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A healthy fruit crisp loaded with fresh summer fruits! The perfect warm-weather dessert, best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Super easy to make with just one bowl, in 30 minutes.

Close-up overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.

What You’ll Need to Make Summer Fruit Crisp

Summer Fruit – I used fresh blueberries, strawberries, and peaches in my summer fruit crisp, but any fruit will work! Feel free to use whatever you have on-hand, or whatever’s on sale at the grocery store that week. The only thing to note is, whichever fruit you use, make sure it totals to about 5-6 cups for this recipe.

Maple Syrup – This healthy dessert recipe is sweetened with maple syrup! It’s refined sugar-free and honestly so healthy you could get away with eating it for breakfast.

Rolled Oats – Any type of rolled oats will do – old-fashioned, quick cook, etc. The only type of oats you’ll want to avoid for your fruit crisp topping are whole oats, steel-cut, or Irish oats.

Almond Flour – The almond flour keeps this recipe gluten-free! However, if you don’t have almond flour, or want to make this nut-free, you can replace the almond flour with all purpose flour.

Butter or Coconut Oil – Use whichever you prefer in your crisp! I typically just use whichever I have on-hand. Coconut oil is obviously the healthier option, but butter adds a bit more flavor, which I love.

Overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.

Tips and Tricks

  • Keep this recipe simple! You’ll only need one bowl, which is used to first mix together the filling, then the crisp. There’s no need to dirty any extra dishes for this healthy dessert recipe.
  • This summer fruit crisp is best served warm with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on top. Though feel free to serve it however you’d like. On its own is delicious, or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream – yum!
  • Store leftover fruit crisp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If enjoying leftovers, I recommend reheating in the microwave for just about 30 seconds before eating.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy-Free: Use either non-dairy butter, or take the coconut oil option in the crisp.

Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free dessert, replace the almond flour with 1/2 cup of all purpose flour.

Healthy Summer Fruit Crisp

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

8

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

A healthy fruit crisp loaded with fresh summer fruits! The perfect warm-weather dessert, best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Super easy to make with just one bowl, in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • For the filling:
  • 2 cups blueberries

  • 2 cups sliced strawberries, or raspberries

  • 2-3 peaches, pitted and sliced

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • For the crisp:
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

  • 1/2 cup almond flour

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, solid

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • Mix together all filling ingredients in a large bowl, then transfer to a 9-inch baking dish.
  • Mix together all crisp ingredients in a large bowl (you can use the same bowl you used to make the filling), then evenly sprinkle crisp over top of the filling.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fruit is soft, then let cool slightly before serving.

Recipe Video

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Soft and perfectly sweet carrot cake cookies with a cream cheese icing! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. These healthy carrot cake cookies are the perfect springtime (or anytime) treat!

Carrot cake cookies with cream cheese icing on a baking sheet.

What You’ll Need to Make Carrot Cake Cookies

Oat Flour – Either homemade or store-bought oat flour will work in this cookie recipe! Oat flour replaces all purpose flour, making these cookies gluten-free.

Almond Butter – Smooth and unsweetened almond butter helps hold these cookies together. If you don’t have almond butter, you can use any other nut or seed butter you’d like. Cashew butter would make a great substitute here!

Maple Syrup – These healthy carrot cake cookies are naturally sweetened with maple syrup. The maple adds a touch of flavor, and the perfect amount of sweetness.

Shredded Carrots – Wash and peel about three large carrots, then run them down a box grater to make shredded carrots. Or, to make things even easier, simply buy pre-shredded carrots from the store for this dessert recipe!

Overhead image of carrot cake cookies on a baking sheet.

Tips and Tricks

  • Gently flatten each carrot cake cookie before baking. If you skip this step, they’ll bake up like round little balls. Therefore, for a more classic flat-looking cookie, give them a gentle press right before putting in the oven.
  • Allow your cookies to cool completely before icing! If the cookies are still too warm when iced, the cream cheese icing will melt and slide right off. (I’ve learned from my mistakes here – ha!)
  • These cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. However, if you live in a warm client/are baking these in the summer – it’s best to store them in the fridge instead. If the cookies with cream cheese icing are left in too warm of an environment, the icing may melt and spoil.
Close-up image of a carrot cake cookie with a bite taken out.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy-Free: While the cookies themselves are already dairy-free, make a dairy-free cream cheese icing by subbing your favorite non-dairy cream cheese, butter, and milk.

Make it Vegan: For vegan carrot cake cookies, replace the egg with a flax egg, and take the dairy-free icing option above!

Carrot Cake Cookies

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

24

cookies
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

12

minutes
Total time

27

minutes

Soft and perfectly sweet carrot cake cookies with a cream cheese icing! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. These healthy carrot cake cookies are the perfect springtime (or anytime) treat!

