I have had this idea in my head for so long. Carrot cake baked oatmeal… carrot cake baked oatmeal.. I just couldn’t shake it! I typically make this simple baked oatmeal and we just switch up our toppings, but it was high time I got to experimenting with the recipe.

Before we move on, can we just say “Hello, gorgeous!” to that pour shot up there? I actually had a spare minute to get out my tripod, only to realize it wasn’t really working properly.. but somehow I got a pour shot in the midst of it all. I’m a happy food blogger today!

Food blogging is a funny thing. There’s so much that goes into each post that you guys don’t see! I’d invite you to come hang out with me here for a day to see what goes on, but I never actually know what day I’ll be working on “blog stuff.”

Take this oatmeal for instance.

The idea popped into my head months ago. I wrote it down while I was brainstorming blog ideas back in January. I finally got around to making it earlier this week. I waited until mid-day to make it so that I’d be able to photograph it in the afternoon light.. so we didn’t actually eat it for breakfast that day. I waited until the little one took her nap and the big one started his quiet time to start shooting.

I pulled our coffee table over by the window with the best light, grabbed all the toppings and tiny dishes and utensils and set up my shot. I fumbled with the tripod for a while, gave up, got my shots. I hooked up the camera to download and ate one of the servings of oatmeal from the shot. Then I started to clean up.. and ate the other one, ha! (Because, you know, one for me and one for baby. Totally logical.) I looked through the pictures quickly, then I didn’t actually get around to editing them or writing this post until a few days later. Now here we are!

Sometimes the process isn’t drawn out like that, but there’s usually something around here that gets in the way of productivity. Usually my own laziness.. or lack of natural light.

Anyways, loves, this oatmeal is top notch. I’m so happy to share it with you, even if it took months for me to do it.

It’s not complicated to replicate that classic carrot cake taste. The big players are (of course) carrots, cinnamon, nutmeg if you’re feeling funky, raisins, walnuts and coconut, if you’re into it. I will say right now that I am not into pineapple in my carrot cake.. I think adding pineapple makes it more like hummingbird cake (which is also delicious, but is not carrot cake).

But let’s not forget the most important part- the cream cheese. Oh, you have got to have the cream cheese. The cream cheese makes it perfect. (Unless you are dairy-free, but you can top it with this delicious cashew cream instead!) I didn’t want to slather it with frosting (I mean, I did.. but it IS supposed to be breakfast, people), so I spun up an easy cream cheese topping in the blender and it was the best idea EVER, no joke.

You guys, this cream cheese topping.. it just kills it. The picture below explains perfectly. On the left side, you’ll see an appropriate amount of the cream cheese drizzle and toppings. On the right, the obscene amount I drowned my portion with after I took a bite. Then I took another bite and thought, “WHAT THE WHAT?! This stuff is insane!”

Maybe I’m over-reacting about oatmeal? But really, I’m obsessed.  Don’t wait too long to try this one!

P.S. You can make right away, the night before, or days ahead. You can also cut into squares and freeze for later!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with Cream Cheese Topping

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch

Serves: 9

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, room temperature
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil or grass-fed butter
• ½ cup applesauce (you can substitute carrot puree for extra carrot flavor)
• 2 medium carrots, grated (you can add more if you like)
• 1¼ cup milk, dairy or non-dairy
• 3 cups oats, gluten-free if necessary
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• For the cream cheese topping: 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• ¼ cup milk, room temperature (you may need a little more if you want the sauce thinner)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
• extras for serving- walnuts, raisins, shredded coconut or coconut chips, maple syrup

Instructions

1. Coat an 8×8 or 2 quart baking dish with butter or coconut oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, melted butter/coconut oil, applesauce and milk. Fold the oats, carrots nuts, raisins and coconut and combine well. Transfer the oat mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly around.
3. To bake right away: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Let oat mixture sit and soak for 20-30 minutes at room temperature while the oven is preheating. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until oatmeal is set and edges are brown.
4. To bake later in the day or the next morning: Cover your dish tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly on top of the oat mixture. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap oatmeal and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until oatmeal is set and edges are brown.
5. To make the cream cheese topping, combine the cream cheese, milk, honey and vanilla in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Serve hot with: cream cheese topping, maple syrup, raisins, walnuts and coconut.

#version#

I think my kids are getting sick of bananas.

They used to eat them up non-stop, but not lately. No interest at all. Whole bunches used to disappear in a day or two, but now all my bananas are sad, neglected and brown. But that means I get the chance to give them a new life as banana bread, so really, I’m not complaining. I just think it’s weird. I mean, who gets sick of bananas? They are awesome.

