Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Blender Muffins (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

These Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Blender Muffins are quick and easy to make and are a healthy treat!Please welcome the newest member to my family of blender muffins. Blender muffins have been a staple around here for a long time, and this chocolate version was definitely past due.

These Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Blender Muffins have two special qualities of which none of my other blender muffins can claim.

#1: They’re eggless. Yep, totally vegan blender muffins.

#2: They are banana-less. Seriously. I made both things happen in the same muffin!

Now, I have nothing against bananas or eggs. However, I have gotten countless requests and questions about how to make flourless blender muffins without either one or both of these ingredients.

So I figured it out how to take ‘em both out in one muffin.

Ask and you shall receive, friends. I’m here to serve you. <3

If you’re new to the flourless blender muffin game, let me fill you in a bit. First, find an easier muffin recipe, you will not. You put the ingredients into your blender, turn it on until everything is smooth and creamy, then pour into a muffin tin and bake. SO quick and easy!

Let’s talk about the texture. These are muffin-like, but without flour, they lack the structure of a traditional muffin. So you won’t find a tall, domed top, and they might sink a bit. Don’t let that bother you because they are moist and fudge-y and amazing in every other way.

And what about the flavor? Oh, my, the flavor. These Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins have a rich, deep flavor that is equal parts chocolate and peanut butter.

As you’re eating it, you’ll question yourself. How can this possibly be healthy and nutritious? HOW?

They are THAT GOOD.

Your kids? They will 100% accept these as dessert. But don’t feel bad if you serve them for breakfast.

The ingredients list is totally breakfast-worthy.  0 flour and 0 refined sugar. We’ve got peanut butter, cocoa powder, and apple sauce as our main ingredients. They are sweetened with maple syrup, which is full of important minerals! Yep, passes the breakfast test for me.

Need to make these Paleo-friendly? Use almond butter in place of the peanut butter and either leave off the chocolate chips or use super dark chocolate chips. (Those are Paleo-approved, right? Not claiming to be a Paleo expert over here…)

Whatever you do, do NOT wait to make this recipe!!

Print

Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Blender Muffins (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

These Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Blender Muffins are rich, fudge-y, and are super easy to make in your blender! Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Paleo-friendly

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter (use almond butter for Paleo option)
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, optional (I use this brand of vegan chocolate chips)*

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with silicone baking cups * or spray with cooking oil. Set aside.
2. Put all ingredients except chocolate chips in a powerful blender and blend until very smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Divide the mixture among 12 cups in the muffin tin and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
4. Allow the muffins to cool completely before removing from the muffin tin. Enjoy!

Notes

*Links to products are affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Happy Healthy Mama!

If you make this Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Blender Muffins recipe, or any Happy Healthy Mama recipe, I would LOVE to see it! Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or the Happy Healthy Mama Facebook page and tag me @happyhealthymama 

Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!

If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board!

Did you also know there’s a private Facebook page for health-minded people to ask questions or just get support on your healthy living journey? Click here to request to join and I’ll get you approved within 24 hours!

Want more blender muffin recipes? Here are my other varieties!

5-ingredient Blender Muffins–15 Ways

Flourless Sweet Potato Blender Muffins

15-Minute Apple Peanut Butter Blender Muffins

Strawberry Banana Blender Muffins

 

The post Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Blender Muffins (Vegan and Gluten-Free) appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/flourless-chocolate-peanut-butter-blender-muffins-vegan-gluten-free.html

Apple Cheddar Tuna Patties

Apple Cheddar Tuna Patties make an easy and delicious lunch or dinner and are a great way to boost your omega 3 fatty acids!

Do you eat a lot of tuna fish? I love my recipe for Avocado Tuna Salad and have it for lunch over a bed of lettuce quite often. I eat it that way so much, though, I wanted to switch it up. I created this recipe for Apple Cheddar Tuna Patties as a new way to get more tuna fish in my diet.

Let’s take a look at WHY we might want to eat more tuna fish, shall we? The mighty tuna fish packs in some nutritional power. 

Reasons to Eat More Tuna Fish

1. Great source of Vitamin B-12, Niacin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Zinc, Selenium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium.
2. High levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
3. Aids in weight loss (low in calories, balanced amount of fat and protein)
4. Boosts immune system.
5. Helps reduce blood pressure.
6. Helps strengthen cell membranes.
7. Helps prevent inflammatory diseases.
8. Helps reduce the risk of heart disease.
9. Can aid in cancer prevention.

Sometimes it helps to see the reasoning behind the recipes, no? I want to help you find foods that are going to make you the healthiest you can be!

Of course, I want to do that without sacrificing taste. Food is no fun if we can’t enjoy it, right? These Apple Cheddar Tuna Patties make such a satisfying lunch or dinner. No sacrificing here!

