Well, apart from opening gifts on Christmas morning !

Calendars are marked, count downs are set  and on December 1st – the pestering requests begin.

I know, I know this recipe is a little more work than I usually like to do as there is some dough chilling and rolling involved ( no pre-baking though ) which is probably one reason that I only make them once a year but hear me when I say, apart from a little exercise in patience they are super, super easy to make and 100% worth it.

Subtly sweet, deliciously buttery, light, crisp pastry stuffed with a jammy, sweet, perfectly spiced fruit filling that truly is incredible!

I like to make a batch on Christmas Eve, ready to enjoy with our little lady, after dinner, while we read the night before Christmas before tucking her in to bed (and my marathon wrapping session begins) and of course we make sure we have enough to leave out for Santa.

Serve them simply as they are, add a dusting of powdered sugar and a nice cold class of milk, a nice cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate or warm beverage of choice.

Add a dollop of cream, custard and/or ice cream – or a combination of all three, after all, it is Christmas.

Super simple, super delicious, healthy, homemade fruit mince pies.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Grain Free Nut Free Refined Sugar Free Paleo Friendly

Such a fun little family tradition and I would love nothing more than to have you join us.

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Question of the day –

What’s your fave holiday tradition?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your healthy, homemade fruit mince pies (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post Healthy, Homemade Fruit Mince Pies {Gluten Free – Grain Free – Nut Free – Refined Sugar Free – Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

Actually I made you 9!

I’m such a good friend

You see, not only did I make you 9 whole brownies but, I made you 9 of what could possibly be the most decadent, rich, deliciously indulgent, seriously chocolaty, super fudgy brownies you’ve ever tasted!

And, not only are these arguably the most decadent, rich, deliciously indulgent, seriously chocolaty, super fudgy brownies you’ve ever tasted but they also happen to be secretly healthy and oh so easy to make!

Simply throw your ingredients into your trusty ol’ food process or blender, pour, bake, devour!

Although, as delicious as they are fresh from the oven, to fully experience the ultimate fudge factor I strongly suggest you eat them chilled . . .

seriously, life changing!

Made with no refined flours or sugars using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and they deliver a sneaky serve of veg which totally makes them acceptable to eat for breakfast (or dinner) , right?! Asking for a friend

I should warn you, these brownies are not for the faint of heart, they truly are a dark chocolate lovers dream!

They are decadent, rich, dark and delicious, subtly sweet, incredibly indulgent, super fudgy and I mean SUPER FUDGY, and seriously, intensely chocolaty – as a good brownie should be!

The natural sweetness of the sweet potato and the hint of subtly sweet, nuttiness from the tahini marries so perfectly with the richness of the cacao – they really do taste all kinds of incredible!

And, somehow, they seem to get better, richer and even more fudgy as the days go on!

They really are magic!

Honestly, I’m having a hard time finding the words to do these brownies the justice they deserve – I just can’t get over how fudgy and rich they are!!! – so I think I’ll stop trying and let them speak for themselves . . .

Plus, the sooner I stop talking (or typing) the sooner we can start eating  . . .

And, I mean really . . . do I need to say anymore?!

Fudge factor on point!

All natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, deliciously indulgent, subtly sweet, secretly healthy, seriously chocolaty, super fudgy sweet potato brownies . . .

Gluten Free Dairy freeNUT FREE Grain free Refined sugar free Paleo Keto & Vegan friendly

Stop what you’re doing, this needs to happen NOW!!

Sorry for yelling but these BROWNIES!!!!!

Make them. Eat them. Love, love lurrrrrvvvveeeee them!

Super Fudgy, Flourless, Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies
{Nut Free – Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Refined Sugar Free – Vegan – Keto – Paleo Friendly}

Makes 9 tiny but mighty, decadent, rich, deliciously indulgent, seriously chocolaty, super fudgey, secretly healthy, chocolate brownies.

Ingredients –

1 cup mashed sweet potato – I used 1 medium – keto friends feel free to sub 1/2 sweet potato/1/2  avocado

1/2 cup tahini

1 egg – vegan friends sub a flax/chia egg or your fave egg replacer

1/4 cup cacao*

1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract

3-4 Tablespoons of plant based sweetener of choice –  I use Nuiva – you can sub monk fruit  monk fruit sweetener or 1/4-1/2 cup of coconut sugar

1 teaspoon of instant espresso – optional this really helps enhance the richness of the chocolate

2 Tablespoons of filtered water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2-4 Tablespoons of your fave dark chocolate chopped – optional (but not really )

Optional add in’s;
2-4 scoops of  Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides – Optional for gut healing goodness – vegan friends omit

2 teaspoons of maca – for hormone balance

* I’ve also made these VERY successfully using 1/4 cup of Perfect Keto Choc MCT oil powder in place of the cacao

Method –

1 – Pre-heat oven to 175’C/350’F

2 – Grease a small square baking dish  with coconut oil/ghee or baking/parchment paper and set aside.

