Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

This Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Soup is a vegan, gluten-free, and healthy recipe you can make in your Crock-Pot!

The word of the day is UGH. Just UGH. Why? Because the average temperature in Ohio in October is usually around 65 degrees. Instead, this month so far the average high temperature has been 80 degrees. 

It’s not like me to complain about warm weather. I LOVE summer and I shouldn’t be sad about it extending a bit longer than usual. But I can’t help it. I feel like I’m being robbed of fall and when I turn around it’s going to be winter. And then it will feel like fall never happened. How sad is that?

Is this happening where you live, too? 

Can we just pretend it’s sweater weather for a minute? Even if it doesn’t feel like autumn where you are, you should still make this Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Soup. It’s filled with nourishing, healthy ingredients that will warm your soul, even if your body doesn’t need any warming.

I ate it imagining it was a crisp fall day, perfect for a healthy, yet hearty soup. My dad recently gifted me a sour dough culture, so we enjoyed this soup with homemade sour dough bread–SO good!

The best part is that this is cooked in the slow cooker. (<—That’s an affiliate link for my favorite Crock-Pot Slow Cooker)  Cooking this soup low and slow gives the flavors time to develop and gives me time to do my laundry. Win-win.

Whether you want an easy weeknight dinner (pair it with a salad and some crusty bread) or lunches you can have all week, you should make this Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Soup soon!

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Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

This Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Soup is easy to prepare, is vegan and gluten-free, and is full of wholesome flavor!

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3-8 hours
• Total Time: -25128655.7 minute
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium/large butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into small chunks
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 8 cups (64 ounces) low sodium vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup spinach, chopped

Instructions

1. Put all of the ingredients except the spinach into your Crock-Pot slow cooker* and mix well.
2. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
3. Remove bay leaf and transfer about 50% of the soup, in batches if necessary, to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the blended soup back to the Crock-Pot with the unblended portion and mix together.
4. Add in the chopped spinach and stir until it is wilted. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Notes

*affiliate link

Nutrition

• Serving Size: ~1 cup
• Calories: 117
• Sugar: 4 grams
• Fat: 0.25 grams
• Carbohydrates: 24 grams
• Fiber: 8 grams
• Protein: 6 grams

 

If you make this Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Soup 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!

The post Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Soup appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/slow-cooker-butternut-squash-lentil-soup.html

Simple Baked Apples Recipe

Sometimes, the simple recipes are the ones you turn to time and time again. This recipe for Simple Baked Apples is perfect for fall and is one my whole family adores.

Heads up! This recipe was originally published in 2014. I’ve updated the pictures and the rest of the post and recipe are the same. It’s still a family favorite. Enjoy! 

Today’s recipe is one of those recipes I have made over and over again, yet never really gave it a thought to put it on the blog.  It’s baked apples.  Nothing special about simple baked apples, right?

Wrong!Baked apples just happen to be one of my kids’ very favorite side dishes.  So what if it’s really simple?  It’s healthy, tasty, and a perfect way to round out any meal, especially in the fall months.

If you have kids who don’t like fruit (I guess they exist, but I wouldn’t know since my kids are fruit monsters), try these simple baked apples.  Sometimes just serving something in a different way will do the trick. These warm, cinnamon-spiked apples taste like dessert, but have no added sugar!

I first started making these simple baked apples when Luke was just starting to eat table food.  He refused purees pretty quickly, so I had to turn to foods that were soft and he could pick up.  So I started making these baked apples in wedge shapes, because that’s a good shape for little hands.  These are great for anyone doing baby-led weaning.  Now days I tend to cut the apples into smaller chunks because they are easier to pick up with forks.

Any kind of apples work here. I like to use a variety for the best flavor.

 

You can use either coconut oil or butter with these.  When Luke was sensitive to dairy, I used coconut oil.  Now I use butter more as I prefer the flavor, but the coconut oil was good, too.  Your choice!

If you are looking for a healthy, easy, and family-friendly side dish, you found it!

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Simple Baked Apples

This recipe for Simple Baked Apples makes a family-friendly side dish that is easy and everyone loves. No added sugar!

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 7 minutes
• Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
• Total Time: -25126030.2667 minute
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 5-6 medium apples, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put the apples in a small to medium baking dish.  Mix the melted butter or coconut oil together and then dump it on the apples.  Toss well to coat all the apples evenly with the cinnamon mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the apples are soft, about 20-30 minutes.  Stir once during the baking time. Enjoy!

Notes

*All of the sugar listed in the nutrition facts is naturally occurring sugar from the apples. There is 0 added sugar in this recipe.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
• Calories: 170
• Sugar: 23
• Fat: 3.8
• Carbohydrates: 31
• Fiber: 5.5
• Protein: .5

 

If you make this Simple Baked Apples 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 recipes board!

Want more healthy apple recipes? Here are some we love!

