Matcha cake is a healthy cake. And this one is made with almond flour and healthy delicious ingredients… that’s hard to match-ah. The recipe is below.
It’s a star that glows on a plate. 🌟
It could be the caffeine because matcha is a green tea.
The green comes from the chlorophyll pigment that’s anti-inflammatory. 🍵 (along with the EGCG catechin).
Green tea is not a sweet ingredient, so if you’re not a fan… you’ll love this matcha cake that turns out sweet with chocolate chips!
And it has just a small amount of the matcha tea that’s more for the color and healthy ingredient, like you would add to a drinking cup.
You could also think of it like adding a smidgeon of anti-inflammatory spice.
And matcha tea has another anti-inflammatory L-theanine element that’s shown to be good for calming, sleep, and mental focus.
So all these anti-inflammatory benefits help make green tea and matcha green tea the healthiest tea out there!
…Then when you also add a drop or two of Pandan gel, you get a plant-based cake that has a vanilla and somewhat earthy taste. 🌱
To complement those tastes, you can use almond milk with vanilla (or vanilla extract).
Then add other healthy ingredients like apple cider vinegar that will help the cake rise with the baking soda.
And of course, spices that’ll help dry out the batter because if you add enough liquid, you’ll get a moist batter… that’s a good idea.
Because this green matcha cake batter may not look like a cake batter at all or that it will transform into a cake in the oven, but it turns out like a packaged sponge cake with cream in the middle you enjoyed as a kid (or yesterday 😁)… ah, but remember this matcha cake is healthy!
And when it look as wet as a guacamole dip and barely falls off a spoon, it’ll be one great cake. 😊
In the magical oven process, it will dry out and rise like this star on a plate that it’s meant to be.
With cocoa and chocolate chips infused, if you love the idea of a chocolate matcha cake, then you’ll love a chocolate chip matcha cookie recipe too. You can split the dough/batter in half and make cookies in the easy prep steps.
1tspcocoa powder and more for cake zhughing/dusting
1-2dropsPandan gel
1/4tspbaking soda
1tbspall purpose flour
1/4tspapple cider vinegar
1tspneutral oil
1tbspchocolate chips
Instructions
Mix ingredients by hand with a spoon. Almond flour is a gluten-free flour that will make a softer batter. Work in enough wet ingredients so the batter falls off the spoon together. The batter will be noticeably more grainy and less gloppy/smooth than a full gluten flour batter.
Bake at 325°F for at least 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Sometimes the bottom is still moist, so if you use a springform cake pan, you can take a small peek or simply add another 5-10 minutes to ensure it's dry at the bottom. When you bake at low temps and slow, you don't have to worry about burning your cake.
Let cool and dust with matcha and cocoa powder.
You can cut the cake in half with a serrated knife and add a frosting or filling. This one is filled with mascarpone mixed with almond extract to add a complementing taste. Then use a cookie cutter to cut out the cake in a star or any whimsical shape to your heart's fancy.
Tartufo can be your next dessert or even birthday cake you’ll be dreaming of. It’s kinda like an ice cream cake with an Italian vibe.
The recipe below is made with love and a mascarpone ice cream fitting for tartufo individual cakes that you and party guests will love. 💗
Tartufo is not a common dessert.
You don’t hear people talking about it much in everyday life, but this spumoni resembling one inside is a delicious party dessert! 🎉
As the name sounds, tartufo has Italian roots. Not only is it an ice cream cake, but it’s also a truffle or edible fungus.
And with a dome shape, it’s fitting for both.
It also has spreads its wings into other continents as others (like me) can’t resist…
And anyone who gets like a giddy birthday party girl over ice cream cake. 🎈
Facts about Tartufo:
First off, tartufo is usually made with gelato, but the cheese ice cream (recipe below 👇) I think is as delish and simple to make…
The ice cream is made with mascarpone cheese and yogurt and didn’t need an ice cream maker.
Mascarpone is a smooth and creamy cheese that when frozen has an ice cream texture. It’s kinda like cream cheese but more smooth and less sticky.
And if you’re looking for a dairy-free version, a tartufo with spumoni ice cream made from coconut oil is another delicious option.
