Anti-Inflammatory Recipes Archives - Page 2 of 17

Pumpkin Cake – Easy Last-Minute Foolproof Dessert

Pumpkin cake is so easy to make from a one-bowl batter with ingredients you already have on hand. And the cake will impress on a table any time and for any occasion. You can add in your fall carrot cake vibes.

Baked in a metal loaf pan is easy, but you can make the cake in any bakeable shape you want. Metal will help the cake heat fast and cool down quick.

And the best part is it looks like a bread loaf on the outside. Slightly dry and dramatic with walnuts or whatever zhugh you want to fall or drip off! 😋

Ready to make this pumpkin cake?

It’s ready in 30 minutes or less. It’ll take you 5-10 minutes tops to pull out the ingredients and hand combine.

And you can use all your favorite ingredients and pairings.

You can substitute so many ingredients for pantry items that you probably have on hand.

Like, if you ran out of eggs, you can make this…

And if you don’t have milk of any kind, you can still make this!

The only ingredient that it needs is flour if you want a cake with cake texture.

That’s it!

And if you don’t have pumpkin on hand, you can still make this a tasty holiday fall vibe cake with the other flavors you add in…

Because pumpkin doesn’t have much flavor in a cake.

So for this tasty and healthy cake list of ingredients I would suggest pureed pumpkin, carrot, coconut oil, orange zest, walnuts, and spices you have on hand (such as cinnamon, pumpkin, and cardamom).

The spices and zest will spice it up!

Ginger spice pairs well with carrots, but always wants to standout and overpower other flavors.

And so in this pumpkin cake, I also added a lot of aniseed that I had (instead of a lot of ginger) that’s a subtle licorice flavor. And makes this such a unique taste that others will ask about in a good way!

I paired the carrot taste with orange zest instead (that’s a twist)! 🟠 And you can add what flavors inspire you… and what you have on hand.

And then when you have all your ingredients in the bowl, you don’t even need a mixer. You can combine by hand with a spoon in a bowl. That’s what I would suggest (for easy cleanup too! 😊).

…Sooo along the lines of easy, the recipe below 👇explains how you can eas-ily sub ingredients for what you have AND also prep the pan so it’s no stick and no extra prep time. 🎉

…Oh, and if you need some other quick serving EASY delicious dessert table ideas… a chocolate pumpkin trifle table centerpiece or swirly cinnamon muffins might be up your alley for your last-minute delicious dessert! 🍽️

Easy Foolproof Pumpkin Carrot Cake

This is such a versatile cake that can you pull off in 30 baking minutes and one-bowl.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Time 35

Servings 6

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour or combo)
1 can pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup milk (of choice, water, or any liquid such as tea or coffee)
1 large shredded carrot (cooked for better results)
zest of one orange or shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
1 egg (or applesauce or banana)
1 tsp lemon juice (or ACV or white vinegar)
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (or neutral oil)
spice (cardamom, pumpkin, cinnamon, anise)
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
chopped walnuts (or your ingredient topping zhugh)

Instructions

Turn the oven on to pre-heat to 400°F/204°C. Melt the coconut oil in the baking pan vessel or loaf pan you will be using in the pre-heat oven.After the coconut oil turns liquid, pull pan out of the oven and swish around the bottom half of the pan.
Add coconut oil and wet liquid ingredients to mixing batter bowl. Then spoon in dry ingredients and flour slowly. Mix by hand with a spoon or you can use a baking mixer gently on low until combined. Do not over mix.
Add the batter to the baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Let cool. The cake should come out easily. Enjoy!.

Berry Shortbread Cookie – No-Bake (Gluten-Free)

Berry shortbread cookie is an easy, no-bake sweet way to have berry good raspberry, strawberry, or blueberry jammy tastes. You decide!

And if the cookies were organization tools, these berry shortbread stack nicely.

Shortbread is not bread or short of anything. These edible plate weights are low-sugar and made from healthy ingredients. They take minutes to make and are 4 ingredients (and butter here is not one of them).

…You in? 😊

And if you want to bring this shortbread cookie fruit forward that’s a good pairing, bring in a mix of fruit filling.

Fruit is always a good answer and berries are nice whether it’s holiday or year-round.

You can pick from exotic berries like gooseberry or mulberry that give some balancing tart notes. Or more sweet red notes like strawberry or raspberry. And a dramatic blackberry is always welcomed.

I saw some berries out in the wild that have orange and lemon colors… nature is always coming up with new food ideas. 🧡

And I’m guessing these grape-like ones are sour berries and not edible. Leaving them for wildlife is a good idea.

