Dessert

Gluten-free Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

  My lovely friend, Madison of @beautyandthefeast came up with this gorgeous cheesecake recipe I am delighted to share it! It’s made with goat cheese and has less sugar than your traditional cheesecake. I absolutely love this recipe and if there was ever a time for cheesecake, it’s Thanksgiving!!! Enjoy!   Crust Ingredients:  1 packet gluten-free Oreo styled cookies 4 T of melted butter     Filling Ingredients:  11 oz. plain goat cheese 4 oz. cream cheese 3 oz. melted chocolate 2 eggs 1 ½ tsp. Vanilla extract ¼ C raw cacao powder ½ C vanilla Greek yogurt ¾ C coconut sugar Zest of one medium orange 1 T of fresh orange juice Pinch of salt   Directions:  1. Mix the crust ingredients in a food processor then press into the bottom of a springform pan and bake for 10 min. (I like to wrap Reynolds wrap around the outside of my pan to prevent any butter leaks).     2. Cream cheeses together then add sugar and melted chocolate and Greek yogurt.     3. Then add in eggs and vanilla mix well. 4. Add cacao powder, salt, zest and orange juice. Mix well then pour into crust.     5. Bake at 350 for about 45 min. Or until set.     6.  Drizzle a little melted dark chocolate on top just for looks! Enjoy!!                           © The Sown Life LLC, 2019      

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

  I love these cookies so much. They remind me of the Peanut Butter Blossoms that my Dad used to make but these have much cleaner ingredients and far less sugar.  They are grain-free and so a perfect choice for someone with an autoimmune disorder who is trying to limit grain in their diet.  For those who have nut allergies, I have made these with Sunflower seed butter and they are just as delicious.  For a pre-diabetic or type 2 diabetic, you can eliminate the coconut sugar and double the monk fruit sweetener.  This will keep the sugar remarkably low. You are not missing one thing with these cookies!  Enjoy!!!   Ingredients:  1 C creamy peanut butter ½ C coconut sugar ½ C Monkfruit sweetener (I like the Lakanto brand) 1 egg 1 tsp baking soda 4 TBS. Dark Chocolate Chips (I use Lilly’s) 1 tsp. coconut oil     Directions: 1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix together the peanut butter and both sugars on medium speed until combined and creamy.  3.  Add in the egg and baking soda and mix on medium until smooth. 4. Scoop out about 2 TBS. of dough and roll into balls. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. You can leave them to bake just like that or you can use a fork to press the dough down creating […]

Dark Chocolate Nut and Fruit Christmas Bark

  Ok, here we are, a few days before Christmas and I have come to the realization that I am not a good baker at all!  After the second attempt at some grain-free sugar cookies, that came out like sawdust, by the way… I threw them all in the trash and started on something much simpler.  Honestly, this Dark Chocolate Nut and Fruit Christmas Bark is more me anyway.  I don’t keep cookies around the house but this dark chocolate bar is on point for me! I used my favorite ingredients: goji berries, toasted almonds, coconut, and cacao nibs to add some nutritional density!  It turned out so much better than the cookies! Now I have a treat around the house that is lower in sugar and much healthier for me.  I hope your baking is turning out much better than mine.    Ingredients:  1 lb. dark chocolate bars (I use a large 1 pound Belgium chocolate bar from Trader Joes) ¼ C dried goji berries (you can use dried cherries or cranberries instead) ¼ C raw cacao nibs ⅓ C chopped toasted almonds 2 T shredded coconut Sprinkle of sea salt     Directions:  1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. On a parchment covered sheet pan, spread out almonds and roast for about 5-7 minutes or until slightly brown.     3. Remove almonds from the sheet pan onto a wooden cutting board and chop. 4. On the same parchment paper-lined sheet pan, line up chocolate bars spaced apart. […]

