Coconut donut is one dessert that can be made healthy when baked. Like these chocolate glazed donut scones that are jammed… as in raspberry jam.
Chocolate and raspberry are a decadent pairing and can be made healthy. Raw cacao and organic raspberries are loaded with polyphenols that are anti-inflammatory good.
Chocolate pairs well with almost any flavor like coconut, and many of them are healthy like nuts, fruits, and spices.
And in our flavor choices… once upon a time, I ate my last cream filling donut (…well, that was not healthy)…
Why?… The donut showed up on my arm the next day. 😀
I don’t think I’ve had a store-bought donut since. Even though I love how cute they look and glossy glazed. And don’t get me started about the fresh bakery scent trail it leaves.
Kidding aside, I found other store-bought ways to get the sweet taste without the fried-ness in traditional donuts. …because like sugar, fried foods are addictive.
You can’t have JUST ONE and be satisfied.
…So if you eat smaller bites and healthy sweets, then there’s no guilt.. and there’s NO eat now, pay later after effect.
Those are all heathy moves.
And when there’s an emergency sugar craving 😊… (for me, that’s daily and often)… low-sugar snacks like this healthy baked donut do the trick.
Oh, and there’s no butter in this recipe, so you save on fat calories. Healthy fat foods like coconut oil (that’s minimal) is a good alternative.
And if you’re someone who likes variety, you can zhugh and flavor each baked donut with different looks and tastes.
Like rose and rosewater, pistachio, coconut and other plant-based foods. 🌹🥥🌱
They’re good healthy food substitutes. And if you’re looking for a good sweet food substitute, give this baked coconut donut a GO-GO!
Baked Chocolate Coconut Donut - Healthy Donut Alternative
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Ingredients
1cupcoconut flour (or gluten-free flour)
3/4cup all purpose flour
2tspcoconut oil
1tspyeast
1egg
3/4cupmilk of choice
pistachio bits and shredded coconut
Instructions
Combine donut cake ingredients by hand. Use enough milk to get the consistency closest to a cake batter (not too liquid and not too dense). Grease your pan with coconut oil and pour batter into the pan. Bake until top looks baked and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool. Cut out with round cookie cutter (easier to do before completely cooled).
Make melted chocolate glaze and dip donut top side in glaze.
Zhugh with coconuts and pistachio bits while glaze is still wet.
Keep the donuts out in a cool spot for 2 days or for longer lasting, refrigerate in a covered container.
Sugar cookies can be tasty and healthy cookies with honey as the sweetness. And this recipe uses 4 ingredients and is one-bowl easy.
And with strawberry (or any berry), that’s berry good! 🍓 Like this plate of cookies is made low-sugar, gluten-free… and tasty good. Recipe below 👇
How this low-sugar sugar cookie recipe is different and can be cookie controversial is that there is no white sugar (or sugar crystal substitutes like Stevia that alters tastes).
With an optional light strawberry chocolate glaze at the end, you can keep this naturally low-sugar without missing a sugar beat! 🎉
Think of the strawberry seeds as sugar seeds 😊 And the gluten-free cookie crumbly bits falling off as sugar bits to please your sweet cravings.
This is a cookie challenge because with sugar in the name, NO table sugar doesn’t make sense… but if you’re like me, you’re up for the low-sugar challenge for your healthy body!
It’s a good balance FOR sweet taste buds with a healthy mix so there’s NO compromise.
And this is an EASY challenge because there are only 3 wholesome ingredients needed for these one-bowl sugar cookies to come together. And white table sugar is not one of them.
It’s 1/2 teaspoon of natural honey sugar per regular-size cookie cutter cookie. And you can substitute butter that’s usually in cookies with coconut oil if you would like to make your sugar cookies more healthy.
But it was not easy to come up with this on my end…
This was a journey… because I remember the crunchy hard sugar cookie vividly with sugar crystals on top shaped in dainty flowers with a whole in the middle that I once happily dreamed about. 🧒🏻
I had a sweet relationship with sugar.
…Never in my wildest dreams did I think making and eating my own cookies would be a typical Day in the Life that I’m happy about.
…And I never thought I’d graduate to making my own sugar cookie… without sugar crystals.
Maybe you get it because you too ate spoonfuls of sugar (and enjoyed every sugary food thing out there) like those of us who have a sweet tooth (or a full set of sweet teeth 😊)?
Thankfully for us who also aspire to healthy… the less sugar we eat, the less we crave and the fewer sweet taste buds as we get older.
That helps us align happy and healthy living.
Happy living is good for mental health.
And so if you want to add a glaze top to cookies and desserts, you can balance the healthy and happy ways (…and that’s what pleases my healthy and ex-catering self 😊).
Here on this plate I use a melted chocolate. I chose strawberry chocolate, but white or dark chocolate would work great too.
