Nearly three years ago I posted a recipe for Purple Cow Frozen Yogurt, which I loved… but sadly waited this long to make for the second time (precisely the reason for these Throwback Thursday posts!).

This time around I used chopped dark & white chocolate rather than chips, but otherwise followed my recipe as previously written. Thus, I’m stumped as to why the finished product ended up a darker hue. Different blackberries, perhaps?

Color aside, the flavor was just as I remembered it: sweet-tart with a vibrant berry flavor, and speckled with pieces of rich dark chocolate and creamy white chocolate.

We have not one, but two family vacations on Cape Cod coming up this summer (Wellfleet with my folks, Truro with John’s) and I’m hoping to seek out a cup of classic Purple Cow ice cream at some point during our stay. In the meantime, I’ll be enjoying this healthier version at home!

Purple Cow Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine yogurts, evaporated cane juice, and vanilla extract. Stir until the evaporated cane juice is completely dissolved. Place in refrigerator and chill for about 1 hour.

Place all of the berries into a food processor or high-speed blender and process/blend until pureed.

Set a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and pour the berry puree into the sieve. Using a rubber spatula, stir and gently press down on the puree to separate the puree from the seeds. Be patient, as this might take a little while. You want to extract as much of the thick liquid as possible – don’t forget to scrape the sides and bottom of the sieve with a clean spoon and add any collected puree to that in the bowl. Unless you really hate seeds, you can reserve whatever is left over in the sieve, add a bit of sweetener, and enjoy as no-cook berry preserves. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp of evaporated cane juice into the seedless berry puree & place in the refrigerator to chill for about 1 hour.

Stir together the sweetened yogurt and seedless berry puree until well mixed and freeze mixture according to ice cream maker manufacturer’s instructions, slowly adding in both kinds of chocolate in the last few minutes of churning.

Serve immediately as soft serve, or spoon into a freezer-safe container and place in freezer until “ripened” (hardened).

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: Approximately 180 calories per serving
• Fat: 2 grams
• Carbohydrates: 35-40 grams
• Sugar: 28-32 grams
• Protein: 3-4 grams

Please note that the nutrition values are approximate and may vary depending on specific brands of ingredients and serving sizes. Adjustments to the recipe, such as using low-fat yogurt or reducing sugar, will also affect the nutritional content.

Why is it that – when it comes to fruity cream cheese flavors – berries get all of the fun? I’ve seen blueberry & strawberry cream cheese… but never a tropical-inspired variety.

That all changes now with this delightfully different mango coconut cream cheese.

Slightly sweet, pale yellow-hued, and reminiscent of leisurely tropical breakfasts, this cream cheese is definitely worth trying if you like fruity spreads on your bagels; and because the rich cream cheese is balanced out by juicy fresh fruit, you don’t have to worry about the fat content.

Win!

Mango Coconut Cream Cheese

by Lauren Zembron

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whipped or neufchatel (1/3-less-fat) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 of a large very ripe red blush mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes (plus more for garnish, if desired)
• 1/2 – 1 tsp agave nectar or honey (depending on sweetness of mango; start with 1/2 tsp and add more if desired)

Instructions

Combine room-temperature cream cheese and chopped mango in a mini food processor (or blender) fitted with the steel blade. Process until very smooth and fully combined. Add in the coconut flakes and agave or honey. Process until combined (there will be some tiny pieces of coconut that don’t become fully pulverized).

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: ~300 calories per serving
• Protein: ~4 grams
• Carbohydrates: ~20-25 grams
• Fat: ~15-20 grams
• Fiber: ~1-2 grams
• Sugar: ~18-22 grams
• Cholesterol: ~45-60 mg
• Sodium: ~90-110 mg

The nutrition values are approximate and may vary depending on the specific brands and quantities of ingredients used. It’s always a good idea to calculate exact nutrition values based on the specific products you use if you have dietary restrictions or specific nutritional requirements. Enjoy your Mango Coconut Cream Cheese in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

One of the best things about not being pregnant anymore (the ultimate being – of course – enjoying our amazing baby girl!) is that my appetite and ability to eat an entire meal has returned. I struggled with morning all-day sickness (thanks, hormones) throughout the first trimester and could barely clean my plate of downsized portions by the third trimester (thanks, squished organs). Now that Lily is out in the world and is no longer compressing my stomach into half off its normal size, I can once again enjoy full meals.

Add on to that the fact that breastfeeding can burn up to 600 calories per day and you have one hungry mama!

I’ve been keeping a ziploc bag of homemade trail mix (roasted almonds, salted peanuts, dark chocolate chunks, dried cranberries, & peanut butter chips) on a little table next to the glider in Lily’s nursery, and I snack on a few handfuls during each nighttime feeding (typically 2-4 per night)… which has kept me from eating everything in sight when we get up for breakfast in the morning.

