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Breakfast

Almond Flour Banana Bread

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sliced almond flour banana bread with chocolate chips

Super healthy and delicious almond flour banana bread! Made with whole, good-for-you ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally irresistible. Toast up a slice of this grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free banana bread as a comforting, yet nutritious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

overhead image of almond flour banana bread

What You’ll Need To Make Almond Flour Banana Bread

Almond Flour – The one and only flour we use in this grain-free recipe is almond flour. Almond flour is a favorite among low-carb, gluten-free, and paleo recipes. It yields little-to-no flavor and, when done right, bakes up beautifully soft and tender. If you don’t already have a bag of almond flour in your pantry, I highly recommend you go pick some up. I’ve tried pretty much every brand of almond flour out there, and my favorite so far is this Anthony’s Almond Flour. Though whichever brand of almond flour you decide to use in this recipe, make sure it’s blanched almond flour, and not almond meal.

Coconut Sugar – A quarter cup of coconut sugar is all you’ll need to sweeten up this healthy dessert recipe! The bananas yield some natural sweetness of their own, and a touch of coconut sugar helps bring that out. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar in its place.

Bananas – About two very ripe bananas should do the trick here! Or, however many mashed bananas you need to equal one cup. And while I feel like this goes without saying, make sure your bananas are super ripe for this recipe. You can tell a banana is ripe when it’s beginning to form large brown spots all around the outside peel.

Chocolate Chips – While optional, chocolate chips make this almond flour banana bread extra indulgent and delicious! If you don’t have chocolate chips, you can easily use one cup of chopped chocolate instead. I recommend semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate for this recipe. And if you’re looking to keep your entire loaf paleo, use your favorite paleo chocolate chips, such as these Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems.

almond flour banana bread sliced

Tips and Tricks

  • Instead of greasing your loaf pan, line it with parchment paper. Also, cut your parchment paper larger than the loaf pan, leaving its edges sticking out from the sides of your banana bread. This’ll make it easier to lift and remove your bread from its baking pan!
  • Leave the almond flour banana bread to cool completely (about an hour) before slicing. Then, once cool, I recommend slicing the bread all at once, before storing. Lastly, store the slices in an airtight container at either room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months!
  • For the ultimate slice of banana bread that’ll leave your tastebuds singing, toast it before eating! Then, once toasted, top that baby off with some vegan butter, ghee, peanut butter, and/or almond butter. Let me tell ya, toasted almond flour banana bread makes for the perfect afternoon snack or nightcap.
the inside of almond flour banana bread

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a vegan grain-free banana bread, try replacing the eggs with three flax eggs. One flax egg equals one tablespoon of ground flax seed meal mixed into three tablespoons of water. While I haven’t tried this vegan option myself yet, I’m sure it’d work just fine!

Make it Added Sugar-Free: Because the bananas are so naturally sweet, you can totally leave the coconut sugar out of this healthier dessert recipe.

Almond Flour Banana Bread

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: Snacks, Breakfast, DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

slices
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

50

minutes

Super healthy and delicious almond flour banana bread! Made with whole, good-for-you ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally irresistible. Toast up a slice of this grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free banana bread as a comforting, yet nutritious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups almond flour

  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

  • 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 very ripe bananas)

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup chocolate chips, optional

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
  • Add in the melted coconut oil, mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla extract – mix until fully combined. Fold in chocolate chips if using, until evenly dispersed throughout batter.
  • Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted down the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack, cool bread completely (about 1 hour) before slicing.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

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stack of gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle

Extra crunchy, perfectly sweet gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle! Made with almond flour and sweetened with coconut sugar for a healthier treat. This paleo dessert recipe requires just one bowl and 30 minutes to make!

gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle in a bowl with milk on the side

What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Cookie Brittle

Oil – Any neutral tasting oil will work in this recipe. I’ve made this recipe with both avocado oil and melted refined coconut oil. Avocado oil yields no flavor, while coconut oil yields a slight coconut flavor. Though both baked up perfectly crispy, so use whatever you’d like.

