Baking

Cinnamon Chia Snack Cookies

These cookies make a great snack because they are naturally full of satiating healthy fats and protein from almond flour, chia seeds and flax seeds. So unlike a regular cookie, they will really fill you up when you eat one and make a great snack since they’ll also satisfy a sweet tooth. But they are pretty low in sugar (so these are great for kids too!) They’re super easy to make and I love them with some peanut butter and jelly on top.

Favorite Frittata

This frittata recipe is my favorite because you can really make it your own. I make it ALL THE TIME but it ends up being different every time with different veggies, spices and cheese so I don’t get sick of it. I also love that it’s so easy to make, keeps well and is VERSATILE. You can eat it as breakfast, lunch or even “brinner” or snack on it. A meal prep staple in my house.

A few notes:

Eggs: I recommend using pasture-raised eggs, but of course, use whatever eggs you want. See my “how to buy egg-celent eggs” blog post to read about what the different egg classifications mean.

Veggies: You can pick whatever veggies you want for this recipe and there is no exact amount, just be mindful of the egg to veggie ratio. I am putting a list below of some veggies I have tried in this recipe and whether I think they are best raw, cooked, or either way. However, do NOT feel limited by my veggie suggestions, there are so many more options.

Bell peppers (either), Onions (either), Mushrooms (cooked), Broccoli/Cauliflower/Brussels Sprouts (cooked), Spinach & other greens (raw), Tomatoes (either way)

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

My obsession with tahini is no joke. I love tahini - sweet, savory, in a sauce, in a baked good, on veggies, you name it! These bars are no exception. Tahini is made from sesame seeds, so this recipe is nut free for those with allergies. Tahini also naturally adds lots of protein, calcium (you wouldn’t guess that but it is one of the best sources), and healthy fats. The tahini also balances the sweetness in this recipe. They have that chocolate chip cookie taste but with an interesting twist and are not overly sweet but will satisfy your sweet tooth. Like I said, these are nut-free (allergy friendly), paleo, grain-free, gluten-free and refined sugar free! They make a great filling grab and go snack or dessert, or hey, even a breakfast. Hope you try them out!

Pumpkin Nut Energy Bars

I created this recipe LAST fall and I can’t believe I forgot about it. But with fall here again and all things pumpkin I’m glad I remembered it! It’s so delicious, you could enjoy this any time of year. These are my favorite type of baking, healthy, filling, and easy to grab and go. They can be breakfast, a snack or even a less sweet dessert. And of course they are meal prep friendly, you could even freeze some if you want.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins (Paleo-Friendly)

These muffins truly encompass summer flavors in my opinion! They are a great breakfast or grab and go snack and have natural protein from the eggs and are lower in sugar. Like I said in the instructions, they are best when served warm, I love to reheat mine in the toaster oven. These can also be a great addition to meal prep!

Zucchini Basil Veggie Cakes

These are a great plant-based protein to add to any meal that happens to sneak in veggies AND has the most delicious, refreshing flavor with the basil. I used kaniwa, which, is actually a seed (not technically a grain) to make mine but I think you could easily sub quinoa since I know that is more commonly found. I get my organic kaniwa from Suncore Foods, you can use code PRESSSTART15 if you want to save $$ on anything from them too! (I love all their products). Another thing I love about this recipe is that it’s a great one for meal prep. These cakes are easy to make and can be served all week as a main dish or an easy pop-in-your mouth snack!

Banana Bread Blondies

I’ve mentioned before that I have an issue where I HATE letting ripe bananas go to waste without baking with them. The benefit to you guys is lots of banana recipes! (If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you try my paleo banana donuts, banana flax waffles, granola stuffed banana cookies and my no-sugar-added banana bread!) Anyways, these blondies were the result of more ripe bananas and I thought, what HAVEN’T I made with ripe bananas … blondies! These also have no sugar added (sweetened only by banana), are paleo-friendly, gluten-free and make a great snack or dessert! They are a perfect healthy grab and go treat to add to your weekly meal prep!

Bakery Style Choco-Chip Zucchini Muffins (paleo friendly)

I don’t have kids yet (at least not kids that are outside of my stomach and that I have to feed separately from feeding myself) but I will very soon. And from what I’ve been told, lots of kids don’t love veggies. And let’s be honest, I meet lots of adults who don’t love them either. This is the perfect recipe for those people because the veggies are completely disguised in chocolate chip muffin form. And even if you LOVE veggies, this is a great way to get even more into your day. In my opinion, there is rarely such a thing as too many veggies. Anyways, this easy muffin recipe is paleo-friendly and free of all the usual suspects (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free) but it’s SUPER fluffy and satisfying. I hope you try them!

Lemon Chia Seed Quinoa Bars

I have loved lemon poppyseed muffins since I was a kid, and this recipe is a more nutrient-dense twist on that. There are so many ingredients adding protein and fiber that they are really filling and give you long sustained energy while satisfying that ever-so sweet tooth. The bars are sweetened with raw honey, which, adds even more minerals to the mix! They make a great breakfast or snack on the go.

Paleo Fudge Brownie Protein Bars

I’m pretty obsessed with these bars. They come out thinner than a brownie, and more like a protein bar thickness but they are fudgy and chewy! They are really filling from all the natural protein, fiber and healthy fats in the almond flour, flaxseed meal and collagen. Plus the cacao and CBD both give them a relaxing property. This makes them the perfect afternoon treat, when you hit that mid-day slump or after dinner treat to wind down before bed time. I used the thera treats caramel coconut drizzle flavor of CBD chocolate bars. Code CPRESS saves you 10% on their website! Recipe below.

