Recipes

Admittedly, these whoopie pies are far from red. As you may know, I avoid artificial food coloring at all costs. Normally, beet powder works well for red food coloring. But in this case, it wasn't enough to turn the whoopie pies red, despite the fact that the batter looked perfect! So instead, I decided to dye the frosting red and make these whoopie pies look festive for Valentine's Day. These tasty treats are gluten-free and sugar-free. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

This is hands-down my favorite dish for the holidays! It's hearty, yet clean and won't leave you feeling, well, stuffed. If you're spending this holiday at home or alone, this dish is a great option! Not only does it reheat well, it makes for an amazing breakfast, especially when topped with an egg or two. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

This time of year, I'm always reluctant to recognize that summer is coming to an end. So today I'm sharing one of my favorite simple recipes that incorporates some of my favorite summer flavors. These energy balls serve as a great pre- or post-workout snack, take less than 10 minutes to make and will keep in the refrigerator for several days!

I'll admit, I don't have much of a green thumb, which is why I grow zucchini. They tend to do well in Denver's dry climate and don't take much skill to grow. This year is no exception, and I've had more zucchini than I know what to do with! Zucchini is great to add to baked goods, as it's a nutrient-dense and low-calorie means by which to add moisture and texture to your baked goods. This almond cake contains vitamins and minerals from the zucchini, and it is also free of grains, dairy and sugar. I made this cake with monkfruit to keep the sugar content low, but you could certainly substitute an unrefined sugar (e.g. coconut sugar) if you'd prefer! Similarly, feel free to use regular ghee if you're not trying to avoid dairy. Enjoy!

There's no question about it - I absolutely love to incorporate floral essences when baking. Not only do cherries compliment lavender, but I associate cherries with summer baking, so it seemed like a natural choice to create this recipe! These muffins could be made with granulated sugar, but I chose to use granulated monkfruit to keep the sugar content low. I hope you enjoy these seasonally-inspired muffins as much as I do!

Pineapple upside down cake is one of my all-time favorite treats, especially in the summer! This version is free of refined sugars, grains, and dairy. I purchased my canned pineapple and sweet cherries from Natural Grocers, so there were no icky sweeteners in those ingredients either!

These cupcakes are an awesome thing to bake if you're looking for a cleaner sweet treat this time of year. Now listen, they aren't the prettiest, but they're also free of food-coloring and hydrogenated oils. Did you know that Red No. 3 is a known carcinogen?! So instead, I used beetroot powder to add a bit of red color. Don't go overboard on the beetroot powder unless you want your cupcakes and frosting to taste like beets! Also, remember to choose organic strawberries - they are #1 on the EWG's "Dirty Dozen" list for 2020. Let me know what you think of this recipe!

I attribute my love of baking to my mother. She has an inherent knack for whipping up some sort of amazing bread or cake without any recipe. When she first taught me to bake, she introduced the process as a science. I learned the "laws" of baking and became adept at following a recipe. But, as our diets have evolved (we both avoid grains and dairy), we have individually adapted our baking styles and have shared our lessons and tips with one another along the way. One of my favorite recipes that I ever made with my mom was far from grain-free and dairy free: A 6-layer coconut cake that called for 2 cans of heavy cream, 2lbs of butter and a lot of flour and sugar. Each layer was glazed, and between the layers was a thick coconut cream. It was one of our favorites. It was such a process to make, but it was worth every bit of work. So, for Mother's Day this year I decided to try to reproduce this cake without the dairy, grains and refined sugar. I have a feeling it won't be quite the same, but I also know that it contains ingredients that won't leave me feeling sick. I left out the cream filling between the layers this time, but I will undoubtedly try to make this cake again layers and all (stay tuned for that recipe!). So, this one's for you, Mom. I love you.

We have a serious love for pancakes around our house. But, we also do our due diligence to avoid refined sugars, grains and dairy. Fortunately, there are plenty of...