This increase in appetite also has a downside, however… namely, that I could put away an alarming number of these fabulous macaroons throughout the course of a day; I think my record was six  After that “binge” day, I restrained myself and kept the maximum at three per day (one after lunch, two after dinner) until the container was empty (a sad day).

Whether or not you’re a breastfeeding mom, I have a suspicion you’ll also be able to make these macaroons disappear in just a handful of days. These healthy cookies are vegan, gluten-free (if you use gluten-free oats), and sweetened only with pure maple syrup; the addition of buttery pecans gives the otherwise soft & chewy cookies a bit of crunch.

And yes, I have ideas for even MORE macaroon recipes!

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In a food processor, process 2 2/3 cups full fat shredded coconut for about 5-8 minutes, until a thick, smooth coconut butter forms, scraping down the sides as needed (this will yield about 1 cup of coconut butter).

Combine the coconut butter and all of the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well-combined. Try not to eat too much of the cookie “dough”!

Using a mini ice cream scoop or a small spoon, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (no need to leave much room in between as they do not spread out). Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the bottoms of the macaroons are lightly browned. The macaroons will be very soft at this point.

Allow the macaroons to sit at room temperature on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes, or until they firm up and cool down.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Total Fat: 9g
  • Saturated Fat: 1g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 10mg
• Sodium: 25mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 24g
  • Dietary Fiber: 1g
  • Sugars: 21g
• Protein: 2g

Please note that the nutrition information provided is an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used and portion sizes. Always refer to the actual product packaging or consult a nutritionist for precise nutritional information.

I almost shed a tear the day I polished off my Coconut-Oat Macaroons.

I had been thoroughly enjoying a couple of the chewy cookies after dinner, night after night, and the empty container was a wake-up call: I NEEDED to make another batch.

What with the warmer weather right around the corner, (er, maybe a few corners, huh Boston?), and Easter a couple of days away, I thought I’d give the macaroons a little fresh flavor oomph by the way of lemon.

It was a good decision.

I used mellow agave nectar to sweeten the macaroons, as I didn’t want the slightly tart lemon flavor to be usurped by the robust flavor of maple syrup (which was the sweetener for the other macaroons).

This version is just as tasty as the original, but with the added brightness of fresh lemon zest and juice.

I’d be hard-pressed to choose a favorite, so let’s just say they’re equally delicious, and that perhaps you should make both versions!

You might be wondering what I’ll do when this batch disappears.

Have no worries, my friend, I have yet another flavor of macaroons in the works ;).

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cup full fat shredded unsweetened coconut (one 8 oz package) OR 1 cup of coconut butter
• 1 cup reduced-fat shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• zest of 1 lemon (bright yellow part only; don’t use the white pith)
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
• 3/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In a food processor, process 2 2/3 cups full fat shredded coconut for about 5-8 minutes, until a thick, smooth coconut butter forms, scraping down the sides as needed (this will yield about 1 cup of coconut butter).

Combine the coconut butter and all of the remaining ingredients (reduced-fat coconut through salt) in a bowl. Stir until well-combined.

Using a mini ice cream scoop or a small spoon, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (no need to leave much room in between as they do not spread out). Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the bottoms of the macaroons are lightly browned. The macaroons will be very soft at this point.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 120 kcal
• Total Fat: 8g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 40mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 12g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 7g
• Protein: 1g

These nutrition values are based on a standard serving size and can vary based on the exact ingredients and portion sizes used in the recipe. It’s always a good idea to calculate the nutrition based on the specific products you use for the most accurate information.

Tis the season when cookies abound; at parties, in stores, on your doorstep, in your mailbox, at work, on blogs… everywhere you look there are cookies, cookies, and more cookies.

The question is, what do you bake for your gluten-free friend, paleo co-worker, and/or vegan family member?

Although these – and other specialty diet – approaches to eating are burgeoning in terms of popularity, there are still many less recipes that fall within their respective guidelines than there are for treats loaded with white flour, sugar, and butter.

Well with these little gems, I’ve got you covered.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that these cookie bites are not going to be the prettiest offering on the holiday table, but what they do have going for them more than makes up for their appearance.

Slightly crisp on the outside and meltingly soft & chewy on the inside, these dried cranberry-studded almond cookies are tough to resist after you’ve tasted one.

The two-bite treats are just about the healthiest cookies I’ve ever made, relying on almond flour for lightness, almond butter for richness, honey for a touch of sweetness (can sub in maple syrup for non honey-eating vegans), and dried cranberries for flavor and texture.

This jar of cookies is one you can definitely feel good about reaching into over and over again!

Almond & Dried Cranberry Cookie Bites (gluten-free, paleo, & vegan)

by Lauren Zembron (inspired by Chocolate Chunk {Paleo} Cookies from Running to the Kitchen)

Keywords: bake dessert snack breakfast gluten-free vegan vegetarian almond butter dried cranberries cookie cookies