It’s much easier to forage for frozen or fresh berries at the grocery stores. And blending in pureed frozen berries that are easily available year-round are the perfect find for this shortbread cookies.

And even better and easier, use or make a jam that’s calling you. These days you can find organic jams and more natural options without high fructose corn syrup.

For holiday season, you can also get a bright holiday cranberry red from cranberry cans or lingonberry from a specialty food or farmers market. It’s a rainbow choice of jewel berries that you can smear in your cookie while making or leave as topping options for your guests.

Berries are antioxidant healthy, so you’ll have no regrets. They’re powerful fruit gems. And they add a pop of color and make cookies so tasty you may want to make these berry shortbread cookies more often.

They will last for a week or longer covered in your refrigerator.

And even months longer in your freezer where you can bring them out when you have a hankering for something sweet.

…Or you need a last-minute plate of homemade cookies for the table.

When you bring them back out to room temps, if you like cookie dough tastes, then leave them alone. But if you want the more dry texture that cookies are, then you can sprinkle a dusting of almond flour on the tops.

That’ll make them look fresh… and that’s all the zhugh you need. Why add more to something already nice and simply decadent?

And if you have fresh berries on hand, that could be a nice side add too… 🍓

Easy Low-Sugar Shortbread Cookie - Gluten-Free No-Bake Recipe

This is a perfect holiday or tea shortbread style cookie for dipping or enjoying with a jammy brunch. And great for gluten-free people.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1/4 cup light olive oil
jam or honey (optional)

Instructions

Combine ingredients and dump on plastic wrap on a cookie tray. Spread out and wrap up the dough tightly.
Refrigerate and let rest for at least an hour.
Open up plastic and roll out dough flat to about 1/2". Cut out cookies with cookie cutter.
Optional: slice shortbread cookie in half. and smear thin layer of raspberry jam to the middle layer.
To give grainy texture, add a sprinkle of loose almond flour to the tops of cookies.
Refrigerate for at least another 10 minutes and then serve.
You can freeze cookies (up to 3 months recommended) and enjoy later.

Cookies are my sweet tooth weakness. Maybe yours too? If you like healthier cookies, you may also like to try a low-sugar (yes!) lemon cookie (cute as buttons), Christmas ricotta cookie, sugar cookie or vanilla cookie. Or if you’re wanting a store-bought “healthiest” cookie, this is the nutrient low-down I found. 😋

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (Low-Sugar) – Gluten-Free

Oatmeal raisin cookie is one of my favorites. This one is all oats. And no flour.

Sure, you can add chocolate, but I sometimes like a pure wholesome oat-y raisin cookie (…maybe you too?) where the raisins are the stand out morsel-size ingredient.

And this gluten-free big cookie has 40 raisins. You can’t dodge ’em if you tried.

There’s a raisin reason (or raison in French) for the cookie … that makes it a good breakfast starter with healthy breakfast ingredients!

And if size matters to you…

This oatmeal raisin cookie recipe is for 6 inches across that is great on your 8 inch plates. Or take with you in your car trips when you want fewer crumbs.

It has crumbs, otherwise it wouldn’t be a satisfying cookie… but it holds together nicely.

And better than granola that’s droppable, and one jerky hairpin turn away from needing a vacuum.

You will have finished this cookie by then. 😋

Like my younger self would have. When I found the hard and crunchy store-bought ones worthy.

I thought they were the eat-as-many-as-you-like wholesome cookies. Ya know what I mean?

I was years from understanding why healthy really mattered… and knowing that a few baking minutes is all the difference between crunchy vs. soft-baked.

And not from an artfully messy table of food ingredients that I imagined.

For a Softer Cookie:

With ith the magical oven, you can make the cookie even softer if you want with a simple ingredient tweak.

If you want to make a smoother (less oatmeal bumpy) and cake-y cookie… and don’t mind the gluten, then you can add some whole wheat flour.

Or my fave way is to add buckwheat flour that’s naturally gluten-free despite “wheat” in the name.

I love an easy gluten-free buckwheat ginger cookie snap.

If you add 1/2 cup gluten flour, you can fill a 9″ pan of cookie that’ll turn out more like a cookie-cake. There will be a little rise and it’ll be softer and spongier like a cake so it’s easier to cut.

You can even cut a cool geometric star pattern shape like this gigantic chocolate oat cookie (cake?) that’s doubly starred ⭐️⭐️ with an orange star inside the kaleidoscope cut star pattern. Do you see it?

The cuts are good for tearing and sharing, and will impress most and especially science fair aged-ones.

But if you prefer a solid cookie or wouldn’t miss the raisins, you can try this low-sugar oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that looks a lot like the signature C.C. cookie 🍪 I sat next to when I was a Doubletree Hotel catering manager.

