#it's a make raspberry oat crumble for those interested

[juliannos]

i should not be left home alone with baking ingredients

because i will attempt to make sweets that are probably abominations but sound good in my head

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Clean Treats for Everyone by Laura Fuentes

 This book sounded interesting to me as it said that it contains healthy desserts and snaakcs made with simple, real food ingredients. That may be true for those living in the USA and other Western countries but not so much true living in Lebanon. Still, if I did live in the West, had to cook for diet restrictions mentioned in the book, wanted to make clean food for some reason and could find the ingredients I would give the recipes in this book a try.  

 The book has four parts: Basics of clean eating and baking, oven fresh treats, no-bake treats and warm drinks, smoothies and frozen treats. A suggested pantry list is provided.

 What I liked:

* The labels that all recipes had: GF, DF, NF, EF, V so it was easy to find the type of restriction appropriate recipe

* The substitutions provided for a variety of ingredients including when they would and would not work

* The photographs – gorgeous!

* Sampling the recipes mentally…some sounded like they would be better than others

* The eye appeal of the recipes

* That there is a website included for the author

* That the author helps mothers and others create clean foods

 What I didn’t like/would have liked:

* no nutritional information – would have liked this information

* Knowing that many of the ingredients were not available here in Lebanon or would be prohibitively expensive if I could find them.

 Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I buy it for myself? Probably not

Would I buy it for someone else? Yes

 Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing – Fair Winds for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 4 Stars

   BLURB

 Everyone is sure to love Clean Treats for Everyone, featuring accessible, healthy, and easy-to-make snack and dessert recipes for eaters of all ages. Store shelves are brimming with energy balls, protein bars, and the like, but if you’ve ever grabbed a few, you know how expensive this habit can be. You’ve also probably seen some questionable ingredients on the label (soy protein isolate anyone?) and wondered if there was a better solution. With Clean Treats for Everyone, the solution is at your fingertips. All you need are a few real food ingredients like fruit, nuts, seeds, alternative flours (almond flour, oat flour, and coconut flour) and natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup) to create delicious, wholesome treats such as:  Double Chocolate Banana Bread Pumpkin Spice Coffeecake Chocolate Mug Cake Raspberry Crumble Bars Fudgy Chocolate Brownies Apple Nachos Coconut Dip No-Bake Magic Bars  Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

All of the recipes inside are naturally gluten-free, and you’ll also find customizable options to fit the needs of your family, from dairy- and nut-free substitutions to tips for adding extra protein and fat. These guilt-free muffins, cookies, bars, balls, and classic baked goods are perfect for fueling workouts, for kids’ lunchboxes, or for a healthy snack or dessert.

[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

15 Healthier Gluten Free Desserts for Summer

New blog post! Since summer is right around the corner and it's officially the start of Celiac Awareness Month this May, I thought it would be a good time to revisit one of my popular posts from last year (8 Healthier Gluten Free Desserts for Summer) and share 15 of my favorite gluten free desserts at the moment that are a bit on the healthier side.

Now, I'm all about eating full-fat vegan ice cream and sugar-filled chocolate. But since I do have a pretty strong sweet tooth, I try to sneak in healthier options where I can. The best part? All of the products I'm sharing may be a little healthier...but they still taste pretty dang tasty! (And just as a FYI, this post is totally unsponsored, though I did receive a few of these products as samples or prizes from giveaways. And while many of the products I'm mentioning are certified gluten free, some are not and I always encourage people to do their own research to determine what products are the right fit for them!). So without further adieu, let's celebrate summer (and Celiac Awareness Month) by digging into some very tasty gluten free desserts!

1. Dessert Chickpeas from Saffron Road and The Good Bean

My first introduction to sweet chickpeas was The Good Bean's cinnamon chickpeas. They're crunchy, lightly spiced and kind of taste like a healthier, crunchier version of a churro. If you want even more dessert-y options, check out Saffron Road's certified gluten free dessert chickpeas. My personal favorites are the chocolate-coated ones - there's just something so addictive about a rich chocolately shell around a light, crunchy chickpea!

2. Alter Eco Coconut Clusters

If you like coconut, you'll love Alter Eco's certified crunchy chocolatey coconut clusters, which are certified gluten free, soy free, non-GMO and free of artificial flavors. All three flavors feature dark chocolate, but one has cherry and almond butter and another has some seeds for extra crunch. My favorite part is definitely how light and crispy these clusters are!