But in reality, most people use powdered sugar with a flavored liquid for a quick sweet glaze.
And that’s where sugar amounts can be over the top (in more ways than one!). ☹️
Because powdered sugar glazes are using another form of potent table sugar and even more white sugar, that’s not good and can tip the scales.
…AND you need a-lottta powdered sugar to make very little glaze. About 1-3/4 cup of powdered sugar is needed to replace 1 cup of granulated sugar… UGH!
So finding healthier ways like melting real chocolate is a smart and sweet tasty idea…
And you can happily smear the melted chocolate glaze on tops as you anticipate your cookie plate.
That’s one glaze that will go far! A mere 2 oz. of chocolate with a teaspoon of coconut oil will give the shine and get the job done for half-a-dozen cookies.
…You can make this no-guilt, low-sugar cookie batch in minutes when you get the sweet hankering!
Angel food cake is heavenly and cloud-like. This one is low-sugar and will not rise blood sugar. And great to serve for brunch and home party gatherings…
Like the Met Gala TODAY where this year has “superfine” in the theme.
And if you watch celebrate 👗 and wanna bake a cake, THIS angel food cake recipe is a light and minimal ingredient one. 🧡
…You can add a little themed superfine sugar to help your individual cake rise in the air.
Because angel food cake is airy fairy 😇… very different than its opposing devil’s food cake that’s full in calories.
(Notice angel is part of food cake and devil possesses it with an apostrophe in the name).😉
With an angel food cake, it’s made with egg whites as the star ingredient ⭐️ …and you’re looking at 17 calories per egg.
So even with a dozen eggs you’d use is only about 200 calories… FOR AN ENTIRE CAKE!
It’s angel feather wing light 🪽… so think of fluffy egg whites or white clouds as the prep…. 🌩️🌩️
Oh, and that can get even more cotton ball pillowy with a dollop of whipped cream… or if you know me, swirly piped on Greek yogurt with a zhugh strawberry on top. 🍓
But first you gotta make the cake!… anddd that’s when I start to get excited. 🎉
…That btw this is super simple to make and bake.
Whoever said that an angel food cake is a more advanced baking skill? 🤔
…hmm,, I’m thinking that there was an inner debate that may have been going on with an angel on one shoulder and a doubter on the other.
So I’ll make this super simple…
This is an easy bake and if you believe that it’s simple to make, you will have a beautiful and tasty low-sugar cake to enjoy as intended.
On those notes, don’t overthink and don’t over mix with your baking or stand mixer…
After then you get clouds where you’ll stop.
And then make light moves to transfer the egg white clouds to your baking cake pan and gently leveling out with a spatula or back of a spoon.
And that’s it for prep!
I don’t think it gets easier than that, do you?
Low-Sugar Choice
What may be tricky is the sugar bit…
But I love a healthy challenge so that’s what I seek to use just enough…
And if you use monk fruit sugar, you won’t be as concerned with the amount that will tip the scales toward sugar inflammations or spikes.
Monk fruit sugar is plant-based natural (and recommended by dietitians).
And since it’s sweeter than regular table (or granulated sugar), you’ll want to use less of the healthy crystals anyway.
And monk fruit sugar doesn’t affect blood sugar that’s always an important healthy point (especially with those who are pre-diabetic).
And so it doesn’t affect glycemic index as monk fruit sugar doesn’t have calories or carbs.
It’s like Stevia in those ways that’s a common sugar relatable substitute these days.
While both are plant based white sugar alternatives, monk fruit is more of a low-sugar sweet (but still more sweet than sugar)…
In a drink, I think the taste difference is very noticeable. But in a healthy baked desserts with other ingredients, not as much.
And in this recipe, the monk fruit low-sugar sweet minimum is added to mostly help the texture of the cake.
Using less is more because I’m a fan of adding sweet at the end after the bake and for individual tastes.
The additional sweet if you choose can be strawberries or in-season fruit at the end that pairs well with an angel food cake. 🍰
It’s a myth that you have to bake in the sweet tastes.
…It can be even better fresh at the end, and it looks pretty too.
I worked in event planning and catering for a decade, so that’s just how I roll. 😊
I like to cater to tastes because some of us want more sweet and the older ones of us, usually don’t.
Angel Food Cake Process
And for your angel cake flour choice, you could use a sifted all-purpose flour as more easily available, but a fine cake flour is going to pay off for a light as angel finish.
This cake is close to the process for making meringues, but since flour is added, that turns this into a cake.
And you’ll notice there’s no baking powder or baking soda for this cake as the fluffy egg whites will be the rising wings.🪽
Tip: Separate eggs cold when you’re taking them out of the fridge. Because when warm or room temperature, eggs are ready to run… so they may just run away from your hands and be ready for a scramble.
