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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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Dairy-Free

Healthy Gluten-Free Donuts (One-Bowl!)

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gluten-free donuts coated in powdered sugar

Perfectly soft, sweet, and delicious gluten-free donuts! Finish em’ off with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or a simple glaze for a healthier version of a classic dessert. Made entirely with whole ingredients, these perfect gluten-free donuts are also vegan and refined sugar-free!

a stack of gluten-free donuts covered in powdered sugar.

What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Donuts

Oat Flour – Oat flour bakes up beautifully in this gluten-free recipe. It’s also super cheap and easy to get your hands on! You can either buy oat flour, or make it yourself. To make it yourself, simply pulse rolled oats in a blender until very fine. Once the oats resemble the texture of flour, they’re ready to use in this recipe!

Flax Eggs – This vegan egg substitute is also very quick and easy to make yourself. To make one flax egg, combined one tablespoon of flax meal with three tablespoons of water. Whisk that mixture up and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before adding to your donuts batter. As the flax egg sits, it’ll thicken into a gel-like consistency.

Almond or Peanut Butter – Really any nut or seed butter will work here! I used peanut butter because I personally love the taste. Though almond butter will add little to no nutty flavor. And for a nut-free version, simply use sunflower seed butter instead.

Coconut Sugar – While still sugar, coconut sugar is an unrefined, slightly healthier version of white sugar. It offers up the same amount of sweetness as regular sugar, but less of a blood sugar spike. Also unlike white sugar, coconut sugar contains fiber which helps to slow down the rate at which it metabolizes in our body. If you’ve got a sweet tooth like me, you’re all too familiar with that famous energy spike, then crash from eating processed white sugar. Well, with coconut sugar, you can expect much less of that!

a gluten-free donut in a bowl of powdered sugar.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use a large cookie scoop to transfer your gluten-free donut batter to your donut pan! A cookie scoop allows for a more precise transfer of batter. Also, while I’ve never tried it myself, I’ve heard people have a lot of success with piping batter into the donut pan from a large zip-top bag (similar to how you’d pipe frosting on a cupcake)!
  • No donut pan? No problem! Simply bake these donuts into muffins instead.
  • Finish these gluten-free donuts off any way you’d like! I went this classic powdered sugar route. Though for a krispy kreme copycat, dunk them in a simple glaze.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free donut recipe, replace the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter!

Healthy Gluten-Free Donuts (One-Bowl!)

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

24

donuts
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

Perfectly soft, sweet, and delicious gluten-free donuts! Finish em’ off with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or a simple glaze for a healthier version of a classic dessert. Made entirely with whole ingredients, these perfect gluten-free donuts are also vegan and refined sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2 flax eggs, see Notes

  • 1 cup milk, I used non-dairy milk

  • 1/2 cup almond or peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Topping options:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar

  • 1 cup coconut sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar + 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a donut pan.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • Form a well in the center of your flour mixture and add in flax eggs, non-dairy milk, almond butter, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
  • Slowly whisk the batter starting at the center, slowly moving outward until both wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.
  • Carefully fill your donut molds with the batter, then bake for 20-22 minutes. Once done, pop donuts out of the mold and onto a cooling rack.
  • Once cool, dip in either powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar to coat.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Flax Eggs: To make on flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit on the counter for 10 minutes to thicken.
  • Store these gluten-free donuts in an airtight container at room temperature where they’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days!

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30 Minutes or Less

3-Ingredient Healthy Vegan Caramel Sauce

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3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce in a small jar with a spoon

This homemade vegan caramel sauce is perfectly sweet and super easy to make! It comes together in one saucepan, with just 3 ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This vegan caramel is delicious drizzled over ice cream, apples, cake, or cookies! Try it over my no-churn vegan vanilla ice cream recipe, or even on top of my healthy apple crisp. YUM!

3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce being poured over a green apple.

What You’ll Need

Coconut Cream – Coconut cream is the thick, white cream found at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. It’s important to note that coconut cream can only be obtained by a can of full-fat coconut milk, not low-fat or boxed coconut milk. Native Organics also sells a great canned coconut cream, which is what I used in this recipe. Also, remember to only use the coconut cream and not any of the liquid found at the bottom of the can. To do this, open your can of full-fat coconut milk or cream, then scrape and remove the cream from the top. Fill a one-cup measurer with this coconut cream, then save the liquid for use in smoothies later on!