Either way, the sweet and fresh pairing flavors add a tasty-dreamy reality. If you’re looking for spring color inspiration, this dessert could be the one! 🌱
And in the middle, what makes a tartufo extra special is biting into the surprise center that’s often a cherry, like in a cherry cordial… where the effect is different than a cherry on top like on a sundae that’s usually eaten first or put to the side. 🍒
If a cherry alone excites you (like it does me)… then you may want to stop reading and start making this! 💕
And if you aspire to healthy desserts and low-sugar 🙋🏻♀️, the healthy ingredients include Greek yogurt, pistachios, Pandan, cherries, coconut oil, and honey…
So you’re getting adult ingredient tastes and low-sugar healthy sensibilities that good for longevity and especially if you follow an anti-inflammatory or Mediterranean diet.
And it’s not just the healthy dessert aspects you’ll love… it’s an easy (no bake dessert recipe) to make that can easily be shared!
And the last bit that everyone will love is the hard chocolate shell that gives a dessert ice cream bar vibe that always put smiles on faces of all ages.
This recipe is for a dessert plate to share for 1-2 people.
Course Dessert
Cuisine desserts
Author Brandy@HealthyHappyLifeSecrets
Ingredients
1/4 cupGreek yogurt, plain and unsweetened
1/4mascarpone
Pandan gel
2tbsppistachios, chopped
extra pistachios, finely chopped for topping
1tbsp raw honey
2tbspchocolate for top coating
Instructions
Mix mascarpone with chopped pistachios and a drop of pandan gel until you get a consistent green color.
Add plastic wrap inside your small bowl with an overhang for easy pullout so that the cheese doesn't stick to the bowl. Add the mascarpone cheese to the bowl. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Then add a layer of the Greek yogurt that will be the bottom layer. Add the surprise cherry or sweet treat in the middle. Freeze again. Make your melted chocolate. Onto plate: drizzle honey at the bottom and add your tartufo.
Pour melted chocolate quickly ontop of the frozen tartufo, and add fine pistacho crumbles before the chocolate sets. Freeze again.
About 30 minutes before you're ready to eat and enjoy, bring out to room temps from the freezer. Serve and enjoy.
No-bake cookie recipes are not common, but I’ve got a delicious one you’ll love. And it’s gluten-free and dairy-free.
This dreamy one has rainbow healthy sweet flavors and a rainbow look… like an Italian flag colors. 🇮🇹
It’s a rainbow cookie.
To match, this one has the eat-from-the-rainbow 🌈 polyphenol healthy filled ingredients like matcha green tea to match-ah if healthy is your jam today!
And you can learn more 👇 about what else you can mix in that will make this one low-sugar, but sweet dessert… that’s also healthy gluten-free.
It’s made with delicious gluten-free almond flour.
You don’t need any other flours, but of course you have your choices available to fold in.
Adding regular or all-purpose (gluten) flour is not needed because there’s no baking in this recipe, so there will not be an oven rise…
But this cookie has the look of a cake that doesn’t fall flat!
The cookie-cake illusion is elevated by the interesting flavor layers like in spumoni ice cream… and they share in common no eggs.
You can make a pinkish or bright fire engine red color from beet juice and graduated green colors from combined green Pandan gel, pistachios, and matcha green tea.
Pandan if you’ve never tried has a strong vanilla, leafy, and earthy tasting quality that matches the bright spring green color. 🍃
And if you’re not a match green tea fan but like the idea of adding matcha, it can definitely drown out the matcha flavor.
Plus adding a healthy light olive oil drizzle is heart healthy good. And each individual layer has healthy raw honey… so there’s plenty of healthy sweetness rolled in.
…You could even call this a Mediterranean diet dessert.
To glue all the layers together, raspberry jam is a great option and is used in this recipe, but you can use another jam like apricot that is traditional, or omit altogether.
And you can make a happy plate of these rainbow cookies that you can share and impress your friends with.
It’s fun to have them wonder if it’s a cookie or a cake… 🍥
AND they definitely won’t guess that you didn’t bake these, but you did make ’em!
The best part is that you can make this shareable dessert without extra prep waiting time.
Because there’s no need to refrigerate in between steps or layers.
And if you have a tendency to forget, you also don’t need to take out ingredients in advance to get to room temps. How sweet is that!?
I mean… it doesn’t get easier than that for impressive tasting and crowd pleasing desserts.
This is enough to make one cookie or a shared cookie bite.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 0 minutesminutes
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Equipment
plastic wrap
3 bowls
Ingredients
3/4cupalmond flour
Pandan gel, several drops
pistachios, finely chopped and extra for topping (optional)
pinchofmatcha green tea
1/4tspbeet juice
1tspalmond extract
1tbspraw honey
1tbsplight olive oil
water
Instructions
Mix almond flour, honey, olive oil, and almond extract. Add enough water so the dough sticks together. There will be crumbles that fall off but can be put back together.
