DIY High Protein Coffee Creamer - Sugar-Free, Low-Carb & Healthier than Coffee Mate!

 High-Protein, Low-Carb Coffee Creamer Powder.

Replace unhealthy sugar-filled creamer with this great tasting protein packed creamer!

This is a really cool formula and I have not seen anything out there like it anywhere. I have been thinking about making a healthy creamer for a long time. Creamer manufacturers make a liquid slurry and then spray dry it into a powder form - Not something we can do at home. Quite a conundrum....

Plus, I wanted a creamer powder that would enhance my diet, not take away from it! Commercial creamers are as bad for you (or worse?) than margarine. This creamer is a delicious and healthy way to include more protein in your diet. You also avoid all the empty carbohydrates and unhealthy fats too. It is wonderful added to herbal chai, herbal coffee substitutes, fruit smoothies, boba drinks, hot cocoas, protein drinks, herbal milk teas, herbal Thai tea etc...

It takes only a few minutes to make this super easy creamer powder. Now you have a better alternative to the corn syrup and chemical laden commercial creamer powders. PARTY.


Here is the ingredient label to Coffee Mate creamer powder:

Note: They say 1 tsp (2 grams) is a serving. Who ever uses only 1 tsp.?

According to their label: 1 gram is carbohydrates (sugar) + .5 g is saturated fat + .5 g is other stuff. 

That means Coffee Mate is 50% corn syrup solids (sugar), and 25% fat. The sodium caseinate is at least 15 % of the formula, probably a little bit more, because the rest of the ingredients are listed as being less than 2% (which would fall under 10% of the total).

This is a cool way to read an ingredient label, huh?

Coffee Mate ingredient label.

Personally, I can do without all the corn syrup solids (the main ingredient), unhealthy hydrogenated fats, and aluminosilicate (aluminum), and artificial flavors. What about you?

Did you notice that the protein content per serving was a big fat ZERO?

I'm good with the sodium caseinate (milk derived protein) and natural annatto coloring (annatto is a brick red colored spice and colorant used in Mexican cooking). I find the lecithin powder colors this enough to make it look like Coffee Mate's creamer powder. If you are against all dairy, this creamer is not for you. I personally find these proteins agreeable to me and they have a much nicer texture than gritty vegetable proteins.

Our creamer dissolves nicely in liquids, and gives a milky look to them. This is low in lactose, due to the type of milk proteins used. Note that this is not a dairy-free creamer. Making a non-dairy creamer powder will be a project for later...

I noticed that if your beverage sits a while (as in, it's starting to get cold), the protein in this creamer settles to the bottom of the glass a bit. I just give it a stir, and it's fine.

The coconut oil I use here does not add a coconut oil flavor and adding it makes the creamer dissolve easily in liquids (hot or cold). My formula is lower in fat than Coffee Mate's, although I don't mind fat from coconut oil, since it is so good for you. The lecithin helps to emulsify the coconut oil into the water-based beverage. Lecithin is also really good for you and it helps your body digest fats in your diet, among other things.

The sweeteners I use here do not negatively impact your blood sugar levels. The IMO powder (related to inulin) is a mildly sweet tasting fiber. You could omit the IMO and just add a bit more erythritol, however, erythritol is a cooling sugar and is slow to dissolve, IMO is warming and dissolves easily, so they balance each other out. F.Y.I.

I also added Collagen (Collagen hydrolysate) powder. Why? Because it is a very clean and bio-available protein, with many health benefits! It dissolves quickly and seems to disappear into what ever you add it to. Collagen is like gelatin, except that it does not set up like gelatin (think Jell-O). At Kitchen Cheetahs, we like to add it to protein drinks, hot chocolate, soups, stews and gravies, gluten free baked goods, and of course desserts!

Here is a link to a very interesting article about gelatin (collagen) and why it is so important to our health. It's called "Gelatin, Stress, and Longevity", by Dr. Ray Peat. He discusses how collagen impacts our hormones, sleep patterns, thyroid, stomach issues, heart arrhythmia, body inflammation, aging, and lots of other cool stuff. I hope you take the time to read it. The take away? Eat collagen.

I also have special organic flavor powders that enhance the cream flavor of my creamer beautifully. Unfortunately, the public does not have access to these flavor powders, since they are made available to us because we are professional food formulators. I would recommend you add some vanilla flavor powder instead.

I really enjoy this creamer with my home made herbal chai tea, and home made boba drinks and smoothies. It is a wonderful substitute that leaves your beverages tasting rich and creamy.

I will be tweaking this recipe further...because I can't leave well enough alone. But this first recipe is definitely worth posting now. This formula is so much better than just mixing powdered milk with powdered sugar and calling that creamer - YUK. Hold out and get the needed ingredients to make this instead, you will be happy you did.

What may I do when I decide to tweak this recipe?

I will add another T. or more of melted deodorized coconut oil.
I will add at least another 2 T. of healthful collagen powder. (a T. of collagen a day is a good dose)
I may add another T. of lecithin powder.
I may lower the whey pro isolate to 1 1/4 cup and add another 1/4 cup calcium caseinate
Then I may need to up the sweeteners a bit, say, IMO to 40 grams and erythritol to 64 grams?

Anyway, here is the yummy recipe I am using now...


