Flax Pumpkin Pie Nuggets for Health Nuts - High-Fiber, Sugar-Free, Grain-Free (with Vegan option)

This is a strange little cookie. That being said, my daughter and I eat them all the time. 

Flax Pumpkin Pie nuggets for Health Nuts

My recipe uses flax meal instead of flour, which gives these more of a pumpkin pie-like texture inside. You do taste the flax, although it is tempered by the use of the spices and almond extract. These cookies are not overly sweet either, but the chocolate chips totally save the day.

These little nuggets are best eaten warm. Then the chocolate is all oozy and delicious. This is why we warm them up for a few seconds before eating them. There is no sugar to preserve these cookies, so they must be stored in the fridge.

Why do we eat these nuggets? They are super healthy (and we are health nuts in this house). These are basically all fiber. I will eat a few of these for breakfast or a snack and they fill me up if I drink a healthy dose of water with them. These are fabulous for helping your blood sugar levels stay even, again, thank all the fiber for that. I add the protein because, well, I wanted protein in them too!

These cookies have helped me when I have set my mind to slim down a bit. They are ready for any snack attacks if I have them at the ready in my fridge. It doesn't take much time at all to bake up a new batch when we are out either.

If you hate eating flax, you may see these cookies as an improvement for flax, or you may not.

I say, live on the edge and make yourself a half-batch, and see how it goes. Warning: They grow on you (not like a fungus though).


Flax Pumpkin Pie Nuggets

1 29-0z can plain pumpkin puree
1 large egg (can omit for vegan)
1 t. real vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
3/4 t. stevia glycerite
1/2 c. erythritol
1 t. sea salt or BioSalt
3 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 t. psyllium husk powder
1 c. plain whey protein isolate (or vegan protein powder)
2 1/2 c. freshly ground flax meal
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar-free or regular)


Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with silicone liners and set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine by hand, the canned pumpkin with the other wet ingredients.

Add the eythritol, salt, spices, and psyllium husk powder and mix together very well.

Add the flax meal and combine until uniform.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Portion dough using about a 1 tablespoon sized ice cream scoop. Place close together onto the cookie sheets (the dough does not spread).

Bake for 12 minutes. the outsides will be set but the insides will remain very soft.

Remove from oven and let cool completely on the cookie sheets.

When cooled, transfer to air-tight containers and store in the refrigerator.

To serve: Place a few nuggets into a plate and microwave them 20 to 30 seconds.

I'm adding some pictures of our dog Moki because he is cuter than these cookies.

Enjoy,

Leila.

Our Favorite Gluten Free Pretzles

Our family actually likes these better than regular gluten pretzels! 

These pretzels have a nicer crunch, and a wonderful taste, almost like they have a bit of malt flavor to them. We lightly crush these pretzels and use them to top our tasty protein puddings. Use anywhere you'd like a crispy topping. Of course they are great for munching while watching a movie...

Glutino makes these and we only like them in the form of the sticks. We do not care for the twists, they just aren't the same... weird, I know. They are a bit pricey, just under $10.00 a bag, but we still prefer them over regular pretzels for an occasional treat. Try them and see what you think.

See our Chocolate Protein Pudding HERE.
See our Butterscotch Protein Pudding HERE.

Here's pictures of our Favorite Gluten Free Pretzels:

The ingredient list.

:
Enjoy,

Leila.

Yummy Sun Warrior Butterscotch Protein Pudding (Low-Carb, Vegan & Sugar-Free)

Butterscotch Pudding with Crispy Toasted Almonds and Monkey-Break Bananas.

Here It is as promised... Now you can have dessert for breakfast. 

Here is our delicious low-carb, sugar-free Butterscotch Protein Pudding recipe! First we came out with a yummy chocolate protein pudding. Next I will be posting a recipe for Vanilla Protein Pudding!

We love these puddings because they are really good for you and they are very enjoyable to eat. I feel good about offering this to my family, and you can too. Like the chocolate protein pudding, this is low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, corn-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

You also get a nice dose of healthy coconut oil in this recipe. Research the virtues of coconut oil if you are unfamiliar with it's health benefits.