Maple Syrup – This natural sweetener is the only sweetener in this vegan dessert recipe! Our vegan caramel is so much healthier than your standard caramel because it contains only natural ingredients, and has a lot less sugar. However, healthier doesn’t mean any less delicious. Maple syrup gives this sauce an irresistibly rich flavor.

Peanut Butter – Peanut butter is the finishing touch to this recipe, adding the perfect texture and flavor. Though if you’re not a fan of peanut butter, you can use almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or sunflower seed butter in its place!

vegan caramel sauce being whisked in a saucepan

This Vegan Caramel Is….

  • Healthy
  • Plant-Based
  • Gluten-Free
  • Refined Sugar-Free
  • Paleo
  • & Delicious!

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: Replace the peanut butter in this recipe with 1/4 cup of sunflower seed butter!

Make it Paleo: Use almond butter instead of peanut butter for a delicious paleo caramel recipe.

3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce in a small jar with a spoon
5 from 1 vote

3-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce

This homemade vegan caramel sauce is perfectly sweet and super easy to make! It comes together in one saucepan, with just 3 ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This vegan caramel is delicious drizzled over ice cream, apples, cake, or cookies!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut cream, see Notes
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter

Instructions

  • Add coconut cream and maple syrup to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until bubbling, then reduce to low heat and continue stirring for 3 minutes.
  • Remove pan from heat and stir in almond or peanut butter. Let cool, it’ll continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes

  • Coconut Cream: Coconut cream is the thick, white creamy part at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. You can only obtain coconut cream from either a can of full-fat coconut milk, or a can of coconut cream.
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    Dairy-Free

    4-Ingredient Christmas Crack Recipe (Saltine Chocolate Toffee Bark)

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    Christmas Crack Recipe

    This Christmas crack is the perfect last-minute holiday recipe! With just 4 ingredients and minimal effort, you’ll have a perfectly sweet, slightly salty Christmas treat. This totally foolproof saltine chocolate toffee bark recipe is super easy, perfect for even the most inexperienced home cooks!

    christmas crack pieces on a baking sheet with milk on the side

    Main Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

    • Crackers – I used Simple Mill’s almond flour sea salt crackers, they’re entirely grain-free and a totally delicious! They act as the perfect substitute to Saltine crackers, used in most traditional Christmas crack recipes. This simple swap makes this holiday dessert recipe gluten-free, and a little bit healthier.

    • Butter – Feel free to use whatever kind of butter you’d like, though I used vegan butter to keep this recipe vegan-friendly. My sister’s vegan, so I always try to make at least a few holiday treats that she can eat too. And honestly, you can’t even taste the difference in this vegan version!

    • Sugar – I used coconut sugar, since it’s less refined and slightly lower on the glycemic index. However, brown sugar will work just as well!

    • Chocolate Chips – Either 2 cups of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate will do! Also, you can use whatever intensity of chocolate you’d like – I prefer dark chocolate to balance out some of that sweetness in the caramel layer. If you don’t have a microwave, or would prefer not to use it, then simply melt your chocolate over a double boiler instead. I always opt for the microwave because it’s easier!

    • Toppings (optional) – Christmas crack is great on its own, but feel free to add additional toppings like chopped nuts, candy, sprinkles, shredded coconut, or crushed candy canes.
    Christmas Crack Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free Options)
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    Christmas Crack Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free Options)

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

    10

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    5

    minutes
    Chilling Time

    6

    hours

    This Christmas crack is the perfect last-minute holiday recipe! With just 5 ingredients and minimal effort, you’ll have a perfectly sweet, slightly salty Christmas treat. This totally foolproof recipe is super easy, perfect for even the most inexperienced home cooks!

    Ingredients

    • 1 Sleeve Saltine Crackers or 1 box Simple Mill’s GF Crackers

    • 1 Cup Butter (Dairy or Non-Dairy)

    • 1 Cup Coconut Sugar

    • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips

    Directions

    • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange crackers in an even layer on baking sheet.
      • Christmas Crack Step 1
    • Melt butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once butter has melted, cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly until dark brown and bubbling.
    • Remove from heat, then immediately pour over crackers. Bake for 5 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
    • Melt chocolate in the microwave, in 30 second intervals until completely smooth. Remove crackers from oven and let cool for 1 minute or until no longer bubbling, then pour chocolate over top and spread into an even layer.
    • Leave to cool at room temperature then transfer to either the fridge for 6-8 hours, or the freezer for 3-4 hours. Remove crack candy from pan, peel away foil, and break into large chunks.

    Notes

    • To Store: Store Christmas Crack in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
    • To Freeze: Break or cut it into pieces and store it in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months.

