Cinnamon Roll Muffins with Greek Yogurt Icing

Nate LOVES cinnamon rolls. He could eat probably six of them in a sitting. He grew up having them on Christmas morning while opening presents, so they have a special place in his heart. I love them too--I mean, who doesn't!? Cinnamon is a great thing, and if you put icing on anything--I'm game. But, we know that they're not the healthiest choice for us. As a treat every once in a while, sure! Something we can grab for a snack every day... ehh....

Enter these cinnamon roll muffins. Made with a combination of almond flour and all-purpose flour, sweetened with pure maple syrup and coconut sugar, and topped with a greek yogurt icing.. this is something you can for sure snack on every day if you'd like!

Cinnamon Roll Muffins, Serves 12 

Muffin Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar 
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup ghee, melted 
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup almond flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 

Greek Yogurt Icing

• 3 heaping tbsp 0% plain greek yogurt 
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F 
• Line muffin tin with liners and set aside 
• Place sugar, coconut milk, maple syrup, ghee, egg, cinnamon and vanilla extract in a blender, cover and blend on medium until smooth. Set aside. 
• Combine all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, mix well. 
• Add dry ingredients to blender with wet ingredients. Blend until a smooth batter forms. 
• Pour batter evenly among muffin liners. 
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
• While muffins are cooling, make icing. Combine greek yogurt and powdered sugar in a small bowl, whisk to combine. 
• When muffins are cool, top each with 1 tsp of icing. 

Try them and see! They're delicious and definitely hit the spot when you're craving a cinnamon roll.

Holidays and Balance: Burpees, Bubbly, & Buttercream Frosting

With May comes a lot of exciting things at our house. Mother's day, my birthday, and Nate's birthday all fall in the month of May and we love to celebrate! In the past this month of celebration would have been just cause in my mind to take a break on all things dealing with health and wellness.

NOT ANYMORE!

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I fully believe in living a lifestyle that is as balanced as can be. As a mom, wife, full-time special education teacher, and an online health and wellness coach I am BUSY! I focus my nutrition on eating by the 80/20 rule. 80% healthy, 20% treats--or even cleaner on most weeks. This lifestyle has completely changed my life. It helped me lose 30 pounds when I first decided to make a change and then 40 pounds after having Gabe. I'm not about to look back.

Eating healthy and doing at-home fitness programs has allowed me to find the balance I need in my life. I stay on track as much as possible, and allow myself to have a treat without feeling the guilt I have felt in the past. I also absolutely LOVE baking and being in the kitchen. It is a huge passion and hobby of mine. Cupcakes are my favorite thing. I also like to take things and try to make a fun, and (healthier) spin on them. Check out the recipes section of the blog to find some inspiration for your meal planning!

For all of the celebrations this month I partnered with Fit and Flirty a lifestyle brand whose mission is to "encourage every single lady to recognize that no matter where she is on her fitness journey, she is beautiful, powerful, and should be celebrated." When I found Anna, the owner of this company, on Instagram, I was so excited! She is one of the kindest most motivated women I have ever met, and we have the same goal of sharing a balanced, healthy & active lifestyle.

We brainstormed together to bring you the recipe for these Vanilla Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Frosting. Inspired by our mutual love for bubbly & health and wellness as well as my love for buttercream frosting. The cupcake is a health(ier) take on a normal cupcake. The frosting is definitely a treat--so make sure to enjoy every bite!

Without further ado--let's get baking!



Cupcake Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour 
• 1/2 cup coconut flour 
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt 
• 1/2 cup unsalted grass-fed butter (you may also use earth balance vegan sticks!) 
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) 
• 3 cups powdered sugar 
• 2 tbsp champagne (of choice!) 