3 – Place all ingredients apart from chocolate , if using,  into your food processor or blender and process until smooth, creamy & well combined. If your batter is a little thick, add a splash or two of almond milk (or milk of choice) 1 Tbsp at a time to reach a smoother consistency.

4 – Pour into your prepared baking dish  and bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are set and a toothpick has just a few moist crumbs attached when inserted into the centre.

DO NOT OVER BAKE!!!

5 –  Cool – slice – devour!

For best results allow to cool completely before serving. I prefer mine chilled.

Enjoy xo

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Question of the day –

What’s your favorite treat?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your brownies (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post Super Fudgy , Flourless Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies {Nut Free – Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Refined Sugar Free – Vegan – Keto – Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

{Date Free} Chai Spiced Nut Butter Fudge Bites!!!

Um, you guys…. these date free, chai spiced nut butter fudge bites!are life and you need them in yours, asap!

Not even kidding, these babies are so unbelievably delicious it’s kind of insane, especially considering how easy they are to throw together!

Honestly, as far as recipes go it doesn’t get much easier than this  . . .

1 – First we toast our nuts – which is actually optional but highly recommended – I’ve made these fudge bites with both toasted and un-toasted and either way they are super yummy but , toasting the nuts first makes them next level delicious, if you ask me it’s worth the extra 5-10 minutes, but you do you!

2 – Throw em’ into your food processor or blender with some nut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and spices

3 – Scoop or roll into delicious little bite size pieces

4 – Chill

5 – Drizzle with chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt,  if you want.

6 – Devour!

Done and done!

Ahhhh you guys, I am so excited to finally share this recipe with you. I know you have been asking for date free snack recipes for the longest time and at last, at last they are here at last!

I appreciate your patience friends and believe me when I say, these fudge bites, 100% worth the wait!

I am seriously obsessed with these delicious little morsels and I can not wait for you to try them for yourself because I know you are going to absolutely love them just as much as I do!

Sugar Free – Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Grain Free – DATE FREE – Vegan – Keto – Paleo friendly but most importantly they really do taste like an absolute dream!

They are the perfect balance of salty and sweet infused with just a hint of vanilla that heart and belly warming hum of chai inspired spices . . .

And don’t even get me started on the texture!

Silky smooth, melt in the mouth and deliciously buttery with just the right amount of crunch  . . .

And then we have that chocolate drizzle  . . . which, in the interest of full disclosure I added mainly to try to make them look a little prettier . . . without that drizzle although delicious they’re just so . . . beige . . .

Pretty sure we have all previously agreed that a drizzle of chocolate (or chocolate in any way, shape of form) really does just make everything better . . .

Add a pinch of flaky sea salt . . .

Yep, dead!

All natural, quick and easy, subtly sweet, deliciously buttery, perfectly spiced, date free nut butter fudge bites . . .

6 ingredients, 10 minutes in the making . . .

Make them. Eat them. Love, love, love them.

Date Free Chai Spiced Nut Butter Fudge Bites
{Sugar Free – Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Low Carb – Vegan – Keto – Paleo }

Makes approx 16 subtly sweet, deliciously buttery, perfectly spiced fudge bites

Ingredients –

1 1/4 Cups of mixed nuts – I used a mix of cashews, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts & Brazil nuts.

3 Tablespoons of your fave nut/seed butter

2 Tablespoons of coconut butter/oil

2 teaspoons of vanilla

2 teaspoons of chai spice mix or;

1 Tablespoon of coconut flour

Optional add-ins ;

1 teaspoon of maca – for hormone balance

1-2 scoops of Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides – for an extra boost of protein and gut healing goodness
1 scp protein powder – for extra protein (vanilla or unflavored would work best in this recipe) – I use Proganics Vanilla whey – you can use EMS10 to get 10% off

Up to 1 Tablespoon of MCT oil – brain boosting energy

Optional for serving –

Good quality dark chocolate

Flaky sea salt

Method –

1 – Optional step – toast nuts for 5-10mins 175’C/350’F – or throw them into a dry frypan/skillet and shake frequently for 5-10 mins until fragrant

2 – Place all ingredients into your food processor and blend until it comes together to form a dough ( keep an eye on it, if you blend for to long you’ll end up with nut butter which, will still be delicious but, is not what we want to make these amaze-balls)

* Note – if you feel like your batter is a little dry add a splash or two of almond, 1 teaspoon at a time to reach desired/rollable consistency.

You may also want to pop them in the fridge to chill for 5 minutes before rolling, this makes them a little easier to shape.

3 – Roll into balls (I got 16 using 1 Tbsp for each) and freeze for 30-45 mins until firm

4 – Once set, drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with a flaky sea salt, if using

5 – Devour!

These bad boys are need to be kept refrigerated – I actually keep (and eat) mine in the freezer – they will keep well in an airtight container or stasher bag for 3-6 months, if not longer!

Enjoy xo

The post Date Free Chai Spiced Nut Butter Fudge Bites {Sugar Free – Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Low Carb – Vegan – Keto – Paleo } first appeared on Better with Cake.

2 things . . .

