But aside from the research-backed benefits this humble fruit carries, it’s no surprise that apples tend to be our first pick from the fruit bowl: They’re absolutely delicious.

Now, as we enter the new year, ready to tackle our health goals, it’s important to keep in mind that, like all things in life, it’s all about striking a balance. And it’s safe to say that Elise Smith, a pastry chef and recipe developer, accomplishes just that on the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, with her latest creation: a luscious vegan caramel apple tart with coconut whipped cream. Swoon.

Aside from the perfectly-balanced flavors in this decadent dessert—creamy coconut whipped cream, a crunchy graham cracker crust, a sweet coconut caramel layer, and tangy Granny Smith apples—Smith reminds us that treating ourselves to a tasty homemade treat is an absolutely necessary part of a well-balanced lifestyle (and if it’s made with nourishing, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly ingredients, all the better). Plus, she shares several helpful chef-approved tips that guarantee you’ll nail this recipe on the very first try.

Why this vegan caramel apple tart is a recipe we’ll be making on repeat

Of course, for many, baking is something you can’t wait to be done with (along with gift-wrapping) once the holidays are over and the year comes to an end. But that definitely doesn’t stop our insatiable need to finish dinner with something sweet once January rolls around.

That being said, baking doesn’t always have to be as tedious or time-consuming as making Grandma’s classic thumbprint cookies. On the contrary, with the help of a pastry chef’s super-practical hacks for making a tart in a few easy steps, you can be on your way to eating homemade, bakery-worthy desserts in mere minutes.

In this episode, Smith makes an easy apple tart with less than 10 gluten-free and vegan-friendly ingredients. And it’s far easier than you could ever imagine. She breaks down making a tart into three main steps: the crust, the filling, and the toppings.

For starters, Smith whips together a simple two-ingredient—yes, that’s really it!—crust using crushed vegan graham crackers and vegan butter. The key is using a springform pan that makes transferring and unmolding the crust as easy and crack-free as possible.

Then, Smith shows how to make a super simple vegan caramel (pro tip: double the recipe to save some extra for later). Lastly, she makes a cloud-like whipped coconut cream to slather over the tangy, thinly-sliced green apples for the perfect well-balanced dessert to start the year off right. Seriously, check out the episode if you’re in the mood to start your year off deliciously.

Vegan, gluten-free caramel apple tart recipe

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups vegan graham crackers, ground
5 Tbsp vegan unsalted butter

For the caramel:
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cornstarch
6 ounces vegan coconut cream

For the toppings:
1 Granny Smith apple
12 ounces vegan coconut cream
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs and vegan butter in a small bowl until the mixture resembles a sand-like texture. Add the mixture to a greased and lined springform pan. Using the back of a measuring cup, gently press the mixture into the bottom and into the lip of the pan about half an inch tall to form a crust. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven, and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the crust to the refrigerator and let it set for about 20 minutes. The sides of the crust should begin to pull away from the edges.

2. To make the caramel, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add brown sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch. Then, before adding the coconut cream, use a sieve lined with a paper towel to separate the coconut fat from the excess liquid in the coconut cream. Add the remaining coconut fat left on the paper towel into the caramel mixture. Whisk the mixture until thoroughly combined and the sugar is fully dissolved. Next, pour the caramel into the crust and move it around to coat the bottom entirely. Gently tap the pan on the surface to remove any air bubbles. Then, place it in the refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.

3. For the toppings, thinly slice the apple. Then, remove the tart from the springform pan and layer it with the sliced apples. Set it aside. To make the coconut whipped cream, combine coconut cream and vanilla in a stand mixer, starting on low speed and working up to high speed until you have stiff full peaks. Halfway through, add the confectioner’s sugar, and continue beating on high. Once whipped, add the cream on top of the tart, and serve.

Next on the menu: Gluten-free herb parmesan biscuits: 

On the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, Elise Smith, a pastry chef and recipe developer, reinvents this signature childhood staple with a gluten-free, dairy-free, and zesty twist. In the new video, Smith makes her own tasty version of Little Bites with a downright delicious recipe for spiced sweet potato glazed mini donuts with a citrusy glaze.

Unlike the daunting duty of making donuts from scratch using fancy pastry tools and a deep fryer, this recipe is so much simpler (read: perfect for those just embarking on their baking journey). All you need are the appliances you already have in your kitchen, like a mixer (or whisk) and a muffin tin. Plus, these donuts don’t require any messy frying. Ready to dive in?

Why we’re so in love with these sweet potato donuts

As the saying goes, some of the best things in life come in small packages, which is especially true when it comes to baked goods that serve as the ideal cozy breakfast.

Unlike the tedious process of frying old-fashioned donuts, these come together using a muffin pan, which makes portioning out the batter into bite-sized treats beyond effortless (and BTW, baking them is completely mess-free).

During the episode, Smith shares tons of practical tips for making these citrusy sweet potato donut holes—like using a fork to mash ingredients, such as the roasted sweet potatoes, into the batter. She also (*insert massive sigh of relief*) shows us the right way to zest citrus using a Microplane.

But aside from the pro pastry knowledge you’ll gain making these donut holes, know that you’ll also reap a bevy of health benefits with every bite. For starters, the luscious batter is made with roasted sweet potato purée that adds a nice bright color, gut-boosting fiber, potassium, and tons of vitamin A to help maintain a strong immune system. Meanwhile, the glaze, which is made with a generous amount of lemon and orange zest, can aid digestion and adds a small amount of calcium, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber (plus a boatload of flavor). And as if your taste buds weren’t dancing with joy already, this sweet treat is packed with anti-inflammatory spices like cinnamon, allspice, clove, and her favorite secret ingredient in the recipe: cardamom.

We hope you donut mind if we keep making these until further notice!

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Donut Holes

Yields 24 donut holes

Ingredients

Donut Batter:
2 cups gluten-free flour
1/4 Tsp ground clove
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 Tsp ground cardamom
1/2 Tsp ground allspice
1/2 Tsp salt
2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 ounces (6 Tbsp) melted coconut oil
4 ounces (8 Tbsp) room-temperature oat milk
1 room-temperature egg
1 Tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sweet potato purée

Citrus Glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
Zest of an orange
Zest of half a lemon
2 Tbsp oat milk
1 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roast sweet potato covered in foil for one hour until tender. Let it cool. Once cool, remove the skin and mash using the back of a fork.

2. In a large bowl, combine gluten-free flour, clove, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, and baking powder, and whisk until evenly combined. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown sugar, coconut oil, oat milk, and egg. On low speed, mix until it is combined for about two minutes, increasing the speed to medium about halfway through.

4. Then, add the sweet potato and vanilla extract into the mixer and mix on medium until the potato begins to mix in with the mixture.

5. Next, add the dry ingredients into the wet in two parts and mix until thoroughly combined. Using a spatula, gently fold the batter a few times to ensure everything is evenly mixed.

6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, grease a 24-mini muffin tin with avocado oil. Portion the dough in the tin using a two-teaspoon mini cookie dough scooper, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and fluffy. Let it fully cool.

7. In the meantime, make the glaze. In a small bowl, add the confectioner’s sugar. Then, using a Microplane, zest an entire orange and half of a lemon in the bowl. Pour in oat milk and orange juice, and whisk until glaze consistency. Adding more juice if needed to reach the desired texture.

8. Add each cooled donut hole into the glaze and, using a fork, coat the entire dessert on all sides. Let the glaze set, and enjoy!

Before you freak out and start anticipating everything that can go wrong as you embark on a baking endeavor for the (starts finger-counting) fifth time in your life, we’re here to say you really have nothing to worry about. Especially if you follow this gluten-free herb parmesan biscuits recipe from the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp with Elise Smith, a pastry chef and recipe developer.

In the episode, Smith shares tips for making the flakiest and cheesiest biscuits everyone will love. And trust, it’s so much easier than you might think. In fact, making these biscuits is almost as therapeutic as eating them, and the result will be a labor of love. (And apologies in advance for all the times your friends will be requesting the recipe once they dig into these.)

The secret to making the perfect biscuits, according to a pastry chef

According to Smith, the secret to mastering biscuits comes down to how you roll them out. She recommends a variation of a book-fold method, which entails folding the dough like a book to evenly distribute the butter and form a flakier pastry. This technique is commonly used when working with laminated doughs, like danishes, where the butter is placed in the center of the dough and the edges are folded inward to meet at the center, then folded again at the center line (like closing a thick book).

Another expert tip Smith shares for making flaky biscuits is using cold—like really cold, but not frozen—cubed butter, which then gets worked into the dough minimally so that the tiny bits of butter stay intact before the biscuits go into the oven. According to Smith, cold butter is one of the key differences between brick-hard biscuits and light, fluffy ones. That’s because the cold butter release steam as they melt when cooked. If the butter is softened too much, it’ll get too overworked into the dough and result in dense biscuits.

Aside from creating fluffy, delicious biscuits, butter also has a few health perks. Seriously: Contrary to popular belief, butter doesn’t deserve the bad wrap it often gets. But like everything in life, consuming this ingredient in moderation is key. “High-quality butter—preferably organic, grass-fed—is incredibly nutrient-dense, providing vitamins A, D, and E. Vitamin A is essential to a healthy cardiovascular system,” Elyse Kopecky, a marathoner and the co-author of the breakfast-centric cookbook, Rise and Run, previously told Well+Good.

To learn more expert tips on how to make the perfect biscuits, check out the full episode.

Gluten-free herb parmesan biscuits recipe

Yields 9 biscuits

Ingredients

4 cups gluten-free flour
1/4 cup fine-grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tsp salt
1 cup cold butter, cubed
1 1/4 cup buttermilk, reserve a small amount for laminating the biscuits
A few sprigs of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (optional)

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, parmesan, baking powder, and salt together. Whisk until thoroughly combined and create a small well in the center.

