Tag Archive: Peanut Butter

5 Gluten-Free Easter Desserts

Easter’s not a holiday that’s know for its desserts. That’s probably because after too many Peeps and lackluster chocolate eggs, more chocolate doesn’t seem all that appealing. I promise you these desserts are better than any Peep you’ve ever had(although unless you’re a hardcore Peep fan that’s probably not saying much).

Once you’re done serving ham and asparagus, try slicing out some of these Spring dessert recipes. Some might require special gluten-free flours, but others do not or could even be made with regular all-purpose flour. All of these can be made in advance and set aside so you can sit back and enjoy the day.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies aren’t necessarily an Easter dessert, but you can never go wrong serving some. Add in some ice cream and hot fudge and you might want to consider skipping Easter dinner to save space.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

Lemon Cornmeal Cake is definitely a dessert to welcome Spring. The slightly-coarse cornmeal gives a rustic and homemade touch to a simple dessert, and you can even save a slice for a sweet breakfast the next day.

Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

Homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs are the DIY solution to possibly the best drug store candy ever. The peanut butter to chocolate ratio beat out all the other variations hands down. Since these are fresh and homemade though, they might melt in your hand so best to keep these wrapped until dessert time.

Grain-Free Carrot Cake

Grain-Free Carrot Cake isn’t quite your traditional carrot cake, but it’s equally as spiced and delicious. This cake uses almond flour instead of regular, and has all my favorite fixings for carrot cake: Carrots, raisins, spices, pecans, and–of course–cream cheese frosting. It’s long overdue to be remade on this blog.

Gluten-Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Nothing says Easter dessert more like lemon and powdered sugar. If you don’t feel like cake or something time intensive, Gluten-Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies are a perfect light dessert with coffee or goodie bag gift. You can make a big batch and keep the extras for yourself, too.

No Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

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At a holiday party, I brought just a jar of peanut butter to make cookies with. Since everyone knows I’m gluten-free, they asked me what kind of flour I needed. Why didn’t I bring any? Apparently not everyone knows this peanut butter cookie recipe, which is a shame because everyone should.

Unlike most gluten-free recipes that have you mixing chickpea flour with potato starch and xantham gum, these cookies just use peanut butter, eggs, and sugar as their base. I grew up having these long before I was gluten-free.

As far as peanut butter cookies go they’re probably the best you’ll have, too. They’re sweet and nutty and melt in your mouth without any flours to make them tough. I’ve made this recipe plenty of times and you should, too.

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No Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 24 Servings):

  • 3/4 cup non-stir peanut butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup chopped Reese’s cups

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, egg, sugar, vanilla, and baking soda until well mixed.
  3. Fold in the chocolate chips and Reese’s until evenly distributed. If the dough is too wet still, sugar by the Tablespoon until the dough doesn’t stick to your hands.
  4. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and flatten slightly. Place on a non-stick baking tray.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges turn golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before moving.

Vegan PB & J Smoothie

Vegan PB & J Smoothie

I somehow have become a morning exerciser. The first day of waking up, rolling out of bed, and putting on gym shorts instead of a pot of coffee was rough. The second was just as rough. But every day since it’s gotten a little easier.

After working out I’ve been more inclined to make a smoothie than bowl of oatmeal or anything else. It’s quick and easy to drink when getting ready for work. I’ve been trying different mixes to keep things interesting every time and this one is a winner.

It has the classic flavor of the inside of a PB & J, just in liquid form. It’s perfectly sweet and even packs some greens in it, too, if you opt in for the spinach(which you won’t be able to see or taste fully blended–I promise). 

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If you’re not a fan of peanut butter or just don’t have any lying around try making this with almond butter or even coconut butter.      

Vegan PB & J Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 meal serving or 2 snack servings):

  • 1 medium banana

  • 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries

  • 1/3 cup frozen spinach

  • 2 Tablespoons peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup water

Method:

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a high-power blender. 

  2. Pulse briefly and then blend until the ingredients make a creamy smoothie. Add water if necessary to make smooth and creamy.