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    Dairy-Free

    Healthy Cheesecake (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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    overhead image of healthy cheesecake with fresh strawberries

    This healthy cheesecake is light, tangy, and only tastes indulgent! It’s entirely vegan, gluten-free, and made with the healthiest ingredients. Enjoy a big slice of this healthy cheesecake with some fresh berries for dessert, a snack, or even breakfast – yup, it’s THAT healthy!

    close up overhead image of healthy cheesecake with fresh strawberries of healthy cheese

    I didn’t always love cheesecake. Most I tried were too dry, dense, and/or sweet. Therefore, in developing this cheesecake I made sure it was light, almost fluffy, and perfectly sweet! And it wouldn’t be a SDHB recipe if I didn’t make it healthier too. I took the best cheesecake recipes I could find, substituted a few simple ingredients, and voilà this better-for-you cheesecake recipe was born!

    Ingredients such as vegan cream cheese, vegan yogurt, and a touch of maple syrup make for a more nutritient dense recipe. I wish I had recorded the look on my boyfriend’s face when I told him this cheesecake was SO healthy he could, in fact, eat it for breakfast! Once he processed the near too-good-to-be-true news, he excitedly inhaled a massive slice of this vegan and gluten-free treat.

    What You Need To Make Healthy Cheesecake

    Gluten-Free Graham Crackers – I used my own recipe for gluten-free graham crackers, though you can use your favorite store bought gluten-free graham crackers instead. To turn them into graham cracker crumbs you can either seal them in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy object, or add them to a food processor and give them a few pulses. Once all crackers have been ground into crumbs and no large pieces remain, you’re ready to use them in this recipe!

    Vegan Cream Cheese – I used and love the Kite Hill Plain Vegan Cream Cheese in this recipe! Though feel free to use your favorite vegan cream cheese instead. If not vegan, you can use regular cream cheese. However, be sure to avoid flavored cream cheeses, plain is necessary for this healthy cheesecake recipe.

    Vegan Yogurt – Similar to the vegan cream cheese, make sure your vegan yogurt is plain and unsweetened. Any added flavors or sugar would completely throw off the balance of this recipe. I used plain coconut yogurt and had great results, though any non-dairy plain unsweetened yogurt will work!

    Corn Starch – Most cheesecakes contain eggs to help bind the filling once baked. However, this cheesecake recipe is both healthy and vegan with the use of corn starch instead. Corn starch is imperative in getting this cheesecake to firm up and set to its perfectly light and soft consistency. If you don’t have corn starch, you can use arrowroot starch instead.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

    • Add Dairy: Use regular butter, cream cheese, and yogurt in this recipe if not vegan or dairy-free.
    • Make it Paleo: Use paleo graham crackers, coconut oil instead of vegan butter, and arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch to turn this into a healthy paleo cheesecake recipe!
    Healthy Cheesecake (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
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    Healthy Cheesecake (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

    0 from 0 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate
    Servings

    8

    servings
    Prep time

    10

    minutes
    Cooking time

    30

    minutes
    Chilling Time

    8

    hours

    This healthy cheesecake is light, tangy, and only tastes indulgent! It’s entirely vegan, gluten-free, and made with the healthiest ingredients. Enjoy a big slice of this healthy cheesecake with some fresh berries for dessert, a snack, or even breakfast – yup, it’s THAT healthy!

    Ingredients

    • For the graham cracker crust:

    • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, see Notes

    • 5 tablespoons vegan butter, melted

    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

    • For the cheesecake filling:

    • 16 ounces plain vegan cream cheese

    • 2 cups plain unsweetened vegan yogurt

    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

    • 1/2 cup maple syrup

    • 3 tablespoons corn starch, see Notes

    • Pinch of salt

    Directions

    • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
    • Add all graham cracker crust ingredients to a large bowl and mix together.
    • Transfer crust to the springform pan, flatten into an even layer across the bottom, then bake for 7-8 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
    • Beat all cheesecake filling ingredients together in a large bowl then transfer to the pan and smooth over the crust.
    • Fill a pan with 1-inch of water and transfer it to the oven on the lower rack.
    • Place the cheesecake on the upper rack, above the water and bake for 30-35 minutes. Crack the oven door and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
    • Remove from the oven and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours before slicing and eating.

    Recipe Video

    Notes

    • Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crumbs: I made my vegan and gluten-free graham crackers, then turned them into crumbs by pulsing them in a food processor. However, you can use store bought gluten-free graham crackers instead if you’d like.
    • Corn Starch: Feel free to use arrowroot starch instead!

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