Clean No Bake Samoa Brownies

I am OBSESSED with Samoa Girl Scout cookies and it is that time of year again!  There is no eating just one and I could polish off a whole box in one sitting.  Of course I allow a few of them because they do only come around once a year (thank goodness) but when I saw a recipe on Facebook for Samoa Brownies, I knew I had to think of a way to clean them up.  I thought back to my Clean, Four Ingredient, Raw Brownies and knew I could use that as the base and the rest is history. Even I gave myself a pat on the back for this one!  Enjoy!

Clean No Bake Samoa Brownies

Ingredients

For the brownie layer:
2 1/2 cups pitted dates
1 cup almond flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 Tbsp raw honey

For the caramel layer:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup raw coconut palm sugar
1 cup light coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Dark chocolate for drizzle (80% or higher, I used 1/4 of a 3.17oz bar for macro calculations)

In a food processor, add dates and pulse until they turn into a "dough" like consistency. Add almond flour, cocoa powder and honey, process until all ingredients are incorporated.

In a 8" square baking dish, lined with parchment paper, firmly press the brownie "dough" evenly, filling the entire bottom of the dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more.

While the brownie is setting, prepare the caramel. In a small pot, add water and sugar, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/high and add coconut milk, vanilla and salt. Continue to boil, stirring consistently, for 15 minutes or until caramel begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and allow to fully cool. Add shredded coconut and set aside until brownies are done. The caramel may not completely set up like "normal" caramel, but it will become thicker as it cools.

When brownies are done, add the caramel/coconut mixture evenly over the top. Microwave the dark chocolate in a microwave safe dish for increments of 30 seconds, stirring in between, until it is completely melted. Drizzle over the top of the brownies. Let the brownies set for an additional hour in the refrigerator and enjoy.

Nutritional information
Serving size: 1 square (when cut into 16 squares)
Calories: 208
Fat: 9.3g
Carbs: 30.2g
Protein: 6.6g

Clean Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Cookies

It's about that time of year!  Pumpkin EVERYTHING and I love it!  Fall is my favorite season and I am guilty of stock piling everything pumpkin while it is out for this short period of time. While my eating habits have changed dramatically since last Fall, I am determined to enjoy all the pumpkin that the season has to offer, just in a different way. Enjoy!

Clean Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients 

1 cup rolled oats 

3/4 cup almond flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 egg

2 Tbsp coconut oil 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/2 cup pumpkin purée 

1/2 cup raw honey 

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine rolled oats, almond flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt in a medium bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, combine egg, coconut oil, vanilla, pumpkin purée and raw honey. Add oat mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir well to incorporate all ingredients.  Spoon cookie dough onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Makes 12-16 cookie depending on size.

Clean, Four Ingredient, Raw Brownies

I have a sweet tooth!  I am always looking to try out new sweet treats and this one will blow you away! These are so delicious, you will fulfill your chocolate craving without all of the guilt. There is no doubt that these will taste like a cheat treat but are anything but a cheat. Enjoy!

Clean, Four Ingredient, Raw Brownies

Ingredients 

2 cups pitted dates 

1 cup almond flour 

1/3 cup dark cocoa powder 

1 Tbsp raw honey 

Add dates to a food processor. Process until dates begin to form a ball. Add almond flour, dark cocoa powder and raw honey. Process until all items are well blended. In a parchment paper lined, square baking dish, press date mixture evenly across the bottom. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or freeze for 1 hour. Cut into squares and sprinkle optional cocoa powder on the top. Store in refrigerator for optimal freshness. 

Clean Nut Butter Cups

I'm baaaack!  I've been a little MIA the last few weeks due to my schedule changing a bit, which crossed with the times I usually blog.  I'm definitely coming back with an awesome, and super easy recipe for those sweet cravings.  I've been doing some research on ways to clean up my favorite candies which you saw first in my Clean Almond Joy Bites recipe and now I am tackling peanut butter cups.  I love peanut butter but prefer almond butter, and this recipe is so versatile, you can use any sort of nut butter that you prefer.  There are 3 ingredients which makes them even more amazing because there isn't any artificial, unnecessary junk in them!  Enjoy!

