Chocolate Cream Pie (DF, GF, & Egg Free) {THM:S}

If you’ve been craving Chocolate Cream pie but can’t handle dairy or eggs..I’ve got you! You won’t be missing either with this delicously creamy chocolate pie! I think I see more allergen friendly recipes in this blogs future!

Before sharing this recipe: The hands on part is minimal, but it does take several hours to fully set, so plan accordingly!

We had a smallish gathering for Thanksgiving this year & (as usual!) I got healthy dessert responsibilities!!

My entire family has been friends with my one of my brother in laws family since before I was even born…..& it was his chocoholic sisters request. She doesn’t really do dairy or grains & my sister can’t do dairy or eggs…so..challenge accepted!

I give to you….Chocolate Cream Pie that’s Dairy, Egg, Grain, Gluten, & Sugar Free! It may seem like there’s nothing left to create a pie without having any of those options, but trust me…there is! My whipped cream & milk chocolate loving little sister LOVED it.

I was quite surprised with how well it turned out since it was an experiment, so I immediately had to go make it 2 days later to ensure I had everything written down correctly as I got requests for the recipe. Such a hardship, I know…I had it for breakfast and afternoon snack this week. 🙂

I’ve had requests to share what ingredients I use, so I’ll just highlight a few….I plan on doing a master post of my ingredients for future reference.

I buy 99% of my grocery items from my local health food store, Golden Harvest Market, so available brands may vary, but at least you’ll know the gist of the ingredients.

Coconut milk: I use the Field Day brand for Full Fat & Light (or whatever happens to be on sale!) . You may be able to find Goya or Thai Kitchen which are both comparable.

Coconut Cream: I used the Thai Kitchen brand. Do not confuse it with CREAM OF COCONUT which is full of sugar!

Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Chips: I used the Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips, as they are completely dairy free. Feel free to use another brand, such as Bake Believe or THM’s own chocolate chips. I have not made this recipe using another brand so I cannot vouch for how they melt. NOTE: 9 oz. chocolate chips is the equivalent of 1 1/2 cups.

85% or darker chocolate (finely chopped) may be used, but you may need to increase sweetener as desired!

Sweeteners: My favorite sweetener is THM’s own Xylitol Free Gentle Sweet. It does not (to me!) have a strong aftertaste and the majority of people that are not sugar free do enjoy the baked items I’ve made with it. Xylitol is a HUGE no-no in my house since there are 2 EXTREMELY nosy dogs that live here & some of my family members can’t handle xylitol.

Swerve Confectioners Style is my go to for sweetening cream since its already ground and therefore it doesn’t have to be whipped until dissolved, which lessens the chance of overwhipping your cream.

Print Recipe

Chocolate Cream Pie (DF, GF, & EGG FREE) {THM:S}

All the chocolatey goodness of a Chocolate Cream Pie but Dairy Free!
Course: Dessert
Keyword: chocolate, dairy free, dessert, egg free, gluten free, keto, Low carb, pies
Servings: 8

Ingredients

CRUST

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 3 Tablespoons Gentle Sweet or equivalent of other on plan sweetener
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted

FILLING

  • 2 teaspoons gelatin
  • 2 Tablespoons cashew milk or other nondairy milk
  • 1-13.66 oz. can full fat coconut milk (see notes on how to use light coconut milk)
  • ¼ cup gentle sweet
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1-9 oz. bag sugar free dark chocolate chips, or other on plan chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

TOPPING

  • 2-13.66 oz. cans full fat coconut milk, chilled
  • 1½ Tablespoons Swerve confectioners style sugar, or other on plan sweetener, powdered
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°

CRUST

  • Combine all crust ingredients except for coconut oil & whisk together using a fork or whisk until no lumps remain.
  • Add melted coconut oil to mixture & mix together with fork until completely blended. Press firmly onto sides and bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. (Using a measuring cup or tamper to press it down work well.)
  • Bake for 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