2. Add the cold butter and gently toss to coat. Using your hands, break down the butter until they’re the size of a pea. When the dough can hold its shape when pressed together, you’re ready for the next step.

3. Add buttermilk and gently mix together with a spatula.

4. Dust a flat surface with flour and add the dough. Bring the dough together to form a large mound. Gently press the dough into a rectangle about one inch tall using your hands.

5. Next, fold the dough into threes using a bench scraper, and close it like a book. Then, using the bench scraper, cut the dough in the center and stack the two pieces on top of each other. Press down on the stack to form a rectangle once again. Repeat the process two more times.

6. Once complete, roll the dough flat using a rolling pin and square off the edges using the bench scraper. Then, cut the dough into nine equal pieces.

7. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.

8. Once the biscuits have chilled, use a pastry brush dipped in buttermilk to lightly cover the surface. Then, add a decorative herb in the center.

9. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

In the mood to bake some more? Next on the menu is this gluten-free lemon loaf:

On the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, nutrition coach and baker Sashah Handal shares her easy and delicious vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe that’s perfect for filling up your fall-themed snack jar. With a few simple modifications to a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, Handal transforms this easy dessert into a plant-based, soul-soothing masterpiece. And don’t worry—she certainly doesn’t skimp out on the chocolate chips.

Why this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe is our new fall go-to

Where to begin? First of all, their sweet, chocolatey flavor: It’ll be nearly impossible to resist one of these chocolate chip cookies after their delicious aroma fills your kitchen as they bake to perfection. What’s more, Handal’s quick and easy recipe calls for just 11 ingredients—most of which you’ll already have in your pantry. But what makes these chocolate chip cookies truly unique is that they’re sneakily made of entirely plant-based ingredients (which you’d never know from their buttery flavor and rich texture). Instead of dairy butter and eggs, Handal swaps them for vegan butter and almond milk, making these chocolate chip cookies safe for anyone with a dairy allergy (or sensitivity) as well as those who follow a plant-based diet.

And although these cookies are technically classified as dessert, they’re filled with protein-packed ingredients, making them the perfect energy-boosting snack for any time of day. For starters, the almond flour. While all-purpose flour (which is also used in this recipe) has its own benefits, like B6, iron, zinc, and selenium, adding almond flour will up the nutritional ante further. Think major protein, heart-healthy fats, fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium.

But that’s not the only heart-healthy ingredient on the list. The cookies are also packed with delicious chopped pecans, which are rich in zinc, which acts as a powerful antioxidant. Zinc can help support your immune system, fight free radicals in the body, and reduce inflammation. Pecans are also loaded with vitamin E, which studies have shown can fight inflammation and maintain brain health as you age. (Keep in mind that if you have a nut allergy or would rather make this recipe nut-free, it’s totally fine to eliminate the pecans or adjust the ingredients as needed.)

As with any divine cookie recipe, the real star of the show is undeniably the loads of chocolate chips Handal adds to the bowl. She recommends a mix of dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips, but says you can use whichever type you prefer. So load up those measuring cups, folks: Chocolate is, after all, filled with longevity-boosting properties. That’s because chocolate (specifically dark chocolate with over 70 percent cacao) contains flavanols, aka phytonutrients found in cocoa, which have strong antioxidant effects. Plus, dark chocolate is packed with important minerals—like magnesium, zinc, and iron—which can also help keep your brain healthy as you age.

Ready to *fall* in love with your new go-to cookie recipe? Let’s get preheating.

Vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe

Yields 18 cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup vegan butter softened, cubed
1/3 cup cane sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup almond milk
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 almond flour
2 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp baking soda
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups semi-sweet, dairy-free chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, combine the butter, cane sugar, and brown sugar. On medium to medium high-speed, cream the ingredients.

2. Add the almond and vanilla to the dough and mix until well-incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Start adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly. Mix in the stand mixer until fully incorporated.

4. Add in the chocolate chips and pecans, and fold them into the batter using a spatula.

5. Cover and place the dough in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

6. Use a cookie scoop to create large cookie dough mounds and space them on a cookie sheet about two inches apart. Sprinkle each with a small pinch of flaky sea salt.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, rotating them halfway through. Let the cookies cool for five minutes before serving.

The gluten-free dish is crunchy, flavorful, and filled with one of our favorite ingredients… corn! And, of course, like TikTok-famous corn-bassador Tariq, we also can’t imagine a more beautiful thing than the starchy veggie unless it’s a recipe filled with it, like arepas. The classic Latin American dish is made with a few simple ingredients like cornmeal and water and can be stuffed with cheese, sweet plantains, or protein-packed beans, just to name a few.

On the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, nutrition coach and baker Sashah Handal shares her version of a super easy gluten-free, vegan arepa recipe. Although there are different ways to make and eat arepas like these three-ingredient Venezuelan-style arepas, one thing that we can all agree on is that they’re absolutely delicious with a heaping pile of freshly grated cheese or creamy avocado.

Why do we love arepas so much?

For starters, this crunchy, crispy dish is made using cornmeal, which is a naturally gluten-free and vegan ingredient packed with protein and fiber. In each serving of the cornmeal—which is roughly one arepa—you can find almost six percent of your daily value of dietary fiber and about two grams of protein. And, like your favorite burrito or sandwich, the real magic is in how you choose to stuff or top your arepas.

In the episode, Handal makes her interpretation of an arepa with just five ingredients and a few simple steps. “This is just the traditional way that my family would make and enjoy them,” she explains. Though most arepa recipes call for solely corn flour, water, and salt, Handal adds softened vegan cultured butter, baking soda, and cornstarch for added flavor and texture. (FYI: Don’t fret if you don’t have these ingredients on hand, an arepa can be made without them as well.)

After making the dough, shaping the arepas, and cooking them on the stovetop until golden brown and crispy, Handal tops them off with a variety of ingredients like creamy diced avocado, pineapple-mango salsa, and pico de gallo. If that’s not your cup of tea, you can also slice them down the middle and stuff them with a Venezuelan-style avocado chicken salad (reina pepiada) or scrambled eggs with onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes (perico).

Handal’s gluten-free, vegan arepa recipe

Yields 5-6 servings

Ingredients
1 cup masa harina (precooked corn flour)
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp vegan cultured butter, softened

1. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, starch, and baking powder.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the water. Remove from the heat once hot, and add salt. Let it cool slightly.

3. Slowly add half of the hot, salted water into the dry ingredients until the dough is shaggy. You may not need all of the water for this step.

4. Next, add the butter to the dough in small pieces. Using your hands, work the ingredients together until the dough is fully incorporated and not wet or too dry. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter.

5. Shape the dough into small, round disks. In a large pan over medium-high heat, add the remaining butter. Cook on one side until golden brown for about 10 minutes, flip, and repeat.

6. Serve hot and finish with the toppings of your choice, like avocado, pico de gallo, or salsa.

If you’re one that loves to eat with the seasons and think that shopping at the Farmers’ Market is basically the ideal first date, you’ve likely taken full advantage of the strawberry season this year, which lasts between March and August. Not ready to say goodbye to delicious, juicy fresh strawberries until next spring? Consider this strawberry dessert recipe your last hurrah.

On the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, nutrition coach and baker Sashah Handal shares her super easy vegan strawberry shortcake recipe. “Most cakes can be really fussy and kind of tedious—this cake is not that,” Handal says. TBH, we’re always down to take on a no-fuss, drama-free recipe that tastes great any day of the week. Read on for the full recipe, and follow along in the video above to see how it’s done.

What makes this no-fuss, vegan strawberry shortcake the perfect sweet treat

We’ll start by saying you don’t need to be a seasoned baker to nail this recipe. Unlike a tiered cake that is as intimidating to make as it is to transport from point A to point B, this no-fuss and drama-free recipe is as casual as it comes. With a few dairy-free ingredients, Handal transforms a traditional strawberry shortcake dessert into a two-tiered delight that requires no special tools or appliances that you don’t already have hanging out in your kitchen.

Handal’s light and refreshing strawberry shortcake features two nine-inch vegan cake loaves layered with vegan whipped cream and topped with fresh macerated strawberries. Unlike other shortcake recipes that use shortening, cream, eggs, or loads of butter for the wet ingredients, this simple cake is made using only dairy-free products like almond milk and dairy-free yogurt to achieve the perfect flavor, volume, and texture, as Handal describes it.

To achieve the perfect fluffy, airy, and super flavorful cake layers, Handal uses two secret ingredients to really make the recipe shine—aka gut-healthy ACV and a splash of almond extract. “Apple cider vinegar will react with both of my leaveners—we used both baking soda and baking powder. That will create the ultimate volume in this cake,” she says. The almond extract imparts that classic nutty, buttery, and luscious vanilla shortcake flavor.

The real star of the show is, of course, the super tasty and nutrient-dense strawberries. This all-time favorite fruit is filled with tons of antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C that help fight free radicals and support gut and immune health. Not to mention, they’re loaded with tons of nutrients and minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium that help keep bones strong and healthy. Drooling yet?

Dairy-free strawberry shortcake recipe

Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients
3 cups Bob’s Red Mill pastry flour, sifted
1 1/2 cup superfine cane sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 pounds strawberries, stemmed and quartered
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 almond milk
2/3 cup dairy-free yogurt, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups cold, dairy-free whipped cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, add the strawberries and sugar. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Create a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, yogurt, vinegar, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined, and add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture.