High Protein Coffee Creamer Recipe:

1 1/2 c. ( 120 g) plain 100% whey protein isolate
1 c. (80 g) calcium caseinate
6 T. (48 g) finely powdered erythritol
4 T. (32 g) IMO powder
3 T. (24 g) lecithin granules
2 T. (12 g) collagen powder
1 T. (8 g) Hi-Maize resistant starch, optional
Vanila flavor powder, to taste, optional
2 T. (26 g) melted deodorized coconut oil


Method:

Grind the erythritol with the Hi-Maize until finely powdered. The Hi-Maize is an added fiber that also acts as a processing aid for grinding the erythritol without it getting overly sticky. I use a small coffee mill to do this.

Weigh out all of the ingredients, except the coconut oil into a medium sized bowl. whisk to blend.

Process the powder in batches in a small food processor until all is a fine powder.

With the powder still in the food processor, drizzle the coconut oil over top of the powder. Place the lid on the food processor and pulse to blend very thoroughly. The powder will start to cling together nicely.

Transfer the creamer to an air-tight container and store in your pantry.

To use: spoon the desired amount into a hot beverage and stir to dissolve. I use 1 T. for a mug of herbal chai, or 2 T. for a big smoothie. Add to taste freely - It's healthy!

Assemble your ingredients.

Whisk the powdered erythritol with the other dry ingredients.

Here is the creamer after the coconut oil has been well blended in,

Ready to put in my pantry.

Enjoy,

Leila.

Crazy Good Low Carb Pancake Recipe - Gluten free, Sugar Free & FLUFFY!

We nailed it! We now offer you the recipe for the best wheat-free pancakes on the planet. I kid you not my pretties.

Amazing 'healthified" light & fluffy Low-Carb Pancakes!

My mom and I had a lot of fun working together on this one. We are very synergistic when we collaborate together. We mind meld and stuff, it's great.

She teaches me, and she tells me I teach her too. But personally, I think I only teach her stuff that's a variation of the stuff she first taught me. She may disagree on that point, however, I ask you this:

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

I can answer that one, "The Chicken".   Not that my mom is a chicken.

My point is, I am very grateful for how my mother has raised me and for what she has taught me. I feel she is woven into my very fabric. She still teaches me the most amazing things (like what makes the best flour substitutes, or how to make a heart-calming herbal tincture, or insights on the power of personal prayer). Happy Mother's Day again mom!

Anyway, the chicken came first. Because of my mom, you can now make the best healthy pancakes ever.

The ingredient list is a very creative one. We use several types of "flours" to get the flavor and texture of these pancakes right. Remember, we are professional food formulating maniacs, along with being gluten-free specialists and sugar-free specialists. I say this because I want you to know that we have done more than our fair share of formulating this kind of thing. You get to benefit from our years of trials, and years of learning about the properties of the newest healthy raw materials. Cool, huh?

For you, we wanted to create variations that use ingredients that are readily available to the consumer. This narrows our list of cool (and healthy) ingredients substantially. We have tried many variations and proportions with several different ingredients, and this is where we arrived.

We are excited to share this recipe with you because the recipes we found "out there" were not what we were hoping for. (See my Pancake Bedtime Story post) They were rubbery, way too eggy, soggy, spongy, slimy, gritty, heavy, mushy, bitter, fell apart, contained sugar, Were starch-laden, tasted like yucky protein powder, or otherwise weird tasting and weird textured. I'll skip breakfast, thanks!

But now, we can all enjoy light and fluffy guilt-free pancakes, and our family won't pull faces and run away hungry.

It is worth the effort to acquire all the ingredients we list here. If you have already been cooking with gluten-free, low-carb, paleo, or sugar-free recipes, you will already have most, if not all the ingredients for this recipe. You can even make this mix in bulk. We will post a bulk pancake mix recipe later, so please check back soon.

Benefits of this pancake recipe:

Tastes amazing!
Low carb
High fiber
Sugar free
Gluten free
High protein
Curbs cravings
Aids in weight loss
Helps blood sugar levels stay even
Good for athletic training
Can make dry pancake mix in advance
Can make pancakes in advance and freeze them


First get out all your ingredients first and pre-weigh them (weighing is best for consistency), or you can just measure them until you get yourself some good kitchen scales.

Again, putting together this dry pancake mix is SO worth the effort. When you are ready to make some pancakes, all you do is add some water and egg. They are easy to mix up, easier to cook, and the easiest to e-a-t.

Your kitchen will smell wonderful as these cook. You and your family will feel satisfied for a long time after you eat these pancakes. They are high in fiber and high in protein too. These are also helpful for those who are aiming to slim down. They even taste great with just butter and no syrup. Most fake pancakes have to be drowned in syrup to be at all palatable.

See the next version of pancakes we created, Buttermilk Pancakes, HERE. 

We hope you enjoy this recipe for years to come!



Low Carb Pancake Recipe:

Makes 4 medium sized pancakes (serves 2).