FILLING

  • Sprinkle gelatin over cashew milk in small bowl & let soften for several minutes.
  • Heat coconut milk, gentle sweet, & salt together in pan over medium low heat until hot, but not boiling, stirring once or twice to ensure all sweetener granules are dissolved.
  • Add softened gelatin to coconut milk mixture and whisk together to dissolve all gelatin.
  • Place chocolate chips in a bowl and pour hot coconut milk mixture over chocolate chips.
  • Let mixture sit for 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth & stir in vanilla.
  • Cover bowl and refrigerate until mixture is set, 4 hours or overnight.
  • Once mixture is chilled, remove from refrigerator & using handheld mixer, beat on high (I use a small kitchen-aid hand mixer and high is 5 on it.) for about 3 minutes, or until mixture is creamy and slightly lightened in color.
  • Scrape into prepared pie crust & smooth top.
  • Press a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of filling & refrigerate until set, about 2-3 hours
  • Once set, top with whipped coconut cream

TOPPING:

  • Open cans of chilled coconut milk & scoop out ONLY the SOLID CREAM into a bowl. (The thin, watery part can be used in other recipes, like lentil soup or smoothies!)
  • Add sweetener & vanilla extract to coconut cream & whisk together using hand mixer on high speed for about 3-4 minutes, until sweetener is dissolved. It will stiffen, but not to the point of regular whipped cream.
  • Spread cream over top of pie or pipe it on decoratively using a large frosting tip.
  • Garnish with shaved chocolate or a chocolate glaze, if desired. (Any recipe would work for it, but the glaze from the Peanut Butter Cookie Muffins comes to mind.)

Notes

You may use low fat coconut milk in place of full fat.  If doing so you’ll need to increase the gelatin to 4 teaspoons (up from 2 teaspoons). Follow the directions, but if when softening gelatin it’s not completely moist, add a few more drops of nondairy milk until it is. (no more than a teaspoon or two extra should be needed.) 
Any on plan chocolate may be used, if using a milk chocolate you may want to decrease the sweetener.
1 can of coconut cream (not to be confused with CREAM of coconut!), may be used in place of the 2 cans of full fat coconut milk. You may need to decrease the sweetener as it will yield a slightly lesser amount than the 2 cans.
I like to use the Swerve confectioners style sweetener as it doesn’t leave a gritty feel and seems to help stabilize the coconut cream.
When covering the pie filling, I like to spray the plastic wrap with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Pumpkin Cream Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream {THM:S}

Want to free up oven space on Thanksgiving Day? Here’s a Pumpkin Cream Pie recipe that’ll do just that!

I’m in charge of the refrigerated sweets case at my workplace & therefore have to come up with seasonal recipes to keep the case full….enter Pumpkin Cream Pie! While I was working on it, I KNEW I had to come up with a healthy version of it since my sample bit was SO tasty!

I tested one version, but ended up adding WAY TOO MUCH pumpkin & ended up with a sweet pumpkin soup….I put off to the side, but with Thanksgiving coming up, I knew I had to get it out and try again to ensure there was an on plan dessert for me!

I made it earlier this week & shared a picture on the main Trim Healthy Mama group on Facebook….I was BLOWN away by the amount of comments, reactions & YES, RECIPE PLEASE ASAP’s! I gave up trying to respond to them all!

SO here you go….(It’s the only photo I have of it, as it was a last minute photoshoot with my phone!)

I tested this recipe in mini pie pans…so I halved the entire recipe & pressed the crust into 4 mini pie/tart pans.

I like doing things a little on the fancy side, so I piped the whipped cream using an open star tip (my favorite!) & piping bag, but you’re certainly welcome to just plop it on however it suits your fancy!

Yes, this pie is MOST DEFINETLY a heavy S, but….if it helps me stay on plan through the holidays, I’m EATING HEAVY S pies!

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Pumpkin Cream Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream{THM:S}

A creamy, no-bake version of everyone's favorite Thanksgiving pie!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dessert, gluten free, keto, Low carb, pie, sugar free
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Crust:

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • 3 Tablespoons Swerve Confectioners Style Sugar, or other on plan equivalent
  • 1½ teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon maple flavoring
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pie Filling

  • 12 oz. Neufchâtel cheese
  • ⅓ cup Gentle Sweet, or other on plan equivalent
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Prepare pie crust & set aside.