But the baking recipe I share is without any of the sticks of butt-ah that made it paperweight heavy.

And now that we have all the cookies out of the bag, the ingredient that ties all the cookies together is the oats.

With all the grocery variety shelf options these modern days, old-fashioned oats are the best value… they cost minimal and are minimal processed (vs. instant oats). And wherever you shop, it’s usually next to the 1-minute oats.

The slow oats are the better option. And since you’re baking them and not making oatmeal, they’re time-less.

The magical oven will work out that cooking time process.

…Maybe why oatmeal is part of the famous oatmeal raisin cookie’s name.

And while oats bind the cookies together, what makes this oa-tea cookie recipe a special-tea is the Earl Grey tea choice added to the cookie batter.

The tea is good for a couple reasons (or raisins 😊). Earl Grey is a brisk bergamot black tea that can be strong. And maybe why it’s U.K.’s traditional tea. 🇬🇧

And I’ve been adding raisins to drinking Early Grey that gives it a bergamot forward citrus flavor. Earl Grey is good for breakfast or an afternoon tea. And a perfect cookie pair fit where you can do tastings with different cookies like starting with an oatmeal raisin cookie. You could try a holiday lemon cookie.

Early Grey is versatile, but had ladylike (adult) tastes. Like other black teas, it’s usually sweeter (vs. green tea = bitter). And raisins mellow out all those tastes and flavors for a smoother drinking ride.

The tea also plumps up the raisins. And you could plump up raisins in your enhanced puffery oatmeal raisin cookie if you pre-soak them in brewed tea before you add to your cookie batter.

But if you don’t have Earl Grey tea on hand, for cookie batter, you can sub with/use milk , coffee, or any liquid as substitution.

No need for a panic store run. You can get creative and use the same Dry January warm beverage you’re also brewing and drinking on hand. If it’s good as a drink, it’ll be better in a cookie! 🍪

How easy… as promised for this One-Bowl oatmeal raisin cookie.

And if you’re wondering if this cookie will be sweet enough (as it calls for no table sugar like most cookies), you can add healthier natural sweetness that come straight from the source like maple syrup or honey.

If you’re feeling Pitta (e.g. signs of feeling irritated, have warm skin to the touch, or breaking out signs) maple syrup will help you out as it’s a cooling ingredient. Fitting why it’s a staple up north. 🇨🇦

So now you have an American oatmeal raisin cookie with English-speaking cousin country ingredients.

And if you’re feeling cool, you may want a warmer ingredient.

Sinus-congested Kaphas can use honey in your cookie batter. Raw honey helps to loosen up the gunk and if you’re feeling slow going.🫖

Plus a dry oatmeal raisin will be good for drying out Kaphas that tend to have moist skin.

And with all the mouthful deets, I think you’re ready to make this ready-to-be-eaten cookie.

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookie (One-Bowl Easy)

This is an easy cookie to bake that always pleases for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

2/3 cup ground oats
1 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp yogurt
1/8 cup Earl Grey tea
2 Tbsp raisins (or 40 raisins)
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
pinch of salt

Instructions

Spray your baking pan with baking spray or brush light olive oil. You can use your round cake pans.
Make the one-bowl cookie batter: Combine ingredients with a silverware spoon but reserve the Earl Grey tea and raisins.
Optional: brew your Earl Grey tea and add the raisins to the warm tea. This will help plump raisins up. You can do for some, all, or none. And then add the tea and about 3/4 of the raisins (30 raisins/1.5 Tbsp) to the cookie batter.
Shape your cookie with your spoon and a knife or offset spatula is helpful. This makes one 6 inch cookie or a few smaller cookies.
Add the remaining raisins on top so they're visible.
Bake at 350°F/180°C for 25-30 minutes for soft-crispy cookie doneness preference. Enjoy!

Chocolate Trifle with Pumpkin (Easy For Any Occasion)

Chocolate trifle is something to be excited about. And when adding tiramisu vibes for a pick-me-up… this is tasty good stuff. And the ingredients here are healthy, including Greek yogurt and pumpkin… good for the season we’re in. And year round as pumpkin sits on the grocery shelves.

For dark chocolate drama, I added balsamic vinegar to melted chocolate that gives a slightly tart bite.

And if you move your sweet bite from the front tongue taste to the sides, you’ll get more of that sour punch. I think I learned in grade school when we learned about our tongue tastes… those were unforgettable lessons.

And tart flavor is just enough to give the ordinary chocolate flavors an oomph.

