Brunch recipes Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

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…

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. 🍥

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.

…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 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! 🎉

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?

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.

Belgian Waffle – Gluten-Free

Belgian waffle is a healthy plate mixed with gluten-free flour and olive oil… it’s something I LOVE whipping up on a lazy weekend start (and maybe IS an idea you can use sooner or later!)

These Belgian waffle 🧇 bites are below… as in recipe bites you can scoop up. And here you can learn a ‘lil history too.

…Because there’s a story behind the Belgian waffle that I’ll get to…

But first, lemme explain why I love these…

For starters, it meets foodie tastes as in good tasting healthy food and the textures that my former professional catering-self would approve of too 🍽️

…Plus it’s a practical breakfast or brunch food. You don’t have to wait 10 minutes like you do for the oven or stove just to heat up before anything starts.

A waffle maker heats quick and cools slowly, so it’s a quick way to warm up and slow down (…good inspo for your life?).

And in case you need to toast a bread-something, a waffle maker can do the job like a panini maker with waffle marks. I use my waffle iron as a reliable toaster too that doesn’t burn out 🍞.

…If you’re in an eating hurry or need to get morning meal-on-the-table fast, a waffle maker is a convenient answer… and making Belgian waffles can be an elevated, close alternative to a quick bowl of cereal or oatmeal. 🥣

And this article’s Belgian waffle recipe 🧇 is warming for a delicious, easy-to-eat bite with healthy inspo.

And if you can’t mix in egg yolks because of the cholesterol or some other reason, you’ll love that this recipe uses NO EGG YOLK.

You can always add it in, but it’s not needed. 🍳

These waffles are made with all gluten-free (almond) flour so there’s still protein 💪 and more than all-purpose gluten flour.

You probably won’t notice the difference in texture from all-purpose or gluten flours, but you’re making a healthy move.

Cooked up, they’re easy to pick up and eat by hand so they’re great on a plate or as street food (you take with ya)!

And they are made so easy.

Look 🍨at these soft scoops that are minutes away from becoming crisp, soft and fluffy Belgian waffle bites…

These were scooped and rolled by hand. You can use a mini ice scooper or spoon to assist.

And while shaping them you can take a moment to reflect and think of the Belgian waffle history that dates back to the Middle Ages…

Waffles back then were called Bel-gems… ahem, they were clever back then too!

And waffle irons have been around for ages since the 9th or 10th centuries when they were no longer in the dark. 😉

…The irons were called gaufriers.

But melting iron and metal tools have been around since 1200 B.C. so they weren’t the OGs or first inventors.

They were innovators for a better bite.

And for us, it’s funny that we think we’re fancy these days with our centuries-forward tech gadgets and kitchen tools… when we’re just following the way of our ancestors. 😁

…Why reinvent a good thing that works?

…And Belgian waffles and waffle irons still work so we’re living out our past today a ‘lil when we’re making home waffles.

It’s modern tool and food good for anyone.

Where a Belgian waffle started out as a peasant food that grew into chic street food.

Think from soup kitchen to food truck. 🥣🚛

…And then turned into royal food as Liege waffles…

Those are made from a dough (like bread) instead of a batter texture (for waffle or cake).

And in your daily choice of which waffle kind…

It’s kinda like asking yourself: do you like crunchy or softer cookies? 💭 …And waffles in this case.

And if you also want to keep it low-sugar like the healthy Belgian waffle recipe here, then k.i.s.s. (keep it super simple) 😘 with a simple 4-ingredient Belgian waffle recipe (like the one below).

The difference between Liege vs Belgian waffles are that the royal ones are more dense from the pearl sugar ingredient… that automatically make them sound more regal. 👑

The Liege kind were the royal waffles for the town’s Bishop (for a ‘lil more history bites to peak your interest).

…and the liege waffles were a luxury upgrade.

If your ears are perking up learning about history, cultures, and food making…

You can learn all about the juicy Belgian waffling history from Llege to the U.S.

…or you can skip and just know it’s a big deal because liege waffles put Liege and Belgian waffles on the map.

They are from the same area where Liege flowers are named. Those are the kind popular around graduations as usually a fragrant bouquet of colorful, mixed flowers you choose like orchids, Gerbera daisies, and lilies.

And flowers like these in this framed Belgian letter at the Belgian Embassy.

This is where I first learned about the Liege town (at the Belgium Embassy 🇧🇪in Washington, DC)… which happens to be the area where I’m from.

…So I know the approximate size where btw Liege is about the same size as DC on a map.

Zooming out to the larger country, Belgium is not much bigger… spanning the size of the state of Maryland.