Well actually, you know what? I vaguely remember my mom telling me that I used to love bananas as a child and then I refused to eat them again until I was like 19. So.. maybe they were doomed from the start? Oh, and I also hated coconut forever and always, until like 3 years ago when it became my BFF. If you asked my pre-2010-self to eat this bread, I would have definitely said no.

If you asked me to eat this bread right now, I stop you mid-question and help myself.

This banana bread is like a coconut triple threat- coconut oil, coconut flour and shredded coconut all in one place. Drink it with a glass of coconut milk, slathered with coconut butter and you might explode. Or you can just be a normal person and eat it plain. Or toasted with some yummy grass-fed butter. Do what you want, no one’s watchin’!

Are you guys fans of baking with coconut flour? It took some getting used to for me, but now it’s my go-to flour. I love that a little goes a REALLY long way. I mean.. that stuff can suck up some liquid!

Wait! Before you go, this thought just hit me- this bread would be great for cutting into cubes, toasting and then making a parfait with coconut whipped cream, and maybe some fresh pineapple or mango? How great does that sound? I will definitely be looking into that for you ASAP. I want that in my belly now.

Anyone else have an inspired banana-bread-related idea? I’m all ears.

4.8 from 33 reviews

Coconut Banana Bread (GAPS, Paleo, Grain-free)

 

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adapted from- http://nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com/2011/04/banana-bread-gaps-legal-grain-and.html

Author: Oven Love

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled (ghee can be used here as well)
• ½ cup raw honey
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• 6 eggs (room temperature is best)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)
• ¾ cup coconut flour
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 2 tablespoons shredded or desiccated coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a standard loaf pan with coconut oil.
2. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the salt, eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract. Whisk in the coconut oil and honey mixture. Next, whisk in the coconut flour until completely combined with no lumps. Lastly, stir in the mashed bananas.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the shredded coconut.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If your coconut topping is browning fast, tent some aluminum foil on top to prevent burning.
6. Let cool completely (or as long as you can wait!) before removing from the loaf pan and serving. Keep refrigerated.

#version#

Last week, I shared my favorite summer chicken recipes. Today, I’m back with 16 ways to use the humble sweet potato. (I’m actually not eating sweet potatoes right now, but for some reason, I am still craving them and hoarding sweet potato recipes like it’s the end of the internet. It’s only a little heartbreaking to look at those gorgeous photos. Some day..)

Lots of great options here- fries, chips, soup, stuffed potatoes, and BROWNIES. Get to pinning!

Row 1: Thai Sweet Potato Stacks, Sweet Potato Almond Butter Muffins, Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cherry Salsa

Row 2: Sweet Potato Breakfast Biscuits, Brown Butter Sweet Potato Doughnuts, Paleo Sweet Potato Brownies, Garlic Butter Sweet Potato Fries with Creamy Feta Dip

Row 3: Roasted Grape, Goat Cheese and Honey-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato and Pineapple Salad, Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Red Quinoa Soup, Sweet Potato Pulled Pork Sliders

Row 4: Homemade BBQ Sweet Potato Chips, Baked Sweet Potato Falafel, Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup, Loaded Black Bean Sweet Potato Boats

The scene in my kitchen at 6:30AM this morning:

Two half-dressed kids are clamoring at my feet for their milk cups to be filled. Three-year-old Elliott climbs up into the helper tower, discovers the pan of coffee cake and yells, “LUCY! CAKE FOR BREAKFAST!” She squeals and nods her head to tell us she’s on board. I cut them each a small piece, they chomp away quietly, and then stick out their little hands for more. And so the day begins.

I think one of the best mom tricks for getting your kids to eat a little healthier is to give their food cool names. This definitely isn’t “cake” in the normal, American sense of the word, but in our house right now, it’s a treat. Especially at 6:30 AM. I feel good about all the ingredients, so I’ve got no problem serving them this kind of cake for breakfast.

The cake’s main ingredients are coconut flour, eggs, coconut oil, squash puree, a little honey and some spices. I get my coconut flour and oil from Tropical Traditions. On top is a “crumb” topping of chopped nuts, coconut oil, cinnamon and some coconut sugar. This is a lovely cake for snacking- it’s moist, but sturdy- it’ll hold up well in lunch bags or stuffed quickly into your purse when you’re on the go. It’s great with some fruit and yogurt in the morning, or on your brunch table; the perfect match for your afternoon tea or as a late-night snack without the guilt.