5. Separate the batter into two nine-inch cake pans lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

6. Assemble the layer cake by placing one layer of cake on a cake stand. Then, spread half of the whipped cream using a spatula on the surface, and add strawberries to cover the cream. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like chocolate is the answer roughly 99 percent of the time. Whether you’re going through a recent breakup, had a hard day, or simply want a little something to make you smile even wider, cocoa is the name of the game. After all, chocolate is loaded with polyphenols that boost health, mood, and longevity. Sold yet?

On the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, nutritionist Mia Rigden, CNS shares her sophisticated twist on traditional brownies with a few ingredient swaps that make this version a healthier, fudgier, and even more delicious version than boxed brownies. (Sorry, Betty Crocker. But also love you forever.)

So, what makes these brownies so much better than a boxed mix, you may ask? Let me tip you in on a little secret. Rigden uses hearty-healthy olive oil to make these brownies rich, creamy, and super moist (in addition to adding major anti-inflammatory, heart-healthy benefits to the dessert). She makes a few other RD-approved modifications to make her brownies even more delicious than ever, too. Ready to get baking? Read on for the full recipe, and follow along in the video above to see how it’s done.

Why these fudge brownies reign supreme

Like any great brownie recipe, this recipe includes the trifecta of ingredients to make them fudgy, chocolatey, and oh-so-decadent: flour, a source of fat to bind everything together, and boatloads of chocolate. However, to make these brownies RD-approved, Rigden swaps out a few ingredients like butter and refined sugar to give this recipe a delicious, nutrient-rich glow-up. Oh, and did I mention they’re gluten-free and dairy-free, too?

For starters, in the episode, Rigden builds a strong case for using olive oil instead of a fat like butter or Crisco. “I love using olive oil in this recipe because it adds a little bit of nuttiness and richness and a ton of nutrition. Olive oil is super anti-inflammatory; it’s got healthy omega-9 fatty acids and tons of antioxidants and polyphenols,” she says.

But olive isn’t the only heart-healthy ingredient that can help boost longevity in this recipe. Of course, this brownie recipe includes tons and tons of chocolate, which is one of the many reasons that it tastes so great. However, aside from tasting delicious, consuming dark chocolate with a 70 percent or greater cacao content can help reduce your risk of heart disease and dementia, as well as improve your mood.

But the benefits don’t end there. Rigden swaps out refined sugar for unrefined coconut sugar and regular all-purpose flour for fiber-filled, nutrient-rich almond flour. Believe us when we say these replacements will go completely unnoticed by even the most ardent brownie purists. To hear why you should really try this recipe out and all its health benefits, check out the full episode to learn more.

Heart-healthy fudge brownies recipe

Yields 16 servings

Ingredients
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for greasing the pan)
1 cup almond flour
3 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch of sea salt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup coconut sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, melt one cup of the chocolate chips in the olive oil using a bain-marie over low to medium heat. Stir the mixture until fully combined and melted. Once melted, remove from the heat, and let cool for five minutes.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Mix until combined.

3. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and coconut sugar to a third bowl. Whisk until combined. Next, slowly pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, whisking until fully mixed together.

4. Add the dry ingredients into the egg and chocolate mixture. Fold together until fully incorporated.

5. Add the remaining chocolate chips and stir.

6. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, slice, and serve.

Don’t get me wrong. A creamy Dole Whip is definitely worth the wait, but what if we said you didn’t have to test your patience to satisfy your pineapple soft-serve dreams anymore? Plus, don’t we all wish we could snack on this dreamy dessert all year long without having to dish out the cash to pay an expensive park entry fee?

Thankfully, on the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, nutritionist Mia Rigden, CNS, showed us how to make this four-ingredient dairy-free Dole Whip recipe from the comfort of your own kitchen without having to stand in a line at a busy amusement park for hours on end. Goodbye, pricey park tickets… Hello, the best summery dessert that ever lived!

Why we’re *so* obsessed with this Dole Whip recipe

Let me be the first to say that you can never be too old to indulge in a Disney-style treat like this creamy and dreamy Dole Whip soft-serve recipe. TBH, it checks off all of the boxes when it comes to the perfect summertime dessert: refreshing, fruity, and packed with tropical paradise vibes. Check, check, and check. Plus, aside from tasting like your favorite childhood ice cream, it’s made with just four ingredients and comes loaded with a bounty of health benefits too.

For starters, this delicious soft serve is dairy-free and can be made using all vegan products. And for that iconic Hawaiian vacation-like twist, it features pineapple in two ways—both in juice and frozen chunk form—for max sweet-tart-and-tropical flavor. Trust us, nostalgia will be instantly activated upon the first lick. Plus, pineapple, which is the only source of dietary bromelain (a digestive enzyme that breaks down food) is also known for its hydrating, gut health, and immune-supporting benefits. TL; DR? This pineapple-loaded recipe is a win, win.

As if that weren’t enough, this treat features a secret ingredient that Rigden adds to give it a special kick of flavor and anti-inflammatory benefits. Unlike a traditional Dole Whip recipe, this version includes a small nub of ginger which adds zestiness and acts as a powerful antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain. Trust us: The delicate spice flavor of ginger pairs perfectly with the tart and sweet pineapple. Finally, to achieve that perfect soft-serve consistency without any fancy ice cream-making equipment, Rigden shares her pro tips for making it at home in the episode.

Ready to get in line (or lack thereof) to discover your new favorite dessert? Find the full DIY dairy-free dole whip recipe in the video above as you follow along using these instructions.

Vegan Dole Whip recipe

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients
1 cup vegan vanilla ice cream
2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2-inch nub of ginger, peeled
Pineapple wedges, for garnish (optional)

1. In a blender, add the vanilla ice cream, pineapple juice, pineapple chunks, and ginger. Blend at high speed until smooth and creamy.

2. Place it in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then, transfer the ice cream into a piping bag to squeeze into a cup or bowl.

3. Garnish with pineapple wedges.

If you’re as obsessed with this eggy snack as we are, we’ve got great news: Nutritionist Mia Rigden, CNS showed us how to make them from scratch on the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp. These egg frittata muffins are just like store-bought ones but simpler to make, richer in nutrients, and even more delicious.

“Frittata muffins are a great vehicle for adding different vegetables and flavorings,” Rigden says. Her recipe features hearty, nutritious ingredients like eggs, spinach, and mushrooms for a super flavorful and filling snack that’s great for brain and heart health. Not to mention the fact that DIY-ing these is a great way to save a good chunk of change at the coffee shop. We’re obviously sold.

What makes these egg frittata muffins so good (and so good for you)

For starters, these pre-portioned frittata muffins have approximately one egg per serving, which means six grams of protein and some of the best nutrients for brain health. “The reason why eggs are so great for brain health is because an egg has every nutrient we need to make a brain cell,” psychiatrist Drew Ramsey, MD, previously told Well+Good. According to Dr. Ramsey, these nutrients include protein, iron, zinc, selenium, iodine, folate, vitamin A, choline, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids 1 and 3. And guess what? Eggs have *all* of them.

“Eggs have a lot of vitamin A, which is a carotenoid and the precursor to retinol, and that’s the same vitamin that gives carrots, oranges, and sweet potatoes that orange hue,” Rigden says in the episode. In addition to the bounty of health benefits you’ll reap from the eggs in these frittata muffins, they’re also packed with tons of vitamins and minerals from the spinach and mushroom topping.

Spinach, for one, is a key source of plant-based iron, folate (which has been shown to help protect against breast cancer), and potassium (which is essential for muscle activity). Meanwhile, some research has shown that mushrooms are not only great for your skin and immune system but also might help prevent cognitive decline.

And if this isn’t convincing enough, Rigden’s gluten-free frittata muffins recipe is perfect for whipping up large batches at a time (if you love to meal prep, this is just the breakfast recipe you need) and cleanup is basically nonexistent. In the video, Rigden portions out each egg bite using a muffin pan and liners to make this the ideal grab-and-go snack. To add extra creamy, tangy flavor, she uses feta cheese (BTW, if you’re sensitive to dairy or don’t love cheese, Rigden says it’s NBD and that you can skip the ingredient altogether).

Now that we’re all craving a bite, you can find the recipe below and watch the full episode to see exactly how it’s done. Pro tip: Make extra, as this recipe is super freezer-friendly.

Egg frittata muffins recipe

Yields 12 servings

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 cup diced mushrooms
2 cups chopped spinach
12 eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 8-ounce block of feta cheese, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the shallots, followed by the mushrooms and spinach. Season with salt and pepper, and saute until the mushrooms shrink by half and the spinach wilts. Set mixture aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut milk until well combined and frothy. Season with salt.

4. Ladle the egg mixture evenly in each muffin tin, then top with the mushroom and spinach mixture, followed by the feta.

5. Bake for 25 minutes until set.

This is the ideal recipe for really any type of household in that it involves just two fairly standard ingredients: eggs and bananas. For obvious reasons, Rigden calls the resultant concoction—which simply mixes the two—a “banancake.” Delightful.

Rigden says she feeds banana pancakes to her son (and herself) every morning, in large part because she’s a big fan of the nutrition profile of eggs. “They have all the essential amino acids, so lots of protein, they’ve got omega-3 fatty acids, [and] tons of vitamins and minerals [including] biotin and choline, which is really wonderful for brain health,” she explains. And then bananas are great, too, because they’re easy to digest, packed with potassium, and just the right amount of sweet.

There is one final component to the perfect banancake, though: the flip. “If you’ve been following me during quarantine, you may have seen a lot of banana cake flipping in my household,” says Rigden. In the video, her husband does the honors while sharing his three keys to perfect technique. Watch the video to find out what they are and get the full banancake demo along with a few adorable sous chef-hubby fails.