But for a small country, they sure are famous for A LOT… like premium chocolates! 🇧🇪

They’re also known for frites… similar to Maryland’s (…there’s that state mentioned again!) Ocean City boardwalk fries.

…But better?

And now that your mouth is watering 😋, it’s time to make your fast Belgian waffles!

These are syrup-ed and ready for enjoyment!

You can also set a table with more healthy and simple brunch waffle recipes.

Healthy Belgian Waffle - Gluten Free

These are gluten free waffles you can enjoy that look like the ones you see in the markets.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1/4 cup almond flour
1 egg white
1 tsp light olive oil (or neutral oil)
1/2 tsp water

Instructions

Combine dry and wet ingredients. The batter will be very soft and blended like a mashed potato consistency.
Hand roll into small 1 inch balls if you will make Belgian waffle bites. You can cook four at a time on waffle maker in each of the four waffle quadrants. Cook waffles on medium setting (usually 3-5 minutes) until golden brown. Let cool.

S’mores Waffle + Getting The Life You Want

S’mores waffle are a metaphor for getting the life you want of getting s’more! 😊

waffles are a metaphor for getting the life you want in abundance — S’mores waffle recipe below 🧇

Looking at each waffle cell can help remind you that you’re not limited to syrup or honey in just one cell. There can be a sweet overflowing abundance.

This week I made a sweet snack: waffle s’mores. S’more please! 😋

What I love about waffle machines are that you can make individual, or to-order waffles in my home kitchen restaurant (haha).

My way is imperfect (aka easy but delicious!) and fast.

And you have waffle bites in less than 5 minutes and enjoy in less time that keeps the happy going… especially on a weekend jammed with other activities.

Waffles are great without having to fire up the oven or a sautee pan when you’re not in the mood or it’s warm outside (like these 80-degree November days).

I have a simple Cuisinart waffle maker that I like and is budget-friendly.

And you can use any waffle iron that suits you.

It’s an investment compared to buying frozen waffles at the store that gets expensive.

And the other equipment that helps is an oil spray bottle.

Then you don’t need to add oil in your waffle batter recipe. You use less and that can be healthy good and economical. And spraying, makes waffl-ing fast (...ok, what is the term for cooking waffles?). 🧇

In a pinch, you can use an emptied regular 16.9 oz water bottle.

Then screw a clean spray nozzle spray to the bottle, like the kind you use to water mist a plant that’s easy to find at a convenience store, if one’s not in your home.

And then add pour in your choice of mild oil. You can choose from canola and coconut, to light neutral EVOOs.

Then lightly spray the waffle maker, top and bottom. And with light oils you can make fun savory waffles and s’mores waffle flavors.

Just sayin’! 💡

And whatever kind you choose,the waffles come out easy… sometimes in seconds.

You know it’s done because you get a lightly browned waffle.

Ahhh… and there it is, fast and easy. Forget about pancakes.🥞 Those are so-last year. Now, I just made the pancake people unhappy.

Just kidding, but I probably will stick to waffles myself.

…And you?

Sharing about waffles, I’m reminded of some franchise hotel breakfasts where they have self-waffle machines.

So that’s where you may have practiced before too. Those are the sweet morning kind served indoors. I made the s’mores kind good also for outdoors. 🪵

So, to make the melted s’more waffle sandwich, just tear or cut with a knife your waffles into 4 or quarter sections, and use 2 sections for the top and bottom “buns.”

Add your sandwich ingredients like chocolate and marshmallow in the middle (check that the middle layer ingredients don’t go over the sides of the waffles).

Then put your sandwich back in the waffle maker until your sandwich ingredients are melted (like a panini maker).

All this can take less than 5 minutes to make when you become a pro waffle maker.

On the lighter topics, this is my new home kitchen tool obsession. 😊

And speaking of home, most of us spend our days checking on people, things, pets, plants, a chore’s progress, or what we’re making.

But often we forget to check on the most important thing… Ourselves. It’s easy to distract ourselves with what we can see in front of our eyes (that’s not always a mirror).

Our eyes are the gateway to our soul and influence our mind.

Changing to Abundance Mentality (For Getting the Life You Want)

And when I gradually switched from a victim mindset to an abundant one, that’s when I could start manifesting and co-creating new and better things. That’s creativity in the highest.

Wow, that’s a big leap forward but that’s where I’m going this week.

Because I believe there’s nothing more important than getting ourselves and our mind-body aligned with what we want in life.

Our decisions come from the lens we look out from. And in how we nurture our lives. We can make fear-based decisions that don’t help us.

