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

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. :)

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

Baked Gingerbread Cake Donut

 Light and delicious gingerbread cake donut with that unique molasses aroma.

And it's gosh darn beautiful.. look how the molasses shines.

Maybe I'm just weird and have gingerbread cravings.. does anyone else get those? This goes perfect with coffee.

Ingredients
Dry
2 tsp coconut flour
1/2 tbsp splenda
1/8 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
pinch ginger
cinnamon
cloves
nutmeg

Wet
1/8 tsp butter extract
1/2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp molasses
1/2 tsp yogurt
1/2 tsp applesauce
1 tbsp egg beater
1 tsp maple syrup

(glazed with 1/8 tsp molasses)

Instructions
 Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, then, mix wet and dry together, taking care to mix well until you have a nice batter. Gently spoon into a greased or sprayed standard size donut pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Glaze with molasses. Let cool or enjoy warm.

Nutritional info: 45 calories

Pumpkin Spice Powdered Sugar Cake Donut

I love donuts, especially powdered donuts, but I haven't eaten one in ages because, let's face it, donuts are never healthy. Unless of course they're baked and full of fiber like this one.

But wait, baked? Full of fiber? That doesn't sound like an appetizing donut.. or so you'd think.

However, this regular size donut tastes exactly like a cake donut because it is made with coconut flour. I really can't taste the difference. It has a light, airy, pumpkin flavor, with the same consistency and sugariness of a beloved classic powdered donut.

Best of all, it's only 60 calories for the entire donut, powdered sugar and all. That being said, feel free to double the recipe, make two, and eat them both. ;)

Ingredients
Dry
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 1/2 tbsp splenda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 tsp xanthan gum
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
pinch salt

Wet
1/8 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp egg beater
1 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tbsp canned pumpkin
4 drops liquid stevia (optional)

coating: 1 tsp powdered sugar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Combine wet and dry ingredients together, separately. Mix well, then gently mix wet ingredients into the dry until a cakey batter is formed.
Spray a donut pan with nonstick spray and gently spoon in the batter, working around the donut hole until the batter is smooth. Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool in donut pan for a few minutes, then gently remove and let cool on wire rack or plate. Once completely cool, sprinkle or brush a tsp of powdered sugar over your donut. Enjoy!

Nutritional info: 60 calories
*I used a Wilton standard sized donut pan to make this.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Breakfast Muffin

 Mmmm.. Pumpkin spice lattes. I had a scoop of Starbuck's PSL ice cream last night before bed, and this morning I was craving more pumpkin spice latte.. but in muffin form.

 Here is a single serving recipe I came up with for a soft, delicious breakfast muffin that tastes like a pumpkin spice latte.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp canned pumpkin
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla yogurt
1/2 tsp cold brew coffee
1 tsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp egg beaters
2 tbsp + 1 tsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tbsp splenda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:
Mix dry ingredients together, and then add wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly and place into an oven preheated to 375 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out of the muffin clean in the middle. Let cool or eat warm and top with your choice of topping.

I used 1/2 tbsp fat free cream cheese, 1/2 tbsp canned pumpkin, 1 tsp splenda and 1/2 tbsp vanilla yogurt to top mine.

Nutritional info: 85 calories for one muffin

Breakfast Dessert Tarts

My favorite meal of the day? Breakfast dessert. Let's face it, I only ever eat dessert for breakfast.

However, often, I can't decide what I want! I want chocolate, I want warm berries, I want cream cheese, I want peanut butter...

 This is where dessert cookies come in.

I had for breakfast, pumpkin butter on a soft chocolate chip cookie tart crust, as well as lemon curd and cranberry apple butter on a warm blueberry cookie tart crust.

Yeah, this might become a daily thing. Oops ;). You're welcome.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp splenda
2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin
2 tbsp water
1/8 tsp butter extract
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
+optional extras (berries, chocolate chips, whatever you'd like!)