🥚 And if you make this cake, save the yolks! Make scrambled eggs, or make yolk-ingredient desserts like a low-sugar chocolate soft serve ice cream that’s so easy to make with or without an ice cream maker… where you’re never disappointed that the machine is down at a drive-thru!
…Or you make lemon curd for your parfait and other light brunch desserts. 🍥
Blueberry scone with buckwheat is a delicious brunch idea! The recipe below is an easy one that you can make in few steps with frozen blueberries.
Blueberry Scone with Buckwheat recipe below 🧡
…And you’ll even get leftover crumbles for your next parfait.
Whether you see green or blue as in BLUE berries, it’s a delicious crumbly bite that goes great for afternoon tea or a weekend brunch.
You can add a jammy glaze …and maybe some cream… or ice cream (I scream) anyone?
The best part is it has healthy parts, including buckwheat flour that make this blueberry scone with buckwheat great along with other brunch recipes.
With gluten-free flours like buckwheat and coconut flour, egg, and Greek yogurt… ooh and wild blueberries 🫐, it’s one breakfast jam!
Buckwheat and coconut flour, yogurt, blueberries, egg, and a smidge of butter for this delicious healthy-inspired scone recipe.
It’s ready for brunch! 🎉
But before that… there’s a crumbly process that’s relaxing.
Looks a ‘lil like dirt, but trust me it’ll be deliciously shareable and brunch plate worthy! 🍽️
The dirt color is mostly from the healthy buckwheat flour that you can learn more about in this buckwheat ginger snap cookie recipe where I give the skinny low-down. That recipe btw has NO Butter if that’s important to you.
And getting back to buckwheat scones that does have a ‘lil 🧈, you first have to break ground (or ingredients in this place). 😉
The biggest tip I can give is to get the little pats of butter to a melted room temperature, so they adhere smoothly and evenly to the flour small bits.
…And if you’re like me who tends to forget to bring out the butt-ah in the morning, take out the butter you need the night before you’re going to bake.
On that note: this is one sweet blueberry scone with buckwheat recipe that I wouldn’t skip on the butter fat. Often I use neutral or light Mediterranean healthy olive oil in my bake recipes, but this recipe won’t work well with oil because scones like to stay dry… and that’s how we prefer them in our mouths. 😋
And if you’re beyond healthy, two pats or tablespoons of butter is all you need so don’t worry.
…My healthy sensibilities has a hard time using a stick of butter in any recipes… that would also work, but you can keep this light and healthier, and still tasty and delicious even if you’re living in the south.
A little butter is a good compromise where you’re not giving up anything…
…So you’ll have no regrets! 😁
And for sugar, I usually use the healthier sugars like honey or maple syrup, but this one won’t be the same without a packet of raw brown or turbinado sugar that will be the sweet and the dry crunch fitting for a scone.
You probably know this sugar as Sugar in the Raw in the beige packets, usually sitting by the coffee station.
One packet is 5 grams of sugar in case you’re like me who counts grams of sugar.
But remember this is a larger round bake (maybe 8-9 inches total) depending on your scone height of your choice. This can be made into 4 large scone pieces or 8 smaller scones to share.
Keep in mind, some of the baked parts may be too crumbly, so make another scone on the same baking tray if you have guests. Don’t worry… you’ll save the baked crumbles for your brunch parfaits, so nothing will be wasted.
Buckwheat is a healthy flour for a delicious blueberry scone.
Course Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine American
Ingredients
1cupcoconut flour
1/2cupbuckwheat flour
1/3cupfrozen blueberries
2tbspbutter, room temperature softened
1/2cupGreek yogurt, unsweetened
1egg
1/2tspbaking soda
pinch of salt
1Sugar in the Raw packet
Instructions
Set butter out in cool kitchen room temperature overnight.
Mix ingredients to make a crumbly dough.
Dump the dough on a baking tray. Form the dough as a round disc mound with a flat top about 2 inches tall.
Score or cut into 8 smaller wedge pieces or 4 larger pieces before baking.
Sprinkle a packet of turbinado sugar to the top that will add a sweet crunch good for dry scones. You may find you don't need the entire packet if you're preparing for sugar sensitivities.
Bake at 325°F for 30-35 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Cold brew vs. iced coffee is the difference in acidity. There is no boiling down in cold brew to help boil it down for your remembrance when you’re confronted on a menu coffee board.
And I break it down even further below. 👇
But first, here is an example of a cold brew (served ice cold) infused with refreshing mint that goes down cooling your body and benefits you and your body ache symptoms. Recipe is below 🌱
But first things first, you probably still may not know what acidity difference makes between cold brew vs. iced coffee when you’re ordering.
