snack

Banana Coffee smoothie Recipe

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This simple recipe stemmed from my love of coffee and smoothies, it is vegan and gluten free. The flavour was exactly what I wanted, so if you’re tired of your usual smoothies and need a caffeine kick, give this a try. It can be a breakfast, snack or a pre-workout meal in my case, the best part is you can modify it by adding any vanilla protein powder you like.

I like adding cacao nibs and chia seeds at the end of making my smoothie because it adds fibre and nutrients, but also because I enjoy the texture. If simply drinking a smoothie is fine for you then you can omit this last step, but personally like the crunch.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/2-1 cup almond milk (or any plant-based milk)
  • 2 tsp instant coffee or 1 shot of espresso
  • 1 tsp cacao nibs or cacao powder
  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 1/2-1 Scoop protein powder (I used Organifi’s Vanilla)

STEPS:

  1. Blend frozen bananas, coffee, almond milk, protein powder and cacao nibs in a powerful blender. (I used my nutribullet)
  2. Pulse your blender if needed.
  3. Pour in a glass and mix in the chia seeds.

I hope you enjoyed this blogpost, thank you for reading. Feel free to like and follow for more recipes like this one, xoxo.

Banana ‘Nice’ Cream (vegan)

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Craving ice cream but not the guilt that comes with? This recipe is definitely for you. ‘Nice’ cream is a great low calorie, vegan option that takes little time to make. The best part is you can adapt this recipe to your taste so that you don’t even taste the banana.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup Frozen Banana (I used sliced ripe bananas)
  • 1-2 tbsp plant-based milk (I used almond)
  • 1 tbsp cacao powder

Optional

  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cacao nibs
  • liquid stevia or agave syrup

STEPS

  1. Using a powerful Blender (I used a Nutribullet) blend the frozen banana until smooth. Add 1-2tbsp of almond milk to ease the process and pulse it at first.
  2. Once smooth, add any spices, flavourings and cacao nibs and blend further. The cacao nibs reinforce that chocolate flavour.
  3. Spoon the Nice cream into a bowl and top with granola and fruits or any nuts and seeds of your choice.

Other good flavour combos are Acai and frozen blueberries, coffee and cacao nibs, strawberries and coconut flakes. I hope you try out this recipe and let me know how it goes. This is great for dessert or even for breakfast! Thank you for reading and please like and follow for more delicious recipes, xoxo.

Healthy Banana Bread

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This is a recipe I made three times in a row until I ran out of bananas. Seriously, it’s that good. As always, this is a dairy free, gluten free recipe and I mean, who doesn’t love banana bread? It’s easy to make and tastes like a slice of heaven, so here’s what you need.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 cup gluten free flour (any mix will do)
  • 3 medium sized bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup almond milk (or any milk)
  • 1/4 cup erythritol/stevia blend (or coconut sugar/ monk fruit sweetener)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • Blueberries or cacao nibs (optional)

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Steps

1. Mash the bananas with a fork or in a blender until smooth.

2. Add in the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, coconut oil and sugar to the bananas and mix well. (Ingredients should be at room temperature to prevent the coconut oil from solidifying)

3. Mix both flours and fold but to not over mix. Gradually add in the milk, if you want a more dense bread add in less milk, but I prefer mine light so I usually add 3/4 cup, but depending on your choice of gluten free flour you may need to adjust this.

4. Line a loaf pan with baking paper and pour the batter in. This is optional but you can add slices of banana, blueberries or cacao nibs as a topping.

5. Bake for 15-20 mins at 190ºC, allow the top to brown a little and let it cool before removing. I usually keep mine in the fridge in the same pan and wrapped in the baking paper and I do not slice it beforehand to keep in moist.

I hope you try out this recipe, if you had to pick one, I would definitely recommend this one. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy it and please follow for more recipes like this one, xoxo.

Healthy Homemade Granola

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This is a gluten free, dairy free and nut free recipe that I’m sure you’ll enjoy! It can be eaten with yoghurt, milk or as a snack. You can alter this recipe to your taste and add or switch any ingredients you’d prefer. The base mainly consists of rolled oats, coconut oil, and honey, you can add in seeds, nuts or dried fruit if you like.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups GF rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup sunflower/ pumpkin / hemp seeds
  • 1/4 cup cacao nibs
  • 1/3 cup coconut flakes
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp honey / maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla powder / 1 tbsp raw cacao
  • You can also add dried fruit – dried figs, berries.

 

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Steps:

  1. Mix together the rolled oats, seeds, cacao nibs and coconut flakes.
  2. Melt coconut oil and honey together either in a microwave or in a saucepan on low heat.
  3. Add the liquid to the dry and fold well to make sure your granola is well coated. Add in vanilla and cinnamon.
  4. Spread the mixture over a tray lined with baking paper.
  5. Bake for 10 mins on 170 º C or until it turns golden. (The granola will burn easily so make sure to keep an eye on it)
  6. Let it cool down and store in an airtight jar.

 

I hope you enjoyed this quick recipe and that you come back for more. Thank you for reading, and make sure to let me know if you try this one out, xoxo.

 

 

Healthy Donut Recipe

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When I was a child, I was obsessed with donuts and growing up, I can admit I’m still pretty in love with them. However, I know that they aren’t the healthiest because they are packed with sugar and deep-fried, so I finally came up with the right recipe to remedy that. It took a couple of tries to get this one right, it won’t have the same exact texture as a regular donut but it’s a close second.

