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caramel

Healthy-ish Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Brownies

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There is nothing like this. I promise. All of the good things combined and more than you have ever wanted. On the bottom we have the fudgy and chocolaty brownie (which already is so good on its own), then we have the creamy salted date caramel layer, which is just heaven and then everything is topped with a crunchy chocolate layer. If you are not hungry by now, I do not know what would make you hungry…

What’s special about this dish?

Well, a lot actually. The brownies are refined sugar and butter and made with wholewheat flour. So, they are pretty healthy actually. Then for the caramel, instead of cream, butter and sugar we are only blending dates, coconut milk and sea salt. This will become really creamy and thick and just tastes amazing!! Honestly, it was a mistake not having combined brownies and date caramel for such a long time! This combo is out of the world. Not exaggerating. So the brownie is pretty healthy, easy to make and still tastes really good!

Is this dish healthy?

Yepyep, as already mentioned, unlike regular brownies, this one is not loaded with sugar and saturated fats. It’s made out of eggs, coconut sugar (which still does contain sugar but less than white, refined sugar, plus it also comes with other nutrients), vanilla, oil (which is high in unsaturated fats), wholewheat flour (great source of fibre) and cacao powder (actually really good for you because it is super high in antioxidants)

Obviously we also have chocolate (super good for your soul 🙂 – when purchasing the chocolate, make sure to check the label to best get one that has been sweetened with any form of natural sweetener and does not contain a bunch of ingredients you don’t know and cannot pronounce). Plus, the dates, which also are really high in fibre, and dates in general are a super beneficial food for you as they are a great source of antioxidants and vitamins). So you see – all in all, pretty healthy. And especially healthy for your soul!

How to make this dish:

Easy peasy, chocolate squeezy. Or something like that. No, this is fairly easy. No eggs need to be separated, no complicated things need to be done. It essentially comes down to melting chocolate in the microwave, whipping eggs, sugar and vanilla till fluffy and then pouring in the chocolate and oil, as well as the flour-cacao powder mixture. That’s already it for the brownie, so very safe to make for everyone.

The caramel layer is not much more difficult. If you have soft dates (like medjool dates), then they blend perfectly fine. If yours are a bit harder, you can just soak them in hot water for a few hours and they will also become soft, which makes them easier to blend. So these are then just mixed with the coconut milk and the sea salt and that’s it. The chocolate layer on top is very self-explanatory, so you just need to melt the chocolate and pour it above. It’s easier if the other layers have cooled down a bit.

Meal prep friendly?

In theory yes! In real life, let’s say, I’d be surprised. Every time we make them, they’re gone within 3 days (If they even last this long). But yes, in theory they would definitely last up until a week in the fridge if covered or stored in an air tight container. If you have too many and make them on batch, you could also freeze some and slowly thaw them up before eating (so just placing them at room temperature and slowly letting them unfreeze).

In terms of how to best have these, there is no right answer. Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, dessert. Do we even need to ask when to best have brownies? Is there even a time where you cannot have brownies? I hope not. How to best have them is a different question. They are really good and rich on their own, so there is no need to add anything else, although they go great with some ice cream.

This recipe really is a must try for all chocolate lovers out there! Easy, healthyish and so worth it to make. They’ll upgrade ANY week! I hope you genuinely like them and enjoy making them!

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Healthy-ish Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Brownies

The best (and only) brownie recipe you'll ever need! This is easy, not your average brownie and so good.

Course Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 20 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Total Time 40 Minuten
Servings 12 slices

What you will need

For the brownies:

  • 3 eggs
  • 180 g coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
  • 100 g milk chocolate (preferably one that has been sweeneed with natural sweetener like coconut sugar)
  • 100 g dark chocolate (preferably one that has been sweeneed with natural sweetener like coconut sugar)
  • 120 ml oil (flavor neutral oil)
  • 120 g whole wheat flour
  • 40 g cacao powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

For the rest:

  • 250 g dates (soft ones work best – if you do not have soft ones, you can soak them in hot water for a few hours)
  • 150 ml coconut milk
  • a pinch sea salt
  • 100 g chocolate (preferably one that has been sweeneed with natural sweetener like coconut sugar)

How to

For the brownies:

  1. Melt both chocolates in the microwave, then combine with the oil and let cool a bit. Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla for about 5 minutes until fluffy.

