Banana Muffins

3 large or 4 small ripe, mashed bananas

1/4 c butter, melted
1 Tbsp coconut oil

4 x-large eggs

 

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 Tbsp cider vinegar 

1/2 c coconut flour
1/4 c. xylitol or 1/3 c. erythritol

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp guar gum (optional)

pinch of salt

 

Directions

Combine bananas, butter and oil. Mix well. Add eggs, honey, vanilla and cider vinegar. Whisk or blend until smooth. 

 

Add dry ingredients one at a time and whisk after each addition.

Transfer batter to parchment-cup lined, or well-greased muffin pan and bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Makes 16 muffins.

 

Chocolate Coconut Butter (BONUS Recipe for sugar free, low carb coconut clusters)

2 c toasted coconut flakes (unsweetened)
2 c unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 c coconut oil
3 droppers English toffee stevia
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 c raw cacao powder (or cocoa)
1/2 tsp stevia glycerite

In a powerful blender or food processor, process the coconut oil and coconut flakes until they are liquefied. Depending on your blending method this will take awhile.  Add remaining ingredients and process.

To make EASY Coconut Clusters - 
Mix equal parts of the chocolate coconut butter and unsweetened flakes coconut. Drop by rounded spoonfuls on a piece of parchment and freeze until set. Will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. May un-solidify if left out above 74 degrees.

Protein Blueberry Bread (nut free, low carb, sugar free)

Alright my friends...I have found something crazy. Pork rinds, ground up, create a pretty amazing flour substitute. (Be careful that your pork rinds don't have a lot of crap in them...you want them to have 2 ingredients...pork skin and salt. Nothing else. Nothing would ruin a blueberry bread like a BBQ flavored flour. Gross.)

I have been having a  blast playing with the ZERO carb flour...seriously, it's like a match made in heaven. It's tricky though...to much pork rind without another flour makes for a chewy (not in a good way), rubbery texture that is nothing to write home about. However, used in addition to other ingredients, it's pretty awesome. We really enjoyed this bread/cake. The batter can also be used to make "muffin tops", on a cookie sheet without a muffin top pan. Double score, right?


(Notes - if you use sugar and not a sugar substitute, this will no longer be low carb...)

Double Protein (Pork Rind) Blueberry Bread

1/2 c butter, softened

3/4 c erythritol (or 1/2 c. birch xylitol or white sugar)

1/2 tsp powdered stevia (or 1/2 c. brown sugar)

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder (or 1 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tarter)

1 cup pork rind flour (simply food process or use a high speed blender until it's finely ground)

1/2 c. unflavored whey or egg white protein powder (I use NOW Whey - off Amazon) 

1/2 c. coconut flour

3/4 c. milk of choice (almond, coconut, dairy)

1 Tbsp unflavored gelatin

2.5 c. frozen blueberries (Wild Maine work best, because they are small)

Beat butter, sweeteners and eggs until well combined. Add milk, baking powder and gelatin & beat well.  Add flours and mix until just combined. Fold in frozen blueberries and pour into a parchment lined loaf pan (8x4)

Bake at 350 for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool, store in the fridge. For an extra special breakfast, toast in a frying pan that has been coated in melted butter...yum!

(Lindsey Slattery is 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. This costs you nothing, but if you purchase items that I recommend, I will receive a small percentage of the item's cost.)

Pumpkin Biscotti Cookies - Low carb, gluten and grain free, sugar free

Pumpkin Biscotti Cookies - Low carb, gluten and grain free, sugar free

2 ¼ cups almond flour

1/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 egg
1 Tbsp coconut flour

½ tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

60 drops of liquid stevia

Mix all of the dry ingredients in the food processor. Add the egg, stevia and pumpkin puree. Process until it all comes together.

Work the dough with your hands into 2 small loaves on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until they are set and cool enough to handle.

Cut biscotti pieces with a sharp, serrated knife and spread the pieces out on the parchment.

Return to oven for 10-12 minutes, turn oven off and leave in for a couple of hours or until they are dried out to your liking.

If serving within 24 hours, simply package in an airtight container and leave on the counter. If serving later, freeze them – they’re good both frozen and defrosted.

Delicious, both with coffee and without.

Microwave Sugar Free Blueberry Cake (Coconut Flour - gluten and grain free)

2 Tbsp coconut Oil
1 egg
1/4 + 1/8 cup almond/coconut milk
30 drops of liquid stevia (20 flavored cinnamon, 10 regular)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c (scant) coconut flour
1/3 c blueberries
1 tsp cinnamon

Using a microwave safe bowl - I use a 4 c. Pyrex glass measuring cup, melt the coconut oil for 30 seconds or so. Whisk the milk into the hot oil. Add the egg and whisk until all combined. Add liquid stevia, vanilla and cinnamon, whisk well. Add baking powder and xathan gum, sprinkling them over the top so that they don't clump, whisk well. Add flour and stif to combine. Add blueberries (fresh or frozen) and stir.

Flatten out the top and microwave for 4-6 minutes. Until you know how long it will take in your microwave, start with 4 minutes and go in intervals of 30 seconds until you hit 5 minutes, then start checking every 15 seconds. It should be set on the top...

Let it COOL!!! When it's hot it is kinda eggy...when it's cool, its delcious!

Store in the fridge...great low carb, high fiber breakfast!

Cranberry Apple Cheesecake Crumble

Crust and topping
3 cups almond meal
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Splenda granular
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1.5 Tbsp molasses
1 vanilla bean (paste from) or 2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher sea salt

Topping only
1/2 cup pecans, whole
2 Tbsp heavy cream

Filling
24 (3 blocks) ounces cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
5 droppers of vanilla stevia+20 drops regular stevia (or 1/2-3/4 sugar...depends on how sweet you like things)
1/2 c heavy cream
1 large Granny Smith apple (or 2 small)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups cranberry sauce (I used homemade cranberry apple...leftover from thanksgiving, of course!)

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In large bowl, combine almond meal, butter, Splenda, cinnamon, molasses, vanilla bean paste and salt. Mix until crumbly with your hands.

Dump approximately 1/3 of the crust mixture to form a thin bottom crust with your hands or spoon. Go up the sides about 1/2 an inch as well.

Add topping cream and pecans and mix.

In another bowl, use a hand mixer starting low and increasing to high speed until well blended, combine cream cheese, eggs, cream and stevia. Pour into crust.

Core apple and slice into very thin 1/2 circle sections. Arrange in circles around the edge of the cream cheese mixture, all the way to the middle. Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples. Spread the cranberry sauce over the apples.

Gently layer remaining crumble topping evenly over top. Bake for 45 minutes or until topping lightly browned and a sharp knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.