Finally tried a baked oatmeal recipe and this one did not disappoint! It’s really quick and easy to mix the ingredients together and throw in a casserole dish to bake. We enjoyed this more as a snack, but if you throw in some protein powder I'd say this is a great meal prep recipe for breakfast. I made this 12 servings (as opposed to the recipe suggestion of 6 servings) which came out to 25g Carbs, 12g Fat, and 5g Protein, hence the suggestion to add some more protein with this if you're enjoying it as a meal. Anyways, the original recipe calls for using a 9x9 inch casserole dish, but I used a 9x13 inch and baked for 35 minutes and that worked out just fine. Banana sizes can vary so I like that the recipe indicates about 1 1/3 cups mashed. I used about 300g if that measurement is helpful to anyone. I always reduce chocolate amount, so I opted for just spreading the 1/3 cup between the mix-in and topping, and same goes for the shredded coconut. This was certainly a delicious treat in our home for a few days and I will definitely be experimenting with adding some protein powder next time around! Let me know if you give this one a try and if you make any personal adjustments.

Chunky Monkey Banana Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
For the wet ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ⅓ cups mashed ripe banana)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk (about 1 ⅔ cup coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

For the dry ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups gluten free rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Mix-ins:

• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus 2 extra tablespoons for topping
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips), plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch pan with oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, vanilla, coconut milk and maple syrup until well combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients: oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix until combined, then fold in shredded coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with reserved shredded coconut and chocolate chips. Bake for 35-45 mins or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cut into 6 slices and serve. Top with extra banana slices, a drizzle of maple syrup and chopped walnuts. Serves 6.

Notes:

• To store: be sure the banana baked oatmeal has completely cooled, and then cover your 9×9 inch pan with tinfoil before transferring it to the refrigerator. It will stay good covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, and you can reheat individual slices in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. You can also store individual slices in airtight containers for quick, on-the-go breakfasts.
• To freeze: once the baked oatmeal has completely cooled, cut it into 6 squares and wrap each square in plastic wrap and tinfoil. When you’re ready to eat it, place the unwrapped frozen square of baked oatmeal on a microwave safe dish and microwave it at 30 second intervals for 1-2 minutes. If you’d like to freeze the entire banana baked oatmeal for later, simply reheat it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F while it’s covered with tinfoil.

Original recipe found here

Was looking around for a fun strawberry recipe to make for Valentine's Day and this cookie caught my eye. Only 5 ingredients and basically what I put in my morning bowl of oats (minus the chocolate chips), so I was sold. These Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies turned out so yummy they were devoured days before Valentine's Day even got here. I ended up having to make two batches in one week and we enjoyed them all week long. I used half of the amount of chocolate chips and increased the amount of strawberries some. I also found that dipping my hand in water while forming the cookies was very helpful as it was pretty sticky otherwise. Definitely worth forming into a cookie shape though so it bakes evenly. I have a feeling I will be making these a lot now. I mean you can't get much healthier in a cookie and it was certainly something we looked forward to eating! ​

Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats gluten free, if needed
• 2 large bananas mashed
• 1/4 cup strawberries chopped
• 1/2 cup almond butter (can sub for any nut or seed butter of choice)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips of choice, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Line a large tray with parchment paper or prepare a Silpat cookie sheet. Set aside. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all your ingredients, except for your chocolate chips, and mix well. Fold through your chocolate chips. 
3. Form 16 small balls of dough and place each one on the lined tray/cookie sheet. Press each ball into a cookie shape. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden on the edges.
4. Remove from the oven and allow cooling on the tray/sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes:
Store cookies in the refrigerator covered, for up to 1 week. Cookies are freezer friendly and will keep well frozen for up to 1 month.
​
Original recipe found here

Technically you can eat these for breakfast, so I am totally passing this as a meal prep recipe. These turned out so delicious and are probably my new favorite paleo cookie! I typically just enjoy the classic chocolate chip, but the walnut, coconut, raisin, banana, and dark chocolate combo is on point. Not to mention this was an extremely easy recipe to whip up and the ingredients are simple. These made about 18 cookies for me and took the full 18 minutes, which I might even stretch to 20 next time. I took most of these to a friends house to enjoy, and the rest didn't make it to the next day. Will definitely be making these many more times! 

Chunky Monkey Paleo Banana Cookies
Ingredients:

• 2 medium ripe bananas, sliced (+ slices for topping, optional)
• 1/2 cup almond butter (can sub peanut butter if not paleo)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Add the banana slices, almond butter, water, and vanilla to a large bowl and beat with electric beaters until mostly smooth. Add the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut, and raisins.
3. Drop the dough (it will be sticky) into 12 equal mounds on the baking sheets. Press a banana slice into the top of each cookie to flatten it out a little.
4. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden then remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool.

