Small Bakes & Cakes

Healthy No Added Sugar Banana Muffins

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There are lots of things that help make these muffins a perfect choice for breakfast or to fill that “hungry” gap we all get throughout the day.

Firstly it uses oats instead of flour which makes them a healthier option as oats are complex carbohydrates and have a slow release of energy.

You can turn them into gluten free muffins by substituting the oats and baking powder.

They are sweetened with honey instead of processed sugar or an artificial sweetener and this type of non processed sugar again releases energy slower and if you use local honey it can help with allergy problems.

There’s no butter or oil in these muffins and I replaced the milk with almond milk so they are dairy free.

So what’s stopping you!!

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No sugar, No flour, No butter Apple & Cinnamon Muffins

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Okay, I’ll start by saying the original recipe turns out lovely and it’s relatively quick and easy, all in a blender basically and produces perfectly good muffins which I have to add, taste unbelievably good! Soooo here’s where my slight fussiness comes in … I felt they were sort of a bit well, spongey? Is that a word?

I didn’t feel they were as light as muffins should be so I wanted to try a different method which I hoped would result in a more familiar muffin texture. Call me pedantic but that’s why I started this blog – to take out the guessing from baking and helping (and hoping) that your bakes turn out perfectly.

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Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

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I tried this recipe out as I hadn’t come across it before. It’s a basic gluten free muffin recipe that you can make up and keep in labelled bags for when you need it. After that, it’s up to you how you flavour it. You can use fresh or dried fruit or leave them plain. Perhaps add some nutmeg or cinnamon just for a little flavour kick? It’s a big world out there so give it a go 🙂

I’ve converted it from US measurements and added a good few handfuls of dried blueberries to give it a sweet flavour and to compensate for the reduced added sugar from the original recipe.

I would feel a gluten free flour mix works better for this rather than just straightforward gluten free flour (that will make sense to those who regularly bake for coeliacs). I also feel that perhaps replacing about 50g of the flour mix for 50g ground almonds can only improve the lightness of these muffins and is definitely worth trying.

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Chocolate & Guinness Cupcakes Topped with Baileys Cream

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What could be a better combination and more Irish than chocolate and Guinness? They are a perfect combination and instead of buttercream, I topped these cupcakes with fresh cream and Baileys. To give them an even greater Irish flair, I finished them with pieces of green Minty Aero and the taste worked really well with the chocolate, Guinness and Baileys! Winner all round 🙂

You can reduce the recipe by half and make just 6. You do need to use large muffin cases and fill them almost to the top with the batter.

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Gluten Free Soda Bread

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There’s something very comforting about soda bread. It’s such a traditional Irish bake and one that is so easily adaptable from sweet to savoury that everyone should have it in their baking repertoire. It takes about 5 minutes to be oven ready so it’s a great reliable recipe.

On the cozebakes Facebook group page, there’s a recipe for a Crispy Bacon Soda Bread which is really delicious and if you want to try it, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/notes/cozebakes/crispy-bacon-soda-bread/1419741888044119/ but I’ve been trying to find a gluten free version so no one would be left out and after seeing this one on the “what the fork” website, it was worth a try.

I’ve adapted it to metric and you can add in some raisins or sultanas if you want a sweeter bake or leave it plain with no added sugar if that’s your preference.

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Apple & Cinnamon Crumble Squares

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Basically, this recipe is a hug in a traybake! It’s so delicious, so warming and full of comfort. The bonus is that it’s really simple to make too. You can serve it with crème fraiche or whipped cream for a dessert or just slice into squares and share with your friends over a cuppa.

These delicious squares can easily be converted to Gluten Free by replacing the flour and oats to gluten free options. As it’s basically a crumble, it will convert well.

Depending on the size of the bars, you should get about 16 generous slices out of this recipe. You don’t need to turn the oven on until you’ve almost completed the apple filling so you can make the filling first if you need to get ahead.

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Cheese Scones

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These scones are so full of comfort, there should be a prescription for them. They are so tasty and I’ve given you some ideas for adapting them to suit your own personal taste.

This recipe will make 6 good sized scones and they freeze really well too so you can happily double up the recipe. I’ve also added an idea if you’re feeding little people to make them more appealing.

They are quick to put together and make the most delicious snack or serve with some warm soup..

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Coconut Macaroons – Gluten Free

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If you want to make something really delicious in a very short time, then these macaroons are the answer. You can make them in different shapes and sizes depending on the occasion but they never fail to please!

Just 3 simple ingredients (well four if you count the chocolate drizzle on top) and 10 minutes to put together with 18 in the oven. That’s it! The fact they’re gluten free is a bonus!

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Viennese Shortbread Mini Cakes

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These sweet, pretty bakes are a lovely buttery and delicious shortbread biscuit which are made in paper cases for a different look from the traditional Viennese Whirls. You can use strawberry, raspberry or apricot jam in the center. They are quick and easy to make and look so pretty presented together dusted with icing sugar.

Little bites of melting heaven …. For a Festive feel, spoon some delicious homemade mincemeat in the centre 🙂

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Halloween Surprise Cake

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There are so many fun ways to bake at Halloween and this surprise cake featuring a hidden pumpkin is one of them.

There are 2 cakes to be made; one coloured and one plain. You need to plan ahead as they can’t be made at the same time. I tend to make my coloured one in the morning, get my jobs done and then get the second one made later in the day. It can be decorated the same or next day.

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Banana & Cranberry Gluten Free Muffins

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These delicious muffins are perfect for an on the run breakfast or midday snack as they are low sugar and full of goodness. You can make them dairy free if you need to and I’ve put those options on the ingredients list.

I’ve used dried cranberries because they are a firm favourite in our house and they are sweet enough to greatly reduce the original sugar content in the recipe, but you can use other dried fruit options too. Pecans or walnuts would also be a great addition.

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