Paleo Chunky Monkey Cake

I originally found this recipe here although the recipe was for cookies, not cake. I decided to tweak the recipe and turn the batter into a cake instead. My husband couldn't believe that it didn't contain any grains, it had the texture of cake made with wheat, and was moist and fluffy!

1 cup sunflower butter or other nut or seed butter (I used my homemade sunflower-coconut butter)
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
3 tbsp my homemade Nutella or any chocolate nut spread
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients except pecans, until well mixed. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake about 25-30 minutes, until done.

*Note* The Nutella recipe does use coconut sugar and maple syrup but could be adapted to use honey if desired to stay away from all sugar.
*Note* The banana can be changed to any fruit or veggie that is good in baked goods. I have made this recipe with shredded zucchini (1/2 cup or more if desired). I think pumpkin, apple sauce or grated carrots would also work nicely. I have also made this nut free by replacing the Nutella with extra sunflower butter and 1 tbsp cocoa powder! I love this very versatile recipe!

Quinoa Bars Gluten and Grain free

I found a wonderful recipe for a great snack bar that was gluten and oat free! I used the recipe found here and of course turned it into my own!

1 c. cooked quinoa*
1/2 c. sunflower seeds, ground finely in food processor
1/2 c. almonds, ground finely in food processor
1/4 c. dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
1/4 c. honey or maple syrup
1/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tsp. cinnamon
½-¾ tsp. unrefined sea salt
1 egg
1 scoop Vital Whey protein powder (optional)

Instructions
*Soak 1 cup dry quinoa overnight in water and either rinse and cook right away or set to sprout for 2-4 days. To cook: Mix with 2 cups milk or 1 can coconut milk. Bring to a boil, stir, and lower to simmer, covered, for 30 minutes (no stirring). This will make enough for two 9×13 pans of bars or you can eat the cooked quinoa on top of yogurt with blueberries, cinnamon, and maple syrup. You can also freeze extras for future batches. If you only want enough for one recipe, use ¼ c. quinoa and ½ c. milk. Simply mix all the ingredients together with a spoon or a mixer, then spread in a greased 8×8-inch glass baking pan. (I used a 8x!0 pan and just had thinner bars) The batter/dough will be rather moist; don’t worry. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes until firm to the touch in the center and browning on the edges. Cool completely in the pan, then cut into 16 2×2-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To make this my own I used pecans instead of almonds, dried dates for the fruit (1/4 cup was not enough, next time I will add more as these are not very sweet), used maple syrup (again I would use a little more next time), added 1 tsp vanilla, used egg replacement powder as per the box instructions, added 1 tbsp chia seeds, and added 1/2 tsp baking powder and omitted the whey protein powder. I cooked the quinoa with coconut milk as well. Since I have a sweet tooth, I did melt dark chocolate with coconut oil and drizzled this on top after baking to add some extra sweetness. I had made a second one as above but with cocoa and dried cranberries instead of vanilla, cinnamon and dates.

Carrot Muffins

2 cups flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 - 1 tsp. cinnamon (depending on your preference)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk/sour milk
1/3 cup oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped dates (optional)

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together wet ingredients in another bowl. Blend wet ingredients into flour mixture. Add carrots, nuts and dates. Mix until just mixed, never over mix muffins! Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.