Welcome To
Healthy Alternatives
Here you’ll find my favourite recipes with ingredients you won’t feel guilty about when giving them to your children!
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Peanut Butter/Banana/ Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
I think that I’ve discovered the easiest, tastiest, healthiest version of Peanut Butter cookies! You need to try them! My kids gobble these up (and so do me and my husband)!
This recipe is vegan and you can experiment with different add-ins like cranberries, chocolate chips, or nuts! Also – try using a PB substitute like Wow or Almond Butter as a peanut free alternative!
Recipe:
- 2 Small/Medium Bananas (Ripe)
- 2 cups Quick Oats
- 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp raisins ***(chopped up for Toddlers!)***
- Mash the bananas in a bowl.
- Mix everything else in to the same bowl and stir.
- Form and place a TBSP amount of each cookies on parchment paper/cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350 Degrees F for 15 minutes.
~~~Yields Approx 18-19 Cookies~~~Cookies are soft and creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside! Enjoy!
Vanilla Pudding
Sprinkle Cookies
My first attempt at making these cookies was during a rainy day. I took a look in the pantry. We had two big jugs of rainbow sprinkles. Perfect! Next to the sprinkles was a box of sugar-free vanilla pudding. I sometimes add vanilla pudding mix to my cakes and cookies as it makes them incredibly moist. I also substitute applesauce for butter in a lot of my recipes.
Recipe:
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 pack of sugar-free vanilla pudding mix (or regular)
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sprinkles
1) Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.
2) Use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to beat the applesauce and sugar for 1 minute.
3) Add the egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Mix. Add the pudding mix and combine for no longer than a minute.
4) Slowly incorporate your flour. Mix. Add sprinkles at the end and fold them into your batter.
5) Spoon about 1 1/2 TBSP of your mix on to a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. OR if you have hungry family members, spoon the batter out with an ice cream scoop and bake for about 15 minutes.
6) Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes once they’re done. They should be chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside!
Jello Pudding Fluff
Growing up, our dear friend & neighbour used to make the most delicious Marshmallow Fluff. A couple of summers ago, I had the biggest craving for that dessert.
I learned a healthy trick around this time – using Greek Yogurt as a substitute for whipped cream or cream cheese works just as well! It cuts out all of that sugar and is packed with protein instead!
This recipe makes a huge batch of Fluff, so feel free to make half the recipe and store in the fridge for up to a week!
Recipe:
- 3 cups plain Greek Yogurt (I use 0% but feel free to use whatever you like best)
- 1 pack of sugar-free vanilla pudding mix (or regular)
- 1 can of crushed pineapple
- 1/2 cup of Cool Whip (I also like to use the low fat Cool Whip)
- Optional (1 Sliced Banana)
1) Drain most of your canned pineapple. Pour the contents into a large bowl.
2) Use a whisk to combine the pineapple with the pudding mix.
3) When fully combined, fold in your Greek Yogurt.
4) Add in your Cool Whip and fold in to your mixture.
5) Add in your sliced bananas.
6) When everything is mixed, scoop your delicious Pudding Fluff into bowls or cups for your kids. Have them add their favourite fruit on top! Blueberries, raspberries, cut up oranges, apples, etc!
Additional Delicious Optional Topping: Small Pastel Marshmallows!
Holiday Donut Recipe (Cake Pop Style)
This recipe is a healthier alternative to donuts made with butter and a lot of sugar. I know around the Holidays we try to limit our children’s sugar intake with so many other treats! So I substituted the butter in my normal recipe with cinnamon applesauce instead.
Recipe:
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar (the donuts won’t be very sweet, but we like them this way! If you want, you can add up to 3/4 cup of sugar)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Milk (or regular)
Optional:
*Cinnamon & Sugar mixed together in a bowl
OR
*Powdered Sugar for dusting
1) Whisk your sugar and applesauce in a large bowl until combined.
2) Add in eggs and keep whisking.
3) Add vanilla and milk. Mix.
4) Gently fold in your flour and baking soda for a minute or two until fully combined.
5) I like to pour my batter into a ziplock bag and cut off one corner tip. Squeeze your mixture into the holes of your Babycakes machine. Close and cook accordingly (about 3-5 minutes).
6) If you’re using cinnamon/sugar coating, roll your donuts in the mixture immediately.
OR/AND
Dust some icing sugar on to those bad boys once they’ve cooled slightly.
7. If you want to fill these delicious morsels, wait for them to cool before piping in some jam. I use a squeeze bottle (which I will link down below) filled with homemade or store bought jam!