And it also makes the melted chocolate more drizzly to create special food art effects. 🍥

That gives an overall elevated vibe that can be admired. And maybe set out early on the table. That can be good for any occasion.

And the chocolate brown goes with pumpkin orange in the autumn. Especially in the cooler months. 🍁

Chocolate-pumpkin 🍫+🎃 is also a great tasting pairing duo. So it’s a win-win score.

And with those ingredients, it’s even easier than store-bought frozen pumpkin pie because you don’t have to bake any part of your chocolate trifle if you choose.

And it’s delicious when you pair the tastes that everyone likes. It’s great for a potluck. I remember the first trifle recipe I saw was handed to me in a printed recipe from a church leader from a potluck event.

So it has a special place for me.

It’s also great for a casual dinner.

A trifle will impress because it looks like an elegant table centerpiece if you put in a large display vessel. It’s an illusion. Because the dessert has no shape but the (glass) dessert vessel has a distinct shape that the dessert takes on.

I’m surprised I didn’t think about the dessert or centerpiece back in my hotel catering days when I was always thinking about table decor.

It probably works better for a home setup. And it’ll impress you as you get your day back in the prep process.

Where you don’t have to spend your day worrying about bringing or making a dessert that pleases guests you’re serving.

And most importantly… pleases you!

You can think of a chocolate trifle as a side dessert. That will go well with cookies or Madeleines. Or holiday pie, celebration cake, fun candy, and anything in between.

You decide what will be dunked in the trifle for the effect you want.

And you can fill your trifle dessert with the healthiest foods like Greek yogurt. And pumpkin that’s beta-carotene healthy. It has the antioxidant vitamins, A-C-E.

It aces the healthy test. And pumpkin is affordable. You can find cans year round that you can stock up on when it goes on sale.

Shelf-life for pumpkin is usually at least a year long if not longer.

So no need to wait for Thanksgiving or holiday desserts.

And then to top off your special dessert, you can make luscious swirls.

Who says Greek yogurt whipped up can’t be exciting?

Like this soft as a pillow yogurt layer… where you can dunk your spoon in without guilt.

You can also make cute individual yogurt trifles for any occasion. Oui?

And to top off with a zhugh, I used coconut shavings. But a cinnamon or ginger powder dusting would also be pretty and healthy too.

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate (Tiramisu) Trifle Dessert

An easy dessert for any occasion or table that you can whip up with healthy ingredients in minutes.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

layer of Greek yogurt
layer of ricotta (optional)
1 15 oz canned pumpkin
1 10 oz chocolate morsel package
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Prepare sponge cake for lady fingers or use store-bought Madeleines or cookies.
Assemble cake or cookie at the bottom and layer with yogurt, pumpkin, and chocolate sauce. To make your own chocolate sauce, add chocolate morsels and balsamic vinegar to a bain marie (double boiler) to melt on low heat. Tip: use dark chocolate for healthy and color drama effects. Also add ricotta for cheesecake trifle vibes.

Easy Apple Tart Healthy Recipe

Apple tart can be a breakfast idea or dessert made from healthy baked wheat, oats, and honey. Oh, and wholesome apples are whole snacks for some… maybe you? Fuji apples here, but there are so many apple to choose from for your enjoyable tarts. 🍎

Below is an easy breakfast ingredient recipe for apple tart that’s low sugar and needs no proofing. And the proof is when you make them (…and in photos below 😊).

And if you decide to bake your apples at all…

Because a whole apple snack from an apple tree needs no improvement or addition… and if all you do is add peanut butter on them and eat them raw, they’re delish-elevated!

I esp. like the crunch and taste pairing of Granny Smith green apples with a natural peanut butter (like the kind you stir up with peanuts). 🥜

With a baked apple tart recipe, the sweeter crisp red apples are better for dessert snacking. As they soften in the oven, you can taste more of the sweet and tart.

…And for a pop of bright red on a plate.

Well… sometimes.

They do come out with baked fall colors. You’ll see below what I’m talking about. 🍁

Because red apples vary in color as you’ll see shades of red, yellow, white, and green if you pay closely attention. It’s like nature did a Bob Ross painting on each apple (and apple orchard if you like landscapes).

Like us peeps in nature, no two apples are exactly alike.

They say there are over 7,000 apple varieties and you know the ones that are abundant and growing in your surroundings. 🌳

Red apples dominate the fruit market scenes in the autumn. They match the fire engine red leaves on the U.S. east coast and make great healthy candy apples (instead of sugary caramel).

Healthy apples can be stuffed with healthy ingredients… like the sweet messy kind you can’t stuff in a bag 🎃, but you can stuff yourself with and enjoy the swirling mess in your mouth.

That’s one idea for today.