Cupcake Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Place cupcake liners into your baking pan, set aside. 
• Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside. 
• Cream together 1/2 cup unsalted butter and coconut sugar in a mixing bowl; beat on medium speed for approximately 1 minute. 
• Add eggs one at a time; beat until well blended. 
• Add 1/4 cup almond milk and extract; beat until blended. (The mixture will look watery--do NOT worry!) 
• Add almond flour mixture to butter mixture slowly; beat until creamy; scraping the sides of the mixing bowl as needed 
• Spoon batter into prepared cupcake pan; filling liners about 3/4 full. 
• The batter will be a bit sticky. Spoon it into the cupcake liners and gently smooth the tops as best as you can. (don't worry too much about the tops because--well, CHAMPAGNE FROSTING!) 
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
• After 5 minutes transfer to cool on a baking rack.

Frosting Instructions

• Cream butter in mixture until very smooth 
• Add 2 cups of powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending each cup until smooth. 
• Add in 2 tbsp of champagne, mix thoroughly 
• Add in final cup of powdered sugar, blend until smooth 
• (optional) add in a fun natural food coloring to make it your favorite color! 

These are the perfect treat for birthdays, mother's day, and any celebration. ESPECIALLY if you love champagne and cupcakes! Enjoy!

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Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

I've posted so many times about my love for peanut butter. If peanut butter could be my spirit animal, it totally would be. Pair peanut butter with chocolate and I'm definitely in love. Which is why you see them as a common pairing among my sweets and treats recipes on the blog. These cookies are made with only 7 ingredients, they're chewy and delicious, and the ingredients are definitely going to surprise you.

Ingredients

• 2 cups quinoa, cooked according to package
• ½ cup all natural peanut butter (peanuts should be the only ingredient!) 
• 5 Tbsp pure maple syrup 
• 1 dash sea salt
• 1 tsp (I let it run over) pure vanilla extract 
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (60%+ Cacao), divided

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
• While quinoa is cooking, lightly coat two large baking sheets with spray. Set aside. 
• Combine cooked quinoa, peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl; mix thoroughly. 
• Fold in ⅔ cup of dark chocolate chips; mix until melted and blended. 
• Drop by Tbsp onto prepared baking sheets. 
• Add remaining chocolate chips to the tops of each cookie
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until set. 
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets after removing from the oven. 
• After 5 minutes, transfer cookies to a cooling rack (or parchment paper) and allow them to cool completely. 
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I know what you're thinking.... Quinoa?! For cookies!? Don't knock it till you try it! They are chewy and mouth-wateringly delicious. Plus, who says no to peanut butter and chocolate in any form?

Kid's Meal: Corn Dog Muffins

Gabe LOVES corn dogs. To be honest, so does Nate. If we're being real, we know that the packaged and frozen ones aren't that great of a choice nutrition wise. These are homemade. You will know and be able to pronounce every ingredient that you put into them. I promise, if Gabe loves them, your littles will too. 

Corn Dog Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 c all purpose flour 
• 1 c corn meal 
• 1½ tsp baking powder tsp 
• ¼ baking soda  
• ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar 
• ¾ tsp sea salt 
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin coconut oil, melted
• 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 3 turkey or all-beef hot dogs, nitrate and nitrite free, cut into quarters 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Coat a 12 cup muffin tin lightly with cooking spray, set aside
• Combine all dry ingredients (flour, corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, coconut sugar and sea salt) in a large bowl, mix well 
• Combine buttermilk, oil, and eggs in a medium bowl, whisk to blend together 
• Add wet ingredients slowly to dry ingredients, whisking until just blended 
• Fill muffin cups with corn muffin mix (about ¾ full) 
• Press hot dog quarter into the center of each muffin cup 
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

These are a wonderful option for kids, but can also be great for tailgates, potlucks, or even game day at home! I hope they're as big of a hit at your house as they are at ours!

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dark chocolate, walnuts, and almond flour make a delicious cookie with a great texture. They're gluten free, and use pure maple syrup to sweeten. They help curb my sweet tooth cravings and are DEFINITELY a bit of a healthier version of the original chocolate chip cookies we all love. Nate and Gabe actually prefer these to my normal chocolate chip cookies. So they're a hit with all ages! 

