Paleo Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

I was messing around with my microwave chocolate cake recipe, and came up with this version. You could use the microwave mug recipe and add a 1/3rd of a ripe banana if you didn't want to make a full batch, but this version is an oven-baked goody to share with the family.

Paleo Chocolate Banana Cupcakes


4 TBSP butter, softened
6 TBSP honey  (I eye-balled this)
1 ripe banana
5 TBSP coconut milk
3 eggs
3 TBSP coconut flour
1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP almond flour (this equals 6 TBSP, if you just want to use your TBSP measurement)
1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa  (this equals 9 TBSP)

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine butter and honey with a mixer until smooth.  Smash in your banana, mix again.  Add coconut milk and eggs, mixing until the eggs are fully incorporated.  Add the dry ingredients, and mix well until there are no lumps.

Let me state that I don't really do exact measurements. I don't level my measuring spoons, nor do I measure out liquids.  But this is pretty darn close to what I did.  It should make a fairly thick batter, not a runny batter. If the batter is too runny, you may want to add a tablespoon of coconut flour. If you think it is far too thick, add a bit more liquid.  ALWAYS taste the batter when you are done to see if you need to add more sweetener.

Poor into silicone cups and bake at 350F for approximately 15 minutes.  (I use silicone cupcake liners which I set on a flat pan.  Silicone cupcake liners are THE BOMB, y'all.)

Isn't that a beautiful texture? It's like a cross between cake and pudding.

Yum, y'all. Yum.

Note: Yes, you can mess around with your coconut to almond flour ratio, but remember, coconut flour requires more moisture, so keep that in mind!  You could also do half coconut flour and half arrowroot, but I haven't tried that on this particular creation so... I can't guarantee anything.

Paleo Microwave Chocolate Cake with almond and coconut flours

It's a good thing I don't follow the Paleo mindset of "eat only what the caveman eat" because, 1, I don't believe in the whole Paleolithic era stuff (You know, I'm one of those weird people that believes in a Divine Creator, and I don't believe the earth is millions of years old), and um, I do believe that some advances in the kitchen are a good thing (like the invention of the blender).

And while I'm not a huge fan of microwaves, I do have one that we use now and then, mostly for those spontaneous moments when I have just got to have a personal-sized chocolate cake.

Before we became grain-free-freaks, I made many microwave cakes and had it all down to perfection.  After our Whole30 challenge, I decided I should try a Paleo version. Let me just say that I do not care for the texture of coconut flour in baked goods when it is not mixed with other Paleo flours, but I do love the texture of coconut flour in combination with another "flours" like arrowroot or almond meal.

The first Paleo microwave cake I made (with just coconut flour) proved that point once again. Ick. What a way to ruin chocolate.  So the next time I made it, I decided to mix it with almond flour, and I loooved it.

Here's what you'll need:

1 and 1/2 TBSP Coconut flour (I just eye-balled the half using the TBSP measuring spoon)

1 and 1/2 TBSP Almond flour

3 TBSP Cocoa (unsweetened)

1-2 TBSP honey (depending on how sweet you like it)

1 TBSP butter (melted)

1-2 TBSP coconut milk (or whatever you want to use, sometimes I use coffee)

1 egg

There are various ways you can mix this altogether. I usually start with the melted butter and honey, mixing it up well with a fork before I add the coconut milk and egg.  Then I mix in the flours and cocoa little by little so that it gets totally mixed in. (I do it this way so that 1- the melted butter doesn't start to harden back when you add cold milk and a cold egg to it if you mix it with the honey first, and 2- I don't have to use a mixer if I add the dry ingredients slowly rather than dumping them in.)

Taste the batter to see if you should add a bit more honey.  If it seems very, very thick, add a little more coconut milk.  Different coconut flour brands react differently, and some soak up more liquid than others.

Now, you could put this all in a mug and microwave it for about 45-60 seconds OR you could scoop it out into silicone cupcake liners.  I actually tripled this recipe and it made about 8 cupcakes. (I microwaved the cupcakes one by one, FYI.)  If you are making cupcakes, it only takes about 25 seconds in the microwave, at most 30 seconds. (I like mine a little moist, so 30 seconds is too long for me.)

I drizzled some organic chocolate sauce over mine.  Not paleo (sugar!) but... tasty.

Paleo Berry Breakfast Cake

Today is our oldest's 10th birthday.  We can't believe the's that old. I mean, who said she could hit double digits? Not us, that's for sure.

Here's Mandy's dad, experiencing grandparenthood for the first time!

Mandy with Merikalyn (M + Erika = Lyn)

To celebrate her birthday, I (Mandy) decided to throw together a quick recipe that could very well be a breakfast treat (treat, not daily thing) or a dessert.  I altered a coffee cake recipe and came up with this.

