Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

food

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

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As you all know, peanut butter and chocolate (and banana!) is my favorite combination of all time.

Something about it makes my mouth water. Makes my dog drool, too, but I can’t share with him (no chocolate for dogs!).

 

I’d rather not share this treat with anyone, but ’tis the season of giving.

And Cookies. And Cookie Dough. And Pumpkin Pie. 

And Peanut Butter apparently (at least in my mind).

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Yield: 2 dozen bites

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

~The bites are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and of course, sugar free!

Ingredients

  • 5 dates
  • 1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts (or use unsalted peanuts and add your own salt)
  • 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • optional: 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder for extra chocolate flavor

Instructions

  1. Using a food processor (I have also had success with a magic bullet), chop the dates first into a date-paste.
  2. Then add nuts and chop.
  3. Finally, add chocolate chunks and stir.
  4. If the dough is too powdery, add a small dash of water. If it is too sweet, add more peanuts. If it is not sweet enough, add more dates. The recipe is extremely versatile.
  5. Note: It is best when the peanuts are chunky, so don’t over-chop the peanuts!
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/12/07/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-bites/

Health Benefits:

  • Chocolate: Click HERE for a post I did about all the benefits of chocolate.
  • Dates: A laxative food with a high-fiber content, so it can help those suffering from constipation. They are digested quite easily and are great for when you need quick energy. Also, regular consumption of dates has been found to help the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines.
  • Peanuts: These legumes are full of protein with 7g per ounce. They also have a great monounsaturated fat content that helps your heart and brain. Peanut is a good source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during the period of lack of oxygen example high altitudes and clogged arteries. It also has a high antioxidant and high niacin content that helps in the recovery of cell damage and provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive problem.

 

Thought-Provoking, Mind-Prodding Question of the Day:

Cookies or Cookie Dough? What do you choose?

This post was a part of my Operation Beautiful Food. Original recipe here: Faux Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabars

Grain-Free Pumpkin Pie Bars with Creamy Frosting

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Happy December 1st!

I’m very excited for this Christmas season. My house has already been decorated with cinnamon-scented candles, stuffed snowmen, pictures of Santa, and, of course, the Christmas tree. Now I’m ready to start on the Advent Calendar!

For me, the flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon are not limited to Thanksgiving. I love them all year round. Especially during the Christmas season.

Already tired of Pumpkin and Pumpkin Pie?

Go buy a can of pumpkin anyway. Make this recipe. You will love it.

You can thank me later. After you’ve devoured this:

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Grain-Free Pumpkin Pie Bars with Creamy Frosting

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 8 large bars

Serving Size: 1 bar

Calories per serving: 67 calories per bar (count does not include frosti

Grain-Free Pumpkin Pie Bars with Creamy Frosting

~This recipe was inspired by my Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread, Healthy Pumpkin Pie, and Cinnamon Whipped Cream. Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Gluten-Free, and Sugar-Free.

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin Bar Ingredients:
  • 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice)
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup nondairy milk (like almond milk) or water
  • Sweeteners*
  • Coconut Cream Frosting Ingredients:
  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Pumpkin Bar Directions:
  2. Preheat oven to 350*.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients together and then the wet.
  4. Mix the dry and wet together and spread mix in a greased 8? square baking dish.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges are browned and a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Let cool completely before frosting.
  7. Coconut Cream Frosting Directions:
  8. Place your can of coconut milk in the fridge and leave overnight. Open the milk the next morning, and do not shake. The top of the can should be thick, scoop this out. About halfway through you should reach a point where the cream turns to water. Do not scoop out the water.
  9. Whip the vanilla into the cream until well-combined and fluffy.
  10. Spread on bars, cut into squares, and enjoy!
  11. (Make sure to keep the bars refrigerated because the coconut cream will melt in hot temperatures)

Notes

*Sweetener ideas: When I make this for myself, I leave sweeteners out. When baking for others, I suggest adding a sweetener. The following are some options. 1. Blend five dates (or more depending on your sweet tooth) with the milk until completely smooth. Then use the milk as specified above. 2. Use 1/2 teaspoon white stevia powder or liquid stevia drops.

https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/12/01/grain-free-pumpkin-bars-with-creamy-frosting/


The bar itself is very tasty, but the cream on top really makes it fantastic. It’s like pumpkin pie in a portable form! Easier to make than pumpkin pie, too, because you don’t have to make a crust. It’s creamy and dense, sweet and spicy, and very flavorful. It makes a great breakfast bar or snack, and a great gift for the holidays. Make up a batch of these to give to co-workers, neighbors, or friends.

