Blueberry Muffins (Gluten Free, Vegan & Refined Sugar Free)

Okay let me just go ahead and say this right off the bat - I'm a blueberry muffin snob. For real, I'm picky about blueberry muffins and I'm not easy to please. Hands down, the best blueberry muffin recipe I have ever had are there Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins. But, then I quit gluten and dairy and thought I would never eat a good blueberry muffin again. That is, until I made these muffins!

I brought one of these muffins into work for my boss and she could not believe they were allergen friendly. I frequently hear people say they are trying to cut out gluten or dairy or sugar... but are struggling because their kids/spouse/family/friends... won't eat that way. Let me first say, that I am lucky to be surrounded by people who are adventurous and will try just about anything! But, I really don't think I've made that much of a compromise in the food department. And these muffins are a great example of that - you could easily whip up a batch of them and serve them to any group of people without any questions. They're just good. Period. Let's get to the recipe, shall we?

This recipe is from a blog called Making Thyme for my Health. I made a few adjustments based on suggestions in the comments - all of which I've detailed below. You can find the original recipe HERE.

Pumpkin Bread (Vegan, Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free)

I was going to share a different recipe today, but when I tasted this pumpkin bread I cancelled all other plans! This pumpkin bread is that good. Seriously, cancel all of your plans for the day and make this bread! Wouldn't that be fabulous - to just take a day off and eat pumpkin bread? This recipe makes two loaves of pumpkin bread. I debated halving the recipe but I'm so glad I made the 2 loaves!

I converted this recipe from Alexandra's Kitchen to make it allergen friendly. I followed the original recipe exactly aside from some substitutions to make the recipe Gluten Free, Vegan and Refined Sugar Free. Whenever I convert a recipe, I worry that it won't turn out but these Pumpkin loaves worked wonderfully! It didn't turn out grainy at all (gluten free baked goods are notoriously a little more grainy) and it makes the most delicious seasonal treat!

Start by prepping your egg replacement - you'll need 4 eggs (or egg replacers) for this recipe. I use Bob's Red Mill's Egg Replacer, but you could try a flax egg or chia egg instead. Prepare your eggs and let them sit until you need them.

Banana Bread (Gluten Free, Vegan & Refined Sugar Free)

I took a little blog break over the past few days and as much as I love my little blog, it was nice to take time off! We celebrated Thanksgiving and I unplugged completely - it was fabulous! As much as it was nice to take time with family, I have been chomping at the bit to share this recipe with you all! We love banana bread in my house and I couldn't believe how great this turned out even after I made some changes to make it allergen friendly!

This is a recipe that was passed down from my great grandmother. It's a tried and true banana bread. So I took this reliable banana bread recipe and really messed with it. I swapped out the butter, the flour, the egg and the sugar for allergen friendly substitutes. This recipe only has 8 ingredients to being with - I changed 4 and added 1 (the xanthan gum). This seemed like a risky switch up to me but it worked out great!

I do love the end result of this recipe - the banana bread is delicious and makes the most delicious snack! But I have to say, my favorite thing about this recipe is that it comes together in one bowl!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins (Vegan, Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free)

It's October! And what better way to ring in October than with a little Pumpkin Spice? For years and years, we didn't eat pumpkin in my house. Neither of my parents really liked it, so it was never around our house. I kind of thought the whole pumpkin craze was a little overrated until 2 years ago when I caved into the pumpkin hype and tried pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting - SO good! Clearly all of this pumpkin hype was not out of line because pumpkin treats are now some of my all time favorites!

Yes, I'm a total sucker for pumpkin spice season now! And I've converted my whole family. We are pumpkin spice lovers in my house and these muffins are no exception! I needed a little treat to celebrate the season in my lunches all week and these muffins have been so perfect. They have just the right amount of spice and you'd never know they're gluten free, vegan & refined sugar free.


