grain free Archives - Page 28 of 32

Grain Free Pumpkin Tart

September 20, 2013December 14, 2014 Melissa King 46 Comments

I love pumpkin pie. One of my very first recipes on this blog was for a pumpkin pie that called for tofu. This year, I wanted to create a soy free pumpkin pie. This was my first experiment and it went well. This isn’t exactly a pie, but it’s delish and grain free. I still have plans for a gluten free and vegan pumpkin pie in the future too, but this pumpkin pie tart is a contender for anyone looking for a pumpkin pie dish who is also in the mood for the creaminess and richness of a tart.

My daughter Meadow, who claims to dislike all things pumpkin, ate this. In fact, both my girls enjoyed it. If you are not a fan of coconut milk, please understand that you cannot taste the coconut in this recipe. The pumpkin and warm spices totally cover it up! Kind of like in my Pumpkin Ice Cream.

Grain Free Pumpkin Tart

Grain Free Pumpkin Tart

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Prep Time 30 min Cook Time 30 min

Ingredients

For the crust

1 cup almonds
1 cup pecans
1/2 tsp cinnamon
12 medjool dates
1 T maple syrup

For the filling

1 1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
2 T maple syrup

Instructions

For the crust

In a food processor , combine all the crust ingredients except the dates and pulse into a course ground consistency.
Then add in the dates and pulse until a dough starts to form. You may need to add a tiny bit of water, but I did not.
Once the dough is formed, press it into a greased tart pan . Stick in the fridge to firm up.

For the filling

The night before you make this, place your can of coconut milk in the fridge.
In the food processor , combine all the ingredients for the filling except the coconut cream. Mix well.
Open your chilled can of coconut milk and scoop out the white solid part.
Discard the water leftover, or save it for smoothies.
Spoon out 1/2 cup and put in the mixer bowl.
Whip the cream in a mixer to get some air in it.
Once it looks more like whipped cream, slowly add in the pumpkin mixture by folding it in.
Do not mix the two together. Just keep folding the pumpkin mixture in until all are combined.
Spread the mixture into your tart shell and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

by Melissa King

Recipe Notes

You can save the leftover coconut cream from the can, for topping the tart if you wish. This should last at least 5 days in the fridge. Enjoy!

Maca Energy Bars (Vegan, Gluten Free and Paleo)

September 17, 2013May 27, 2017 Melissa King 136 Comments

Maca Energy Bars. When you start reading all about eating healthy, there are certain foods that come up. Kale, chia seeds, goji berries and maca are just some of them. I was curious about maca root powder, so I had to get a bag to try out.

It is pretty pricey, but it lasts a long time. Kind of like the chia seeds. Maca root is a tuber, kind of like a potato. It is very well known as a natural energy booster. It can also help with hormonal issues such as menopause and fertility.

Maca is rich in B vitamins as well. So I decided to make an energy bar with it. This energy bar is not only vegan, but grain free and gluten free too.

Maca Energy Bars

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Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 10 min

Ingredients

1 cup almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup pepitas
2 T chia seeds
2 T maca powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup almond butter
1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

In a food processor , grind the almonds into a course consistency.
Add them to a bowl with the sunflower seeds, maca powder, flax meal, pepitas, chia seeds and salt.
In a saucepan, combine the maple syrup, almond butter and coconut oil.
Mix until all are well combined.
Add it to the bowl with the dried ingredients.
Tear a sheet of parchment slightly bigger than an 8X8 pan .
Line an 8X8 pan with the paper.
Spread in the mixture and pack down tight .
Place in the fridge to set. About 1 hour.

by Melissa King

Recipe Notes

I got 8 bars out of my batch. Store them in the fridge or even freeze them for longer storage. Enjoy!

Apple Spiced Refrigerator Jam

September 12, 2013May 24, 2017 Melissa King 47 Comments

You need to try this Apple Spiced Refrigerator Jam. Everyone likes a little jam once and awhile. Most store bought jams contain too much processed sugar.

Did you know you can easily make your own jam recipe without processed sugar, pectin or canning? I already have Blueberry Chia Jam on the blog.

Since it’s almost fall, I thought I would make one that incorporated those flavors. This apple spiced jam recipe came out great.

This is it and it couldn’t be any easier! I used chia seeds to help gel up the spread. This will literally take minutes to make. Spread it on toast, swirl it in yogurt, or even use it as a pancake topping! It would be great in overnight oats as well. Yum!

