Healthy Gingerbread Cookie Dough Balls - Sugar Free and Gluten Free

I've been trying to eat healthier for a while now but with Christmas season just around the corner I've been stressing about staying strong and resist all the holiday treats and yummies. Thankfully my friend sent me the recipe for these delicious gingerbread cookie dough balls, made with just a few healthy ingredients. This recipe is refined sugar free and gluten free. 

All you need to do is place all ingredients in a food processor and mix. 

Now, having lived in the states, I am aware that the important flavor ingredient in this recipe; gingerbread spice mix, is very different in Sweden than from the one found in America. 

I might be biased, however I'm going to have to say that the Swedish version is a lot better and more flavorful that the american. So I've added a recipe below on how to make your own gingerbread spice mix!

DIY Gingerbread spice mix Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tbs ground cinnamon

2 tbs ground ginger

1,5 tbs whole cardamom*

1,5 tbs whole cloves*

Turn the whole spices into ground using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder. Mix together with the rest of the ingredients and store in small air tight glass containers. 

*You could also use ground cardamom or cloves, however the flavor increases if you grind them yourself. 

Healthy Gingerbread Cookie Dough Balls

Ingredients:

1 dl / 0,4 cups cashews

1 dl / 0,4 cups almonds

1 dl / 0,4 cups oats, use gluten free oats for the GF version. 

6 - 8 dates

1 tbs coconut oil

1 - 1,5 tbs gingerbread spice mix (depending on how strong flavor you want) 

0,5 tsp sea salt (optional) 

 Directions:

In a food processor mix the nuts and oats into flour. 

Remove the seeds from the dates.

Add dates and the rest of the ingredients in the food processor together with the nut flour. 

Mix into a smooth paste. 

Taste and add dates if you want more sweetness or spice mix for more flavor. If the paste seems dry you can add a half teaspoon water. If it's too sweet, you can add 0,5 teaspoon sea salt. 

Form small balls and store in the fridge or freezer. I tried them both in the fridge and in the freezer and I think the flavor is enhanced in the freezer. 

The perfect weekend breakfast - Easy and healthy banana pancakes

This recipe might come as a surprise for the people that know me. I absolutely hate the taste of bananas and can't stand the smell of them either. I have since i was 5 years old when my kindergarten teacher forced me to finish my banana even though i was full and couldn't eat any more. The whole event ended with me throwing up - so I was traumatized for life. Ok, maybe a bit of exaggeration there, but seriously, imagine how hard it was for a girl growing upp in the 90's with a huge sweet tooth going to kids birthday parties and finding out that fabulous looking cake was stuffed with bananas and cream?!

Anyways, my boyfriend loves bananas and one day i decided to try making banana pancakes and I found that in baking the banana flavor becomes sweeter and a but more subtle.    

So here you go; these super easy banana pancakes are the perfect breakfast for weekend mornings. Topped with peanut butter, shredded coconut and chopped hazelnuts and a drizzle of honey. I added a scoop of chocolate protein powder to make them a bit more filling. Yum, yum, yum... Recipe below!

Banana Pancakes Recipe:

Makes about 6 pancakes

1 banana

2 eggs - I always use organic eggs from free range chickens

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla powder - optional

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder - optional

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1 tablespoon coconut milk/oat milk or other plant based milk

1 scoop of vegan protein powder - optional, I used chocolate flavored vegan soy protein

coconut oil for frying in. 

Mash the banana and whisk together with the eggs. Add the milk. 

In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients and then gently pour the dry mix into the banana and egg mixture. Mix together to a smooth batter. 

In a frying pan, heat up 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Place a scoop of pancake batter and fry on medium low heat, 3-4 minutes per side. The pancakes burn quite easily so you need to be careful.

Serve with honey, peanut butter, shredded coconut or fresh berries and fruit. 

Buon Appetito! 

Chocolate covered salted date and peanut truffles

I love dates, both as a snack and to use in baking. However, I don't own a food processor so that can be a little bit problematic seeing as most recipes involves making a paste out of the dates, so imagine my joy when i found out that you can buy finished date paste!

So with my newly discovered date paste I made these delicious chocolate covered date and peanut butter trufflels. They are seasoned with sea salt and taste just like snickers bars! They are super easy, only 5 ingredients, but do take some time to make. Recipe below :)

Ingredients:

16 medjool dates, pitted. (or the date paste that i found at my local middle eastern store, see photo below)
1/2 -1 teaspoon sea salt (for the dough and topping)
Peanut butter, as much as you like, I used crunchy but creamy also works
65 g dark chocolate, melted (any kind works, normal, vegan or sugar free, it all depends on how healthy you want them to be)
1,5 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

1. Place the pitted dates in the food processor and blend until it becomes a dough/paste. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tsp warm water and mix again. Be careful not to add too much water or it will be hard to form them into balls later on! Add the sea salt and mix again. 

if you are using store-bought date paste, then simply cut the paste/dough into small squares, place into a bowl and add 1 tbs warm water (or more if needed) and use your hands to make a dough. Add the sea salt and mix again.

2. Scoop out with a spoon or form small balls with your hands and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in freezer for approximately 20-30 minutes.

3. Remove the balls from the freezer and with the help of a teaspoon, cover the top of the balls with peanut butter. If the peanut butter is too hard/stiff, you can heat it up the microwave and then drizzle it over the balls with a spoon. Place the balls back in the freezer for another 15-20 minutes or until the peanut butter has formed a "semi-firm shell".

4. Melt the chocolate and 1,5 tbs coconut oil in a heat resistant bowl over a pot with boiling water or in the microwave. 

5. Remove the balls from the freezer and dip them into the chocolate so that they are completely covered. Place back onto the baking sheet and top with some sea salt. Place them back in the freezer for 30 minutes.

6. Voilà, ready to serve! The truffles can be stored in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 2-3 weeks. Mine where gone in 2 days...

Next time i make these, I'm thinking of switching the chocolate to a sugar free chocolate and maybe add some chocolate soy protein to the date paste to make them less sweet and a yummy and healthy protein ball.