Clean Nut Butter Cups

Ingredients

1 3.5oz bar of 75% dark chocolate or higher
1 Tbsp raw honey
10 tsp nut butter of choice (I use Justin's Maple Almond Butter)
10 mini muffin liners

In a microwave safe bowl, break up the dark chocolate.  Heat the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted.  The stovetop can also be used with a double broiler.  When chocolate is completely melted, add 1 Tbsp of raw honey.  On a small baking sheet, spread out 10 mini muffin liners.  Carefully scoop one small spoon full of chocolate in the bottom of each mini muffin liner, just enough to coat about 1/8 of an inch of the bottom of the liner.  Place baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes to allow bottom layer to harden.  When first layer of chocolate is hardened, remove from the freezer and add 1 tsp of nut butter to each mini muffin liner, followed by another spoon full of chocolate, enough to completely cover the nut butter.  Allow to harden for an additional 10 minutes in the freezer.  Remove liner and devour!

Clean Almond Joy Bites

I have a serious sweet tooth!  I have been tinkering around in the kitchen trying to come up with clean ideas to help with my sweet tooth.  My Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites are delicious, but I needed more of a variety.  I racked my brain for something else I could do with chocolate and fruit/nuts, and came up with this.  Enjoy!

Clean Almond Joy Bites

Ingredients

Filling:
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 Tbsp pure honey
1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup raw almonds

Coating:
1 3.5oz bar of 75% or higher dark chocolate
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp pure honey

In a medium bowl, combine filling ingredients.  Mix well to make sure ingredients are incorporated well.  Using your hands, make bite size balls out of the filling mix, placing them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Place 1 or 2 raw almonds on each bite size coconut ball.  In a microwave safe bowl (or using a double broiler on the stove), melt the dark chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in between each 30 seconds, until fully melted.  Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and 1 tablespoon honey to the melted chocolate.  Using a spoon, evenly coat each coconut bite with the melted chocolate.  Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.

Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

I am now on week 4 of my 5 week clean eating challenge (post coming soon).  I can tell you, I feel so much better eating clean and hydrating.  I have always struggled with my sweet tooth but have been pretty good resisting the temptations of sweets by not having them in my house.  I needed to come up with something clean to satisfy that sweet tooth so I could remain accountable for my good eating habits.  I have always loved the chocolate covered, frozen bananas on a stick from the fair and have created chocolate covered banana bites with peanut butter in the middle, but I needed to keep it a bit more clean so I decided to omit the peanut butter (although almond butter would be a clean substitute) and use 85% dark chocolate.  Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

Ingredients

2 large bananas
1 3.5oz bar of dark chocolate (75% cocoa or higher)
1/4 cup granola (try my recipe for Steel Cut Granola here)

Peel and slice bananas into roughly 36 pieces.  In a microwave safe bowl, break up dark chocolate bar.  In 30 second increments, microwave the dark chocolate, stirring between each 30 seconds.  You can also melt the dark chocolate on the stove, using a double broiler.  When the dark chocolate is fully melted, dip each banana slice in the dark chocolate, coating it as much as desired.  Place chocolate coated bananas on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with granola (can also use other toppings such as crushed nuts) and place in freezer for at least 2 hours.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bites

Yes, you read that right!  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bites!  Delicious, clean and full of protein.  I have been baking a lot this holiday season.  My famous sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, gingerbread cookies.  I could easily eat a dozen of each of these cookies!  This season, I am trying really hard to establish some boundaries on my cheat meals.  Sure I will allow myself to indulge on the holidays, but I surely don't want one day to turn into a week, then a month, etc.  I decided to try to give a clean "cookie" a shot and came up with these no bake cookie dough bites, packed full of protein and completely guilt free.  They were very much a success and help fight those cravings for sweets around the holidays (and any day for that matter).  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bites

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups raw cashews
2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I use non-GMO, Jay Robb, egg white protein powder)
1/2 cup pure honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

In a food processor, grind cashews until they reach a flour like consistency then add them to a medium bowl.  Add protein powder and mix well.  Add honey, coconut oil and vanilla, mix well until all ingredients are incorporated.  Gently fold in dark chocolate chips.  Form into balls and place on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  Allow to set in the refrigerator for an hour.