GFCF Bliss By Chocolate Cupcakes

This is the last cupcake recipe I will ever need because with it, cupcake nirvana has been achieved. I know, those are fighting words, but trust me when I say we’ve tried a lot of cupcakes in the last four years of birthday parties, school events and holiday celebrations. To boot, my parameters have consistently gotten tighter: now I bake without grains, refined sugar, casein or hydrogenated fats (typically found in frostings). My family absolutely loved these little gems and my kids asked if we could make them for Halloween with spooky decorations on top. I think I’ve found a unanimous favorite! Oh, and they’re nut free and super simple to make!

Enjoy!

The Perfect GFCF S’more

For five years, I thought it couldn’t be done. GFCF graham crackers taste like cardboard, so I assumed my children would never know how tasty a “real” s’more could be. And because we camp several times a summer, this situation was actually worth some thought. I’m happy to report, our recent camping trip proved we found the gluten-free trifecta of s’more ingredients!

Do I love the ingredients in the graham crackers and marshmallows from a nutritional perspective? Absolutely not. But because I choose the rest of our meals so carefully, we can splurge on things like s’mores occasionally knowing it won’t break our health. There’s a fine line with feeding kids in modern America!

Best GFCF S’more Ingredients:

Schar Gluten Free Honeygrams

Dandies Vegan Marshmallows

Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate Bar

Directions:

– Lay out the graham crackers in pairs of two.

– Put one square of the chocolate on one cracker of each pair.

– Roast the marshmallows over the fire and place one marshmallow on each piece of chocolate.

– Top with the other graham cracker, press lightly and let sit for a minute to allow the chocolate to melt.

Enjoy!

GFCF Rice Crispy Valentine Hearts

These adorable hearts are what my kiddos will be receiving on Valentine’s Day this year. They are chocolatey, crunchy and of course, are the obligatory heart shape! The best part is they take five minutes to make and won’t break the bank. You can decide your level of sugar based on the kind of chocolate chips you use. I used 67% dark chocolate chips to cut back on sugar, but Enjoy Life brand would also be a good allergy-friendly choice. I do include peanut butter in these, but that is completely optional.

Ooooey Gooooey Wormy Oreo Candy (GFCF)

My daughter is obsessed with American Girl magazine, in part because they feature creative snack and party ideas in every issue. So when they released their Halloween issue waaaaay back in August, I was informed that we’d be making candy for our annual Halloween party. Naturally, the original recipes involved lots of gluten, high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors, but with her little GFCF heart set on it, we decided to modify the heck out of them to make fun AND safe candy for GFCF kids.  

GFCF (& Nut Free!) Granola Bars

Remember how I was whining about the nut-free snack rule at my kids’ school a few days ago? Well, I have just the recipe to solve that problem, and it meets my biggest criteria for snack time: gluten free, casein free, high protein, energy building. This recipe uses seeds instead of nuts, which is fine by me because seeds are PACKED with nutrients like vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, omega 3’s, fiber and tons more. There’s a touch of sweetness to win the hearts of children everywhere, but not so much to make a mother cringe. A major bonus is that these bars are simple to make and can be endlessly modified to suit your family’s tastebuds.  

Product Review: Flax4Life Mini Muffin Brownies

I admit that for the past several years, I haven’t batted an eye when other people have lamented the nut-free restrictions at their kids’ schools. Why? Because it hasn’t actually been my problem until now. While the lunchroom is still fair game, snack time in our classrooms are anything but.  

GFCF Trail Mix Cookies

Two of my kids’ favorite treats are trail mix and cookies, so they obviously think Trail Mix Lunchbox Cookies are the best thing ever. With nuts, dried fruit and chocolate chips, what’s not to love? These are in our breakfast rotation once a week, with leftovers usually finding their way into the lunchbox the next day.  

It’s Treat Time! GFCFSF Energy Bites

I have no idea where this recipe originated, but it has become one of our go-to favorites. Quick, healthy and oh-so-kid friendly, these energy bites serve many purposes: high-protein breakfast, lunchbox treat, after school snack, or even an entire meal if you are on a long road trip. My kids love them because they are fun to eat and I love them because they are high in protein and rich in fiber, omega 3s, iron and healthy fats. Make a double batch and they’ll keep for days in a sealed container in the fridge. And then go sit down with a good magazine because you’ve got snack time covered. Enjoy!  

It’s Treat Time! GFCF Almond Butter Cookies

Sometimes inspiration can come from the strangest places, like the side of a box. At least that was the case with these simple and delicious almond butter cookies. We received a shipment of supplements from an online vitamin company and voila – on the side of the box was this recipe. I made these nutrient-dense little gems the same day we got the shipment and the kids loved them. We used a combination of raw honey and coconut sugar for the sweetener, which makes these a no-guilt lunchbox treat, after school snack, or protein-rich addition to breakfast.  

It’s Treat Time! GFCF Rice Crispy Treats

For as long as I can remember, I have craved the peanut butter rice crispy treats that were served in, believe it or not, my high school cafeteria. Unlike much of today’s lunchroom food, they were homemade in a real kitchen on school premises. And they were absolutely magical. No marshmallows; just peanut butter, rice crispies and more peanut butter. So, what’s the only ingredient that could make them better? Chocolate, of course! These GFCF peanut butter rice crispy treats are a near replica of the ones I’ve been dreaming of all these years, but the chocolate addition takes them over the edge into pure perfection.