Health Benefits:

  • Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.
  • Coconut: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!
  • Pumpkin: One cup of pumpkin has 7 grams fiber, 2650 IU Vitamin A, 564 mg potassium. It also boasts a truckload of antioxidants like Alpha-carotene and Beta-carotene.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Are you as excited for the holidays as I am?

What are your thoughts on baked-goods as gifts?

Personally, they are my go-to gift. There’s nothing like baking a batch of cookies or Pumpkin Spice Latte Granola, and then decorating it with a bow to give to friends.

Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas

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Thanksgiving Countdown: 1 day left

Are you ready? Do you know what you will be serving? Here are some ideas to help you out.

Guests are in town, and they all need breakfast! You can whip up a batch of Baked Banana Oats, Grain-Free Pumpkin Pancakes, or some Pumpkin Spice Latte Granola. All are quick and easy to whip up, and can be served with some fruit and coffee.

Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty: the real Thanksgiving Meal.

First you’ll need to give your guests something to drink. How about a Apple Cider Spritzer? Simply mix equal parts apple cider with sparkling water.

For Appetizers you can serve

Apple Crisps with Peanut Butter Hummus
Antipasto Sausage Skewers

For the main dish, I am having a spiral ham this year. Personally, I like ham better than turkey. What do you prefer?

For sides, mashed potatoes (made with almond milk), sweet potatoes, applesauce, and brussels sprouts are in order. Try some of these recipes:

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Pecans
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary Wild Rice
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon
Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce

Dessert will, of course, be Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cinnamon Cream.

 Not a fan of pumpkin pie? Well, you’re crazy.

Just kidding! How about Apple Pie, Sweet Potato Spice Cookies, or even a Fig and Plum Crisp?


I might have a post up on Thanksgiving, or I might not. If not, here is a Happy Thanksgiving wish from me:

Have a fantastic holiday! Fill yourself up with good food, cheerful conversation, and love from family and friends. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Please share your recipes!

Mine is, hands down, the pumpkin pie. Always has been. However, that spiral ham and the Roasted Sweet potatoes sure do give the dessert a run for its money!

Healthy Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust

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Time has flown by! I completely forgot to post the recipe I teased you all about a couple weeks ago. Before I knew it, Thanksgiving has caught up with me.

Thanksgiving Countdown: 5 days

Eeek! Time sure does fly. Before we know it, we’ll be popping off firecrackers and watching the Times Square Ball drop for the start of 2012.

Thanksgiving is never complete, however, without Pumpkin Pie. You can try and substitute bread pudding, chocolate souffles, or fruit crumbles, but it’s just not the same.

Pumpkin Pie is the ultimate dessert. It’s always been my favorite. When I stopped eating sugar, pumpkin pie was the one thing I missed. For my first couple years without sugar, the sweet creamy spicy filling and flaky crust was nowhere near my lips.

Until this came.

Pumpkin Pie

~The pie is dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, peanut-free, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Pecan Crust:

  • 2 cups pecan meal (make your own by finely grinding pecans in a food processor)
  • 4 large dates
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • pinch salt

Blend dates in a strong blender or food processor until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine until well-mixed. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan and press the mixture evenly to the bottom and sides. Bake at 375* for 10-15 minutes or until browned.

Pumpkin Filling:

  • 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 12 oz. can full fat coconut milk (too lessen the calories, substitute up to 3/4 of the coconut milk with almond milk)
  • Sweeteners*

Combine the pumpkin, eggs, milk, sweetener (if using) and spices and beat until combined and smooth. Pour mix into crust and bake, uncovered, at 400* for 10 minutes. Then cover with foil and bake at 350* for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*Sweetener ideas: When I make this for myself, I leave sweeteners out. When baking for others, I suggest adding a sweetener. The following are some options. 1. Blend five dates (or more depending on your sweet tooth) with the milk until completely smooth. Then use the milk as specified above. 2. Use 1/2 teaspoon white stevia powder or liquid stevia drops.

