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Breakfast

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Whipped Ricotta Frosting. Doesn’t that sound amazing? A sweet treat between classes, as a dessert or a snack to balance out your afternoon low. Yes! Yes! And yes! I think we all need this, like every week at least a few times! 

Taking a vegetable and putting it into a desert?! Sounds weird although it has already worked out so many times. Think pumpkin pie or zucchini bread. Also carrot cake is many people’s favorite dessert but I mostly is packed with tons of sugar and saturated fat and topped with a rich cream cheese or butter frosting. It is delicious but really heavy and not the healthiest thing to eat in the world. 

But not this version of it. The muffin itself is light and fluffy, no butter or refined white sugar. Light and delicious. The ricotta on top has its natural sweetness which doesn’t ask for any other sugars and works great with the muffins. Pair them with a cup of coffee as a snack, or top with almond butter and fresh banana for a delicious and healthy breakfast or just grab one on the go. You will get your veggies in without even noticing.

The batter is made out of simple ingredients of which most are everyone’s household staples. Grated carrots of course, greek yoghurt for protein and good fats, eggs for texture, protein, vitamins, and healthy fats, Apple sauce for sweetness. A mix of wholegrain and white flour for fiber and carbs, some enrythrit or coconut sugar for sweetness, cinnamon for the heartiness and pecan nuts for the crunch and healthy fats. 

A great balance of ingredients and nutrients that turn out to be a really delicious dessert. I believe it is a really great way to switch up your average use of carrots and try something new with them. I love making them when it is rainy and cold outside as the feeling of baking gives that comfortable feeling and coziness. They are perfect for the days now when it is getting colder and when carrots are in season.

I love enjoying them warm, when the frosting is melting on top of them, but they are also really delicious when chilled. The frosting is optional so if you do not like ricotta or want to go for an even lighter version you can of course leave it out but in my opinion it tastes amazing with it! If you decide to recreate that recipe be sure to tag me with @uneptcuisiniere or with #unepetitecuisiniere and if you could leave a comment that would mean and lot to me. I hope you will enjoy it!

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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

A healthy twist on the all beloved cake. LIght and delicious.

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 12 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Cool time 15 Minuten
Total Time 47 Minuten
Servings 10 muffins
Calories 127 kcal

What you will need

  • 2 carrots about 150g
  • 100 g Greek Yoghurt
  • 100 g Appl Sauce
  • 2 Eggs
  • 100 g Erythrit you can also use coconut sugar, or raw cane sugar if prefered
  • 80 g Whole Wheat Flour
  • 80 g Wheat Flour
  • 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 200 g Ricotta
  • 2 tsp Honey

How to

That´s how it works:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Peel the carrots and grate them into a bowl. They shouldn’t be grated too thin, a little thicker worst best. Into the same bowl add the 2 eggs, the Greek yoghurt, the apple sauce and the sugar of your preference. Mix it well until all combined. 

  2. In a separate bowl combine the 2 flours along with the cinnamon, the baking powder, and the salt. One by one, slowly fold the flour under the wet mixture. Don´t whisk fast, gently fold it under with a spatula.

  3. Portion the mass out into 10 muffin forms. This works best with an ice cream scoop. Fill the muffin tin ¾ of the way. Place the muffins in the oven and bake them for about 18-25 minutes. Take a tooth pick and poke into the muffins, if no dough keeps sticking on the toothpick they are done. 

  4. Don´t take them out immediately, because they will fall back together and the fluffiness will be gone. Turn off the oven and let them sit in there for about 15-20 minutes. 

  5. Meanwhile in a bowl whip up the Ricotta and the honey. Once the muffins are completely cooled, add the frosting and enjoy! 

    They last in the fridge for up to 1 week!

Apple & Cranberry Granola

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It is finally fall, and finally October and everyone is going crazy about pumpkins. For a good reason. They are insanely delicious and can be eaten basically with anything. But because of this hype so many people are forgetting about apples. The super delicious, sweet or sour apples that are in season right not, that are available in so many different colors, shapes, and flavors. They are seasonal at the moment and grow local here in Austria. I feel apples are underrated and we should actually keep the quote „an apple a day keeps the doctor away“ in mind every day.

