Mini Apple Cider Donuts

This is a mini version of my Lighter Apple Cider Donuts! The recipe is just slightly different and needs a little less glaze to cover all of the donuts.

 I love mini donuts. They're so cute and fun to decorate, and this way, you can eat a whole bunch!

 

This recipe yields 16 mini apple cider donuts.

 

I personally like dipping these in my coffee. 

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup stevia in the raw
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cups hot water
one packet of alpine apple cider (sugar free)
2 tbsp egg beaters
1 tablespoon smart balance light or other light buttery spread
2 tablespoons + 2 tsp unsweetened almond milk

Glaze:
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp unsweetened almond milk
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sprinkles (per each)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325. Whisk together flour, stevia, baking powder, salt, packet of apple cider, and spices. Then add your egg beaters, butter spread, almond milk, and hot or boiling water. Beat with an electric beater until you have a thick dough batter.
Lightly grease a mini donut pan and evenly distribute the dough into the wells. Each one should be about a rounded tablespoon full of dough. You can use a piping bag or just use a tablespoon to measure the dough. You should be able to get 16 mini donuts out of this recipe.
Bake for 10 minutes. Donuts should spring back when touched. Transfer to drying rack and let cool.
Mix powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond milk in  a shallow dish. Once donuts are cooled, dip the donuts in the sugary glaze and either sprinkle over top or roll donuts into sprinkles. Let sit for five minutes and glaze will be hardened and sprinkles will be stuck on tight.

Nutritional info: 33 calories per one glazed and sprinkled donut

Lighter Apple Cider Donuts

After visiting a cider mill and seeing and drooling over their bakery case full of apple cider donuts, I decided to make some of my own!

This recipe yields six full size apple cider donuts. They are healthy, low in calories, and baked instead of fried, but you still get to enjoy the sweet glaze and sprinkles!

These are soft and comforting, with the lingering taste of sweet apple cider and cinnamon.

 For an extra treat, you should definitely try them with a cup of apple cider.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup stevia in the raw
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cups hot water
one packet of alpine apple cider (sugar free)
2 tbsp egg beaters
1 tablespoon smart balance light or other light buttery spread
2 tablespoons + 2 tsp unsweetened almond milk

Glaze:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp unsweetened almond milk
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 tsp sprinkles (per each)

Note: This glaze makes just enough for all 6 donuts to be covered.

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325. Whisk together flour, stevia, baking powder, salt, packet of apple cider, and spices. Then add your egg beaters, butter spread, almond milk, and hot or boiling water. Beat with an electric beater until you have a thick dough batter.
Lightly grease a six well donut pan and evenly distribute the dough into the wells. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Donuts should spring back when touched. Transfer to drying rack and let cool.
Mix powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond milk in  a shallow dish. Once donuts are cooled, dip in the sugary glaze and sprinkle sprinkles over top if desired. Let sit for five minutes and glaze will be hardened and sprinkles will be stuck on tight.

Nutritional info: 105 calories per one glazed and sprinkled donut

Squash chips

Ingredients
One large zucchini or yellow squash
Salt
Other seasonings/spices of your choosing

Instructions
1. Slice up a zucchini or yellow squash and line the slices on a microwaveable plate without overlapping. You can make the slices as thick or thin as you want, but the microwaveable time will differ based on how thick you slice them. Mine are probably about 1/4 inch thickness.
2. Place a paper towl over the sliced squash and press down gently, dabbing away the moisture and dampness.
3. Gather any seasonings that you want on your squash chips. Use whatever you'd like - but you must have salt. I used garlic pepper salt and nacho cheddar seasoning.
An arms length away, lightly spray the squash chips with a nonstick oil spray. Then, lightly sprinkle salt and whatever else you chose over all of the chips.
4. Place plate in microwave and microwave on high power for at least five minutes. Check at five minutes, and microwave in one minute bursts after that if the chips are not done.
When done, the chips should be crispy, browned.

Letting them sit for a few minutes will make them more crispy. Store in an airtight container if not eating them all at once. Enjoy!

Nutritional info: 20 calories per one serving / one batch / one squash sliced

Pumpkin Pound Cake

This is arguably the most beautiful pound cake I've ever seen.

I cannot believe how good this stuff is. At our residence, we're jokingly calling it 'pumpkin crack cake'. I cranked out two loaves, and they disappeared.. made two more.. now there's only a bit of one left. Oh, help us.