The Ultimate Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cups

The post Simple Baked Apples Recipe appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/simple-baked-apples.html

Creepy Halloween Punch

This Creepy Halloween Punch is allergy-friendly, made with organic ingredients, and perfect for your Halloween party!
This post has been sponsored by Surf Sweets. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When you’re a health-conscious mom, holidays can bring extra anxiety. On one hand, you don’t want to be the mom who sucks the fun out of everything. (I have totally felt like that mom so many times.) On the other hand, you really don’t want your family eating all the treats that are full of artificial colors, flavors, and GMOs at every special occasion. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and birthdays, the special occasions come around often.

Want to know what makes me super happy? When I can still be the fun mom, while avoiding all of the ingredients I don’t want to be part of our celebrations.That’s exactly what I did with this Creepy Halloween Punch—the punch is made with three different juices that are 100% juice without any added sugar, no high-fructose corn syrup, and no artificial colors. Look at that! Perfect Halloween orange with NO dyes!

I added the creepy factor by using Surf Sweets Gummy Worms and Spooky Spiders in the punch. Both of these candies are naturally flavored with fruit juices and do not have any artificial colors or flavors. They are also both free of the top 10 allergens, which make them a perfect choice for your Halloween parties. You can pick up these yummy treats at Whole Foods Market, or use this  store locator to see where they are sold near you.

Let me tell you, you’re going to be pretty shocked by the flavor of these candies. When you naturally sweeten your product with fruit juices and not artificial junk, the quality comes through in the taste! These are SO good.

Important—->You can get a discount of up to $1.00 on Wholesome products, check it out here!!

Check out some of the other great Halloween candies from Wholesome. I feel so much better about handing out this candy for trick-or-treating! I’ll probably need to make one more trip to Whole Foods to stock up before Halloween.

How fun is this Halloween set up for a party? 

It was super easy to make the mummy glasses.
I started with some cheese cloth that I cut into 1-2” strips.

Next, using a hot glue gun, I glued one end to the bottom of the glass and wrapped it around, leaving some space so it looks like a mummy.

Then you secure the cheese cloth at the top of the glass with a little more glue.

Finally, you add two googly eyes. I used the kind that you just need to peel and stick. I’m not typically super crafty, so if I say this is easy I mean it is EASY. Minimal skill needed.

Now you have a Creepy Halloween Punch with naturally delicious candies and fun themed glasses to go with it.Serve up your punch with a worm!

See how the worms and spiders make the punch look creepy from the side? My kids thought this was the best ever!Are you wondering how this punch got it’s vibrant orange color? I used carrot juice! Not only is this Creepy Halloween Punch free from artificial junk and GMOs, it packs in the nutritional value from a vegetable! Orange juice and pineapple juice are the other two juices and they sweeten it just fine, so it doesn’t taste like you’re gulping down vegetable juice.

This is a total Mom Win, right?

I even made you a video so you could see how easy and fun this is to make.

 

I know this Creepy Halloween Punch is going to be a HIT at your Halloween party!

Don’t forget, you can get up to $1.00 off your purchase of Wholesome products by clicking here!

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Creepy Halloween Punch

This Creepy Halloween Punch is perfect for your Halloween Party! Made with organic ingredients and no artificial colors or flavors!

• Author: Maryea

Ingredients

• 32 ounces (4 cups) 100% carrot juice
• 32 ounces (4 cups) 100% pineapple juice
• 32 ounces (4 cups) 100% orange juice
• Surf Sweets Gummy Worms
• Surf Sweets Spooky Spiders

Instructions

1. Add ice to a large bowl.
2. Pour in the three juices and stir well.
3. Position a few gummy worms and spiders on the sides of the bowl and place the rest in the punch. Enjoy!

 

If you make this Creepy Halloween 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 Halloween board!

 

 

 

The post Creepy Halloween Punch appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/creepy-halloween-punch.html

Roasted Broccoli Barbecue Pizza

This Roasted Broccoli Barbecue Pizza sums up how I eat a lot of the time. It tastes amazing, because food needs to taste good. It has an unexpected element (or two unexpected elements in this case) because food shouldn’t be boring. 

And lastly, it has a healthy twist that at least lands it in the health-ish category. Sometimes, healthy-ish is just fine by me.

This pizza has broccoli on it, so that certainly gives it some healthy merits, right? 

I know, I know. Broccoli on pizza.

Congratulations, Happy Healthy Mama! You ruined pizza!

Well, you’ll just have to trust me here. Because broccoli far from ruins this pizza. I used the Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce  I shared with the other day for the sauce and its smoky flavor along with the crispy roasted broccoli was fabulous.

I use a combination of mozzarella cheese and sharp cheddar cheese and cooked the crust long enough to get it slightly crispy. 

If I haven’t caught your attention yet, maybe this next part will. This is a 25 minute dinner! Woot woot! I’m talking 25 minutes total, with prep time. That’s a weeknight dinner win in my book.

