Christmas baking - Better with Cake

Baked Choc Fudge Reindeer Donuts – Low Carb – Gluten free!

Emma — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 05:57:27 +0000

Choc Fudge Reindeer Donuts!!!

Eve and I made these super cute festive donuts and honestly, I had no intention of sharing the recipe but once they were finished I figured why not?! Because:

1-YUM!

2- Fun!

3-They turned out to be so cute and SO DELICIOUS I just had to share them with you!

So, if you’re looking for a super simple, insanely delicious, fun, and festive, last-minute treat to make (& LBR eat) for Christmas (or just because, yum!) then look no further friend, these choc fudge reindeer donuts are EXACTLY what you need

Even if you’re not actively looking & I don’t think it matters the question fun, festive choc fudge donuts are always the answer!

Made with no refined flours or sugars using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand a ready & can be ready to devour in just 15 mins!

Healthified or not, I can’t think of a better way to start, end, or fill the day than with one (or 2) of these delicious little cuties!

You in?! Of course you are, you’re cool like that!

1 bowl + 15 mins (for my visual learners, click here for step-by-step pics + my fave donut making hack & to cook along with me Let me know if you have any questions. Anytime.

From my heart to yours, enjoy xo

Choc fudge Reindeer donuts

Cook Time: 10 mins
Persons: 6-9
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
For the donuts –
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons of vanilla yogurt
2 Tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3/4 cup almond flour
2 Tablespoons of Macro Mike white choc (or any flavour really) protein powder (see notes for subs)**
1/4 cup cacao
1/4 cup golden monk fruit sweetener – or coconut sugar / granulated sweetener of choice
1 teaspoon of instant coffee
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
For the chocolate glaze –
1 C dark chocolate
1/2 tsp instant espresso pwd – I use decaf I use the decaf to make them safe for Eve to eat, heaven knows that girls needs no added caffeine, she IS the energizer bunny!
For decorating –
6-9 baby red currants (or cherries, dried cranberries or a m&m or red sprinkle)
6-9 pretzels cut in half
12-16 googly eye sprinkles

Instructions
Place all donut ingredients into a small bowl and stir until well combined.
Spoon/pipe donut mix into your donut tray (I pour my batter into a ziplock bag & snip off the corner to pipe it in. Super accurate & way less messy this way! Click here to see a lil video demo) .
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Set aside to cool while you make your frosting.
Melt chocolate by your preferred method .
Add instant espresso pwd and stir until well combined.
Dip donuts into melted chocolate and place onto a lined baking tray (for easy clean up)
Add decorations – pretzel antlers, berry noses & googly eyes . . . for the eyes
Enjoy xo

** You can sub 1/2 teaspoon of coconut flour in place of the protein powder but the taste & nutritional boost the protein pwd adds really takes these muffins to a whole new level!

I love Macro Mike plant based almond protein powder (have not tested any other brands ). Its gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, boosted with probiotics & truly tastes all kinds of incredible. Its hands down without question the smoothest, most delicious, elite tasting protein power (plant based/dairy free or otherwise!!) I have ever tried. And I have tried A LOT! Use AMB-EM to get a cheeky discount of you want to try it & believe me, you do!

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Question of the day –

What’s your fave flavour donut (or muffin)? Any requests or suggestions on what I should make next? LMK

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 donuts (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 Baked Choc Fudge Reindeer Donuts – Low Carb – Gluten free! first appeared on Better with Cake.

My Fave Soft Baked Gingerbread Cookies aka – Gingerdoodles! {Low Carb – Keto – Paleo – Vegan Friendly }

Emma — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 05:03:11 +0000

Secretly healthy, soft and chewy gingerbread cookies !!

I got so many messages and requests for a recipe for healthier gingerbread cookies, consider this my Christmas gift to you.

Subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, thick and fluffy, soft baked gingerbread cookies – aka the Christmas cookie of my dreams!

It’s no secret that I love me some gingerbread but it has to be good gingerbread. A lot of the time store bought gingerbread can be a bit dry and tasteless or waayyyyy to spicy, and that’s coming from a spice lover.

So here I am, delivering to you, as requested THE PERFECT soft baked gingerbread cookie.

Thick and fluffy, soft and chewy, subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, simply, divine!

Finished with a generous sprinkling of my fave heart and belly-warming gingerbread spices (think → cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves) then, before baking, I rolled them in a little cinnamon sugar (made with monk fruit and ground cinnamon) which although is totally optional, it’s highly recommended as it adds the most incredible, slightly crispy, gloriously caramelized, not to mention glittery, cinnamon, spiked, crust.

Sooooo good!

Crispy on the edges, soft, tender and deliciously chewy in the middle . . .

I mean would you just look at that texture?!

Serve them simply as they are, honestly, the flavor and texture of these gingerbread cookies are so on point and truly incredible they really don’t need anything else but, for those of you who insisted that you need a frosting, I have delivered not 1, not 2 but 3 options for you to choose from because I could not decide which one I liked better!

1 – A traditional glaze

2 – A white (or dark) chocolate drizzle – which if I’m going to add any kind of frosting might be my personal fave and last but not least,

3 – If you’re feeling a little fancy you could do a white chocolate ganache . . . even though it sounds a little fancy it’s super simple, oh so dreamy and 100% worth it !

However you choose to do it, you really can’t go wrong.

Subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, truly magical, secretly healthy soft and chewy gingerbread cookies!

