Dessert
This snow day treats post is sponsored by Foodie.com.
First things first, I sure hope this is true and not an evil, torturous rumor: Starbucks is bringing COCONUT MILK to all of it’s stores this month. Do you know how exciting this is to a dairy-free, soy-free latte lover?! Cinnamon dolce here I come; I’ve missed you so.
Moving on. This winter was predicted to be WAY worse than last year and that’s saying a lot considering we missed about 1,429 school days before November last winter. That being said, we’ve yet to see snow and it’s February. I’m not complaining since the temperatures have rarely dipped into the frigid region. Of course, I wouldn’t mind seeing some at least once. Preferably on a weekend if I’m being greedy.
So in the spirit of maybe potentially having a snow day sometime between now and spring, here are 11 fun treats to get you through your next snow storm. Or some that just have a snowy theme in case we never end up getting that snow. My personal favorite is obviously the beer snow.
Check out 11 Snow Day Treats
by Heather at Foodie.com
What’s your favorite snowy treat?
Dessert
It’s been interesting learning how to make my favorite foods with a dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free spin. Most of the time it’s pretty easy to figure out, but the one thing that gets tricky is dessert. Wheat and butter are what pretty much what makes dessert so irresistible, right?
But once you get the hang of it it’s no big deal. The real trick is finding a few REALLY good recipes and then make them over and over. Let somebody else do all the figuring-out. 
Here’s a few of my favorite allergy-friendly desserts from 2013. Incidentally, most of these are Paleo as well. I think. I don’t know ALL the “rules”. You can see the whole collection from Foodie, plus I highlighted a couple below.
Please note this is a sponsored post on behalf of Foodie.com.
Dessert, Recipe
{Should I admit that I really, really wanted to title this post “Every Day I’m Trufflin’”…yeah, probably not…}
While I’m not your typical chocolate-obsessed girl, there is something about Valentine’s day that screams chocolate.
Ok, truth? I just wanted something to put sprinkles on.
I think truffles fit the bill nicely, don’t you?
Delicious, sweet, spicy balls of sprinkles.
Yes, I said spicy.
Everything sweet needs a little kick, dontcha think? Don’t worry, it’s not an in-your-face kinda thing. It just sneaks up on you at the end as you’re licking your lips clean of that last taste of truffley-goodness.
I don’t think these really need anymore introduction. Except maybe to tell you that these chocolate truffles are dairy free and vegan {depending on your sprinkles}.
by with a Side of Sneakers
- 1 cup chocolate {dairy-free: I love Enjoy Life brand}
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut milk {full-fat, canned}
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
- pinch of sea salt
- sprinkles
Combine chocolate chips and coconut oil in heat-proof bowl. Melt in microwave or in double boiler. Stir until smooth.
Whisk in coconut milk and spices. {If lumps form, pop it back in the microwave for a few seconds.}
Refrigerate for ~30 minutes or until mixture starts to solidify {but isn’t hard}.
Use a tablespoon to scoop chocolate into balls. Roll between your palms to form smooth balls, then roll in sprinkles {or other toppings such as crushed nuts or powdered sugar}. Be sure your hands are cold so you don’t melt the chocolate- I squeezed an ice cube every few balls to keep things cold.
Refrigerate if not immediately devoured.
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Note: be sure to stir well. I was a little truffle-happy and jumped the gun. My taste-tester {the husband} didn’t know they had a hidden kick until his last bite- when they really kicked. 
So go grab some festively themed red, white, and pink sprinkles and get trufflin’.
How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day? Or are you in the “fabricated holiday” camp?
Dessert, Recipe
This first birthday cake recipe is a great first cake for baby – it’s gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free {sweetened only with pear juice}. Works great for cupcakes too, which make the perfect size for a tiny smash cake!
Tuesday my little boy turned 1. Due to an onslaught of January birthdays we’re not celebrating with a party quite yet, but we couldn’t resist a mini cupcake smashing session on the actual day of this big milestone.
Of course that means we needed a first birthday cake!
I was a little unsettled with the idea of loading my baby up with sugar just for the sake of this tradition, but I didn’t want to be that mom. You know the one. The one that refuses to give her kid sugar or anything bad for them, and then they go crazy when mom’s not looking.
Well he’s obviously a little young for the backlash part of that scenario, but I still didn’t want to make a big thing about it. I know one day of sugar isn’t going to hurt him, but I still didn’t feel good about going crazy with it, especially given his poor sleep habits and the food allergies he’s already dealing with.