I know this because I lived for the first 35 years of my life with a victim lens that I wasn’t even aware of. You can learn this in relationships where you react. And those reactions give you highlighted feedback.

And you can learn from other clues. Like when I created a vision board when they were popular (maybe they still are?), none of the pictures I cut out and pasted on the board panned out because I was looking from the wrong lens. Those ideas came from the same limiting victim mind that I used to look out from in my everyday life.

And after a massive corporate layoff I was part of, I had a chance to make bolder self-improvement changes as I restarted my life in most areas.

That’s when I connected the dots, expanded my horizons, and put to use my knowledge of the mind-body connection.

And I worked to slow down stress. That’s not totally doable or ideal working in the city. But, it was a big step forward from my past.

Plus, living in a city environment, there are more options, like many yoga studios and classes to choose from. And the environment you’re in can help to center your intentions as it did for me.

And in the slow seasons of life when I was waiting for areas to pan out, I evolved into a better version of myself.

As I leaned into character trait desires I wanted in mind, body, and spirit, they gradually became my life in alignment.

And the veil of the victim mentality disappeared somewhere in those seasons. And when it did, I could see that in the past I held myself back. You know, those parts of you that make up you, but that your work never sees.

And changing those parts change you. For a better life, an adult walks or runs, and a butterfly flies. Neither creatures crawl around with the earlier life limitations.

With the ability to look up and out, you gain abundance with a higher viewpoint, which helps you to better look in.

Changing Perspectives (For Getting the Life You Want)

And that starts by changing thoughts. Last time I shared on negative energy and that’s how life can be unless we proactively make the switch throughout the day so we can get to our abundant thinking.

Sometimes it’s easier to change the home thermostat temperature from cool to heat, than our minds.

We don’t do the switch if we’re not conscious because we have to fight against ego thoughts.

We can live tormented in our negative thoughts without catching on to how much time wasting it’s causing us.

Friend, I lived liked that for many years. So making up for lost time 😂, I choose to never live like that again. And you can too!

You can tell your ego to take a hike! And walk away from others’ egos, and not feeding their egos when they’re acting up.

If you’re aware of the concept of ego and how it’s the root of most people problems, then you’re ahead of the pack. And most high ego folks aren’t reading this because you know, they know it all. 😉

But most don’t consider themselves high in ego compared to so-and-so [insert a name] and those they see in the world acting out. The ego is much more subtle. It’s part of the air.

And just by comparing, that’s ego in action.

Recognizing Ego in Others (For Getting the Life You Want)

When I moved away from the Washington DC area, only then did I realize how polluted the air was, full of egos. It’s a great city with a lot to offer, but living there carries unique burdens.

It isn’t that other parts of America aren’t impacted by politics, but there it is in the air and not just on television or yard signs. People living there are very careful when speaking about politics (a big no-no), and a faux pas to mention in formal public setting conversations. And even informal ones.

Those ways trickled down to the suburbs where I spent most of my time. And early on in my work days, I would encounter other people’s egos all the time in management. I didn’t know what happened to that calm person from a few hours ago.

Today if I encounter those situations, I remove myself. Life’s too short. And that takes you steps away from getting the life you want.

Being under an ego spell, the other person doesn’t realize they’re engulfed by their ego at that moment (but they could if they chose to be more aware). They could choose the better thought channels.

But when it’s too late, they can appear like the Incredible Hulk compared to the normal person they usually are. Where did David go?

They act and say things that are off-base or aren’t how they usually react. You feel a huge disconnect as they try to rile you up with their words.

When you come back to that person later, the person remembers what or at least part of what you said and hopefully what they said. So that’s why it’s good to plant seeds when they’re unconscious. But just enough so you can get out alive, lol.

And often looking back, they’re sorry for what they said that no longer makes sense to them anymore why they struck a chord that way.

Were they just having a bad day? Did their medication not kick in? Or, does the person have split personalities?

Everyone, just blame it on what they ate (that’s not anti-inflammatory 😊), so you all can move on …and keep your ego at peace.

And as we’re only weeks away from the Holidays, I want to bring in the theme of peace as much as possible. That helps us stay calm and is just what the doctor ordered. 🍎

S'more Waffle

Ingredients

flour
neutral oil
water
mini marshmallows
chocolate, chopped or mini morsels

Instructions

Make two same-size waffles in your waffle iron (about 3 minutes on medium heat).
On a plate, sandwich marshmallows and chocolate in between the two waffles while they are still hot. Use a plate to press down. Alternatively you can add the chocolates on top for a crunch.