Blueberry Biscuits

Prep Time: 5 mins | Total Time: 20 mins | Makes: 12 biscuits

If you’re looking for a quick, healthy treat that can you can enjoy either as dessert OR breakfast, look no further. Usually biscuits can be dry and tasteless, but these are actually fluffy, soft, and full of flavor. Try them for yourself :)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• ½ cup melted butter (vegan butter optional)

• ¾ cup unsweetened almond or other milk

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• 2 cup flour (regular or gluten-free both work)

• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries

Vanilla Icing (Vegan optional)

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• 1 tbsp unsweetened almond or other milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the melted butter, almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and baking powder. Then, mix in the flour. Only mix until the dough is combined. Be careful not to over mix! If using gluten-free flour and the dough seems crumbly, add another 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of almond milk and work it into the dough. 

3. Gently fold in the blueberries. Again, don’t over mix! Use a heaping tablespoon to scoop out 12 biscuits and drop them onto the lined baking sheet.

4. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until they are lightly golden on top. Option to broil at the end for about a minute to give them more color on top.

5. While baking, use a whisk to mix your powdered sugar and almond milk to make a glaze. Drizzle over the warm biscuits and serve immediately.

Turkey Taco Cups

Prep Time: 10 mins | Total Time: 30 mins | Makes: 12 taco cups

Taco Tuesday! Or really any day of the week when you’re craving one of the most delicious foods ever created. What I love about this recipe is it’s super simple to make, it comes in a personal serving, or five, and you can make a dozen at a time. Perfect for feeding a lot of mouths all at once or storing to eat at a future time.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 12 Wonton wrappers

• 1 tbsp. Olive oil

• 1 lb. Organic ground turkey meat (ground beef works too)

• 2-3 tsp. Taco Seasoning

• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar cheese

• 1 can refried beans (pinto or black beans both work)

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• I bunch cilantro, chopped

• 2 stalks green onion, chopped

• Sour cream, for topping

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease muffin pan with a little cooking oil. Place a wonton wrapper into each cup of muffin pan, folding the edges if necessary. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and ground meat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Season with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat.

3. Spoon cooked meat mixture into each wonton. Next, add a spoonful of refried beans and then top with shredded cheddar. Bake until the wontons are golden around the edges and the cheese has melted, about 8-10 minutes.

4. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, or green onions. Enjoy!

Healthy Samoas

Prep Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 30 mins | Makes: 11 cookies

It’s Girl Scout cookie season! If you haven’t seen the purple, green, and yellow boxes all around town, you better find them soon before they sell out. Local Hint: check out the base of Highlands…they even accept Venmo! But if you’re like me and want to enjoy the best Girl Scout cookie (obvi the Samoas) all year round, you have to make this recipe. I found this healthy, homemade Samoa recipe on the food blog Eating Bird Food. Only 4 ingredients AND in a side-by-side taste test, some preferred these to the packaged cookies…just saying :)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 1 cup pitted medjool dates, about 10 dates

• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

• 1/3 cup dark chocolate (for a low sugar option, try Lily’s chocolate chips)

• 1/2 tsp coconut oil

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Toast the coconut: Spread the shredded coconut onto a baking sheet. Place in oven for 3-5 minutes, until coconut is a light golden brown color. Make sure to keep an eye on the coconut, as it burns really easily. Alternately, you can toast the coconut in a pan on the stove top.

3. In a food processor, add dates and toasted coconut. Pulse until mixture is combined and starts to form a ball of dough.

4. Take 1 Tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball and then shape into a round cookie. Using a straw or chopstick punch a hole in the middle of the dough. Move the straw or chopstick around a bit to make the hole wider, if needed. At this point you’ll likely need to reshape the cookie a bit.

5. Place all cookies on a sheet lined with parchment and transfer to the freezer for 5 mins. to harden up a bit.

6. While cookies are in the freezer, add chocolate and coconut oil to a shallow microwave-safe bowl and melt in 20-30 second increments until the chocolate is melted enough to drizzle.

7. Grab cookies from the freezer and dip each one in the chocolate to coat the bottom. Place cookies on the parchment and use remaining chocolate to drizzle over top the cookies.