  3. Pour into a tall glass and drink cold. 

Breakfast Paleo Mug Cake

Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake

I’m a boring breakfast person. I like to eat the same thing every day until I get tired of it and find something new. For the past couple of months these have been my breakfasts. It’s fast, easy, and chocolate-flavored so it’s easy to love.

This has been one of my most popular recipes. I still have people commenting on the original post who’ve made it and loved it, and that’s a good feeling. The ingredients are fairly common and cheap, so even if you’re skeptical I’d say give it a try. It always tastes better with peanut butter or Nutella slathered on top so if you’re still not convinced I’d say try that.  

Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake

I’ve never tried any variations but I’ve had readers mention this recipe works just as well with sweet potato puree, butternut squash, and applesauce. You can also mix in other ingredients like chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, or raisins(well, maybe not raisins).

Paleo Mug Cake

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 3 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 cake):

  • 1 small ripe banana
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons almond butter(or any nut butter)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder

Method:

  1. With a fork, mash the banana into a smooth puree.
  2. Mix the almond butter, egg, cocoa powder into the banana puree until it forms an even batter.
  3. Fold in any mix-ins into the batter that you’d like. Otherwise, pour the batter into a mug or other microwave safe container. Be sure to only fill the container up to 2/3rds the way because it will expand in the microwave.
  4. Microwave on high for 2 and 1/2 minutes until the center is set. Carefully remove the mug from the microwave and enjoy hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Peanut Butter Banana Refuel Smoothie

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Marathon Monday is just a week away. Growing up in Massachusetts, it was always a big deal. I was shocked to find out it wasn’t actually a national holiday and most people work on Marathon Monday.

This year Stonyfield Greek is the official yogurt of the 2014 Boston Marathon. They asked their Clean Plate Club members to write how Stonyfield Greek helps us through the marathon of life.

When I was marathon training, there were 4 foods I constantly ate: Peanut butter, bananas, oatmeal, and greek yogurt. After so many weeks you learn the little ways to not make every snack or meal taste like the last.

Even though I haven’t registered for a marathon since 2011, I still make working out and running a routine. Making a smoothie instead of a meal is an easy, tasty way to refuel and move on to the next part of my day.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

I never get tired of this recipe. It’s not too sweet or overly peanuty; it’s just the right balance of ingredients to be healthy and perfectly flavorful.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 big or 2 small servings):

  • 1 banana, sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
  • 1 5.oz Stonyfield vanilla yogurt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 6-8 ice cubes

Method:

  1. Combine the banana, peanut butter, yogurt, and milk in a blender and mix until smooth.
  2. Add in the ice cubes and continue blending until they’re completely crushed and mixed in.
  3. Pour and serve cold.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Peanut Butter Buttercream

Peanut Butter Buttercream

These are not the best cupcakes I had for my birthday. In fact, the cake part didn’t come out all that well since I made them on the fly without measuring anything(only to be surprised Saturday night with a batch of homemade banana cupcakes with Nutella frosting). But they were entirely edible if only because of the frosting.

This frosting though was just right. It’s sweet and vanilla at first with a nutty peanut butter finish. It’d be great on just about any cake or cupcake, and it’s easy to decorate with chocolate chips or Reese’s Puffs.

For this recipe, look for natural peanut butter without any added oils or stabilizers. It’ll mix in with the other ingredients the easiest and have a better, stronger flavor.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Unfrosted

Peanut Butter Buttercream

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 Tablespoons all natural no oil peanut butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 Tablespoons cream or whole milk

Method:

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla with an electric beater.
  2. Slowly add just enough milk until the ingredients make a thick but smooth buttercream.
  3. Scoop into a pastry bag and use immediately.

Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

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It’s a good think I never made a resolution to eat less sugar because if I did I’d be doing horribly at it.

I always like to have something sweet after dinner, whether it’s part of a chocolate bar or just a handful of chocolate chips. That’s probably why I buy a bag and end up finishing it before actually making a recipe. Oops.

