Taste Abounds: low-sugar

Pages

Home
Recipes
Beverages
About
Contact Me

Pinterest Instagram Facebook Twitter Google+ Linked In

Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins - Grain-free, Vegan, Paleo

These Chocolate Chip Muffins are so good for you that you can't consider them a treat! Made mostly of almond flour, they're nutritious, lower in sugar and carbs than most muffins, free of most common allergens, Paleo and vegan. Treat yourself and nourish yourself with these grain-free chocolate chip muffins!

Believe it or not, these Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins were inspired by Starbucks' chocolate chunk muffins. Hopefully I didn't lose any of you by making that confession. Stay with me, folks. I will explain, and I promise the recipe is worth it!The holidays and two months that followed were a blur. I was so busy that I could barely remember my first name and felt like a hot mess most of the time. I tried to stay on track with planning out healthy meals, grocery shopping and cooking nourishing meals for my family, but life doesn't always go as planned. More than once, I found myself in the Starbucks drive-thru desperate for coffee and something to feed my kids.Being desperate and sleep deprived, I didn't have the will power to say "no" when my son requested a chocolate chunk muffin. I knew it was loaded with gluten and sugar and didn't offer many nutrients for his growing body, but no mom is perfect. *sigh* At least I learned a couple of things from those muffins. One, that my son absolutely loves chocolate chip muffins! Two, the muffins confirmed that like me, a lot of gluten-containing foods give him a tummy ache. Knowing that my son loved chocolate chip muffins so much, I set out to develop a recipe for a chocolate chip muffin that my son could eat, one that was free of most food allergens and actually good for him. I nailed it! These Chocolate Chip Muffins are awesome and my kids absolutely love them. *happy dance*Not only are these Chocolate Chip Muffins loved by adults and kids alike, they're free of eggs, dairy, soy, corn, and gluten. Thanks to cassava flour, these Chocolate Chip Muffins are not only gluten-free, they're completely grain-free! But don't worry, these muffins aren't crumbly or gummy like most gluten-free and vegan baked goods. These Chocolate Chip Muffins are moist and have great texture and structure, all without xanthan or guar gum!
Hold on, it gets even better. This recipe also uses minimal amounts of natural sweeteners, meaning that they contain less sugar than most muffins and still fall under the Paleo-friendly category. Yippee!

No comments

, by Unknown

gluten-free

Inflammation Fighting Peach Smoothie with Probiotics

Thanks to kefir, turmeric and ginger, this Anti-Inflammatory Peach Smoothie is loaded with probiotics as well as antioxidants, protein and lots of nutrients! Gluten-free, nut-free and delicious!

One of the reasons I like smoothies is because I can "hide" superfoods and other highly nutritious ingredients in them. Typically that's leafy greens, but this time it's turmeric, a spice that has been used in cuisines around the world for thousands of years. Turmeric doesn't just add a yellow color to curry, though. It also boasts more health benefits than almost any other spice. And it's hidden in this smoothie! This Peach Smoothie has even more hidden in it than turmeric, though. It's also hiding ginger and kefir. All together, this smoothie is nutrient dense and rich in probiotics, antioxidants and inflammation-fighting ingredients. The macronutrients in this smoothie are well balanced and it's free of gluten and nuts yet still provides a long list of health benefits. Read on to learn what those are!

No comments

, by Unknown

dairy-free

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken - Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Low-Carb

This Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken is different from most similar recipes because it's so flavorful! Thai Red Curry Paste adds a burst of flavor that marries perfectly with the peanut butter and coconut milk. This is so easy to make, yet nutritious and satisfying! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-carb.

I'm a sauce girl. Whether it's ranch, alfredo, pesto or aoli, I want sauce that tastes great and a lot of it. Yes, I'm the type of person to always ask for extra sauce or dressing, both because I hate food that is dry and because I enjoy the flavors that a good sauce provides.
Being such a sauce lover, I'm excited to bring you this Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken! I did a lot of prep work for this recipe, from trying a popular Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Chicken recipe on Pinterest to reading reviews of other Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken recipes. The most common complaints were "too much peanut butter" and "bland". Folks who left comments on Pinterest obviously wanted to taste more than just peanut butter in their peanut sauce! And who could blame them? Good peanut sauce is bursting with flavor because it marries a lot of strong flavors. When done right, peanut sauce is delicious and versatile!
Being someone who loves a good peanut sauce, I aimed to overcome the most common complaints by referring to my favorite Peanut Sauce recipe by Cooking with Amy. It is flavorful and well balanced without requiring any unusual ingredients from a specialty grocery store. I made sure to include Thai Red Curry Paste for extra flavor. The result is Thai Peanut Chicken made easily in your slow cooker or crock pot that is packed full of flavor and gluten-free, dairy-free and low-carb!