 This could be considered a copycat of Starbucks' pumpkin pound cake, but I have no idea how they make theirs. Besides, this one is better. It's just, that's how good this stuff is. It's kind of scary addictive.

Traditionally, pound cake is made with butter, but you're not going to miss it in this recipe.

It's dense, thick and moist and perfect. Everything a pound cake should be.

Ingredients 
    1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1/2 tsp salt
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
    1/4 tsp nutmeg
      
    15 oz pumpkin puree (1 can)
    4oz (1/2 cup) yogurt (I used a 'pumpkin pie' yogurt, but those are seasonal. This will still work and taste just as amazing with vanilla)
    6 tbsp egg beaters
    1 1/2 cups stevia in the raw (or other suger substitute)
    1/4 tsp almond extract

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk well. In a separate bowl, mix together a can of pumpkin puree, yogurt, egg beaters, almond extract, and baking stevia until completely blended. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and beat with an electric beater until cake batter is smooth.
Grease or spray a large loaf pan or two mini loaf pans. (I used two 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 1/8 inch pans.)
Pour batter equally into each pan, and bake for an hour.
Let cool or enjoy warm.

- Dust with powdered sugar for fun :)

Nutritional info: 
Whole recipe (809g): 900 calories, 
450 calories per one mini loaf


**Nutritional info will vary based on what yogurt you use. My yogurt only added 40 calories to the recipe, I used 4oz of a carbmaster yogurt from Fred Meyer/Kroger brand. Simply subtract that from 900 and add accordingly.

Light Cocoa Pumpkin Pie (crustless)

Eat a whole pie? Don't mind if I do..

Okay, maybe just two pieces for now, but that's because I want to save more for later tonight!

This pumpkin pie is spot on taste of your favorite fall dessert, with a little lingering hint of cocoa. I was told that it tastes restaurant quality. What's funny is, it's true, it's way better than the last pumpkin pie I can remember having at an eatery.. and this way you get a whole pie.

That you can eat by yourself.

Look at the nutritional info at the bottom of this recipe for a shock - I won't boast about it.. Just let you stammer in disbelief.

Note: The reason you must change the baking temperature is so that the pie bakes it's own crust. It firms up the edges the pie like it would if there were a crust!
This pie may not have a crust, but I promise you won't even remember what a crust is when you taste it. :)

Ingredients
7.5oz pumpkin puree (half can)
1/4 cup egg beaters
1/2 cup splenda
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray or grease a medium - small pie or tart pan. (I used an 8 inch tart pan). You could make it smaller if you want it thicker, you decide.
Combine all ingredients in a single bowl, adding the flour last, and beat well. Pour pie filling into your pan and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Then, lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40-45 more minutes until the middle of the pie is 'set'. Let cool before cutting and serving. Refrigerate for half hour or longer after cooling for best texture - but not necessary.

Nutritional info: 145 calories for the whole pie

Pumpkin Gingerbread (mini loaves!)

This perfectly portioned recipe is a soft pumpkin bread with a slight hint of cocoa and wonderful aroma of gingerbread.
This recipe yields 8 mini loaves using an 8 well mini loaf pan, OR a regular 9x5 loaf.

Ingredients
  1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  1/2 cup egg beaters
  1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
  7.5 oz pumpkin puree (half of a 15 oz can)
  1 cup splenda
  1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  1/8 tsp butter extract

  1 teaspoon ground ginger
  1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  2 tbsp all purpose flour
  2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  3/4 teaspoon salt (1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease your wells or loaf pan with nonstick spray. Combine splenda, applesauce, pumpkin, milk, and eggs beaters, and beat until smooth. In a different bowl, the rest of the ingredients (spices, flours, salt, and baking soda and powder). Whisk well.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry and use an electric beater to beat until you have everything blended together well, your outcome should be a thick batter. Divide batter between wells or pour into loaf pan.
Bake until toothpick comes out clean in the center.
8 wells: 25 minutes
9x5 loaf: about 1 hour

Nutritional info: 120 calories per 1/8 recipe (1 mini loaf, or 1/8th of 9x5 loaf), plain.
Decorate or glaze however you wish and add to your nutritional info accordingly.


**low-calorie powdered sugar.
I used 1/2 cup splenda, 1 tbsp cornstarch and it worked perfectly.
Then, add a little vanilla extract to it and about 2 1/2 tsp almond milk and mix together for a thick, great setting glaze. Drizzle. :)

Zucchini Brownie Bread (mini loaves!)