Whipped Cream:

  • Whip cream, sweetener, cinnamon & flavorings together until soft peaks form. Set aside.

Filling:

  • Whip the neufchatel cheese, sweetener, spices, & salt together until smooth, scraping bowl down as needed.
  • Add pumpkin puree & vanilla, mixing until smooth.
  • Fold in 1/2 of prepared whipped cream. Scrape into prepared pie shell & smooth top.

Finishing & Garnish:

  • Top filling with remainder of whipped cream. Garnish with more cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg, if desired.

Notes

You will need 1-9 inch on plan pie crust, baked if not using a no-bake crust recipe.

Get Your Veggies (& fruit!) in Slaw

This will be an extremely quick post, but I wanted to share with you all what is now one of the tastiest ways to get jicama in!

Jicama itself is a completely blank slate..some like to dip it in avocado while others like to sprinkle it with chili lime (also known as Tajin!) seasoning.

I like to make it into a quick slaw that works as an E or FP, depending on if you use apple or not.

Here goes:

Toss together: 1 small jicama, peeled & shredded or julienned,

1 apple, shredded or julienned

1 cup shredded or julienned red or green cabbage

Juice of 1 lime

Pinch of salt

Sweetener to taste

If you’re wanting an FP: leave out the apple & add 1 shredded carrot.

To make it even faster: my coaching friend Shannon, over at Vibrant Living uses coleslaw mix in place of the cabbage. Just brilliant!

Until next time, everyone! I hope to get to blogging recipes on a regular basis soon….my blog is going to be under going renovations, so stay tuned!

White Chocolate Raspberry Pie {THM:S}

A lightly sweet, deliciously creamy & rich pie!

Ahh, it feels good to be back with an actual recipe!

I feel guilty on occasion sharing pictures of my creations, because while I thoroughly enjoy making a 25 step, 60 ingredient, 2 day-process dessert recipe, I know there are MANY people out there who do not share in that joy. I imagine they groan when they see me sharing those pictures, because WHO ON EARTH has TIME to do THAT!?!?!

It’s now become my goal to share more ingredient, time, & shopping list friendly recipes with you all, so I don;t have to hear groans. 🙂

This recipe came about whilst (once again!) I was at work testing a seasonal cream pie recipe. (It was a Pumpkin Cream Pie recipe, in case you’re wondering!). My mind is now OVERFLOWING with variations of pie recipes to bring you.

Mint Chocolate Chip, anyone? How about Peanut Butter Chocolate…..Coconut Joy…..Pumpkin….Lemon Gingersnap?? (I think you get the picture. I hope to bring you those recipes & more this fall!) Any other suggestions from you, my dear viewers?? I love suggestions & welcome the challenge.

This pie is on the rather rich & sumptuous Heavy S side, what with the almond meal crust, cream, chocolate, & neufchatel cheeses, so you will easily be able to get 10 servings out of this. I like to enjoy it as my snack or meal, rather than an add-on to my meal.

Print Recipe

White Chocolate Raspberry Pie {THM:S}

A lightly sweet, deliciously creamy & rich pie!
Course: Dessert
Keyword: dessert, gluten free, Low carb, pie, raspberry, sugar free, THM-S
Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients

  • 1- 9 inch pie crust of your choice, baked (I like to use about 3/4 of this recipe, with the cinnamon omitted)
  • 2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • ⅓ cup Swerve confectioners style sugar (or equivalent of other on plan sweetener)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sugar free white chocolate chips (I prefer the Lily's brand.)
  • 2- 8 oz. pkgs. neufchatel cheese, softened
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2-6 oz. pkgs. packages fresh raspberries, divided (it will be approximately 2 2/3 cup raspberries, TOTAL)

