All tagged Vanilla

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

I grew up eating and loving my Mom’s banana bread, which was so delicious and sweet, it should have (maybe) been dessert 😉 I healthified banana bread by making it with fiber-rich whole wheat pastry flour and oat flour (which you can make at home by blending rolled oats in a blender) and cut the sugar tremendously by using monk fruit sweetener.  The Cinnamon Swirl in the middle and top of the banana bread is unreal and a MUST for the recipe!  The center is gooey, like the center of a cinnamon roll, while the top becomes crunchy, almost like crème brûlée.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan, GF)

Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan, GF)

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

These Banana Oatmeal Cookies are the bomb!  They have no processed sugar, are gluten-free, and vegan, so you can feel good about eating them any time of day.  Made with wholesome ingredients, they can be meal prepped and enjoyed for one-the-go breakfasts, snacks, or as a yummy dessert with a piece of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate on the side.  Bonus: they’re made in the food processor!  Ahem, minimal clean up 😊

Serves: 6

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

What (your ingredients):

2 ripe bananas

6 dates, pitted (make sure they’re soft and sticky)

1 tablespoon coconut oil, not melted

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups rolled oats

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Add bananas, dates, coconut oil, salt, baking powder, and vanilla to a blender.  Pulse 10 times, then blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Add rolled oats and pulse 5-8 times.  You want the rolled oats slightly broken down to form a dough, but not blended so much that you end up with a paste or completely smooth dough.  Leave a little oat texture.

Spoon six cookies onto lined baking sheet.  Smooth edges, and create a flat top to the cookies using the back of your spoon.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy warm! 

Store remaining cookies in an airtight container for a week.  Reheat and serve with a drizzle of peanut butter and a side of fruit for breakfast.

Why (the science):  Oats and bananas are prebiotics, which means that feed the healthy bacteria in our gut, which improves our mood and immune system.

** Recipe inspired by Nutrition Refined

Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding Parfait

Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding Parfait

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Chia seed pudding is an excellent meal prep recipe, as it lasts in the fridge for 5 days!  The Strawberry Sauce is delicious layered with the chia seed pudding, and can also be stirred into yogurt (or poured over ice cream (shh I won’t tell!). Cheers to a breakfast that you can make in advance, grab and go, enjoy as a dessert, or devour as a midafternoon snack 😊

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes (+ soaking overnight)

Cooking time: 0 minutes

What (your ingredients):

Chia Seed Pudding:

½ cup chia seeds

2 cups almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Strawberry Sauce:

8 oz. strawberries

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

How (your directions):

In a large bowl, add chia seeds, almond milk, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup.  Whisk immediately, then allow to sit 5 minutes.

Whisk chia mixture once more, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make the strawberry sauce, simply add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.

To assemble, create layers of chia pudding and strawberry sauce.  Garnish with additional sliced strawberries.

Why (the science):  Chia seeds are incredibly high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, so they’re great for both digestion and heart health.

Apple & Pear Breakfast Crisp | Vegan, GF |

Apple & Pear Breakfast Crisp | Vegan, GF |

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

This Apple and Pear Breakfast Crisp is delightful- warm cinnamon with soft apples and pears, topped with the most scrumptious crumbly topping.  It is incredibly nourishing, between the fiber-rich fruit, the protein-rich topping, and cinnamon to control blood sugar, you can eat this crisp for breakfast!  Serve with yogurt, and you’ve got the ultimate gut-health promoting meal.   Apple and Pear Breakfast Crisp is also a great meal prep recipe, as it holds for 2-3 days in fridge.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

What (your ingredients):

For the Filling:

3 red apples

2 red pears

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons corn starch

Pinch of salt

For the Crumble Topping:

1 cup almond flour

1 cup rolled oats

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons coconut oil, solid

3 tablespoons agave

Pinch of salt

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

To make the filling, dice red apples and red pears and place into a medium-size bowl.  Add remaining filling ingredients and stir to combine.  Pour filling into an 11x7 baking dish and set aside.

Make the crumble topping by adding all topping ingredients into a bowl.  Using your hands, pinch the mixture between your fingers until coconut oil is evenly distributed.  The crumble topping will look like wet sand.

Evenly distribute topping over the apple and pear mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes.  At the 20-minute mark, check the crisp- you may need to cover the crisp with foil to prevent the crumble topping from burning.

Enjoy immediately or throughout the week!

Why (the science):  Almond flour is a protein-rich flour alternative!  Protein is important for strong immune systems and healthy cell growth.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies | Paleo, GF, Dairy-Free |

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies | Paleo, GF, Dairy-Free |

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Wow, these cookies taste like the real deal- you know, the chocolate chip cookies of your childhood?! Except these have no flour and no refined sugar...Hello, Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Serves: 9

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

What (your ingredients):

4 tablespoons coconut oil, solid

3 tablespoons honey

1 egg

Generous teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 2/3 cup almond meal

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1/3 cup chocolate chips

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Using a hand-mixer, mix together solid oil and honey.  Add egg and mix until combined.

Add vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, almond meal, and coconut flour and mix until combined.