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together until you have a batter. Pour into two separate sprayed or greased tartlet dishes or ramekins. Add optional extras now to the batter, so you can create two different dessert tarts! Or, you can do it before hand, if you only want one kind, or before hand, if you are just making one big one. Place your crusts in the oven and set temperature to rise to 425 while cooking. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how soft you want the crust. I baked mine for 15 because I like it soft exactly like a cookie!
Take out of oven and eat immediately, spread on your choice of topping for warm topping (icing, cream cheese, etc) or let cool and spread! So many different options.

Nutritional info: 110 calories for two medium breakfast dessert tart crusts/bases, or one large.

Sweet-Wheat Blueberry Pie Pancakes

Breakfast is definitely my favorite meal. I  use it as an excuse to have dessert, every day, I feel like.

 

But I love warm blueberries..and I love pie.. and wheat.. and pancakes.

I have so many blueberries to use, it's not even funny. So, here's a healthy, single serving, recipe for pancakes that taste exactly like blueberry pie.

This recipe makes two, thick, medium size pancakes, at 130 calories for the whole recipe, including a tbsp (4 kcal) of Mrs Butterworth's sugar free syrup.

Double the recipe for more, if you want. I find recipes are easier to double or even make half a serving more than to divide by ridiculous proportions.

Pie in pancake form for breakfast. Mmm.. You're welcome. :)

Dry ingredients:
2 tbsp wheat flour
2 tbsp pastry flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp splenda depending on how sweet you want them
Wet ingredients:
5 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
30g blueberries
1/4 tsp butter extract
1/4 tsp almond or vanilla extract

Top with whatever you like! I used a tablespoon of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup.

Instructions: 
Mix wet and dry ingredients in two separate bowls. Combine the two bowls and mix well until there are no more clumps of flour, and you have pancake batter. Pour into skillet that has been sprayed with non stick spray, on medium heat. Flip until done. (These cook faster than normal pancakes, so just be careful!)

Nutritional info: 130 calories for whole recipe

The Perfect Whole Wheat Scone

Mmm.. Scones. Healthy great tasting, filling scones. Or biscuits! I think this has more of a scone texture because its so soft, but lets face it, a scone is like a fancy biscuit.

So, I'm helping you out by giving you this delicious base recipe. 

This recipe is for one large scone. These taste great with any sort of spread on top. (Such as my pumpkin butter... )

This recipe is also very versatile, you can make a sweet or savory scone depending on what spices you add. I plan to make these a lot and just change up the flavor!

Ingredients:

1/3 cups of wheat flour 

1/2 tbsp. Splenda

1/2 tsp. of baking powder 

1/8 tsp. baking soda 

1/8 tsp. of salt 

(Optional dash of spices, I used cinnamon and pumpkin spice)

2 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. egg beater

2 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425. Combine dry and wet ingredients separately and mix. Then mix wet and dry ingredients together to form dough. Roll any optional ingredients into dough now. (Raisins, a few berries, oats, etc.)

Drop onto a pan that has been sprayed well with nonstick. Bake for 15 minutes. Enjoy with spread toppings like I did or eat plain!

Nutritional info: 145 calories for base

Blueberry Cream Stuffed French Toast

I love French toast so much. This is one of my favorite French toast combinations. Warm sugary cream cheese mixed with sweet blueberries.. You'll feel like you're eating at a pastry shop.

Ingredients:

2 slices Sara Lee 45 Calories per slice Bread

2 tbsp (31 g) fat free cream cheese

1 tbsp Splenda

Blueberries (I used 15 g)

1 tbsp egg beaters/egg white

1 tbsp milk (I use unsweetened almond)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp sugar free coffee syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or lemon for blueberry lemon flavor!)

Instructions:

Combine cream cheese, splenda, and blueberries and spread across one slice of the bread. Place the other piece of bread on top and push down so that the bread stays together. Set aside. 

On a surface bigger than the sandwich, like a small plate, mix egg, cinnamon, coffee syrup, and extract. Lay the sandwich flat in the mixture on one side, and then the other. Then, let excess drip off and place the sandwich on a skillet that has been sprayed with nonstick, and set to medium heat, flipping the toast every few minutes until browned on both sides. Remove and top with pancake syrup, spray butter, or enjoy plain!

Nutritional info: 140 calories