Instructions

  • Bake pie crust of your choice & set aside to cool.
  • While crust is cooling, whip together using either a hand or stand mixer, 1 ⅔ cups of heavy cream with the vanilla and sweetener until slightly stiff peaks form & set aside.
  • Over VERY low heat or in top of double boiler over barely simmering water, melt white chocolate chips and ⅓ cup heavy cream together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Whip the Neufchâtel cheese until smooth, using either a hand or stand mixer.
  • Add melted white chocolate mixture, salt, & lemon juice to neufchatel cheese and whip until smooth again, scraping bowl down as necessary.
  • Add half of raspberries (you could probably use all of them if you so desire, I just like to garnish the pie with them!) to neufchatel cheese/white chocolate mixture & mix on low until mixed in and pie is lightly tinted pink. (There will still be chunks of raspberry.)
  • Fold ½ of whipped cream into berry mixture and scrape into cooled pie crust, spreading to fill crust evenly.
  • Either pipe or spread the remaining half of whipped cream decoratively over top of pie.
  • Garnish with remainder of fresh raspberries and a few white chocolate chips if desired!

Notes

Divided amounts for ingredients:
Cream: 1/3 cup for melting white chocolate, 1 2/3 cup for remainder of recipe.
Raspberries: 1-6 oz. package or 1 1/3 cups per step.

Until next time!!! Stay safe….& eat pie!

Practical Ramblings about getting through COVID-19

I have debated A LOT about whether or not this was the right platform to share this, but since I will be talking about food in here, I decided to go ahead and share it, so please proceed at your own risk! I do not claim to be extremely knowledgeable abut this topic or any other, I’m just simply sharing what has worked for me.

I was never intending to write about this subject, but while I was at work this morning, I ended up having to jot down a bunch of random thoughts, and so I’m going to attempt to share these. Please bear with me as I’ve never written this type of post before, and as someone who generally doesn’t share my thoughts unless requested, (and even then, I do so with difficulty!) I’m stepping out of my comfort zone here!

I didn’t realize it, but apparently this post has been cooking in my head for a while, because when 2 coworkers requested fewer hours this morning so as to avoid COVID-19 (what else would I be talking about!?!?!) as much as possible, these thoughts just came FLOODING in.

My first thought was (assuming they’re in good health and have no one in poor health to be taking care of that they need to be around.) this is pure selfishness. Yes, you need to be careful, but PLEASE do realize YOU aren’t the ONLY one that would like less exposure, and therefore your request will be forcing us to pick up your hours which will -in the end- expose us (and you!) to EVEN more, than if you were willing to come work your 6 hour day.

But then, I calmed my mind down and thought rationally about this. It has everyone on edge, and we all need to do our  part to stop the spread, even if it DOES mean reducing your hours. (Which works out well, because then if you want less hours, the people who want/need full time are still able to get their hours in without having to lay anybody off!)

Here are my random thoughts about staying calm in this chaotic world of today we live in. (Even without COVId-19 making its way around & affecting the whole world.)

And, without further ado……here are several things which can help you DO YOUR PART. (It really is the little things!!)

1. Do your part to STAY HEALTHY! Take a deep breath, wash your hands & wash them often! (My hands feel like the Sahara Desert, I’ve been washing them so often with work and whatnot!)

  • Stay hydrated. One of my favorite ways is to mix 1/3 c. lime or lemon juice, baobab powder -amount depends you!- (found online here at the Trim Healthy Mama Store or find at your local health food store or Walmart), 1 Hydrate package [or sweetener to taste], add water to fill quart jar ¾ way up, combine well. (I like to use this  USB charged whisk.) Add ice to fill jar, then ENJOY!6A747159-3215-4967-99FC-B303FBC8DEDB
  • Cut processed sugar out of your diet. There is a STRONG link between your immune system and your sugar intake!
  • Rest, not just physically, but mentally, too! (More on that later!)