If acidity is a concern for you like many people 🙋🏻♀️ and you avoid coffee, then maybe this’ll change your mind, and you and your body 😊 can enjoy a cold brew coffeewith ice like I do on a warm sticky day… that has added ice at the end.
And that serving is different than iced coffeeon most coffee menu boards that is made from regular (warm brew) coffee.
…Can sound a bit like semantics, but it’s not as complicated as it sounds!
And in my life and when sharing with others, I like to break things down to simplicity…
So basically in cold brew vs. iced coffee, the acidity difference boils down to the process… it’s in and is the process.
…And that’s all you really need to know and remember the next time you have a coffee decision to make. ☕️
There’s no boiling or heat in cold brew (that rememberis the process).
So when you make or order a cold brew coffee, you’re getting less chlorogenic acid in your drink cup that’s an antioxidant (🎉).
But the catch is, that’s where the acidity is high.
…So it’s only not-so-goodif acidity bothers you and your body.
If it does, then it’s a double edged sword. Otherwise plain regular warm caffeinated coffee is plant-based 🌱 good for the body.
Lucky for us coffee drinkers. 🍀
And how this works is…
In warm brewed coffee, the heat tends to bring out the acidity.
And in the cold brew (process) there is no heat… (except it’s fired up ☄️in today’s popularity).
In a regular warm brewed coffee cup made from coffeemakers (like you’ve probably seen poured in orange rimmed coffee pots at diners)… those grounds could be made from the same grinds as in a cold brew coffee cup, but you’re getting more overall acidity.
And it’s not just the warm-ing vs. cold process…
The coffee roast matters too.
…Makes sense intuitively.
Some coffees are more acidic than others.
But what doesn’t make sense is…
Myth #1: that you can taste different types of acids.
Because we can’t really pick those up with our taste buds.
And coffee has many acid types…
There’s acetic, lactic, quinic, gluconic, malic and citric acid to name some.
In a light roast coffee study, the research shows that citric acid is the only one distinguishable to the human tongue… where Brazil coffee was stronger in citric acid than the Bolivian and Kenyan coffee roasts to the same taste testers.
So what does this mean for you?
Besidescold brew vs. iced coffee, picking the right roast matters for acidity.
And it’s still not what you’d naturally think…
Ahh, this second myth is interesting too…
A dark roast can be less acidic than a light roast.
When I’m out drinking coffee, I order a dark roast that has less chlorogenic, malic, and citric acids than the lighter kind.
A dark roast at Starbucks suits me and my acidic self fine. 😊
…Even though the Blonde light roasts may sound like they are less acidic.
But light doesn’t mean less acidic.
If you tend to get heartburn or have a sensitive coffee stomach where you need food to cushion before drinking 🙋🏻♀️, then a dark cold brew could be your best choice.
And if it’s hot out or you’re feeling hot (Pitta 😡), add some ice!
…Where cubes are added at the end 🧊
At home a neat trick is to make coffee ice cubes so you don’t get watered down coffee.
You can use traditional ice cube trays, but a fun way is to add coffee to a coffee cup and then freeze the cup for an hour or two.
From the frozen coffee, you’ll get icicle shavings with scraping from a silverware utensil.
You can add those icicle shavings to your coffee that won’t be like the big clumsy ice cubes that almost always end up sliding down your cold brew coffee glass with coffee running down your face. 😁
And at home, my morning routine is making fresh organic cold brew coffee to eliminate the acidity factor especially good before I’ve had food in my stomach. Maybe you have sensitive stomach too?
That’s how my cold brew coffee journey started… I learned to make my first batch of cold brew in Florence, Italy where mind you, delicious (acidic) coffee ☕️ is on every corner.
I saved my 1 euro coins and from that day on haven’t stopped my new calming morning cold brew practice. 🧡
Since then, I’ve learned a trick or two…
Like… these days, I use organic ground coffee mostly that’s generally even less acidic.
And when you add the tips above, you get a much lower acidic coffee.
So when you put all the smarts together, you can make and drink organic dark roast cold brew.
And what I love most about a morning cold brew coffee is that you can mix in flavors without the heat changing the flavor profile.
…Like the mint cold brew coffee ingredients below
Or… for a fruity twist you can add fruity flavors like peach that’s one mellow smooth coffee flavor.
That will give a fragrant note, and pleasant-light sweet taste instead of a bitter coffee after taste.
…I think it would make a light perfume to wear good for sticky days 💭
And on other idea notes… if you have extra peaches, you can also make refreshing fresh peach juice.
Another good cold brew drinking juice idea is a watermelon coffee idea you can sip on… that goes really well on a warmish afternoon like iced tea.
That’s the only good coffee watered down I’d recommend. 🍉 And an even better idea, add mint to your watermelon coffee or make a pure mint iced cold brew coffee like this one here.