Whole Grain Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Fall is here and it's time for all things Pumpkin.  These muffins are some of my favorites. I have been making these for years and they bring back so many memories of baking days with my kids when they were all living at home.  I am still making them for the last of the 5 kiddos and he loves them. This recipe initially came from the blog, Money Saving Mom, and I have tweaked it over the years to make them more nutrient dense.  They are both a treat and a healthy snack.  These are not difficult so give them a try.  Great way to celebrate a fall morning with a cup of coffee or tea. Ingredients: (makes 24-30 muffins) 4 eggs 1 cup raw cane sugar 3/4 cup coconut sugar 1 16oz. can pumpkin puree 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 3/4 cup avocado oil 3 cups Whole Wheat, Spelt or Kamut flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 package chocolate chips   Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Spray muffin tins with baking oil (I use coconut or avocado oil spray) or use paper liners. 3. Using a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until well blended. 4. Add the dry ingredients and blend well. 5. Add chocolate chips and stir in gently. 6. Fill muffins cups 3/4 of the way full. 7. Bake for 16-20 minutes. 8. Remove from muffin pan and [...]

Grain Free Gooey Chocolate Brownies

  This recipe is from Ambitious Kitchen and is unbelievable.  These brownies are so gooey, chocolatey and yum yum!!  If you have not visited Monique’s website…do it now.  She has the best recipes and especially for those whose health requires them to eat gluten or grain free. I have made a few tweaks to the recipe to make it even a bit more nutrient dense.  I absolutely love these and amazingly enough they only have 11 grams of sugar per brownie. Ingredients: 1 C tahini (sesame butter) ½  C coconut sugar ¼ C pure maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs ⅓ C unsweetened raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder) 1 T coconut flour ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt ⅓ C Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips For the chocolate drizzle: 2 T Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips 1 tsp coconut oil   Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9 inch baking pan with coconut cooking spray. (I prefer to use a round cake pan since I like my brownies in a pie slice) In a large bowl, combine the tahini, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and eggs until smooth and well combined. Gently fold in raw cacao powder, coconut flour, salt and baking soda until batter is smooth. Fold in 1/3 cup chocolate chips into the batter. This batter should be pretty thick. Spread batter evenly in prepared baking pan. Bake for 22-30 minutes or until knife inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. […]

Sprouted Spelt Toffee Bars

This recipe was shared with me by a dear friend many years ago when I had my twin boys. She made a meal for us and brought these delicious bars over for dessert and we just loved them! The original recipe has toffee, white flour brown sugar and butter. Not exactly healthy! But at the time when I was postpartum and breastfeeding twins, these bars really made me happy. There are lots of recipes like that I have a fondness for because of the memory associated with them and I didn’t feel guilty about eating and enjoying them at all. Now, for this time in my life, I’ve adapted some of these recipes to have lower sugar and use ingredients that don’t make me feel icky. I am so happy to have these comfort food recipes on hand that really hit the spot for special occasions. My heart is filled with gratitude and thankfulness for that time in my life that was tiring and beautiful but also made so sweet by friends who loved on me through yummy food. This recipe is still an indulgence, but I’ve lowered the sugar content considerably and used spelt flour instead of white bleached flour. I used coconut sugar which is also lower on the glycemic index and the extra dark chocolate chips don’t add much sugar either. Next time you want to make something sweet for a special occassion, give these a try! One small serving will not ruin your balanced eating plan. Ingredients: 1 cup of […]

Sown Life Apple Crisp

Fall is in full swing and that means I have been doing some more baking! Fresh, in season apples are so delicious and I love to use them any way I can this time of year. Crisps traditionally have a lot of added sugar and can be a very decadent dessert. Large quantities of sugar really does not appeal to my body so I always cut back on it when baking. This recipe has only 1/3 cup of coconut sugar in the whole dish as the sweetener. All the rest comes from the apples. I am not stingy with the butter as I believe that high-quality grass fed butter is so good for you. Plus the saltiness mixes beautifully with the sweet apples. Embracing life’s moments and the changing seasons is important! It helps us to stick to a healthy, balanced and nourishing lifestyle! Ingredients for filling: 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon juice For topping: ½ cup almond flour ½ cup gluten-free oats 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon ⅓  cup pecans, chopped  ⅓ cup coconut sugar  6 T salted butter   Directions:  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees 2. To make the filling: Peel, core and slice your apples. 3. In a medium bowl, combine apples, cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir together until apples are coated evenly. 4. To make topping: in a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, chopped pecans and coconut sugar. 5. Use a fork or fingers to mix butter until topping […]