This recipe is from the Beaming Baker and while I stuck to her recipe pretty closely, I made one notable change. I added pecans! I love muffins with a little extra crunch and I knew pecans would make the most perfect addition to these muffins. I mixed some pecans into the actual muffins, but I sprinkled some on top as a sort of crumble as well. If you are not a pecan person, you can leave them out. But if you're okay with pecans they really do add the perfect little crunch! You can find the original recipe HERE.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Vegan, Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free)

How is it already the last week of September? I was just looking through my blog schedule and I can't believe that September is already coming to an end. September flew right by and I am so looking forward to October! We are doing some renovations this year and Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving on October 8th, that is!) will be our last time hosting in our house as it is! It will be nice to have a last little hurrah in our house before the reno!

Enough about that, let's talk Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. These muffins got thumbs up all around in my house! Even from the Bean, who isn't 'anything free.' She eats gluten, dairy, eggs... and yet she loved these muffins! I consider that a win! This recipe is from the Beaming Baker, you can find the original HERE.

Caramel Apple Bites (Vegan & Refined Sugar Free!)

I had a different post scheduled for today, but I moved everything around because I just had to share this recipe today! One of my favorite Fall treats are caramel apples. I love a tart Granny Smith apple coated in sweet caramel. I was so excited to experiment with this sugar free version of a caramel apple by making a caramel out of dates!

I love that these caramel apple bites are refined sugar free and I love that they are significantly less messy than traditional caramel apples (ie. whole apples on a stick). I was able to prep all the ingredients and the Bean put everything together. I got everything set up for her in about 15 minutes and then she got to decorate her heart out. Easy peasy!

Making this date caramel is easy as can be - pack a half cup with pitted dates. Put the dates in the food processor. Add in 4 Tablespoons of water, 4 Tablespoons of coconut milk and 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla. Process until smooth and caramel like.

Once the caramel is processed, you may choose to add a little more coconut milk to make the caramel smoother. I recommend adding a half Tablespoon at a time. 

Apple Muffins (Gluten Free, Vegan & Refined Sugar Free)

Last week I shared a recipe for allergen safe Strawberry Rhubarb muffins. After taking a bite of those muffins, I just knew they would make the most perfect base for Apple muffins! They are so good as strawberry rhubarb muffins and they are just as delightful as apple muffins!

This is a recipe from Feasting on Fruit that I adapted - I swapped out the strawberry rhubarb for apples. This little switch-a-roo resulted int he most perfect Fall treat! Apple muffins minus the gluten, dairy, eggs and sugar! I love it!

Start by prepping 2 egg replacements (I use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacemer, but you could use another vegan egg option). Prep the vegan egg and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until you need it.

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins (Gluten Free, Vegan & Refined Sugar Free)

I have been loving just about everything from the blog Feasting on Fruit. I've had to stop pinning because it was getting out of control. I was pinning every. single. recipe! I've tried several recipes from Feasting on Fruit that I love and now we can add these Strawberry Rhubarb muffins to the list! These muffins are the most perfect balance between sweet (from the strawberries) and tart (from the rhubarb) and they make the most delicious snack during the day!

You can find the original recipe HERE. I made one little change from the original recipe - I swapped the ginger for cinnamon. I'm intolerant to ginger so I switched it out and the cinnamon is a great alternative!

Something that I really love about this recipe is that it uses gluten free oat flour instead of a gluten free flour blend. While sometimes a gluten free flour blend works great, I find that they are so often finicky! These muffins using oat flour makes them consistent without requiring any hard to find ingredients.

Jordan Marsh's Blueberry Muffins (made vegan, gluten free & sugar free!)

You may remember that back in January, I shared a recipe for Jordan Marsh's blueberry muffins. Those muffins were so good, and I have really missed them since being gluten free, dairy free, etc. I have done quite a bit of research on converting recipes to make them allergen friendly (ie. no gluten, dairy, eggs...). And this was the first recipe that I re-worked so that it fit my needs. It was equal parts terrifying and so fun! I had no idea how these muffins would turn out but it was so interesting to figure out how to adjust this recipe!

I was so impressed with how these muffins worked out! I loved them and definitely vote these the best muffins I have made since experimenting with all of this gluten free/dairy free/sugar free stuff! They made such a great snack all of last week and they kept so well in a sealed ziplock bag on the counter!