No comments

, by Unknown

dairy-free

Flourless Banana Nut Muffins - Vegan, Paleo, No Added Sugar

These Banana Nut Muffins are so amazing that you would never guess they're flourless, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, vegan, Paleo and Whole30 compliant! Bananas provide all of the sweetness necessary, and psyllium provides the perfect texture along with plenty of fiber. Thanks to nutritious ingredients, these Banana Nut Muffins are both nutritious and satisfying!

I first read about baking with ground psyllium husks about a year ago. Alissa over at the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen made kneadable gluten-free bread dough and credited psyllium for making it possible. I was intrigued, but I hadn't tried baking with psyllium until I started formulating this recipe for flourless Banana Nut Muffins. The results amazed me!
In order for you to understand how amazing this recipe is, I need to stop here and talk a little bit about gluten-free and vegan baking. It's difficult - really difficult - to create baked goods with great taste and texture without the structure and elasticity provided by gluten and eggs. Gluten-free and vegan baked goods tend to either fall apart or end up gummy inside. When you are trying to avoid xanthan and guar gums, sugar and/or starchy flours, gluten-free and vegan baking becomes even more difficult.
That's why I was so impressed with these Banana Nut Muffins! They are flourless, which means they're grain-free and gluten-free. They're also dairy-free and egg-free (vegan), and free of sweeteners. That's right, all of the sweetness in these muffins comes solely from the bananas, allowing these Banana Nut Muffins to be Paleo! Yet these muffins could easily be mistaken for traditional muffins that contain gluten and eggs. Not only do they taste great, they're perfectly moist and tender!

No comments

, by Unknown

dairy-free

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie with Coffee! Gluten-free, Paleo & vegan

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie with Coffee makes the perfect breakfast on the go! With plenty of protein, fiber, nutrients and a little boost from the coffee, this shake will start your day right and keep you going all morning. Paleo, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free.

I'm back from vacation, and thanks to a smoothie that I saw on the menu of a coffee shop in California, I'm still on my peanut butter kick! While in California, I visited an awesome little coffee shop called Banana Dang. They had a peanut butter, chocolate and banana smoothie on their menu that sounded delicious! I never had a chance to try it, but I left inspired. Without tasting it, I had to guess how to make it. Of course, I also took the opportunity to add spinach, because hiding vegetables in everything I can is what I do :)

What makes this shake so delicious, nutritious and satisfying? A banana, spinach, peanut butter, cocoa powder, chocolate protein powder, instant coffee and milk.

Health Benefits & Nutrition FactsNot only did this smoothie turn out great, it's also good for you! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana smoothie with coffee is gluten-free, Paleo, vegan and dairy-free (if you use vegan milk). It's also made without any added sweetener and made with ingredients that offer a lot of nutritional benefits:

Peanut Butter is a source of protein and healthy fats, in addition to vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. See my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies post for more details.

Spinach is rich in antioxidants as well as vitamin K, folate, and manganese. See my Pumpkin Pie Smoothie post for more information.

Bananas provide vitamin B6 and vitamin C as well as potassium, manganese, antioxidants and fiber. Because of the nutrients and fiber, bananas are recognized for being good for heart health and digestion (source). Bananas may even help the body produce neurotransmitters! (source)

Each smoothie contains about 20 grams of protein thanks to the protein powder and peanut butter, and only about 10 grams of naturally-occurring sugar. Depending on the type of milk used, the amount of protein in this smoothie could be as much as 28 grams with about 20 grams of naturally-occurring sugar. With so much protein and the fiber from the peanut butter and spinach, this smoothie is super satisfying! Tips & TricksI've included Amazon links to products below for your convenience. Some of them are affiliate links, which means that I may receive a small commission if you purchase a product through one of my links.