On the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, nutrition coach and baker Sashah Handal shares her go-to gluten-free, vegan, and super easy cherry pie recipe that’s delicious enough to win the content at the state fair (not to put ideas in your head or anything). A little sweet, a little tart, and majorly low-lift, this simple recipe requires minimal time spent in the kitchen and no laborious kneading—it really is, as the saying goes, easy as pie. Not to mention the fact that Handal says this recipe tastes just like a cherry-flavored Pop-Tart (…enough said, we’re sold).

Ready to get pitted? You can find the easy cherry pie recipe below—and be sure to watch the full episode to see exactly how it’s done.

Why this easy cherry pie recipe would win first place at any pie-making contest

This easy cherry pie recipe checks off all of the boxes when it comes to nailing the perfect pie anatomy. It has a thick crust filled with a tart and sweet fruity filling, and it’s entirely plant-based—which is an automatic win in my book.

Handal clearly knows a thing or two when it comes to making an award-worthy pie that’s allergy-friendly and packed with health benefits. With a few easy ingredient swaps, she turns a classic cherry dessert into a vegan and gluten-free treat for everyone to enjoy. Unlike most pie crust recipes that call for tons of butter or vegetable shortening, this version uses cashew butter to bind the ingredients together with a healthier, high-protein source of fat. Cashew butter is not only a great vegan butter alternative for baking, but it’s also high in essential nutrients like copper, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and zinc.

As for the rest of the crust mixture, Handal combines oat and white rice flour instead of regular all-purpose flour, which gives it a deliciously toothsome texture. And to flavor things up, she uses maple syrup in place of refined sugar, and adds a dash of vanilla and almond extract for a hint of nutty sweetness.

Aside from the perfect combination of ingredients, Handal also shares how to nail the crust’s consistency (the most challenging part, IMO) with a few genius baking tips, including using a food processor instead of kneading the dough and rolling it once—and only once—it’s been chilled. Her go-to crust-making tips really prove that making pie crust from scratch should really be no big deal.

Now, like true love (it’s what’s on the inside that counts), cue the star of the show: the antioxidant-rich cherry filling. With cherry season in full swing, this fruity filling is balanced with a mixture of lemon, cinnamon, and maple syrup for what Handal says tastes just like a cherry-flavored Pop-Tart. “It’s sweet but tart and so fruity,” she gushes as she takes the first bite. When analyzing the cross-section of a perfect slice of this pie, she shows the gooey, bright red cherry filling that oozes like jam and a beautiful lattice crust that covers the top of the dessert that’ll make your guests ooh and ahh with every bite. Seriously, it’s divine.

Gluten-free and vegan cherry pie recipe

Yields 8 slices

Ingredients

For the pie crust:
2/3 cup oat flour
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup cashew butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp almond extract (optional)

For the filling:
3 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp tapioca starch
1 3/4 cup thawed frozen cherries
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp sugar

1. For the crust, combine all of the crust ingredients together in a food processor and pulse until a sticky ball forms. Then, place the dough in the fridge while you make the filling for at least 15 minutes.

2. For the filling, combine the maple syrup and tapioca starch in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Next, add the remaining ingredients and stir.

3. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Roll out the first half into a half-inch layer on a floured parchment paper and line the pan with the crust.

4. Next, pour the filling into the crust and make sure it is an even, flat layer.

5. Roll out the remaining half of the dough and use a sharp knife to slice one-inch lattice panels to cross-weave on top of the filling.

6. Bake for approximately 40-45 mins, until edges are golden and crispy and filling bubbles. Allow to cool on a cooling rack or enjoy while warm.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly. 

As the saying goes, “sharing is caring,” and this gluten-free recipe is perfect for snacking on with the entire family or friend group. “I am going to save one of these because every time I make them, my husband and my son devour them immediately,” Rigden shares as she takes a bite. Crafted with nutrient-dense ingredients like gluten-free flour, rolled oats, raisins, and cinnamon, this healthy snack will satisfy your sweet tooth while offering many health benefits to help fuel your day.

Why we love these oatmeal raisin cookie bars

Rigden’s carefully-crafted recipe transforms a sugary oatmeal cookie into a delicious and nutritionist-approved delight with tons of fiber from the oats and anti-inflammatory properties from the cinnamon, which can help fight the effects of chronic inflammation. She also adds a generous amount of antioxidant-rich raisins, which she says gives the bars an extra bit of natural sweetness and tons of additional fiber. In addition to the raisins, the recipe also calls for grass-fed butter, which is loaded with vitamins A, D, and E. “Grass-fed butter is an excellent healthy fat, and it gives these oatmeal raisin cookie bars this luscious flavor and texture,” Rigden says.

During the video, Rigden shares a few simple baking tips and tricks to guarantee that this recipe comes out perfectly every time. For starters, to ensure that the bars don’t stick to the bottom of the pan, Rigden demonstrates her all-time favorite way to keep this from happening, and it’s a real game-changer. Ready? Rather than scooping the oatmeal batter directly into the pan or greasing it with oil, she lines it with a sheet of parchment paper. Clean-up, fuss-free serving, and no messy pans—check, check, check.

Best of all, this super easy recipe comes together in a matter of minutes and doesn’t require any fancy baking equipment or ingredients. “They’re just so good with a tea in the afternoon or even a weekend breakfast with a coffee. These are one of my favorite desserts to have around the house, and I can’t wait for you to try them,” Rigden gushes.

Now that we’re all craving these, you can find the recipe below and watch the full episode to see exactly how it’s done.

Oatmeal raisin cookie bars recipe

Yields 10 servings

Ingredients
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 cup raisins
Dark chocolate chips for topping, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9 x 12-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, and honey until well-incorporated.

4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to combine.

5. Next, mix in the raisins until evenly incorporated.

6. Press the dough into the baking pan in an even layer and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. If using, gently melt chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzle over the bars.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly. 

If your experience with no-bake nut butter treats is that they taste good but fall apart and leave crumbs everywhere, rest assured that this recipe is completely different. In fact, Handal has developed a brilliant technique for keeping the bites intact in any situation. “I’ve tried making this recipe before where you just put everything into a bowl and kind of mix it together. And it does have a really yummy, crunchy texture,” Handal says. “But I find that when you process the nuts and the oats first, they tend to bind together a lot easier. Instead of having crumbs falling every time you take a bite when you’re eating on the subway, these actually hold in a nice tight ball and when you take a bite everything is saved either in your mouth or in your hand.” Another game-changing trick: Enlist a silicone spatula so you can get into every nook and cranny of your food processor or blender. Why waste any of that precious homemade nut butter, you know?

BTW, keep in mind that this recipe is super forgiving: If you prefer almond butter to peanut, go for it. No pecans or pistachios on hand? Swap in whatever type of nut you have laying around in your pantry. You truly can’t go wrong.

In addition to being easy to make with whatever you have at home and great for taking on the go, these no-bake peanut butter clusters are loaded with heart- and brain-boosting benefits. For one, oats, flax, peanut butter, pecans, and pistachios are all packed with plant-based protein and gut-friendly fiber, two key nutrients for heart health. You’ll also reap tons of vitamins and minerals from the nice variety of nuts used in this recipe, from vitamin E and K to B vitamins and magnesium. Flaxseed meal is also one of the top food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are a key part of maintaining brain health and cardiovascular health as you age.

Press play on the video to get the full recipe, and follow along using the instructions below.

No-bake peanut butter clusters recipe

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup pistachios
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Combine all of your ingredients except for the chocolate chips in a food processor. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender instead.)

2. Next, fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

3. Use a medium cookie scoop to create one- to two-inch balls.

4. Freeze for 15 minutes and enjoy any time of day for an energy boost!

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Two things that make these loaves so good for your gut: the gluten-free all-purpose flour and the chia seeds. “The combination of flours [called for] are already nice and high in fiber, and they’re full of good carbohydrates,” Handal says, explaining that the fiber-rich flours both boost your digestive system and help keep you energized. She uses Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour in the recipe, which is a blend of rice flours, potato starch, whole grain sorghum flour, and tapioca flour. “They have done all of the tedious work of finding out which ratios of which gluten-free flowers work best together,” Handal says. And because it already contains xanthan gum—which acts as a binder for gluten-free flours—all you have to do is measure and add to your recipe. That’s it: Zero guesswork, experimentation, or fussy ingredients required.

But the nutritional value of this dreamy loaf recipe doesn’t stop there. “The benefits of chia seeds go on and on and on,” Handal says. For starters, they’re packed with longevity-boosting omega-3s, along with protein and fiber. Chia seeds bring important textural components to the table, too; they add both a slight crunch to the bread as well as help bind the wet and dry ingredients in the dough together. “Chia seeds are so cool. They can absorb nine times their weight,” Handal adds. “So whenever you get a chia seed pudding or you put it in your smoothie, it just becomes like this additional filler in the best way possible.”

Ready to bake? Press play on the video to get the full recipe, and follow along below.

Gut-healthy, gluten-free lemon chia bread recipe

Ingredients

For the loaf:
1 3/4 cup 1:1 gluten-free flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
3 lemons, zested
1 cup cane sugar
1/3 cup cashew yogurt
1/3 cup oat milk
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 eggs
2/3 cup olive oil
2-3 tbsp chia seeds

For the glaze:
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and coat with neutral oil or cooking spray.

2. Combine the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a medium mixing bowl and sift well.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar together until it feels like wet sand. Add yogurt, milk, lemon juice, and eggs to the sugar mixture and whisk well. Finally, stir in the olive oil and chia seeds, and gently combine the wet and dry ingredients together.

5. Bake for about one hour, or until the center is fully set.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by whisking together the remaining lemon juice and the sifted powdered sugar until a thick glaze forms.

7. Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool on a baking rack. Drizzle the glaze over your loaf while still warm and allow your loaf to cool completely before slicing.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

If you’re unfamiliar with what a dutch baby pancake is, basically it’s a big, beautiful, fluffy, custard-like giant pancake that’s baked in a cast iron pan. In a typical recipe, the pancake gets super tall and voluminous thanks to lots of eggs and dairy. Handal decided to make a vegan version to see if she could “nail the same structure and product without using any animal products.” (Spoiler alert: She hits the nail right on the head.)

Part of Handal’s genius stems from her usage of flax eggs, which are a simple vegan swap for regular eggs that help give the dutch baby its light, airy, toothsome texture. Flaxseeds aren’t just a great replacement for eggs, however: They’re filled with health benefits. This is largely due to their rich omega-3 fatty acids, which are linked to everything from boosting your brain health, your mood, and your cardiovascular system to helping you live longer. “Omega-3s are the polyunsaturated fats that your brain needs most for optimal health and function during the aging process,” neuroscientist Sonja K. Billes, PhD, the founder of August Scientific and a member of the Science Advisory Team at Solaray previously told Well+Good. “This is because low levels of omega-3s have been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. They’re found in fatty fish, nuts such as walnuts, chia and flax seeds, and certain plant oils, like flaxseed oil.”

That’s not even the best part. Everything about the recipe is easy, from the prep to the cleanup. “You literally put everything into the blender, and then you don’t need to deal with any more dishes,” Handals says. “So this is just the perfect recipe for like a lazy Sunday morning breakfast that seems more extravagant than it actually.”

A delicious, giant, looks-fancy-but-takes-minimal-effort pancake? Sold. Once more, just in case it wasn’t clear: “I cannot reiterate how glorious this recipe is,” Handal says. Press play on the video to watch the recipe in action, and follow along with the instructions below.

Vegan dutch baby pancake recipe

Ingredients

Pancake:
1 Tbsp coconut oil
4 flax eggs
2 cups oat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup cane sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

Toppings:
2/3 cup berries
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

1. Place the coconut oil in a 9-inch cast iron skillet as it preheats to 400° F.

2. Next, make your flax eggs by combining 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 4 tablespoons of warm water. Mix well and allow to thicken for five to 10 minutes.

3. Combine all of your ingredients into a blender and pour the mixture into your pre-heated cast iron skillet. Bake for 30-35 mins, until the baby puffs up nicely and the edges become golden and crispy.

4. Top with fresh berries and a delicate dusting of powdered sugar. Be sure to use oven mitts to transfer to a serving plate as the skillet will be very very hot.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Indeed, in this week’s episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, Ridgen shows us how to make a delicious muffin recipe that’s completely free from added sugar and packs both protein and fiber, as well as anti-inflammatory ingredients like bananas, avocado oil, and walnuts. And if you’re someone who avoids gluten or dairy, these are A-okay, as Rigden’s banana-based muffins don’t contain any refined wheat flour, butter, or milk.

In place of refined flour, Rigden swaps in coconut flour, which she says has a deliciously cakey texture. As for sugar? “What’s really interesting about this recipe is that it’s only sweetened with bananas,” Rigden says. “The banana in this recipe not only lends texture to the muffins and the flavor of the banana, but it also is our only source of sugar. So we’re not using any honey, no maple syrup, no coconut sugar, just the natural sweetness of the bananas.” Two mashed bananas go into the base of the muffins, and a third is chopped up and mixed in to add some extra ooey-gooey goodness. Bananas, as you may have heard, are a great source of potassium; this mineral helps balance your sodium levels and helps your body digest carbs. They also contain vitamin C, magnesium, B vitamins, and serve as a solid source of gut-boosting dietary fiber.

This recipe also calls for avocado oil (in place of canola oil, which is more commonly found in banana bread recipes), which is “a great neutral cooking oil,” Rigden says. It adds tons of nutrients without adding any flavor. “Avocado oil is packed with antioxidants… [and] is good for heart health, as it’s been found to reduce triglycerides and ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol without affecting good, HDL cholesterol,” The Nutrition Twins Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, previously told Well+Good. “Avocado oil is [also] rich in the carotenoid lutein, which improves eye health and may reduce the risk of age-related eye diseases.”

And, of course, there are walnuts in the recipe. Rigden says these are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and protein. They’re also really beneficial for heart health. If you have a nut allergy, she recommends simply omitting them from the recipe or using chocolate chips instead.

“You know, I made the recipe and I still feel like it’s crazy because it tastes so sweet and delicious and like a regular muffin,” Rigden says. “It satisfies that muffin craving for me, but without the gluten, the dairy, or the refined sugar.” Press play on the video above, and get the full recipe details below.

The most delicious gluten-free banana muffins recipe

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
3 eggs
1/2 cup avocado oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.

2. In a medium bowl, mash two of the bananas, then whisk in the eggs, avocado oil, and vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt.

4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, and mix to combine.

5. Slice the remaining banana into thin half circles, and add to the mixture along with the walnuts.

6. Portion the batter evenly into the muffin tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Rigden says this easy-to-make recipe results in a dozen decadent-tasting peanut butter cups that are loaded with protein and antioxidants, and won’t contain nearly as much sugar as the competition. Why? Because she uses dark chocolate chips, which are naturally dairy-free and lower in added sugars. “I’m a big fan of chocolate, and the cacao bean is actually an incredible antioxidant and has a lot of health benefits. So I definitely have at least a little bit of chocolate every day because I love it so much,” Rigden says. Plus, peanut butter is a great source of protein and healthy fats, and also has some fiber.

You don’t have to be super skilled in the kitchen to make these peanut butter cups—if you can melt chocolate and scoop peanut butter, you’re pretty much good to go. Press play on the video above to see the recipe in action, and follow along below.

Dairy-free peanut butter cups recipe

Makes 12 peanut butter cups

Ingredients
1 package dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey (swap with maple syrup to make the recipe vegan)
Salt, plus Maldon sea salt flakes for seasoning

1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so to avoid burning.

2. Mix together the peanut butter, honey, and a generous pinch of salt.

3. Line a mini muffin pan with mini muffin tin liners. Using half of the melted chocolate, evenly fill the muffin tins.

4. Evenly divide the peanut butter mixture into the muffin tins, on top of the chocolate. Use the remaining chocolate to cover the peanut butter.

5. Sprinkle generously with Maldon sea salt, then refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

“Basically, all you need to do is nail your basic ingredients, and that comes down to your flour mixture,” Handal says. “I’ve tousled with so many different combinations of gluten-free flours, adding different binders and thickeners. And really, you should just go to the store and buy one that’s already been perfected.”

Handal uses Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour, which is a combination of garbanzo bean flour, which is super high in protein, along with potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sweet white sorghum flour, and fava bean flour (which adds even more plant-based protein). She does note that some gluten-free flours, like the one that she uses, require you to add xanthan gum—just be sure to check the ingredients list on your flour, as some come with it already incorporated. In a traditional tart crust, the gluten would act as a binder and stabilizer; in this gluten-free recipe, the xanthan gum takes over that job.

The tart’s filling is comprised of antioxidant-rich lemons, honey, coconut oil, and eggs. That’s it: No fussy laundry list of ingredients here. After cooking the filling and adding it to the baked tart crust, the whole thing goes into the fridge to set before it gets topped with raspberries—which bring both natural sweetness flavor and major antioxidants (meaning anti-inflammatory benefits) to the table. Press play on the video to get the full recipe, and follow along below.

Sashah Handal’s gluten-free lemon raspberry tart recipe

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small squares
1 egg

Lemon filling:
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
5 lemons, zested and juiced
Raspberries
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift flour and xantham gum, making sure there are no lumps. Add the flour mixture to a food processor along with the remaining crust ingredients, and pulse until it’s combined into one ball of dough.

2. Remove the dough from the food processor and wrap it with plastic wrap, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Sprinkle your rolling surface with gluten-free flour, then remove the dough from the plastic wrap and roll it until it’s slightly bigger than your tart pan. Press it into the tart pan, and then use a fork to poke holes in the bottom. Cover with foil, and place a metal mixing bowl on top to weigh it down and prevent air pockets. Bake for 25-35 minutes, checking on it halfway.

4. While the crust is baking, mix together all of the ingredients for the lemon filling except for the raspberries. Cook in a pan on the stove for 15 minutes, making sure to constantly stir during the last 10 minutes.

5. Pass the filling through a sieve to remove any chunks, then spread it evenly into the tart crust. Place in the fridge for two to three hours until it sets, then top with raspberries and enjoy!

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

That being said, store-bought granola can be packed with refined sugar and it can definitely cost a pretty penny (RIP to my $12 post-Whole Foods impulse purchase). And even if you make your own, the cost can quickly add up if you don’t have all the ingredients. That’s why nutritionist Mia Rigden came up with this pantry granola recipe, featured in this week’s episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp—”so that you can make nutrient dense delicious granola every single week without having to go out and buy new ingredients,” she says.

She calls it a “choose your own adventure” recipe because it allows you to utilize ingredients that you already have, saving you from having to shell out $15 for a bag of pumpkin seeds. It also means that the recipe is endlessly versatile, and can be adapted to fit virtually any eating plan or dietary restriction. And if all of that wasn’t good enough, the recipe is also a cinch to pull together.