I have missed cake since I’ve been on GAPS. I know there are GAPS-legal cake recipes out there.. but it’s not like I can be eating cake all the time just because it’s technically legal. So a little coffee cake like this is just what the doctor (nutritionist?) ordered for me this week. I just have to work on my self-control and try not to eat more than one (or two) pieces a day.

I guess I can always call in my little people to help out with that. Cake for breakfast!

Coffee Cake (grain-free, gluten-free, paleo, GAPS)

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: dessert, breakfast

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut flour, sifted or lumps removed with a fork
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 6 eggs at room temperature
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled or very soft
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup squash puree (any squash will do; summer or winter. I used acorn squash that I had frozen. You could also use pumpkin, carrot, apple, pear, etc.)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup nuts, chopped (I used walnuts and pecans)
• 2 tablespoons coconut or date sugar (you can substitute honey to be 100% GAPS legal, but the topping will be a little stickier)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt and spices. Make sure there are no large lumps of coconut flour.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, coconut oil, honey, squash puree and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Pour the liquid slowly into the dry ingredients, whisking well. Continue to whisk until the mixture begins to thicken up. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
5. In a small bowl, mix the nuts, coconut sugar, coconut oil and cinnamon. This is your topping. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the pan.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before serving and keep in an airtight container.

#version#

I might need a Paleo baking intervention. I’ve gotten the hang of it now and the treats are flowing freely again in this house.. but my tummy troubles have not disappeared. (They are still undiagnosed.. go here for more of my story.) Now my wheels are turning again, trying to figure out why.

I thought that changing things around, doing things the Paleo/gluten-free/lots-of-other-stuff-free way that things might work themselves out. And now, I’m thinking maybe I need to go further.. more drastic.. start from scratch and heal (aka GAPS or something similar). I’m trying to figure out what more I can do.

But I’m realizing now that I can’t do it.

I can’t heal myself. I can’t do this in my own power. I believe in a God who heals. The God who came to earth and died for me, who goes before me and stands beside me. The God who changed my heart- I certainly didn’t change it myself. So why am I believing that I can change myself now?

“Agree with God and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove justice far from your tents, if you lay gold in the dust … then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift your face up to God. You will make your prayer to him and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows. You will decide on a matter and it will be established for you and light will shine on your ways.” Job 22:21-28

It is easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day issues of life and believe that if we just tried harder, if we just planned better, if we were just better people that things would go our way. But the truth is that God is the perfect planner and his perfect plan for us has been in motion since before there was time. He is good and his plan is good, even if we can’t see it (or if we have a different definition of the word ‘good’). His word says that if we agree with him, good will come to us- but it doesn’t say when. Maybe it won’t be until Heaven, but it will come; so long as we believe in him and his promises.

So maybe I will try another approach to healing, maybe I won’t. I don’t know now. But I know I will be spending time with the Lord, talking and listening. Trusting in the one who knows suffering better than any man. And rejoicing because I know the end of the story (spoiler alert: it’s a happy one. :))

Apple Cinnamon Muffins (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Paleo)

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

original recipe here at Delighted Momma- http://www.delightedmomma.com/2013/01/flourless-apple-cinnamon-muffins.html

Author: via Delighted Momma

Recipe type: Baked Goods

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups of almond meal
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup of maple syrup
• 1 tbs of cinnamon
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend the eggs together in a separate small bowl.
3. Mix together all the above ingredients and slowly stir in the blended eggs.
4. Pour the batter evenly into 12 muffin baking cups.
5. Cook 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

3.1.09

You guys, I bought a donut pan!

I found it at T.J. Maxx for like five bucks, so it basically jumped in my cart and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Now we can have donuts together every day!

I want to know who came up with the maple bacon combo first. I would like to shake that person’s hand. And then give them a hug that lasts too long and gets awkward. Because I love bacon and maple syrup together- it’s the work of a genius.

Maple bacon. Get on the bandwagon, friends!

As most of my treats have been lately, these are grain-free, gluten-free and paleo (as long as you use the appropriate sweeteners). These types of treats are probably supposed to be occasional.. but I ate two of them in one day. Just keepin’ it real for you. They’re good!

Are you guys enjoying the new recipes lately or did you prefer the old ones? I want to keep bringing you recipes that you would actually like to make some time. Can I get a little feedback? Be honest if you don’t like all the paleo stuff, but be kind.