Ingredients

  • For the dry ingredients:
  • 1 cup rolled oats

  • 1 cup oat flour, made by pulsing rolled oats in a blender until ground into a flour

  • 1/2 cup almond flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • For the wet ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup almond butter, unsweetened

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (or butter)

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 egg, at room temperature

  • 1 cup shredded carrots

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, unsalted

  • 1/4 cup raisins

  • For the cream cheese icing:
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (I used non-dairy cream cheese)

  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened (I used non-dairy butter)

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • 2-3 tablespoons milk (I used non-dairy milk)

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Then, in a separate bowl, add all the wet ingredients except the carrots, walnuts, and raisins, and whisk to combine.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use mix until fully combined. Then, fold in the carrots, walnuts, and raisins.
  • Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough onto your prepared baking sheet and slightly flatten each ball with the palm of your hand.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Then, transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • While cookies cool, make the cream cheese icing by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking until smooth and well-combined. Then, spread or pipe cream cheese icing on top of each cooled cookie.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • These cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. However, if you live in a warm client/are baking these in the summer – it’s best to store them in the fridge instead.

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Perfectly rich and chocolatey almond flour brownies! Super easy to make with just one bowl and 8 ingredients. These brownies are my all-time favorite grain-free, dairy-free, and healthy dessert recipe!

overhead image of almond flour brownies.

What You’ll Need to Make Almond Flour Brownies

Almond Flour – Duh! Almond flour is the star of this show. I highly recommend blanched super-fine almond flour for these gluten-free brownies. I use and love this Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour in all of my almond flour recipes!

Sugar – I used coconut sugar in my almond flour brownies to make them refined sugar-free. Coconut sugar is just as sweet and tasty as regular sugar, but less processed! However, you can totally use whatever kind of sugar you have on-hand.

Chocolate Chips – Plenty of chocolate chips for these double chocolate brownies! You’ll melt one cup and beat them into the batter, then add 1/2 cup of whole chocolate chips in at the very end. The result is ultra rich and chocolatey brownies, YUM!

three almond flour brownies stacked on top of each other.

Tips and Tricks

  • Beat the eggs and sugar together until super light and fluffy. This is what gives us that crisp, crackly brownie top!
  • Serve these almond flour brownies warm with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream! I just LOVE turning this dessert into brownie sundaes, such a delicious and decadent treat.
  • Go ahead, add a handful of chopped walnuts to these brownies if you’d like! I personally don’t see anything wrong with walnuts in brownies, so have fun and make these your own.
close-up overhead image of almond flour brownies.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: Simply swap the eggs for your favorite vegan egg substitute. I haven’t tested this option myself just yet, so if you do let me know how it works in the comments!

Make it Paleo: For paleo brownies, use coconut sugar in this recipe, and use either paleo chocolate chips or a chopped paleo chocolate bar. I recommend Hu Kitchen Chocolate Baking Gems!

Don’t Forget to Try These Almond Flour Recipes!

Almond Flour Brownies

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

16

brownies
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

35

minutes

Perfectly rich and chocolatey almond flour brownies! Super easy to make with just one bowl and 8 ingredients. These brownies are my all-time favorite grain-free, dairy-free, and healthy dessert recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar, I used coconut sugar

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour

  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided

  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, or butter

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs with either a hand or stand mixer. Continue beating for 3-5 minutes, until super light and fluffy.
  • Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until everything is just combined, careful not to over-mix.
  • In a separate small bowl, add the coconut oil and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until chocolate chips are fully melted.
  • Pour melted chocolate chips and coconut oil into the brownie batter, and stir to combine. Then, fold in the remaining chocolate chips.
  • Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is just barely set. Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing into squares.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • These almond flour brownies will stay fresh in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 1 week. That is… if they last that long!

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Just 3 ingredients to make these maple candied pecans! Perfectly sweet, crunchy, and totally delicious. Cooked on the stovetop in under 20 minutes!

maple candied pecans in a jar

What You’ll Need to Make Maple Candied Pecans

Pecans – Start with raw and unsalted pecans for this recipe. The cooking and flavoring of the pecans happens throughout this recipe, so it’s best to start with a blank canvas! Also, be sure to use whole pecan halves, not pecan pieces.

Maple Syrup – Just half a cup of maple syrup to sweeten these maple candied pecans! I love this unrefined sugar alternative, it’s healthier and tastes just as good. As the pecans cook, the maple syrup will begin to crystalize and coat the pecans, just like sugar would.