There are two components to the recipe: the base and the add-ins/extras. In a traditional granola recipe, the base is typically oats, which you can use in this version. In her granola, Rigden opts for mix of puffed brown rice and coconut flakes for the base. The brown rice adds a lot of crunch, and also some fiber. She uses coconut flakes because they add bulk and substance to the granola, and are low in sugar with lots of healthy fat so they help with blood sugar management. “And with the extras, you can do any sort of nut or seed that you have in your pantry,” Rigden says. “You can use chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, literally anything that you have lying around.” (Finally, a way to use the dregs of those five-plus bags of nuts you have hogging your pantry shelves.)

Once you choose your ingredients, the prep is as simple as mixing them all together with some olive oil, cinnamon, flaky sea salt, and honey, then putting everything on a baking sheet and popping it in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Press play to see the full recipe, and follow along below.

Mia Rigden’s pantry granola recipe

Ingredients:
3 cups of base
1-1/2 cups of add-ins (like nuts, seeds, coconut, dried fruit, or chocolate nibs)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
Cinnamon
Flaky sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add your base and add-ins into a bowl, and sprinkle with the salt and cinnamon. Mix together, ensuring that ingredients are evenly dispersed.

2. Add the honey and olive oil, and stir to combine.

3. Once all the ingredients have evenly mixed in the bowl, spread the granola out evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, crispy, and fragrant.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

“I love tres leches personally, but in my later years I have found that I’m not as keen to dairy as I once was,” says nutrition coach and baker Sasha Handal. In the episode, she demos a dairy-free tres leches cake recipe that “nails” the “creaminess, lusciousness, and flavor” of a tres leches cake, without any dairy. (A note: This recipe is not vegan, as it calls for eggs.)

The key to getting that creamy flavor without dairy is using the right alternative-milks. Handal’s recipe calls for coconut, cashew, and oat milk; true to form, she still uses three kinds. “I like these milks a lot because they have a really high fat content, and that is what you need to give you that really luscious end result that’s going to emulate dairy,” Handal says. Press play on the video to see the full preparation in action, and follow along with the instructions below.

Dairy-free tres leches cake recipe

Ingredients
Cake
1 cup King Arthur AP Flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
3 1/2 tbsp vegan butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup of cashew milk

Tres leches “milk”
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup oat milk
1 1/3 cup cashew milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Using the paddle attachments on an electric mixer, cream the egg yolks, vegan butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk and mix until combined.

2. Combine the remaining dry ingredients for the cake in a separate bowl and mix well. Add half of the mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until fully incorporated.

3. Use a spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl, then add the cashew milk. Mix until combined.

4. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.

5. Whisk the egg whites until they are light and fluffy, and you see visible stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter.

6. Spray a cake pan with coconut oil. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 35 minutes, making sure to check on it halfway through.

7. Remove the cake from the oven. Use a fork to poke holes all over the cake. Be sure the fork hits the bottom of the pan.

8. Combine all the ingredients for the tres leches “milk” in a pitcher. Slowly pour the mixture over the cake. Let it cool on the counter until the pan is cool enough to touch, then place it in the fridge and let cool for three hours.

9. Spread a thin layer of dairy-free whipped topping over the cake. Top with almond slivers and toasted coconut flakes. Enjoy!

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

“This recipe only has five simple ingredients,” Rigden says. And chances are, if you avoid gluten, you already have everything on hand: gluten-free all-purpose flour, refined coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, and salt. That’s it.

If you’re worried that gluten-free shortbread cookies won’t be flaky and delicious without dairy or butter, put all of your concerns aside. The refined coconut oil, which is replacing the butter that you’d find in a typical shortbread cookie recipe, gives the same flaky texture without adding any coconut flavor to the cookie. Plus the honey, which Rigden uses in place of refined sugar, adds sweetness and creaminess. The end result is a flavorful, flaky cookie that tastes so rich and buttery without any dairy or gluten that you could bake in your sleep. (Seriously, petition to make shortbread cookies for breakfast a thing.)

Press play on the video above to see the recipe in action, and follow along with the full instructions for the cookies below. And if you haven’t watched Ted Lasso yet, this is a sign that you should go do so immediately—after all, what else will you watch as you down this delicious dessert?

Dairy-free, gluten-free shortbread cookies recipe

Ingredients: 
2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 cup refined coconut oil, soft but not melted
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, or grease the sides.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the all-purpose flour and salt. Mix to combine.

3. Add in the coconut oil, followed by the honey and vanilla extract. Continue to mix until well-combined.

4. Press the dough into the baking pan to form an even layer, then use a fork to create holes on the top of the dough.

5. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until slightly golden. Check the oven at 25 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into rectangles.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

If you have been craving that nostalgic sugar cookie taste but stick to a gluten-free or dairy-free diet, you’ve come to the right place. In this episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, Sashah Handal, a baker, nutrition coach, and trainer, demos a gluten-free sugar cookie recipe that’s also vegan. “We’re gonna make a super fun, colorful, playful, bright pink frosted sugar cookie,” says Handal. “It’s completely plant-based, and the dough is gluten-free. So it’s a total crowd pleaser, and it’s perfect for anyone with any type of food intolerance.”

To make the recipe vegan and dairy-free, Handal swaps the butter and milk used in traditional sugar cookie recipes for vegan butter and cashew milk. And instead of all-purpose flour, she uses oat flour in the recipe as a gluten-free alternative. “If you actually need them to be truly gluten-free, make sure you’re looking at your package and that it reads Certified Gluten-Free to ensure there’s no cross contamination,” she notes. Oat flour is also super easy to work with, and it’s high in fiber and protein.

Once the dough is mixed and chilled, it’s time to roll it out and use a cookie cutter. “If you don’t have a cutter at home, you can use a glass or a jar, and it will make the same kind of circular cut out for you,” Handal advises. Then, it’s into the oven at 350°F for around 10 minutes.

While the cookies bake, you can get started on the icing, which calls for powdered sugar and beet juice. “Beets are insanely good for you,” Handal says. “They have lots of antioxidants, and they’re naturally high in sugar…it’s going to give you that perfect frosting that you want for your cookies.” Once the cookies are out of the oven, let them cool, then top them with frosting and enjoy. If you don’t want to bake all the dough at once, Handal says to bake off half of it and keep the other half in your freezer for the next time a sugar cookie craving strikes. (“The dough will keep for at least two weeks,” she says.)

Press play on the video to see the full gluten-free sugar cookie recipe in action, and find the ingredients and instructions below.

Gluten-free and dairy-free sugar cookie recipe

Ingredients
For the cookies:
1/2 stick vegan butter
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp cashew milk, or any alternative milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oat flour
2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

For the frosting:
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
1 Tbsp beet juice, divided

1. Place the vegan butter and sugar into a bowl. Cream the ingredients together for about two to three minutes, until you have a light, fluffy texture. This is a super important part of making sure the cookies are airy instead of dense. Mix in the cashew milk and the vanilla extract.

2. Sift the dry ingredients (oat flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt) into a separate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients. Mix it all together, starting slow so that the flour doesn’t go everywhere, then speeding it up.

3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface until it is around 1/4-inch thick. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter to cut out your cookies, then place them on the baking sheet.

5. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.

6. To make the frosting, place the powdered sugar into a clean bowl. Add three teaspoons of the beet juice, and whisk together. Add more beet juice as needed to thin the consistency. Place in fridge for approximately 10 minutes to help the frosting harden.

7. Once your cookies are completely cool, top them with frosting and enjoy!

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

“You have all the good fats, all the protein, all the good carbs so it makes for a really perfect grab-and-go snack… or even a brownie for breakfast,” Handal says of the recipe, adding that it hits all your macronutrients. Brownies for breakfast? We’re in.

Typically, brownies call for both granulated and powdered sugar, plus refined flour and other ingredients that, while delicious, can cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash. Not exactly the best way to start your day. In Handal’s version, the base is a nutrient-dense ingredient that you already know and love but may be surprised to find in a brownie recipe. Ready for it? Sweet potato. That’s right, a root veggie is the main ingredient in these brownies. “Now before you shy away from the fact that it’s made out of sweet potatoes, don’t worry,” Handal says. “You’re not gonna taste them at all and the delicious starchiness of the sweet potato actually lends to the most moist and amazing brownie.”

Not only does a sweet potato base make for a gooey, dense brownie, it also packs in the nutrients. Sweet potatoes are a major anti-inflammatory agent, a good source of gut-boosting fiber, and strong source of vitamin A, which helps you maintain a strong immune system. “[The vitamin A content] is the major difference between sweet potatoes and white potatoes,” Christy Brissette, RD, previously told Well+Good. Vitamin A is also linked to protecting the skin against UV damage and preventing and treating acne, which means that a diet that incorporates sweet potatoes is great for your skin. Finally, sweet potatoes are packed with potassium—in fact, they actually have more of this heart-healthy nutrient than bananas. (One serving of sweet potatoes has roughly 950 milligrams, while a banana has 422 milligrams.) “You would never know that the base is sweet potato, and you would also never know that it’s so good for you,” Handal says.

These delicious brownies are also loaded with good carbs to keep you full all day long, Handal says. Another core ingredient in the recipe is peanut butter, which pairs perfectly with sweet potato as vitamin A is fat-soluble. Peanuts are loaded with plant-based protein and antioxidants, too.

Perhaps the best part about this sweet potato brownie recipe, however, is that you only need to use one bowl for the recipe, so cleanup is a breeze. Press play on the video to see the full sweet potato brownie recipe in action, and find the ingredients and instructions below.

Peanut butter and sweet potato brownie recipe

Ingredients
3/4 cup sweet potato puree (make sure to process for a smooth batter)
1 cup crunchy or creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup oat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Add the sweet potato puree, peanut butter, and maple syrup to a mixing bowl, and mix well with a handheld or stand mixer (or use a whisk) until fully combined and emulsified.

2. Add the oat flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder to the bowl and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula so all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.