What you need:

1/2 cup to 2/3 cup honey (depending on how sweet you want it. I used 1/2 cup.)
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut cream*  (You want to make sure there is plenty of moisture because coconut flour really soaks it up and it can be too dry if there is not enough liquid. I used 3/4 cup one time because I was a bit too liberal with the coconut flour, and the next time I used 1/2.)1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup arrowroot flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
5-8 strawberries, sliced  or a cup or two of blueberries (fresh or frozen)

* You could use almond or coconut milk, and it will be good, but the richness of the cream makes it all the more better. I used almond milk for the strawberry cake and coconut cream for the blueberry, and the blueberry was SO MUCH TASTIER.  If you don't have coconut cream on hand, you could also use So Delicious Coconut Creamer (even the flavored ones), or.. add regular dairy creamer if milk isn't an issue for you).

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or butter an 8×8 baking pan.

2. Combine honey, butter, eggs and cream/milk in a bowl until well combined. My honey is thick, so I melted the butter just a tad, added the honey to it, and then melted them together a little bit longer.

3. Combine arrowroot flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.

4. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir well. (I used my mixer to make sure there were no lumps.

5. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly.  Then place a layer of sliced strawberries down on top of the batter before adding the other half of cake batter.  If you are using blueberries, pour in ALL of the batter and put the blueberries on top (they will likely start sinking to the bottom anyway).

Bake at 350*F for 25-30 minutes, until nicely browned and no longer jiggly in the middle.

ENJOY!

Happy Birthday Merikalyn!

*Note: This recipe was a HUGE hit at our church potluck brunch this morning.  Even people who are not gluten-free or Paleo asked for the recipe. It really tastes like it's made of wheat flour. It's so delicious! 

Paleo Chocolate Cake

Our oldest has a birthday coming up.  Instead of taking a break from Paleo to allow a store-bought, chemical-laden cake, I'm working on several Paleo desserts to make sure her birthday is a happy one for her  whole body, gut included.  I mean, really, no one wants the nasty rash that accompanies her wheat-feasting. That's not the sort of birthday gift she's looking forward to.

I had intended this dish to be brownies, but they really weren't brownie-like in my opinion. Maybe that's because I'm used to the gooey, fudgy kind that come from box mixes (why do those things have to be so good?).

This recipe is pretty simple, and you could call them brownies or call them cake. You could top them with walnuts or a Paleo icing.  And yanno, your kids will still love them either way.

And they will still want to lick the bowl. They'll sneak into it when you're not looking, and instead of scolding them, you will probably grab your camera instead.

Paleo Chocolate Cake

What you'll need:

1/2 cup butter (that's one stick)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
6 eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup maple syrup, honey, or agave (Depends on how sweet you prefer it. I used 1/2 cup. Also, I need to go grocery shopping so I used a combination of all three because I was running out of everything.)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (optional)
Chopped raw walnuts (optional)



What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2.Melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave. I've been trying to avoid using the microwave, so I did it on the stovetop over low heat.

3. While you're doing that, get out a medium mixing bowl and beat eggs, maple syrup, baking powder, and vanilla together. (Save back the coconut flour. Don't add it yet!)

4.  Is the butter melted yet?  Great. Remove from heat and add cocoa powder to the melted butter, whisking in thoroughly with a fork.

5. Add cocoa and butter mixture into the medium bowl with the egg mixture and mix well.

6. Add coconut flour and mix together (an electric beater works best) until no longer lumpy.  I added in chocolate chips at this point for an extra bite of chocolate-y goodness. You could add walnuts in here, or you could save them and put them on the top for a pretty touch. Let it sit for a couple minutes to the coconut flour can soak up some of the moisture.

7. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.  There are several ways to do this. You can use spray or you could put a dollop of butter or coconut oil in the pan and put it in the oven for a couple minutes.  Once melted, remove the pan (with hot pads!) and tilt/rotate the pan until it's completely greased up. Pour in the batter and top with walnuts (if you want)!

8. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  It depends on what pan you are using, so set your timer for 18 minutes and give it a check.  I used an 8x8 pan and it took about 22 minutes. (The middle was still very wet at 18 minutes. I probably could have pulled it out at 20, and let it sit for a bit, and because it retains heat, it would have finished baking and have been a bit more moist.)  Smaller pans will have longer baking time. The bigger the pan the quicker it will bake.  You can test it with a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle. If it's still really gooey and sticks to the knife, then it's not quite finished.

I'm thinking that, next time, I might add in a touch of coconut cream. I'll have to continue working on a brownie recipe I really like.  I'm pretty sure this recipe would make a great cupcake with chocolate avocado pudding for icing.  Also, I don't really MEASURE stuff, I eyeball it, to it's totally possible that I may have put a little too much cocoa, which could have accounted for it not being so fudgy. Either way, it was really tasty, especially since I haven't had a brownie, or chocolate cake, in a long time.

