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Black Bean Smoothie with Coffee

Black bean smoothie from coffee beans is a 2X bean plant-based healthy beverage… and something to get excited about for your day! 🌅

Black beans coffee smoothie.

You naturally get a powerhouse of fiber PLUS plant-based protein to start your morning on the right foot…  and those steps 👣 keep you on a happy high for the rest of the day. 😊

ICYMI, beans are the rage in new food vitamins to take.

…PLUS A can of bean costs almost nothing when you compare to other high protein sources. AND the cans last for-ever (as food goes).

A can of beans usually has an expiration date that’s a few years out. That’s longer than what you and I know with what the future holds… but you can count on your beans! 🫘

If you get the organic black bean cans, those are still pennies compared to other protein sources, and you’ll have less sodium.

And then instead of rinsing your open canned beans with running water, you can dump the beans, liquid, and all into your blender (…maybe all while your eyes are still opening).

…This is great too for when you’ve woken up on the wrong side of the morning and want your positive energy boost to bounce back.

…Or when you feel like your gut needs a detox from processed foods and need to add some plant-based food love to your gut.

…And to add balance from a weekend of eating and drinking enjoyment.

You can also soothe those bloating gut discomfort feelings or uncomfortable jabs in the gut that you’ve normalized from what you consume.

Those don’t need to be your new normal and weigh you down!

You’d know, because you have a less than a satisfactory healthy bathroom life.

And if off kilter….

You can get back on smooth track with a smoothie cold beverage like this.

…Where you get gut unhindered and be ready to conquer the world after a little daily energy boost!

This is a love language your gut understands…

And a coffee black bean smoothie like this can healthy balance restore. It’s even smoother than an avocado smoothie with coffee great for fasts

…Or you can try both and alternate the blend in your life. 💭

For any coffee smoothie, you can add the brewed coffee you like…  but I like to add cold brew coffee for less acidity.

AND it’s already room temp coldish so you can drink and enjoy your finished smoothie sooner without adding ice cubes (that’s an option too). Btw, there’s a difference between cold brew and iced coffee.

And whatever coffee you choose, I recommend using an organic coffee (less toxins).

So, to make the coffee black bean smoothie:

Add your can of black beans and brewed coffee.  And let the blender grind (blend). 😀 Let your smoothie start out thicker.

Add more or less liquid depending on how thick you like your smoothie. And you can always thin out with a ‘lil water later.

So after blending the beans (the coffee and black kind), work on the flavoring that matters…

You can make this a sweet beverage option.

Sooo with healthy notes, you don’t want to blanket douse all the good you just did with table sugar…

You can keep it sweet, tasty and plant-based healthy with cacao (powder).

Both cocoa and cacao powder come from cocoa beans but cacao is not as processed like cocoa is. It’s not just an “a” and “o” spelling play in the words. They are different but the same.

Common cocoa powder also often has sugar hidden within so the consuming product is different in the end.

And to compliment your powder sweetness, you can add another sweet source that’ll make it smooth: raw honey that’s another healthy Vitamin B (as in bee -add  🐝).

I also like to add banana and cinnamon spice that are other B and C adds… but those are optional and if you have on-hand.

And an option is to add Greek yogurt (for thickness), but you can get this coffee smoothie doing the minimum with black beans, brewed coffee, and cacao powder (or cocoa if cacao is not available).black bean smoothie with organic beans and coffee.

…And in case you’re not a coffee drinker, you can substitute the coffee for milk or a plant-based milk like almond milk or yogurt whey. Think of it more like a protein chocolate drink, so it’s good for all growing ages.

…Especially those 30 and up!

And if you prefer a thicker smoothie, the yogurt solids will help you get that consistency too! Oh, and you add a dollop of yogurt to the top as your whipped 😉

(We’re now heading into parfait territory now.)

And to keep this a refreshing smoothie, I haven’t even gotten to the fun part yet (that would be the zhugh in desserts)…

Add mini chocolate chips to the smoothie drink and let some sink to the bottom.

You may have had cold java drinks like this that had the chips swirling around at the bottom and every now and again you get a nice pause in a chocolatey morsel bite.🧋

You can add 70% or more dark cacao chocolate morsels to your home smoothie that’s healthy delicious (and FUN to add).

You can also sweeten the vitamin-ness with wild blueberries too. How fun!

This is looking less and less like a beans drink and more like a delicious one!

black bean smoothie from canned black beans.

…Wait ’til you get a taste! 😋

And this is what your Monday and any early morning gut and mouth are calling for. 📣

I’ve added this to the Magic Bullet recipes and this could be a low-sugar summer dessert too.

For more smoothie inspo and ideas, check out this healthy smoothie guide challenge I put together for you with all kinds of fiber-delicious blends (to give you your better than regular healthy LIFE back!) 🎉

coffee smoothie with black beans.
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Anti-Inflammatory Black Bean Coffee Chocolate Smoothie

This makes a nice cup or glass plus more for later.
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • 1 can organic black beans
  • 1/2 cup cold brew coffee
  • 2 tbsp cacao
  • 1 tbsp raw honey
  • 1 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips
  • 1 banana (optional)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
  • 1 tsp frozen wild blueberries (optional)
  • shredded coconut (zhugh optional)

Instructions

  • Blend ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate.
  • Add chocolate chip morsels and zhugh with more, blueberries, and/or coconut. Enjoy!