Egg Whites – By leaving out the egg yolks, we get an even crispier cookie brittle. For help figuring out how to separate egg whites from the yolk, I recommend following this tutorial. And don’t throw out your egg yolks! They’re deeply nutritious, so save them for your morning scramble.

Almond Flour – Almond flour works flawlessly in our cookie brittle batter. Also, in using almond flour in place of any other flour, we keep this dessert recipe grain-free and paleo-friendly.

Chocolate Chips – For a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle, you’re gonna need plenty of chocolate chips. However, you can totally replace the chocolate chips in this recipe with anything you’d like. I’ve made a birthday cake cookie brittle using this recipe, by swapping out the chocolate chips for one cup of rainbow sprinkles – so fun and delicious!

gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle stacked

Tips and Tricks

  • After 10 minutes of baking, you’ll want to remove your brittle from the oven to gently slice it. For easy slicing, I recommend using a pizza cutter and rolling it through the brittle in all different directions! Though if you don’t have a pizza cutter, use a sharp knife instead.
  • You must let this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle cool completely before eating! If not, it won’t get nearly as crispy. Therefore, transfer your brittle pieces to a wire cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before eating, serving, and/or storing.
  • While not necessary, I recommend storing leftover brittle in an airtight container in your fridge! This will ensure the pieces stay crispy, and the chocolate doesn’t melt.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: While I haven’t tried this variation myself yet, you might be able to get away with substituting the egg whites for two flax eggs. To make one flax egg, combine one tablespoon of ground flax meal with three tablespoons of water, whisk together then let it sit for 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Once thick, add in the flax eggs just as you would the egg whites. If you take this option, please let me know how it turns out!

Make it Paleo: Surprise! This dessert recipe is already paleo. Though to ensure it remains paleo, use your favorite refined sugar-free chocolate chips.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

Extra crunchy, perfectly sweet gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brittle! Made with almond flour and sweetened with coconut sugar for a healthier treat. This paleo dessert recipe requires just one bowl and 30 minutes to make!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

  • 1/2 cup neutral tasting oil, see Notes

  • 2 egg whites

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup almond flour

  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Mix together the coconut sugar and oil in a large bowl. Add in the egg whites and vanilla extract, mix until combined.
  • Add almond flour, tapioca flour, and baking soda to the bowl and continue to mix until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly dispersed throughout dough.
  • Transfer cookie brittle dough to prepared cookie sheet and flatten into an even, thin layer (about ¼-inch thick).
  • Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and slice into brittle pieces before putting it back into the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Neutral Tasting Oil: Refined coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil will all work!

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30 Minutes or Less

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with a bite taken out.

These gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will actually change your life. Crispy on the outside, perfectly soft on the inside, and loaded with melty chocolate. One bowl, simple ingredients, and roughly 20 minutes is all you’ll need to bake up a batch of these healthier melt-in-your-mouth cookies!

a stack of gluten-free oatmeal cookies on an upside down cookie sheet.

What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • ONE Bowl – Don’t we just love a one bowl cookie recipe? The one bowl is to baking what the one pan is to cooking. It simply doesn’t get any quicker and easier than these one bowl oatmeal cookies.

  • Oat Flour – We swap regular flour for gluten-free oat flour in this healthier cookie recipe. I especially love baking with oat flour because it’s so cheap and easy to make! You can also of course buy a bag of already made oat flour from the store, but I always recommend saving your money and quickly making your own. To make oat flour, simply blend rolled oats in a blender or food processor until ground into a flour. Then …that’s it! It actually couldn’t get any easier.

  • Rolled Oats – Most, but not all oats are gluten-free, so make sure the ones you buy definitely are! I used these Nature’s Path Gluten-Free Oats in my cookies, but really any brand of rolled oats will work. Old-fashioned, quick cooking, or instant rolled oats will all bake up the same here. However, steel cut or Irish oats are entirely different and won’t work in these gluten-free oatmeal cookies.