This pudding is silky, creamy and dreamy. You will be very surprised when you review the ingredient list. It is unusual but trust me, it's good. It is very quick to mix up a batch in your VitaMix (high-powered blender). This pudding is"cooked" just like the Sun Warrior Chocolate Protein Pudding. You can then transfer it to serving size mason jars and store in your refrigerator, and it will be ready when the cravings hit. It freezes beautifully too.


Sun Warrior Butterscotch Protein Pudding Recipe:

3 c. hot water
1 1/4 c. Sun Warrior "Warrior Blend" Raw Vegan Vanilla Protein powder
1/2 to 1 c. Golden Lakanto Zero-Calorie Sweetener, to taste
3 T. deodorized coconut oil
1 T. caramelized ghee  (or omit and just use 1/4 c. coconut oil)
1/4 c. raw cashew butter (could try roasted cashew butter)
1/4 c. Kitchen Cheetah's sugar-free maple syrup
1 c. deep orange baked yam (without skin)
1/4 t. Kitchen Cheetah's BioSalt
Kitchen Cheetah's Stevia Glycerite
Butterscotch flavor, to taste (or vanilla and butter flavor, plus rum or brandy flavor)

Method:

Place the HOT water into a VitaMix blender container.Then add the 1 1/4 cup protein powder, and 1 cup Golden Lakanto.

Put the VitaMix lid on and blend on medium speed just until combined. Turn off the blender and then scrape down the sides of the blender.

Secure the lid on tightly and process on highest speed until steaming hot and perfectly smooth. The temperature should reach at least 130 degrees F. for the pudding to have the best texture and flavor (don't go over 170 degrees). The friction of the blades heats the liquid after a short time. Measure temperature with a thermometer.

Turn off the VitaMix, remove lid and add the rest of the ingredients to the blender, except for the stevia glycerite and flavoring.

Place lid tightly on and process on the highest speed until the pudding is steaming hot and smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed (with the blender turned off!). If the mixture gets a little too thick, use the "Tamper" to help it along. 

Turn off the VitaMix, Taste the pudding. Add stevia glycerite, a few drops at a time, to taste if you want the pudding sweeter. Add flavorings to taste.

Give a final blend and taste for balanced flavors.

Portion finished pudding into serving-sized jars and store in the refrigerator. The jars of pudding also freeze well!

To Serve:

A good way to serve this is to top the pudding with sliced or broken bananas and crushed gluten-free pretzels. Pour your favorite cold, milk over top and dig in! Our favorite milks are whole organic milk, almond mylk, coconut/almond mylk, or cashew mylk.

Notes: 

This pudding thickens more when chilled due to the coconut oil content. If the chilled pudding turns out thicker than you would like, just stir in a bit more water to suit your individual taste.

We add the flavorings to the pudding to make the most of the butterscotch flavor and to make the least of the pea protein flavor!

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy,

Monkey Break Bananas - A fun new way to open up a banana, and sugar-free recipe ideas using them.

Monkey-Break your bananas!

This is a fun post about a way to open and break up a banana without bruising it.

This playful method also keeps the banana from browning and oxidizing so quickly, which is really nice if you want to put the bananas into fruit salad or pies. Most importantly, it's fun to do it this way! Try it, you'll like it.

When my parents lived in beautiful Gardner Montana, a missionary from Samoa came to visit them. This is how this young Samoan ate a banana and my family has been doing it this way ever since.

Now I wonder where the Samoan learned it from...

My mom told me that many island people do eat bananas in this simple, natural way.

We named it Monkey-Break bananas because it seems like a good way for a monkey to do it, seeing that they don't usually carry around pocket knives. Please don't ask about our logic concerning this... Maybe a monkey has actually done this before...

Anyway, Monkey-Break bananas stay fresh much longer than sliced bananas because the cell walls are not smashed during cutting. My parents lived in Fiji for several seasons and they witnessed the Fijians eating bananas in this manner also.


It's not like you don't already know what to do with bananas, but here are some more ideas for you:

You can dip these monkey-break banana strips (or small squares) into gently melted Lakanto Sugar-Free Chocolate and then chill. These can keep 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator... If they last that long!

Try a chocolate banana cream pie (!) with our Sun Warrior Chocolate Protein Pudding. Use only 3 cups total liquid (instead of the 3 1/4 cups) in the pudding recipe so that the pie will be firm enough to slice.) Now we're talkin'...