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature 
• 1 large egg 
• 2 egg whites 
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (I always let a little bit run over the tsp) 
• 1/4 tsp almond extract (I let this one run over a little bit too) 
• 3 cups almond flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (60% or greater Cacao)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper 
• Combine dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda, sea salt), mix, and set aside 
• Mix coconut oil and pure maple syrup in a mixer for about 5 minutes. 
• Add whole egg, egg whites, and your vanilla and almond extracts, mix for 2 more minutes 
• Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix until just combined 
• Add in chocolate chips and walnuts, mix until well combined
• Use a tablespoon and place large, rounded tablespoons on your prepared baking sheets 
• Using the back of the spoon lightly flatten each ball of dough 
• Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown

They're fairly easy and pretty quick. If you're in the mood for cookies, these are a great option. Store in a sealed container on at room temperature for about a week. Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal with Craisins and Walnuts

This baked oatmeal is the perfect on-the-go healthy breakfast. They're super easy to grab on your way out the door. They're the perfect mix of sweet and savory. The walnuts add a little crunch for the perfect finish.

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 2 large, ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk 
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts 
• 1/4 cup craisins

Instructions

• Preheat Oven to 350°F 
• Prepare 12 muffin cups, coat lightly with cooking spray, set aside 
• Combine lightly beaten eggs, mashed bananas, honey, and extract in a large bowl; mix well, set aside 
• Combine oats, cinnamon, and baking powder in a medium bowl, mix well 
• Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix well 
• Add almond milk and mix again 
• Divide mixture evenly between prepared muffin cups 
• Top with walnuts and craisins 
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

That's it! You have 12 servings of baked oatmeal!

Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can reheat them if you'd like to eat it warm. They also freeze very well. If you'd like it for breakfast the next morning, just pull it out of the freezer the night before and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator.

As always, enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

Who doesn't love to indulge in dark chocolate every once in a while? Chocolate peanut butter balls were always a staple for my family around the holidays. However, they were definitely loaded with sugar. This is a healthier take on that same treat. Made with coconut flour and sweetened with pure maple syrup, these are just as tasty. They're perfect for holidays--or just when you're craving chocolate and peanut butter (aka--all the time if you're me.)

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy all-natural, peanut butter
• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch 
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup 
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips (60% + Cacao) 
• 2 tsp coconut oil 

Instructions

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
• Combine peanut butter, coconut flour, maple syrup and cornstarch until a dough forms
• Wash hands and shape dough into 18-20 one inch balls, place on baking sheet
• Refrigerate for 20 minutes 

• After balls are thoroughly chilled, melt chocolate and coconut oil together (30 seconds at a time, stirring in between)
• Remove balls from the refrigerator, dip into the chocolate (using a fork) and completely coat with chocolate. 
• Return ball to baking sheet, repeat until finished with the remaining peanut butter balls
• (Add decorations for fun)
  
• Refrigerate for 1 hour 
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator 
• ENJOY! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites

We make these every weekend. Gabe loves to help and Nate takes a couple in his lunch every day. They satisfy my sweet cravings without me feeling like I've gone overboard. All of the ingredients are pretty healthy so I'd say it's a win all around. Many people have reached out to ask for this recipe, so I'm happy to share it here!

Energy Bites

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned, rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (look for peanut butter that has only peanuts listed in the ingredients) 
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup 
• 1/3 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (60%+ Cacao, or Cacao Nibs) 
• 2 Tbsp Flax Seeds 

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly combined 
• Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours 
• Remove and roll into 18-20 energy balls 
• *Tip* dip your fingertips in water so the mix doesn't stick as much when you roll them into the bites.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! You can definitely use Cacao Nibs in place of the dark chocolate or Chia Seeds in place of the Flax. We use Dark Chocolate chips because they have a milder flavor and Gabe loves to eat them for a snack too!

Banana Muffins

We are busy, busy, busy during the week. Sometimes snacking can be a problem so we try to have healthy snacks on hand. These muffins are the perfect solution. They're gluten-free and made with almond flour. They're packed with banana flavor and so quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Bananas, Mashed 
• 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, Melted 
• 2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten
• 1½ cups almond flour 
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• 1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• Cooking Spray

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F
• Line muffin pan with nine muffin papers and lightly coat with spray. Set aside. 
• Combine eggs, banana, and butter in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside. 

• Combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well.
  
  
  
  
• Add dry mixture to egg mixture; mix until blended. 
• Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups, ¾ full 

• Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
• Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

Give them a try! You might just have a new favorite snack to grab on the go!

Pumpkin Chia Granola Crisps

There is something so satisfying about the texture and crunch of granola on a parfait. I love granola, but I know when it comes to ingredients and sugar I have to be careful with store-bought brands. These simple crisps are easy to make, have a hint of pumpkin spice flavor, and have a lot less guilt involved. Check them Out! 

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Almond Flour 
• 3 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter
• 1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup 
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Pumpkin Spice 
• 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Flax Seeds

Instructions

• Preheat Oven to 325°F
• Spray mini cupcake pan with nonstick cooking spray
• In a medium-sized bowl, mix together all ingredients until slightly sticky

• Press mixture firmly into the cupcake pan; about 3/4 full 
• Bake 15 minutes until edges are golden brown 
• Allow to cool in pan for 15-20 minutes, mixture will harden as it cools. 

• Carefully pop granola crisps out with a fork 
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature

Use these crisps to top your favorite yogurt or even ice cream. This parfait is 0% plain greek yogurt with sliced strawberries and a packet of stevia.

Fall Football Series: Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Baking is my favorite. I absolutely LOVE to bake. It is a huge stress reliever for me. It also is something fun to do with Gabe. He enjoys dumping all of the ingredients into the mixer and counting how many things we need to put into the recipe! He also loves to peek through the oven door to make sure everything is going okay. I also adore decorating cupcakes and cakes. It's become a passion of mine. Cupcakes (and buttercream frosting) are totally my weakness. I wanted to make a healthier version of the cupcake so when we treated ourselves we could really love up on that buttercream. (I was not about to sacrifice that frosting.) So to round out this Fall Football Series, I have our dessert: Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients

• 1 Cup Almond Flour 
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour 
• 2 tsp Baking Powder (gluten free) 
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter 
• 3/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
• 4 Large Eggs 
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Frosting Ingredients 

• 1 Cup (2 sticks) of Unsalted Butter
• Powdered Sugar (see instructions for amounts) 
• Splash of Almond Milk 
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Pure Almond Extract 

I'm going to take you step-by-step exactly how I make these cupcakes. Let's jump right in!

Instructions (Cupcakes)

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Place cupcake liners into you baking pan. Set aside. 
• Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well. set aside. 
• Cream together 1/2 cup unsalted butter and coconut sugar in a mixing bowl; beat on medium speed for approximately 1 minute. 
• Add eggs one at a time; beat until well blended 
• Add 1/4 cup almond milk and extract; beat until blended
  The mixture will look watery--do not worry! 
• Add almond flour mixture to butter mixture slowly; beat until creamy; scraping the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
• Spoon batter into prepared cupcake pan; filling liners about 3/4 full.  
• The batter is a bit sticky. Spoon it into the cupcake liners and gently smooth the tops as best as you can 
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
• After 5 minutes transfer to cool on a baking rack. 

The tops of the cupcakes come out a bit bumpy, but, that's okay because, well... FROSTING! Which is my favorite part. It's definitely a treat, so I make sure to enjoy every second of it.

Instructions (Frosting)

• Cream Butter in mixer until very smooth. 
• Add Powdered Sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending each 1/2 cup into the creamed butter until smooth. 
• After about 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, add in almond and vanilla extract, mix in. 

• Continue adding powdered sugar (We normally do 3-3 1/2 cups) to taste. 
• Add in a splash of almond milk (about 1 Tbsp) and blend. 
• Now you're ready to frost! I love using piping bags and piping tips, but you can spread it on with a knife too. Enjoy!!
  
  
  
  
  If you enjoy these cupcakes, please let me know! I love hearing from those who are reading the blog!