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Crispy Balsamic Brussel Sprouts with Honey Feta Caramelised Walnuts

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Let’s just agree on one thing; veggie side dishes are underrated. It is true, very true actually that all side dishes are underrated! To be honest, I do not need the main part of the meal, just the sides if I was asked. Imagine this: super crispy balsamic vinegar glazed Brussel sprouts baked in the oven and topped with warm walnuts that are coated with honey and molten Feta. Sounds good, right? If you tried this, you would agree that sides are underrated!

What is special about this dish?

The walnuts are prepared in a very special way, which I have never seen before. They are coated with a slightly sweet molten feta. I promise you, this is good (really, you could only eat this)! The Brussel sprouts are more „traditionally“ prepared but still equally as good! The balsamic vinegar adds very much taste and the oil and sea salt make them really crispy.

Is this dish healthy?

Yes and yes! Brussel sprouts = super healthy. Loaded with Vitamins, fibre and nutrients. They actually have been the food of the month October, you can read more about them here. The walnuts are incredibly high in healthy fats and they have many other health benefits. My uncle always said, eat them while studying because they improve your brain (it actually is proven that they improve brain function) – so yep, also these are healthy. And feta? It is pretty high in protein and way healthier than most other cheeses. So all in all, very very good.

How to make them?

This is incredibly easy. First you need to finely slice the Brussel sprouts and roast them in them in the oven. No mess in the kitchen but lots of flavour. Then, you need to prepare the nuts. This means, roughly chop the nuts and add them to a pan. When roasting nuts, you do not need any oil (when using a non-stick pan). Then you add the crumbled (or finely chopped) feta along with the honey and a pinch of sea salt. The heat of the nuts will melt down the feta and make it goey and creamy. This then combines with the honey and it is incredible. When you let it cool just a little bit, it will all crispen up, and then its perfect. When the Brussel sprouts are golden and crispy, take them out and to with the nuts. That’s all.

When and how to best have them:

I love this as a side dish for anything. Not only as a side but also as a topping. For example with a roasted meat, especially now in fall, it is amazing. But also on top of buddha bowls, rice bowls or even on top of pasta it would be amazing. There are no limits, it truly upgrades any dish. Plus, it is pretty family friendly because you get your nutrients through the veggies and it still tastes amazing because of the slightly sweet nuts. It kind of is like comfort food but still healthy.

Substitutes

Brussel sprouts – other veggies like pumpkin, sweet potato or broccoli would also work very well, just notice these would take longer to roast
Walnuts – almonds, pecans, hazelnuts
Honey – maple syrup, agave, other liquid sweeteners
Feta – I would not recommend substituting that (if there really is no way around, maybe with another soft cheese)

I hope that you will love this recipe and that you will enjoy it all throughout fall. Goes well with everything anytime. A must try – especially because it is so easy!

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Crispy Balsamic Brussel Sprouts with Honey Feta Caramelised Walnuts

Crispy and golden brussel sprouts topped with sweet and goey walnuts coated in molten feta. A perfect, comfortiung and still healthy side dish!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 25 Minuten
Total Time 30 Minuten
Servings 4 side servings
Calories 245 kcal

What you will need

  • 600 g brussel sprouts
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 60 g walnuts
  • 60 g feta
  • 2 tbsp honey

How to

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the brussel sprouts and pat them dry. Slice them into about 3-4 mm thick slices. Toss the in the oil and salt and lay them out on a baking tray, leaving space inbetween them. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and roast for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

  2. Roughly chop the walnuts and crumble the feta into small pieces. Add the nuts to a non-stick pan and turn onto high heat. Roast them for about 2-3 minutes. Add the feta and honey. Let the feta melt down and the gently stir through until the walnits are coated with the feta cheese. Turn down to low heat.

  3. When the brussel sprouts are done roasting, top them with the caramelized nuts and serve! Enjoy!

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Oey-Goey Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars

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I think we all need a good treat from time to time. But eating something delicious and sweet does not necessarily have to unhealthy. I can tell you these are so fricking addicting and so incredibly good. Crunchy oat base, oey-goey creamy date coconut salt caramel layer, which is the best thing ever and you will want to top everything with it, and last but not least some crunchy chocolate on the top to give it the finishing touch. The combo = holy moly good.