Dry Mix Ingredients:

13.0 grams (2 T.)  stirred coconut flour
11.0 grams (2 T.)  oat bran flour (finely ground)
11.0 grams (2 T.)  white almond flour (lightly packed)
8.0 grams (1 T.)  Hi-Maize brand resistant starch from National Starch **
4.0 grams (1 T.)  whey protein isolate
3.0 grams (1 T.)  psyllium husks (flakes, not powdered) ***
3.5 grams (1 t.)  gelatin powder (like Knoxx brand plain gelatin)
4.0 grams (1 t.)  Table Top Sugar Blend (or 1 1/2 t. of a 50:50 mix of erythritol and xylitol) ****
1.2 grams (1/4 t.)  BioSalt or sea salt
2.8 grams (1/2 t.)  baking powder
0.9 grams (1/4 t.)  konjac powder
0.9 grams (1/4 t.)  Wheat Bread Flavor Powder, optional (a proprietary flavoring for GF breads *)


Wet Ingredients:

1 medium egg
1/2 c. cool purified water


Method:

In a small mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together very well and set aside.

Preheat a 12-inch or larger non-stick skillet to 350 degrees (medium heat). Oil pan with coconut oil.

Whisk the egg until emulsified.

Add the water to the egg and mix together.

Add the egg mixture to the dry mix in the mixing bowl and blend together until there are no lumps.

Immediately pour all 4 pancakes into the prepared skillet. Let them cook without shaking the pan.

The pancake batter quickly becomes thick, so they will not bubble like thinner pancakes do to indicate when to flip them over. You'll need to peek at the bottoms, and flip them when they turn nicely brown.

Cook the other side until they are golden brown and spring back in the center when lightly touched.

If you did not cook all the pancakes at once, do not stir the batter down. Just portion it with a food portioning scoop (an ice cream scoop)

onto the oiled skillet. You may gently pat down the batter a bit with wet fingers. Again, do not shake the pan to settle the pancakes or they will be misshapen.

Enjoy with butter and a good sugar-free syrup or preserves.



Notes: 

*  "Wheat Bread Flavor Powder" is a proprietary flavor my mother created for all gluten free bread-type products. It is not available to the public (unless we get a large amount of requests for it...).

** Honeyville grain carries the HiMaize Resistant starch. This ingredient is not absorbed like regular starch and is a wonderful ingredient for low carb, gluten free baking. You can use up to 25% HiMaize in your flour blends to cut carbs.

*** If you do not have the 1 T. psyllium husk flakes, substitute with 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder. The texture will not be quite as bread-like, but it is still good.

**** You may substitute Lakanto white sugar substitute for the tabletop sugar blend called for.

Looking for bubbles in these cooking pancakes is not an indicator of pancakes being ready to flip. Check the bottoms for doneness.

Lower heat is needed for cooking these pancakes, compared to regular starch-filled pancakes. Too high a temperature will burn the outsides before the insides are cooked through.

Grind the oat bran until very fine, unless you want more texture to your pancakes.

Making these pancake with just liquid egg whites is not a good idea. They won't act like, look like, or taste like pancakes at all.

Mixing in an additional t. dry egg white protein powder resulted in rubbery, eggy pancakes. Don't do it.

Using less oat bran flour results in a pancake with compromised texture. We do not recommend less than 2 T. oat bran flour for this recipe.

The added gelatin makes a nice, flexible pancake, nearer to a wheat-like texture.

Whey protein isolate is higher in protein and has mush less lactose in it than whey protein concentrate, and usually the lactose-intolerant can eat it in this recipe.

Shaking the pancake batter in the skillet will result in flattened pancakes that may also run together. Just pour them, or portion them with a food portioning scoop (ice cream scoop). If the batter has thickened a lot, gently pat the pancake batter down a tiny bit with wet fingers.


Tip: 

I doubled the recipe because all I had were extra-large eggs. I used 1 extra-large egg.  It worked fine, although the 2nd batch of pancakes were more ragged looking because the batter had thickened up and I did not pat the batter down with wet fingers. Not the end of the world, they still turned out great!


Photos of the process:

Mix the dry ingredients together first.

Whisk the egg then add in the water.

Add the egg mixture to the dry pancake mix.

Mix until no lumps remain.

Using a food portioning scoop to measure out each pancake, without deflating the batter.

I flipped the pancakes with an unusual amount of grace... Not.

A nice fluffy stack of pancakes.

That was so good! :)

Enjoy!

Leila & Nancy.

Refreshing Lime Quinoa Salad - Gluten Free & Healthy

This healthy, vibrant salad is very fresh tasting and delicious. It's an easy keeper in the fridge and is a nice staple to have around for quick meals.

The lime makes the salad bright tasting and the maple syrup tempers the acidity perfectly.

You may serve this with gluten-free corn chips, served over top romaine lettuce or baby spinach, as a lettuce wrap filling, or eat it as-is. It's all good.

You can omit any salt in the recipe so that the salad stores well in your refrigerator a few days without getting watery. Add a touch of salt, to taste, to the portion that is served.

I hope you enjoy this nutritious, easy to make salad as much as we do!




Refreshing Lime Quinoa Salad Recipe:

Salad:


1 c. quinoa
2 c. water
1 can black beans, rinsed well
2 large tomatoes, diced small
4 small scallions, including the green tops, minced (or 2 large)
1/2 c. chopped cilantro leaves

Dressing:

zest of 2 large limes (about 1 heaping T.)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2 large limes)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil (or rice bran oil)
2 T. real maple syrup
1/2 to 1 t. BioSalt or sea salt
1 to 2 t. salt-free seasoning of choice, optional


Method:

Place the quinoa in a large fine mesh strainer. Rinse the quinoa and soak at least 15 minutes in a bowl of water, and rinse again.

