butter cookies recipe is one of my absolute favorites!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 drops cinnamon (vitality) essential oil (optional)

Instructions

  1. Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop mixture onto the sheet by the heaping teaspoonful.
  3. If you want fancy fork marks, freeze the batter on the sheet for about 1 hour. When you get the unbaked cookies out of the freezer, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Lightly press cookies down with a fork (crosshatching the fork marks on top to make a checkerboard pattern).
  5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Let cool and serve.
© Kristi
Cuisine: American / Category: gluten-free

Maple Almond Cashew Butter

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almond butter | @VeggieConverter

We almost always make our own nut butter. In part because I try to avoid peanuts and also because homemade nut butter is delicious. But we bought some healthy almond butter when we were on vacation this summer and fell in love with the maple flavor that we'd never tried before. So, I wanted to emulate that flavor at home.

We love to use this almond butter to make 2-ingredient grain-free cookies, banana almond butter coconut smoothies and of course, PB&J sandwiches.

Maple Almond Cashew Butter

Makes about 1 pint nut butter

Ingredients

1 cup almonds
1 cup cashews
2 tablespoons avocado oil
salt, to taste
1/4 cup maple syrup (optional)

Method

Add almonds, cashews and avocado oil to a food processor or high-speed blender.

Blend until smooth.

Add salt to taste.

Add maple syrup and pulse just enough to mix in the syrup.

Results

Wow! Delicious. And super simple. We love this version. Though our usual non-syrup version is great, too. I like the mix of almond and cashew for its flavor and texture. Cashews are a bit softer and are less grainy in the end-result nut butter. But the almonds are so good for you, too, so it's nice to have a mix.

Almonds are high in vitamin E, an antioxidant. While all nut butters are high in protein (an ounce of nut butter is the protein equivalent to the same amount of meat) and fiber, almond butter is significantly higher than peanut butter in vitamin E, magnesium and iron.

Maple Almond Cashew Butter

Maple Almond Cashew Butter

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add almonds, cashews and avocado oil to a food processor or high-speed blender.
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Add salt to taste.
  4. Add maple syrup and pulse just enough to mix in the syrup.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

 

maple-almond-cashew-butter

Paleo Mixed Berry Jam

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Paleo Mixed Berry Jam | @VeggieConverterMy kids are on a bit of a peanut butter & jelly kick (technically cashew butter and jelly). And we're doing this pantry challenge/war on debt thing so once we ran through all the jellies in the house I decided to make some with some the fresh and frozen fruit we already had on hand. But, of course, I can't have regular sugar, so I needed to use coconut sugar. 🙂 Thus, by happenstance, I crafted Paleo Mixed Berry Jam. And it. is. delicious. Plus, bonus, much less spendy than store-bought organic jam.

Paleo Mixed Berry Jam

Makes 5 half-pint jars

Ingredients

4 cups mashed berries or stone fruit (we used strawberries and blueberries)
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
5 tablespoons instant pectin
3-5 drops lime essential oil (optional) (I use Lime Vitality essential oil)

Method

We used fresh strawberries pulsed lightly in the blender and some thawed frozen blueberries. You can use any berries you like. If they're fresh or not naturally bite-sized, either mash with a potato masher or toss them in a blender for one or two quick pulses.

Mix together sugar and pectin in a large bowl. Add mashed berries and stir for 3-5 minutes.

Add mashed berries and stir for 3-5 minutes.

Stir in lime essential oil if desired.

Ladle into 5 quilted half-pint jelly jars.

Water process for 10 minutes to can. If your kids eat jelly as quickly as mine do, you may not need to bother with that step. We processed four (just in case) and left one open in the fridge with one of these great easy use caps. Enjoy!

(Tip: if you want to try cashew butter and jelly like our girls love, just put about two cups of cashews and up to 1/4 cup of avocado oil, depending on the consistency you like in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Easy peasy.)

Yield: 2.5 pints

Paleo Mixed Berry Jam

Paleo Mixed Berry Jam

Ingredients

  • 4 cups mashed berries (we used strawberries and blueberries)
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
  • 5 tablespoons instant pectin
  • 3-5 drops lime essential oil (optional) (I use Lime Vitality essential oil)

Instructions

  1. We used fresh strawberries pulsed lightly in the blender and some thawed frozen blueberries. You can use any berries you like. If they're fresh or not naturally bite-sized, either mash with a potato masher or toss them in a blender for one or two quick pulses.
  2. Mix together sugar and pectin in a large bowl. Add mashed berries and stir for 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add mashed berries and stir for 3-5 minutes.
  4. Stir in lime essential oil if desired.
  5. Ladle into 5 quilted half-pint jelly jars.
  6. Water process for 10 minutes to can. If your kids eat jelly as quickly as mine do, you may not need to bother with that step. We processed four (just in case) and left one open in the fridge with one of these great easy use caps. Enjoy!
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

 

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