Then separate the dough evenly into 3 bowls.
Add small amount of beet juice to one bowl to desired color. Add green tea, Pandan gel, and pistachios to another bowl to desired color.
When you're happy with your colors in your dough layers, start with the red one at the bottom. Add into a large enough piece of plastic wrap to shape the dough into a 3-d rectange. Set aside. Then unwrap and replace the no added color dough to the same piece of plastic wrap and shape to the same size as the first dough rectangle. Do this step with the green dough and set aside.
Add a layer of jam to the top of the bottom layer and the middle layer. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap.
Assemble/stack dough layers starting from the bottom to the top. Zhugh with pistachio bits on top. Then wrap tightly with the same piece of plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Hangover smoothie is a good way to describe a healthy soothing beverage-is-medicine solution when you’re feeling an over hang.
…Most people even these days aren’t aware that a hangover comes from dehydration.
Late night alcoholic drinks is often blamed as the cause. Because alcoholic beverages are diuretics.
And around town, you need to say no more the next morning when you tell others you were out or up late. They get why you’re sluggish.
A hangover, like moods, is best described as symptoms where you don’t feel your best.
And they often start your day, the most important part of your day…
At least for productivity.
And hangovers don’t just come from late nights (with or without alcohol).
Losing an hour in daylight savings can give you that lesser feeling, and headaches from mental hangovers where a situation hangs over you head.
…I remember I felt a hangover when I lived off the highs and lows of life… feeling happy from social events and a fun day shopping at the mall… but then gradually the let down feeling of now what? creeping in… and wanting to keep that high feeling up.
The highs and lows are the worst, and more maturely eventually exercising my contentment muscle cured that… and allowed me to exercise greater self-control that’s an underrated personal development skill that helps throughout life.
But that high-low hangover feeling was a subtle feeling compared to a hangover from alcohol and dehydration….
Where drinking more water helps restore the immediate balance. Remember, our bodies are about 60% water.
Through drinking water and osmosis, we can hydrate our body cells to get us back to our optimal feeling selves in those situations.
👉 Amount of water daily rule of thumb you can use: divide your weight in half and then divide by 6 to know how many 6 oz. glasses to ideally drink per day.
For 130 lbs, that’s about eight – 8 oz regular glasses.
So point #1 is to feel good: and make sure you’re getting enough water.
Going to the toilet a zillion times a day is better where you’re preventing health issues and hangover effects you could have.
And if your urine is a dark yellow anytime, then you know drinking more water is and a tall glass is in order.
Also, adding in more electrolytes with calcium, potassium, and sodium. Some drinks like coconut water or V8 have this without the added sugars and are good for hangovers.
…And if you’re still feeling a hangover effect, then a hangover smoothie can be just what you need for your healing! 🧉
It can help you get on your feet when you feel malaise and want to stay in bed in the morning with throbbing pains and aches.
Headaches are the most common hangover effect.
There are many food ingredients too that can help you feel better faster. And a smoothie is a quick one to make.
Smoothies are also light when you don’t feel like eating.
Below is a great hangover smoothie recipe with berry and citrus to help you especially on those days!
The citrus alone will bring some happy flowing and brightening vibes. 🌼
…AND these common smoothie ingredients are not just good for hangovers.
They’re also good for an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, and incorporating foods that don’t cause inflammation (that is a big known cause for common chronic diseases like heart, diabetes, and certain cancers).
Living inflammation-FREE is a good mission and what I’m talkin’ about 👯
In 2020, I experienced eczema for the first time and since then I’ve learned to eat enjoyably with a lot less sugar and eczema-inflammation free.
Honey, fruits, and monk fruit sugar sources are what I use mostly in baked goods.
…Because Brandy is my name that also means sweet… and this girl is not giving up the sweet taste!
In the Western world, we’ve gotten used to the sickenly sweet pastries we see every time we venture out.
And the more we eat, the more we want since sugar is an addictive substance.
…So controlling the sugar intake is a better way, just like feeling contentment is better than high-low happiness based on current situations in life.
…And so a smoothie is a great way to develop better healthy eating and sweet habits!
You end up with more fruits with vitamins and antioxidants, than needing to add any other types of sugar sources (with zero nutritional value).
it’s a great daily replacement.
Plus, adding healthy, fresh plant-based fruit and veggie ingredients reminds you of an experience of what you get when you order a healthy smoothie from a smoothie shop.