You’d be surprised what comes up when you Google “sugar free” cupcake {or anything}—> a whole lot of recipes that are anything but sugar free. I found things loaded with honey, syrup, and chocolate, all labeled “sugar free”. Umm not so much. Sugar was the least of my worries anyways, given I needed to come up with a first birthday cake recipe that was also gluten free and dairy free.
So I did what I do best: got to experimenting in the kitchen to find a compromise- something that wouldn’t deprive him of the first birthday cake experience, but also wouldn’t be bad for him. I think I succeeded.
I probably could have gotten away with not sweetening these at all, but I wanted them to be family friendly- delicious for everyone. Instead of refined sugar, I used 100% fruit juice reduced to enhance the sweetness. It was the perfect bit of sweet plus a little bit of tang from the fruit. I made the first batch with apple & pear juice; the second with apple & pineapple juice, which gave the cupcakes a nice little twist, especially when paired with the coconut frosting. Feel free to experiment with other juices if you try these- I think pomegranate and orange would be delicious!
First Birthday Cake Recipe
by with a Side of Sneakers
For the Cupcakes
- 2 cups oat flour {or other flour of choice- I used gluten free oats}
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup reduced 100% fruit juice {~1 cup of juice}
- 1 flax egg {1 T flax meal + 3 T water}
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 t vanilla
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup coconut cream {from can of full fat coconut milk}
- 1 Tbsp reduced 100% fruit juice {reserved from cupcakes}
For the Cupcakes
Bring 1 cup of 100% no sugar added fruit juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat but maintain a boil until juice reduces to a little more than 1/4 cup {it’s ok if you have extra}. Reserve 1 Tbsp for frosting.
Combine all ingredients and stir to combine. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes. Makes 12 cupcakes, or 16 smaller cupcakes.
For the Frosting
Chill a can of full fat coconut in the fridge overnight.
Once chilled, turn the can upside and open it. Scrape out the solidified coconut cream from the top of the can.
Place coconut cream in a chilled mixing bowl and whip on high until starts to turn creamy. Pour in 1 Tbsp of reduced fruit juice. Continue to whip on high until smooth and fluffy.
Frost cupcakes once cooled.
Now I can’t wait to get started on the cake for his first birthday party- it’s going to be awesome!
Did you have a smash cake for your baby’s first birthday?
Click here for more Gluten Free Dairy Free Recipes that won’t leave you trapped in the kitchen for hours or hunting down a million bizarre ingredients.
Dessert, Recipe
Can’t eat dairy? No problem. Enjoy this dairy free twix bar recipe instead. (Psst…it’s way easier than it looks.)
Jump to Recipe
With Halloween right around the corner all I can think about is candy. It’s everywhere. The end caps at the grocery store. The opening display at Target. The checkout line. Blogs. Pinterest. Facebook. EVERYWHERE. And there’s not one piece of it I can eat. {Ok that’s a totally lie- I may or may not have eaten an entire bag of candy corn by myself in 2 days; HFCS and all.}
What I really mean is that I can’t eat my favorites: Twix Bars & Snickers. Now, I’m not a chocolate fan, but when you use it to wrap up caramel-y deliciousness, I’m all in.
The husband cringes every Halloween because I’m that neighbor. The one that gives out pretzels. But I’m not a total party pooper- I compromise and hand out fun size candy bars along with the pretzels. If I’m being honest, the candy is really so the husband and I can eat the leftovers, not because I think the kids need it. And yes, I by the variety pack and then hide all my favorites on the bottom of the bowl in hopes that those will be what’s left at the end of the night. Don’t lie, you do it too.
{If you’re trying to be healthy and still want to give out candy, try buying something you don’t like. We did that last year and there are still remnants of Jolly Rancher chews sitting around in random corners.}
If you can’t tell, I’m totally in the camp that it’s ok to partake in the Halloween treats and not just the tricks, as long as you’re smart about it. So what’s a girl to do when she can’t eat her beloved Twix and they’re taunting her everywhere she looks?
Dig into the old favorite recipe archive and bring back an oldie but a goody. Technically it’s millionaire’s shortbread, but how is that really any different than a Twix bar? {Except for the sea salt on top which only makes it that much better.}
You can certainly use a dairy-free, soy-free spread like Earth Balance {the red container}, but this time around I went with coconut oil. Holy deliciousness. Makes a bit of a mess in the warmer non-fall weather surge we’re having, but they taste great chilled right out of the fridge or freezer.
