Better for You Scotcheroos

How to make it

1. Line a 9x9 square pan with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, puree pitted dates until they form into a nice paste.

3. In a large sauce pan, combine peanut butter, honey, coconut nectar, and date paste over medium heat. Stir until ingredients come together as a homogeneous mixture.

4. Add in cereal flakes 1 cup at a time, stirring well until coated.

5. Transfer into prepared pan, and spread evenly with a spatula.

6. In a microwave safe bowl melt down chocolate chips.

7. Spread in thin layer over cereal treats.

8. In another small bowl melt down butterscotch treats. Spread in 4-5 thin lines across cereal base.

9. Using a knife, draw thin lines perpendicular to chocolate lines, pulling the swirl stripe texture.

10. Allow to sit for 3-4 hours, until chocolate hardens.

11. Cut into 16 squares.

What You’ll Need

1/3 Cup crunchy all natural peanut butter

1/4 Cup Honey

1/4 Cup Coconut Nectar

1/2 Cup pitted dates

1/2 Cup dark chocolate

2 1/2 Cups Special K Rice Flake Cereal

1/2 Cup butterscotch chipits

Spicy Ginger Molasses Loaf with Orange Glaze

How to make it

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease 3 mini or 1 regular loaf pan(s).

2. In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar with a paddle attachment.

3. Add in egg, grated ginger, and apple sauce.

4. In a large bowl, sift together flour and spices.

5. In a medium bowl, combine boiling water, molasses, and baking soda. Let the mixture foam until approximately double in size.

6. Add in half of the dry mix to egg and butter mixture followed by 1/2 of molasses mixture.

7. Mix on low until combined.

8. Add in remaining dry and molasses mixtures.

9. Mix on low until combined.

10. Pour into prepared loaf pan(s).

11. Bake for 35-40 minutes (mini) or 50-60 minutes (regular).

12. Allow to cool.

13. To make the glaze - combine orange juice and powdered sugar replacement in a small bowl, whisking until homogeneous,

14. Pour over completely cooled gingerbread, allowing to drizzle down the sides.

Tips

1. This recipe would taste great with cream cheese frosting. Refer to the Red Velvet Oreo recipe to find a sugar free frosting option!

2. Double the recipe and make in a large bundt cake pan for a fancy and festive dessert.

What you’ll need

1/4 Cup butter, room temperature

1/2 Cup Golden Sugar

1/4 Cup apple sauce

1 egg

2 Tbsps fresh grated ginger

1/2 Cup boiling water

1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsps Cup molasses

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 Cup flour

2 tsps ground ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

For The Sugar-free Glaze

2 Tbsps freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsps Swerve Icing Sugar Replacement

Christmas Cake Pops

How to make it

1. Prepare cake as per box instructions. Sometimes I substitute 1/3 cup oil for 1/3 cup apple sauce for s lower fat version. But who are we kidding, these aren’t a ‘super food’!

2. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool.

3. Remove from pan and cut off all edges. Place in large bowl, and using a fork or clean hands, crumble cake. Mix in 1/3 - 1/2 cup frosting (depending on desired texture) and sprinkles. Mixture will come together and be dough like.

4. Roll into 1” to 11/2” balls and place in freezer for 3-4 hours.

5. In a microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate wafers on hig in 30 second intervals, stirring in-between.

6. Gently dunk each ball into chocolate, scrapping edges of bowl to discard extra chocolate.

7. Decorate with remaining sprinkles.

8. Allow to set, and enjoy!

Pro Tip - if you have the patience, transform these into snowmen. Place a mini Oreo on the top of each, use two blue sprinkles for eyes, and an orange one for a carrot nose!

What you’ll need

1 box White or Yellow Cake Mix

3 eggs

1 Cup water

1/3 Cup apple sauce

1/3 - 1/2 Cup Frosting

1/3 Cup red & green sprinkles + 1 Tbsp for decorating

1 1/2 Cups white chocolate wafers

Candy Cane Brownie Bombs

How to make it

1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

2. In a stand mixer, beat sugar and eggs.

3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter together on 30 second increments.

4. Pour chocolate into sugar egg mixture while running on slow.

5. Add in vanilla.

6. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Fold into mixture until thick.

7. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 27-32 minutes. Do not over bake, you want the centre fudgey. Allow too cool. Cut off edges, and top crust layer. Set aside for snacking!

8. Section off the remaining gooey fudge middle into ~20-30 sections (depending on desired size). Roll into small balls.

9. Place in freezer for 3-4 hours, or overnight.

10. Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl on 30 second increments.

11. Dunk frozen brownie balls into chocolate, and sprinkle with crushed candy cane. allow to cool.

12. Enjoy

What you’ll need

1/2 Cup butter

1/3 Cup dark chocolate chips

1 Cup white sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 Cup flour

1/3 Cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chunks

1/2 Cup White chocolate melting wafers

3 Tbsps crushed Candy Cane

Deck the Holidays Blondies

How to make it

1. Like an 8x8 pan with parchment and preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, and maple syrup. Stir as it melts and begins to bubble.

3. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 15 min (you don’t want your egg to scramble).

4. Add egg and vanilla, stir well.

5. Fold in flour + Sea salt.

6. Fold in favourite festive “loaded” toppings!

7. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 21-24 minutes.

8. Allow to cool before cutting.

What you’ll need

1/2 Cup salted butter

3/4 Cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsps maple syrup

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 Cup flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

Triple Ginger Cookies

How to make it

1. Combine water and flax in a small dish. Stir, and set aside for 10 min to thicken. This will be your emulsifier (aka your egg).

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicon baking mat.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a bowl) cream together shortening and sugars.

4. Add in egg, molasses, lemon juice, lime zest, orange zest, and fresh grated ginger.

5. In a small bowl, mix together dry ingredients.

6. Fold dry ingredients + chopped crystallized ginger chunks into mixture. Note, I chop the ginger into cubes approximately the same size as chocolate chips.

7. Roll dough into balls, and roll in remaining sugar.

8. Place on baking sheet, and push in a few extra little chunks of candied ginger if desired.

9. Bake at 350F for 7-9 minutes. Let cool on tray for 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack.

What you’ll Need

3/4 Cup vegetable shortening

1/2 Cup golden sugar

1/2 Cup coconut sugar

1 Tbsp Ground Flax + 3Tbsps Warm Water

2 Tbsps Molasses 

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsps lime zest

1 tsp orange zest

1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

2 Cups flour

2 tsps cinnamon 

2 tsps ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp all spice 

1/3 Cup chopped crystallized ginger 

~3 tbsps sugar (for rolling)

Knock-off Trader Joe's Almond Butter Cups

How to Make them

1. Separate foil/paper cups.

2. In a small bowl, combine almond butter, swerve, vanilla and maple syrup.

3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate.

4. Spoon 2/3s of chocolate into foil cups.

5. Press down a 1 cm cubed ball of almond butter mixture into each cup while chocolate is still melted.

6. Cover with remaining chocolate & sprinkle with flaked sea salt.

7. Let set at room temperature, or place in fridge.

What You’ll Need

24 mini paper / foil wrappers

1/4 Cup all natural smooth almond butter, salted

2 Tbsps Swerve Powdered Sugar Replacement

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 Cup high quality dark chocolate (70% or above)

Flaked sea salt for finishing