In the grand scheme of things, the recipe is still the same - I didn't make any earth shattering changes, I just make little substitutions! For example, I switched out the sugar for maple syrup and I replaced the egg with Bob's Red Mill egg replacer. I'll detail all of the changes I made below! However if you are not gluten free, vegan or sugar free, you might want to check out the original recipe because it is so good! You can find it HERE.

Apple Muffins (Vegan, Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free)

Can you tell that we love muffins around here? But really, I'm sharing so many muffin recipes recently because we really do love muffins that much! Everyone in my family has one in their lunch everyday so we go through them pretty quickly. I made these apple muffins when I got home from work on Monday evening and they have been the best snack all week long! You can find the original recipe HERE. You may notice that many of the muffin recipes that I've shared recently have the same basic ingredients. They are very similar (and all super easy to make) but there are a few changes to alter the end result!

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins (vegan & gluten free)

I originally had a different recipe planned for today, but I did some shuffling because I couldn't wait to share this recipe! Many gluten free recipes result in a slightly sandy end product. So, if we're talking muffins, a gluten free muffin will be a little bit more grainy than a regular muffin. Not my favorite thing about gluten free things! But! I am proud to say that these muffins are not sandy or grainy at all! I love that these muffins are free of dairy, eggs, gluten and refined sugar but still produce a great result!

You can see the original recipe HERE. I adjusted the recipe quite a bit - I switched the almond flour for sunflower seed flour (did you know that was a thing? I sure didn't but it works so well!). I added xanthum gum. It wasn't in the original recipe at all but I think the xanthum plays a big role in the texture of the muffin so I added it! And last, I used the zest and juice from 2 lemons instead of 1! And I might even increase it to 3 next time I make these! I like a strong lemon flavor and while these muffins turned out so good, I think yet another lemon will make them even better! Okay, on to the recipe!

Peach Strawberry Smoothie

Hi friends! Last night my crew got the most exciting news! The Bean and I were squealing and jumping around with excitement! And that's all I can say for now (I know! Anticipation! Sorry!). I promise as the situation unfolds further, I will talk about it all! For now I have to keep it hush hush, but I just had to share this initial excitement! I know this very moment is one that I will want to look back on!

Okay on to the recipe for the day! I have been loving this recipe lately! Since cutting sugar, I am all about fruit! This peach strawberry smoothie is one of my favorite treats to have! I love the summer strawberry smoothie at Jugo Juice and I did my best to recreate it with this recipe. I think I got pretty close and the Bean is just as crazy about this smoothie as I am!

It's so easy to put together and it is summertime perfection! This recipe serves two, so you can adjust it accordingly depending on how many people you are serving. Start by putting 6 pieces of frozen peaches in the blender. I use six slices frozen peaches. Depending on how your frozen peaches are sliced, you'll need to fill the blender about half way with frozen peaches.

Banana Blueberry Muffins (Vegan, Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free)

On Monday nights my mom and I go to yoga together and after class this week we were both in a baking mood! She made our favorite granola as of lately (recipe HERE) and I tried out a new recipe. These banana blueberry muffins are gluten free, refined sugar free and vegan. And guess what? They taste darn good! These muffins have been the best snack all week long and they're already almost gone!

I might double the batch in the future because even our non-gluten free/dairy free/sugar free eaters loved these! The Bean said they were a bit sandy (ugh my least favorite thing about gluten free things!) so I might try to adjust them a bit in the future. I'm thinking more xanthum gum, but let me know if you have suggestions! This recipe is from a blog called Mama Knows Gluten Free. You can find the original recipe HERE.

Vegan Nacho Cheese Popcorn

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! Today, I'm sharing a recipe for vegan nacho cheese popcorn. It took me forever to title this post because vegan and cheese are practically oxymorons! I was hesitant to put the words vegan and cheese in the same title but I promise, this popcorn isvegan and thanks to the nutritional yeast in it, it could totally pass as cheese! This recipe is from The Fit Housewife. You can find the original HERE.