That’s often a look-forward-to treat that becomes an event you mention to others. There’s some sort of cool feeling about it like going to a smoothie shop after yoga class. And we know feeling cool means feeling good. 👍
…Btw, I’ve always had good luck with smoothie shops… once I won a smoothie shop gift card and I’d never won anything before. It felt like winning a small lottery.
I also found the shops make great meetup places in the afternoon past coffee o’clock when you wanna sip and sit outside.
I mean, you gotta celebrate where you have luck 🎉, where you meet nice people 😊, good things happen…oh, AND you hydrate your thirst 💦 as part of your healthy fill!
And these days, you can order some of the healthiest anti-inflammatory ingredient smoothies on the planet that come in colors that look like they’re outta this world. 🌎
Something like this mermaid blue instead of a blue sugary slushy…
You can also easily source your own ingredients and make wellness and hangover smoothies at home.
And if that’s calling you 📣, I have a challenge I think you will love that highlights the healthy, budget-friendly special ingredients that you see or walk past whenever you’re in a grocery store.
👉 And if you signup now you’ll get the additional FREE bonus baking recipe challenge for anti-inflammatory living (that are some of my fave desserts!).
If you’re like me (a foodie! 🙋🏻♀️) who likes sweets without giving up tastes, these 12 healthy bake recipes may do the trick! 💕
…They’re simple to prepare and bake with healthy-inspired ingredients that will help you feel good especially on all-day restore comfort, PJ days!
My healthy food mission is about delicious and staying the same comfortable weight year-round (and lifelong).
…So there’s no loss, and everything to gain.
…That’s something good to add to bakes and smoothie tastes.
And I like to blend the two with smoothie dessert tastes that are drinkable without any of the bad stuff. 🍥
Natural ingredients are good for hangover feelings.
Plus, a healthy hangover smoothie is a great way to balance your body, and add vitamins and nutrients you could otherwise be missing.
Like consider these killer hangover smoothie ingredients:
Berries – Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries all have high anthocyanin antioxidants and polyphenols that give a berry fruity-forward taste.
As fruits go, berries are not as high in natural sugar so adding them to a healthy hangover smoothie will help bring out other flavors.
Look for organic berries because regular berries are highly sprayed with pesticides. You may have better luck in the frozen aisles when they’re not in season. 😉
Citrus – Grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and limes are all super high in Vitamin C antioxidants.
Vitamin C is one potent vitamin that I’ve never heard anything bad about… and like you, I’ve lived through some decades of food debates and nutrient controversies.
And Vitamin C is one of the few vitamins that you won’t overdo as your body will naturally flush out the water soluble source.
Citrus as juicy vitamin fruits make great hydration foods for a detox hangover smoothie.
Oh, did someone say detox?
Ginger always seems to come to this mind.
Ginger – is great if you have a stomach ache. Ginger ale may be something that you drank to calm your gut growing up.
But even better is eating raw ginger straight up. Or adding small chunks to your smoothie so they’re not as spicy-gingery.
And along those lines, adding mild mint calms upset stomachs and bloating. Having mint leaves close by is a good idea.
Like an herb plant that’s below to the LEFT (and on the right is a no care-needed avocado seed plant good for mental hangovers 🌱)
Peppermint is a specific herb and mint ingredient that’s menthol powerful. Mint tea is good to have in your food-as-medicine cabinet.
…And is actually super helpful right away for many aches, from headaches to stomach aches (that remember link in the mind-body and direct mind-gut connection).
And these healthy ingredients can all go in one smoothie… ahhh, but wait there’s more!
These are other smoothie pairing enhancers great for a hangover smoothie.
Tropical fruits – besides vitamins, pineapple and mangoes are great adds to cure a hangover because they have a high natural fruit sugar content (so they help to replenish glucose levels and detox). They’re super sweet for a reason. 🥭🍍
Eaten in moderation, they are healthy fruits from nature’s labels.
Bananas are also great staple adds in smoothies because they add back what’s missing. It’s a good source of potassium that helps to add back body electrolytes.
They are also a great simple filler food that’s on the BRAT diet when you don’t feel like eating (aka. hangover or sick feeling).
A banana is great for smoothie texture and taste. 🍌
You can peel and freeze ripe bananas and have them ready-to-go. They won’t be yellow pretty, but they will do the trick!
And then when you add your smoothie liquid, you get the much needed hydration for your hangover feeling.
Milk (or plant-based milks) can be the bulk of the liquid added where you get even more electrolytes than just water in a smoothie.