  • Chocolate Chips – I used the Enjoy Life Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips in my cookies, but any chocolate chips would taste delicious. I like Enjoy Life because they’re guaranteed gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan, making them a super safe option when baking for a crowd. Though if you can’t get your hands on any chocolate chips, one cup of a chopped chocolate bar would work just as great!

Tips and Tricks

  • Leave these cookies to rest on their baking sheet once baked. They have a tendency to be super soft and delicate straight out of the oven. Therefore, leave them be for at least 5 minutes before attempting to move them.

  • Swap out the chocolate chips for raisins and you’ve got yourself gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies! Also, if taking this option, I recommend adding in one teaspoon of cinnamon to your cookie dough for a hint of spice.

  • Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperate for up to seven days! Also, if after your cookies have cooled you’re still yearning for that fresh-out-of-the-oven cookie experience, simply pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. This’ll give you that irresistibly warm, soft, and gooey-ness you crave!
close-up image of a gluten-free oatmeal cookie with a bite taken out

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Dairy-Free: If you know me, you know I always take the dairy-free option! So I made my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies dairy-free by simply replacing the butter in this recipe with non-dairy butter. I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery sticks for all my dairy-free baking/cooking needs.

  • Make it Vegan: To make these cookies vegan, take the dairy-free option above and use your favorite egg substitute in place of the egg in this easy cookie recipe. While I haven’t tested this version myself just yet, a flax egg might work. Also, this Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer may also do the trick!

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

24

cookies
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

These gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will actually change your life. Crispy on the outside, perfectly soft on the inside, and loaded with melty chocolate. One bowl, simple ingredients, and roughly 20 minutes is all you’ll need to bake up a batch of these healthier melt-in-your-mouth cookies!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (I used non-dairy butter)

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 egg, at room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup oat flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

  • 1 cup chocolate chips, optional (but recommended!)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar in a large bowl with either a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, beat to combine.
  • Add oat flour, baking soda, and salt into butter mixture and beat until a dough forms. Then, fold in rolled oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout.
  • Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Video

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Breakfast

Double Chocolate Chia Pudding

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two cups chocolate chia pudding

Ultra decadent, yet healthy double chocolate chia pudding! Whip together this easy breakfast or snack in no time at all. Top this rich and extra chocolatey treat off with fresh berries, whipped cream, or what the heck – even more chocolate!

chocolate chia pudding in cups with whipped cream and chopped chocolate on top

What You’ll Need To Make This Double Chocolate Chia Pudding

  • Non-Dairy Milk – Use any non-dairy milk you’d like! I used the Elmhurst Almond Milk since it’s what I had on-hand, and I love their simple ingredients (literally just almonds and water). Though whichever non-dairy milk you use, make sure it’s completely unsweetened. The maple syrup in this plant-based recipe yields all the sweetness we need.

  • Maple Syrup – This unrefined sweetener is slightly lower on the glycemic index than white sugar, meaning it’s less likely to cause that awful sugar spike, then crash. I absolutely love maple syrup, and use it whenever possible! It’s super versatile, perfectly sweet, and has this caramel-y flavor that is to-die-for. However, if you don’t have maple syrup, you can use honey or date syrup in its place.

  • Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder, that is! While most cocoa powders are unsweetened, there are a select few on grocery store shelves that have sugar in them. So learn from my mistakes here, and don’t accidentally throw the sweetened kind into your cart. Ghirardelli and Hershey both make very good unsweetened cocoa powders. And if you want to make this vegan recipe even healthier, then use cacao powder instead. Cacao is less processed than cocoa, and is chock-full of vitamins and minerals.

  • Chia Seeds – These tiny black seeds are the star of our double chocolate chia pudding recipe! Chia seeds are a superfood (for reasons I’ll get into in the next section), are gluten-free, and can be found at most grocery stores. Though if you can’t find chia seeds at your local grocery store, try a health store or vitamin shop instead. Also, Amazon sells pounds of them!
spoon scooping chocolate chia pudding out of a cup

Are Chia Seeds Healthy?