Guacamole

Today, I'm sharing a recipe for guacamole that is clean eating friendly! I shared a recipe about a year and half ago that is the total opposite of clean eating friendly. I was a little bummed to have to ditch that recipe because it is so darn good! I was bummed until I tried this recipe because it is so good! Yes, guac is super good when it has sour cream and plain yogurt and mayo in it, but it can still be delicious without!

Start by halving 2 avocados and removing the pits. I used to only eat avocados as guacamole but now, I eat avocados with everything! I used to be a little put off by how slimy they are but I heard that you have to eat something 6 times and you'll grow to like it. This was probably a combination of the eating it six times and my current limited options but I have mad love for avocados now!

Pecan Pie (copycat) Lärabars

I realize I have shared so many lärabar recipes lately; they have been my go to snack and I have loved trying many different recipes! I made these pecan pie lärabars about a week ago and was so excited with how they turned out! I always try to get the Bean to cook with me but sometimes its like pulling teeth! With this particular recipe, I bribed her with a movie - ugh! I really wanted her help in the kitchen and I said she could choose a movie on Netflix to watch while we worked. Well this backfired because she got totally sucked into the movie and still wasn't in to helping! So she wasn't a great helper but she loved taste testing! The Bean loved these!

Start by adding 1 cup of pitted Medjool dates to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the dates until they begin to break apart and form a paste. I add a little bit of warm water to the dates to thin them out a little bit - I add about 1 or 2 Tablespoons gradually until the dates are smooth. Once the dates have formed a paste, add in 1 cup of pecans and 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Pulse the pecans into the dates until everything holds together and is dough like. Once the pecans are chopped up and evenly distributed through the dates, transfer the bars to a mixing bowl.

Ranch Popcorn

Today, I'm sharing a quick and easy recipe for ranch popcorn! This was such a fun treat to have and I can't wait to try other popcorn flavors. I found this recipe on Pinterest & it was so easy to whip up! Usually, I do a bit of work on my pictures before posting a recipe but I'm not doing that today. I will go back to doing that when I get home, but I'm going to take a little break from picture editing and enjoy some family time at the beach!

Tomorrow, I'll be wrapping up the Bean's birthday and sharing her gifts! Then on Thursday, I'll be sharing little bits about our week at the beach!

Choco-Coco Lärabars (grain free & sugar free!)

Last Thursday, I shared a recipe for cashew cookie lärabars and today, I'm sharing a recipe for choco-coco lärabars. These lärabars have been my saving grace since going off gluten, dairy and sugar. Since regular granola bars are off limits for me right now, these have been the best stand in! The cashew cookie ones that I shared last week were delicious and these are just as good! I especially love how chocolate-y these are!

I'm anticipating trying different lärabar recipes each week so I will likely be talking about them a lot on my blog. I love how easy these snack bars are to put together. They store so well in the fridge and they make the best grab and go snack!

Cashew Cookie Granola Bars (grain free, dairy free & sugar free)

One of my biggest concerns when I reduced my intake of grains and sugar was snacks. I adore snacking! I used to keep a granola bar everywhere - in all of my purses, in my schoolbag, in my skate bag... I had them everywhere just in case I was ever stuck and hungry. Well, that no longer works for me; I can't just grab a granola bar. I did a bit of research and found granola bars called 'Larabars' and was excited to learn that they work with what I can eat right now and they are so easy to make!

I found this recipe on a blog called Fit Foodie Finds. You can find it HERE. The best part of this recipe is there are only 3 ingredients! All you need are dates, cashews and sea salt! Let's get started...

Carrot Chips

There is just over a week left of February and I cannot believe it! How is the world did February go by so fast!? Crazy! Today, I'm talking about a recipe that was just so-so but I would love your suggestions! I made these carrot chips last week because I really wanted something snack-y! These were good right after they came out of the oven but they weren't so good the next day. They got soggy. They still tasted good, but I couldn't get into a soggy chip. If you have any ideas about adjustments I could make to improve this recipe, I would love to hear them!