2. Stay in and cook! If you’re not a fan of cooking, this is the perfect time to learn. There’s LOTS of beginner tutorials online! This cold, rainy, & windy spring weather is perfect for soup. (Especially if you’re not a fan of hot soup in the summer! Take advantage of this! Here’s a great soup that will boost your immune system and warm up your insides:

  • Sauté 1 chopped onion & 3 peeled and chopped carrots in some coconut oil or butter on medium heat until beginning to soften.
  • Add about ¼ c. finely chopped or grated ginger, 2 minced garlic cloves, pinch of cayenne or crushed red pepper, 1 T. curry powder, ¼ t. black pepper, & salt to taste (start with 1 -2 teaspoons. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, 1 or 2 minutes.
  • Add 2 cups lentils (I like red ones.), 8 cups chicken broth, & 1 can coconut milk. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
  • Add a few cups of cooked chicken and a package of spinach (fresh or frozen), and cook until chicken is heated and spinach has softened, about 5 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Topping with fresh cilantro adds a perfect pop of freshness.
  • If you don’t like lentils, omit them. Add 2-10 oz packages frozen cauliflower (or 4 -5 cups chopped fresh) to the sautéing veggies in the first step & and reduce the broth to 4-6 cups.
  • Cook until cauliflower is tender, and then scoop out about ½ of the cauliflower and purée with some of the broth in a blender until smooth. (Or just use an immersion blender until desired texture.) Continue with adding chicken and spinach.

3. WALK! There are 3 different types to take:

  • A regular, mind freeing, quiet & relaxing stroll through your neighborhood, a jaunty trek through the woods, or a leisurely walk through a park. (While keeping social distancing in mind!)                                                                                             
  • My little sister (who is slightly prone to anxiety) does this type & it works wonders for her: a music (or podcast) walk. Charge your AirPods (or plug in your earphones, if you’re like me!), connect to your favorite music (or podcast), place in 1 ear (so you’re still aware of your surroundings) & walk to your hearts content, fast or slow, you set the pace! Breathe in the freshness of the outdoor air and take in the EARLY springtime beauty!41BCE7C1-0B7C-4CF0-97E6-70735FCD04B4
  • This one was inspired by Naomi, over at WSAW who encouraged her followers to do this: Take a social distancing walk, snap a few photos of what has stayed the same amidst the chaos. There’s just something comforting about that and one thing we know: spring is still coming as evidenced by the rain we’ve been getting!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA4. Teach yourself something new, or finish a project that’s been pushed to the side for lack of time. (This lack of time probably won’t apply if you’re considered one of the necessary workers!)  I’ve recently decided to teach myself how to crochet and I’ve rather enjoyed it. (When I’m not taking out rows because I forgot to count my stitches!) 3C76C46E-4BAE-489D-9708-8EED0D8D1055

5. Start a new book series,or start a reading challenge & invite your friends and family to join -virtually, of course!-  For a reading challenge, I’d recommend this one from Tim Challies.

6. Take steps to keep your mental state healthy. In a recent article I came across, the first suggestion was ONLY check the news ONCE A DAY for your best mental health. Find a reputable source or two, get the most recent & up-to-date facts, and then STOP if you don’t want to go crazy. So, stay informed, but don’t obsess! Don’t get so obsessed & fearful that it controls you and dictates your life. (Please follow all of your local Safer At Home orders and federal suggestions to avoid spreading COVID-19.)

7. Call your friends & loved ones. Let them know you’re thinking of them even if you can’t see them. Pray with them…for each other and for this country. (And world). Prayer changes things!

8. Be thankful!Gratitude is a wonderful boost for the immune system. Thank your grocery store cashier, thank a truck driver, thank someone in the medical field, and hey, even thank random people for remembering social distancing and staying at home! Thank God for the life He’s given you and that you thus far have remained healthy.

9. Go for a drive around the countryside. It’s an easy way to get out of the house and still practice your social distancing. Catch up on your favorite podcasts, or simply enjoy the solitude! I can promise you’ll feel better when you return home from your drive!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

10. Bake something!If you enjoy baking with regular sugar, I’d suggest these delicious, tried & true recipes:

If you’re trying to avoid sugar, here are a few of my favorite sugar free options:

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11. And last, but not least: Rest in God! As Psalm 42:11 says: “..hope thou in God: for I shall yet PRAISE Him who is…….my God.” Find your hope in Him, rest, & trust. (Isaiah 26: 3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.) Yes, we MUST do our part in helping this pandemic to stop, but God is ultimately in control.