And with apple season upon us, you need no other reason to come up with new apple snack ideas, like an easy baked apple tart.

The steps are simple and easy…

Cut your whole apples in half and de-core them.

An easy way to do this is to take a paring knife and cut around the core, and as you get around to the other side of the track, you can almost pop the center out.

Save your apple seeds and plant them.

Then seedless, you can eat all the apple flesh parts without waste. Organic (pesticide-spraying free) apples are suggested if you eat the skin (that have a lot of healthy fiber).

Add peanut butter (that will ah! and ooh!-ze out when warmed and baked).

Then put your apple halves aside.

Make your pastry dough:

It’s an easy mix of ground oats and whole wheat. You can even add wheat bran and/or buckwheat for some more variety and healthy goodness, like I did. Mix in water.

Then add the honey and butter that’s a food pairing harmony, working so well together for taste and texture.

But if you want to use a healthy oil (instead of butter) you could do that.

And also your choice is to add cinnamon (and/or cardamom) spices with your apples.

Cinnamon adds that warm fall-ish cozy fireplace or fall hiking outdoor tasting vibe. Sweater weather is coming, but apple cinnamon baking is the active season beforehand.

For Vata (fall season) and us balancing moods, that’s comforting and clearing. It’s a great season to breathe intently and catch new breaths.

And getting back to the bake (and not to get too much in the weeds), cinnamon will help anxious energies. Cassia or traditional cinnamon spice you find easily in grocery stores is going to be sweet for adding to bakes before going in the oven. The other Ceylon cinnamon kind is more healthy and good to add to coffee and zhughing. But mix-and-match spices and kinds before, after, and during as you please.

You do you… and dousing some cinnamon spice of any kind is healthy. The plants even love some on their soil to prevent unintended growth. 😊

Cinnamon is one of those natural foods that have no pitfalls. and goes great in the fall.

And now you’re ready.

For this easy apple tart good for fall bake, you can put this short pastry crust together in a few short minutes.

The dough will have crumbly bits falling off (appropriate for the season), but will mostly stick together as a ball.

Divide the dough into three equal parts.

Flatten/roll out the dough with the palm of one hand is easier. See as easy promised, you don’t even need a rolling pin.

Shape the dough into an apple shape around each apple half if you like. Of make into a circle with your circle cutters.

Use some honey to glue your apple bottoms (halves) to your flattened pastry bases. Then when you’re happy with your apples…

Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes. If you want to give your apples a drying baked apple look (see 🍎 baked photo above), you can leave them in the still-warm oven after you turn the oven off. That will soften the apples even more for that you can even add to an apple pie. 🥧 💭

Before the apples are fully softened, the pastry base will be golden brown. You can pull them out of the oven at that point or bake a ‘lil longer. The apples start out shiny smooth like this duo below.

Which btw, these apple tarts in-the-making look like they are in jail but believe me, they’re enjoying their warm cell and cozy base as they bake. 😁

Oh, and if you like this recipe, you’ll love these low-sugar dessert recipes… some even have apple ingredients.

And if you’re looking for Vata season sweet and salty snack idea, you can try a happy Rocky Road energy bar, a no-bake peanut butter cookie, and/or pair with an apple carrot smoothie.

Curious, what you like? Lemme know in the comments.

Baked Apple Tart Breakfast with Oatmeal and Peanut Butter

This is a great dessert snack idea with healthy oatmeal breakfast-inspired ingredients. Makes 3 apple tarts.

Course Breakfast

Servings 3 apple tarts

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (can combine with wheat bran or buckwheat)
2 Tbsp softened or melted butter
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3 tsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp raw honey, plus more
4 Tbsp heated warm water (plus a little more as needed)
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon spice
1/2 tsp cardamom spice (optional)

Instructions

Grind your oats into fine pieces.
Cut your apples in half and hollow out center with seeds. Leave skin on (if using non-organic apples, you can de-skin apples also if you choose).
Add peanut butter to apple hollowed center. Set apples aside.
Make the pastry dough apple bases. In a bowl, add the flour and oats, butter, cinnamon, and then add water and honey, and cinnamon (if using). Fully combine with a spoon. You can use a little more water as needed to help the dough crumbly pieces stick together. The dough should stick together and have some crumbly bits.
Divide pastry dough into 3 equal balls. Flatten each with palm of hand and shape into circle or apple disc-base shapes that your apple halves will fit onto of.
When you're happy with your pastry discs, add a honey circle ring drizzle around to "glue" your apples to the pastry. The peanut butter will ooze out of the apples.
Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned on the sides and bottom. You can leave in the oven after the temp is turned off for a softer baked apple tart.