Gluten-free baking used to seem to daunting. I mean, most recipes called for a mixture of flours (rice flour, tapioca flour, sorghum, etc) plus add in other strange stuff I had never heard of.  It seemed like such a huge hassle, and not only that, it required me to have a zillion different kinds of flours on hand (most of which were pretty expensive) or buy that pricey gluten-free flour mixture.

Grain-free baking is such a breeze. Normally, there are not a lot more steps than what I was once accustomed to. And, if it's grain-free, then it's already gluten-free, so my gluten-free friends and family don't have to worry about the dishes we make. They can indulge!

Paleo Granola

So, you're tired of eating eggs for breakfast every morning (not that you have to, but that seems to be the rut you're in, right?) and you wish there was something else you could throw together.  Maybe you're starting to miss cereal, because, boy, is it easy to pour a bowl of cereal.

Ah, well, I've got just the thing for you, my dear.

Paleo Granola

What you'll need
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup raw pecans
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (shell removed)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (or raw honey)
- 1 cup of your favorite dried fruit (raisins?) to add in afterward.

What to do:

1. First, preheat oven to 275F.  Toss the almonds, cashews, and pecans (along with the coconut flakes) in your food processor (if you have one) and give it a couple pulses to break them up into smaller chunks. If you don't have a food processor, place ingredients in a big plastic food bag and pound it a bit with... something. A rolling pin, a meat tenderizing hammer, or even the bottom of a heavy glass will do.  

2. Get out a small pot to heat up the coconut oil and maple syrup (or honey)so that it all melts together. You could do this in the microwave too if you prefer. Throw in seeds, nuts and coconut flakes and stir to coat.  (Remember, don't throw in the dried fruit!)

3. Now you're going to get out one of those handy-dandy silicone spatula thingies (more like a spoonula, as Rachel Ray calls it) and spread the delicious granola mixture onto a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper, but even foil will work) in an even layer.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes, mixing a couple times if you remember.  I'm sure your mouth will be watering when you smell the delicious scents wafting from your kitchen.  

4. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then add in dried fruit. I'm not that patient, and I really like it hot, so I typically eat half of the pan a little before it cools.

Eat plain, with a bunch of fruit, or in a bowl with some delicious almond or coconut milk. Mmmmmm.  This also makes a great dessert when you have guests over!

Paleo Desserts- take a page from Raw Vegans

Remember how I (Mandy) was once a raw vegan? Well, those old recipes I once loved sure come in handy now.  Here's a couple recipes from my personal blog, MandyMom.com.  First up is a raw cheesecake. It's really yummy and actually reminds me of real cheesecake! A friend of mine made something similar for her daughter's birthday party and brought the leftovers to our weekly fellowship potluck and, yum, it was so good plus it reminded me how this used to be one of my go-to recipes when I wanted to surprise the kids with a yummy but more nutritional dessert that wouldn't leave them with aching tummies!

Raw UnCheese Cake

Crust:
2 cups raw walnuts (you can use macadamia nuts if you prefer)
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/2 tsp raw cacao powder (optional)

Process the nuts, dates, & cacao in food processor.  Press into bottom of a 8x8 dish or 8inch pie pan.  (You may want to line it with foil or parchment paper to keep it from sticking.)  Set aside.

Filling:
3 cups chopped cashews, soaked for an hour or longer
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup honey or agave or maple syrup
3/4 cup coconut oil (slightly warmed to melt it so it's fluid)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup water

Blend soaked (and drained) cashews, lemon, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt and water.  Blend until smooth.  Taste to see if you'd like to add more honey or salt.  Pour into crust and freeze until firm.  Keep frozen until you're ready to serve.

Tip: Try adding blended strawberries to the mix before freezing. Super tasty! Reserve half of the filling, blend in some sort of berry (blueberries? yum!).  Pour in the plain filling, freeze for 30 minutes, then smooth on the strawberry layer and freeze for an hour.  Viola! I delicious and fancy dessert that didn't take much work.  I've also made this without the crust and it turned out great!








Raw Brownies  (otherwise known as "Brawnies")

So, mine look a little crumbly, but I tell you, these were really good and very simple.

What you'll need:

1 cup walnuts
1 cup pitted medjool dates
1/4 cup cacao powder

There are various ways to do this, but they all begin with a food processor.  You can process the walnuts until they are like crumbs and then add in the rest of the ingredients, or you can throw it all together at the same time.   I liked the crunch of bigger chunks of walnuts, so I processed half of the walnuts to a powder and then added in the remaining ingredients and processed again.  It's been a while since I made this, so I definitely want to try it again and mix it up a bit.  These remind me a lot of Lara bars, except much cheaper.

You can make them as thick as you'd like.  Press them firmly into a small pan, then freeze for an hour so they get a bit firmer.  Remove and cut into bars.