Secret Ingredient Healthy Blondies

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It has been a rainy weekend here in Reykjavik, the perfect kind of weekend to curl up with a good book and just relax. What makes a rainy day even better? The perfect treat.
Chocolate Chip Blondies
Even better than a tasty treat, a healthy one! These blondies have tricked my girlfriends, co-workers, they even have passed the taste test of H and his friends. Trust me, make a batch of these and no one will suspect that the secret ingredient in these healthy treats… chickpeas!

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These blondies will more than satisfy any sweet tooth and are a great treat to bring to parties. Better yet these delicious blondies are low in calories, rich in omega-3s, and gluten-free, a win win!

Secret Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Chip Blondies
Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Ingredients:
▪︎ 1 1/2 cups chickpeas or white beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
▪︎ 3/4 tsp baking powder
▪︎ 1/8 tsp baking soda
▪︎ level 1/4 tsp salt
▪︎ 1/3 cup brown sugar (if you prefer sweeter treats add another 1/3 cup)
▪︎ 2 tsp vanilla extract
▪︎ 1/4 cup quick oats
▪︎ 1/4 cup coconut butter (you can also use peanut butter)
▪︎ 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all ingredients (except chocolate chips) until very smooth in a food processor. Mix in chocolate chips, and scoop into a greased (I like to use coconut butter to grease my pan) 8×8 pan. Bake for around 30 minutes. They’ll look a little undercooked when you take them out, but they firm up as they cool, and you don’t want them to get hard.

Makes 15 squares, 95 calories per square

healthy_blondies

Enjoy!

Question of the Day?
What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy Sunday?
What secret ingredient do you use?

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Easy Almond Butter Recipe

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Part of being an expat is that you miss certain comforts from home. Trader Joe’s is one of those comforts I dearly miss, that place is my food heaven. I love nut butters and Trader Joe’s Almond Butter is the jam, I dream about it all the time.

While searching the stores in Iceland I have only found almond butter once or twice with the price tag of $15 or more for a tiny jar, ya not happening. Enter in a food processor for Christmas and I am back in almond butter business.

Almond Butter

This is such a simple recipe with just one star ingredient and an endless variety of versions depending on what you want to add in. I prefer just plain almond butter but it is easy to add in whatever you would like when the almonds are blending. For my batch this was what I did.

Place 2 cups of raw almonds on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes to give them a bit of a roasted taste and to speed up the blending process.

Once the almonds are out of the oven put them straight into the food processor while they are still warm. In the food processor use your S blade to blend the almonds.

Almond Butter

Now all that is left to do is be patient and wait. It can vary depending on how large of a batch you are making and how powerful your food processor is but I promise even when it seems hopeless the almonds will magically turn into a creamy delicious butter.

Almond Butter

After about 10 minutes the almonds go from a fine powder to a thicker dough type shown in the top right picture.

Another 5 minutes and the almonds turn into a thick crumbly dough shown on the bottom right picture

Almond Butter

Once you see this smooth consistency you know your almond butter is ready to enjoy.

Almond Butter

I love using my almond butter with my morning oatmeal, with a banana for a snack, or just straight from the jar, either way its delicious and full of healthy fats that will keep you full.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe as much as I do. If you feel like experimenting try adding in some maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, or whatever creative creation may come to mind. Enjoy and get your snack on!

Question of the Day?
Are you a nut butter fan? If yes what kind, peanut, almond, cashew??

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Carrot Cake Cookies

by 8 Comments

Sundays to me are the perfect day to experiment in the kitchen and bake some yummy goodies. I love finding recipes with a healthier twist on my favorite treats, makes me feel a little less guilty for eating most of the batch myself :) When I spotted this recipe for carrot cake cookies on Pinterest (a big fan of carrot cake here) I knew I had to make up a batch myself.

Carrot Cake Cookies I promise you won’t even be able to tell that there is no butter or sugar in these, they taste like mini carrot cake in a healthy cookie form, delicious.

Carrot Cake Cookies
Yields: 15 cookies
Nutritional info: (per cookie): 83kcals, 10g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g sugar
Inspired by Oh How She Glows

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup regular oats
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots, packed
  • 1/4 cup raisins*
  • 1/4 cup agave*
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut butter*
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

*soak raisins in water for a few hours or overnight to help keep raisins plump when baking
*honey or pure maple syrup can be used in place of agave whichever you prefer
*coconut oil warmed can also be used

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350F or 175C and line baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick baking paper
  • In large bowl stir together flour, oats, coconut, salt, baking powder and cinnamon
  • Add in carrots, pecans, and raisins

cookies, carrot cake

  • In a separate bowl whisk together melted coconut butter, agave and vanilla
  • Stir coconut butter mixture into the flour mixture until combined
  • The dough will be really moist don’t worry this is a good thing
  • Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough onto baking sheet, shaped into a ball if desired
  • Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes on a baking rack

cookies, carrot cake
I knew I would not be able to keep my fingers out of the dough so I doubled my batch and it turned out great I hope you enjoy as well! I’m off to devour a plate of these yummy cookies, enjoy your Sunday friends :)

cookies, carrot cake

Question of the day?
What do you like to do on Sundays? Any baking happening in your kitchen?

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