These cookies are simple because all I had this weekend in my pantry was simple ingredients. But simple can be all you need.

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Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 18 cookies):

  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup cane sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter chips

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Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and baking soda.
  3. Fold in the chocolate and peanut butter chips evenly.
  4. Roll the dough into 1-ounce balls. Lightly press down on the balls with a fork in a criss-cross pattern to flatten it to about 3/4-inch thickness.
  5. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the tops are firm to the touch and the edges begin to brown.
  6. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool before moving to a separate plate.

 

4 Healthy New Year’s Recipes

New Year’s resolutions are hard. It’s easy to shoot to high and make resolutions impossible to keep up with; the best kind are little changes you can work into your everyday routine and maintain without even thinking about it.

I didn’t make a food or fitness resolution this year. Mine is to get whiter teeth, so I bought special toothpaste and mouthwash. We’ll see how that goes with the horde of coffee and chocolate I eat.

If you did make a resolution to eat healthier, here are 4 simple recipes you can work into your every week to hit that goal. All of them have common, simple ingredients and are probably foods you already eat, so working them into your diet should be a breeze.

Breakfast:

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Low-Fat Cinnamon Raisin Granola is a great quick and filling alternative to heftier breakfasts like bagels and cream cheese or a donut. You can make a big batch on the weekend and portion out servings for the weekday mornings to grab and go.

Snack:

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Fruity Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip will satisfy your sweet tooth in the afternoon and still be tasty enough to enjoy. It’s a simple mix of yogurt, peanut butter, and sweetener that’s good for kids or grown-ups.

Entree:

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Easy Broccoli Frittata is another recipe you can make in bulk over the weekend and reheat throughout the week whenever you’re less than motivated to make a meal. The eggs and cheese are full of protein while the broccoli adds a boost of healthy nutrients, too. Add a simple side and you’ve got a whole dinner.

Dessert:

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Raw Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cake proves that you can still have dessert even when you’re eating healthy. The bulk of this “cake” is dates and hazelnuts, making for a delicious and nutritious end to a meal.

Did you make a New Year’s resolution? What was it?

Last Minute Christmas Desserts

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T’was the day before Christmas

When all through the house

Not a stove pot was stirring

So I went and grabbed my mouse.

 

Click after click,

Page after page

I searched for a dessert

That’d be all the rage.

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Chocolate or Nutella,

Peanut butter or not,

I just needed something quick

I could make on the spot.

 

I found a list

With time to spare

And blogged about it

For all to share.

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Easy Nutella Brownies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Coconut Pistachio Bark

Bailey’s Hot Chocolate Truffles

Chubby Hubby Cheesecake

No-Bake Peanut Butter S’mores Bars

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark

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Homemade Buckeyes Recipe

Homemade Buckeyes Recipe Portion

As fun as it is to try new recipes and explore new flavors, some recipes you inevitably come back to season after season, year after year.

Last week I made these buckeyes for a holiday party, only to realize I did the same exact thing last year. Desserts like this are just too easy not to choose and always please a crowd. They’re also naturally gluten-free and can be made vegan by using margarine instead of butter.

These didn’t come out nearly as pretty as store-bought candies, but I always like it when you can tell something’s homemade.

Homemade Buckeyes Recipe

A recipe like this may not seem too versatile, but you can use any kind of peanut butter or other nut butter to make it unique. Chocolate peanut butter would be a perfect substitution for any chocolate lover.

Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 20 buckeyes):

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter, softened
  • 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips OR 10oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Method:

  1. In a large bowl mix together the peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt until it forms a dough that sticks to itself. If for some reason your dough is too thin, slowly add more powdered sugar until it’s workable.
  2. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a non-stick surface.
  3. Put the peanut butter balls in the freezer to set.
  4. While the peanut butter balls are hardening, melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler.
  5. One by one dip the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate to coat their outside and put them back on the non-stick surface.
  6. Refrigerate the peanut butter balls until the chocolate has set. Keep cold until ready to serve.