I used a pre-made organic pizza crust from Costco, but if you’re feeling ambitious and want to make your own, I have an easy recipe right here that I really love. Homemade pizza crust is more of a weekend endeavor for me these days.

I’m sure you’re wondering if my lovely children will gobble down this pizza with broccoli on top. The answer is nope to the nope. But, they will, somewhat reluctantly, eat their broccoli on the side and they like plain cheese pizza, no sauce. No extra work to me (I’d make two pizzas–one for them and one for the adults) and they are basically eating the same dinner. Works for us.

I hope you guys love this one!

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Roasted Broccoli Barbecue Pizza

This Roasted Broccoli Barbecue Pizza has a smoky sauce and is paired with crispy, roasted broccoli….you’re going to love this!

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 8 slices

Ingredients

• 4 cups small pieces broccoli florets (from about 2 small crowns)
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pre-made pizza crust
• 1/3 cup Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, or your favorite barbecue sauce
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put your broccoli on a baking sheet, drizzle with the oil and salt, and toss to coat.
3. Roast the broccoli in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, spread the barbecue sauce onto the pizza crust.
5. Top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar.
6. When the broccoli has roasted for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven and place it on the pizza crust. Top the broccoli with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake in the 425 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and the crust is at your desired crispiness. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 166
• Sugar: 4 grams
• Fat: 5 grams
• Carbohydrates: 18 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Protein: 8 grams

 

 

If you make this Roasted Broccoli Barbecue Pizza 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 Roasted Broccoli Barbecue Pizza appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/roasted-broccoli-barbecue-pizza.html

Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce (Without Refined Sugar!)

This Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce is sweetened with honey instead of refined sugar and is bursting with flavor. 

If there’s one thing I want to teach others about healthy eating, it’s that it doesn’t have to feel like you’re depriving yourself. Healthy foods don’t have to be bland or boring. The right spices or sauce can elevate whatever you’re cooking into something that tastes spectacular and nobody would guess is “healthy.”

That’s where something like Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce comes in. You can use this sauce, with its deep, smoky flavor, to elevate a number of healthy, nutritious dishes. Don’t worry. Today I’m sharing the recipe for the sauce, but more ideas on how to use it will be coming soon. I can’t stop using this for everything!

So why should you bother making your own barbecue sauce? I have a few reasons why it’s worth the effort.

First, if you typically buy the most popular (*cough* Sweet Baby Ray’s *cough*) barbecue sauce from the store, the number one ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. Our bodies don’t process that stuff very well and it’s one of the largest contributors to the obesity epidemic (read more about that here).

To be fair, there are actually a lot of healthier options on the market today that are sweetened with real cane sugar. I would definitely suggest one of them instead of any brand that has high fructose corn syrup if you’re going the store-bought route.

But making it at home you get to control how you sweeten it! I sweeten this Bourbon Barbecue Sauce with honey. Now, is honey really any better than regular sugar? I’ll be the first to admit that honey is sugar and our bodies treat it as such. So yes, moderation is the key with anything sweetened with sugar or honey.

I still think that honey is a better way to sweeten foods because it does have some redeeming nutritional qualities. For example, honey contains the following minerals: calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. 

So while cutting out sugars completely is probably best for your health, it’s not necessarily realistic, right? Well, at least not for me and my family. Instead, we practice moderation and use natural sweeteners that have some nutritional value like honey and maple syrup instead of refined sugar.

I’ve got one more reason why I think it’s worth making your own barbecue sauce at home.

FLAVOR!

You guys, this Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce has some fabulous flavors going on. I’m not a bourbon girl when it comes to cocktails, but decided to try to make a barbecue sauce with it since my husband is and we always have a bottle (or ten) of bourbon on hand. 

Wow! I was super impressed with the flavor the bourbon brought to the barbecue sauce. I didn’t expect to love it, but I did.

There’s also a nice smokiness thanks to smoked paprika. GET SOME. You need it in your life.

I can’t get enough of this Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce and think you’ll love it, too. Stay tuned for some fun recipes that call for this fabulous sauce, but if you need a starting place, try using it in my 20 Minute Barbecue Chicken Quinoa Bowl.

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Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce (Without Refined Sugar!)

This Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce has a deep smoky flavor that will blow you away!

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
• Total Time: 24 minute
• Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar*
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika*
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and whisk together well.
2. Heat over medium low heat and bring the sauce to a simmer.
3. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is about reduced in half. (about 20 minutes)

Notes

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

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
• Calories: 44
• Sugar: 10 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbohydrates: 11 grams
• Protein: 0 grams

 

If you make this Homemade Bourbon Barbecue 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!

Links to products are affiliate links, which means, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase through those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale. This is an easy way for you to support my blogging efforts and allow me to continue to bring you free content. THANK YOU!

The post Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce (Without Refined Sugar!) appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/homemade-bourbon-barbecue-sauce.html

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!!

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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