I’ll close this with a verse that many have been taking to heart and living during these times: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

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Flourless Chocolate Cake {THM:XO} -w/ S option

I’ve been working on creating some dairy free (as in not even any butter!) recipes for one of my older sisters who is not able to handle ANY dairy at this point in her life. She also is unable to handle any sweeteners except honey, coconut sugar, & pure stevia.

Nothing makes me happier than to have a challenge like that and come up with a recipe that brings joy to the person who has to deal with those challenges. I was able to take my regular recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake and transform it into a delicious dairy free dessert for her 18th wedding anniversary dinner. Even my brother in law said it was delicious, except for the coffee flavor. 🙂 You definitely don’t need to add the espresso/coffee, but I find it brings out SUCH a depth of flavor that I don’t like to leave it out

Now, as general rule coconut sugar & honey are not recommended sweeteners on THM, except for children and those who don’t feel the need (or don’t happen to have a sweet tooth the size of Texas like me!) to consume desserts, except on the rare occasion, like my sister.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy a piece when I made it. How could you resist a piece of beauty like this!

I haven’t tested it, but you may substitute an equivalent on plan sweetener for the coconut sugar, following the same directions as with the coconut sugar.

Print Recipe

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Course: Dessert
Keyword: birthday dessert, chocolate, dairy free, gluten free, keto, THM
Servings: 8

Ingredients

CAKE

  • 4 large eggs, cold
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces 100% unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup butter flavored coconut oil (like this one.)
  • 2 Tablespoons espresso or strong coffee, optional

GLAZE

  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1-5.4 ounce can unsweetened coconut cream
  • 2 Tablespoons butter flavored coconut oil
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar

Instructions

CAKE

  • Preheat oven to 325°. Line a round 6 inch pan with parchment paper, grease pan and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Place in a 13×9 pan and set aside. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
  • Using a hand mixer on high speed, beat eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla, and salt until foamy, increased in volume, and lightened in color, about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt unsweetened chocolate, butter flavored coconut oil, and espresso (if using) until smooth and very warm, stirring once or twice.
  • Using a large rubber spatula, fold ⅓ of egg mixture into melted chocolate mixture until only a few streaks of egg are visible. Fold in ½ of remaining foam, then last of remaining foam until mixture is completely mixed with no streaks of egg foam remaining.
  • Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.
  • Set 13 x 9 pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water into pan to come about ½ way up side of pan. Bake until cake has risen just slightly, edges are just beginning to set, and instant read thermometer inserted in center of cake register 140°, about 18-20 minutes.
  • Remove cake from water and set on wire rack to cool to room temperature. (Run thin knife between edge of cake and cake pan to loosen.)
  • Remove from pan and place on desired serving tray. Glaze and garnish as desired.

GLAZE

  • Place unsweetened chocolate in a small bowl.
  • Combine remaining glaze ingredients in a small pan and bring to a boil. Boil until coconut sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Pour coconut milk mixture over chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth.
  • Pour over cooled cake and garnish with fresh fruit, mint leaves and grated chocolate as desired.

Notes

You will have leftover glaze, as I wasn’t about to use 1/2 a can of coconut cream! 🙂 You may use it as glaze for another baked good, stir it into coffee for a mocha or just eat it!
Recipe may be doubled to make a 9 inch cake. However, the glaze recipe will not need to be.
If using a springform pan, tightly wrap in foil to create a waterproof wrap for the pan.
If doubling recipe, place the 9 inch pan in a large roasting pan. 
To make cake look super professional, place baked cake on cake pad of same size, set on cooling rack placed on sheet pan or over news/parchment paper and then glaze. Once glaze is set, place on desired serving dish, garnish and serve.

Blackberry Yogurt Snack Cake {THM:S}

I’ve brought you 2 frosting recipes…now I present to you……CAKE!

This recipe is my little sisters ABSOLUTE FAVORITE cake. If you were to ask her if she could choose just ONE dessert to have for the rest of her life her response would be this cake!

I came across the recipe for this in a Bon Appetit magazine several years ago. I would make it several times a summer with fresh picked, sun-ripened wild blackberries. So delicious. So refreshing and terribly hard to beat in the dog days of summer. (Which coincidentally, is when my little sisters birthday is!) So yes, this is the birthday cake of her choice EVERY year!