Apple Spiced Refrigerator Jam

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Prep Time 10 min Serves 8 oz. adjust servings

Ingredients

2 apples peeled and cored (I saved the peels because my daughter likes to snack on them. Any apples will do. I used gala.)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
2 T maple syrup (This is optional. Taste the mixture and if it's not sweet enough, add the syrup.)
2-3 T chia seeds

Instructions

In the food processor , blend up the apples.
Then add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Put the jam in a covered container and set it in the fridge to set up. Takes about 30 minutes to an hour.

by Melissa King

Recipe Notes

This made 8 oz of jam. I store mine in mason jars , but you can use any container. It should last a few weeks in the fridge and you can also freeze it for longer storage. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peppermint Bites

September 6, 2013December 14, 2014 Melissa King 79 Comments

My husband was a huge fan of junior mints. They are kind of off limits now that he is vegan and eats no processed foods. So I decided to try and make a minty treat he could enjoy. Chocolate peppermint bites. These Chocolate Peppermint Bites came out great, and you can think of them like a a homemade junior mint recipe!

I think he was pretty pleased with the way these turned out. They are so easy to make too. Just a few minutes to throw together and then some time to chill in the fridge. I rolled mine into big balls, but you can do bite sized ones as well. These would be a perfect dessert for holiday parties too!

Chocolate Peppermint Bites

Chocolate Peppermint Bites

Chocolate Peppermint Bites

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Serves 12 large peppermint balls adjust servings

The perfect treat for holiday parties!

Ingredients

For the balls

2 cups shredded coconut (I used unsweetened coconut)
9 medjool dates pitted
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2 T milk (I used almond milk )

For the chocolate coating

1 3.5oz chocolate bar (I used Endangered Species Dark Chocolate )
2 T cocoa or cacao powder
2 T coconut oil
2 T almond milk
2-3 T maple syrup

Instructions

In the food processor , mix the shredded coconut and the dates.
Once they are blended, add in the peppermint extract and milk.
Carefully roll the mixture into balls. It will be loose and feel like it doesn’t want to stick together, but trust me, it will firm up in the fridge.
Set the balls into a small baking sheet covered with parchment paper .
Put the balls in the fridge to chill. I waited about 30 minutes.
While the balls are chilling, make the chocolate mixture.
Heat all the chocolate ingredients in a saucepan , and stir until smooth.
Using two forks, roll each ball in the chocolate mixture and set back on the baking sheet .
Once done with all the balls, place them back in the fridge to set up.

by Melissa King

Recipe Notes

I got about 12 large balls out of my batch. You can store them in the fridge or freezer. Enjoy!

Apple Pie Fruit Leathers

August 25, 2013April 18, 2015 Melissa King 23 Comments

My kids love fruit leathers, but they are so expensive at the store. So now I make my own. It’s so easy and you can add in whatever fruits and spices you like. I have peach fruit leathers on my blog already, and now I can add these to the list.

The house smells amazing when these are cooking, kind of like when I make my crock pot applesauce. The best part is that you probably already have all the ingredients in your own cabinets! I used applesauce to make mine, but you can most certainly use real apples and puree them first. Think about it though. When your store has a sale on applesauce, you can stock up and make these. It would save a lot of money and make your kids happy too. I used a dehydrator to make mine, but you can certainly try this in the oven as well. You just need to keep an eye one them.

Apple Pie Fruit Leathers

Apple Pie Fruit Leathers

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Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 7 hr Serves 20 fruit leathers adjust servings

Ingredients

4 cups unsweetened applesauce (I used Eden Foods )
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
2 T maple syrup (Optional) I did not use it

Instructions

If using an oven, preheat to the lowest setting or 135.
Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Line your baking sheets with parchment and spread the mixture out evenly.
Bake for about 4-6 hours, depending on how low the temp your oven will go.
If you are using a dehydrator , line the trays with parchment as well. You can use the dehydrator sheets as well, but I think parchment is much cheaper and works great.
I baked mine in the dehydrator at 135 for about 6-7 hours.
Once it feels tacky, it’s pretty much done. I got about 20 fruit leathers out of my batch. Enjoy!

by Melissa King

16 Whole Food Recipes for Condiments, Dips and Spreads

August 23, 2013April 11, 2015 Melissa King 23 Comments

When switching to a whole food diet, condiments, dips and spreads are the hardest things to find clean. I usually make my own. So here is a roundup of every recipe I have so far.