This vegan protein powder can be used to make the Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie with Coffee

To make this Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie with coffee, I used Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein in Creamy Chocolate Fudge. It tastes great, has clean ingredients and is sweetened with a natural low-calorie sweetener. I bought it at Costco, but it's also available on Amazon for a comparable price. If you are the type of person that needs to see and touch your choices, I would recommend a trip to Natural Grocers. Not only are their prices exceptionally reasonable for a health food store, but they don't sell anything with artificial sweeteners and have a large selection of both vegan and animal-based protein powders that are sweetened naturally without sugar. Vegan chocolate protein powders I've purchased the BioChem Vegan Protein many times. It tastes great and is one of the most affordable options. The Garden of Life Raw Organic Plant Protein is another great vegan protein powder that contains probiotics and enzymes to enhance digestion. Both of these protein powders are sweetened with natural low-calorie sweeteners, like stevia and/or lo han, instead of sugar.

These vegan protein powders can be purchased at Natural Grocers, but they can also be purchased at Amazon. Both are sweetened naturally without sugar.

Whey chocolate protein powdersNatural Grocers carries a lot of whey protein powders that are sweetened with natural low-calorie sweeteners instead of sugar. A lot of them also come from grass-fed cows! The whey protein powders I've shown below are the Jarrow Grass Fed Whey Protein, Natural Factors Whey Factors, Designer Whey, Blue Bonnet Whey Protein Isolate, Garden of Life Sport Grass Fed Whey, and BioChem Whey Protein.

All of these whey protein powders can be purchased at Natural Grocers, but they can also be purchased at Amazon. All are sweetened naturally without sugar

Need a new blender so you can make silky smooth smoothies? I love my Ninja Master Prep! The blender and food processor (yes, it comes with both) power through every job I throw at them, including making velvety smoothies. And at $40, the Ninja Master Prep costs about $400 dollars less than a Vitamix! This smoothie can easily be made kid-friendly by removing the coffee! It still tastes great and while providing lots of nutrients. Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie with CoffeeGluten-free | Grain-free | Dairy-free | Egg-free | Paleo | Vegan | No Added SugarPrep Time: 5 minutesMakes 2 smoothies Ingredients: - 1 ripe banana - 1 cup (packed) baby spinach leaves - ¼ cup peanut butter - 1 scoop chocolate protein powder - 1 Tbsp cocoa powder - 2 cups milk of choice - 2 packets instant coffee
Directions:Place all ingredients in a blender, spinach first (on the bottom) followed by the banana, peanut butter and then remaining ingredients. Add the milk last and blend until smooth.

Disclosure: this post includes affiliate links for convenience. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

No comments

, by Unknown

dairy-free

Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps - Grain-free, Dairy-free, Low-Carb, Paleo

These Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps are easy, healthy and bursting with flavor! Honey instead of sugar makes the sauce flavorful without all of the sugar that is commonly found in Korean BBQ. Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, nightshade-free, low-carb, Paleo, and ready in less than 30 minutes.

Of all the ethnic and International cuisines, Korean might be my favorite. I love the strong flavors, from the tangy and spicy fermented vegetables and copious amounts of garlic to the savory and sweet Korean barbeque. I could eat Korean all day long! I was pretty surprised when I came across this recipe for Korean beef on Pinterest. The ingredients looked similar to authentic Korean barbeque recipes and it looked easy, which I strive for with a two year old and four year old. I tried it and loved it. Jamie at Love Bakes Good Cakes really knocked it out of the park!

These Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps are quick, easy, healthy and bursting with flavor! Honey instead of sugar makes the sauce flavorful without all of the sugar that is commonly found in Korean BBQ. Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, nightshade-free, low-carb, and Paleo.