The grated apple, shredded cheddar, dijon mustard, and thyme work together to create a great-tasting patty.

These are also so quick and simple to make! I’ll show you the process before we get to the recipe. These come together so easily!

How to Make Apple Cheddar Tuna Patties

First, you put all of your ingredients into a big bowl. We’ve got 2 cans of tuna, a small apple, grated, some shredded cheddar, dijon mustard, and seasonings. That’s it! (Yep–these are gluten-free. No bread crumbs needed!)

Next you form the mixture into four patties. I let these rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes. If you’re in a rush, it’s fine to skip this step, but I think it helps them stay together better.

Then you cook them with a little oil in a pan. If you want, you can finish them in the oven under the broiler with some extra cheese on top. So good!

I like these with a salad, but I think they’d also be great on a bun. Tuna burgers, anyone? Yum!

Print

Apple Cheddar Tuna Patties

These Apple Cheddar Tuna Patties are easy to make and full of great flavor!

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 7 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Total Time: 19 minutes
• Yield: 4 patties

Ingredients

• 2 (5 ounce) cans Wild Albacore Tuna *, drained
• 3/4 cup grated apple (from one small apple)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (plus more for topping, if desired)
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• avocado oil

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients well.
2. Form the mixture into four patties and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
3. Heat a thin layer of avocado oil in a large (ovenproof if adding more cheese) skillet over medium high heat. (I prefer my cast iron skillet*)
4. Put the patties in the skillet and cook about 5 minutes on each side.
5. If you’d like to add more cheese to the top, add it to the top of the patties and melt under your oven’s broiler, about 2 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

*Links to products are affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 pattie
• Calories: 123
• Sugar: 4 grams
• Fat: 6 grams
• Carbohydrates: 6
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 10 grams

 

If you make this Apple Cheddar Tuna Fish recipe, or any Happy Healthy Mama recipe, I would LOVE to see it! Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or the Happy Healthy Mama Facebook page and tag me @happyhealthymama 

Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!

If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board!

Did you also know there’s a private Facebook page for health-minded people to ask questions or just get support on your healthy living journey? Click here to request to join and I’ll get you approved within 24 hours!

The post Apple Cheddar Tuna Patties appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/apple-cheddar-tuna-patties.html

MegaFood Kids Daily Multi Review

There are a few questions I get really frequently, over and over again. One of them is:

“Do your kids take vitamins?”

And it’s promptly followed by “Which brand?!”

A few months back I wrote about why the answer to the first question is YES.

So the answer is yes, my kids do take supplements and have since they were toddlers. The brands have varied over the years, but I’ve always looked for whole-foods based vitamins with the least
amount of anything added.

For years the vitamins I gave them were a chewable or gummy-style vitamin because toddlers
are fickle and it was the easiest to get them to take. Those vitamins, however, often have an
added sweetener of some kind to make them more palatable, and in my mind that’s less than
desirable.

Now that Meghan is 9 and Luke is 5, I knew they were old enough to switch away
from the chewable and gummy-style vitamins. Now they take MegaFood Kids Daily Multi.

It comes in a powder form and has no added sugar, sweeteners, flavorings, or preservatives.
It’s made with a variety of real foods, including turmeric!

Because it’s made with real, whole foods, it delivers so much more than just vitamins. Your kids
are getting all the phytonutrients from the antioxidant-rich plants that go into the Kids Daily Multi.

The moment I got my hands on MegaFood Kids Daily Multi, I was ecstatic. It’s got everything a
mom could hope for to provide authentic nourishment for her kids and nothing she wouldn’t
want added in.

The powder can be added to your kids’ favorite smoothie, shake, or juice. We are not a juice
family, so I’ve had to get creative in finding ways that they can enjoy the powder without adding
a bunch of sugar.

The good news is that after some experimentation we’ve landed on ways that they do enjoy
their daily multi powder!

Notice I said “ways.” Of course, Meghan and Luke have their own separate preferences. I’m
going to give you the recipes for how they each like to take their vitamins each day.I’ll start with my 5-year- old, Luke. Instead of adding the powder to juice, I make a “whole juice”
by blending whole fruit and water and add the powder to that. Luke likes to call this his “vitamin
juice.” You can use a variety of fruits here, but we’ve found that pineapple works best because
it’s sweet enough to soften the flavor of the powder. He also likes when I add in strawberry with
the pineapple.

Here’s my boy enjoying his Vitamin Juice.