I love myself right now for making this. I'm dying inside over this recipe. I'm making it again tomorrow.. or maybe tonight.. it's that good.
Warning: Your kitchen will smell like a chocolate factory.

Spread with any spread you like - be creative! I only spread half of mine (with a hazelnut spread), because I wanted everyone to taste how great they are plain, too.

 The recipe name was inspired by my mom - who could not believe these healthy little treats. I was originally going to call it 'chocolate zucchini bread' or 'snack cakes' or something, but she kept shrieking "it's a BROWNIE!" and my gosh, it sure tastes like one..

Moist, chocolate and buttery tasting -- no one will believe these are healthy. It's seriously crazy.

Perfect for breakfast, with coffee, or as a snack.

Obviously I couldn't stop taking pictures because this recipe is too good all belief.

I love portioned stuff, it's so cute, and that way, everyone gets their own!

You can make this recipe multiple ways:
I used an 8 well mini loaf pan, and divided my batter into 6, making 6 small mini loaves. You can make one medium size bread loaf, 3 regular size mini loaves, etc etc, you just need to change the baking time for the recipe. You could probably also make massive muffins out of this too. Hmm.. maybe next time :D
The short version of it is - each of these are only 100 calories (recipe divided by 6). Mini loaf to yourself for 100 calories? Yeah, worth getting one of those pans.. See bottom for more nutritional babbling.
Plus they're really cool just to make other single serving type stuff, decorate different ones in different ways.. possibilities are endless!


Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup splenda
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup egg beaters
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 tsp butter extract

1 cup zucchini, grated (about 1 small or medium squash, about 189g)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Omitting the squash until the end, combine wet and dry ingredients separately and whisk both well. Use an electric beater and beat the wet and dry ingredients together until you have a thick bread batter. STIR the shredded zucchini into the batter. Use a nonstick cooking spray and spray whatever pan you want to use. Divide batter into 6 wells (if using an 8 well mini loaf pan), or divide into other sprayed pan accordingly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes using mini loaves, or more if making a larger loaf. Check for doneness with a toothpick or knife, center should come out clean. Loaf should be risen and slightly firm to touch.
Let cool or eat warm. AMAZING reheated - microwave for 15 seconds.

Nutritional info is 585 for the whole recipe, I'm rounding up to 600 for varying ingredients in such things (such as unsweetened applesauce), so just divide it as you want depending on what you make.
If you make it the way I did, each one of your mini loaves is an 100 calorie portion. Add up how much spread you use (I used a 1/2 tsp of hazelnut spread on mine), and you've got your nutritional info for your portion. :)

Sticky Bun Swirl Muffins

If a sticky bun and a muffin had a baby....

It would be these ridiculously delicious muffins. These soft and moist muffins are perfect for snack, dessert, a breakfast side...

Well, they're just kind of perfect in general. I can't make them fast enough - they keep getting eaten. This recipe yields four cinnamon sugar muffins with gooey sticky bun centers.

Oh, but it gets better. These are made with high fiber coconut flour, incredibly easy to make, and come in at only 55 calories a piece. Go ahead and eat them all if you want, and you just may want to.

Ingredients
Muffin:

1/4 cup of coconut flour
2 tbsp splenda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup egg beaters
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup

Cinnamon Swirl:
1 tbsp splenda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp sugar free maple syrup

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Mix the wet and dry ingredients for the muffin in two separate bowls. Whisk both well. Combine ingredients and beat well. Using an electric beater is probably the best way to go, it seems to work best to get all of the clumps out of the coconut flour. Let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the moisture while you prepare your cinnamon swirl mixture.
Divide your muffin batter evenly into four greased or sprayed muffin tins. Then, take one teaspoon of your swirl mixture and plop it in the middle of your muffin batter (there is going to be leftover swirl mixture). Using a toothpick or knife, slowly draw lines and swirl out from the middle of the muffin.
Place in oven and cook for 25 minutes.
Let cool or enjoy warm! They're also really good reheated.

Nutritional info: 55 calories per muffin

Slightly adapted from Comfybelly.com

Chocolate Banana Caramel Chip Muffins

I did something right in the kitchen today. I created not only the most beautiful muffins I've ever made, but the most delicious, moist, most incredible combination of flavors. Who doesn't love banana and chocolate as a flavor combination? These muffins taste strongly of both, but not only that, they ooze delicious warm caramel as you eat them.