I only made a few changes to Jamie's original recipe. Korean barbeque recipes tend to have a lot of sugar, so I cut it way back by using honey instead (which is sweeter than sugar). I also added arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I added sesame seeds as a garnish, but the most significant change I made was to serve it in a lettuce wrap instead of over rice. The result is an easy meal that is bursting with flavor but also healthy, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, low-carb and Paleo. And this delicious meal can be made in 30 minutes or less! I like to serve this with a carrot, cucumber and radish salad made with rice wine vinegar and toasted sesame oil (recipe will be on my blog soon). However, serving it with an authentic Korean side dish like kimchi would also be awesome! Just a reminder that if you have an allergy or intolerance to gluten, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce to make these Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps. My favorite brand is San-J, partly because it is affordable and readily available. Coconut aminos can be used instead of soy sauce to make this recipe Paleo. With that, let's get on with the recipe! Korean Beef Lettuce wraps with cucumber, radish and carrot salad Grain-free | Gluten-free | Dairy-free | Egg-free | Nightshade-free | Nut-free | Low-Carb | Paleo Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Makes about 12 lettuce wraps Ingredients: - 2 ½ lbs ground beef - ½ cup gluten-free soy sauce (or coconut aminos for the Paleo version) - 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil - ¼ cup honey - 4 cloves garlic - ½ tsp ground ginger - 3 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
- 1+ head of butter lettuce - 1 bunch scallions - About 2 Tbsp of sesame seeds for garnish In a small mixing bowl, wisk together the soy sauce (or coconut aminos), sesame oil, honey, ginger, and arrowroot or cornstarch. Heat a pan to medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until almost browned. Mince the garlic with a knife or garlic press and stir it into the ground beef. Add the sauce and stir well. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. While it is cooking, slice the scallions and pull the head of butter lettuce apart into individual leaves. Remove the beef from the heat and let cool for a few minutes before serving. Top each lettuce wrap with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

No comments

, by Unknown

gluten-free

Fluffy Grain-Free Pancakes with Maple Butter Sauce - Gluten-free, Vegan, Reduced-Sugar

This recipe is back up! I apologize to anyone who came here for this recipe but was unable to find it. It is here to stay now and just as awesome as ever. I hope you enjoy these fluffy, delicious pancakes!

These gluten-free and vegan pancakes are more nutritious than traditional pancakes and taste like a cinnamon roll with the reduced-sugar Cinnabun Sauce!

Did you know that there is such a thing as "National Pancake Day?" I'm serious! National Pancake Day is March 7th this year. While you may be rolling your eyes thinking that this country will name a day to celebrate anything, National Pancake Day was started by IHOP as a fund raiser. Guests are served free pancakes in return for a charity donation. IHOP created National Pancake Day with good intentions, but I'd like to encourage you to be good to a charity and good to yourself by making these Grain-Free Pancakes with Maple Butter Sauce instead. Why, you ask? Because not only are these pancakes more nutritious than typical pancakes and friendly to special diets (gluten-free and vegan), the Maple Butter Sauce has less than half the sugar of regular maple syrup!Regular maple syrup contains 53 grams of sugar per 1/4 cup serving (which is the typical amount of syrup used for a serving of pancakes). In comparison, this Maple Butter Sauce only contains 19 grams of sugar! But I promise you won't feel deprived. The combination of these Grain-Free Pancakes with this Maple Butter Sauce tastes like a Cinnamon Roll from Cinnabon. It's so, so good!Not only does this Maple Butter Sauce have less than half of the sugar of regular maple syrup, these Grain-Free Pancakes are also more nutritious. Almonds are a good source of biotin, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper and calcium. In addition, their composition of healthy fats, protein and fiber help with feelings of satiety and blood sugar balance, both of which help with weight loss and heart health. But there's more to it than that. Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fats, which research shows are good for cholesterol levels, and evidence shows that magnesium is good for blood pressure. Add to it the antioxidant potential of the vitamin E, copper and manganese and almonds are a nutritional powerhouse! (source, source)

Make your next pancake breakfast more nutritious, allergy-friendly and lower in sugar with these gluten-free and vegan Pancakes with Cinnabun Sauce!

Here are a few tricks you need to know to make these pancakes:

Gluten-free and vegan pancakes cooking to perfection on the All-Clad 11" square griddle

Use potato starch! Tapioca starch does an excellent job of making my Grain-Free Tortillas stretchy and pliable, but it makes these pancakes gummy on the inside. Be sure to use potato starch for pancakes that are thick and fluffy.

Cook at low heat! Not only does almond flour burn easily, but using a low heat setting on your burner allows the inside of the pancakes to cook before the outside burns. I set my burner at 2.6 out of 9.

Use a good griddle! I just replaced the one I had for years. While the one I had was okay and last several years (Cuisinart), I love the All Clad Griddle I just bought! It is free of PFOS, one of the toxins that is sometimes found in non-stick pans. I wanted to avoid those toxins as much as possible without going back to a ceramic griddle, which I tried several years ago and did not like.

And with that, let's get on with the recipe so you can make these delicious Grain-Free Pancakes with Maple Butter Sauce for Pancake Day!