Simmer the quinoa and the 2 cups water in a pot, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand on the burner for another 10 minutes.

Strain off any excess water, then let cool as you prepare the rest of the salad.

Combine the dressing ingredients together in a serving bowl, to taste.

Add the cooked quinoa to the salad dressing and toss well.

Add the drained black beans, tomato, scallions, and fresh cilantro and toss well.

Serve warm or chill and serve cold.


NOTE: 

If you plan on storing in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, only add salt at serving time, as you eat it. This prevents the tomatoes from releasing as much juice, eliminating liquid at the bottom of the bowl. If liquid does accumulate, no worries, just stir and serve.

Enjoy,

Leila.

Amazing Vegan Hot Fudge Sauce - Sugar-Free, Low-Carb, High-Fiber, Paleo

Amazing Vegan Hot Fudge Sauce

Enjoy this rich, smooth, and chocolaty hot fudge sauce over your favorite ice cream or use as a chocolate fondue. 

The secret ingredient here is soft baked sweet potato. It adds body to the sauce as well as healthy fiber. The quality of this yummy chocolate sauce surprised even us. We are having a lot of fun playing with soft baked yam/sweet potato in our test kitchens. More recipes using these lovely tubers are coming. I created a special section for our recipes containing yams and sweet potatoes called, "I Yam That I Yam". Don't tell me that's corny, I already know.

We love that this is a guilt-free hot fudge sauce. It's sugar-free, dairy-free, high-fiber, vegan, paleo, and contains healthy coconut oil.

Try it,we think you will like it!


Amazing Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe:

2/3 c. of your favorite milk (vegan, coconut, almond, cashew, lactose-free, low-carb...)
1 c. powdered white or golden Lakanto brand sweetener (or erythritol)
2/3 c. dutch cocoa powder
1/3 c. white sweet potato flesh (baked until soft)
3 T. coconut oil (deodorized)
1 pinch sea salt or BioSalt
1 t. real vanilla extract
1 to 2 T. of your favorite sweet syrup (IMO syrup, agave, maple...), optional
A few drops stevia glycerite, if you want it sweeter


Method:

Puree all of the ingredients together until smooth with a stick blender.

Heat and stir the mixture until it reaches 180 degrees F. to fully dissolve the Lakanto crystals.

Cool the mixture 5 minutes.

Taste the mixture to check for sweetness and adjust as desired.

Puree the mixture again on high speed with the stick blender until it is smooth and thickened.

Serve the sauce warm over your favorite dessert.

Store the unused fudge sauce in the refrigerator and gently reheat to serve. Any crystals from the erythritol that form will easily dissolve when the sauce is reheated.

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Sweet Perfection Copy-Cat recipe (All-Natural Sugar Substitute)

This is an all-natural,  super simple sugar-free formula to make at home. 

IMO powder - A fabulous sugar substitute.

We like to make our own Sugar-Free sweeteners. We make several intense sweetener blends, bulking sugar blends and several mixtures combining both bulk sweeteners with added intense sweeteners. We make many different formulas for different applications. It gets complicated, but we love it.

We already have posted some sweetener blends on this blog that you can make yourself:

Stevia Glycerite (Now brand Copy-Cat)
Copy-Cat Truvia
Low-Carb Vanilla Sugar
Low-Carb Brown Sugar
Low -Carb Pancake Syrup #1

We love IMO powder and (IMO Syrup). We also love erythritol, and xylitol. We love using stevioside (stevia), although not usually alone. We also love monk fruit extract and citrus extract. There are more, but most of them are not available to the public. We would LOVE to introduce them to you, maybe with time, we will be able to be a source for you.

Make a small batch of sweetener at first and then try sweetening mild herbal tea with it or try it in a smoothie. It's easy to adjust. Its easier to add more IMO that it is to reduce the amount of stevia, obviously.

Look online for IMO powder, monk fruit extract, and pure, white stevioside extract.


Sweet Perfection contains:

99 % Oligofructose from chicory root fiber (a prebiotic fiber that doesn't increase blood sugar)

1 % Organic stevia

Serving size: 1 t. and contains 3 calories and 3 g fiber.
Each 20-ounce bag costs $22.95 and contains 3 cups.


To duplicate this I use:

99%   IMO powder (like VitaFiber from http://www.bioneutra.ca/faq.htm)
1%   95 to 98% pure stevioside powder (without maltodextrin or other bulking fillers)

Method:

Mix ingredients together Very well. Putting in a blender on very low speed works great.
Store air-tight and use as you would sugar.



A newer Sweet Perfection formula contains:

99.5% Oligofructose from chicory root fiber
Organic stevia
Monk fruit


To duplicate this I would try:

99.5%   IMO powder
0.5%   Combined intense sweeteners:
      0.3%   95% to 98% pure stevioside powder
      0.2%   Lo Han Guo (monk fruit) concentrate powder

Method: 

Premix your intense sweeteners.
Dilute a tiny amount in water and see if you like the ratio of stevia to monk fruit. Adjust as desired.
Mix VERY well with the IMO powder.
Store air-tight.
 

