Dark Chocolate Covered Coconut Date Balls

What You'll Need:
1 box dates, pitted
1 c. dark chocolate chips
1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
almonds (optional)


What To Do:
Mash dates and shredded coconut together (by hand or using a food processor). Roll in to balls (should make about 35 balls; I used a weight scale and measured each one to be about 15g). Place dark chocolate chips in a glass bowl, microwave for about a minute (or until almost melted); mix with fork until smooth.  Dip each ball in the chocolate and place on cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Place in fridge until chocolate is set, about one hour. Store in air tight container in the fridge.

Tips: 

*Coated hands with a bit of organic coconut butter before rolling the balls 

*Optional: place an almond inside of each ball before dipping in chocolate 

*Optional:sprinkle a bit of sea salt on top for added flavor

Dark Chocolate Chip Coconut Oat Bran Muffins

Yield: 17 Muffins

What You'll Need:
1/4 c. egg whites (or egg substitute equivalent to one egg)
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
3/4 c. turbinado sugar
1/2 c. non-fat milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbs. unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c. dark chocolate chips
1 Haas avocado (about 1/2c avocado meat), mashed
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 c. toasted oat bran


What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together: egg whites, applesauce, sugar, milk, coconut and avocado in med/large sized bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oat bran, baking powder, cocoa powder and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to egg/applesauce/etc. mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake in foil or foil-lined cupcake liners for 20 minutes.

Pineapple-Cranberry Oat Bran Muffins

Yield: 18 muffins

What You'll Need:
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. toasted oat bran
1/2 c. dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 c. fresh pineapple, chopped
1/2 c. sucanat (I got this from Whole Foods)
1/2 c avocado, mashed (about 1 Haas avocado)
3/4 c non-fat milk
1/4 c. date sugar (I got this from Whole Foods)
1/4 c. liquid egg substitute (such as egg beaters)
1/8 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/8 c. white chocolate chips (optional)
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
12 foil-lined cupcake liners (muffins will stick to paper liners)


What To Do:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl combine: flour, oat bran, sucanat, date sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Add chopped cranberries and pineapple; mix well until fruit is coated. In a separate bowl, whisk together: milk, avocado, egg substitute, applesauce and vanilla until well blended. Mix flour mixture and avocado/milk mixture until well blended. Bake 22-25 minutes until golden brown and tops spring back when touched.

Estimation of calories based
off of online tool

Cinnamon White Chocolate Chip Cookies (low-fat and cholesterol free)

What You'll Need:
2 1/4c. all-purpose white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2c. light brown sugar
1/2c. white sugar
3/4c avocado meat, mashed (about 1 1/2 haas avocados)
1/2c applesauce
1 (3oz) box instant vanilla instant pudding
1/2c egg substitute
1/4c white chocolate chips
1 Tbs cinnamon

What to Do:
Preheat oven at 350.
In a small sized bowl, combine the flour and baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon together and set aside.  In a separate bowl, blend the brown sugar, white sugar, mashed avocado, applesauce and pudding mix together until smooth. Add in egg substitute and blend well.  Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes, until set. Gradually mix in the flour mixture, until well blended.  Last, mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonful onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes until lightly golden brown.  The cookies may look a bit lighter in color than regular cookies.


Tips:
* You can use wheat flour in place of white, the cookies may be a bit more dry
* If you prefer, you can add in up to 1/2c white chocolate chips, I like to keep the amount a bit lower, to reduce the overall fat/sugar content.

Strawberry-Avocado Muffins

Yield: 14 muffins

What You'll Need:
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (about 300 grams)
1 c. chopped strawberries
3/4 c. fat-free milk
1/2 c. avocado, mashed (about 1 haas avocado)
3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. egg whites
12 foil-lined cupcake liners (muffins will stick to paper liners)

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium sized bowl combine flour, sugars, baking powder and cinnamon.  Add chopped strawberries and toss well.  In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, avocado, egg whites and vanilla until well blended. There may be some chunks of the avocado left, try to break them up as much as you can. Mix milk/avocado mixture and flour mixture together until well blended.  Bake 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown and tops spring back when touched.

Nutrition information is an estimation of
 1 serving; based off of an on-line tool

Cholesterol-Free (almost Fat-Free) Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: approximately 40 cookies

What You'll Need:
2c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4c. brown sugar
1/4c. white sugar
1/2c avocado meat, mashed (about one med/large avocado)
1/2c applesauce
1 (3oz) box instant vanilla instant pudding
1/2c egg substitute
1/4c mini chocolate chips


What to Do:
Preheat oven at 350.
In a small sized bowl, combine the flour and baking soda together and set aside.  In a separate bowl, blend the brown sugar, white sugar, mashed avocado, applesauce and pudding mix together until smooth. Add in egg substitute and blend well.  Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes, until set. Gradually mix in the flour/baking soda combination, until well blended.  Last, mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonful onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  The cookies may look a bit lighter in color than regular cookies.

Quick Tips:
* You can use wheat flour in place of white, the cookies may be a bit more dry
* If you prefer, you can add in up to 1/2c chocolate chips, I like to keep the amount a bit lower, to reduce the overall fat content.

Low-Fat Cupcakes with Fat-Free Frosting!

What you'll need for the cupcakes*:
One box Betty Crocker Super Moist white cake mix
3/4 c. liquid egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)
1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 c. water
24 baking cups (I use Reynold's StayBrite, but any foil-lined cup will do-- no paper cups!)

*if using a different brand or flavor of cake mix, follow the recipe as listed on the back of the box. Just substitute eggs with the egg substitute and any oil/butter with applesauce.


What you'll need for the frosting:
8oz tub of fat-free cool whip (or any generic frozen whipped topping), thawed
1 (3.5 oz) package of instant pudding (any flavor)
1 can fat-free condensed milk
1/2 c. cold fat-free milk


What To Do:


Steps for The Cupcakes:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Place cake mix, water, egg substitute, and apple sauce in a medium sized mixing bowl. Blend all ingredients together until well blended (about 2 minutes).
Pour equal amounts of batter into the 24 baking cups
Bake as directed on the box (approximately 18-20 minutes). Cool completely.

Steps for Frosting:
Place pudding mix, milk and condensed milk is medium sized mixing bowl
With a fork or wire whisk, whisk all ingredients together until well blended.  Allow mixture to sit for 3-5 minutes until firm (mixture will jiggle slightly when bowl is shaken gently)
Fold in thawed whipped topping
Place in fridge for 15 minutes to firm up slightly

Once cupcakes are cooled completely, pipe the frosting on to each cupcake

Quick Tips:
*Use only foil lined cupcake liners/baking cups.  The cupcakes will stick to paper liners due to the lack of fat in them
*You can also experiment with different instant pudding (for varied frosting flavors) and cake combinations