3. Taza Chocolate's Chocolate Covered Nuts

Not an almond fan? You can still enjoy some dangerously delicious chocolate-coated nuts thanks to Taza Chocolate! All of their dark chocolate covered nuts are certified gluten free, soy free, vegan and organic. Let me just say that dark chocolate takes hazelnuts to a whoooole new level.  

4. Sejoyia Coco-Thins and Coco-Roons

These gluten free, healthy cookies are definitely not your Grandma's recipe...but that doesn't mean they're not delicious! They offer thick, chewy Coco-Roons and thin, crispy Coco-Thins.  My hands-down favorite flavor is Salted Caramel, though I haven't found a flavor I haven't liked. Besides being certified gluten free, these healthy cookies are also paleo and vegan.

5. Tosi's SuperBites

Do you like trail mix? Granola? A healthy dessert with a good crunch? Then you'll love Tosi's SuperBites, which are organic, gluten free and vegan. They're made with ingredients like nuts, seeds, cane sugar and cassava syrup. And while they are definitely sweeter than traditional trail mix or granola, these SuperBites have the same satisfying crunch.

I could seriously eat Tosi SuperBites straight out of the package, but I loved crumbling them on dairy free yogurt or smoothie bowls. The SuperBites come in a variety of flavors, but I've so far just tried the traditional Cashew and Almond SuperBites, and loved them both. Of course, that doesn't mean I wouldn't be 1000% game to try out the blueberry, dragonfruit, peanut, peanut chocolate, and cashew coconut flavors. ;) 

6. Lillabee Grain Free Brownie Thins

Thin mints and crunchy brownies just got a paleo makeover with these gluten free cookies. These cookies are high in protein, and while they don't taste exactly like Girlscout Cookies or Thin Mints, they are definitely a satisfying and crunchy chocolate treat. I got to try their Classic Chocolate Brownie, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Mint flavors and they all got two thumbs up from me! I also just recently learned that these gluten free cookies are now being made in a dedicated gluten free facility (and in the process of changing their packaging to reflect this), which is always good news.

7. Skinny Dipped Almonds

Would you believe that before my celiac disease diagnosis, I rarely (if ever) ate nuts or seeds? Now they're some of my favorite snacking and dessert material...especially when they come in flavors like dark chocolate raspberry, dark chocolate cocoa, dark chocolate peanut butter, dark chocolate mint and dark chocolate espresso. Which brings us to Skinny Dipped Almonds!

These are gluten free (though they do contain dairy, soy and are processed in the same plant as peanuts), high in protein and fiber and make for a yummy sweet snack...or a healthy dessert.

8. Lily's Sweets Chocolate

I actually got my first taste of Lily's Sweets chocolate thanks to my monthly gluten free Love with Food box (I'm an ambassador, FYI!). In it, I got a Sour Cherry Double Chocolate Crunch bar...and within a few months of opening the box, it was gone! I loved the small cherries and extra chocolate chips scattered throughout the chocolate bar, and it had the perfect level of sweetness, despite being sweetened with sugar instead of stevia. Lily's Chocolate is also certified gluten free, and they offer a variety of (vegan) dark chocolates and milk chocolates. And if you're interested in checking out Love with Food so you can get the same kind of delicious, monthly surprises, click this link for 40% off your first box --> Gluten Free Box 40% Off First Box Purchase.

9. Mint Chocolate Ketobars

Technically, Ketobars are a gluten free and vegan snack bar, but these seriously taste like thin mints to me. They’re refined sugar free and made with only ingredients: Chocolate, Almonds, Coconut, Erythritol, Cocoa, Salt, Stevia and Peppermint. Note that they do contain artificial sweeteners so steer clear of those aren’t your tummy’s thang! In terms of taste, though, Ketobars are unlike any other gluten free energy bar I’ve ever tried. (And if you’ve read my snack bar reviews...you know I’ve eaten quite a few!). They have a dense, crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth texture and taste super rich and chocolatey. Ketobars also come in serval other flavors, but this is the only one I’ve tried so far!

