Carrot Cake Paleo
A naturally-sweetened cake packed with carrots, fruit and spices in a grain-free flour combination.
Ingredients
For Cake (makes 1 8-inch)
4 Eggs
2 Apples
1 Orange (juice & zest)
12 Dried Dates (pitted)
1/2 Cup Raisins
5 Carrots (small, grated)
5 Tbsp Olive Oil (+ more for oiling pan)
1/2 Cup Almond Flour
1/4 Cup Arrowroot Flour
1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
2 Tsp Cinnamon
½ Tsp Nutmeg
½ Tsp Cardamom
½ Cup Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
½ Cup Walnuts (chopped)
Pinch of Salt
Hazelnuts, chopped (for garnish)
For Frosting
1/2 Cup Coconut Oil, melted
1/4 Cup Coconut Butter, melted
2/3 Cup Coconut Milk (full fat)
1/4 Cup Honey
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8-inch round springform cake pan and set aside.
Peel carrots and roughly chop. Pulse in a food processor until finely shredded, transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Zest the entire orange over the carrot shreds.
Chop the dates, add to a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of the zested orange over the dates, make sure they’re completely submerged (you may need to pack them down into the juice!) then heat in a microwave on high for 60 seconds.
Roughly chop the apples and add to the food processor along with the dates and juice mixture and the raisins. Process until very finely chopped, then add to the carrot and zest mixture along with the eggs and olive oil and mix thoroughly.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, shredded coconut and chopped walnuts and salt. Add dry mixture to the wet, combine thoroughly.
Pour into greased pan, and bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes. Remove when the top is brown and firm to the touch. Cool completely, then release from the springform.
Put all of the frosting ingredients in a blender. Blend for 30-45 seconds, until well-incorporated. Pour into a small bowl and chill for 1 hour, minimum. Remove from refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
Using the tip of a butter knife, carefully smear the icing over the top and sides of the cake. Top with cinnamon.
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Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Cookies
Makes 12-16 cookies
1 banana
2 tbsp almond butter
1-2 tbsp almond milk (if needed)
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup shredded apple
pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add a touch of honey if you prefer sweeter cookies.
Drop cookies by spoonful onto the parchment paper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until done to your liking.
Eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack.
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The Paleo Cinnamon Roll
Makes one, personal sized Cinna-roll. Gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, Paleo.
2-3 tbsp coconut flour (more or less depending on how thin your batter is after mixing)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/8 tsp (or just a drizzle) almond extract
1 egg
2 tbsp almond milk
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
chopped raisins/dates/figs (any dried fruit)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Mix well and make a well in the center.
Add the almond extract, egg, almond milk, oil, and honey. Stir well with a fork, working out any lumps. Let rest for a couple of minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb the liquid.
Spoon the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread out the batter and mold into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Spread dried fruit/fruit onto the top of the shaped batter and top with another sprinkle of cinnamon.
Using the edge of the parchment paper, roll your fruit-topped shaped batter- like a cinnamon roll.
Bake your cinnamon roll for 20-25 minutes, or until the roll is golden brown.
Remove from oven and eat. Alternately, you could top with vegan frosting.
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Paleo Pumpkin Swirl Banana Bread
[gluten free, dairy free, Paleo, moist and delicious. makes one 9 inch loaf pan]
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup Tahini (or more almond butter)
1 cup shredded, dried, unsweetened coconut
2 medium very ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp honey (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients (reserve the pumpkin, cocoa powder, and honey). Mix, breaking up the banana so it is mostly incorporated into the batter (lower amounts of visible chunks). Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.
In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, cocoa powder, and honey. Pour this mixture down the center of the banana batter and use a knife or toothpick to slightly swirl it into the batter (left, right, zig-zag motions).
Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, until the center is no longer gooey (soft). Let the banana bread cool before removing from the pan.
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Banana Bread Fit Bites
makes 30 bites to refuel a hard workout
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup banana chips (unsweetened, if possible)
1/3 cup vanilla protein powder (I used whey)
5 dates
1/4 cup golden raisins
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Add almonds and walnuts to a food processor and pulse until almost completely broken down. Add banana chips through cinnamon on the ingredient list and process again, making sure to stop and scrape sides, as needed. Continue to pulse the mixture until a batter starts to form. Add more honey or vanilla extract if “batter” isn’t quite sticking together.
Form into small balls and place in refrigerator or freezer for storage.
Serve to hungry post-exercise cyclists.