Category Archives: Dessert

$$$avers Dessert Gluten Free Low Carb Paleo Recipes

Three Ingredient Super-Healthy Chocolates

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healthy chocolate recipe

Virgin run of my new silicone heart mold.

I love, love, love this recipe is. I love how the basic recipe is only 3 ingredients and really doesn’t need anything else to achieve melt in your mouth deliciousness. I love that you can add all kinds of things to change it up. I love that you basically melt and stir and you’re done. So get out your microwave safe bowl and get to it.

Ingredients

1 cup coconut butter (this is the whole coconut pulverized, don’t use coconut oil or the resulting chocolate will melt in your hands)

1 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup honey

Instructions

Melt the coconut butter in the microwave or in a double boiler. Stir in the cocoa powder and honey. Pour into molds or onto parchment paper. Leave out to set or speed up the process by putting in the fridge.

When chocolate has set unmold or cut into squares. Store in fridge.

Variations

Stir 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, almond extract, mint extract, coconut extract, or orange extract into he chocolate mixture.

Stir 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper into the chocolate mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon green powder, maca powder, or mesquite powder to the chocolate mixture. These ingredients won’t enhance the flavor but they’ll add tons of healthiness to your candy 🙂

Cut the honey in half for a more bittersweet chocolate.

Use cocoa butter in place of the coconut butter.

Sprinkle large flakes of sea salt over the chocolate after pouring it into the mold or onto parchment.

Break up whole wheat pretzels and scatter over the chocolate after pouring into the mold.

There’s tons more that you can add to this recipe but I’m drawing the line here because I’m going to head to the kitchen to make another batch to bring to tomorrow’s beach picnic.

Just a note – I’ve been experimenting with this recipe and so far creamed honey tastes the best, although regular honey works fine. Maple syrup does not work – AT ALL. I’m working with adding peanut butter to see if it sets up. So much fun working with healthy candy recipes. It feels (slightly) virtuous eating candy made with good ingredients.

 

 

Dessert Gluten Free High Protein Kid Friendly Low Carb Recipes

The Easiest Chocolate Pudding You’ll Ever Make

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chocolate puddingWhile looking around my kitchen for something to satisfy a major sweet tooth attack I came up with quick and easy pudding which makes a nice snack, dessert or breakfast. This is actually faster to make than opening a box of Jello instant pudding and one serving = 3 net carbs! You can easily double or even quadruple this recipe and I’ll include those measurements below the instructions.

Ingredients

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese

1 large egg

3 tablespoons 3 carb/serving chocolate protein powder

Instructions

Soften the cheese in the microwave for 20 seconds. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Microwave for one minute. Stir and let rest for a minute so that the flavors blend and the pudding sets up a bit.

 

Double Batch

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

2 large eggs

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons 3 carb/serving chocolate protein powder

 

Quadruple Batch

1 cup mascarpone cheese

4 large eggs

3/4 cup 3 carb/serving chocolate protein powder

Dessert Gluten Free Kid Friendly Low Carb Recipes

Apple Pie For Breakfast? Count Me In!

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 This custard is a nod to apple pie a la mode with it’s rich creamy texture spiked with the traditional apple pie spices.  I make this custard for Thanksgiving celebrations and then continue making it throughout the year. It’s so healthy that we often eat it for breakfast! Who needs oatmeal when you have this custard waiting to greet you in the morning?

custard

The recipe below is my breakfast custard recipes so it’s not as sweet as a dessert would be. You can of course add extra sweetener or top with pureed berries. The apple pie spice (and surprisingly – the sea salt) helps to lend this dish a sweet flavor without adding extra sweetener.

You won’t want to make more than you can eat in two days. After that the custard starts to pull away from the sides of the dish and gets weepy (water starts to separate from the custard). You can however make a large batch of the custard, store it in the fridge for up to five days and then bake it as you want it. Store it in a pitcher, give it a good stir when you’re ready to bake, and you’re good to go any morning you just gotta have a custard, although because of the long cooking time I usually bake this up the night before.