Print

Vitamin Juice

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup cut pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup water
• 1-2 ice cubes
• 1 scoop MegaFood Kids Daily Multi

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Serves 1

 

Meghan likes the Vitamin Juice okay, but prefers her powder mixed in with a smoothie. Make it
a chocolate smoothie and she’s golden. I don’t add any sweeteners to this, but do add some
whole, pitted dates for sweetness. They add extra nutrition and fiber, too, so it’s a good thing!
We call this one Chocolate Vitamin Smoothie.Here’s Meghan chilling after school and being silly enjoying her Chocolate Vitamin Smoothie.

Print

Chocolate Vitamin Smoothie

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2-4 whole, pitted dates
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 scoop MegaFood Kids Daily Multi

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

 

I’m really happy we made this switch to MegaFood Kids Daily Multi. It delivers incredible
nutrition and is 100% worth the effort it’s taken to find ways they enjoy it. My kids’ health is
everything and I’m so glad to have this product to help support my goal of keeping them healthy!

This post is sponsored by MegaFood. I’m proud to be a brand ambassador for this company that I believe makes the best supplements on the market and operates with integrity. All opinions, as always, are my own. 

The post MegaFood Kids Daily Multi Review appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/megafood-kids-daily-multi-review.html

Why I think I’m Going to Like Having a 9 Year Old

This little girl is nine years old today. Nine! Isn’t it a surreal thing, watching your own children grow up?

The years pass by quickly, yet we don’t see the changes in our day to day life. One day, you just wake up and realize the little girl who loved princesses and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is now into Taylor Swift and American Ninja Warrior.

Usually I’m lamenting Meghan having another birthday. I celebrate her birth, but mourn the loss of another year of her childhood. I’ll always feel that way, I’m sure, to some extent, but this year I also feel excitement for this next stage of life.

As she gets older, I can see how we like the same things and how much fun we have together. 

She’s fun to talk to and hang out with and it’s just a different feeling at this age. Any other moms understand what I mean?

She’s fiercely independent, yet she still needs me. She still likes me. (When does the stage when girls can’t stand their moms start? I hope never!) The other night I was putting her to bed and as I was about to leave the room she said, “Will you lay with me for a while?”

“Are you scared?” I asked.

“No, I just like it when you’re here.”

Of course I will lay with you, baby girl. Of course I will.

This is nine.

I like nine.

Meghan loves her friends and family and spending time with both.

Dancing is still her favorite thing to do and she spends a lot of time doing it. Along with dancing she loves performing, pretending she’s a model (See the posing pictures? She loves getting in front of the camera!), and writing and signing songs. Her most recent song was entitled, I’m Going to Be a Star Someday.

The girl’s not afraid to dream big and I love that about her.

Outside of performing, one of her strongest desires in life is to have a dog. I love the idea of having a dog, but every time we get close to deciding to get one, we get scared off by the responsibility of it. Instead, we bring the kids to the pet store often to play with the puppies. It’s one of Meghan’s favorite things to do.

This is Meghan at nine. She’s funny, smart, kind, and I feel so lucky to be her mom. I know I’m going to love having a nine year old.

Every year since I’ve had this blog, I’ve written something for Meghan’s birthday. Here are years past if you’d like to read them:

And Then She was Eight

Happy 7th Birthday, Meghan

Meghan’s Paris-themed 6th Birthday Party

To Meghan on Her 5th Birthday

Meghan’s Minnie Mouse 4th Birthday Party

Meghan’s Pink and Yellow Princess Party

A Birthday Picnic for my Baby Girl

 

 

 

The post Why I think I’m Going to Like Having a 9 Year Old appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/think-im-going-like-9-year-old.html

Quick & Easy Chicken Pumpkin Chili

This Chicken Pumpkin Chili is the perfect cool weather meal, and is gluten-free, dairy-free, and ready in less than 30 minutes!Heads up! This post was first published in 2014. Photos were updated in 2017. Enjoy this Chicken Pumpkin Chili–it’s a favorite recipe!

I told you my focus for this year was quicker, easier, more simple recipes.  This recipe is right on par for that goal.  From start to finish, you can be eating this healthy Chicken Pumpkin Chili in just over 30 minutes.Save this recipe for a night when you have leftover cooked chicken.  Yes, you should prepare extra chicken on purpose so you have leftovers.  Make life easier on yourself.This Chicken Pumpkin Chili is everything you want a bowl of chili to be: hearty, filling, and full of flavor, but with less fat and calories than your average chili.  It also happens to be full of nutrient-dense vegetables along with the two different kinds of beans.

The pumpkin adds a thickness that is often lacking in regular chicken chili recipes.  There’s a subtle pumpkin flavor that doesn’t overpower the traditional chili flavor, but compliments it well.

If you are looking for a healthier chili recipe for your Super Bowl party, give this one a try.  I know I’d choose this recipe over many standard recipes, healthier or not.