8. Transfer cookies back into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to let the chocolate harden. Once they’ve hardened you’ll be able to easily remove the cookies from the parchment paper.

9. For enjoying later, store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week.

Banana Drop Biscuits (Vegan)

Prep Time: 5 mins  |  Total Time: 20 mins  | Makes: 12 Biscuits

I stumbled upon this recipe by vegan and GF recipe blogger, Peanut Butter & Jilly, last winter and have made these delicious biscuits at least a dozen times since then. Usually, when my bananas start to get a little ripe and look uneatable, I make my go-to GF Banana bread. BUT ever since discovering these little gems, my banana bread making days are history and I’m pretty much addicted to biscuits now. Disclaimer: Only make this recipe if you plan to eat more than desired in one sitting. Enjoy!

What You Need:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

• 1 overripe banana, mashed

• 1/2 cup butter, melted (can substitute vegan butter here)

• 1 tbsp maple syrup, the real stuff!

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 2 cups flour or gluten free flour *if using GF flour: best option is King Arthur, Measure for Measure GF flour. I have also used almond flour, but the biscuits come out a little more dense and flat.

Maple Butter:

• 2 tbsp butter, melted

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

How To Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the almond milk, mashed banana, melted butter, maple syrup, and baking powder. Then, add the flour and mix just enough until a dough forms. If using gluten-free flour and the dough seems crumbly, add another 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of almond milk and work it into the dough. Don't over-mix or your biscuits will be dense.

3. Use a spoon to scoop the dough and drop onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Space evenly and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the biscuits are golden. Option to broil the biscuits at the end for about a minute to give them more color on top.

4. While the biscuits are baking, melt the maple syrup and butter together, either in microwave or on the stove top, to create the maple butter.

5. As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, drizzle the maple butter over the warm biscuits and enjoy!

Healthy Cake Batter Bites

This recipe is a new favorite of my middle school classes. I always get a kick out of watching their roller coasters of emotions when I tell them that 1. we’re making cake batter bites (extreme excitement!) 2. but they are healthy and made with nuts, oats and dates (frowns and skepticism) 3. try them, you will really like these (sheer bliss and they always want more!). As with all my recipes, these cake batter bites are really easy to make as a fun activity for the family or as an after school treat with friends.

What You’ll Need:

• 1/2 cup cashews (or almonds)

• 1/2 cup coconut flakes

• 1 cup oats

• 2 dates

• 3 tbsp cashew butter (or almond butter)

• 3 tbsp maple syrup - or a little more if you want them on the sweeter side. Use your best judgement :)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon all-natural sprinkles (plus more to garnish)

• Healthy frosting (Here is my favorite healthy Cream Cheese Frosting recipe that’s super easy to make) or feel free to use whatever frosting you’d like.

How To Make:

1. Add cashews (or almonds), coconut, oats, and dates into a food processor. Process on high until crumbly.

2. Add in cashew butter (or almond butter), syrup and vanilla and blend again until a dough starts to come together. If that's not happening, add water little by little until a sticky dough forms. Pulse in the sprinkles.

3. Form the mixture into balls.

4. Transfer to a plate, and spread the frosting on top or drizzle (might need to heat up a little to drizzle). Top with sprinkles to finish. Enjoy immediately, or for an even better texture, cool in the fridge for 30 mins or freezer for 10 minutes.

Time: 15 minutes (not including the cooling time)
Yields: 15-20 bites (depending on size)

Emily's Epic Energy Bites

I love making these and often always have a batch in my fridge. They are super easy to throw together, you don’t really exact measurements, and these bites are a perfect snack for a quick pick-me-up. Also, for those of you with kids looking for an afternoon activity, this activity will occupy your little ones for at least 30 - 45 minutes. I make them with my students all the time and it’s fun to watch their different variations. PLUS…these little bites have a healthy, nutritious blend of fats, protein, fiber, and Omega-3s.

What You’ll Need (Base Ingredients)

• 1 cup, or more, nut or seed butter (I typically use peanut or almond butter)

• 1-2 cups Old Fashioned Oats (you’ll add these as needed to make the bites less sticky and hold it all together)

• 1/4 cup or small handful Chocolate chips or raisins OR both!