Ingredients

6 large eggs

2 packets Stevia or monk fruit

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon apple pie spice

5 cups half and half

dash of sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325° F if baking in one big dish or 350° F. F if baking in individual servings.

Whisk together (or buzz in blender) eggs, maple syrup, spice, salt, and vanilla. When blended, whisk in milk. Pour into an 8×8 baking dish or six custard cups. Sprinkle the top with a little more apple pie spice or cinnamon. Carefully set the dish(es) in a larger pan filled half way with hot water. Carefully place in oven so that no water spills into the custard cups. Bake the 8×8 pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour; bake cups at 350° F. degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Custard is done when a knife inserted off-center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

Family Friendly

Drizzle maple syrup over the top of each serving.

 

This recipe is calculated for six servings at 8.5 net carbs for each serving.

Dessert Fruit Kid Friendly Recipes

Apple Pear Coconut Compote

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healthy breakfast recipe or low calorie dessert recipe

This is a very versatile recipe for a hot breakfast on a cold day or a light dessert. I used apples and pears because that’s what I had on hand, but you could use only apples or only pears or any combination of the two as long as it equals 6 pieces of fruit. To be honest with you I don’t always peel my fruit, especially when not cooking for company, but this recipe does taste better if you remove the peel and if you’re serving it to children you’ll find they’ll like it better without the peel. The peel is extra chewy and slightly bitter. Since I don’t like to waste food I save the peels to add to smoothies.

You don’t need to add the oatmeal or the coconut oil for this recipe to work, I added them because I wanted the health benefits of each and also I was going for a little bit of a fruit crumble/compote. If you don’t add the oatmeal you shouldn’t need to add the water. And yes, I know that adding the oatmeal means this isn’t really a compote, but I’m keeping the recipe name because I like how it sounds 🙂

P.S. You could use chia seeds instead of the oatmeal – your colon will thank you tomorrow!

Ingredients

4 apples
2 pears
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey or agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon powdered monk fruit or Stevia
1/4 teaspoon Stevia
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Peel and core the fruit. Set aside the peels to use in a smoothie for another day. Chop fruit into approximately 1/2 inch cubes. Place in saucepan over medium low heat. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes until your compote is the consistency you desire.

Beverages Dessert Fruit Kid Friendly Living Food Neutral Recipes Vegetarian

More Fruit Smoothie Recipes

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Basic Fruit Smoothie Instructions:

Place ingredients in a blender – a food processor won’t give you a smooth puree, an immersion blender will work, but not as easy as a counter top blender.

 

Mixed Fruit

1 frozen banana
2 cups mixed fruit
1 cup fresh fruit juice

 

Papaya – Nectarine

1 papaya, peeled, seeded, cut into chunks
1 medium nectarine, pitted, cut into chunks
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup nondairy milk

 

Creamy Pineapple

I prefer this shake made with dates, almond extract and orange juice, and no rum extract. But that’s me, you may love it without dates and with rum extract. When I make this drink for guests I make it how I like it, and pour it into glasses for some of my guests. Then I add the rum extract for the rest of my guests, and viola! everybody’s happy.

1/2 pineapple, cut into chunks
1 banana
1/4 can coconut milk(there is a light version that most supermarkets carry in the Asian foods section which I think tastes watery, but you can boost the flavor with coconut extract)
3 dates, chopped (or 2-3 tablespoons honey, date or maple sugar)
(almond extract )
(rum extract)
(juice from 1-3 oranges)
 

Creamy Pineapple Berry

This is a variation of our Creamy Pineapple Smoothie

1/2 pineapple, cut into chunks
1 banana
4 large strawberries, tops removed
1/4 can coconut milk(there is a light version that most supermarkets carry in the Asian foods section which I think tastes watery, but you can boost the flavor with coconut extract)
3 dates, chopped (or 2-3 tablespoons honey, date or maple sugar)
almond extract, optional
rum extract, optional
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

 

Raspberry – Watermelon

2 cups seeded watermelon, cut into chunks
1 cup raspberries(fresh or frozen)
1 cup ice cubes or 1/2 cup fresh apple or pear juice
2 tablespoons date or maple sugar