Apples actually are pretty healthy. They are really rich in fiber, antioxidants, reasonable amounts of Vitamin C and K. That being said we should consider eating one a day. But the famous little sentence we tell all the kids does not mention the form we should eat them in. So why not eating them in a different way than usually?! Why not eating them in form of Granola. In form of Fall Apple Granola. To be honest, it doesn’t still contain a lot of vitamins in that form, but it gives us an excuse to eat apples. 

This granola tastes like fall in a bowl. It instantly gives you the feeling of hiking through the vineyards and grabbing fresh apples from the tree while all the leaves are turning red and yellow. It gives you the feeling of collecting chestnuts and smelling that good fall flavor. I love eating this on top of a cozy oatmeal or in a yoghurt bowl for breakfast. The crunch makes it a perfect topping for any creamy base or also with milk when enjoyed as cereal. 

I decided to make this granola with popcorn to lighten it up a little, and give it more volume. The popcorn also soaks up the liquid ingredients really well and just soaks up all of the flavor. The oats, pumpkin seeds and nuts add some texture, fall feeling, as well as good carbs and healthy fats. The flax seeds, some fiber, and the hemp seeds some protein. The dried apples and cranberries add some sweetness and chewiness which makes it really addicting. A necessary ingredient which definitely can’t be left out is the cinnamon. It adds sweetness, is super healthy, and makes it all cozy and comforting. Last but not least I added some sea salt to bring out the flavor and maca powder (which is optional) because it has a lot of health benefits.

The liquid ingredients are pretty clean and simple too. I am using Apple sauce (of course) as a base to get that Apple flavor and sweetness without any refined sugars. The coconut oil adds some fats and helps to crisp up the granola when in the oven. The maple adds sweetness and color as it will caramelize in the oven while baking and turn everything delicious golden-brown. When mixing together it already combines the different flavors and  smells. 

You will be able to smell it in the entire house once you take it out of the oven and you won’t have to wait until everything is gone. Won’t take long, I promise. It last up to one month when stored in an air tight container but mine was gone way quicker. I hope that you will enjoy this recipe and if you decide to recreate it be sure to tag me in your post with @uneptcuisiniere or #unepetitecuisiniere

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Apple Granola (V,SF)

A delicious fall twist on your regular Granola perfect for October!

Course Breakfast, Snack
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 25 Minuten
Total Time 35 Minuten
Servings 12 servings
Calories 93 kcal

What you will need

  • 50 G Popcorn
  • 30 G Almonds Chopped
  • 30 G Oats
  • 30 G Pumpkin seeds
  • 1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
  • 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 2 Tsp Maca Powder
  • 20 g Cranberries
  • 20 g Dried Apples

Wet ingredients:

  • 100 G Apple Sauce or Apple Butter
  • 1 tbsp coconut Oil
  • 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup

How to

That’s how it works:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

  2. Chop the Almonds. Add them into a big bowl along with all the other dry ingredients except for the dried Apple. Mix them well until all combined.

  3. In a smaller bowl mix together the Apple sauce, molten coconut oil an maple until it has a smooth consistency.

  4. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry one and gently stir through until all of it is covered. Then spread it on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and bake it in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.

  5. When done take it out of the oven and let cool completely. Meanwhile chop up the dried apples. Mix the through the granola. Now you can also add cranberries or any other add ins that you would like.

  6. Store it in an air tight container for up to one month. It is best enjoyed over Jogurt, Porridge, or simply with milk.

French Toast with Whipped Ricotta and Figs

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When it comes to breakfast I am usually the savory, and quick kind of person. I´ll mostly go for some avo toast with scrambled eggs or if I want something sweet for a yoghurt-chia pudding bowl with fresh fruit. Both of these come together in like 3 minutes and are really good. But on the weekends when I am not in a hurry I like to make something a little more time consuming. Sometimes I´ll go for something like eggs benedict or a beautiful fruit platter and eggs, pancaked or whatever I feel like. 