Note: IMO stands for isomalto-oligosaccharide

Sweet Perfection's label.

Have fun experimenting!

Leila & Nancy.

DIY Copy Cat Low Carb Brown Sugar Recipe - using Erythritol

Make your own EASY LOW CARB BROWN SUGAR 
(with 2 varitions)

There are some brown sugar imitations on the market, but maybe you are like me and want the convenience of being able to quickly make your own. Making your own saves you money too, always a good thing. Most Of the "brown sugar" replacements on the market use artificial sweeteners in them too. I don't know about you but I avoid artificial chemical sweeteners. I think sugar is better for me than those, but that's my own opinion...

Anyway, erythritol is the base I have chosen for this healthy, low carb brown sugar replacement. You could also use part xylitol if you want to. Xylitol is a lot sweeter that erythritol (about 90% as sweet as sugar) but isn't quite as low carb as erythritol. Another thing to note is that when you combine sweeteners, they are synergistic with each other, enhancing each others sweetness. SWEET!

You may also want to put in the tiniest amount of a high quality white stevioside powder (a high intensity natural sweetener) to up the sweetness of your blend. Just add the stevia very slowly and mix it together VERY well. Write down your formula so you can easily remake more.



LOW CARB BROWN SUGAR Recipe:

Difficulty level: Easy Peasy

1 to 2 c. Erythritol, granular
1 t. Blackstrap molasses


Method:

In a bowl of a food processor, thoroughly mix the blackstrap molasses into the granular erythritol.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container in your pantry for future use.

If you want a lighter brown sugar, just mix in more erythritol.

Remember to write down your proportions for future reference.


Lower Carb Variation:

2 c. Erythritol
2 t. Yacon syrup
A pinch stevioside powder, to taste



NOTES:

Traditional brown sugar has 276 calories per 1/2 cup (71.1 g carbs).
The Lower Carb Variation with yakon syrup has only 7 calories per 1/2 cup (2.8g carbs).

Blackstrap molasses is darker and more flavorful than regular molasses, so you need only half as much, which lowers the carb count of this sweetening blend even more.

Use a natural high intensity sweetener, or a blend of two (like stevia and luo han guo) to increase the sweetness level, if desired.

Erythritol has only 6% of the calories of regular sugar.

Erythritol has about 60 to 70% of the sweetness of regular sugar.

Erythritol is best used as a bulk sweetener in part of a sweetening blend.

Erythritol is not quite as soluble as sugar, it takes a little more heat to dissolve it.

Erythritol has a much higher gastric tolerance than any other sugar alcohol, up to 3.5% is safely used in beverages, for example.

Erythritol will not activate yeast in baking applications. Use a little additional fructose to activate and feed the yeast, and then your dough will rise normally.



Note: You could use Lakanto's golden granular zero-calorie sweetener instead of the plain erythritol for best flavor.



Future Project: I want to make a brown sugar blend that is as sweet as regular brown sugar using a combination of:

erythritol (bulking sugar)
oligosaccharides (inulin chicory root fiber) (bulking fiber)
stevia extract (high intensity sweetener)
luo han guo (monk fruit) (high intensity sweetener)
natural color (carob or cocoa powder)
natural flavor


I'm thinking about 70% erythritol, 20% inulin, and just a kiss of everything else.

I'm just thinking out loud... on paper, er, computer screen.



Have a great day,

Leila.

Chia Blueberry Sauce - Sugar-Free (Healthified)

Try this healthy variation of blueberry sauce.

This is a very delicious and very easy sauce to put together. It is loaded with antioxidants and fiber. Since it is sugar-free, you can enjoy it knowing that it won't spike your blood sugar.

The beautiful thing about this sauce is it seems dessert like and very more-ish, yet it is great as a yogurt topping for breakfast, or on low-carb ice cream for dessert. there are many uses for this versatile sauce. You will not feel deprived, trust us!

We also like that you don't have to cook this blueberry sauce to death. It tastes F-R-E-S-H.

Also note how we keep using a blend of sugar-free sweeteners on this blog. That is because the blends we use are synergistic, which means they enhance each other's sweetening power along with tasting much more like conventional sugar. Cool, right?



Chia Blueberry Sauce Recipe:

2 boxes (22 to 24 ounces total) fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
2 c. "Old Orchard" brand no sugar added Cranberry-Raspberry Juice
1/4 c. dark chia seeds
1 to 2 t. very finely powdered psyllium husks
4 to 6 T. erythritol, to taste (or Lakanto white sweetener)
4 to 6 T. xylitol, to taste
Fresh lemon juice and/or Vitamin C powder, to taste
Stevia Glycerite, to taste


Method:

In a small saucepan place the blueberries, chia seeds, and 2 c. juice.
Mix together and let thicken 30 minutes.
Barely cook the mixture.
Powder the psyllium husks very finely in a Krups seed mill.
Mix the psyllium husk powder with the erythritol and xylitol.
Add the psyllium mixture to the hot berry mixture and still very will until fully dissolved.
Let berry mixture cool.
Add fresh lemon juice and /or Vitamin C powder to taste.
Add Stevia glycerite to taste.
Chill the berry sauce overnight.
If the sauce thickens up too much, just add more juice to reach the desired consistency.
Use as a topping for cheesecake, yogurt, ice cream, etc...