This is the first cake recipe I trimmified, just a few months after I started THM. I shared the recipe and everything on the groups…a few months later, after I had learned more about trimmifying recipes, I was ABSOLUTELY horrified to discover that I had used the SAME AMOUNT of gentle sweet as the sugar the recipe called for! I immediately went and found the posts where I’d shared the recipe and PROMPTLY fixed it!! I sure hope nobody made that recipe and I also have no idea how I didn’t think it was horrifyingly sweet!

The faint hint of citrus from the orange zest & the tangy sweetness from the yogurt and blackberries makes this a PERFECT accompaniment to your afternoon coffee. (Or tea, I love both but tend to drink tea in the afternoon and keep my coffee for the morning!) What’s your preference? Any favorite way to have your afternoon tea/coffee?

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Print Recipe

Blackberry Yogurt Snack Cake

Course: Dessert, Snack
Keyword: dessert
Servings: 18 pieces

Ingredients

  • 10 oz. fresh blackberries (2½ cups)
  • ⅓ cup erythritol (This is essential. It makes for a crispy, crunchy fruit top!)
  • 1 ¼ cups THM Baking Blend
  • ½ cup oat fiber
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, melted
  • ¾ cup Gentle Sweet (or equivalent of other approved on plan sweetener)
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 12 drops orange essential oil (or 1 ½ teaspoons orange extract) see note below
  • 1½ teaspoons fresh orange zest (use the zest from 1 large orange. Peel orange and use for a nice E snack!)
  • 1 ⅓ cups nonfat plain greek yogurt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Grease a 13×9 rectangular pan or a 10 inch round cake pan. Line with parchment paper, grease parchment paper and dust pan with oat fiber.
  • Arrange berries in single layer in bottom of pan. Sprinkle evenly with erythritol.
  • Whisk baking blend, oat fiber, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Set aside.
  • Using a hand mixer on high, beat melted butter, gentle sweet, vanilla extract, and orange essential oil together until lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
  • Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping down as necessary.
  • Add half of dry ingredients and mix well. Add yogurt and orange zest. Mix well. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix together on high speed for 1 minute, scraping bowl down as necessary.
  • Spread batter evenly over prepared berries in pan, making sure to smooth out top.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached.
  • Place cutting board or desired serving dish immediately over top of cake and flip over. Immediately remove parchment paper, so bottom of cake doesn’t get soggy.
  • Let cool, and then serve!

Notes

Note: I have researched and am comfortable with using essential oils in my baking and cooking. Please do your own research and do what you’re comfortable with.
For extra flair you may lightly sprinkle with an on plan powdered sweetener or serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Puppy Chow {THM:XO}

This also happens to be another recipe that came about after a discussion with a coworker, which seems to be where 75% of my ideas for recipes come from!

 Now, I know there are THM approved, single fuel recipes for Puppy Chow made with pork rinds or nuts and/or coconut flakes, but when I was brainstorming this recipe I was wanting something lighter, as nuts sometimes are a bit heavy for me…..Rice Cakes were the answer!

I know this is an XO, and since I’m still in weight loss mode I try to limit my XO’s. I do make an exception for this since I only make it a few times a year. It is seriously dangerous to have around. I have to scoop out a serving size or else I could eat the whole batch. (I’m not joking. I seriously have to put my self control to work when I make this!)

So, go ahead and make at your own risk! I know you won’t be disappointed!

My sister, Abby would be happy to have a constant supply of this around. She one of those who can eat 90% XO’s and not gain an OUNCE. A bit  lot of envy/jealousy  there on my part! (Don’t worry, I’ve worked through it!) Love you sis!!

