High Protein Coconut Muffins

These delicious and satisfying coconut muffins are high in protein and gluten-free.  Each muffin has half an egg and the flour is coconut flour, which is naturally gluten-free, high fiber, and yummy.  Coconut four is my favorite gluten-free flour.  This recipe also comes courtesy of Myra Kornfeld.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 3 T maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sifted coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Grease a 12 cup muffin pan (or use silicon cups)

Whisk together the eggs, butter, coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla.  In another bowl, mix together the coconut flour, salt and baking powder.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they start to brown on top. Makes 12 muffins.

© Myra Kornfeld. Author of The Healthy Hedonist, The Healthy Hedonist Holidays, and The Voluptuous Vegan.

Protein Packed Banana Pancakes

I love pancakes.  Unfortunately, pancakes can be a sure fire way to send your blood sugar soaring.  Not these puppies!  These pancakes are completely grain-free, therefore also gluten-free, and loaded with more protein than your average carbohydrate-filled breakfast.  And they are super simple to make.  Just combine all of the ingredients below into a blender or small food processor and your batter is ready to go.  

Ingredients

• 2 Eggs
• 1 large ripe banana
• 1 serving of protein powder (I use Innate Response's vanilla, vegan pea protein powder, it has 32 grams of protein)
• 1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• A bit of almond/coconut milk to thin batter to ideal consistency

Blend in your blender or food processor.  Pour batter in pools of desired size on a hot grill or skillet. (For convenience, make sure they are an appropriate size for your spatula.) Allow for a few bubbles to appear in batter and then flip over.  When they are cooked through- enjoy!

I love to top these with coconut oil.  You can use whatever toppings you want- even add sliced bananas for a real banana pancake feast!

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

I love homemade chocolate pudding.  It can be made many different ways.  It can be made raw, and all versions are vegan and gluten-free.  They all also pack in a bunch of super nutrient dense foods.  I tend to make it as a breakfast because it has raw cacao in it (which contains caffeine) so I don't like to eat it late in the day.  But, for those of you who metabolize caffeine quickly and can consume caffeine late in the day without affecting your sleep- feel free to eat this as a snack or dessert later.

I've included a few different ways that I've made chocolate pudding. For all of the following recipes, simply put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Simple Banana-Avocado Chocolate pudding

(This one is Raw)

• 1 avocado
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 dates (or 2 tsp of maple syrup)
• 2 Tbs raw cacao
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Simple Coconut-Chia Chocolate pudding

• Cream from 1 can of full fat coconut milk that was put in the fridge overnight (the cream will separate from the water in the fridge and rise to the top)
• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 Tbs raw cacao 
• 2 tsp maple syrup (or 2 dates)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• possibly: some coconut water from the coconut milk can if pudding is too thick

---Or you can do a combination of those two and make other versions such as:---

Coconut-Banana Chocolate pudding 

• Add banana to the Coconut Pudding. 

Coconut-Avocado Chocolate pudding

• Add avocado to the Coconut Pudding

Banana-Avocado-Chia Chocolate pudding

• Add chia seeds to the Avocado-Banana Pudding

You can add in additional goodies if you want, such as protein powder or maca powder.  You can also top your pudding with goji berries or other fruit.  Have fun! 

Almondbread

In a twist to a more traditional gingerbread, this is what I have deemed Almondbread because it uses predominately almond flour.  It looks kind of like corn bread but tastes sweeter.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of almond flour
• 1/2 cup of coconut flour
• 2/3 cup of maple syrup
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (dairy, almond or coconut)
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

In a large standing mixer bowl, cream butter and maple syrup together.  Beat in eggs. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add to wet mixture.  Blend until fairly smooth.  Pour into a pan.  (I used 13 x 9, slightly smaller would also work.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Recipe modified from Bob's Red Mill.

Breakfast Oatmeal Bake

One of the world's greatest warm, satisfying breakfasts!  It's very convenient: you make one batch and then you have breakfast for the week.  It is a balanced breakfast of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats.  And best of all, this recipe can be modified in lots of different ways to suit your tastes and the ingredients you have.

Ingredients

• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 3/4 cups gluten free oats
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

Directions

Soak oats overnight in buttermilk in a covered bowl.

Next Day:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Butter/oil an 8 x 11 baking pan
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. 
4. Stir in the soaked oats with the raisins, and hazelnuts. 
5. Spread evenly in the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until firm.
6. Cool and serve with extra butter.

Keeps refrigerated up to 1 week.

NOTE: You can add whatever you want to this recipe in terms of fillings.  You can swap the hazelnuts for another nut and/or swap out the fruit.  This raisin-hazelnut version just happens to be one of my favorites.  Get creative! 

Recipe modified from © Myra Kornfeld.  Author of The Healthy Hedonist, The Hedonist Holidays, and The Voluptutous Vegan.

 

Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars can make great snacks and on-the-go mini meals.  Unfortunately, most packaged granola bars that you can buy at the grocery store are full of added sugars and other potentially unsavory additives.

This recipes has no refined sugars and is full of healthy powerhouses such as chia seeds, cacao, coconut and raw nuts.

Dry ingredients

2/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup raw buckwheat groats
1/2 cup chopped almonds/walnuts/raw nut of choice (preferably pre-soaked)
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
4 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp cacao nibs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt

Wet ingredients

3/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup natural peanut/almond/other nut butter
2 T brown rice syrup
1 T maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8-inch square pan with coconut oil
2. Grind the raw buckwheat groats in high-speed blender/food processor until a fine flour forms
3. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
4. Mix all the wet ingredients in another bowl.
5. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well until combined.
6. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
7. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the bread is firm to touch.
8. Cool in the pan completely before removing and slicing into bars.

Recipe modified from ohsheglows.com