Serve the broken up bananas over top a bowl of Sun Warrior Chocolate Protein Pudding and pour over some milk (dairy or nondairy). Our favorite nondairy milk is BLUE DIAMOND "Almond Breeze" Almond/Coconut Milk blend (unsweetened!). Look for it in the dairy cooler.

Serve the Monkey-Break bananas with your favorite whipped topping - dairy or nondairy. You can top with crushed gluten-free pretzels if you want... Oh yeah.


The pictures below are of my dad showing how this is done. I thought it would be nice to have his man hands on our blog. I love you dad - you always are teaching us cool stuff!

Our favorite commercial non-dairy milk.

Cool, right?

You can then break up or slice into bite size pieces, as desired. Here they are shown with our delicious, sugar-free Sun Warrior Chocolate Protein pudding.

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Fully Loaded Chocolate Bombs with Cocoa Nibs, Coconut Oil, Fruit & Nuts (Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo) - plus a discussion about healthy fats -vs- sugar & starch.

Fully Loaded Chocolate Bombs.

This is a fabulous chocolate recipe we have kept as a guarded family secret... until now! 

I made these delicious little morsels with my mom during a recent visit with my parents.

This is a super easy and amazingly delicious chocolate recipe. It is based on my mother's healthy sugar-free chocolate formula now being manufactured by a company called Lakanto. 

We extend the Lakanto Zero-Sugar Dark Chocolate with coconut oil, cocoa powder and other goodies. The chocolate retains it's smooth texture, delicious taste, and has a beautiful shiny surface. 

These cute little chocolate bombs are exploding with flavor and a myriad of textures, and are a real pleasure to eat. We have noticed that this chocolate also curbs the appetite nicely. That means if you eat this, you will eat less of that (not good for you stuff).

You  also get the benefits of healthful coconut oil in your diet, while enjoying a low-carb, sugar-free chocolate at an affordable cost. It's a beautiful thing!

2 T. coconut oil is generally recommended daily for health benefits. An added bonus of adding coconut oil is that this chocolate will no longer require tempering! This is what makes working with this chocolate so super simple and fast. You will love it.

At our house, we have to have this chocolate, I can't imagine life without it now. Seriously.

We love that this is truly HEALTHY chocolate. That's why we are sharing this recipe with you. We are passionate about sharing recipes for foods people deeply crave, and we offer them with a healthy twist. Replacing the foods you love with a better choice, while maintaining it's great taste is what we are all about here at Kitchen Cheetahs.

You can add any inclusions to this chocolate that tickle your fancy. Make your chocolate base first and then you can get creative with it. You could try combinations like candied orange with chipotle, coconut flakes with macadamia nuts, dried pears and pecans, salted raisins and roasted, salted peanuts, pistachios with dried pomegranates, cashews and banana chips... We also love it with just cocoa nibs added.

Cocoa Nibs.

Now, I must tell you that during my recent visit, I ATE at my parents house. If you have ever tasted my mom's cooking, you know what I mean! I was not concerned, but still assumed that I would go home heavier then when I arrived. We ate tons of chocolate-dipped figs, figs and cream, and we made gluten-free, sugar-free rhubarb cake (so yummy), and grilled dry aged beef, and spaghetti with my mom's amazing homemade sauce, unique yellow squash "pasta", drizzled with olive oil,topped with cheese, and gluten-free french baguettes grilled with butter and coconut oil on the side. We also ate various salads with homemade dressings, the buttery scrambled eggs my mom is famous for, and her Sun Warrior Protein Pudding, refreshing green drinks, unique mocktails, and my dad's delicious protein smoothies... and more chocolate! It's all kind of a blur now really. A delirious food coma ensued. Sigh.

I get home and got on the scale and to my amazement... I LOST weight! I ate happily at my parents, without a worry. Mom's food was amazing and definitely not skimping on the fat! I was not deprived in the slightest. I ate good protein, vegies and greens, healthy fats, low-carb and sugar-free desserts. I ate a few gluten-free pretzels and that french bread, but basically eliminated grains, starch, and sugar for that week I was there. This validated my belief about fat -vs- sugars...

