Brunch recipes Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Cranberry Pumpkin Trifle Dessert – Healthy and Easy

Cranberry pumpkin trifle is a healthy and tasty sweet treat snack that’s good for the gut where Greek yogurt is the white creaminess you can’t wait to dip your spoon in. And it’s a no-bake easy dessert (for brunch?) that you can make with 10-minute simple assembly.

This makes a great in-between dessert (amuse bouche) go-to… with sweet and sour-tart vibes infused. 🧡

This is a tasty way to keep celebrating and still enjoy food with heavy feast menu days that the holiday season is peppered with. 🎉

When I worked in catering planning, building in extra food touch point details won points with hosts and guests.

Like a special dish add or an amuse bouche (mouth amuser appetizer).

And if you’re feeding guests or hosting a party, small details like an across-the-board zhugh topping are a great way to impress them with very little work.

In an individual dessert like a cranberry pumpkin trifle, the multi-layer effect looks inviting to bite into.

The contrasting taste pairings and rainbow-y colors do the work for you.

And goes well on a food table in individual glasses … oui?

And the other reason a trifle is great is it’s just 10-minute prep work.

It can be enjoyed for no occasion at all…

Like for a great breakfast treat as a starter before your activity day, hike, or physical exercise.

Or anytime of day snack.

I like to have them ready for a Sunday brunch.

The ingredients are simple: canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce, Greek yogurt and orange zest.

And if you’re a bit like me, you want to know all the ingredients before you decide to make a recipe.

✅ You want to know if you have them on hand.

Nothing worse than getting excited about a food dish or gathering all the ingredients, and then not having a primary ingredient on hand.

✅ I also look at the ingredient list to see if they are ingredients I want to use for healthy reasons.

✅ And food ingredients that excite. 🥳

Then when all the checks are there, that’s when the prepping can begin.

The party is when it all comes together.

Success is when there’s a tasty pair duo or combo… Or in this case, it’s a pumpkin-cranberry-orange trio. 🎶

You can hand spoon layer the pump-o-cran trifle.

You can use store-bought or pre-store in freezer yogurt and oranges.

The frozen orange won’t be as vibrant fresh as fridge fresh oranges, but it could save you a trip of foraging.

Storing up can last you though the winter. That’s how we can be one with nature 🧘🏻‍♀️ and more like our foraging squirrel friends than we think. 🐿️

Both the pumpkin and cranberry are convenient cans you can store in your kitchen pantry.

It’s a myth that cranberry or pumpkin are seasonal foods. They’re available on middle aisle shelves all the time so you can get when them on sale if you want. And during the end-of-year months, it’s hard not to bump into them near end-of-aisle checkout areas.

And if you’re doing low-sugar, look for frozen whole bags of cran-berries that are wildly healthy like most berries that are full of polyphenol anti-inflammatory goodness.

You can make your own cranberry sauce. And then store the whole berries and extra sauce in your freezer.

Whole pumpkin is similar has similar healthy and easy vibes. It’s adds beta carotene and the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E to complement an anti-inflammatory diet.

A-C-E was one of my earliest healthy food acronyms I learned that still has longevity (in A-C-E foods and my memory). 😊

And canned (pumpkin) that’s in puree versions ready-to-use is conveniently on most grocery shelves 365 days a year.

It has many healthy uses…

Like pumpkin is also great in a baking recipe. It’s my favorite Thanksgiving pie… maybe you too? And no-baking needed recipes like pumpkin mousse or chocolate trifle with pumpkin.

Year-round, I like to make easy pumpkin pasta sauce.

It’s a good alternate or change up from tomato sauce… and because tomato sauce is acidic.

If you’re trying to reduce heartburn symptoms, then that’s one easy swap you can make.

Also, pumpkin has a mildly sweet taste, pairing well with the same herbs and spices (as tomato sauce) like oregano and basil.

But I like to punch it up with pungent sage too. ⚡️

And if I’m sweet baking with pumpkin, I usually pair with ginger spice.🫚

Pumpkin sauce is also a glowing orangy-color that lights up faces. 🎃

On days you need energy, pumpkin can help you along with a bowl of pasta. And if you make your own homemade pasta (or eat egg yolks) then you’re getting B12, B6, and B2 from the egg yolk that plays well together to create food syn-energy. 🔋

Then with extra leftover pumpkin, you can see how that all comes together in this tasty cranberry pumpkin trifle dessert.

Cranberry Pumpkin Orange Trifle

Tasty and easy to make for holidays and everyday.

Author Brandy @ Health Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

thick Greek yogurt
cranberry sauce
canned pumpkin
1 orange (Navel and Cara Cara sweet oranges work well)
molasses drizzle or nuts (for additional zhugh)

Instructions

Layer pumpkin, cranberry, and yogurt. Zhugh with orange zest.
Drizzle with molasses or zhugh with chopped nuts (optional).

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 and Olive Oil Healthy

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 Olive Oil 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.

Peach Profiterole (Low-Sugar)

Peach profiterole like this low-sugar one is one way to crush the day.

…And sometimes our pride is bruised, but not this peach bite that’s delicious, filled with Greek yogurt, and easy to make.

Along with a happy peach profiterole recipe below, I share some encouragement so you can crush life’s negative situations.

Life doesn’t have to be peachy. It can be filled with a joyful bowl of peaches.

…As life should get better as our perspectives get better if and when we grow.

When we were younger, we didn’t know what authentic joy meant. A joy ride had a different meaning (than today’s joy in life’s ride). And we didn’t know the magnitude of pride’s powerful grip.

Especially if things feel heavy today.

…Like the world is against us and we’re pushed up against a wall sometimes.

That’s part of the process in our growing, and gaining wisdom in our individual life journeys…

Wisdom is a choice and its growth is fed one choice at a time.

With wisdom we know we’re empowered and have much more of a say in what happens to us than our circumstances.

When we let go of some things, we are in more control.

We can speed up our growth by removing the inner rocks and blocks that stand in our way.

…But not these ‘lil peach profiterole bites!

Today, smoother sailing and small pebbles in those same areas can become our new normal if we allow in the better perspectives, attitudes, and higher thinking ways.

And we make new habits.

Often our ego pride protects us from believing that we could be holding ourselves back.

That’s when we can refer back to allowing in our loving and higher thinking ways.

When we create space in our minds, we can form new self-serving ways.

And maybe a distraction like making these cutesy peach profiterole bites are just what we need?

Low-Sugar Peach Profiterole 🍑

1 cup total flour (a mix of bread and all purpose flour are recommended)

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk

1-2 eggs

1 ripe peach

thick plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

On stovetop, turn on medium heat. Add flour, butter and milk and make into a ball.

Let cool for about 10 minutes and add in egg.

Bake on 350°F/180°C for about 30-35 minutes.

Let cool and fill profiterole with peach and yogurt (a delightful pairing combination!).

Peach Profiterole (Low Sugar)

This is a tasty profiterole bite that you can watch pop up in the oven, and then on a plate and in your mouth.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 cup total flour (a mix of bread and all purpose flour are recommended)
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1 ripe peach
1 egg
thick plain yogurt or Greek yogurt for filling

Instructions

On stovetop, turn on medium heat. Add flour, butter and milk and make into a ball. This should take just a few short minutes.
Let cool for about 10 minutes and add in egg. Tip: if the batter looks liquid/runny and does not hold a soft shape for a profiterole, add an additional egg or a fraction of another egg.
Bake on 350°F/180°C for about 30-35 minutes until a warm brown.
Let cool and fill profiterole with peach and yogurt (a delightful pairing combination!).

Do you like these? Check out more low sugar desserts.