These pancakes are a more nutritious, allergy-friendly, and reduced-sugar option for National Pancake Day

Grain-Free Pancakes Gluten-free | Grain-free | Vegan | Dairy-free | Egg-free | Sugar-FreePrep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 15 minutesTotal Time: 20 minutesMakes about 6 pancakes Ingredients:- 2 cups almond flour- ¾ cup potato starch- 1 Tbsp baking powder- ¼ tsp salt- ½ cup applesauce- 1 ¼ cup water or plain and unsweetened non-dairy milk Directions: Get a griddle heating to LOW – MEDIUM-LOW heat (I use a setting of 2.8 out of 9). In a large bowl, wisk together the dry ingredients. Wisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the dry. Wisk together until smooth. Spread 1 teaspoon of coconut oil around the griddle and wait 1 minute to let the oil get hot. Drop batter onto the griddle by the 1/2 cup. The batter will be slightly thicker than typical pancake batter, so use the back of the measuring cup to spread it a little. Let it cook for a few minutes, or until the top starts to look dry around the edges and the bottom is slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the other side is slightly browned, as well. Remove from heat and let set for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy with Maple Butter Sauce (recipe below). Maple Butter SauceVegan Option | Dairy-free Option | Reduced SugarMakes about 18 ounces Ingredients:- ¾ cup (6 oz) maple syrup - ½ can (about 7 oz) coconut milk - ½ cup (1 stick) of butter (Spectrum or Nutiva non-hydrogenated Shortening for vegan option) - 1/8 tsp cinnamon Directions: Heat maple syrup and coconut milk in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Once it’s at a simmer, remove it from the heat and wisk while adding the butter or vegan butter, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Add cinnamon and wisk well. Drizzle over pancakes and enjoy!

These gluten-free and vegan pancakes are more nutritious than regular pancakes and taste like a cinnamon roll with the Cinnabun Sauce, which has half the sugar of maple syrup!

This pancake recipe was inspired by a post by The Daily Dietribe that is no longer available. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "tastea-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "search"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Blanched Fine Almond Flour"; amzn_assoc_default_search_phrase = "almond flour blanched fine"; amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "a7449983c6c121f3d73658ac0ba6df47"; Disclosure: this post includes affiliate links for convenience. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

No comments

, by Unknown

cocktail

Tart Cherry Bourbon Cocktail - Low Sugar & Antioxidant Rich

Did I say tart cherry bourbon cocktail?Yes, yes I did. Not only do I dislike cloyingly sweet cocktails, I also have a thing for making food that's extra nutritious but still tastes great. I sneak vegetables into your chili and ground pumpkin seeds into your cookies. Now I'm trying to sneak powerful antioxidants into your booze. Somebody stop me! Actually, don't. This cocktail is delicious! The tart cherry juice takes the edge off the bourbon without completely covering up the flavor or making this cocktail too sweet (it's not too tart, either). It's also extremely simple, easy to make and affordable (if you use affordable bourbon). So why not sneak some antioxidant-rich tart cherry juice into your adult beverage?Tart cherries have been studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect in the body. In particular, tart cherries may help with muscle soreness after exercise and with the symptoms of osteoarthritis and gout (source, source). Tart Cherries may even help you sleep, since they are a natural source of melatonin!There are some expensive tart cherry juices to be found on the shelves, but I've found a few different brands that work well for this cocktail and are affordable and widely available:

R.W. Knudsen Organic Just Tart Cherry: this one is my favorite! It has the smoothest, most pleasant flavor and it's organic which means no pesticides were used to grow the cherries. I've seen it available for anywhere from $6 to $8 a bottle, which is $0.25 or less per drink.

Cheribundi Tart Cherry Juice: this also has a wonderful, smooth flavor. Interestingly, it's a combination of tart cherry and apple juice, even though that was not obvious when I compared the flavor. This one costs about the same as the R.W. Knudsen Just Tart Cherry, although it's also available in a 8 oz bottle that can be purchased for as little as $2.15 at Natural Grocers.

Simple Truth Tart Cherry 100% Juice: I'm sure other large grocery chains also have their own brand of tart cherry juice, but King Soopers is close to me and I found this there, so I'm sharing it with you! It was on sale for only $3.50 per bottle, which is the least expensive by far. It's flavor was my least favorite, but just by a hair.

All of these are good options that are widely available at health food stores or even large grocery stores. Just look for 100% tart cherry juice since it will provide more antioxidants than a juice blend.