Variations:

This Blueberry Sauce can be made with less juice and be used as a sugar-free blueberry pie filling!

Or, Make it less sweet and it could become a tasty blueberry Danish Pudding.

Or, mix it with any kind of sugar-free syrup to make a blueberry pancake syrup!

There are lots of options for the blueberry lover...


Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Outrageous Santa Rosa Plum Jam - Healthy & Sugar-Free

This is an easy recipe for a beautiful fresh fruit freezer jam. 

Fragrant Santa Rosa Plum Jam

When you find ripe plums in your store or local farmer's market (their alluring perfume will find you), pick out a pound of the ripest ones and use them to make some of this lovely jam.

My dad brought a few of these delicious plums home for my mom. They were so good that my mom immediately went back to the store and hand picked some of the ripest ones to take home and make into this jam. You rarely find plums of this quality in grocery stores, so when you do, jump on it.

The only thickening used for this jam is finely ground psyllium husk powder, so it takes some time to thicken up. Let the jam sit in the refrigerator over night to thicken completely. Store the jars you are not using immediately in your freezer.


Outrageous Santa Rosa plum jam Recipe:

1 pound Santa Rosa type plums - sweet, tree-ripened and fragrant
3 ounces pitted black sweet cherries
1/2 c. erythritol
2 T. xylitol
1 T. fine psyllium husk powder
1/4 t. monk fruit extract, 80% strength
1/8 t. BioSalt
2 T. IMO powder (or IMO syrup) 
2 T. vegetable glycerine
stevia glycerite, to taste


Method:

Wash and pit the ripe, fragrant plums. Roughly chop and set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients together well, and set aside.

In a food processor, puree the pitted cherries with the dry ingredients, vegetable glycerine and IMO syrup, if using. Stop the food processor. 

Add the chopped plums and pulse to desired texture.

Pour jam into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave to 110 degrees F., with occasional stirring. Or heat on the stove-top in a non-metallic pan to 110 degrees F., stirring until the erythritol is dissolved.

Sweeten to taste with the stevia glycerite.

Store the jam in the refrigerator overnight to allow it to fully thicken.

The next day, portion into jars for freezing and freeze.

Note: The cherries add beautiful color but do not  compete with the plum flavor.

Freshly made, before the thickening process has completed.

Plum jam now completely Thickened - So smooth and rich and exotically perfumed.

Enjoy, 

Leila & Nancy.

Fresh Orange Ginger Oriental Dressing (Oil-Free)

Dad's Dressing - Quick & Easy (oil-free)

We all love dad's delicious salad dressing. It has an Asian flair and is a nice combination of sweet, tangy, savory and spicy. He mixes it up fresh in the salad serving bowl, to taste. Then he adds the desired salad ingredients, tosses and serves at once.

At our house, we like a mix of romaine, spinach, and baby greens, topped with scallions, shredded raw vegetables (carrot, zuchinni, celery...), diced apples, oranges, even bananas, sprouts, slivered almonds, shredded chicken, etc...

Try this healthy alternative to store bought dressing!


DAD'S DRESSING Recipe:

Yield: Enough for 1 large salad

Juice and mashed pulp from 1 sweet orange
2 T. real maple syrup, or to taste
1/2 to 1-inch piece of ginger root, grated fine
2 t. sesame seeds, to taste
Tamari soysauce, to taste

Method:

Place the orange juice and pulp in a small mixing bowl.
Add the maple syrup, ginger and sesame seeds, mixing well.
Add enough Tamari to salt the dressing to taste.


This dressing is best used fresh and is good over many kinds of salads.


Enjoy,

Leila

Protein and Calcium Enriched Brown Rice Milk - YUMMY

Protein-Enriched Brown Rice Milk

Dairy-Free, Reduced Carb, Sugar-Free

Protein and Calcium Enriched

I wanted to create a rice milk that not only tasted great and was easy to make but had more protein and calcium than other rice milks. I also have a major complaint with commercial rice milk - The high carb count from the white rice, and if it's sweetened, the sugar content. I also don't like the price charged for a product that is mostly water.

So I decided to make my own version with the added benefits of more protein, calcium and magnesium, more nutrients from using brown rice instead of white, and sweetened with sugar-free natural sweeteners. This is what I came up with...

Rice milk is an option for those who are going dairy-free, and are allergic to nut milks. You could use a vegan protein powder instead of egg white protein powder BUT they are gritty and have off-flavors. Just warning you...

Typical rice milk is also much higher in carbs than coconut or almond milk. My version is much better, but it is not carb-free. If you are wanting to slim down, I personally would recommend unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk (I have a sugar-free almond milk recipe on this blog that is very good and low-carb).



BROWN RICE MILK Recipe:

Yield: 1/2 gallon

To Cook the Rice:

1 c. long grain brown rice
3 c. purified water

Cook until rice is very soft, so that when you taste it, it will mush and not have a grainy feel in your mouth. (Or use leftover cooked rice from your rice cooker, as long as it is SOFT. If it's been salted and has coconut oil added, that's o.k.)

To Make the Rice Milk:

2 c. (10-ounces) hot rice
4 c. hot water

Blend in a blender 2 or more minutes. the mixture will be a little thick but smooth.