It’s vegan. Dairy free. Soy free. Woohoooo! Don’t go fooling yourself, it’s still full of sugar- I’m not a miracle worker.
Dairy Free Twix Recipe
Can't eat dairy? No problem. Enjoy this dairy free twix bar recipe instead. (Psst...it's way easier than it looks.)
For the Cookie
-
1/2
cup
non-dairy butter
cold
-
2
cups
all-purpose flour
-
1/4
cup
packed brown sugar
-
1/4
tsp
sea salt
For the Caramel
-
1/2
cup
granulated sugar
-
1/2
cup
non dairy creamer {I used So Delicious coconut creamer}
-
1/2
cup
golden syrup {I used Lyle’s}
-
1
Tbsp
non dairy butter
-
1/2
Tbsp
vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Coating
-
1 1/2
cups
dark chocolate chips {non-dairy
such as Enjoy Life}
-
1
Tbsp
coconut oil
-
1
Tbsp
high quality sea salt {fleur de sel}
For the Cookie
-
Put the non-dairy butter, flour, brown sugar, and salt for the cookie in food processor and chop until blended.
-
Press mixture into 11x7 or 9x9 baking dish lined with foil & greased, packing firmly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
-
Let cool thoroughly before moving on. {Can place in fridge.}
For the Caramel
-
In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix granulated sugar, creamer, and golden syrup. Stir consistently until sugar dissolves. If you have a thermometer, use it.
-
When sugar dissolves, stir in butter. Continue stirring until mixture boils; hands off- don’t touch now!
-
Let mixture boil until it reaches 245 degrees.
-
Stir in vanilla, then pour on top of shortbread and spread evenly. Let cool completely.
For the Chocolate Coating
-
Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil over double boiler, stirring until smooth.
-
Poor over caramel layer and spread evenly.
-
Before chocolate hardens, sprinkle generously with fleur de sel.
-
Let cool. May need to refrigerate or even freeze.
-
Slice into bite sized pieces.
-
To make more Twix-like, slice cookie & caramel layer into long strips before drizzling with chocolate and let chocolate spill over the sides. Omit salt. Mmmm.
What’s your favorite Halloween candy? Have you tried making a homemade version of you favorite candy bar before?
Dessert, Recipe
Or cocktails IN cupcakes.
I really did have good intentions.
I was planning on making a tropical fruit salad infused with mint and lime, but the mint kept screaming “make me into a cupcake”.
I had to listen.
So instead of tangy fruit cocktails alongside some real cocktails, I had cupcakes.
Clearly I made a good decision here.
I couldn’t decide which cocktail I was inspired by more: the pina colada or the mojito.
So naturally I channelled both.
Pineapple juice & shredded coconut, meet lime and mint. I believe you’ll get along just swell.
Yeah, I’d say it’s a pretty good match.
by with a Side of Sneakers
These vegan, gluten-free cupcakes pack a punch of flavor you wouldn’t expect- tropical hints of pineapple and coconut along with the zing of mint and lime.
If you’re not gluten-free, simply sub the flour, starch, and guar gum for 2 cups all purpose flour.
For the Cupcakes
- 1 cup sorghum flour or brown rice flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon guar gum
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 1 flax egg {1 T flax meal + 3 T water}
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 t vanilla
- 2 t lime juice
- 1 bunch mint leaves
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
For the Frosting
- 1 cup vegan shortening
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon mint leaves, minced
- zest of one lime
- coconut for garnish
Prepare flax egg. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients.
Chiffonade mint leaves into small pieces, mashing & bruising as you do so. Mix with lime juice and microwave for 10 seconds to release mint flavor.
In a mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients. Slowly mix in dry ingredients with mixer.
Fold in mint, lime & coconut.
Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake for ~17 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before transferring cupcakes to cooling rack to cool completely.
While cupcakes are baking, prepare frosting so flavors can start to meld.
Combine coconut milk, lime juice, zest, and mint. Microwave for 10 seconds to release mint flavor.
Mix all frosting ingredients and beat on high speed until fluffy.
When cupcakes are completely cooled, brush tops with lime juice then top with frosting. Sprinkle with extra coconut and lime zest. Garnish with lime wedges and mint leaves.
What cocktail would you want to eat in cupcake form?
*If you want to know why I bothered making these delicious treats gluten-free AND vegan, read today’s post on tiny sneakers.
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