3. Scoop brownie batter into an 8-by-8-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and spread evenly into all corners of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating in the oven halfway through. Allow brownies to completely cool before cutting into squares.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

That’s exactly when breakfast bars can come in handy. Sometimes, you just need a morning meal you can eat with one hand on the go—and you definitely can’t do that with a plate of scrambled eggs or bowl of oatmeal. It’s mornings like these when Handal reaches for a homemade honey nut breakfast bar, and she’s sharing her personal recipe in the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp.

In true Alt-Baking Bootcamp fashion, these honey nut breakfast bars are gluten-free and dairy-free. They’re also full of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and inflammation-fighting spices. Talk about a power breakfast, right? The protein and healthy fats come from a whole slew of different nuts including walnuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, and pecans. Nuts are also high in fiber and the oats in this recipe ups it even more.

Another core ingredient in these bars is tahini, which balances out the sweetness of the sugar and honey while upping the amount of brain-supporting healthy fats. Handal also adds cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom straight into the batter. This trio gives the bars a warming flavor that pairs perfectly with the tahini. They’re also all linked to helping fight inflammation. “I like the warmth and the heat that comes from cinnamon and ginger, that’s why I’ve added tons of that into these [bars],” Handal says. The last ingredients Handal adds into the mix are dried cranberries and dates, both of which add sweetness and help cut down on the amount of white sugar used in the recipe. “Raisins or cherries will also work in this recipe,” Handal says.

In the episode, Handal shows exactly how to transform the handful of ingredients into delicious, nutrient-packed bars. “It’s so spicy, cinnamon-y, crunchy, soft, sweet, and literally all my tastebuds are being awakened,” Handal says while enjoying her freshly-made bars. No matter where your morning is taking you and what’s in store for the hours that follow, having these bars on hand can get you off to a pretty stellar start. They’re so good, you just might want to pack an extra one to enjoy later too.

Honey nut breakfast bars recipe

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 cup oats
1/2 cup processed oats
1/4 cup tahini
1 flax egg
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Pink of salt

1. Use an electric mixer to cream the vegan butter and sugar. After the texture is nice and fluffy (roughly after three minutes of mixing), add the tahini, honey, and flax egg.

2. Add the dry ingredients to the batter. Mix them all together. Put the bowl with the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Pour the batter into a loaf pan. Bake it in the oven at 375°F for 20 minutes, rotating it halfway through. Once it’s done baking, let it cool and put it back in the fridge for 30 more minutes.

4. Take the loaf pan out of the fridge and use a knife to cut the loaf into bars. Enjoy!

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly. 

“The great thing about this recipe is that it is dairy-free and gluten-free, so if you have any intolerances, this is the recipe for you,” says nutrition coach, baker, and fitness instructor Sashah Handal in the video. The recipe calls for both creamy peanut butter and crunchy peanut butter. (Seriously, this is what PB dreams are made of.) The creamy peanut butter is used to make the cookies and the crunchy peanut butter is used to make the sandwich cookie filling.

Here’s what else you need to make the cookies: maple syrup, vanilla extract, millet flour, baking powder, and sea salt. When mixing the ingredients together in a large bowl, Handal recommends adding the millet flour a little bit at a time. This will make it easier to whisk the ingredients together so the mixture gets as creamy as possible. “As soon as the flour gets absorbed, it will form this dough that basically sticks to itself,” Handal says. When the dough is formed, roll it into a ball and put it in the fridge to set (keeping it in the bowl) for 30 minutes.

In the video, Handal shows how to use the dough to make little peanut shapes (cute, right?) before putting them in the oven to bake. Once they’re ready, she shows how to use a mixture of crunchy peanut butter, coconut sugar, and tapioca starch to make the filling. Spread the filling between two cookies and your PB dream dessert is ready to enjoy.

Besides tasting great, these cookies are full of protein and healthy fats thanks to all that peanut butter. That means that they definitely can work as a post-workout snack. (And to think you were going to have a drugstore granola bar!) The millet flour also gives these cookies more fiber than they would have if white flour was used. It’s also what keeps this recipe gluten-free.

“The cookie itself is really crumbly and melts in your mouth and the peanut butter filling is just so ooey-gooey,” Handal says after savoring a bite. Ready to make a batch for yourself? Watch the video below to see how to make them and get the recipe below.

Peanut butter sandwich cookies recipe

Ingredients
For the cookies:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup millet flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

For the filling:
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using an electric mixer, cream together the wet ingredients. Next, add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine until the dough holds together. Scoop and round into one-inch balls. On a baking sheet, press two balls together so there is a slight overlap forming a peanut shape. Use a fork to create a crosshatch score on all of the cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove and allow to cool on a cookie rack.

2. For the filling, mix together all ingredients in a small bowl and dollop generously onto one cookie and sandwich a second cookie on top. Devour!

Get more healthy dessert recipes in Well+Good’s Cook With Us Facebook group.

Case in point is the carrot cake baked oats in the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp. It has all the components of the classic dessert—including the all-important cream cheese frosting—but it’s nutrient-rich, and low-sugar.

“It’s full of carrots and oats, so lots of fiber to keep you full and satisfied for most of the morning,” baker, nutrition coach, and fitness instructor Sashah Handal says in the episode, adding that the recipe also calls for pecans, which are full of heart-healthy fats. Those aren’t the only nutrient-rich ingredients in the recipe either. Others you’ll see on the ingredients list are cashews, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

The first step is making the “cake” component by combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl. (Minus the shredded carrots—hold off on that for now.) Handal likes to add oat bran to the mix, which she says gives the baked oats a nice, chewy texture. Then, she uses a separate bowl to combine the wet ingredients. This is the bowl Handal says to add the carrots to because the wetness hydrates them—key if your shredded carrots have been hanging out in the fridge for a while. The last step in prepping the batter is combining the two bowls together, pouring it into a baking pan, and popping it in the oven.

Every good carrot cake calls for cream cheese frosting and this baked oats take is no different. Here, the frosting is made with cashews and dates, which are soaked in a jar of hot water for an hour prior to being used in the recipe. Then, they’re blended up until they take on a gritty texture. Add coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and it will magically transform into a sweet, luscious protein-filled frosting.

“Every bite is just filled with so much joy,” Handal says, as she takes a bite of the frosting-topped baked oats. Ready to add some joy to your own morning? Watch the episode to see exactly how to make it and get the recipe below.

Carrot cake baked oats with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients
For the baked oats:
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger, ground
1/2 tsp cloves, ground
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup pecans
1 tsp oat bran
1 3/4 cup coconut milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup carrots, shredded

For the cashew cream cheese frosting:
3/4 cup cashews and 3 to 5 dates, soaked
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 Tbsp water, as needed

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.Prepare and grease a 9×5 loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients, except for the shredded carrots. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the coconut milk, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Add in the shredded carrots. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and ensure that all of the oats are completely submerged in liquid. Add the remaining pecans and raisins. Bake for 60 minutes, rotating halfway through.

2. For the cashew cream cheese frosting, blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Freeze for 30 minutes minimum. Dollop generously on top of the baked oats. Slice and enjoy!

Get more healthy recipe ideas in Well+Good’s Cook With Us Facebook group.

A high-protein pumpkin loaf is exactly what baker Sashah Handal whips up in the latest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp. If anyone knows the importance of getting enough protein at breakfast time, it’s Handal. Not only is she a nutrition coach, she’s also a fitness instructor at Barry’s Bootcamp. Getting enough protein before her classes is key—and her pumpkin loaf recipe definitely delivers, with 14 grams of protein per serving.

“You can enjoy this loaf any season, any time, and it’s sure to help you power through your day,” Handal says. The protein sources in the loaf are eggs, almond flour, millet flour, and pecans, all of which are also full of healthy fats, which support cardiovascular health. Other core ingredients in this recipe include overripe banana, pumpkin puree, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Handal starts by using an electric mixer to whisk together the eggs and coconut sugar. “It’s very important that you whisk the eggs and sugar together for two to three minutes,” she says. This, she explains, generates a lot of air, which allows the loaf to rise once it’s in the oven. Once the mixture takes on a frothy texture, you’ll know it’s perfect.

Next, Handal adds the banana and pumpkin into the mixer, blending it with the eggs and coconut sugar. Then, she adds melted coconut oil, the alt-flours, and spices. Pro tip: Make sure the oil isn’t hot when you add it. Otherwise, it will melt the eggs instead of doing its job of binding the ingredients together. “The last ingredient you’re going to add is pecans. I like to add whole pecans because I like it when I bite into a piece of the loaf and have that nice crunch,” Handal says.

Once everything is mixed together, the batter is poured into a loaf pan and popped into the oven. An hour later, your pumpkin-pecan loaf is ready to eat. “The flours that we used are so high in protein, so they tend to be a little bit denser, but pairing those with the moisture of the banana and the pumpkin makes for this beautiful texture that would be unachievable any other way,” Handal says after taking a big bite.

Drooling yet? Get the pumpkin loaf recipe below and watch the episode to see step-by-step to see exactly how to make it.

High-protein pumpkin-pecan loaf recipe

Ingredients
4 eggs
3/4 cup coconut sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 overripe banana
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup millet flour
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine four room-temperature eggs and your coconut sugar. Beat together first until light and fluffy. Next, combine your pumpkin puree and banana, then add to the sugar and egg mixture, beating well. Then, add your spices, beating until incorporated.

2. In a separate medium bowl, combine your flours and baking powder, combining and sifting until no lumps remain. Next, combine your flour mixture into your pumpkin mixture and beat well until all dry ingredients are absorbed and a thick batter remains. Then, pour your coconut oil into your batter as you continue to beat on medium. Finally, fold your nut of choice into your batter.