Um.. yeah.

Did I mention that these are made with  healthy ingredients? (Though they don't taste like it..)

This may actually be a slight problem, seeing as I kind of want these every day for awhile, now. The only reason I may refrain is so that I create more recipes!

Recipe yields 6 muffins.
Ingredients
    3/4 cups whole-wheat all purpose flour
    1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1/4 cup splenda
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/8 teaspoon salt

    2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
    2 tbsp maple syrup or agave
    1/4 cup egg beaters
    2 medium bananas

Topping:
    2 tbsp kraft caramel baking bits or other caramel chips

Instructions 
Preheat oven to 350. Use two separate bowls and mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Whisk together dry ingredients. Mash the two bananas and incorporate other wet ingredients. Use a hand mixer and beat well until there are no clumps left. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix until you have a thick better and there is no dry clumps left.
Grease or spray a muffin tin (or use paper liners) and measure 1/4 cup of the batter into each cavity.
Evenly divide caramel bits onto the top of each muffin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean in the center and muffin springs back upon pushing down on the top).
At 25 minutes the muffins will be done but moister. Bake longer for desired moistness.
Let cool or eat warm! (Eat warm or reheat for delicious melting caramel topping goodness.)


Nutritional info: 120 calories per muffin

Funfetti Strawberry Shortcake French Toast

This is taking french toast to a whole new level.

How do I even begin? This french toast is soft and fluffy like shortcake, with a vanilla-strawberry topping.

 Tastes like strawberry shortcake, and cake batter..

Breakfast just doesn't get better than this. It can't.

I'm still at a loss for words. I think I'm in love with my french toast.

Ingredients
2 slices of your favorite bread (I used Sara Lee 45 cal/slice)

French toast mixture:
1 tbsp egg beaters
1-2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp Da Vinci Sugar Free Vanilla syrup (optional)
1/4 tsp Betty Crocker decorating sprinkles

Topping:
1/4 tsp Betty Crocker decorating sprinkles
45g fresh or defrosted strawberries, sliced
3 tbsp vanilla yogurt

Instructions
Combine your mixture ingredients (except the sprinkles) and stir well in a shallow dish or on a small plate. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture, covering so that each side of your bread is drenched in the mixture. Sprinkle your first 1/4 tsp of decorating sprinkles over the bread. Heat a greased or sprayed skillet to medium heat on your stove, and place bread slices in the heated pan, flipping every few minutes with a spatula for about 7-8 minutes. Once they start to brown, you can turn them to a lower heat and to keep them slowly cooking and warm while you make your topping mixture.
They take longer to cook than regular french toast because of the yogurt in the french toast mixture makes the bread fluffier and softer than regular french toast, giving it the consistency of short cake.
For the topping, measure three tablespoons (or more, if you want) of vanilla yogurt into a small ramekin or dish and stir in strawberries. Once your french toast is done, microwave your topping mixture for 30 seconds on high heat. Pour your strawberry topping over your french toast and sprinkle with the rest of the sprinkles.

Enjoy your warm and delicious strawberry shortcake breakfast!

Nutritional info: 155 calories

Rustic Strawberry Crisp for one

There's nothing better than a warm fruit crisp on a cold night. This delicious single serving strawberry crisp acts as a light dessert or a great side to a meal.

A sweet strawberry pie like filling with a crispy oat buttery topping..
Do I have your attention yet?
If you haven't tried a strawberry crisp dessert, you really should. You should also top this with whipped cream for added bliss.

Ingredients
90g strawberries (frozen or fresh, if frozen, defrost first)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp splenda

For topping:
1 tbsp + 1 tsp your favorite flour (I used wheat)
1 tbsp rolled oats
1 tsp unmelted butter (I used smart balance light)
1 tbsp splenda
1/8 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375. Cut up strawberries and place in a small ramekin dish and stir with cornstarch and splenda or sugar. Combine topping ingredients except the butter and mix together well. Stir in butter into the topping mixture until crumbly. If you need to, use your hands. I had to because I used a light butter. Cover strawberries with your crisp topping and cook for 30-35 minutes until the topping is brown and crisp and the strawberry mixture is bubbling. Let cool or eat warm.

Nutritional info: 130 calories