These pictures keep making me lose my train of thought.. gah, these donuts were good! I love bacon and maple syrup and butter. The end.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Maple Bacon Donuts (Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo)

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast, Baked Goods, Dessert

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup unrefined sugar (I used date sugar, you could try coconut sugar or maple sugar as well.)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon maple extract
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• ½ cup coconut milk or cow’s milk
• 6 tablespoons grass-fed butter (such as Kerrygold) at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon maple extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more if you like)
• 3-4 pieces of bacon, cooked

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a donut pan with butter or cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the coconut flour, baking soda and unrefined sugar. Make sure there are no lumps (break the lumps up with your fingers if you need to).
3. In another bowl, whisk eggs, maple syrup, maple extract, applesauce and milk. Add to the coconut flour mixture and mix until thick and smooth.
4. Spoon the batter into a piping bag and pipe the batter into the donut pan (You can spoon it in, but it will be messy- the piping bag makes it really easy to fill the pan). Bake the donuts for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
5. While the donuts are cooling, make the maple buttercream. In a stand mixer, combine the butter, maple syrup, maple extract and cinnamon until well combined. When the donuts are completely cool, spread on the buttercream and top with bacon. Keep in an airtight container- the donuts are best eaten within a day or two.

#version#

It’s been a rainy morning here in GA today. Even the clouds know it’s a Monday.

Though it’s pretty sad-looking outside, the rain has not deterred us from having a lovely morning so far. I am still on my happy-husband-high from a weekend away (at Chateau Elan, ooh la la!) and I will ride it as long as it lasts!

Our answer to this dreary weather is muffins. Pumpkin streusel muffins.

I do my fair share of baking, but I am not the main muffin baker of my family- that title goes to my mom. Nana loves a good muffin, particularly if it’s stuffed with nuts/fruit until it’s bursting out of the wrapper. She loves to make a giant batch of her Morning Muffins when we come home to visit and she has a stainless steel bowl for mixing her batters that is bigger than.. well, it’s just huge.

She is probably going to text me as soon as she sees this and ask me to freeze a few for her next visit.

(Hi, Mom! We can make some more while you’re here.)

I went with pumpkin simply because we had some pumpkin puree leftover from pumpkin pancakes a few days ago. I added the streusel because I (have no self-control and) cannot resist that sweet crunch. If I’m going to make muffins, I’m gonna do it up.

The muffins are grain-free, gluten-free, refined-sugar free and paleo. The main ingredients are pumpkin, eggs, coconut flour, and butter/coconut oil. The recipe is pretty easy to pull together and they’d still be yummy without the streusel if you want to save some time.

I had a question on Facebook about alternative flours and I’d like to say a little bit about them in case these new ingredients are freaking you out. I debated for a long time about investing in these new ingredients because 1) they’re expensive in small quantities and 2) I was so used to wheat flour and didn’t want to adapt. I started by transitioning to a gluten-free flour mix first (King Arthur has one you can find easily) and then started experimenting with grain-free flours.

Coconut flour, almond flour and other grain-free/nut flours do not act the same as traditional wheat flour- they do not contain gluten, so they need binders like eggs or flax seed to make successful batters. Recipes using these flours are dense- they don’t rise up the way that wheat flour does, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t tasty. They also have the added benefit of fiber and other nutrients that wheat flour does not. If you are new to baking with these flours, I suggest following your first few recipes closely before you start experimenting with substitutions.

I buy my almond flour from Honeyville and my coconut flour from Tropical Traditions. Both companies have sales and bulk purchasing that you can take advantage of to save some money.

And P.S. That heart-shaped butter is just a coincidence, but consider it a happy Valentine’s-Day-related coincidence. Love you guys!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins (Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast, Baked Goods

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• For the streusel:
• ¼ cup softened butter or coconut oil
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons unrefined sugar of choice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup nuts, chopped (I used half walnuts and half macadamia nuts. Pecans or almonds would be great, too. If you like chunkier streusel, you don’t have to pre-chop the nuts.)
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut chips or shredded coconut
• For the muffins:
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup melted coconut oil or butter
• 6 eggs
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup coconut flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line it with 12 muffin liners.
2. To make the streusel topping, combine the butter/coconut oil, almond flour, unrefined sugar, sea salt, nuts and coconut in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are loosely combined. Set aside.
3. To make the batter, whisk pumpkin, coconut oil/butter, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. Add spices, baking soda and coconut flour and whisk until it thickens up.
4. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups. Top with the streusel. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10-20 minutes. (To make sure the streusel doesn’t get too brown, you can top the muffins with some foil about half way through baking.)

3.1.09