Last week though, we had this really nice, fluffy bread that was so good!! But I simply didn´t feel like having something savory so I decided to try making a french toast. I hadn´t made French toast often before that and I have actually never eaten until a little over a year when I visited the US for the first time. We used to get it in the cafeteria a few times a week and it was soo good! I remembered this French toast instantly when I saw this bread so I immediately decided to make it. 

The secret to making the best French Toast is thick bread slices, like 3cm, and a good amount of butter or coconut oil for frying. This makes it really crispy on the outside but really delicious and gooey on the inside, which equals the perfect French toast. The perfect bread to use is Brioche bread, but latterly ever bread works fine. If you are using a rather sweet bread like brioche, you do not have to make the dipping as sweet, but if you go for a dark on, you should make it a little sweeter. I have made both, with a brioche one and with one that actually was a potato-sourdough one, and they both turned out insanely delicious and addicting!

It actually is super simple to make and only asks for ingredients most people have on hand, which makes it a perfect Sunday morning breakfast when all the stores are closed anyway. For the dipping I used whole eggs because I think that they simply taste better than just the egg whites, almond milk, but you can use any dairy or dairy-free milk you like, some honey and a ton of cinnamon – because you can never have too much cinnamon. 

The toppings are the best part of every meal I think – also here. The whipped honey Ricotta is so insanely tasty and has such an addiction effect, it is soooo good! It has the perfect sweetness, the sweetness that already is in the rich Ricotta, and then that super good honey flavor. Mixed together and whipped fluffy, just good. Let me tell you, you won´t ever eat French toast without that again. It is not as fatty as butter or cream but it definitely beats it in flavor. Such a great variation to the good old piece of butter on top. 

The fresh figs perfectly round up the entire dish. They add a freshness and a bite, while not giving a contrast that is too harsh. I like using figs as they are seasonal and grown local at this time of the year but if you prefer berries, bananas or any other fruit that would work perfectly fine too. If you feel like getting extra fancy, you can even caramelize your fruits a little if you heat up some coconut oil or butter in a pan, add some sugar and then the fruit. This gives it an extra dish but I do not like it to be too sweet, so I leave out this step. The toast still tastes amazing. The crispy on the outside soggy on the inside toast, the creamy, tangy whipped Ricotta, the fresh fruits, and then that drizzle of honey on top. What do you want more?

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French Toast with Whipped Ricotta and Figs

Perfect Sunday Brunch Meal for a sweet tooth.

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Servings 2 People
Calories 661 kcal

What you will need

For the toast:

  • 160 G Brioche Bread or any other bread you like
  • 200 ml Almond Milk
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tsp Honey can substitute for Maple if you prefer
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil maybe more depending on your pan

For the Whipped Ricotta:

  • 160 g Ricotta
  • 1 tbsp Honey

For the toppings:

  • 3-4 figs
  • some honey

How to

  1. Thats how it works:

  2. Add the milk, the eggs, the cinnamon, honey, and salt in a big bowl and mix until all combined. Meanwhile heat up the coocnut oil in a pan. Once hot, dip the bread slices into the milk mixture so that both sides are covered with it.

    Place the dipped bread into the pan and fry on each side for about 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. If you feel like they are sticking to the pan simply add more oil.

  3. While the toast are frying add the Ricotta and the honey into a bowl. EIther with a hand mixer or simply with an egg whisk, whip it up until its all creamy and fluffy.

  4. Cut the figs in half or quaters.

  5. Take the bread out of the pan once it is finished. Top it with the Ricotta, the figs ad an extra drizzle of Honey.

  6. Enjoy!

Açai Bowl

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A friend of mine is from brazil. And she always tells me about all the delicious acai bowls she eats when she is there. Every. Single. Time. We. Meet. This makes me so jealous! I absolutely love Açai Bowls but it is so hard to get one (and if you get one, to get a good one) in Vienna. Now I know one place that makes really delicious ones and that is Superfooddeli! But unfortunately this one place that actually has them is 1 hour away from my home with public transport 🙁 !