The 3 best and most affordable tart cherry juices for making a Tart Cherry Bourbon Cocktail: R.W. Knudsen Just Tart Cherry, Simple Truth Tart Cherry 100% Juice, and Cheribundi Tart Cherry Juice

Whatever tart cherry juice or bourbon you choose, relax and enjoy your cocktail, because not only are you getting the apparent health benefit from one alcoholic beverage a day, you are consuming a load of powerful antioxidants along with it that may help your joints and muscles feel better. You may even sleep better. All of these benefits from a drink "mixer" that only adds about 4 grams of naturally-occurring sugar to your cocktail. Cheers! Ingredients:For one drink- 1 ounce bourbon- 1 ounce tart cherry juice- ice Directions: Add the bourbon and tart cherry juice to a tumbler with ice. Give it a quick stir and enjoy!

This cocktail is easy to make! Only ingredients are bourbon and tart cherry juice. No added sugar! Perfect for those who don't like overly sweet drinks or are on a low-carb diet. Or anyone who appreciates the health benefits of tart cherries!

No comments

, by Unknown

gluten-free

Christmas Cookies for Santa - Grain-free, Paleo, Low-Carb, Vegan

One of my fondest holiday memories from my childhood is the years we left Christmas cookies out for Santa. Since I enjoyed it so much, I've made it a tradition to make Christmas cookies with my kids on Christmas Eve and put a plate out for Santa. They enjoy every part of it, from licking the beaters after we make the frosting, to decorating the cookies, to preparing the plate for Santa, to seeing nothing but crumbs the next morning. It's just so fun!The past couple of years, I've used a gluten-free and vegan Christmas cookie recipe that tastes great, but it uses a combination of gluten-free flours and more sugar than I use any other time of year. As much as I've enjoyed the recipe, it was time for a different one. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "tastea-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "search"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Christmas Cookie Cutters"; amzn_assoc_default_search_phrase = "Christmas cookie cutters"; amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "61a885e25f5c5d367fd8dc0dcfe152ab"; amzn_assoc_rows = "1";

Made from almond flour, these cookies are grain-free, Paleo / Primal, vegan, and extra nutritous!

I wanted a cookie recipe that used almond flour so they would be low-carb and as nutrient dense as a cookie could be. I also wanted a frosting recipe that cut way back on the sugar. I found a couple of recipes that inspired me. In fact, the recipes were so good that I just sort of merged the two! I ended up using a combination of this Paleo sugar cookie recipe from Jake's Gluten-free Market and this grain-free cut-out cookie recipe from Powerhungry.com. It resulted in cookies that kept their shape, are perfectly tender and crisp, and absolutely delicious!To make these wonderful cookies I used Honeyville almond flour that I bought at Costco for around $15 to $18. Costco typically has one or two brands of almond flour in stock for this price, but it's not the only place you can buy almond flour at a reasonable price! Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage sells a large bag of almond flour in the refrigerated bulk section for around $20, and you can find almond flour on Amazon. Just be sure to buy almond flour that is fine ground and made with blanched almonds for the best results! amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "tastea-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "search"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Almond Flour Blanched Fine"; amzn_assoc_default_search_phrase = "blanched fine almond flour"; amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "0ed822cead71408f95542113da94ea3c"; amzn_assoc_rows = "1"; Of course, once I baked wonderful cookies I had to figure out how to make the perfect frosting! In the past, I've used either traditional icing made from lots of powdered sugar and a little (non-dairy) milk or traditional buttercream frosting, which is also made with a lot of powdered sugar. But neither of those would do because I was on a mission to make frosting with less sugar! Enter Camilla's recipe for coconut cream frosting from Powerhungry.com. I admit, I had my doubts. After all, I didn't want my Christmas cookies to taste like coconut. But I was surprised how good this frosting tasted when I followed the recipe, and even more surprised after I made a few tweaks! I didn't want to have to refrigerate the frosting to thicken it up, so instead I added arrowroot and just a tiny bit of xanthan gum. I also added just a little bit of almond flavoring. You have to be careful with almond flavoring because it is so powerful, but in this case, a little is magical! It covers up the slight coconut flavor that the frosting had and compliments the flavor of the almond flour cookies perfectly. And the frosting set up well. Woo hoo!

Delicious cut-out cookies that are gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo / Primal, low-sugar, low-carb and vegan!

