Steamed apples are a fall favorite of mine. They contain no added sugar and are paleo and vegan friendly. I love how easy these are to make, and they taste just like applesauce. I used organic fuji apples, which turned a burnt orange color after I steamed them in the oven (like mini pumpkins!). By adding just a little water to a baking dish, you can steam anything, plus, the cinnamon sticks infuse the water like an herbal tea. I used to make this growing up, with a microwave instead of an oven, and with spicy cinnamon candies instead of cinnamon sticks.
Either way, this recipe is perfect for the upcoming holidays. Don’t you just love apple season?
This tropical soft serve ice cream was really easy to make in the Vitamix. It’s made without additional sweeteners or dairy. The frozen bananas give it a creamy texture, and the fresh ginger gives it a little bit of a spicy kick. My husband and I both love sweet and spicy flavors, so this was definitely a new favorite. We’ve been wanting to get an ice cream maker for awhile, but if you’re without one, like us, this is a crazy easy alternative.
I love cantaloupe, but it contains a decent amount of sugar and should be eaten in small portions for dessert. I also love how cantaloupe popsicles don’t need additional sweetener to taste sweet. Plus, they make a refreshing summer snack and are great for staying hydrated by the pool, or for cooling down after a workout. I know you’re likely sick of all my popsicle recipes, but it’s crazy hot in LA this summer, and they are soooo easy to make. So, I always have some ready to eat in the freezer. You never know when you are going to get a sugar craving, and sometimes it’s best if you have something already made, so you don’t go out and buy something processed you’ll later regret.
Sorry for all the popsicle posts, but I am completely head over heels for my lastest kitchen gadget – my popsicle mold. I never realized how easy they were to make, or I would have been doing this for a while now. I bought some fancy silicone reusable ones, when I first tried to make them, but I hated them. They were too small, and the silicone was a pain to remove from the popsicles. These are just basic molds, but the trick is to run them under hot water when you want to remove them, and then lay them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper to store them. Plus, then they develop a pretty layer of frost for pictures.
I am particularly proud of this recipe, since my husband loves anything mango, and any Indian food. I made this with coconut milk, instead of yogurt and I didn’t miss it at all. This one we will definitely be repeating.
Happy 4th of July! I thought popsicles would be fun today, since it’s so hot. Can you see them melting, crazy fast in the background? My apartment way too hot right now to be taking pictures of frozen dessert. Since I bought a ton of lavender that I dried awhile back, and never got around to using, I decided lavender lemonade in a popsicle had awesome dessert potential. Or you could just drink the lemonade instead … whatever makes you happy.
I have a gigantic bag of frozen blackberries currently taking up way too much space in my freezer, so sorry for all the blackberry recipes this summer. Anyway, I’m a big fan of gelatin. I made a lot of gelatin desserts when my blog first started, but I got into a pie frame of mind for while. I wanted to revisit this technique, just kidding, pinterest made me crave dessert. This was delicious, but I had issues with the homemade almond milk separating. I read if you add more gelatin or if you let the liquid get to room temp then whisk before pouring in the bowls it helps with that issue, plus I blended in blackberries too. I can’t tell you which one worked, but they did and dessert was saved!