 

Creamy Almond

2 bananas
1 apple, cored & peeled
1/4 cup almond butter
dash of sea salt
glug of vanilla

 

Coconut Orange Cream

4 oranges, peeled, sectioned, membrane and seeds discarded
1 banana
2 cups coconut milk (if you use light coconut milk, bolster the flavor with coconut extract)

 

Tropical Cream

Grind to a fine crumb in blender:

1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/2 cup date pieces

Add and blend until pureed:

1 tablespoon vanilla
(1/4 cup honey)
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 bananas
2 cups sliced peaches, peeled, fresh or frozen

 

Dessert Fruit Kid Friendly Living Food Recipes

Beyond Smoothies – Fruit with Attitude

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These fruit concoctions can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, some are even grown up enough to be served at your next party. Remember though that they still need to be eaten before, with, or just after a meal, or wait 4-1/2 hours after a Protein meal, 2-12 hours after a Starch meal.

Blue Waldorf Salad

Toss together:

cubed apple
sliced celery
sliced green onion (both white and green portions)
mayonnaise thinned with fresh lemon or lime juice
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Garnish salad with:

toasted almonds (slivered, sliced or chopped)
cubes of Rosenborg Extra Creamy Blue Cheese in Oil, crumbled by hand over the salad

 

Pecan Applesauce

I prefer using toasted pecans, but raw will do just fine also. On a cold winter night I sometimes use this applesauce in place of a salad for dinner.

In a food processor finely grind 1/4 cup pecans for each apple you’ll be using. Add to bowl and process until smooth:

peeled, cored, chopped apples
1/4 banana per apple
2 tablespoons cream or nondairy milk per apple
a shake of sea salt per apple
If the applesauce is too runny let it sit a bit to give the nuts a chance to soak up some of the liquid.

Variations:

add a splash of rum
add a tablespoon or two of shredded coconut (this will help thicken up a runny applesauce)
use fresh orange juice in place of the cream
add a sprinkle of unrefined sugar
add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract per apple

 

Living Apple Pie

Here is an excellent tasting recipe from Anne Louise Gittleman’s “Get The Sugar Out.” This won’t taste exactly the same as a baked apple pie, but it’s delicious and well worth giving it a try. When it’s a chilly morning, I love this for breakfast, barely warmed with a little cream or nondairy milk poured over the pie. M-m-m good!

In a food processor pulse 3 cups walnuts or pecans to a fine powder, so that you have 2 cups of ground walnuts. Take care not to end up with nut butter. If you need to add more nuts, do so. Dump out into a 9-inch pie pan. Pulse 3/4 pound dried dates, pitted and chopped in food processor. Dump nuts back into food processor and pulse until well mixed. Pat dough into pie pan so that it forms a crust on the bottom and up the sides of pan. Chill overnight.

Soak 3 large apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces in juice of 1-1/2 lemons (about 1/4 cup) and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, overnight. The next day, pour into crust.

 

Mint Syrup

Boil gently for five minutes:

1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup fresh orange or apple juice
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely diced

Stir in:

juice from 1 lemon
juice from 1 orange
Toss your choice of Fruit with a modest amount of this syrup.

Variations: use thyme, or rosemary in place of the mint.

 

Peach Salsa

This salsa is great over fish or chicken or as a topping for Chili Relleno Crepes. I filled a soy cheese and whole wheat tortilla quesadilla with this salsa the other night and WOW!

If you use Nutrasweet or Sweet ‘N Low in place of the unrefined sugar then this is a zero calorie food.

Makes 3-1/2 cups.

Freeze 4 cups peeled, pitted, chopped fresh peaches, then thaw and drain (save the juice for a Fruit shake), or measure 4 cups frozen peaches, then thaw and drain. Save the peach juice for a Fruit shake or to add to a salad dressing or marinade. Chop the peaches and place in a medium bowl. Stir in

1 medium red bell pepper, minced
2 teaspoons minced jalapeno chili
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons whole cloves
Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, add 1/4 cup sliced green onion, both white and green portions.