Original recipe found here

I've made the Almond Flour Blueberry Banana Muffins recipe a couple more times and still love that one, but wanted to try out a plain banana recipe this time around. This recipe below did not disappoint! Simple ingredients without a ton of flour, so these turned out very light tasting. Also, although it says banana nut, the only nuts the recipe calls for is almond butter. If you like a crunch I suppose you can top with nuts or just throw some into the batter. The recipe said it yields 12 muffins, but I ended up having enough batter for 18 muffins, which just means a serving is more like two. These turned out smelling and tasting delicious, and I'll definitely be making again soon! 

​Paleo Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients:

• 4 bananas, mashed with a fork (the more ripe, the better)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cups. In a large bowl, add bananas, eggs, almond butter, coconut oil, and vanilla. Using a hand blender, blend to combine.
2. Add in the coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend into the wet mixture, scraping down the sides with a spatula. Distribute the batter evenly into the lined muffin tins, filling each about two-thirds of the way full.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or store in the refrigerator in a resealable bag.

Original recipe found here

Although these say almond flour I actually used some banana flour with these too. I stumbled upon it while I was at the store getting almond flour​ and figured what better recipe then banana muffins to try using banana flour with? I found it at Harris Teeter and it was actually WAY less expensive then almond flour. After some quick google searches, I decided not to totally substitute the almond flour, but instead used banana flour for 1/4 of the total flour called for. The exact measurements I used are indicated below if you want to see. The only other change I made to this recipe was using ghee instead of olive oil. I had both, but ghee sounded like it would go better with a muffin recipe. I've never had blueberries with my banana bread, but these turned out tasting amazing! They had all the banana taste to them with bites of blueberries that were absolutely delicious. Now these definitely weren't as sweet as your average banana bread, so if you are looking for that I would recommend increasing the maple syrup some. I personally enjoyed them just the way they were and will absolutely be making them again the next time our bananas go brown! 

Almond Flour Blueberry Banana Muffins
Ingredients:

• 3 bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup olive oil (I used ghee instead)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups almond flour (I ended up doing 1.875 cups Almond Flour and .625 cups Banana Flour)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Mash the banana in a large bowl. Add the eggs, oil, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
3. Add the almond flour, then sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda and salt over the top. Whisk until well incorporated and no lumps remain, then gently fold in the blueberries.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 23-28 minutes, until lightly golden brown and set. Remove from heat and place on a wire rack. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely.
5. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Muffins will keep at room temperature in an air tight container for 3 days. Place in the refrigerator to keep for up to one week, and reheat as needed.
• If blueberries aren't in season, use frozen blueberries, tossed in an additional tablespoon of almond flour.  Omit the blueberries for almond flour banana muffins.
• Almond flour blueberry muffins are also freezer friendly.

Original recipe found here

Although the picture looks more like a blueberry, this is most certainly a Cherry Crisp! A lighter, more simple, and vegan version of the Berry Crumble Bars recipe I posted earlier this year. If making this I do suggest using a 6" skillet or small baking dish - the 8x8 dish I used thinned the crisp out a little too much, in my opinion. Also, as the recipe suggests, topping with ice cream or coconut whipped cream would totally complete this treat. I enjoyed eating this after it was in the fridge because I found that it did not stay together when cutting it warm. This might be due to using the arrowroot powder instead of the tapioca flour though. I would just reheat the slice after I took it out of the fridge and enjoy it that way. Despite all the notes I have on this one, I really enjoyed having this throughout the week as a snack or after-dinner treat. I always prefer to have homemade treats instead of packaged ones, and with extra time at home due to COVID I was happy to finally try this delicious recipe out! Super simple, easy, and enjoyable!

​Cherry Crisp (Gluten Free, Paleo + Vegan)
Ingredients:

• 10 oz. dark cherries pitted and halved (I used fresh, but frozen can be used if fresh are unavailable)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour (I used arrowroot powder)
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

For the crisp

• ½ cup blanched almond flour
• ¼ cup flaked coconut chopped into bits
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil softened (use refined for no coconut flavor)
• 2 tablespoons pecans chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 6” skillet or small baking dish with coconut oil.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cherry halves, maple syrup, tapioca flour, and cinnamon. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. In the same bowl, combine the almond flour, flaked coconut, maple syrup, coconut oil, and pecans. Stir until the dry ingredients are completely moistened and then crumble evenly over the fruit.
4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream or coconut whipped cream.