And if you need it to be vegetarian or vegan, no problem!  Simply leave out the chicken, add more beans, and swap out the chicken stock for vegetables stock. Easy and still delicious! Either way, I hope you love this as much as we do.

Print

Quick & Easy Chicken Pumpkin Chili

A hearty, filling chicken chili recipe with a twist.  Healthy and full of flavor, this recipe can be ready to serve in just over 30 minutes.  

 

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed, deveined and chopped
• 1 green pepper, seeds removed, deveined and chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with onion and garlic (I use this kind from Muir Glen) with juice
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans or 1 (15 ounce) can, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans or 1 (15 ounce) can, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 cups cooked cubed chicken
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

 

Instructions

1. Heat your oil over medium low heat in a stock pot or Dutch oven.
2. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the red and green bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, and salt.  Continue to sauté another 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, pumpkin, and beans.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Stir in the chicken and add cayenne pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

 

If you make this Chicken Pumpkin Chili recipe, or any Happy Healthy Mama recipe, I would LOVE to see it! Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @happyhealthymama 

Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!

If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board!

Here are a few of my other favorite easy soup recipes we enjoy in the fall and winter!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Vegan Coconut Curry Chickpea Lentil Soup (Crockpot Recipe)

Chicken Quinoa Soup

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

Superfoods Vegan Chili (Crockpot Recipe)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Quick & Easy Chicken Pumpkin Chili appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/quick-easy-chicken-pumpkin-chili.html

Oatmeal Fig Bars (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

These Oatmeal Fig Bars are vegan, gluten-free, and a lovely healthy treat!Costco got the best of me again. I saw a HUGE bag of dried figs, and, quite spontaneously, threw them in my cart. I didn’t really think about what I’d do with a giant bag of dried figs.

The bag was much too big for simply having a fig or two a day when I need a quick bite. No, I needed to come up with another use for these figs.

My mind immediately went to my childhood and how much I loved Fig Newtons. A lot of kids didn’t like the actual fig ones, but I did. That fig flavor just does it for me.

Creating actual Fig Newton cookies seemed like too much work and I didn’t want to deal with it.

Story of my life. I love to cook and bake and make homemade things, but I’m also a busy mom who doesn’t have time for long extravaganzas in the kitchen.

Insert Oatmeal Fig Bars. With barely any added sugar, these are wholesome (like, actually wholesome, not just the perceived type of wholesome as in the Fig Newtons of my youth…) and delectable. AND they won’t take you all day to make.

I think these Oatmeal Fig Bars > Fig Newtons because I added some chopped almonds to the crust and topping and the crunch factor is outstanding. Are you a big fan of contrasting textures? I love it and the crunch here is quite satisfying.

We use the dried figs to make a quick jam filling and it’s incredible. I could eat this stuff with a spoon. I guess I should write I did eat this stuff with a spoon. Try to save some for your middle layer.

Add your crumble topping and you’re ready to bake it!

These Oatmeal Fig Bars are perfect for breakfast (hello, oats, almonds, figs…), snack, or even a healthy dessert. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Print

Oatmeal Fig Bars (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

These Oatmeal Fig Bars are a wholesome version of Fig Newtons!

• Author: Maryea
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 9 bars

Ingredients

For the Crust and Topping

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup oat flour*
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup almond butter

For the Fig Filling

• 2 1/2 cups dried figs, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons liquid sweetener (honey is perfect here, but strict vegans can use maple syrup)
• 2 tablespoon fig soaking water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8X8 inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides.
2. Put the dried figs in a bowl, and cover them completely with hot water. Allow them to soak for 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the rolled oats, oat flour, chopped almonds, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add the almond butter and mix until everything is combined.
4. Take 3/4 of the mixture and press it into the bottom of the baking dish. Use the back of a cup or spatula to press it down firmly.
5. Remove the figs from the water and put them in a food processor. Add 3 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons of the soaking water and process until it is a smooth mixture.
6. Take the fig mixture and spread it on top of the almond oat crust.
7. Top with crumbles of the remaining almond oat mixture.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting into squares. Enjoy!

Notes

*Rolled oats may be processed in a blender to make oat flour. AP or whole wheat flour can be substituted if you wish.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bar

 

If you make this Oatmeal Fig Bar recipe, or any Happy Healthy Mama recipe, I would LOVE to see it! Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @happyhealthymama 

Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!

If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board!

Do you like the idea of fruity bars, but are not really into figs? Try one of these other recipes!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Breakfast Bars

Gluten-Free Almond Oat Cranberry Bars

Fruit Sweetened Pear Oatmeal Bars

 

The post Oatmeal Fig Bars (Vegan and Gluten-Free) appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/oatmeal-fig-bars-vegan-and-gluten-free.html