Honey Beet Muffins

Get it it… honey beet like honey bee… ok never mind, I thought it was clever. Anyways, the honey and the beets go together perfectly in these muffins! They really compliment each other’s flavors. There isn’t too much honey, so they aren’t super sweet, but that makes them the perfect blood-sugar-balancing snack for any time of day! And they sneak in a serving of veggies, which is always welcomed! The amazing thing about beets is that they help our blood carry nitrates around our body, which means better oxygen flow, which means better heart health and cardiovascular function overall! That’s a win if you ask me. I used Cece’s Veggie Co beet noodles to take an extra step out of the process, plus they’re organic. You can find them near you here. Now for the muffins…

Gluten-free Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Who doesn’t love a good oatmeal cookie? These are perfectly chewy and not overly sweet, and they use almond flour instead of wheat flour so they are allergy and gut friendly! I used dark chocolate instead of raisins because who doesn’t need more chocolate in their life? Also this dark chocolate is special because not only is it high quality organic (gluten-free and vegan), it contains CBD, which, is a hemp extract that has a lot of healing benefits. CBD can help reduce physical pain, reduce anxiety and is overall calming and soothing. Since Theratreats only uses full spectrum organic CBD oil, there is no THC in it, so you don’t need to worry about any crazy side effects. I used the raspberries and cinnamon organic dark chocolate bar from Theratreats, you can use code CPRESS to save 10% off anything on their site!

Mini Chocolate Coconut Happy Muffins

You might be thinking, why are these happy muffins? First of all - how can anything mini, chocolate and coconut not make you happy? Second of all - I added “Pretty Mushrooms” bliss blend (no it doesn’t taste like mushrooms). This blend contains medicinal mushrooms which are different than the creminis or shiitakes you buy at the store. These mushrooms are adaptogens, which, means they help our bodies adapt to and combat certain stressors and imbalances. This particular bliss blend contains reishi (which is known for relaxation), cacao (which contains magnesium that also helps with relaxation and tons of antioxidants), eleuthero root (which is known for mood boosting and relaxation) and ashwagandha (which is known to help combat stress). Winning combo if you ask me. Now to this recipe - it’s paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free but not at all flavor free. And I love the mini size for when you just want something small and sweet or you can have a bunch at once for a filling snack.

Veggie Noodle & Feta Frittata

Frittatas are one of my favorite items to meal prep (or just cook in general). They are a great all in one meal (they have protein from the eggs, healthy fats also from the eggs and in this one the feta, and fiber and phytonutrients too AKA veggies). Plus, they’re super versatile - they can be breakfast, snack, lunch, “brinner” and they generally stay pretty fresh most of the week. Oh and they’re delicious! This recipe uses Cece’s Veggie Co pre-made organic veggie noodles to make it EVEN easier to make. You can find some Cece’s near you here.

Paleo-Friendly Banana Bread (No-Sugar Added)

This banana bread has been a huge hit with everyone who has taste tested it! No one can even guess that it is sweetened ONLY by the bananas, and it has the most divine texture! It’s completely gluten, grain, dairy and added sugar free but not flavor-free at all! I love making different versions of it by adding different “mix ins” each time (nuts, dried blueberries, chocolate, seeds, you name it!)

Broccoli Tots

As if I needed another way to eat broccoli… for any of you that follow me on social media, you know that it’s my FAVORITE vegetable. However, this recipe is great, because it sneaks broccoli in for even the pickiest of eaters who think they don’t like broccoli. Broccoli is in the cruciferous vegetable family and contains beneficial compounds that help the body detox harmful substances and also fight free radicals in the body (AKA it has powerful antioxidants). You don’t need to memorize all that nutrition jargon but I think the jury is out, that broccoli is great for us! This recipe is super easy to make, grain and gluten-free, and can easily be made dairy-free with a substitution.

Orange Cranberry Bread

The orange juice in this bread adds a touch of sweetness, and makes it so moist, plus the citrus and cranberry together give off all the winter vibes! There is no other sugar sweetening the bread so it’s great for long, sustained energy. Plus the almond and coconut flour add healthy fats and fiber! I love this bread for a breakfast or a snack, either plain or with yogurt and or nut butter on top.

Orange Cranberry Bread

Granola Stuffed Banana Bread Cookies

Honestly, the overly long name of this recipe really says it all. These cookies combine all the best things - banana bread, granola, and cookies. I mean what more could you ask for? Bonus is that they are only sweetened by the banana, and have healthy fats, fiber and protein to keep you full. So these are a great sweet treat or energizing snack! Whenever I have ripe bananas I like to make a batch for snacking on the go.

Beet Cranberry Scones

This recipe will also get you in the holiday spirit but you can totally replace the cranberries for something else and make this any time of year! I love adding the SuperBeets beet collagen to these because beets have so many health benefits including helping to support a healthy cardiovascular system. And collagen is essential for helping to support things like healthy skin. The texture of these is more “cakey” thank a traditional scone (less crumbly) but they’re a delicious breakfast or tea time snack regardless! Here is a link to get your own SuperBeets beet collagen so you can make your own! These are paleo-friendly, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free and refined-sugar free.

Cinnamon Cassava Muffins

If you've been following me for any amount of time you will know that muffins are one of my favorite food groups ;) They are portable, easy to meal prep and if you use the right ingredients, they can be full of energy boosting nutrients. These cinnamon cassava muffins are all of the above, plus they are super delicious! Cassava flour is a grain-free flour, which means it is less refined so it has a slower release of energy (instead of quick energy spike followed by an energy crash), it also does not have any "anti-nutrients" found in many grains and is paleo and gluten-free! Here is a link to buy my favorite brand (Otto's cassava flour) on Amazon and here is a link to buy on their website.