Add:

4 c. cold purified water
1/4 t. BioSalt (recipe on this blog)
1 t. real vanilla extract
2 T. xylitol
20 drops stevia glycerite (NOW brand, or home made - recipe on this blog)
2 T. Cal/Mag powder (a calcium/magnesium powder, sold at health food stores)
4 T. egg white protein powder

Add everything to the blender, except the egg white pro, and blend together well. Add the egg white pro last or it will make the milk quite foamy.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. Shake well
before use.


Options: 

You can add a couple drops of natural maple flavoring, coconut flavoring, or rum flavoring.

Try adding 1 t. cinnamon powder, to the rice when cooking it.

For chocolate rice milk add 3 T. chocolate syrup.

You can make a coconut fortified rice milk by adding coconut milk to the warm pureed hot rice/hot water mixture in the blender.

You may strain the rice milk through a fine-mesh cloth bag, if you really feel it is necessary (I don't).



Variations:

For a sweeter, thicker rice milk:

Decrease the cold water to 1 1/2 c.
Increase the xylitol to a total of 2 T. + 2 t.
Increase the stevia glycerite to a total of 24 drops


For a more neutral tasting rice milk:

Decrease the xylitol to only 2 t.


To make into a pudding;

Puree 1 c. hot water with 1 c. hot cooked rice. Add xylitol and stevia glycerite to taste, plus vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg...



Enjoy experimenting with this recipe,

Leila

Successful sugar-free caramel experiments today!

Sugar Free Caramel experiments in the Kitchen Cheetah Test Kitchens

Imagine a dab of rich, buttery, creamy smooth caramel on your finger tips, just waiting to be tasted...

That's what I got to do today. CARAMEL.

We have been working on formulating a delicious sugar free caramel, not an easy task. Today, great progress was made towards our goal!

Years ago, when my husband and I owned a gourmet candy manufacturing business, I experimented with sugar-free caramel and toffee. At the time, maltitol and maltitol syrup (sugar alcohols) were pretty new to the market and I experimented with those. I was only somewhat satisfied. I had to add some other natural ingredients to create caramelization (also known as the maillard reaction). Sugar alcohols do not caramelize on their own, which is a problem for sugar-free candy manufacturers. Artificial flavors and colors are used to achieve a caramel-like look and taste - but they don't really fool you.

Maltitol causes gastric distress in most people, but was an improvement over mannitol. Sugar alcohols cause gastric distress in general. Xylitol is generally better tolerated than maltitol, plus xylitol has many health benefits. Still, you only want to eat it in small doses.

Erythritol is generally tolerated the best out of all the sugar alcohols. However, erythritol recrystallizes much quicker than regular sugar does, leading to grainy caramel, grainy marshmallows, grainy fudge - yuk. Erythritol also does not brown, so you can't make caramel with just erythritol.

There are some newer, healthy sugar alternatives on the market now, which we are experimenting with. We are very close to reaching our goal of a delicious, natural sugar-free, chemical-free caramel that is firm enough to wrap in caramel wrappers, or dip in our sugar free chocolate. SO EXCITING.

I just had to share!

Freshly made sugar-free caramel.

This caramel has a nice rich color and caramel taste!

Sugar-free caramel experiment - after the cold water test. Nice texture :)

Stay tuned!

Author, Leila.

Sugar-Free Clean-Eating Rich Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (SUGAR-FREE)

Use this yummy and original frosting recipe on our low-carb mug cakes or anywhere else you choose. This is a healthy, sugar-free option that is much lower in carbs than regular frosting.

This easy to make frosting is a great choice for low-sugar, low-carb desserts. You can even make this dairy-free if you use a vegan cream cheese.You get healthy fats from the coconut oil too.

We hope you enjoy adding this rich frosting recipe to your go-to healthy recipe collection.

Easy Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Chocolate Frosting

EASY CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING Recipe:

2 c. FINELY powdered erythritol or white Lakanto zero-cal sweetener (can use part xylitol)

1/2 c. room temperature coconut oil (not melted)

Cream together several minutes. then cream in:

1 package chilled LIGHT cream cheese (or vegan cream cheese)

Cream in. Then add:

6 to 8 T. Dutch cocoa powder (sifted and free of lumps) (Natural cocoa doe not taste as good)

Cream in. Then add alternately:

4 to 6 T. "FROSTING THICKENER" (see recipe below)

1/4 c. vegetable glycerine (or raw honey, or agave, or maple syrup - NOT SUGAR-FREE)

Cream together well. then add:

Real vanilla extract, to taste

Homemade stevia glycerite, to taste (recipe on this blog)

Cream together to blend in very well. Taste for flavor and sweetness. 

Use immediately or chill.

FROSTING THICKENER FORMULA:

1/4 c. arrowroot or tapioca starch

2 T. coconut flour

METHOD:

Grind the starch and coconut flour together 2 to 3 times (letting it cool down between grindings) in a Krups seed mill until it is as fine as possible. 

Store in an air-tight container in your pantry. Use to thicken healthy frostings.

Enjoy, 

Leila & Nancy

Stevia Glycerite Recipe (Now brand copy-cat)

Stevia Glycerite (Now brand copy-cat recipe)



This is an awesome recipe - and so easy!

