These peanut-free copycat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups taste just like the real thing. Maybe a bit better, because I like my chocolate darker and this uses Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate. I love this brand because their products, including the chocolate chips, are made in a dedicated nut and gluten free facility, and are certified non-gmo and vegan. Beware, these chocolate chips are dangerously addictive and often go straight to my stomach, instead of a recipe.

I also used Barney Butter Smooth Almond Butter. Do not substitute a different brand. This almond butter is also made in a peanut free facility and is also certified non-gmo, gluten-free, and vegan. Plus, it tastes exactly like peanut butter! I don’t know how they managed it, but it I’m so excited to try more peanut recipes. The ingredients in this almond butter are blanched roasted almonds, evaporated cane juice, palm fruit oil, and sea salt. I found this at my local Whole Foods, but you can also purchase it on amazon. Seriously, if you don’t tell anyone it’s not peanut butter, they won’t know.

Peanut-free Peanut Butter Cups

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 hours

Total time

5 hours 5 mins

 

Author: Lauren Bolanos

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 10oz bags of Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 jar of Barney Butter Smooth Almond Butter

Instructions

1. Line a muffin tin with baking cups
2. Melt chocolate over a double boiler.
3. Add 1 tbsp of melted chocolate to baking cups. Then freeze until solid.
4. Then add 1 tbsp of almond butter over frozen chocolate.
5. Then add 1 tbsp of melted chocolate over almond butter. Then freeze until solid.
6. Let it defrost for 10-15 minutes before eating it, so chocolate isn't too hard.

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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?

Steamed Apples with Cinnamon

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

1 hour 15 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 fuji apples
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ¾ cup of water

Instructions

1. Add water to a baking dish, then core apples.
2. Place apples in baking dish with water, then stick cinnamon sticks through the center.
3. Place dish in oven set to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
4. Let water in dish steam apples for an hour to an hour and a half, until apples are desired softness.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2

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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.

Tropical Soft Serve Ice Cream

 

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Prep time

4 hours

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

4 hours 10 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple chopped
• 2 bananas chopped
• 1 tsp of fresh grated ginger

Instructions

1. Chop bananas into small half inch slices an freeze on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Chop of fresh pineapple, freeze half of the pineapple on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and save the rest of the non-frozen pineapple.
3. When fruit is frozen, add non-frozen pineapple to bottom of Vitamix, then put frozen fruit and fresh ginger on top for easier blending.
4. Then blend as best you can, using the Vitamix plunger. If you still have some frozen fruit chunks, don't stress, it will still taste amazing.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2

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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.

Cantaloupe Popsicles

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

2 mins

Total time

7 mins

 

Serves: 10 popsicles

Ingredients

• 1 cantaloupe

Instructions

1. Chop up a cantoloupe and put in Vitamix. Use plunger to blend without water.
2. Pour into popsicle molds.
3. Freeze overnight.

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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.

Mango Lassi Popsicles

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 hours

Total time

5 hours 5 mins

 

Author: Lauren Bolanos

Serves: 10 popsicles

Ingredients

• 3 cups of frozen mango (about 1.5 small bags)
• 1 can of regular coconut milk
• ½ cup of grade b maple syrup

Instructions

1. Blend mango, coconut milk, and maple syrup in Vitamix
2. Pour into popsicle molds, and freeze.
3. Store in freezer for at least five hours
4. Run molds under hot water to easily remove from popsicles.

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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.

Lavender Lemonade Popsicles

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

3 mins

Total time

1 hour 3 mins

 

Serves: 10 popsicles

Ingredients

• handful of dried lavender leaves
• 1 cup of honey (Creamy Wildflower Honey by Pacifica)
• 2 cups of water
• 1¼ cups of fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

1. Lightly simmer lavender leaves and honey in water for a couple minutes, like tea.
2. When honey is dissolved, strain out lavender. Then refrigerate.
3. Squeeze lemons, and set aside.
4. When lavender simple syrup is cool, add lemon juice.
5. Then pour into popsicle molds are freeze overnight.
6. To thaw, run hot water over molds and gently pull them out.

Notes

freeze overnight.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 4-6

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