So I love having some treats or sweets from time to time. Either as an afternoon pick me up or as a dessert after dinner or just somewhen in-between. If I do not have something healthy prepared I just long for cookies or chocolate or anything other sugar loaded. I think we all do that because most of the times we are craving something sweet we do not want to get in the kitchen and make something healthy that takes like 15 minutes when we can just grab some chocolate in 5 seconds. Thats why these bars are for making ahead and can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed anytime.

They may sound pretty fancy, and they are but they are super simple to make. 6 ingredients, 1 blender, 20 minutes (max). You can grab one with your coffee or pack it for work or school. When I make those, it is sooo hard for me not to eat them all at once. Always when I make them I have a few before I can even store them in the fridge because they are just too good. Portion control is just impossible with those, sorry not sorry. It is IMPOSSIBLE to just have a single one.

Those bars are, although they taste bombbb, pretty healthy. The layer at the very bottom is made out of oats, dates, and coconut oil. Oats are a great food because they are packed with vitamins, protein and fibre. They are not only great in your oatmeal but also in granola and bars. The coconut oil helps to bind it all together and the dates do so as well. This layer is full of crunch and tastes a bit fresh do to the coconut oil. It gives the base to a super good bar.

The next layer is the best of them all I think. It tastes like salted caramel, just better and it is much healthier. instead of cream, butter and sugar, we are only using dates and coconut milk. May sound a little bit off but it really is not! We blend the dates until they have a smooth and creamy consistency and are sticky. At this point the ´caramel´ is pretty thick, but we want it oey-goey (ok, I don’t know if this is a word but I´ll still use it) and smooth. Thats why we add it to a pot and add some coconut milk. I like to use light coconut milk because if using normal one, I believe the coconut flavour overpowers the caramel one. We bring it to a boil, add some sea salt and let it simmer and thicken a bit. It still is a bit runny, and we will add it on top of the oat base. so good.

Dates actually are a super healthy food. They contain big amounts of anti oxidants, no matter if fresh or dry. fresh dates actually are super good but it is really hard to find them, especially in Europe. Yes, dates do contain sugar but the fiber in the fruit helps to control the blood sugar levels, so you do not get that high peak and then feel really crapy after a while. Plus, dates can even help you to reduce your blood pressure because of their high magnesium content and help you with your memory because of their B vitamin content. As already said, they are pretty high in fiber with 10g per 100g, which is pretty much, and helps with digestion. All in all, they are a super food.

On top of the date caramel only goes some good molten chocolate. I like to use a healthy one here, preferably a dark one with a high cacao percentage or one from HuKitchen, because they just have the best chocolate ever! The chocolate on the top adds an extra crisp.

I honestly hope for you that you will make those because this is the best treat you could ever make. They (theoretically) last about 2-3 weeks in the fridge (but they’re gonna be gone in like 2 days, no joke). Enjoy them a lot!

Katie // Une Petite Cusiniere

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Oey-Goey Salted Caramel Chocolate Bar

THE BEST treat you could ever make. Easy, crazily addicting, super delicious and healthy! Simple ingredients, just the best!

Course Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cooling Time 30 Minuten
Total Time 45 Minuten
Servings 9 bars
Calories 168 kcal

What you will need

That is what you will need:

  • 100 g oats
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp maple
  • 150 g dates
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 100 ml low fat coconut milk
  • 80 g dark chocolate the draker, the healthier

How to

That is how it works:

  1. Place the oats in a blender and blend until super fine, flour like consistency.

  2. Remove the oats from the blender and blend them until smooth and thick. Transfer them into a pot and add the coconut milk and sea salt. Bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes until thickend.

  3. Take one tablespoon from the date mixture and add them to the finely grounded oats along with the coconut oil and maple sirup. Mix until sticky, if it still is crumbly add more of one of the three.

  4. Line a square form with parchment paper. Add the oat mixture to it and press it flat. Add the date caramel on the top and place in the freezer while melting the chocolate in either the microwave or in a water bath. Once molten pour it as a final layer on top of the date caramel and keep in the freezer for at least half an hour.

