Dessert Recipes – God Save the Quinoa

Category: Dessert Recipes

07
Jun
2018

No Bake Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bites

categories: Dessert Recipes, Snacks, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

I LOVE desserts. I love them SO much that I sometimes I wonder if I was born with 32 sweet tooths instead of just one. Okay, bad dad joke- I couldn’t help myself! Anyways, you know what I love just as much as dessert? Making healthy food taste just. like. dessert. You read that right- healthy food. Meaning nuts, fruits, spices, no sugar. You get the gist.

Besides the fact that its for my favorite meal, there are a number of reasons why I love this recipe. I’ll give you my top three:

Healthy to the core- Made with raw, wholesome ingredients like cashews and dates, that actually help with the refuel and recovery process.
NO BAKING- less mess to clean and no risk of burning these delicious treats. This also means no more excuses for those of you who “don’t know how to cook” 🙂
Prep time takes all of about 10 minutes- As long as you can remember to soak your cashews, you can whip a batch together after your morning workout with minimal effort. Don’t worry if you forgot to soak your cashews. You can hack this by boiling them on low heat for about 15 minutes.

Okay I lied, I’m giving you my top four. My absolute favorite thing about this recipe is how fresh all of the ingredients taste. There is just something about the combination of fresh blueberries, juice from a real lemon, and fresh mint leaves that has the power to fill any void imaginable!

The process to “no bake” these is simple. I prefer to take a blend-blend-freeze approach.

Step 1: combine ingredients for your crust (the bottom layer) in a food processor or high powered blender. When combined pack tightly into the bottoms of a lined muffin tin.

Step 2: combine ingredients for your filling (top layer) in a food processor or high powered blender. When combined, spoon mixture into muffin pans and top with fresh blueberries.

Step 3: place muffin pan in the freezer for about four or so hours until “cheesecakes” are frozen. Once these babies are nice and solid, remove them from the freezer and transfer to an airtight, freezer safe container for safe keeping. This will help prevent freezer burn.

When you’re ready to enjoy, I suggest placing them on the counter to thaw for a few minutes before digging in. This will help make sure you’re able to bite through them and will really help the flavors stand out!

Bon Appetite!

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14
Feb
2016

Skinny Greek Yogurt Banana Muffins

categories: Breakfast Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Snacks

Hello! I hope you’re excited about this Skinny Greek Yogurt Banana Muffin Recipe! I sure am!

I know it’s been FOREVER since I last posted! You see, I’ve been a little busy lately. Since my last post in April I’ve finished two half marathons, two triathlons, planned a wedding, bought a house, started a new job at work, went on my bachelorette party in Mexico, moved into the house we bought, GOT MARRIED, went on my honeymoon to Costa Rica, traveled all over Texas to celebrate our first holiday season as newly weds with friends and family, and finished moving into the house we bought. It feels good to FINALLY have free time again!

Don’t worry, during all of the madness I continued to cook and come up with new recipes. Let’s be honest, there was no way to keep me from using my big new kitchen! My recipe book is full of new creations and I cannot wait to share them with you! Before I share this delicious and very healthy Greek Yogurt Banana Muffin Recipe without, I would be remiss if I didn’t share some of my favorite wedding photos! THANK YOU to the wonderful Beth McElhannon Photography for capturing all of these perfect moments!

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Such fun memories!

Ok, I’ll stop fantasizing about the best day ever and share this recipe with you!

First of all, this recipe is SUPER easy to make. In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients laying around your house! I love this recipe because all of the ingredients are natural and wholesome. Because there is no oil, flour, or butter in these muffins you actually feel good after eating one of these bad boys!

The batter is made from oats, greek yogurt, and “old” bananas. Just because a banana looks black, bruised, and feels extra soft does NOT mean you should throw it out! In fact, you should wait until your bananas show these characteristics before making this recipe. In my opinion, the older the banana, the better. While this isn’t 100% necessary, I highly recommend it (as long as your banana is not rotten). On a side note, you should not use green or unripened bananas to make this recipe. The batter just won’t be the same.

VERY IMPORTANT! If you don’t read anything else in this post, please read this paragraph. The lack of oil in these muffins WILL cause them to stick to paper muffin liners. I learned this the hard way after my first attempt making these. I basically had to perform surgery to remove the paper liners from the sides of the muffins before eating them. YOU MUST USE FOIL MUFFIN LINERS!!! I use the Reynolds Foil Baking Cups. YES- you should remove the paper liners! These are only used to prevent the liners from sticking together in their package. You should also grease the muffin pan, as well as the insides of the liners with non-stick cooking spray.