Yes, chia seeds are super duper healthy! They’re loaded with all sorts of nutrients, such as:

  • Iron – increases energy and focus.
  • Manganese – essential for bone health and development.
  • Phosphorus – repairs damaged muscle and bones.
  • Selenium – protects against cell damage and infection.
  • Magnesium – boosts heart health and helps regulate blood pressure.
  • Calcium – vital to building and maintaining strong bones.

They’re also a great source of plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats!

Toppings/Add-Ins

  • Protein Powder
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Fresh Berries
  • Sliced Banana
  • Peanut Butter
  • Hemp Seeds
  • Chopped Nuts
  • Granola

Double Chocolate Chia Pudding

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: Breakfast, Snacks, DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Chilling Time

4

hours

Ultra decadent, yet healthy double chocolate chia pudding! Whip together this easy breakfast or snack in no time at all. Top this rich and extra chocolatey treat off with fresh berries, whipped cream, or what the heck – even more chocolate!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups non-dairy milk

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/2 cup chia seeds

  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Directions

  • Whisk together the milk, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl.
  • Add in chia seeds and chocolate chips, stir once to combine, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
  • Once thick, remove from the fridge and give chia pudding a stir before serving.

Notes

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30 Minutes or Less

Perfect Paleo Brownies

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close up image of the inside of paleo brownies

These paleo brownies are total perfection! Extra chocolatey and extremely indulgent, yet are entirely gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.

overhead image of paleo brownies with milk and cocoa powder on the side

What You’ll Need

Almond Flour – Be sure to use almond flour, and not almond meal in these paleo brownies! Almond flour is ground much finer than meal, resulting in a lighter and overall better brownie. I’ve tried many different brands of almond flour and truly loved them all. Trader Joe’s makes a great almond flour, as does Costco. Almond flour was once hard to come by, but thankfully, it’s sold in most grocery stores these days!

Almond Butter – Almond butter makes these brownies exceptionally rich and delicious! Don’t worry though, your brownies won’t at all taste like almonds. Almond butter also gives these brownies structure, in the absence of gluten or grains.

Coconut Sugar – This unrefined sugar is a paleo-friendly alternative to regular white sugar. Also, unflike white sugar, coconut sugar contains vitamins, minerals, and even fiber. The fiber in particular aids in slowing down the absorption of sugar in our body, placing it lower on the glycemic index. Basically, what this means is you’re less likely to experience that sugar spike and crash with coconut sugar, than with refined white sugar.

three paleo brownies stacked on top of each other

Top Tips

  • Let the brownies cool slightly before cutting! Trust me, I understand the temptation of wanting to dive straight into a pan of brownies as soon as they’re out of the oven. But try your best to fight those urges and let the paleo brownies cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This’ll help them hold their shape!
  • Bring any chilled ingredients to room temperature before getting started. If the eggs, for example, are too cold, they’ll cause the melted coconut oil to seize up and harden in the batter. Therefore, place all ingredients out on the counter about an hour before diving into this recipe!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: Simply swap out the eggs for 2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water) for vegan paleo brownies!

Make it Nut-Free: I haven’t tested this version myself yet, but you can try using sunflower seed butter in place of the almond butter and 1/4 cup of coconut flour in place of the almond flour. If you give this nut-free version a try, please let me know how it is!

Perfect Paleo Brownies
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Perfect Paleo Brownies

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

16

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

These paleo brownies are total perfection! Extra chocolatey and extremely indulgent, yet are entirely gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs, at room temperature

  • 1/2 cup almond butter

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup almond flour

  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line or grease a 9×9-inch baking dish.
  • Add eggs, almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and beat together either by hand or with an electric mixer.
  • Add in almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until completely smooth and combined. Fold chocolate chips into brownie batter.
  • Transfer batter to your prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Leftover paleo brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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