Recipe FAQ

I get asked many of the same questions over and over, so I thought I would put some answers to commonly asked questions.

How come when I make your baked goods, they seem dense?  Baking with whole grains can take some getting used to.  They are a bit more dense.  To help ease the transition, try subbing out 1/2 white flour for 1/2 whole grain flour.  Get used to that first and then switch to all whole grains.

Why do your desserts seem less sweet?  Refined sugar is super sweet.  To make my desserts healthier, I use maple syrup or raw honey.  Both are a bit milder in sweetness.  I also cut the sugar down quite a bit compared to traditional recipes.  This can take some getting used to as well.  If you are new to baking healthier, slowly cut back on the sugar amount in recipes until you get used to a less sweet dessert.  If you cut out all refined sugars, you will no longer need a lot of sugar to satisfy a sweet tooth.  I swear it’s true!

Can you recipes be done gluten free, grain free or nut free?  Almost always they can.  Just ask me about a certain recipe and I will be happy to help you with substitutions.

What kinds of gadgets do your use?  You can find a lot of the products/gadgets I use under the shop tab.

Is coconut butter the same as coconut oil?  No, they are different.  Coconut butter is super creamy and decadent spreadable coconut.  It’s almost like the consistency of nut butter.  It’s amazing!  Coconut butter is made by grinding coconut meat into a spread.  Coconut oil is expelled liquid.

Why do you use dates in so many recipes?  I used to be scared of dates before I tried them.  I thought they were like prunes or something.  I’m so glad I tried them because they are so good!  Trust me.  I use them in so many recipes because they are a natural way to sweeten desserts and they are so versatile.  If you can’t find medjool dates, you can use another date, but you may need to add a few extras.  The medjool dates are larger.

I don’t like coconut oil, can I sub it for something else? Yes, you can always sub another oil.  Please don’t use olive oil if it’s a baking recipe.  Olive oil is only meant for cold dishes.  See my post on oils for more info.

Can you provide nutritional facts for your recipes?  I’m sorry, I don’t since they will not be 100% accurate, but you can go to caloriecount.com and calculate them using their recipe analyzer.

Can you freeze your baked goods?  Yes!  You can freeze almost anything.  See my post on freezing foods.

 

 

52 thoughts to “Recipe FAQ”