Stevia glycerite is a kitchen staple you will use all the time. Our whole family has used liquid stevia glycerite for years. I have also recommended it to many of my clients and friends, as a natural sugar substitute. For along time, our family purchased +Now brand stevia glycerite from the health food store. It is a bit expensive, so we researched a way to make our own. We found nothing online to help us, so a few years ago, we experimented and created this reliable formula, which we are now very excited to share with you!

This is a very valuable formula and it will save you a lot of money. The vegetable glycerine in this formula is a natural preservative, so no additional preservatives are needed. It is shelf stable too. We like to make up a larger batch and put it into squeeze bottles, old (washed) Now brand stevia glycerite bottles, or dark amber glass bottles with droppers.

We like to use this to sweeten smoothies, protein drinks, herbal teas, and other beverages. You only need about 3 to 4 drops to sweeten a large mug of herbal tea. I will use a little to sweeten applesauce, other fruit sauces and jams. There are lots of creative ways to use this healthy sugar alternative. It is also great to extend the sweetening power of other sugar-free sweeteners like xylitol or erythritol, or use to cut down on sugar sweeteners used like raw agave nectar, raw honey, maple syrup, and evaporated cane juice...We do not recommend using this alone in baked goods, as it does not give the necessary structure that sugar does.


STEVIA GLYCERITE Recipe:

4 C. natural vegetable glycerine, divided
1 C. purified or distilled water
150 grams 90% stevia powder (a white stevioside powder at 90% concentration)


Method:

Pour 2 cups of the glycerine and 1 cup water into a tall pot. Blend together well.
Add the 90% stevia powder while whisking with a wire whisk, to blend well.
Cook the mixture on high heat while whisking vigorously and constantly until it comes to a full boil.
Continue whisking vigorously while boiling for 1 full minute, then turn off  the heat.
Continue whisking vigorously for 5 full minutes.
Allow to cool, whisking occasionally.
When cooled, blend in the last 2 cups vegetable glycerine. Mix together well.
When it is completely cooled, package into air-tight bottles, and store in a cool, dark place.


Tip: This recipe easily doubles.


Note: Stevia leaves are an herb that is naturally very sweet, yet completely sugar-free. Stevioside powder is a concentrated and purified form of the stevia leaf. Very small amounts are needed to sweeten foods and beverages. it is a very good low-carb, sugar-free alternative for those who are concerned about their health.

Stevia leaf - the source for stevioside powder

Stevioside powder

Now brand stevia glycerite (Now you don't need to buy it anymore!)

Enjoy!

Leila

Healthy Sugar-Free Cranberry Juice Cocktail Recipe

Sugar-Free Cranberry Juice Cocktail Recipe

Today I decided to create a healthy version of cranberry juice cocktail. My version uses no high fructose corn syrup, sugary fruit juices, or sugar. Cranberries are very high in anti-oxidants, it's all the sugar that is normally found in cranberry juice cocktail that is a heath concern. This would be an excellent drink for U.T.I., a common female ailment.

I chose to use xylitol for it's anti-cavity and anti-bacterial properties. I add stevia glycerite to cut back on the amount of xylitol needed, and to create a more balanced sweetening profile. The BioSalt adds minerals and the ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) adds a bit more dimension to the drinks flavor.

This is a great recipe to use up some extra cranberries you may have left over from the holidays.

SUGAR-FREE CRANBERRY JUICE COCKTAIL RECIPE:

Yield: 1/2 gallon

Difficulty Level: Easy-Peasy

12 ounces cranberries
8 1/2 c. water, divided
1/2 c. xylitol
1 t. stevia glycerite
1/4 t. ascorbic acid crystals or powder
1/8 t. BioSalt (recipe is on this blog)

Method:

In a blender or food processor, roughly puree the washed and sorted cranberries in 2 cups of the water. Pour into a large non-reactive pot.

Add 2 cups water to the emptied blender (put the lid on!) and turn it on long enough so that the sides are rinsed clean of the berries. Pour blender contents into the pot.

Add 2 cups more water to the pot and bring the mixture up to a boil on medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes. then take off heat and let cool a while.


Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a 1/2-gallon glass jar (with tight fitting lid). use a silicone spatula to stir the pulp as you strain, to release more juice.


Mix the spent pulp with the last 1/2 cup water and strain into your juice container.


Add the xylitol, stevia glycerite, ascorbic acid, and BioSalt. Put the lid on tightly and shake to dissolve the xylitol. Taste for sweetness and chill.


Serve over crushed ice. Yum.


Note: I mix the spent cranberry pulp into natural, unsweetened applesauce and sweeten it to taste with a few drops of stevia glycerite, or other healthy sweetener of choice.

Tip: Now brand stevia glycerite works well and can be found at health food stores. Ascorbic acid and Xylitol can also be found at health food stores.

Cranberry juice cocktail in the making

Straining and stirring the cranberry pulp

Cranberry pulp with the 1/2 c. added water

Finished Cranberry Juice Cocktail

Note: The quininic acid found in cranberries is what causes the distinctive bitter taste, and is also thought to have nutraceutical properties. When consumed, quininic acid is converted to Hippuric acid, which removes toxins from the urinary tract and kidneys. Here's to your Health!

Author, Leila