 

Blue Pear Salad

This salad is surprisingly delicious. I came up with it when I was in the mood for a Waldorf Salad, only it wouldn’t have gone with the meal I was serving. The mild sweetness of the pears stands up to the sharpness of the blue cheese and the bite of the black peppercorns.

Toss with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:

pear, sliced or chopped
jicima, chopped
toasted walnuts, halves or broken
Serve on a bed of lettuce dressed with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. Garnish with crushed black peppercorns and fresh or dried oregano, sage, or rosemary.

 

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Whisk together or whirl in blender:

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar, or unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup blue cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more vinegar
1 teaspoon tarragon, dried or 1 tablespoon fresh
(1/2 teaspoon dried mustard, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Taste and adjust seasoning to taste.

 

Banapplesauce

This is a zero calorie dish 🙂

Puree 2 apples, peeled and cored and 1 banana. Stop and scrape as needed until you have a smooth puree.

Variations:

vanilla extract
a tiny pinch of sea salt
apple pie spice
cinnamon
a bit of heavy cream, yogurt, or buttermilk

 

Mock Peach Pie

Another zero calorie dish 🙂

Puree:

2 cups peaches, frozen or peeled fresh peaches
1 banana
1 teaspoon vanilla
(1 tablespoon cream)

 

Spicy Peaches

If you use Nutrasweet or Sweet ‘N Low in place of the unrefined sugar than this is a zero calorie food.

Mix:

1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 ½ tablespoons maple or date sugar

Gently fold in 5 peaches, sliced or cubed.

Variations:

Gently heat the peaches just until warm.
Substitute 1/2 cup UnDiet Whipped Cream for the heavy cream.
Substitute pears or apples for the peaches.

 

Carmelized Apples

Stir continuously over medium heat until sugar melts 2 teaspoons butter and 1 tablespoon unrefined sugar.

Turn off heat. Add ingredients below to sweetened butter, stirring until the apples are well coated:

1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash nutmeg
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Variations:

Substitute 1 sliced banana for one apple. To keep the banana from turning brown soak in fresh lemon or lime juice before adding to the apple.

Use as a topping for Cinnamon Banana Pudding , Cocoa Banana Pudding, or Creamy Orange Gelatin.

 

Strawberries with Creme Fraiche Dip

In a small bowl, mix:

1 cup creme fraiche or whipped heavy cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unrefined sugar

This is enough dip for 4 cups of strawberries.

Variation: spoon sauce over or use as a dip for blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries, peaches, bananas or a mix of these Fruits.

 

Spicy Fruit Gazpacho

If you skip the feta cheese then this is a zero calorie dish.

Mix 1/3 cup lime juice, 2/3 orange juice, a dash of chili powder, and a dash of hot sauce. Add 2 cups pineapple, diced, 2 cups cucumber, diced, and 2 cups mango, diced. Spoon into 4 tall glasses or bowls. Top each serving with a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese and/or minced chives.

 

Frozen Grapes

Absolutely a zero calorie dish.

That’s it. The whole recipe is in the title. Freeze the grapes. Your kids and teenagers won’t care that they’re healthy – they’ll eat them like ice cream!

 

UnDiet Whipped Cream

Refrigerate bowl and beaters at least 30 minutes before whipping cream. Whip ingredients below until soft or stiff peaks form:

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup unrefined sugar or 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Variations:

Substitute your choice of liqueur in place of the vanilla.

Stir 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into the cream when you place the bowl and beaters in the fridge. Whip with rest of ingredients when ready.

Dessert Kid Friendly Recipes

More Healthy Halloween Recipes

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Chocolate Dipped Caramel Apples

All the flavor of caramel apples & none of the guilt!

Make Caramel Chews and when mixture tests firm remove from heat and using a fork or tongs dip apple slices into caramel. Place on wax paper or oiled aluminum foil or cookie sheet. When caramel has cooled dip in chocolate sauce from Chocolate Dipped Cherries. Place back on wax paper and until chocolate has cooled.