3. Pour your batter into a pre-greased, parchment-lined loaf pan. Bake for one hour, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through. Allow to cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool for one hour before serving.

Join Well+Good’s Cook With Us Facebook group for more healthy recipe ideas.

Why Ridgen uses that particular blender, where the world she found such a chic salt shaker, what the brand is of her handy countertop burner…Well bakers, we’ve seen your questions and we brought them right to Ridgen herself who is happy to reveal where everything is from. Keep reading to find out and to see videos showing how to use them to make mouth-watering desserts.

7 must-have baking tools, according to a healthy chef:

Beast Blender — $155.00

If you tune in regularly to Alt-Baking Bootcamp, you know that this blender gets used a lot. “It’s my go-to blender,” Rigden says. “The Beast is compact, powerful, incredibly quiet, and super easy to clean.” The low volume is especially appreciated on set during filming but will be just as much of a perk at home when you’re trying to create creamy fillings for pie and homemade dairy-free whipped cream without annoying your whole house.

See how it’s used to make vegan pumpkin pie in the video below:

Buy now

Cusinart 14-Cup Food Processor — $246.00

Sometimes, a blender just isn’t powerful enough to do what a food processor can. (For example, transforming nuts into a protein-rich puree.) In these moments, Rigden reaches for her Cusinart food processor. “It’s a must-have kitchen tool,” she says. “It’s great for making doughs, nut butters, dips, and sauces.”

 

Buy now

KitchenAid Mixer — $429.00

KitchenAid mixers are ubiquitous in both professional kitchens and in pro-bakers’s homes for a reason: They’re freaking amazing. This model has an almost perfect five-star rating from over 4,000 Amazon reviewers. There are a whopping 10 different speeds so you can whip however fast or slow you need to.

See how it’s used to make gluten-free blueberry muffins in the video below:

Buy now

Tasty by Cusinart Tasty One Top — $149.00

Ridgen uses this cooktop whenever she needs to double-broil something. If you post your baking adventures on social media, it could come in handy for you too because it allows viewers to see what you’re doing without the whole stove being in the way. This one is easy to tote to wherever you’re filming and has sensors that track the temperature of the pots and pans you place on it.

See the Cusinart Tasty One Top in action in this video, showing how to make vegan fudge:

Buy now

Caraway Non-Toxic Ceramic Nonstick Cookware Set — $395.00

You aren’t going to be able to do much cooking or baking without any cookware. “Non-toxic nonstick pans are a game-changer, and I love this well-designed and functional set,” Rigden says. Each item is so pretty, you might not even want to hide them in your cabinets.

 

Buy now

Norm Architects 2-Piece Bottle Grinder — $200.00

Okay, so a $200 salt-and-pepper set isn’t exactly a must-have, but this is the most gorgeously designed duo you’ll find out there—which is exactly why Alt-Baking Bootcamp viewers often ask where they’re from. “This set is chic and functional,” Rigden says. Consider it art that you’ll actually use every day.

Buy now

Mora Ceramics Dinnerware Bundle — $111.00

White ceramic kitchenware makes your baking creation really pop; nothing will distract from your delicious food. “These are my everyday bowls,” Rigden says. Sometimes, simple really is best.

Buy now

There you have it: Seven kitchen tools that will take your healthy baking game to the next level. Now the only question that remains is, what will you use them to bake first?

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Whether you’re a chocolate person, someone who can’t get enough nut butter, or an ice cream fanatic, we have a four-ingredient dessert for you. And did I forget to mention that every single one of these easy, healthy dessert recipes comes with its own host of health benefits? Grab your spatula and enjoy these decadent-but-down-to-earth desserts.

5 easy, healthy dessert recipes with four ingredients (or less)

1. Almond Butter Brownies

You have Jennifer Lee, recipe creator behind Kirbie’s Cravings, to thank for these unbelievably easy squares of chocolate goodness. If you have ripe-to-overripe bananas, almond butter, and cocoa powder, you have everything you need to whip up this crowd-pleasing recipe with some serious nutritional clout.

The bananas sweeten these brownies while offering plenty of potassium that helps your body balance sodium levels and digest carbs, as well as lower your risk of stroke and heart disease. Meanwhile, that nut butter adds some solid protein (about seven grams per two tablespoon serving), and the cocoa powder contains polyphenols that help protect against certain cancers and heart disease. It’s a brownie, yes… but it’s a brownie with superpowers.

2. Berries and Vegan Whipped Cream

Sometimes, simple sweets are the most satisfying sweets of all—and this recipe is exhibit A. You only need a can of full-fat coconut milk, a teaspoon of vanilla, and your go-to berries to bring this dessert together. Since this recipe contains no added sugar, it won’t spike your blood sugar and lead to an energy crash later on in the day.

If you’re considering which berries to buy, take note that all berries are nutritional MVPs, but blackberries, blueberries, and cranberries deliver the most antioxidants. “Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in your body,” registered dietitian Isabel Smith, RD, previously told Well+Good. “Free radicals are compounds in our bodies that are necessary for specific functions, but can cause serious harm if their levels become too high.”

3. Dairy-Free Ice Cream

So you’ve made Lee’s brownies and a loaf of banana bread and still have overripe bananas to get rid of? Introducing three-ingredient ice cream from Mia Rigden, co-host of Well+Good’s Alt-Baking Bootcamp. Freeze those bananas, then blend them together with dark chocolate chips and peanut butter. And, bam, there’s your lightning-fast dessert. You’ll get all the aforementioned banana benefits (hello, major potassium), as well as healthy monounsaturated fats that help lower “bad”(or LDL cholesterol) levels from your always-trustworthy jar of peanut butter.

4. Vegan Fudge

Three-ingredient fudge. Need I say more? This vegan recipe requires semi-sweet chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut milk, and vanilla—and you don’t even have to turn on the oven. “This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, nut-free, and vegan…we’re hitting all the boxes here today,” says Rigden in the video. Meaning, if you’re baking for a group of people with various dietary restrictions, this fudge won’t disappoint anyone.

Remember, chocolate has plenty of health benefits. And while semisweet has slightly less nutritional value than, say, an 85 percent cacao extra-dark chocolate bar, it still has plenty to speak of. Research has linked chocolate’s rich flavonoid content to longevity. When you’re picking out your chocolate chips, try purchasing an option with a high percentage of cocoa to reap more chocolate-covered rewards from your fudge.

5. Vegan Blueberry Ice Cream

Blueberry ice cream is the under-appreciated step sister of strawberry ice cream, and that needs to change. But with this two-ingredient recipe, we’re well on our way to earning blueberries a new reputation. Just combine frozen blueberries and oat milk and you have a creamy dessert.

For a recipe with only two ingredients, this ice cream has a lot of nutritional benefits. First of all, the blueberries pack those free radical-fighting antioxidants we spoke about before. And second, oat milk delivers slow-digesting carbs that create B vitamins, which help your body convert food to energy. So if you’re feeling lethargic one morning, ice cream for breakfast might be your best option. Seriously.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

If—despite your inspiration—your concoctions often turn out a bit Pinterest-fail-esque, allow us to introduce a dessert that looks baking show award-worthy, but is actually very easy to assemble: In our newest episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, chef and nutritionist Mia Rigden shows us how to make a mouth-watering brownie trifle that is both beginner-friendly and delicious.

The trifle features seven layers of four key elements: dairy-free whipped cream, raspberry chia jam, avocado chocolate mousse, and—most importantly—gooey brownies made with Simple Mills Almond Flour Brownie Mix. “[The mix] uses almond flour and coconut sugar to make a much more nutritious base for our trifle,” Rigden says.

Plus, since everything is gluten- and dairy-free, it makes this dessert super sharable for palates and diets of all kinds (but don’t worry, it tastes so decadent no one will guess it’s loaded with so many good-for-you ingredients).

Ready to whip up your own flavor-filled confection? Watch the video above to get Rigden’s expert techniques, then follow the steps below to make it yourself. (Speaking in a British accent while you cook is optional.)

Gluten-Free Brownie Trifle

Ingredients

Brownies
1/2 cup avocado oil, and more for greasing the pan
3 Tbsp water
2 eggs
1 package Simple Mills Brownie Mix

Chocolate Mousse
2 ripe avocados
1 1/2 cups almond milk
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1 12-oz. bag dairy free chocolate chips, melted
1 Tbsp maple syrup

Raspberry Chia Jam
2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp white chia seeds

Garnish and Filling
2 containers dairy-free whipped cream
1/4 cup chocolate shavings
3 to 5 raspberries for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and grease a 9×9 baking dish with avocado oil.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the avocado oil, water, and eggs. Then add in the Simple Mills Brownie Mix.

3. Transfer the brownie batter into the baking dish and bake for 18-22 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting into squares.

For the chocolate mousse

1. Pour almond milk into a high-speed blender.

2. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave. Cut avocados into chunks.

3. Add the avocados, chia seeds, melted chocolate chips, and maple syrup into blender and pulse until smooth.

4. Set aside for assembly.

For the raspberry chia jam

1. Blend raspberries, water, and white chia seeds together until smooth.

2. Set aside for assembly.

Assembling the gluten-free brownie trifle

1. Use half of the brownie squares to layer a row on the bottom of a glass dish.

2. Spread half of the avocado mousse on top of the brownies, followed by one container of the dairy-free whipped cream. Don’t forget to slowly work the mousse and cream layers evenly to the sides of the dish!

3. Add all of the chia jam and spread in an even layer.

4. Stack another layer of the brownies, chocolate mousse, and dairy-free whipped cream.

5. Top it off with chocolate shavings, a few raspberries, and dig in!