10. Emmy's Organics Coconut Cookies

Another awesome healthy dessert for coconut lovers is the organic, certified gluten free, and vegan coconut cookies from Emmys Organics. These definitely don’t taste like “traditional” cookies but I love how dense, slightly sweet and almost “buttery” these treats are. They come in tons of different flavors - from chocolate chip (a personal favorite) to matcha to dark cacao. If you like coconut and soft textures in your desserts, you should definitely add these gluten free cookies to your shopping list. Plus, Emmy’s Organics just released new chocolate-coated bites, which are described as “bite-sized pieces of cookie dough covered in rich, dark chocolate.” I have yet to try any of these but considering how much of a chocoholic I am, I’m definitely keeping an eye out for them!

11. Undercover Quinoa’s Crispy Quinoa Snacks

This is another healthy dessert I won in an Instagram giveaway, and oh my golly goodness - Undercover Quinoa makes some dang delicious gluten free desserts. I’d compare these snacks to chocolate bark, since the quinoa definitely gives them a crunch, but they are a lot less dense since the base is quinoa instead of chocolate. The quinoa snacks come in a variety of flavors, including Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate + Blueberry, Dark Chocolate + Seeds, Milk Chocolate + Currants and Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt. The last flavor was definitely my least favorite since the salt tasted very prominent, but I loved all the others and highly recommend these treats if you want a light, crispy dessert.

12. Zhuzh! It Up Cookies

This may not be the easiest cookie to pronounce (apparently, it's zhoozh "oo" as in "good"), but it is one of the tastiest healthy cookies out there. Besides being certified gluten free, Zhuzh! cookies are vegan, peanut free, full of added probiotics and made with healthier flours like sprouted beans, grains and seeds. (FYI - one of those grains is oats, so if you can't tolerate gluten free oats, these cookies aren't the right choice for you). 

I only enjoy a little of each cookie at a time because I can't tolerate gluten free oats in large amounts...but even small bites made it clear how good every flavor was! All the cookies are a lil' crumbly, a lil' chewy and very addictive. My hands-down favorite flavor was Double Chocolate because...well...chocolate! And I'm a big fan of the big chocolate chunks used in that flavor and my second favorite, regular Chocolate Chip. The biggest surprise, though, was the Gingerful flavor. Well-spiced, extra crumbly and a big two thumbs up from me.

13. Prana's Superfood Chocolate Bark

What happens when you combine superfoods like maca, matcha and chia seeds with organic chocolate bark? You get something crazzzy delicious, of course! I'm a BIG chocolate lover, so when Prana reached out to me with some samples, I couldn't say no. I love how their chocolate bark contains crunchy components like coconut chips, puffed rice and almonds. Plus, their barks are certified gluten free, organic and vegan. You can't go wrong!

14. Superseed Well Donuts

Donuts...that are also paleo, vegan, preservative-free and a decent source of protein and fiber? Dreams can come true! Superseed Well's gluten free donuts are made with a mix of seven different seeds, and while they definitely don't taste like a traditional light, fluffy, fried donut...they are a yummy paleo dessert. They are very dense, moist and remind me a bit like a homemade energy ball or fudge. I'm a big fan of the Chocolate Glazed donuts but also enjoyed the Wild Blueberry donuts.

15. Globe Trekker Trail Mix from Foods Alive

And since I've already mentioned trail mix enough times to make my stomach growl...it seems fitting to end this post on my fave trail mix from another company I'm an ambassador for: Foods Alive. As with all of Foods Alive's products, this trail mix is gluten free but it is also vegan, raw, organic and non-GMO. It features jungle peanuts, cacao nibs, goji berries and white mulberries, and if you love a chocolate and peanut butter combo...you'll really love this combo of chewy, chocolately and peanuty! I often eat it straight out of the bag but as anyone who follows my Instagram knows, it also makes a delicious topping for vegan ice cream and yogurt.

The Bottom Line of Enjoying Gluten Free Desserts this Summer

I don't know about you, but summer is a season full of delicious foods. Berries are finally in season, it's warm enough to enjoy smoothie bowls and ice cream without a heater and my culinary secret weapon - AKA, zucchini - is always on sale.

So whether you try any of the healthier gluten free desserts I've listed above or not...I hope you DO eat something gluten free and delicious, and enjoy a happy mix of healthy and unhealthy treats. And if you do need some inspiration or ideas of what gluten free desserts to try next - well, that's what this blog post is for! In case you need even more ideas, though, check out my posts 8 Healthier Gluten Free Desserts for Summer and 45 Healthier Gluten Free Dessert Recipes for Valentine's Day. What's your favorite "healthier" dessert? Tell me in the comments! via Blogger http://bit.ly/2WlkEwI