 

Candied Maple Nuts

1 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups walnuts and/or pecans (preferably toasted)

In a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat stir together maple syrup, cinnamon, butter and salt.

Cook and stir until syrup becomes darker and starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Toss syrup with walnuts until evenly coated. Pour onto waxed paper or lightly oiled baking sheet. Let cool before storing in airtight container.

Coconut-Almond Toffee Bars

No, you haven’t stumbled into another dimension – these really are sugar-free, delicious, easy to make – and yes, this is still the third rock from the sun in the year 2013. Check out the Tropical and budget Oatmeal versions.

These can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
1/3 cup sliced almonds
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup unrefined sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup coffee
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
12 ounces grain-sweetened chocolate chips
2/3 cup chopped almonds or coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread coconut and almonds on a cookie sheet and bake until golden, 5 to 7 minutes; stirring 2-3 times. Remove from oven and turn oven up to 400 degrees.

Pour coconut and almonds into a medium bowl and add the butter, sugar, vanilla, coffee and honey, stirring until well blended.

Wipe the cookie sheet with the butter wrapper or spray with cooking spray. Pour nut mixture onto buttered cookie sheet and bake about 18 minutes, until toffee is brown and bubbly. Remove from oven.

Sprinkle  chocolate chips over toffee. Let stand 10 minutes until chips are melted. Using a buttered metal spatula spread chocolate evenly over toffee then sprinkle with chopped almonds.

Cool completely. Cut into squares. Store tightly covered in a cool dry place.

Tropical Toffee Bars – use fresh orange juice in place of water, (add 1 tablespoon orange curacuo to toffee mixture before baking), mix 1 tablespoon finely diced orange zest into final topping of almonds or coconut.

Oatmeal Toffee Bars – in place of almonds and coconut use 28 ounces instant oatmeal (toast first), (apple or white grape juice instead of water), 1 tablespoon vanilla instead of 1 teaspoon, add 1/2 teaspoon salt to oatmeal mix, top with any chopped nuts that you have around.

 

Honey Popcorn Bars

It took me five years, but finally I’ve come up with an UnDiet version of one of my favorite treats – Marshmallow Rice Krispie Bars. You won’t believe how close these taste to the snap, crackle and pop version that we all grew up with.

If you’re making these for Halloween in the final step use your hands to shape them into popcorn balls instead of bars. You can even add a few sugar-free cinnamon candies or grain-sweetened chocolate, white chocolate or peanut butter chips.

2 cups butter
1-1/2 cups honey
6-8 cups popcorn (preferably air-popped)

Bring butter and honey to a boil over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir frequently while bringing to a boil, then stop stirring while mixture continues to boil until it turns a dark golden brown about 7-10 minutes. Use your stirring spoon to drop a small glob of syrup into a glass of very cold water. If mixture forms a soft ball after hitting the water it’s ready. If it floats to the bottom of the glass in threads boil a few more minutes without stirring and test again.

Remove from heat and stir in popcorn so that it’s all well coated. Allow mixture to rest 5-10 minutes until the popcorn collapses from soaking in the syrup, then press into a buttered cookie sheet or onto a large sheet of waxed paper. Using buttered hands or the back of your stirring spoon press the mixture firmly to further collapse the popcorn.

Variations:
Cut cooled mixture into shapes with knife or cookie cutters.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla to mixture after removing from heat and before adding popcorn.
Add 1 teaspoon flavoring extract (try peppermint, coconut, chocolate, butterscotch, rum) to mixture after removing from heat and before adding popcorn.
Add 1 cup chopped nuts, dried dates, raisins, grain-sweetened yogurt or chocolate covered raisins, or grain-sweetened chocolate (or peanut, or espresso) chips to mixture when you stir in the popcorn.
Instead of popcorn use whole grain, sugar free air puffed cereal.