This is a gluten, dairy and sugar-free recipe and it is simply delicious!

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup gluten free flour ( I used Neofoods’s all purpose gf flour)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup erythritol/stevia blend (you can also use monk fruit or coconut sugar) I used a zero calorie sweetener, so calories may vary depending on the sweetener you use.
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

 

STEPS

  1. Whisk together the egg, milk and coconut oil until well incorporated.
  2. Add in the vanilla, baking powder and sugar.
  3. Fold in the flours and pour the batter into greased donut pans (I used coconut oil)
  4. Bake in a preheated oven for about 10-15 mins on 170ºC or until slightly golden.

 

TIPS

  • I added cacao nibs to my mix, you can also add in blueberries or any other fruit.
  • You can add a chocolate glaze, for a vegan option mix coconut oil with cacao powder at a 1:3 ratio. You can also use melted coconut butter or almond butter.
  • Be careful when using sugar blends, stevia tends to have a bitter taste which is why I used a mix of stevia and erythritol.
  • Make sure your wet ingredients are room temperature or your coconut oil may solidify.
  • I prefer my batter a little more on the runny or thin side, if it’s too thick, your donuts may be too dense. Mix well before adding any more flour or liquid as the consistency will thicken up with the almond flour.
  • Avoid overcooking them by piercing them with a fork, the moment your fork comes out clean, turn the oven off. If you’re afraid they are slightly undercooked leave them in the closed oven.

 

  • Servings: 6
  • Calories: 150
  • Time: 20-25 mins

 

Thank you for reading, I hope you try out this recipe. Let me know down in the comments if you do and please follow for more guilt-free treats like this one, xoxo.

 

 

Low Carb Crackers

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These low carb crackers are a delicious savoury snack that you can make in 15 minutes. All you need are three ingredients, that you may already have in your kitchen if you are low carb. This is such a simple recipe that you can make in batches to keep over the week, by simple doubling the recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • spices (optional)

 

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Directions:

  1. Combine the almond flour, salt and spices of your choice together.
  2. Mix in the beaten egg to form a dough.
  3. Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper.
  4. Cut the rolled out dough into any desired shape.
  5. Bake in the oven on a baking sheet for 10 mins at 170º C or until they harden.
  6. Leave them to cool completely before taking them out.

 

Tips:

  • If you’re using almond meal (which is coarser) you only need half an egg.
  • Make sure your dough is evenly rolled out or it will cook inconsistently.
  • For spices I like to use garlic and thyme.
  • These are great with any dip or toppings.

 

Servings: 12 crackers (0.3 cm thick)

Calories: 50

 

I hope you all enjoyed this recipe, please let me know down in the comments if your do try it out. Thank you for reading and I hope you’ll stay for more, xoxo.

 

Healthy Lemon Blueberry Bars

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These lemon bars are literally one of my favorite recipes ever! They are gluten free, dairy free, low carb and guilt free. Lemon and blueberries are a perfect combination in this delicious recipe and I guarantee you won’t want to miss out on this one.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup of warm water
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries
  • Zest of two lemons
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Stevia (to taste)

Step 1: combine the eggs, vanilla, coconut oil, water, and stevia. (Tip: make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature to prevent the coconut oil from solidifying.)

Step 2: add in the almond flour, coconut flour and baking powder and mix well.

Step 3: now fold in the blueberries, lemon zest and juice.

Step 4: line a baking tin with baking sheet and spread your batter evenly.

Step 5: bake in the oven for 15-20 mins at 170°C. Put a fork through to check if the bars are fully cooked through.

Step 6: allow them to cool and slice them into bars or squares.

Level : easy

Prep Time : 15 mins

Cooking Time : 15 – 20 mins

Calories : 90

Servings : 9

Vegan Snack Bars

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This recipe is an updated version of my older recipes. It’s a great snack for people on a gluten free and vegan diet. They’re my take on the snack bars we usually buy. Energy bars on the market often contain tons of sugar and preservatives and while they are advertised as being ‘healthy’, they are actually high in unnecessary calories, thus prohibiting weight loss. People often consume two to three of these bars daily, thinking they’re healthier, but that is a common misconception. Which is why I decided to make my own, now these bars last up to 2-3 weeks in the fridge and the recipe makes about 10 bars. The recipe can be adjusted to your preference, I’ve chosen a combination I enjoy, but you can experiment with others if you like. (Cocoa nibs and coconut are also a favourite of mine)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups of gluten free rolled oats
  • 3 medium sized bananas
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup dried goji berries
  • 2 tbsp almond milk
  • 1tbsp chia seeds

Step 1: Blend the oats in a blender or food processor to obtain a grainy oat flour. Pour the oats into a bowl and mix in the cinnamon, chia seeds and berries.

 

Step 2: In another bowl mash the banana with a fork and add in the almond milk and vanilla.

Step 3: Fold the banana mixture into the dried ingredients to make a dough.

Step 4: Line a baking tin with parchment paper and spread the dough using a spatula or your hands.

Step 5: Bake at 170 ºC for 10-15mins. Check on them regularly as they cook pretty fast, once your fork cannot stick right through the bars, they are cooked.

Step 6: Once they’ve cooled, cut them up into bars and store them in the fridge.

 

I hope you try out this recipe, let me know  down in the comments if you do. Thank you for reading and please follow for more posts like this, xoxo.