  2. My question is most the recipes have too much sugar for me,even though its real sugar, my body does not process it well.. Any suggestions on how to do these recipes without all the maple syrup, agave, or honey,butter, etc. I can use a small amount of dates for date sugar, but I have to keep it very low.. any insight would be awesome.
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  3. Hello can you recommend a good recipe for school snacks? My sons school is peanut/nut free so I can not send anything with nuts in it. Also, I am looking for something with no sugar in it. He is a pretty picky eater and I am having a lot of trouble finding things to send that are healthy and that he will eat. Thanks for any suggestions you have!
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    1. I have these nut free bars. There is no sugar added. The sugar comes from apples and dates. https://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/08/29/nut-free-snack-bars/ If you didn't even want those sugars, you can sub them out for sunflower seed butter. How about hummus and pita chips? Most kids like that. Also veggies and dip?
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    2. I have these nut free bars. https://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/08/29/nut-free-snack-bars/ The only sugar is from fruit. If you didn't even want that, you can sub the fruit for sunflower seed butter. Also, how about veggies and dip or hummus and pita chips?
      Reply
  5. Hi, have just come across your site and am looking very forward to making my way through your recipes :) Quick question, what is the cookie on the right on your homepage ? Many thanks, Belinda
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    1. Thanks Belinda! That is one of my most popular recipes. Here is the link. https://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/02/11/coconut-cream-larabars/
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  6. Hi, and thanks for your reply, but it was actually the one on the other side that I was interested in (right side). If you could let me know I would really appreciate. Thanks again, Belinda
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    1. Ooops, sorry! So many people ask about the bars. Here is the recipe for the other side. :) https://mywholefoodlife.com/2012/12/21/banana-chocolate-chip-donuts/
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      1. Oh THANK YOU, have a banana here now just waiting for this recipe :) Sorry another question, can I use rapadura instead of coconut sugar and achieve the same result (after reading this article http://www.thefoodcoach.com.au/articles/?ArticleID=1410 and not so fond of using coconut sugar) ?? Thank You so much again, Belinda
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        1. I am not familiar with rapadura. What is it? I rarely use coconut sugar anymore. Mostly I use maple syrup. This is an older recipe for mine.
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          1. Hi again, an extract from another website explaining rapadura - "Rapadura is the pure juice extracted from the sugar cane (using a press), which is then evaporated over low heats, whilst being stirred with paddles, then seive ground to produce a grainy sugar. It has not been cooked at high heats, and spun to change it into crystals, and the molasses has not been separated from the sugar. It is produced organically, and does not contain chemicals or anti-caking agents." Think I will just give it a go as I am really wanting to make these cookies. Thanks again for your responses and for so many wonderful looking recipes :) Have a great week !!
  7. Hi - I am a Registered Dietitian and have a Nutrition Website where I provide Nutrition tips, info etc… I would like to post once of your recipes but want to make sure I do it correctly and give you credit for the recipe. I was wondering if you could let me know how to go about it. I was thinking of posting your info in the body of my blog but was not sure if that was correct. Thanks so much! Noreen Gallo MSRD www.yourforeverdiet.com
    Reply
    1. The best way to share my recipes is to provide a link to my website. You have my permission to use one of my photos and you can place a link to the recipe underneath it. I hope that makes sense?
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  9. I am curious as to why you do not publish the total calories, grams of fat, sugar, carbs, etc. of a recipe. Also, very often I do not see how many servings a recipe makes. Knowing these facts would help tremendously in planning a meal or dish. Thanks.
    Reply
    1. Hi Bonnie! I have been trying to add in the serving amounts to all my new recipes. If you are looking at a recipe that doesn't have it, just ask me and I would be happy to help you with that. I don't list the nutritional info because I am not a dietician and the numbers would never be exact. I am sorry if that is an inconvenience to you, but I do run a business and I have to protect myself. You can easily figure them out by going to www.caloriecount.com
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  10. Hi Bonnie - I enjoy all of your recipes and your website. I am looking forward to getting a new oven in a few days -- I have been without one since mine quit in June and have been waiting to replace it Severe baking withdrawal. I haven't yet made anything with medjool dates. I don't have a food processor, but have been considering purchasing one for some time. Just wondering which food processor you use? I do have a very powerful immersion blender, but don't know if that would do a sufficient job of blending the dates. I'll just have to give it a try. Thank you for all of the great recipes and all of your hard work!
    Reply
    1. Hi Patti! My name is Melissa, not Bonnie. :) I don't think an immersion blender would do the job a food processor does. :( This is the food processor I have and I love it! I literally use it everyday - sometimes twice a day, and it holds up great. http://tinyurl.com/processor-mwfl
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      1. Sorry about the name mix-up. I did give my immersion blender a try and it worked great -- mine is really a super powerful one. I used the regular dates -- I picked up a bad from Sam's Club, the price was too good. I did soak them. 1 cup dates to 1/2 cup water and came out with a very smooth, thick caramel texture. Thank you for the info about your food processor -- I am still thinking about it and watching prices. I use my immersion blender for everything and after buying it got rid of my regular blender. I also use my coffee grinder for grinding all kinds of things. Just used it today to make some superfine sugar, but I use it to grind flax and other seeds. Thanks again for your great recipes.
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      2. My name IS Bonnie :0) And I have a question you've probably answered somewhere before, so I apologize for asking again. I have never used medjool dates and am a little nervous. Do they taste like prunes? I like prunes. My real question is how do you take the pit out if they have the pits? Thanks so much!
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        1. I used to be nervous too! I hate prunes, but I was glad to find out they taste nothing like prunes. Dates have a caramel taste and they work great in healthy desserts. They do have pits, but you can easily remove them but slitting into the side, opening it and pulling it out.
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  11. I have been making a few of your recipes using honey rather than maple syrup and mostly it's been turning out (actually the PB cookie dough bites with honey was good!) Do you have any suggestions for another alternative to maple syrup for your sweet treats? I am in Australia, so we don't have any local maple producers. Thanks.
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  12. Do you know any dairy-free & milk-free chocolate bars? I really want to make some of your recipes with a chocolate bar but my daughter is allergic to milk and dairy.
    Reply
    1. Yes! I use Endangered Species dark chocolate bars. They are 72% cacao and dairy free. You can find them at most health food stores. Also Enjoy Life makes dairy free chocolate chips. You can find them pretty much anywhere.
      Reply
  13. Hi! I love your website and have had a ball making many of your recipes (especially the sweet ones)! I just had a question about the applesauce in many of your recipes - is this a store bought sauce or your homemade crock pot sauce? Thanks!
    Reply
    1. Thanks! I use both. If I use my crock pot applesauce for recipes, I do not add the spices. Just do plain apples. If I buy applesauce, I get Eden Foods. The only ingredient is apples.
      Reply
  14. This might be a silly question, but how do you make nut butter. I know you put nuts in a food processor but don't know how long to grind them to get to the butter stage. Thanks
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    1. Different nuts take different amounts of time. Peanuts and macadamia nuts take only a couple of minutes in a good food processor or blender. Almonds take a little longer.
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  17. Hello my son is intolerant of everything on the planet and I cannot find a recipe that doesn't have an ingredient that he can't have. I am interested in your Mary's Gone" crackers but your first ingredient is a cup of brown rice. He is intolerant of rice. This is all very new to me, can you help me with a substitution that would work? Thank you.
    Reply
  18. Hi - I have been cruising your site and recipes all afternoon and loving it! Thank you for sharing your hard work! Question - your bean burger and chickpea snack recipes, do you soak your dried beans before using them in the recipes or do you actually use them dried?
    Reply
    1. Thanks Kristen! To use dried beans, they need to be soaked overnight and then boiled until soft before using. Here is a little tutorial I wrote about beans. https://mywholefoodlife.com/2014/01/16/how-to-prepare-dried-beans/
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    1. I haven't added dates to smoothies, but I have to homemade almond milk and I can't taste them. They just add a sweetness. You can always use maple syrup or honey instead. Personally, I never add dates to smoothies since the fruit makes them sweet enough.
      Reply

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