 

 

Dessert Kid Friendly Recipes

Healthy Halloween Candy Recipes

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healthy Halloween candy

One for you, two for me! That’s what you’ll be saying to trick-or-treaters this Halloween season when you have these UnDiet treats around. So when someone says “trick or treat”, smile and hand them a Snickers bar while you reach for an UnDiet Halloween treat – or two – or three. I won’t tell.

Citrus Chews

Using a vegetable peeler, remove large pieces of peel being careful to leave the bitter white pith with the fruit. Try one or more of the following:

oranges
lemons
limes
grapefruits

Use a small sharp knife or cookie cutter to trim the peel into interesting shapes (stars, moons, bones, bats, cats …), then in a small saucepan over low heat, simmer peels and

1 cup honey for every 6 pieces of whole fruit

Stir frequently for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, tongs, or collander remove peel from honey. Cool on foil or saran wrap lightly sprayed with a light coating of cooking spray, or use a large piece of wax paper and no cooking spray.

Chocolate Coated Cherries

Chocolate dipped fruit is one of the simplest, tastiest, healthiest desserts with the potential for an infinite number of variations. I use this basic recipe for many UnDiet holidays, varying it to suit the season.

2 cups grain-sweetened chocolate or carob chips

4 tablespoons butter

fresh cherries with stems, or strawberries, grapes, raisins, dried date nuggets …

In a small heavy saucepan over very low heat, stir chocolate and butter until melted and smooth then remove from heat. You can also microwave the chocolate with the butter until it is melted.

Using a fork dip cherries one at a time, into melted chocolate. Place chocolate-dipped cherries on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to set chocolate. If the kids are bugging you for a quick snack you could place a few pieces in the freezer to speed up the process, but don’t put the whole batch in the freezer; the chocolate will develop a white film.

Liqueured Up Cherries

Soak cherries overnight and up to 4 days in your choice of liqueur. Pat dry before dipping in chocolate. Caution: don’t dip and drive

Oatmeal Candy

4 cups unrefined sugar 
6 tablespoons cocoa or carob powder (use carob if you’re losing weight, cocoa if you’re maintaining) 
1/2 cup butter
1 cup cream, nondairy milk, or mix of cream & nondairy milk 
1 cup nut butter
4-1/2 cups oatmeal, not instant

Mix sugar, cocoa, butter and cream in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.Remove from heat. Add nut butter and stir until smooth. Add oatmeal and stir until well blended. Drop by teaspoon or tablespoon onto wax paper or lightly oiled cookie sheet. Cool and eat!

Shaped Candies: dump the candy mixture onto a buttered cookie sheet. Use a spatula to smooth the top so it’s all level. When the cookies are cool cut them with a small sharp knife or cookie cutter into whatever shapes you like. If the knife or cookie cutter sticks to the candy, dip the cutting instrument in vegetable oil or spray with oil.

Caramel Chews

Eat these as is or use them to make many other goodies such as Chocolate Dipped Caramel Fruit.

1-1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
2 cups heavy cream (or 1/2 cup cream & 1/2 cup soy/nut/seed/rice milk)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup cream & 1/2 cup nondairy milk)
Combine honey, 1 cup heavy cream and butter in a medium-size heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Do not stir. Cook until the mixture begins to get dark and thick. Add 1 cup heavy cream, stir to combine and continue to boil without stirring.

After about 5 minutes use your stirring spoon to drop a small glob of syrup into a glass of ice-cold water. If the mixture forms a firm but not hard ball after hitting the water it’s ready. If it floats to the bottom of the glass in threads boil a few minutes more and test again. When mixture is ready, pour it into a well buttered square pan. When cool, cut into squares.

Note: sometimes a caramel recipe just doesn’t harden like you would like it to. If that happens, don’t despair, you can use this as a caramel sauce or to dip caramel apples into.

Pecan Raisin Clusters

1 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips
1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted pecans and 1 cup raisins or chopped dates

In a microwave or double boiler melt chocolate chips until smooth. Dump in pecans and raisins, stirring until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper lined baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes, until set. Store in airtight container in cool place, but they don’t need to be refrigerated.

 

Stay tuned – I have lots more Halloween recipes coming over the next few weeks.