A few tips before you go get your soft-baked, secretly healthy, sugar free, paleo gingerbread cookie on:

Em, do I really need to chill the dough?
Answer = Yes! Im sorry, I know its kind of a pain especially if you, like me, have zero patience for baking but DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP (Im sorry for yelling but this is VERY important!) Chilling the dough is what helps your cookies maintain their shape and ensures they get that dreamy chewy texture!

Will waiting be difficult? Possibly for some- some being me, pls tell me I’m not the only one

Will it be worth it?! 100%!Absolutely, Oh so worth it!

Tips on how to chill the cookie dough –Place your cookie dough in the fridge for 30-60 minutes or you can pop it, bowl and all, in the freezer for 10-15 (which is what I usually do – see above to me having zero patience for baking.*Note – You can chill for longer than 30 minutes! You can even mix it up and leave it to rest and chill in the fridge overnight if you like.

FYI- made with nut butter & a pch of spice = totally acceptable for breakfast consumption!

Mix em’ now, bake em’ first thing- in 8-10 mins – you’re early morning, coffee drinking, cookie eating self will thank yo. Promise!

Em , can I use this recipe to make sugar free, paleo cut out cookies ?!

Answer = YES! You absolutely can!

Follow the recipe as written, skip the cinny-sugar coating. Chill the dough. Then roll it out between 2 pieces of parchment (baking) paper and use your fave cookie cutters to create whatever shapes you like. We have done all the gingerbread peeps, snowflakes, bells, stars, trees, even a reindeer!

Then just choose your fave frosting (I have listed 3 options for you – or you can just buy a tub of your fave store-bought brand – I simple mills!) add all of the festive sprinkles and enjoy!

How do I store these secretly healthy, life changing, sugar free, paleo gingerbread cookies?!

I like to keep mine in the fridge, I find the texure extra fudgy this way but as long as they in a sealed, airtight container, you’re good and they should keep well for at least 5-7 days (if they don’t get eaten before then!!)

Ok, I think that’s it but as always, pleaseif you have any questions feel free to send me an email, DM on Instagram or leave a comment on the blog post anytime. Always.

Now, its time for you to get your bake on!

Gluten Free – Dairy free – Grain free – Refined sugar free – Low Carb – Paleo – Keto – Vegan friendly but most importantly they really do taste all kinds of magical and I hope you love them as much as I do. Which FYI – is a lot – I’m talking, if a cookie could be a spirit animal, this would be mine!

1 bowl + 5 ingredients and a handful of spices . . .

For my visual learners, click here for step-by-step pics / to cook along with me. Let me know if you have any questions. Anytime.

From my heart to yours, enjoy xo

Soft Baked Gingerbread Cookies (aka- gingerdoodles)

Cook Time: 10 mins
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 egg
1/2 C almond butter
1/4 C monk fruit sweetener – I use a golden blend because it gives that hint or caramel like regular brown sugar does & it is SO GOOD!
2 Tbsp C maple syrup – I use sugar free/monk fruit maple
1 C almond meal
2 (heaping) tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
A pinch each (I use my 1/8th tsp) of nutmeg, cardamon & cloves
A pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 scp unflavoured collagen – will not change the taste or texture but adds a hit of protein (which makes me feel better about eating cookies for b/fast) & is great for hair, skin, nails & gut health
Optional cinny-sugar coating –
1/4 cup of monk fruit sweetener
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Optional frosting –
Traditional glaze –
1/2 cup of powdered monk fruit sweetener – or powdered/icing sugar
1-2 Tablespoons of almond milk or water – to desired consistency
White (or dark) Chocolate Ganache –
1/4 cup coconut (or regular ) cream
1/4 cup white chocolate
1 pinch of salt
Option 3 –
Or just drizzle with melted white chocolate – hello dreamy!

Instructions
Place egg, almond butter, monk fruit sweetener, maple syrup and vanilla in to a bowl and stir until smooth, creamy and well combined.
Add almond flour, baking soda, spices and salt and stir to combine.
Now comes the hard part – place your cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill (or freezer for 10-15) DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP this is what helps your cookies maintain their shape and ensures they get that dreamy chewy texture!
*Note – You can chill for longer then 30 minutes, you can even mix it up and leave over night if you like.
Once your dough has chilled – and you’re ready to bake –
Preheat your oven to 175’C / 350’F line a baking tray with baking/parchment paper (or a silpat mat) and set aside.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out your dough and roll into desired shape and size.
*Note – they should not spread too much, just a little & they do puff up so shape them roughly how you want to eat them.
Combine 1/2 C monk fruit sweetener and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and stir to combine.
Gently press each cookie into the cinnamon sugar, toss to coat and place on to your prepared baking sheet.
Repeat until all cookies have been coated.
Bake smaller cookies for 6-8 minutes – larger cookies for 8-10
DO NOT OVER BAKE – they will still be slightly soft, that’s what you want – set them aside for 2-3 minutes to cool – they will now be nice and chewy.
If frosting – combine glaze ingredients (or melt chocolate) until smooth, creamy and well combined
To make the ganache –
Melt chocolate by your preferred method – I like to do mine on the stove, double broiler style but a microwave will work just fine too.
Add cream, vanilla, salt & stir to until well combined.
Drizzle cookies with frosting of choice
Devour
Enjoy xo

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Question of the day –

What’s your fave Christmas cookie??

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 cookies (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 ox

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The post My Fave Soft Baked Gingerbread Cookies aka – Gingerdoodles! {Low Carb – Keto – Paleo – Vegan Friendly } first appeared on Better with Cake.