There are a few books out now that talk about high-fat diets, promoting healthy fats. Interesting, and I like it because eating fat leads to satiety (greater food satisfaction). Our bodies seem to know when we have had enough fat and our appetite quiets down. I think people who eat fats are happier too. I believe it is sugar and starch that generally cause obesity, not healthy fats. The more processed the sugar and starch is (white flour, white sugar, white starch) the worse it is for our bodies. Starch converts to sugar so fast in the body, it can make your head spin. A chemist friend of mine told me that starch converts to sugar in the mouth within seconds. Research shows that sugar leads to body inflammation and inflammation is underlying all disease. I figure that starch leads to body inflammation too. We at kitchen Cheetahs are very concerned about the majority of gluten-free products being marketed that base their formulas on starch and sugar. I'm sure you can figure out why.

The thing is, as a population, we generally know what we shouldn't be eating - but we eat it anyway. Why? Because it tastes good. Because it's easy. Because it's familiar. Because it's there.

The transition to eating healthy is made easier by eating healthy foods that are tasty, easy, familiar, and available. Sounds simple. Once educated, it is simple. I say, start with chocolate!

So have some fun and enjoy this guilt-free treat. Live on the edge and have some with breakfast!

Fully Loaded Chocolate Bombs Formula:

SMALL BATCH:

Chocolate Base:
170 grams (2 bars) Lakanto Zero-Sugar Dark Chocolate, chopped small
30 grams deodorized coconut oil
15 grams dark Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 + 1/8 t. intense sweetener powder, to taste (a mix of stevioside, monk fruit is good)

Flavorings (optional):
1/8 t. vanilla flavor powder
1/4 t. almond flavor powder, to taste
1/8 t. cherry flavor powder

Inclusions (about 1 1/2 c.):
80 grams (1/2 c.) roasted crispy whole almonds
60 ounces (1/3 c.) whole dried organic Bing cherries
35 grams (1/4 c.) dried organic sour cherries (sweetened has the best texture and taste)
35 grams (1/4 c.) organic raisins
20 grams (1/8 c.) cocoa nibs


LARGE BATCH:

Chocolate Base:
600 grams Lakanto Zero-Sugar Dark Chocolate, chopped small
100 grams deodorized coconut oil
50 grams dark Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 t. intense sweetener powder (a mix of stevioside, monk fruit & CitrusSweet is good)

Flavorings (optional):
1/2 t. vanilla flavor powder
1 t. almond flavor powder, to taste
1/2 t. cherry flavor powder

Inclusions (about 6 c.):
280 grams (2 c.) roasted crispy whole almonds
8 ounces (1 1/4 c.) whole dried organic Bing cherries
120 grams (1 c.) dried organic sour cherries (sweetened has the best texture and taste)
140 grams (1 c.) organic raisins
70 grams (1/2 c.) cocoa nibs


Method:

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, pausing and stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and warm. Mix together well.

Prepare one to two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.

Add the cocoa powder to the melted chocolate mixture and mix in well

Add the intense sweetener powder to taste and mix in very well. Taste for sweetness.

Add the flavor powders to taste and mix in well.

Add the inclusions and mix well.

Stir the chocolate occasionally as it cools until it starts to thicken up enough to hold a shape when mounded.

Portion the chocolate mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, in small mounds, using a spoon or a very small ice cream scoop.

Sprinkle the tops of the chocolates with sea salt before they set up, if desired.

Place the chocolates in the refrigerator until they are completely set up.

Store the chocolates in an air-tight container (in the refrigerator in the hot summer months).



Photos of the process:

Gather your ingredients.

Combine the chopped Lakanto chocolate and coconut oil.

Stir chocolate mixture every 30 seconds as it is melting.

Mix in the cocoa powder, intense sweeteners and flavor powders, to taste.

Start adding the inclusions.

Let any refrigerated ingredients come to room temperature before adding to the chocolate.

Stir the chocolate occasionally while cooling.

A silicone-lined baking sheet.

A parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Drop chocolate mixture into little mounds.

A finished tray of chocolates.

Chocolates with a kiss of sea salt.

Beautiful Chocolate Bombs ready for packaging.

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Easy Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding (Sugar-Free & Vegan)

Easy Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding.

Here is the beginning of a series of delicious, sugar-free protein pudding recipes that you can make yourself!