Notes

This makes an 8 ounce cup to enjoy plus more. If you add more liquid, you can make a larger batch for later.
If you want a thick smoothie base, choose a creamy thick yogurt like Icelandic yogurt or Fage Greek yogurt.

Donut – Chocolate Glazed (Healthy Baked)

Donut with a chocolate glaze is one dessert that can be made delicious and healthy when baked without butter. Like this variety chocolate glazed donut plate, where some are jammed… as in raspberry jam.

Baked chocolate glazed donut plate with no-butter in the recipe.

Chocolate and raspberry are a decadent pairing and can be made healthy (with dark cacao and low-sugar). Raw cacao and organic raspberries are loaded with polyphenols that are anti-inflammatory good. And baked in with no butter in this recipe, you can stick with the healthy theme.

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 Boston cream filling donut (…well, that was not healthy)…

And the donut showed up on my arm the next day. 😀

I don’t think I’ve had a store-bought Boston cream donut since. Even though I love how shiny cute they look and glossy glazed. And don’t get me started about the fresh bakery scent trail it leaves. 🍩

…But kidding aside, I found other store-bought ways to get the sweet taste without the fried-ness in traditional donuts. …because like high sugar, fried foods are addictive.

You can’t have JUST ONE and be satisfied. If you’re like, you fight willpower.

…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 donut sugar craving 😊… (for a sweet tooth, that’s often)… low-sugar snacks like this healthy baked dark chocolate glazed donut do the trick.

Oh, and there’s no butter in this recipe. Healthy fat foods like a little coconut oil (that’s minimal) is a good alternative. You can also use a light olive oil that has minimal savory tastes.

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, unsweetened shredded coconut and other plant-based foods. 🌹🥥🌱Glazed donut and zhugh variety plate.

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! 🥥

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Baked Chocolate Glazed Donut - Healthy Donut Alternative

A healthier donut baked with gluten-free flour with a shiny chocolate glaze top and healthy toppings.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4 donuts
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut flour (or gluten-free flour)
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp coconut oil (or neutral oil)
  • 1 tsp yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup milk of choice
  • pistachio bits and shredded coconut (zhugh)
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate, melted (zhugh)
  • low-sugar raspberry jam (optional)

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 on 350°F/180°C until top looks baked and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool. Cut out with round cookie cutter (easier to do before completely cooled).
  • After cooled, to add (oozing) raspberry jam to centers, poke a food skewer through the middle side of the donut to make a hollow tunnel in the donut. Use a food syringe or a squeezable jam bottle to insert jam into the tunnel.
  • 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 – Healthy Recipe

Sugar cookies can be tasty and healthy cookies with honey as the sweetness. And this recipe uses 4 ingredients and is one-bowl easy.

Easy sugar cookies made from healthy ingredients.

And with strawberry (or any berry), that’s berry good! 🍓 Like this plate of cookies is made low-sugar, gluten-freeand 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.

Sugar cookie made gluten-free and low-sugar.

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!

Comment below whatcha think 💕

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Healthy Honey Sugar Cookie

This is a beautiful cookie with ingredient pairing with no white sugar.
Course Dessert
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 cookies
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 tbsp honey, raw
  • 1 tbsp refined coconut oil
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Combine ingredients.
  • Bake at 300°F for about 15 minutes or until cookie tops are baked (not soft).

Low-Sugar Angel Food Cake

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…angel food cake that's low sugar.

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. 🍥

angel food cake.
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Low-Sugar Angel Food Cake

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cake flour, sifted
  • 12 egg whites
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • low sugar or monkfruit sugar (1 tsp or 1-1/2 tsp recommended)
  • strawberry

Instructions

  • Beat egg whites. Add cream of tartar, sugar, and salt.
  • Gently fold in flour.
  • Line tin with butter to prevent sticking. Bake on 350°F for 35-40 minutes.

Easy Blueberry Scone with Buckwheat

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.

easy blueberry scone with buckwheat flour.
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?

blueberry scone with buckwheat and jammy glaze.

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 blueberry scone ingredients for easy recipe.
Buckwheat and coconut flour, yogurt, blueberries, egg, and a smidge of butter for this delicious healthy-inspired scone recipe.

It’s ready for brunch! 🎉

blueberry scone with gluten-free buckwheat and coconut flour plated 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.

It’ll all be re-purposed in someone’s mouth.

Ready to make this?

easy blueberry scone with buckwheat flour.
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Buckwheat Blueberry Scone

Buckwheat is a healthy flour for a delicious blueberry scone.
Course Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine American

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1/3 cup frozen blueberries
  • 2 tbsp butter, room temperature softened
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, unsweetened
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 Sugar 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.