  5. Then take it out and cut it into 9 pieces. Store in the fridge or enjoy right away.

Oatmeal with Caramelised Bananas

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The new year is starting the day after tomorrow, which means that are are Honigbrot be coming a lot of healthy recipes up on the blog (plus a guide that will help you to stick to your New Years resolutions tomorrow)!! I bet a bunch of us wants to live a healthier life in 2020, so here is an amazing recipe to start off the new year.

Although the name doesn’t sound super healthy, it really is. Usually when we hear caramel, the first thing we think of is that sticky, rich super sweet paste that we can find in chocolate bars and ice cream. But caramel does not have to be made out of refined sugars, cream and butter. No, it also is the same when natural sugars in fruits are heated up, and caramelize, and turn sweet. This is how we are doing it in this recipe.

Yes, caramelizing sounds pretty fancy, but trust me, it is super easy. You can basically do this with any fruit of your desire, but it works better with some than it does with others. I would not recommend doing it with berries or mango, but it works great with anything thicker or more solid, like bananas, apples, pineapples or pears. To caramelize the fruit, you simply have to heat up some coconut oil (or any oil, but I like the light sweet taste of coconut) in a pan. Then you add some coconut sugar, or some brown sugar and let this combine well with the oil. If you want to make it even healthier, leave out the sugar, it also works without if the fruit is sweet enough, but I think it is better with. Once the sugar has kind of melted into the oil, you can place the fruit into it and let it fry for 1-2 minutes on each side. Depending on the fruit you are using, this will be quicker it slower. Bananas go real quick, apples for example need some more time.

But only the caramelized fruit would not be a balanced meal so we need some protein and carbs to do that. That’s why we are making some oatmeal! Oatmeal is super rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fiber plus it has a lot of vitamins. It really is a great and affordable food. Oatmeal for breakfast will fill you up a lot and keep you satisfied until lunch! 

To make a delicious oatmeal, you should know a few things. The first few times I made it, it turned out real boring, in my opinion but you can honestly take it next level by changing a few things. First, I would recommend using rolled oats. They are easy to cook and super nutritious. The second tip is to not only cook it with water. This makes it taste super boring. I always do one part water, and one part plant based milk. I love using oat milk for this because it has a slight sweet flavor, plus I get a local and organic one in Austria. Almond milk works great too, I just do not like to use it that much because it mostly comes from other continents. Next tip is to add some mashed fruit. This can be mashed banana or apple sauce. It helps to make it creamy and adds some sweetness! Next up: spices! You need to add some salt and a little bit of spice when cooking it! Last, for the cooking, is to add some yoghurt. Do not add it while cooking, but when it is done cooking, turn off the heat and stir it in, it makes it real creamy and super delish! 

Another really important aspect when making oatmeal are the toppings. This can change everything. Here we are doing caramelized bananas and hazelnuts which is bomb but there are so many more Options! You can top it with some n butter and stewed berries, fresh fruit, granola, the options are endless…

So now, I think I have said enough! I hope that you will live this recipe as much as I do and that it inspires you to start 2020 super healthy and delicious! Have a great start into the new year! 

Enjoy,

Katie

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Oatmeal with Caramelized Bananas

Delicious and healthy breakfast! Packed with nutrients but tastes like dessert!

Course bowl, Breakfast, brunch
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 377 kcal

What you will need

What you will need:

  • 80 G Rolled Oats
  • 100 Ml Oat milk
  • 100 Ml Water
  • 2 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 3 Tbsp Apple sauce
  • 3 Tbsp Yoghurt (Plant based if available)
  • 2 Tsp Coconut Oil
  • 1 Tbsp coconut sugar Can sub for brown sugar
  • 2 Bananas

How to

That’s how it works:

  1. Place the oats, the milk, the water, cinnamon, salt, and apple sauce in a sauce pan. Bring it all to a boil then reduce to a low heat and let it simmer until it thickens. 


    In a small pan melt the coconut oil. Add in the sugar and still until the sugar is dissolved. (If you are leaving out the sugar, leave out this step and just heat the coconut oil) Take the bananas and cut them in half lengthwise so you get 4 long & thin pieces. Add them to the oil-sugar and fry them for about 1-2 minutes on each side. 


    Meanwhile take the oatmeal off of the heat and stir in the plant based yoghurt. Place in bowls and add the caramelized bananas on top. Sprinkle some hazelnuts and serve!