I absolutely love to bake. It makes me so happy to get out all of my ingredients and just zone out and create something from scratch. I also love to cook, but many times that feels more like more of a means to an end (must feed family) than a creative outlet. Baking is a much more soulful experience for me. There’s something magical about having freshly baked chocolate chip cookies prepared for my kids when they come in cold from playing in the snow. It’s even more enjoyable when I know that what I have baked for my family is from wholesome, less processed ingredients.
As much as I love to bake, I also like to fit into my clothes, so discovering healthy swaps for baking was a really fun learning process for me. This all began when my husband was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. At first, I was so worried for him and we decided to be really strict with our diet. But once he started getting his blood sugar under control, we learned that a treat here and there wasn’t going to derail all of his progress, and a healthier version of a treat is much better than a piece of birthday cake (although we absolutely still enjoy that on special occasions as well). I don’t create my own baking recipes, so I searched and sampled recipes from various websites and ended up coming back to the same ones for their wholesome ingredients and delicious outcomes.
My absolute favorite site for baking is Cookie & Kate. This is where I really learned how to make healthy swaps that still taste amazing. These baking recipes have become staples in my house, to the point that I can make a lot of her recipes from memory. Her cookie recipe listed below is “my” specialty cookie that my family always requests, and the muffin recipes are on rotation fairly regularly as well.
A note on the muffins, 1) use an ice cream scooper to portion, they come out the perfect size! 2) They taste better the next day! The flavor develops overnight in the refrigerator and I actually like to eat them cold (my husband heats them up in the microwave for about 20 seconds) but they taste much sweeter and more flavorful the next day. Below are my favorite recipes from Kate’s site.
Favorite Cookies:
Maple Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (I use melted butter)
https://cookieandkate.com/maple-sweetened-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies/
Muffins:
My favorite non-stick muffin pan (No need for liners, just spray with a little avocado oil)
Banana Oat Muffins (I use avocado oil and vanilla almond milk and almost always add mini chocolate chips)
https://cookieandkate.com/healthy-banana-muffins-recipe/
Blueberry Muffins (I use avocado oil and vanilla yogurt for extra flavor)
https://cookieandkate.com/healthy-blueberry-muffins/
Pumpkin Muffins (I use avocado oil) I make these the minute the weather feels Fall-y
https://cookieandkate.com/healthy-maple-pumpkin-muffins/
Honorable Muffin Mention:
Another one of my family’s absolute favorite muffin recipes is from Making Thyme For Health. The batter for these is made in the blender so they're really quick and easy to make while also being wholesome and insanely delicious. These are my husband's favorite.
Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/healthy-chocolate-peanut-butter-banana-muffins/
Another awesome website I (and about half a million other people) discovered is Chocolate Covered Katie. She has so many amazing baking recipes and I plan to keep trying new ones and will share my favorites when I do! The first recipe I made from her site was these black bean brownies. (My husband HATES beans, and I made these for him without telling him and he loved them… that could have gone either way haha, but thankfully it all worked out!) I subbed avocado oil.
Black Bean Brownies
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/no-flour-black-bean-brownies/
Her site also led me to attempt baking my own donuts, and they turned out great! Who knew buying some donut pans would be the start of such a fun adventure? My grandma actually worked in a bakery making donuts when I was little and learning to make these healthier versions makes me feel close to her (and I think she would be proud of me for making them a little bit healthier!)
My kids love donuts, so knowing how to make a healthier version that still tastes amazing but are so much lower in fat and refined sugars makes me happy. Katie’s recipes offer spelt flour as an option for donuts and that is what I choose when I make them. I read in Kristin Cavallari’s cookbook, “True Roots” that her (now ex) husband also has diabetes and that spelt flour is better for managing blood sugar, so I loved that this was an option for these recipes.
Baked Blueberry Donuts
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/baked-donuts-blueberry-refined-sugar-free/
I use a less healthy traditional vanilla glaze for these- gotta live a little ;)
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/quick-vanilla-glaze/
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/baked-cinnamon-sugar-donuts/
Homemade Entenmann’s Mini Chocolate Donuts (A must-have recipe for every mom!) For these, you will need a mini donut pan.
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/healthy-makeover-entenmanns-chocolate-covered-mini-donuts/
Homemade Krispy Kreme Donuts
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/homemade-krispy-kreme-doughnuts-the-healthy-version/
I love to make these for holidays/brunches with the vanilla or chocolate glazes in the above recipes and/or this maple glaze https://www.food.com/recipe/maple-cinnamon-glaze-for-cakes-etc-185680
These are my favorite healthy baking recipes that my family and I enjoy. Even if you are new to baking, these recipes are really easy to prepare. But if you’re not in the mood to whip up a recipe from scratch, I also love Simple Mills brand for a quick and easy healthy swap. I love to make their almond flour brownies and their chocolate chip cookies are also delicious (and come premade!) I hope you enjoy these healthy baking recipes. If you have any others that you’d like to share, please send them my way!