Using a spatula, stir in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Bake for 15 minutes, then allow to cool slightly on baking rack.

Enjoy immediately or store cooled cookies in an airtight container.

Why (the science):  Almond flour provides protein, heart-healthy omega-3's, and calcium for strong bones!

 

Acai Bowl with Vanilla Bean Granola |+Video|

Acai Bowl with Vanilla Bean Granola |+Video|

Chelsea Gloeckner

Acai bowls can be expensive, unless you make them at home!  This recipe is inspired by one of my favorites in Charlottesville, VA but costs significantly less.  The vanilla bean granola is special- slightly chewy, but rich in flavor from the vanilla bean and cashews.  This recipe makes a lot of granola, which stores beautifully in an airtight container for a week.  What are your favorite acai bowl toppings?

Serves: 1 acai bowl, 10 servings granola

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

What (your ingredients):

Vanilla Bean Granola:

3 cups rolled oats

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup cashews

pinch of pink Himalaya sea salt

½ vanilla bean

Acai Bowl:

Handful of spinach

1 frozen banana

2 handfuls frozen mango

½ cup plant-based milk

2 tablespoons hemp protein powder

1 scoop greens powder with probiotics

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

For the vanilla bean granola, add all ingredients to a large bowl and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour mixture onto lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove granola from oven and allow to cool.

For the acai bowl, place all ingredients in a highspeed blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into bowl and top with favorite toppings (frozen blueberries, coconut flakes, chia seeds) and the vanilla bean granola!

Why (the science):  Acai is a trending “superfood,” but for good reason.  Rich in antioxidants to reduce inflammation, acai also contains heart-healthy fats.

Red Velvet Overnight Oats | + Video |

Red Velvet Overnight Oats | + Video |

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

You can indulge in dessert for breakfast with these overnight oats, which just happen to be vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, added sugar-free! The secret to that beautiful vibrant color is not food coloring, but rather a simple red beet.  Red Velvet Overnight Oats are meant to be the easiest grab-an-go breakfast for busy people, but they could easily be enjoyed between 2 people at the end of a long day for dessert 😉

Serves: 1

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 4 hours or overnight

What (your ingredients):

1 medium beet, raw

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 heaping tablespoon cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)

1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut

2 dates, pits removed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

How (your directions):

Wash and peel the raw beet, then roughly cut into cubes.

To a high-speed blender, add the beet, almond milk, cacao powder, coconut, dates, and vanilla.

Blend on high for 30-60 seconds until smooth.

In a glass container, combine oats and chia seeds.  Pour the red velvet beet mixture over the oats and chia seeds and stir until well combined.

Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours to allow the oats to soften and the mixture to firm up into a pudding-like consistency.

Top with walnut pieces, more shredded coconut, or even cacao nibs for added crunch,

Enjoy your dessert for breakfast!

Why (the science):  Beets are high in nitric oxide, which helps optimize performance for athletes!  This recipe gets you one step closer to improving your exercise game with the assist from beets 😊

 

Chocolate Banana Bread Granola (Oil-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Chocolate Banana Bread Granola (Oil-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Decadent and indulgent- the two words that come to mind when eating this delightful chocolate banana bread granola.  Crunchy banana granola clusters, chewy raisins, and sweet mulberries are balanced with the bitter sweetness of cacao nibs.  Served with warm oat milk, the flavors combine to taste like a guilty chocolate chip banana bread 😊

Serves: 10

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

What (your ingredients):

2 very ripe bananas

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups quinoa flakes (If you cannot find quinoa flakes at your health foods store, sub with 2 cups of rolled oats)

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

¼ cup cacao nibs

¼ cup mulberries

1/3 cup raisins

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 400 °F.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  Hint: the silicone mat or parchment paper is crucial for preventing the granola from sticking to the baking sheet, as this recipe is oil-free.

In a blender, add bananas, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves), vanilla extract, and salt.  Blend until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine oats and quinoa flakes.  Pour banana spice mixture over oats and quinoa flakes and stir until well combined.

Pour mixture onto baking sheet and press firmly into an even layer.  This will allow the granola to form those desirable clusters!

Bake for 10 minutes, then stir and flip granola gently, allowing clusters to remain intact.

Bake for an additional 10 minutes, and stir.  Repeat once more until the granola has baked a total of 30 minutes and is golden brown.

While the granola is warm, stir in remain ingredients (pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs, mulberries, and raisins).

Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Enjoy with warmed oat milk for a cozy and energizing breakfast!

Why (the science):  Cacao nibs are rich in magnesium, which can help improve mood, focus, and energy- the perfect reason to enjoy this sugarless chocolate chip as part of your morning breakfast ritual!

Zero-Added-Sugar Zucchini Muffins

Zero-Added-Sugar Zucchini Muffins

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

How hard is it to find a breakfast muffin recipe that actually has zero added sugar?  Because the truth is, honey and molasses, although natural and mostly unprocessed, are still added sugars (which means added empty calories).  These zucchini muffins are incredibly moist, and not dense at all thanks to the whole wheat pastry flour!  Whole wheat pastry flour bakes the same way that all-purpose flour does, making it the perfect flour to have in your home to boost nutrition!