1 – Can we just stop for a minute and talk about the fact that it’s June already.

And not just the beginning of June, the middle of June.

Already?!

Ummmm, how?!

Didn’t we just celebrate Christmas last week?

Seriously, 2018 slooooowwwww down!

2 – How is it the middle of June already and I’m only just sharing my first nut butter recipe for the year?!

Who even am I?!

You guys . . . when it comes to sharing new nut butter recipes I’ve been slacking but trust me, this recipe I’m sharing with you today more than makes up for it.

Promise.

Are you ready . . .

Allow me to introduce you to my latest love . . .

Chocolate hazelnut cashew butter.

You guys . . .

This nut butter  . . .

Next level deliciousness!

Not. Even. Kidding!

Decadent, rich, subtly sweet, seriously chocolaty, deliciously creamy, secretly healthy, buttery smooth, chocolate hazelnut-cashew butter . . . 

Honestly, I’m not even sure what more there is to say . . .

Cashews and hazelnuts are oven roasted then blended with a handful of almonds, a splash of vanilla, a sprinkling of cacao, a pinch of salt. So simple but so insanely delicious that it’s kind of ridiculous.

The way the subtle sweetness of hazelnut blends with those buttery cashews and the decadent, intense richness of cacao – swoon!

The neutral flavor profile of our golden little almonds help to cut through the richness of those stronger flavors and the end result is nothing short of perfection!

I love that you can really taste all the different layers of deliciousness in each and every decadent spoonful –  the subtly sweet hazelnuts, the buttery smooth cashews, those gloriously golden almonds, the gentle hum of vanilla, the decadent richness of cacao  . . .

I’m trying to find a way to describe the way it tastes but I’m struggling to find words to do it the justice it deserves. I mean, saying it’s outrageously delicious, even though it really, REALLY, is doesn’t even come close to doing it the justice it deserves.

It kind of reminds me of the delicious, gooey center of those dreamy lindt or ferrero rocher balls . . . but better. Smoother, richer and so much creamier.

This healthy, homemade chocolate hazelnut cashew butter really is edible awesomeness personified and I can not wait for you to taste it for yourself because I know that you, like me, are going to love, love, love it!

As always out healthy, homemade nut butter is made with just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and it comes together in a matter of minutes.

No added sugars, no weird fillers or unpronounceable ingredients – just pure goodness baby!

It really is a little jar of heaven right here on earth.

It’s sugar free – dairy free – vegan – keto and paleo friendly but, most importantly it tastes like an absolute dream!

5 ingredients, 10 minutes in the making stop what you’re doing, this needs to happen now!

All natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, seriously chocolaty, deliciously creamy, secretly healthy, buttery smooth, chocolate hazelnut-cashew butter . . .

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cashew Butter
{Sugar Free – Dairy Free – Gluten Free – Vegan – Keto & Paleo Friendly}
Makes approx 2 cups of all natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, seriously chocolaty,   deliciously dreamy, secretly healthy, subtly sweet, buttery smooth chocolate hazelnut cashew butter

Ingredients –

1/2 cup of raw skinless hazelnuts

1/2 cup raw cashews

1 cup of raw almonds

1 heaping Tablespoon of cacao

1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract or 10-12 drops of Vanilla Cream Stevia – I use Sweet Leaf Stevia

1/2 teaspoon of salt flakes

1/2 teaspoon of instant espresso – optional but recommended – it helps to enhance the flavor and richness of the cacao

1 scoop of Vital proteins unflavored collagen peptides optional for an extra boost of protein and gut healing goodness

Method –

1 – Preheat your oven to 175’C (350’F)

2 – Line a large baking sheet with baking/parchment paper (or a non stick silpat mat) and pour your almonds and hazelnuts on, making sure they are spread evenly – aka not crowded.

3 – Roast your nuts for 10 minutes, until lightly roasted and slightly golden.

If you are unable to get skinless hazelnuts simply roast them on a separate tray and once they are roasted, place on a clean dry hand towel and fold it in half. Rub it gently between your hands and the skins should come loose. Once the hazelnuts have shed their skins, discard the skins and proceed with the recipe as normal.

4 – Pour your roasted nuts into the bowl of your food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy (or your desired consistency). Initially they will grind down into a powder, give it a minute or two and the oils will extract and it will become deliciously, thick, rich and creamy. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

5 – Once you have blended to your desired consistency, add your cacao, salt, vanilla along with the collagen and espresso, if using, then process until combined.

6 – Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly – add a little extra salt or more vanilla (or stevia)  if you feel the need and if you prefer a thinner consistency feel free to add a drizzle of coconut oil to thin it out.

7 – Store in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep well for up to 2 weeks – if it lasts that long! (← seriously, good luck with that )

Enjoy xoxo

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Question of the day –

What are some of your favorite holiday treats and eats? Tell me . . . details please

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this creamy, dreamy vanilla hazelnut almond butter (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post Healthy, Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Cashew Butter {Sugar Free – Dairy Free – Gluten Free – Vegan – Keto – Paleo} first appeared on Better with Cake.