Dessert Kid Friendly Recipes

Quick & Easy Microwave Dessert Recipes For Kids

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healthy granola bar recipe

In our household we’re forever buying healthy cookies and baked goods and at least half the time, we take one bite, spit it out and the rest of the package sits in the cupboard until it draws ants and I throw it away. This time though I decided that we weren’t going to throw out any more food, just because we didn’t like it. So we started experimenting and came up with quite a few really quick and easy microwave dessert recipes that the kids can make on their own. In fact, once they saw what I was doing they began experimenting and came up with some of their own recipes.

Warning: these aren’t all perfect UnDiet recipes since some of them use leftover Halloween and Easter candies.

Chocolate Tapioca

3 cups non-dairy milk
1/4 cup tapioca pearls
1/8 teaspoon salt (a couple of shakes or grinds of the salt shaker will work)
1/2 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips
1 tablespoon unrefined sugar (optional)
chocolate or peanut butter flavored baked goods that nobody likes

Place milk and tapioca in a large glass bowl or measuring cup. Microwave for 3 minutes, stir and continue microwaving and stirring in 1 minute increments until tapioca is translucent, about 3 more minutes. Stir in chocolate chips and salt. Let cool until still hot but cool enough to taste. Taste and add optional sugar if needed.

Break up baked goods and use to line the bottom of a large container. Pour pudding over baked goods. Refrigerate until cool enough to eat. Carefully tir before serving if needed to break up the tapioca but being careful not to disturb the bottom crust.

 

Granola Pudding Bars

Next time you have a package of granola bars that nobody will eat, make up a batch of this pudding cake and you may even buy more granola bars, just so you can make this again.

6 to 8 granola bars

one 3.4 ounce package vanilla or butterscotch sugar-free cook and serve pudding

3 cups skim or lowfat milk

Place granola bars in an 8″ x 8″ pan.

In a large bowl (or even better a large measuring cup) whisk pudding mix into the milk. A measuring cup works great for kids because it has a handle that makes is easy for them to move the pudding mixture into and out of the microwave.

Microwave about 8 minutes totial or until the mixture comes to a boil. You’ll need to take it out of the microwave every 2 minutes to stir. Once it comes to a boil, remove from the microwave, stir and pour over granola bars. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.

 

Brownie in a Cup

I’m always trying different brands of instant coffee, trying to find one that I actually like. What ends up happening is that I have a cupboard full of instant coffee that is only suitable for baking or adding to smoothies. You can also use this recipe to use some of the chocolate or marshmallow candies left over from Halloween or Easter.

Be sure that the mug you’re using isn’t one of those that gets hot in the microwave. I’ve burned my fingers on many such a mug so many times that I took them from my kitchen cupboard and now use them in my bathroom to hold makeup brushes, q-tips, cotton balls and such things.

1/4 cup white whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup Splenda for baking
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
small pinch or 1 grind of sea salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons coffee
2 tablespoons chopped chocolate or marshmallow (optional)

In a mug, stir together the dry ingredients. Stir in the oil and coffee, then the the chopped chocolate or marshmallow, if you’re using them.

Microwave on high for one minute, but check it after 30 seconds. It’s done when it’s springy on top but still a bit gooey. Let cool until warm and then dig in.

 

Candy Pie

This one is so decadent and so not an UnDiet recipe, but the kids will love it and I feel good because at least half of it is a whole grain sugar free cereal.

1 to 2 cups cereal or baked goodie such as cookie or cake

1 to 2 cups chocolate candy, any type, even M&M’s will work

Lightly oil a glass pie plate or microwavable shallow dish. Spread your cereal or baked goods over the bottom of the plate. Evenly arrange the candy over the “crust”. Microwave for 1 minute. Use a spatula to gently stir the candy without disturbing the crust. Microwave for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. If needed gently stir the candy layer again. If all of the candy has melted then remove from microwave. If needed though continue microwaving in 30 second increments until the candy has melted. Remove from microwave and allow to cool until warm. Cut into slices and serve or just gather around and dig in with spoons.