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

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

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

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

Peaches and Cream Pie Crisp

Fruit crisps and cobblers are definitely one of my favorite things.

Mmm, peaches and cream pie crisp! This single serving recipe is great for breakfast, snack, a side, or a healthy, filling dessert.

The filling is a thick, creamy peach pie like filling with a crisp, sweet, oat topping.

Ingredients
For filling:
One cup Del Monte (no sugar added) diced peaches
1 tbsp splenda
1 tbsp nonfat plain greek yogurt
2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

For topping:
1 tbsp rolled oats
1 tsp wheat flour
1/2 tbsp splenda

Instructions
Drain peaches lightly, but still give them a little syrup to sit in. Mix your filling ingredients together in a small ungreased ramekin dish. Stir well.
Combine topping mix and sprinkle over the peach filling.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until crisp and bubbling. Let cool a few minutes as it is very hot, then enjoy warm.

Nutritional info: 90 calories

Soft Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe yields a guiltless serving of two delicious oatmeal cookies.

Ingredients
1 tbsp canned pumpkin
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/8 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp wheat flour
1 1/2 tbsp rolled oats
1 1/2 tbsp splenda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions
Combine wet and dry ingredients separately and mix well. Then, roll the wet ingredients into the dry, taking care to cover with the oats. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and drop mixture onto sheet evenly into two cookie portions.
Bake at 375 for 18 minutes. Let cool or enjoy warm!

Nutritional info: 91 calories for both cookies

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.

Double Chocolate Lava Cake (single serving!)

What a day. Never did I dream that today I would be eating a chocolate lava cake bursting at the seams with delicious fudge, but along came lunch time, and I was craving something chocolate. I needed chocolate. I didn't feel much like eating, and when that happens, the easiest way to get me to eat is to bribe myself with chocolate.

 

My prayers were answered. I sat there with a dreamy expression scraping my ramekin and licking my fork. This recipe is for a single serving made in a 4 oz ramekin dish.

 The top coating on this lava cake is a delicious fudgy coating, while the inside is a sweet, healthy bread like fudge cake. All my chocolate answers have been fulfilled..for now.

In my recipe I used wheat flour, but you could use any kind you want.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk
4 1/2 tbsp. splenda
1 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/3 cup hot water

Instructions: (Read carefully!)
Preheat the oven to 350. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the cocoa powder. Stir in the milk, 2 1/2 tablespoons of splenda, applesauce, and vanilla. Spread the thick batter into the ramekin. Now, stir together the remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons of splenda, and brown sugar. Sprinkle this over the batter. Pour the hot tap water on top of the entire dish, but DO NOT STIR IT. It's going to look like a chocolate mud soup and you're going to think you did something wrong, but be patient.
Place the ramekin on a pan to catch the overflow and cook for 35 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, or, if you can't wait, devour immediately.

Nutritional info: 130 calories

Luscious Lemon Cheesecake (for one!)

The flavor of lemon compliments cheesecake quite nicely. This is a nice, thick, and creamy lemon cheesecake all for yourself.

Oh, did I mention chocolate crust which is 24% of your daily fiber?

 I glazed mine with whipped cream..

and topped with blueberries! I think this is my best recipe yet, actually. The crust is practically magic, and I know that I will never crave store bought cheesecake again.

Ingredients:
For the crust:
half serving (14g) fiber one chocolate cereal
2 tsp almond milk (or any)


For the filling:
2 tbsp fat free cream cheese
1 tbsp eggbeater
2 tbsp nonfat greek yogurt
1/4 cup splenda
1 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp lemon emulsion or lemon extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Measure out half of a serving of cereal, and put in food processer until blended to the consistency of graham cracker crumbs. Or, you can mash up the cereal yourself, but it takes awhile and is frustrating unless you have something good to grind it up with. In a bowl, combine the crumbs and the 2 tsps almond milk and mix until sticky. Use a greased or well sprayed ramekin dish and push the crumb mixture down hard into the bottom of the ramekin and against the sides until crust is resembled. Set aside.
Measure and mix filling ingredients vigorously until you have a runny batter. Pour batter slowly into middle of ramekin until the crust is completely covered. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheesecake is firm and lightly cracking. Take out of oven and let cool. Refrigerate for at least an hour and then serve. After refrigerated, the cheesecake should be able to pop out of the ramekin very easily.

Nutritional info: 110 calories with light whipped cream spread on top

Cranberry Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie (single serving!)

I woke up today wanting oatmeal cookies. Then when I was walking through the grocery store and saw dried cranberries, I knew I needed to figure out a single serving cookie recipe fast for Cranberry Oatmeal cookies.

 Let me just warn you first. This recipe doesn't call for any butter or brown sugar or anything high in calories whatsoever, but it tastes just like a real oatmeal cookie. Maybe even better.

Okay, actually. A Cranberry Pumpkin Oatmeal cookie.

I use a lot of pumpkin in my baking because it's healthy, bakes really well as a substitute, and comes out really well as a flavor but only if you want it to. Anyways, back to oatmeal.. I have fulfilled yet another craving perfectly.

As well as another single serving recipe. This recipe makes just one (surprisingly large) cookie, but can easily be doubled or tripled to make a few multiple cookies, which I did, to share with my family.

Ingredients:

Dry
1+1/2 tbsp flour
1 heaping tbsp splenda
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp baking powder
pinch baking soda
pinch salt

Wet
1 tsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp canned pumpkin
1 tsp egg beaters/egg whites
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sugar free maple syrup

& Then
Craisins or dried cranberries (I used 3g of reduced sugar Craisins)
1/2 tbsp oats

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the first list of dry ingredients together and set aside. Set up another bowl and mix the wet ingredients together until dough is formed. Then stir in oats and craisins. Drop dough onto a nonstick sprayed baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until cookie(s) are lightly brown and firm. Let cool for a few minutes before eating.


Nutritional info: 65 calories per cookie