Original recipe found here

I am currently running our spring nutrition challenge at the gym and we had a potluck this past weekend, so this is what I made for it! A potluck full of delicious Paleo friendly foods... what more could you ask for!? Alright maybe that's just my kind of potluck, but for once I didn't get made fun of for bringing the Paleo dish to the party. Anyways, I selfishly made this one because I've been wanting to try it for a while and it's highest in carbs, which I am always in need of. Not only was this a really simple recipe to make, but it turned out so freakin' delicious! It had more of the consistency of bread rather then a mashed sweet potato and those warm blueberries on top... oh my gosh, just amazing!! The 9x5 loaf pan is small, so I ended up making two loafs for the potluck. I cut each loaf into 8 bars, which put each bar at 13g Carbs, 5g Fat, and 4g Protein (using the measurements I indicated below). I don't know if I would call this breakfast since one bar is definitely not a substantial amount of food, but this was a great snack or post-meal treat. If you think this looks even a little bit yummy, then I definitely recommend you give this one a try! I will for sure be making it again soon.

Paleo Sweet Potato Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mashed sweet potato (I measured 160g)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/8 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup blueberries (I measured 115g)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Roast or microwave one large sweet potato until soft. Scoop out the inside and reserve 3/4 cup
3. In a medium bowl, combine the mashed sweet potato, vanilla extract, melted coconut oil, raw honey, and egg
4. Add the almond meal, coconut flour, and baking powder. Mix well
5. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and pour in the batter, pushing it into all the corners and middle of the pan to avoid large air bubbles. Smooth out the top
6. Place the blueberries in a single layer on the top and gently press the berries into the batter
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the middle is set
8. Let cool and cut into small bars. Serve immediately or refrigerate to store

​Original recipe found here

If you remember my recent Paleo Banana Bread Muffins post then this one will look familiar. I bought my mom banana and blueberry muffin mixes from the Paleo Baking Company for Christmas and I decided it was finally time to give this blueberry one a try. Now she really loved the banana muffins using this mix, so I anticipated her also really enjoying this blueberry version too. Both require a lot of extra coconut oil, honey, and eggs, so make sure to factor those big ingredients in when checking out the nutrition facts on the package. I typically make my mom this Paleo Blueberry Pancake Muffins recipe instead, which is a lot more simple to throw together and lower in overall calories, fat, and carbs. Just throwing that out there as another blueberry muffin option though! Since I bought this mix for my mom as a gift and treat, she gets to enjoy them for breakfast this week. I always add a scoop of protein into these kind of recipes to sneak more protein in them, but you can leave that ingredient out if you wish. These type of baking mixes are a little more expensive, but if you are looking for a delicious tasting muffin or pancake that is dairy-free and gluten-free and easy to whip together then these mixes are worth trying!

Paleo Blueberry Muffins
​Ingredients:

• ​Paleo Baking Company Paleo Blueberry Muffin Mix 
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup Coconut Oil
• 1 cup Honey
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
• 3/4 cup fresh or dried blueberries (I used a full Cup)
• 1 scoop Protein Powder (I used this Paleo Protein) (optional)
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt coconut oil in a microwavable dish until liquid (about 60-90 seconds on high). Allow 1 cup liquid coconut oil to cool.
2. Beat eggs on medium speed for 30 seconds, then slowly add cooled liquid coconut oil, honey and water, mixing until combined. Do not overbeat wet mixture.
3. Add Paleo Blueberry Muffin Mix to wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed until batter is smooth, then stir in blueberries until combined.
4. For muffins fill standard muffin pan cups with paper liners. Fill paper liners to full (batter will not rise).
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Do not over-bake or muffins will be dry. Allow muffins to cool completely before removing from pan. Store for up to 5 days in refrigerator or 30 days in the freezer. Baking times may vary.

Recipe from ​Paleo Baking Company Paleo Blueberry Muffin Mix package

When your best friend texts you a picture of Grain-Free Apple Crumble Bars the day before Thanksgiving... you go to the store for some last minute ingredients so you can make it too! I don't make too many paleo treats, mainly because I will be the only one eating them, but when I do I always go for the simple ingredient recipes. When I glimpsed this recipe over, the ingredient list was too simple and easy to not give this a try. I measured out in grams the apple and dates and actually found that I used about 30 dates to get to 240g. Just throwing that out there since that was such a huge difference. I guess my dates were really small! Anyways, these turned out so delicious and were seriously so easy to make. If you count your macros, I cut mine into 8 bars, which ended up being about 36C/6F/4P per bar. Not going to talk about how many I ate on Thanksgiving though...