These muffins take a mere 10 minutes to prep. Simply pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray your muffin pan and the insides of your cupcake liners with non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl or kitchen aid combine oats, bananas, greek yogurt, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and eggs. Mix until well combined then stir in in dark chocolate chips, pecan pieces, and honey. Mix on medium-high for a few seconds until well combined. Fun fact, my sweet grandmother picked and shelled these pecans herself! They are so tasty and I love having them around the house to use in my recipes!

Use a large spoon (or my personal favorite, an ice cram scoop) to fill each foil lined muffin pan about 3/4 full. Top with a few dark chocolate chips (optional) and pop them in the oven. My best results came from baking these for 15-20 minutes on the middle rack. You should remove these delicious bites from the oven once a tooth-pick comes out clean and muffins are a dreamy golden brown.

I know you will be DYING to dig in, but let them cool for about 10 minutes before taking that first bite. Let the countdown begin.

Congratulations! After the longest 10 minutes of your life has passed, you’re free to eat up!

You can eat these for dessert, a snack, or a quick on-the-go breakfast. My {new} husband, Greg, loves to eat these before long triathlon training sessions. Sometimes he spreads peanut butter across the top, which is delicious if I do say so myself.

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If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate or pecans, you can certainly use milk chocolate chips, walnuts, almond slivers, or cashews! The sky is the limit!

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11
Feb
2015

Valentine’s Day Smores Cookies

categories: Dessert Recipes, Holiday Recipes

Only 4 more days until Valentine’s Day! Tell someone “I love you (s)more” with the world’s easiest, and arguably tastiest cookie recipe. This is the EASIEST cookie you’ll make. EVER. (So get excited!)

Yes, the last Valentine’s Cookie Recipe I posted (Valentine’s Day Cool Whip Cookies) is also very easy to make. But, believe it or not, this one is easier! As long as you’re able to stack your ingredients and turn on an oven (and have enough will power to not eat all of the ingredients while you’re preparing to cook) you should be fine!

You only need 3 ingredients: marshmallow’s, graham crackers, and chocolate.

If you’re wondering how I made the marshmallow’s heart shaped, I’ll let you in on a little secret- I bought them them this way! It’s true! Jet-Puffed makes the cutest baby pink heart shaped Marshmallow’s, which I found at Target.

I used Honey Maid Fresh Stacks graham crackers. These are AWESOME! They’re packaged as individual squares… you don’t even have to break the graham cracker in half! I told you this recipe was easy!!!

I’m an old fashioned gal, so I couldn’t resist using Hershey’s Milk Chocolate. Buy a King Size chocolate bar (or two or three) depending on how many Smore’s you’re planning on making. I broke the chocolate bar into squares made of two “pieces” each. I used one square per Smore. (If you really wanted to, I’m sure you could find a pre-packaged Hershey’s bar portioned out correctly for you). Anyways, one King Size Hershey’s Bar will make 8 Smores Cookies, so plan accordingly.

To cook this masterpiece, all you have to do is assemble your Smore in this order: (from bottom to top) graham cracker, chocolate, marshmallow.

Arrange cookies on a cookie sheet or wire cooling rack.

Turn the oven on broil. When warm, place cookies in oven for 2.5 – 3 minutes. This is just enough time to get them nice and brown without burning them or catching them on fire.

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When finished, remove and enjoy! You can eat these cookies immediately, or store them in an airtight container to enjoy for a few days. The magic of this recipe is that they’re still just as delicious a few days later compared to when they’re fresh out of the oven!

YUM! I’m pretty sure it takes the oven longer to heat up than it does to make this Smore’s cookie recipe! How often does that happen?!

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04
Feb
2015

Valentine’s Day Cool Whip Cookies

categories: Dessert Recipes, Holiday Recipes

Hello, everyone! Its that time of the year again…Valentine’s Day! What holiday gives you a better excuse to make the most deliciously sappy girly recipe possible? I would hate for you NOT to take advantage of this holiday because you’re worried you’ll ruin your New Year’s diet and spoil all of your healthy resolutions, so I’m excited to share this 4 ingredient, 60 calorie cookie recipe with you! That’s right! All 4 ingredients (EASY) and 60 calories (YES PLEASE!) in these light and fluffy cookies will have you thinking you’re on cloud 9!

These cookies are so light and fluffy. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you pick one up and bite into it! Wanna know why? Well, these cookies are made with Cool Whip, strawberry cake mix, 2 eggs, and some festive holiday sprinkles. You don’t believe me? See ingredients pictured below:

It’s true! All you have to do is combine the cool whip and the eggs. Once they’re completely combined add in one box of strawberry cake mix and as many sprinkles as your heart desires.

The cookie batter should be thick and sticky once everything is mixed. Place it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes before continuing on. This is a necessary step, so don’t skip it!