Salt – A pinch of salt to help round out those flavors! Salt seems like a counteractive addition to this recipe, but trust me, it brings it all together. And believe it or not, salt actually brings out the sweetness in this candy recipe!

maple candied pecans on a baking sheet

Tips and Tricks

  • Avoid cooking these maple candied pecans at a high temperature. High heat will quickly cause the maple syrup to burn, which could ruin your recipe. Therefore, maintain a simmer, and continue stirring the pecans every few minutes to avoid burning.
  • Have fun with this recipe! Throw in a pinch of cinnamon, or a dash of vanilla extract while the pecans cook. Or, for an extra festive addition, serve them with a handful of festive candies or sprinkles!
  • Maple candied pecans are best stored at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to one week. You can even store them in the fridge for up to one month, or the freezer for up to three months!
overhead image of maple candied pecans on a baking sheet.

This Recipe Is…

Maple Candied Pecans

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: Dessert, Snacks, SidesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

cups
Prep time

0

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups raw pecan halves

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • Small pinch of salt

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a large pan over medium heat. Stir and bring the maple syrup to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low.
  • Continue cooking on low for 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. After 20 minutes, the maple syrup should begin to crystalize and look like sugar coating the pecans.
  • Once syrup has crystalized, pour the pecans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread pecans into an even layer, then let cool completely before eating or storing.

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For an easy, one-bowl, and HEALTHY dessert – look no further than this gluten-free apple crisp! Loaded with fresh apples, plenty of cinnamon, and sweetened with maple syrup. The perfect fall sweet treat, this gluten-free apple crisp is also vegan and dairy-free!

gluten-free apple crisp in a pie dish with vanilla ice cream on top and an ice cream scoop on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Apples – I used organic pink lady apples in this gluten-free apple crisp recipe, but really any apple will work. My favorites for baking are honeycrisp, pink lady, or granny smith. Honeycrisp have a nice hint of sweetness, and retain their shape when baked. Same goes for pink lady, they’re just a tad more tart than honeycrisp. And granny smith are great for my ultra-tart lovers! They’re perfectly balanced by the maple syrup in this recipe.

Maple Syrup – I LOVE using refined sugar-free sweeteners, such as maple syrup, in all of my healthy desserts. Maple syrup works especially well in this gluten-free apple crisp because it gives the dish a deeper, almost caramel flavor. It’s simply to-die-for!

Lemon Juice – Adding lemon juice to any fruit tart truly takes it to the next level. It brings out the freshness of the fruit, and rounds out the sweet flavors with a hint of acidity. If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in its place.

Rolled Oats – Avoid steel-cut oats for this fruit crisp. Rolled oats are the perfect size, texture, and will bake up beautifully. Any kind of rolled oat will do – either instant, quick cook, or old fashioned!

Coconut Oil – Most gluten-free apple crisps are made with butter, but to ensure ours is dairy-free and vegan, I use coconut oil instead. It does just as good of a job at holding together the crumb topping, but is more nutritious than butter! However, if you’re not a fan of coconut oil, or simply don’t have any on-hand, feel free to use 1/4 cup of cold butter instead.

A spoon scooping gluten-free apple crisp out of a pie dish.

Tips and Tricks For Making Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

  • This gluten-free apple crisp is best served WARM with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! I used Oatly’s vegan vanilla ice cream, but use whichever you like best.
  • Use a fork to mix together the crisp topping. A fork will better cut through the solid coconut oil, forming a crumbly mixture. Or, if you don’t feel like dirtying another utensil, go ahead and use your hands to break up the coconut oil instead!
close-up image of gluten-free apple crisp in a pie dish with a spoon in it.

Adjust This Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: Replace the nuts with an additional 1/2 cup of oats, and replace the almond flour with 3 tablespoons of coconut flour!

Make it Paleo: For a paleo apple crisp, replace the oats with an additional 1/2 cup of almond flour plus 1/2 cup of chopped nuts. Just as tasty, and totally grain-free!

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

0

minutes

For an easy, one-bowl, and HEALTHY dessert – look no further than this gluten-free apple crisp! Loaded with fresh apples, plenty of cinnamon, and sweetened with maple syrup. The perfect fall sweet treat, this gluten-free apple crisp recipe is also vegan and dairy-free!

Ingredients

  • For the apples:
  • 4-5 apples, peeled and sliced

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • For the crisp:
  • 1 cup rolled oats

  • 1/2 cup almond flour

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, solid

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • Add all apple ingredients to a large bowl, and toss together until evenly coated. Transfer apples to a 9-inch baking dish, and spread into an even layer.
  • Add all crisp ingredients to the same bowl you used for the apples. Use a fork to mix together, until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle crisp topping evenly over the apples.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until apples are soft, then let cool slightly before serving.

Recipe Video

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