Grain-Free Apple Crumble Bars
Ingredients:
APPLE DATE PASTE

• 2 cups (265g) chopped apple
• 12-14 (240g with pits removed) pitted medjool dates
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (60g) nut/seed butter (4 Tbsp)

CRUST/CRUMBLE

• 1 cup (300g) apple date paste (above)
• 2/3 cup (80g) coconut flour
• Pinch of salt

APPLE FILLING

• 1/2 cup (150g) apple date paste (above)
• 1-2 (360g) apples, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Combine the 2 cups chopped apple and lemon juice in a high speed blender. Blend until liquified. 
3. Add the rest of the paste ingredients and blend until smooth. 
4. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the paste with the coconut flour and salt. Mix until sticky and clumpy. 
5. Press half of the dough into a baking pan lined with parchment paper (I used this 7.5x5.5" glass dish). Set the rest aside.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the sliced apples (I used a mandolin to slice them super thin) with 1/2 cup of the paste, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Toss to coat.
7. Arrange the apple slices on top of the crust in layers.
8. Crumble the remaining crust over top. Press in lightly.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350F or until toasty golden brown on top.
10. Remove from the oven. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Original recipe found here

After a couple trips this summer with friends I was finally introduced to the amazing Açaí bowl! Since I haven't come across any places near me that sell these (probably a good thing), I decided to try making my own (definitely a better thing) and they are too awesome not to share! The main ingredient you need to find is the frozen Açaí packets. I found the Sambazon Superfruit Pack (Unsweetened) at my local natural and organic food market. I have also seen these packs at Wegman's and their website lists that they are sold at Whole Food's, Costco, Safeway, and a few other stores. Trader Joe's also sells Unsweetened Organic Açaí Purée Packets, which is another good and unsweetened option. Anyways, once you have that you can blend it with any frozen or unfrozen fruits to get your base. Then, all you need to do is top it with your favorite ingredients! I made my own Rawnola to top this with and provided that recipe below. If you do not feel like making your own Rawnola, here are a few options you can purchase that I have come across:

• Seven Sundays Blueberry Chia Buckwheat Muesli (found this at my local grocery store in the "Natural Food" aisle)
• Steve's PaleoGoods PaleoKrunch Cereal (found this at Whole Food's)
• Paleonola (found this at Whole Food's)
• Bobs Red Mill Cereal Muesli Paleo (I have not seen this in stores, but if you have let me know!)

The first three options listed also have different flavors of mixes too. Anyways, those are just my recommendations! My first couple attempts at the Açaí bowl turned out more like a smoothie, so the ingredients I listed below gave me the best thickness. Another tasty option is to replace the water/coconut milk by blending a juicy fruit first and using that as the liquid to blend with the frozen Açaí  pack and any other frozen fruits you may have. Some good juicy fruits are pineapple, watermelon, oranges, kiwi, papaya, mangoes, and the list goes on. Just thinking about all those fruits makes me want an Açaí bowl. Let me know if you try this out and what ingredient combinations you used! 

Homemade Açaí Bowl
Ingredients:
Açaí mix:

• Sambazon Superfruit Pack (Unsweetened) 
• 1/2 cup Frozen Blueberries
• 1/2 Frozen Banana
• 4 oz Water or Coconut Milk

Toppings:

• 1/2 Cup Rawnola (or however much you want)
• Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
• Any fruit
• Any nut butter
• Honey

Directions:

1. Run Açaí packet under hot water until you can break into pieces.
2. Place those frozen pieces into a blender with frozen blueberries, banana, and water (or whatever liquid you choose). Blend until desired consistency is reached. 
3. Pour blended mix into a bowl. Top with your desired toppings!

Homemade Rawnola:
Ingredients:

• 4 oz Pitted Dates
• 1 1/2 cup of Gluten Free Rolled Oats
• 1/4 cup Shredded Coconut Unsweetened
• 1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds
• 1/4 cup Hemp Seeds
• 1/2 Tbsp Cacao Powder

Directions:

1. Using your large food processor, add all ingredients.
2. Blend and pulse until desired consistency.
3. Optional: To make it more sticky you can add a small drizzle of maple syrup or honey while pulsing. I did not do this.
4. Store in glass jar in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Note: This made me about 7 servings at 209 calories, 8 grams of Fat, 28 grams of Carbs, and 7 grams of Protein.