• 1-2 tbsp Honey or maple syrup

• Cinnamon

Additional Ingredients (If you have at home or want to use)

• Chopped nuts

• Chia seeds

• Flax seeds

• Hemp hearts/seeds

• Shredded coconut (unsweetened)

• Vanilla extract

• Protein powder (great addition if making for sport events)

How To Make

1. Line a sheet tray with parchment or wax paper.

2. Add your nut butter to a medium mixing bowl.

3. Next add the honey or syrup. Mix together. Add more or less depending on the level of sweetness you want.

4. Add in chocolate chips (or raisins) and cinnamon. If you want to add other ingredients, add them now and mix together until a dough-like consistency forms.

5. Lastly, add the oats. Mix about 1/4 - 1/2 cup to start. If too sticky, add more oats or cinnamon. If too dry, add more nut butter.

6. Use your hand or spoon to roll into bite-sized balls.

7. Optional: roll balls into unsweetened shredded coconut to coat the outside or drizzle with melted dark chocolate.

8. Place on a sheet tray and freeze for 10-15 mins. Remove from the tray and store in a sealable container in either the freezer or fridge.

Mouth-Watering, Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread

This is the best “treat” to make after a long holiday weekend or when you want to have something to pick at for the week. This chocolate banana bread, by food blogger Peanut Butter & Jilly, checks off all the healthy & good for you ingredients while still satisfying any sweet craving. It’s gluten free, vegan (optional substitutions listed below) and refined sugar free, which really just means you can eat more without the sugar crash or bloated feeling after.

What You’ll Need:

• 3 overripe bananas, mashed

• 2 flax eggs [combine 2 tbsp flaxseed meal (ground flax seeds) with 4 tbsp warm water, set aside]

• 1/2 cup melted butter (can use vegan butter or regular butter if you don’t care about making this vegan)

• 1/3 cup maple syrup (you can always add more if you want it a little sweeter)

• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (almond or oat milk are best)

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour (for best results use oat flour or a blend of oat and almond)

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (can use vegan or regular semi-sweet chocolate)

How To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a bread pan with coconut oil or butter and set aside.

2. Prepare your flax eggs [mix 2 tbsp of flaxseed meal with 4 tbsp of warm water and set aside].

3. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas. Mix in the maple syrup, melted butter, milk, and vanilla. Add in the flax eggs, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix well.

4. Add in the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Next, add the flour and mix until all combined.

5. Fold in chocolate chips and pour the batter into a bread pan. Option to top the loaf with more chocolate chips!

6. Bake in the oven for about 40-50 minutes. Poke with a toothpick to make sure it's done.

No Joke, The Best GF Banana Bread

Jumping on the COVID-19 baking craze, I stumbled upon this delicious GF banana bread by The Kitchn that is seriously delicious. I’ve cooked a lot of GF things that turn out to be better door stops than actual food, but this recipe is easy, stress free and super moist (terrible word I know, but it’s true).

I pretty much followed the recipe to a tee with only a few modifications, which is very unlike me and why baking has never been a strength of mine. I prefer the game of “what can I make with what’s in my fridge” as opposed to actually planning a meal.

If you can still find bananas out there, I encourage you to try this recipe.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray or vegetable oil, for coating the pan

• 3 medium, very ripe bananas

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (I used maple syrup and used just under 1/2 - modification #1)

• 1/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil (I used 1/4 cup melted coconut oil - modification #2)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour (I made my own by adding old fashioned Quaker Oats to Cuisinart and ground up until looked like flour - about 3 mins in total)

• 1 cup almond flour

• 1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips (optional - modification #3)

• Cinnamon (optional, but I added about a teaspoon - modification #4)

Method

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Make sure oven rack is in the middle. Line an 8x5-inch loaf pan with a parchment paper OR coat the pan with cooking spray, butter or oil.

2. In a large bowl, mash up the bananas with a fork until not many large clumps are left. Add in the eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, coconut oil, and vanilla. Use the fork to whisk and combine. Add in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon (if adding).

3. Fold in the oat flour and almond flour with a rubber spatula until just combined. If adding chocolate chips, combine to batter and mix in to finish.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer.

5. Bake for about 50-55minutes, until the top is browned and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the loaf - if it comes out clean, it’s done.

6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.