So there you have it: my new Christmas cut-out cookie recipe that has a lot more nutrients and a lot less sugar than frosted sugar cookies typically have. In fact, since all I use is a little bit of honey to sweeten both the cookies and frosting, I'd consider these cookies low-sugar and low-carb! Don't forget, these Christmas cut-out cookies are also grain-free, gluten-free, Paleo, Primal, and they can be made vegan. If you think these cookies sound healthy, you are right. Eat up, Santa!

Made from almond flour with coconut cream frosting, these cutout cookies are gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo / Primal, and can be made vegan. They're also low-carb since they're made with just a little honey instead of sugar!

Christmas Cut-Out CookiesGluten-free | Grain-free | Vegan | Paleo | Primal | Low-Sugar | Low-CarbMakes about 18 medium-large cookies Ingredients: - 2 cups almond flour
-   ¼ cup softened butter (Spectrum brand butter-flavored shortening if vegan)
-   ¼ cup honey
-   ½ tsp baking soda
-   ½ tsp salt
-   ½ tsp vanilla extract
-   ¼ tsp almond flavoring
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Wisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, wisk together the honey, vanilla and almond flavoring. Add the butter and wet ingredients to the dry and mix together with a sturdy spoon. If your butter is soft enough, you may be able to mix the dough thoroughly with the spoon. If your butter is not soft enough to mix easily, you may need to lose the spoon and use your hands to break up and knead the remaining butter. When you are done, you will have a ball of dough that you can wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

After the dough has refrigerated for 1-2 hours, remove from plastic and roll out between two pieces of parchment paper until about ¼ inch thick. Use a wet cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Remove the excess dough from around the shape, put your hand under the parchment paper and gently push up to remove the cookie from the parchment paper. Put the cookies on the parchment paper at least 1 inch apart.

Bake for about 9 minutes, being careful not to let the edges or bottoms turn brown (even slightly burned almond flour can taste bitter). Let cool before removing from the pan or frosting.

Coconut Cream Frosting Ingredients: -  ½ cup coconut cream
-  2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
-  1 Tbsp non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring (not vanilla extract)
-   ¼ tsp almond flavoring
-  1/8 tsp xanthan gum, if needed Directions: Scoop the solidified coconut cream off the top of a can of coconut milk (it will leave clear coconut oil in the can). Put it in a bowl with the arrowroot powder and vanilla flavoring and wisk until smooth.

Let the frosting sit while the cookies cook and cool so that it can thicken. If it is still too runny, 1/8 tsp xanthan gum can be added. Let it sit for another hour after adding xanthan gum so the frosting can thicken up.Frost the cookies and immediately add decorations, if desired.

Healthy cut-out cookies that are made from almond flour with coconut cream frosting! Grain-free, gluten-free, Paleo / Primal, low-sugar and low-carb and can be made vegan.

I hope you enjoy making these Christmas cut-out cookies with your kids! My kids taste-tested these and devoured them. Hopefully your kids - and Santa - enjoy them as much as my family did!

No comments

, by Unknown

Older
Stories

About me

Lots of people think they are limited to tasteless food when they switch to a healthy or restricted diet. Well my name is Laura, and I started this blog to prove that wrong! I share all sorts of recipes here, from Paleo to vegan, Whole30 to AIP. All are gluten-free, low-glycemic, extra nutritious and delicious. If you have a craving for taste, it's my hope that you find something to satisfy it here!

Follow Me

Pinterest
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Linked In

Subscribe to Taste Abounds

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Pages

Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins - Grain-free, Vegan, Paleo

Inflammation Fighting Peach Smoothie with Probiotics

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken - Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Low-Carb

Flourless Banana Nut Muffins - Vegan, Paleo, No Added Sugar

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie with Coffee! Gluten-free, Paleo & vegan

Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps - Grain-free, Dairy-free, Low-Carb, Paleo

Fluffy Grain-Free Pancakes with Maple Butter Sauce - Gluten-free, Vegan, Reduced-Sugar

Tart Cherry Bourbon Cocktail - Low Sugar & Antioxidant Rich

Christmas Cookies for Santa - Grain-free, Paleo, Low-Carb, Vegan

About me

Follow Me

Pinterest

Like me on Facebook

recent posts

Proud Member of the

As Seen On

Popular Posts

Featured Post

Pliable Nut-free Pumpkin Seed (Pepita) Tortillas - Grain-free, Paleo, Whole30, Vegan