We have been talking about creating delicious tasting protein-packed pudding recipes. We wanted a dessert pudding that is good for us and our families. This recipe is the beginning of these formulations. This pudding recipe is low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, corn-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

My mom discovered that when you puree and heat the warrior blend protein powder with liquid, it "cooks" up to make a silky smooth creamy pudding that thickens perfectly when chilled. Vegan protein powders are not usually this smooth, it's the "cooking" process in the VitaMix that transforms it. we were thrilled to see that it also thickens up beautifully.

This recipe makes up several servings. We like cooking this way, it cuts down on the daily food prep time. Make up a bunch and get it out of the way. That's how we roll.

This recipe is very easy to make in a VitaMix high-powered blender. VitaMix is famous for being able to cook soups just by the friction caused by it's fast moving blades.

So assemble your ingredients and get ready to enjoy a guilt-free treat for breakfast, lunch, or a quick snack anytime!

Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding Recipe:

Yield: 8 generous servings.

13.5-ounce can Full Fat coconut milk, plus HOT water to make a total of 3 1/4 cups.

1 c. Sun Warrior brand Chocolate "Warrior Blend" protein powder

1/2 c. white or purple yam or sweet potato that has been baked until soft (remove skins)

1/2 to 1 c. White Lakanto sweetener powder, to taste

1/4 c. coconut oil (deodorized makes a more chocolaty flavor)

2 T. vegetable glycerine or other liquid sweetener

2 T. xylitol (or 2 T more Lakanto)

1/3 to 1/2 c. dutch cocoa powder, to taste

1 to 3 t. black cocoa powder, optional for richer color (we like 3 t.)

2 t. real vanilla extract

1/4 t. almond extract
1/4 t. BioSalt

1 fat pinch of canella powder or ceylon cinnamon

Stevia glycerite, to taste, optional

Real chocolate flavoring, to taste, optional
Coffee flavoring, optional

Method:

Place the 3 1/4 cups liquid (coconut milk plus water) into a VitaMix blender container.Then add the 1 cup protein powder.

Put the VitaMix lid on and blend on medium speed just until combined. Turn off the blender and then scrape down the sides of the blender.

Secure the lid on tightly and process on highest speed until steaming hot and perfectly smooth. The temperature should reach at least 130 degrees F. for the pudding to have the best texture and flavor (don't go over 170 degrees). The friction of the blades heats the liquid after a short time. Measure temperature with a thermometer.

Turn off the VitaMix, remove lid and add the rest of the ingredients to the blender, except for the stevia glycerite and chocolate flavoring, if using.

Place lid tightly on and process on the highest speed until the pudding is steaming hot and smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed (with the blender turned off!). If the mixture gets a little too thick, use the "Tamper" to help it along. You may also add up to 1/4 cup more water (making a total of 3 1/2 c. liquid).

Turn off the VitaMix, Taste the pudding. Add stevia glycerite, a few drops at a time, to taste if you want the pudding sweeter. Add chocolate and coffee flavoring to taste, if you want to.

Give a final blend and taste for balanced flavors.

Portion finished pudding into serving-sized jars and store in the refrigerator. The jars of pudding also freeze well!

To Serve:

A good way to serve this is to top the pudding with sliced or broken bananas and crushed gluten-free pretzels. Pour your favorite cold, milk over top and dig in! Our favorite milks are whole organic milk, almond mylk, coconut/almond mylk, or cashew mylk.

Notes: 

If a less thick pudding is desired, add another 1/4 cup water, to make a total of 3 1/2 cups liquid used This pudding thickens more when chilled due to the coconut oil content. If the chilled pudding turns out thicker than you would like, just stir in a bit more water to suit your individual taste.

We add the canella powder, chocolate flavoring, and the coffee flavoring to the pudding to make the most of the chocolate flavor and to make the least of the pea protein flavor!

Stay tuned, a yummy butterscotch protein pudding is being perfected now!

The Sun Warrior protein powder used for this recipe.

The texture and thickness of the Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding before chilling.

This makes 8 generous servings of protein pudding.

Sun Warrior Protein Pudding topped with Bananas, G-F Pretzels, and Whole Organic Milk.

Enjoy!

Leila & Nancy.