Raw Oat and Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Sometimes I like to have treats around the house, especially during the Holidays! These Raw Oat Bars are pretty low in sugar and contain nutrient-dense ingredients I can get behind. The oats are especially good for hormone balance and I always sing the praises of coconut oil. Compared to something like a Resee’s cup these little bars are light years better for you! These are a treat and not something I make every single week, but they are an amazing option to have on hand during this time of year. I can make a decision that my tummy and health will thank me for! Dig in and enjoy this time of year!! Ingredients: 2C Organic Oats ⅓ C coconut oil 4T Organic peanut butter 2T Brown rice syrup ¼ C chopped dates ¼ C chopped pecans ¼ C dark chocolate chips ½ tsp salt Directions: 1. Melt together ⅓ cup coconut oil, 2T brown rice syrup, 4T Peanut Butter. 2. In a blender, pulse 2C oats and ½ tsp salt until they’re mostly broken down but still coarse. 3. Add the melted mix into the oats and blend until combined.   Then add ¼ C chopped dates, ¼ C pecans, and pulse just a few times to incorporate them. 4. Press into a 1/2-3/4” thick rectangle and place in the freezer to harden up – about 15-20 mins. 5. While they freeze, melt together 1T coconut oil and ¼ cup dark chocolate chips. 6. Pull the bars from the freezer, pour the […]

Madison’s Pumpkin Roll

Collaborations are so much fun for me! I love using this platform to highlight people in my life who I believe are truly talented and beautiful inside and out. Madison is definitely one of them. She is an accomplished cook and baker who makes incredible food for parties and special occasions.  I knew that it was only a matter of time before she would end up on the blog. You can find Madison on Instagram @beautyandthefeast. Her pumpkin roll came out splendidly. So much better than I could ever hoped to have done on my own. There is just something special that talented bakers have…patience!!   Madison makes it look easy! This pumpkin roll is a classic Christmas baking recipe that your family will love. Even though it is made the traditional way, with white flour and sugar, it is so delicious and one for the list of favorites.  I hope you enjoy bringing one of Madison’s family traditions into your home this Holiday Season!     Ingredients: ⅔ C canned or cooked mashed pumpkin 1C sugar 3 eggs ¾ C all purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon Powdered sugar   For the filling: 1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened 3T butter softened 1C powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla   Directions:  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then combine the first three ingredients in a stand mixer, blending well, then add the next 3 ingredients.  2. Grease 15x10x1 jellyroll pan and line with waxed paper and grease again. Spread […]

Gluten-free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Holidays! We have one more dessert recipe for you. Vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies! It seems like so many people (and their kids) are realizing their bodies don’t do well with gluten so this recipe satisfies a lot of dietary needs. Did I mention these cookies are rich, delicate and melt in your mouth delicious!? My dear friend Madison did an amazing job with this cookie recipe and I’m pretty sure Santa will approve of them! Savor the memory of making cookies with your kids and loved ones. This is the time to be free and allow yourself to enjoy all this season has to offer.   Ingredients: ½ C refined coconut oil at room temperature, creamy and soft and scoopable texture ½ C tahini, nice and thick, not too runny ½ C granulated sugar ⅓ C packed brown sugar ¼ C plant milk 1 ½  tsp vanilla extract 1 ¼ C gluten-free one to one flour 2 T cornstarch ¾ tsp pink Himalayan salt ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda 1 ¾ C chopped dark chocolate chips   Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat the coconut oil, tahini, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium for about 3 minutes until a smooth and creamy mixture is formed. Add the plant milk and the vanilla extract and mix another minute to combine.  2. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to […]