Now that you have the ingredients and then some that you can mix up and use in a daily uplifting smoothie…
Ready to make the simple blender hangover smoothie?
This is one refreshing smoothie that will help with your headaches too!
Ingredients
1tbspfresh mint
1mediumbanana
1/2grapefruit
1 tbspblueberries
1/2lemon
1 tspginger
Instructions
Add all ingredients and blend. If you prefer oranges for citrus, substitute the grapefruit. And if you prefer strawberries or raspberries over blueberries, have at it! There are no wrong answers! It's your delicious and healthy smoothie!
If you want to make a green smoothie, you can add brewed green tea, spinach. To counterbalance the bitter, add a sweet fruit like pineapple..
Chai is the ultimate Ayurvedic tea. It’s filled with spices. And it’s one you prefer today or you don’t…
Here you’re in for a treat, as I have my favorite chai way explained below that made a menu board and I think is the best way to make chai if you want a smile on your face every time it’s chai time. 😀
Because chai tea is comforting and balanced. It’s the type of tea you have in hand on yoga day or sipping on the weekend.
And it sure tastes like it!
…That can be good or bad.
Chai is a commonly drank Indian tea where chai is the assumed tea so in that part of the world, they just say chai. In the western world, we have tea variety so we call it chai tea.
In both worlds, chai tea has minimal sweetness. And it has an Eastern taste. In the Western world, it sticks out. But you can make this drink the best of both worlds.
Below I explain how…
And if you’re game for sophisticated adult tastes like cinnamon, cardamom and cloves (the 3 C’s) or a spice-filled warming tea, then you pass the first test where chai could be the best drink for your mood.
Word of warning: if you’re feeling Pitta (in Ayurvedic terms), heated, or the weather is hot or warm out, you’ll likely feel off drinking chai.
…Even if the drink itself isn’t served hot.
Because in those times and seasons you want something lighter, maybe citrusy or floral… but not chai spices.
Like on a crisp fall day where you could go for cinnamon and apple or it’s a spring rainy hoodie day.
Or if you’re feeling like discovering something new or visiting a bookshop, then chai is a tea will give you some oomph for new adventure.
…So chai definitely has its place in the world and is a good go-to tea you’ll enjoy.
It’s one of the healthiest on the planet.
It doesn’t have to be your daily ritual, but it can be part of the variety and spice of life. 💕
And if how you feel about chai is meh, to add back some sweetness and younger (aka fun and happy memory tastes), this is my secret… add some chocolatey vibes.
This amps up the the drink to a chic level. It also balances out the spicy vibes.
Think of a chocolatey latte (or a warm chocolate milk).
You could make your own liquid chocolate, but a grocery shelf chocolate milk is the kind of taste that will elevate your chai.
And it will take the color from a dark brown to a warm brown in a second.
How’s that for fast order!?
It will be obvious when you’ve elevated your chai. 😊
And for coffee lovers, this can be a soft landing drink to wean off another cup of coffee you’re debating about in your mind.
The new chocolate chai taste can run neck and neck in rankings with your cup of Joe.
And that’s because the chocolate adds a mix between hot cocoa and a decadent tea vibes. It mellows out the spice tastes and makes it a good year round drink.
Maybe you do start calling all your teas, Chai? 😁
It’s kinda like an experience of ordering a hot cocoa or doing afternoon tea.
…It’s an event. And the chai drink is great for meetups.
And these little events in our day make life just a little nicer.
Plus, chai has a ‘lil black tea caffeine kick but won’t keep you up at night (if you’re not super sensitive).
And just to show how I’m not the only one who gets excited over a chocolate chai….
I actually accidentally added a menu item at my church’s “Starbucks” coffee shop when I asked for chocolate tastes to be added in my drink from kind smiling volunteer order takers.
I don’t know if they added a chocolate sauce or cocoa, but it was delicious and just what I needed on that Sunday to give me an extra pep in my step.
I felt good with my decadent drink that inspired the drink that others could then order after me.
The secret to a good chocolate chai experience is getting a good chai tea that’s fresh and balanced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and allspice (that also has cloves).
So with double cloves and all the spices, you will get a punchy tea! 🤜
That’s unmistakably chai.
Cloves by the way is a spice that is highly anti-inflammatory, and great for anyone on a longevity mission or wanting to help prevent chronic inflammation (that’s known to cause chronic diseases).
So now you have a delicious and healthy tea beverage. It doesn’t get much better than that!
I invite you to make the tea and to come back for other great ideas that make your day Ayurvedic healthy and happy. 🎉