Since I am a really huge fan of these bowls and do not want to spend 2 hours reaching that place and coming back I decided to make my own one. I bought Açai Packets from that store and made it at home. Absolutely delicious! And so easy. I really haven´t expected it to be that easy! The clue to making a good Açai Bowl is having a good blender. If your blender is not very strong, it is going to be hard for it to blend everything up smoothly and there will remain chunks in the smoothie.

I love having such a bowl for breakfast or brunch or even as a light lunch! It is prepared so quickly and really delicious. If you are off heading somewhere you can just pour it into a Tupperware and take it on the go! I love this dish!

Isn´t it a ton of Sugar?

Although I love making smoothie bowls, an issue I have with those kind of meals is that I am usually eating tons of sugar. Bananas, berries, mangoes, acai, … whatever. They are really delicious and full of vitamins but sadly also full of sugar. If you blend all of them up, I believe that you eat more fruit pureed than you would normally eat as a whole. To still get a delicious, creamy, and sweat bowl but not consuming to much sugar I decided to add some veggies to my meals. And believe me, this was the best decision!

I could not taste the vegetables at all, I couldn´t have told that they were in there. My 2 tips to adding vegetables to your smoothies are:

1st: freeze them before adding. You not only get a creamier and thicker consistency but you will also taste them less. I do not know why, but it absolutely is worth it.

2nd: use vegetables that do not have an intense color. In this case, it doesn´t matter too much since the smoothie bowl is pretty dark anyways but when making a bright smoothie bowls, e.g. a mango one and you add a dark vegetable like spinach, the whole meal will get a darker color and will look less appealing. If you want to make a green smoothie though, this is something different, the go ahead and add all the spinach and kale. For my Açai Bowl I used celery and zucchini, which I have peeled before a froze it.           

What about toppings?

When it comes to the toppings you are absolutely free and can decide according to your desires! If you prefer fresh fruit, whatever fruit you like, something crunchy, something frozen, something creamy, the possibilities are endless! For me, I believe that toppings are the best part of any smoothie bowl!

As delicious as they are, you can easily go overboard. When adding tons of nut butters, chocolate chunks and sugar loaded granola you can easily turn a light and healthy meal into something rather heavy and dense. For my topping I like to use some more fresh fruit, like mango and berries, some homemade healthy granola, coconut chips, goji berries, hemp seeds, a spoonful of nut butter (I absolutely love almond butter with this!), some cut up banana and some edible flowers.

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Açai Bowl

A low sugar twist on our all time favorite smoothie bowl

Course Breakfast
Cuisine brazilian
Prep Time 12 Minuten
Servings 1
Calories 465 kcal

What you will need

For the smoothie

  • 100g g frozen Acai
  • 1/2 Banana frozen
  • 2 stalks Celery frozen
  • 1/2 Zucchini frozen
  • 100 g Blueberries frozen
  • 100 ml Almond milk more/ less depending on how thick you want it

For the toppings

  • 1/2 Mango
  • Blueberries
  • 2 tbsp Granola
  • 1/3 Banana
  • 1/2 tbsp Goji Berries
  • 1 tbsp coconut flakes
  • 1 tsp almond butter or any other nut butter

How to

Thats how it works:

  1. The night before making the bowl peel the zucchini and cut it up along with the celery and banana. Freeze an Açai package and the berries.

  2. Add all the ingredients for the bowl to the blender and blend it up. Start with a little nut milk and work your way up adding a little a time, depending on how thick you want your bowl to be.

  3. While you are blending the smoothie, take the mango and cut down the half. Peel it and place it with the flat side down on a cutting board. Finely slice it into really thin strips. The thinner the easier to make the rose. Once you have cut it, carefully slide them slightly apart, so it is a long strip. Take an end of the long strip and start rolling it so it will turn in itself so it turns into a rose. Cut up the banana into slices.

  4. When the smoothie is blended well, pour it into a bowl. Top it with the mango rose, the banana, the granola, the berries, the goji berries, the coconut, almond butter, and edible flowers. 

  5. Serve and enjoy!