Crafty Cookery

I finally adapted my infamous carrot cake recipe to grain free and sugar free to suit my current eating pattern. I decreased the oil, increased the eggs, added a touch of vinegar, substituted almond flour for wheat flour, and substituted my favorite stevia-erythritol blend for half the amount sugar. It turned out even better than I expected.

I added freeze dried blueberries to my test recipe since I had them on hand and they have less sugar than the traditional raisins or, my previous favorite, dried cranberries. The blueberries added a nice textural element missing from the soft cake as well as pops of flavor.

I frosted the cake with a double batch of my fluffy cream cheese frosting sweetened with the new Pyure brand organic confectioners stevia blend, though I had to add a little extra to get the same sweetness from granulated stevia-erythritol blend I powdered myself.

Usually I bake this cake as a sheet cake but this time divided the batter into two 8″×8″ square glass bake pans and made a square layer cake. It turned out just as well as a sheet cake. I assume it will be just as successful in two round cake pans or as cupcakes.

3 cups shredded carrots, about 3 medium carrots
2 cups super fine blanched almond flour
2 cups dried berries (optional)
1/2 cup avocado oil or light olive oil
1/2 cup granulated stevia-erythritol blend
5 eggs
3 Tbs ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare either a 9″x13″ baking pan or two 8″ cake pans with parchment paper and cooking spray (I prefer coconut oil spray). In a large mixing bowl, add shredded carrots, oil, stevia-erythritol blend, eggs, and vinegar. Stir until well-combined. In a medium bowl, add almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Whisk until well-combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until well-combined. Add dried berries, if desired. Pour batter into prepared baking pan(s) and tap lightly on counter to level the cake(s). Bake for 30-35 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

I wanted an easy chocolate dessert to make for Valentine’s day and finding three varieties of Bake Believe brand stevia and erythritol sweetened sugar free chocolate chips at a local store moved brownies to the top of my list. I made a triple chocolate version of this recipe by using half semi-sweet chocolate chips and half white chocolate chips along with the cocoa powder. Next time I plan to try a dairy free version by skipping the chocolate chips and pouring a layer of my dairy free chocolate truffles on top instead.

I recommend pressing the batter firmly into the pan as they turned out a little crumbly without that step, but it didn’t effect the flavor. These are still the best tasting brownies I’ve ever made.

Update: I added one extra egg to the batter to improve the texture. I also made a vegan version with flaxseed “eggs” and topped with my truffle recipe. They turned out beautifully fudge-like.

1 cup super fine almond flour
1 cup sugar free chocolate chips (optional)
6 Tbs cocoa powder
1/3 cup stevia-erythritol blend
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8″×8″ bake pan with parchment paper and butter or coconut oil. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, cocoa powder, stevia-erythritol blend, baking powder, and salt. Stir or whisk until well-combined. Add eggs, butter or coconut oil, heavy cream or coconut milk, and vanilla. Stir until well-combined. Stir in chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Spoon into prepared baking dish and spread evenly across the pan. Press batter into the pan with the back of the spoon or an extra piece of parchment paper for denser, more fudge-like brownies. Bake for 20-25 minutes until batter no longer jiggles when gently moved back and forth. Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing and serving. Makes 16 brownies.

I’m made these low carb coconut blondies twice already and all my taste testers have loved them. The first time I made them with coconut oil and the second time with butter; both were delicious, just don’t refrigerate the coconut oil version unless you want very solid blocks of coconut blondies. Next time I plan to use half butter and half cocoa butter to increase the chocolate undertones. I added molasses for that warm, caramel flavor found in brown sugar.

2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup packed super fine almond flour
1/2 cup stevia-erythritol blend
1/2 cup sugar free chocolate chips (I prefer mini chips)
6 Tbs melted butter or coconut oil
2 eggs
1 tsp molasses (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8″x 8″ baking pan with coconut or avocado oil cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combine melted butter or coconut oil, stevia-erythritol blend, eggs, molasses, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir together until smooth. Stir in almond flour until well combined. Add chocolate chips and 2 cups shredded coconut, reserving the rest of the coconut for garnish. Stir until evenly distributed. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and pat down with the back of a spoon or spatula until the top is level. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle the rest of the shredded coconut on top. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the coconut is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting and serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.