Serve with Cinnamon Whipped Cream as a truly decadent Thanksgiving dessert.

 

Health Benefits:

  • Pumpkin: One cup of pumpkin has 7 grams fiber, 2650 IU Vitamin A, 564 mg potassium. It also boasts a truckload of antioxidants like Alpha-carotene and Beta-carotene.
  • Pecans: They help boost your immune system, reduce LDL cholesterol, and protect against Breast Cancer because of the high levels of oleic acid. It contains vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and fiber, as well as antioxidants.
  • Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What are you planning for Thanksgiving?

Are you cooking? What’s your meal plan? Spending time with family?

 

Slow Cooker Chicken with Artichoke and Olives

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Sometimes we get too busy during the day to cook a meal when we get home. We also get too tired and hungry after the long day, so all we want to do is put something in our mouth fast!

This is where the slow-cooker, or crockpot, comes in.

I’ve been loving my slow-cooker lately, especially when the kitchen was being remodeled (which is done now. I’ll give you pictures soon!). I love how I can prepare everything quickly the night before or morning of, and then just turn the crockpot on. When I get home, all I need to do is dig in!

Slow Cooker Chicken with Artichoke and Olives

~This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts (skin and bone on or off does not matter)
  • 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained
  • 1 14 oz can pitted olives (any kind will do. I used a mix of kalamata and black)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
  • few Tablespoons capers, optional
  • 2 Tablespoons brown rice flour, optional (or other flour of choice)

Clean all ingredients and place in crockpot. Cook on Low for 7-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours. Make sure chicken is cooked through and not pink before serving.

Optional: If you are not absolutely ravenous when you get home, I suggest making a gravy with the sauce before eating. Drain the juice from the chicken and put in saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Let it simmer until it becomes desired thickness. Pour the gravy back over chicken and vegetables and serve.

I topped the chicken with cherry tomatoes for extra color, but this is not required.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you like to cook with alcohol (beer, wine, etc.)?

I love the taste of it in food. I’m excited to share the beer-braised pork chop recipe with you soon!

Day 9: Apple Pie with Cinnamon Cream

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Welcome to day nine of the Sugar Free Challenge! Tomorrow is the last day for the challenge. Are you counting down the minutes or has it been easy for you?

Here is today’s sample menu:

 

Breakfast: One Size Fits all Pancakes with fresh sliced strawberries and Peanut Butter Cream.

 

Lunch: Heart-Stopping Chicken Salad

 

Dinner: Steak, Corn on the Cob, Mashed Taters, and Fresh Watermelon!

 

Dessert: Apple Pie with Cinnamon Cream

Grain-Free Apple Pie with Whipped Cinnamon Cream

~This recipe is from my Apple a Day Dinner menu. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, grain-free, vegan, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Pie Directions:

Pecan Crust:

  • 2 cups pecan meal (make your own by finely grinding pecans in a food processor)
  • 4 large dates
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • pinch salt

Blend dates in a strong blender or food processor until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine until well-mixed. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan and press the mixture evenly to the bottom and sides. Bake at 375* for 10-15 minutes or until browned.

Apple Filling:

  • 8 sweet apples, like fuji or gala, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine the apples with the water and cinnamon. Layer the apples slices in the pie crust. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes, covered, or until apples are soft. Increase heat to 425* and bake for 10 minutes uncovered or until the top is slightly browned.

Whipped Cinnamon Cream:

  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Place your can of coconut milk in the fridge and leave overnight. Open the milk the next morning, and do not shake. The top of the can should be thick, scoop this out. About halfway through you should reach a point where the cream turns to water. Do not scoop out the water.

Whip the cinnamon and vanilla into the cream until well-combined.

 

Health Benefits:

  • Apples: a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones. The pectin in apples lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and it supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body’s need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.
  • Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.
  • Pecans: They help boost your immune system, reduce LDL cholesterol, and protect against Breast Cancer because of the high levels of oleic acid. It contains vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and fiber, as well as antioxidants.
  • Coconut: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Quick! Answer this:

Favorite Pie? Pumpkin.

Pie or Cake? Cake.

Apples or Pears? Apples.