After your batter is chilled pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F, wrap a cookie sheet in foil, and and pour some powdered sugar in a small bowl. You will dip each cookie in the powdered sugar before placing it on the cookie sheet to bake. This is my favorite part of the recipe and gives each cookie just the right amount of sweetness it needs!

Scoop the dough out with a spoon or scoop. As you can tell from the pictures below, I used an ice cream scoop. Roll the dough into balls and roll around in powdered sugar, completely covering the entire ball of dough. When covered, place on to your cookie sheet and repeat until the cookie sheet is full. Leave about 2 inches between each cookie, these sweets grow in the oven.

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Let the cookies bake for about 10 – 12 minutes. Obviously, larger cookies will take longer to make, so scoop accordingly! When finished, set aside to cook an dig in!

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01
Sep
2014

Cocozia Blueberry Lemon Pops

categories: Dessert Recipes, Snacks

Coconut water is an excellent way to rehydrate after a long sweat session on a summer day. I love keeping these in the freezer to enjoy after a long run in 90+ degree heat. Besides jumping in a swimming pool, there’s nothing that’s more refreshing! So, why not combine the best of both worlds and enjoy the delicious taste of coconut water and take advantage of its healthy benefits at the same time?

By the way, I used the leftover frozen blueberries and fresh lemon juice from the Blueberry Lemon Mini-Bundt Muffins I made the other day. Making popsicles is a great way to use any extra fruit you have before it goes bad!

What is coconut water? Well, it’s a liquid that forms, naturally, inside the hard shell of a coconut and is packed full of B vitamins, potassium, electrolytes, enzymes, and amino acids. With this laundry list of ingredients, its no wonder people refer to coconut water as “nature’s sports drink”.

I don’t know about you, but this Texas girl tends to overindulge on chips and guacamole at Mexican restaurants. Did you know that the potassium in coconut water can help your body nix the excess sodium from all of these delicious, salty chips. Hooray! For best results, reach for coconut water labeled “100% raw or organic coconut water” with no added ingredients.

I’ve tried my fair share of coconut water, and trust me, nothing out there is better than Cocozia Coconut Water. Cocozia is the real deal, yall. It’s so fresh tasting- probably because its 100% coconut water and has zero additives or extra ingredients. Cocozia is very clean and natural tasting, and unlike other coconut waters I’ve had, is not overly sweet or sour. I’m telling you, when you drink Cocozia you’re going to think you’re drinking directly out of the fruit!

It comes in super convenient pouches that are perfect to throw in your gym bag or drink on the go! It tastes just as good straight out of the package as it does in these delicious popsicles. It’s also tasty in smoothies, and I’ve even used it to make quinoa! (Be on the lookout for this recipe coming soon).

These popsicles are SO easy to make! I purchased the Zoku single quick pop maker at Crate and Barrel ON SALE! Seasonal Sales are the best time to stock up on new toys! You have to let the Zoku sit in the freezer for at least 24 hours before using, but the single quick pop maker will make 3 pops in one sitting, which is perfect for me. But if you have a bigger family (or appetite) you can purchase a two or three serving quick pop maker, to enjoy six or nine pops in one sitting.

All you have to do is mix together your freshly squeezed lemon juice and coconut water. Measure out one third of the liquid and pour it into the Zoku, filing until your liquid is right below the fill line. Add your blueberries and jam the Zoku stick in the quick pop maker, wiping away any liquid that overflows. Let it sit for 9 minutes, then remove and immediately enjoy!

Zoku also makes these awesome storage containers, made especially for Zoku Quick Pops you you can store your treats in the freezer and enjoy later in the week!

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19
Apr
2014

Easter Bunny Blondie Bars

categories: Dessert Recipes, Holiday Recipes

Happy {almost} Easter! I hope yall are having an eggs-ellent weekend. I’m spending the weekend in Galveston with Greg and his family. The weather is absolutely perfect. I hope this is a sign that spring is FINALLY here… I’m so over the cold! I went for a run this morning along the beach, which was so refreshing, then made a Lemon Strawberry French Toast Casserole for the group. I won’t tell you too much about it right now because I’ll be posting the recipe soon, but it was delicious and the perfect size for our large group. Later this afternoon we’re having a crawfish boil, so needless to say its going to be a fabulous weekend!

If you haven’t made an Easter treat for the family yet, you’re in luck! These Easter Bunny Blondie Bars are on the lighter side , super easy to make , and are perfect for serving to a large group. Looking for an opportunity to let the kids help out in the kitchen? They will have a blast shaking the bag of coconut flakes to dye them green and placing their favorite color Easter eggs on top of the finished product! Of course, these bars are healthier if you don’t include the frosting, but after giving up sweets for the 40 days and 40 nights of lent, I think its perfectly acceptable to dig right in!

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