Print Recipe

Puppy Chow

Ingredients

  • 1- 8.5 oz. pkg. brown rice cakes, salted or unsalted (I use the Lundberg brown rice cakes) Find them here or at your local health food store.
  • ½ cup butter, or coconut oil if desiring dairy free
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar free chocolate chips (or 9 oz. 85% or darker chocolate, chopped)
  • 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (decrease to ⅛ teaspoon if using salted rice cakes)
  • 1 bag swerve confectioners style sugar (approximately)

Instructions

  • Break rice cakes into 1/2-1 in. pieces into a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Melt butter and chocolate together over low heat, stirring constantly.
  • Stir in peanut butter, vanilla, & salt. Mix until smooth.
  • Pour over broken up rice cakes & stir until evenly coated.
  • Scrape mixture into large paper bag & toss with desired amount of swerve confectioners style sugar (I use the whole bag.) until evenly coated.
  • Spread out on newspaper or paper bags until dry.
  • Try not to devour the whole thing in one sitting!

Notes

You may use any other on plan powdered sweetener to toss this in, just don’t use Super Sweet. It’d be WAY to potent for this recipe!

Caramel Cashew Swiss Meringue Buttercream {THM:S}

This Swiss Buttercream Frosting is the perfect combo of sweet, salty, caramely-ness!

By this point you all are probably wondering if I even cook, and probably imagine I spend all day every day baking and eating said baked goods. No, I promise I do love to cook just as much (or even more) as I love baking, but baking is definitely my first love. After all, I got started in the kitchen when I was about 4, baking biscuits!

I do intend to post savory recipes at some point, but I have more baking/sweets recipes than savory ready to go, so you’ll have to suffer through sweets recipes for a bit yet.

Savory recipes are much harder for me to write down, since I’m a add-a-pinch of-this, add-a-dash-of that, add-a-doonk-of-this, add-a-splash-of-the-other-thing type of cook, so it takes me a bit longer to get a savory recipe written out.

I’m very much looking forward to sharing those savory meals with you…but for now….here’s another frosting recipe, which is my personal favorite! I do have a few more flavor variations on the way, so stay tuned!

I first created this recipe a little over a year ago for one of my sisters birthday, whose taste buds run along same lines as mine, so it was a TREAT to create this one. (Pardon the picture size…when I made this a year ago, I didn’t have my camera with, so these are phone pictures. I hope to update them soon, but I haven’t had a chance to yet!)

It also the cake I chose for my first Trimmiversary, December 2018.

I created a layer cake with it by doing this:

I made the batter for the Magic Salted Caramel Cupcakes (Trim Healthy Table, page 379), but instead of turning it into cupcakes, I poured it into 3 greased, parchment lined, and floured (I used Oat Fiber) 6 inch cake pans. I then baked them for about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly and then run thin knife around edge of pan to make sure cake is completely separated from pan, and turn out onto a parchment covered cooling rack. Let cool completely. (I made this late in the evening so I didn’t have time to finish it, so once it cooled to room temperature, I stuck the layers in zip-lock bags and put them in the freezer until I was ready for them.

The drizzle and topping is the caramel sauce for the cupcakes.

Print Recipe

Caramel Cashew Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup swerve brown sugar (or other on plan brown sugar like this one from Gwen's-Nest.) See notes for measuring Swerve brown sugar.
  • 3 large egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened and cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ t. caramel extract (Feel free to swap out for another flavoring!)
  • 1 cup cashew butter (You may use any nut butter in this. Peanut butter is DELICIOUS!)

Instructions

  • Combine sweetener, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer; place bowl over pan of simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened, foamy, and registers 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Place bowl in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. (Frosting may look curdled after half of butter has been added; it will smooth with additional butter.) Once all butter is added, add vanilla and cashew butter; mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds, scraping beater and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary.
  • If final frosting seems too thick, warm mixer bowl briefly over pan of simmering water. Place bowl back on mixer and beat on medium-high speed until creamy.

Notes

If you don’t have Swerve brown sugar, just use the equivalent of sweetener of your choice, and add a small amount (1/4-1/2 t. of blackstrap molasses).
When measuring the brown sugar, crumble it into your measuring cup and then lightly level it off. If you pack it in it will be VERY sweet!
This frosting can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. When ready to frost, place frosting in a microwave-safe container and warm briefly on high power until just slightly softened, 5 to 10 seconds. Once warmed, stir until creamy.