Low Sugar Cupcakes for Kids!

So my little bean is turning one! I want to her to celebrate with her baby-friends, of course. But as my day job is Primary School Teaching I have seen first hand what too much sugar does to kids...(and I learned this the hard way from giving my 9 month old one 'milk-chocolate' Easter Egg at Easter... just one!)
So I thought I'd seek out a recipe that minimises the sugar... hopefully it will be good for years to come!  

INGREDIENTS  
Makes approx 30 mini cupcakes

3 really ripe large bananas (the blacker, the better!)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 lightly beaten egg
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup wholemeal self raising flour 
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/3 cup melted butter 
Splash of milk (to help create a consistent cake batter) 

Date Glaze

6 large medjool dates, pitted
6 tablespoons boiling water
4 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

• Mash up bananas
• Add the cinnamon & beaten egg
• Sift in the dry ingredients
• Add the melted butter
• Mix together until all combined - if you feel you need a slightly 'runnier' cake batter, I suggest adding a few splashes of milk at this step.
• Place into muffin tin or patty cakes and then place in an oven at 180 degrees (or about 170 for fan forced) for about 15-20 minutes. 

For Glaze: 

• Add the dates and boiling water to a small bowl Let soak for about 15 minutes. 
• Then pour mixture into a container that you can whiz mixture with a hand held blender / mini food processor. 
• Add the remaining ingredients. Blend on high until ultra-smooth and creamy. This only took me 20-40sec.
• Spread the glaze onto the warm cupcakes using a pastry brush, sprinkle with coconut. Add a decoration if you like - I buy mine (yes they have sugar, but they are tiny and if your diet is strict you can remove it easily before eating) from Patrick's Sugar Box on eBay.  

I really like this recipe as it is quick and requires no beating - so no need for a Kitchenaid or 20min standing there with a handheld beater :)
Overall I find that the cakes rise well and turn a pleasing brown colour - the date glaze helps to get things looking really golden, and give it a slight toffee-buttery taste. The cupcakes have a muffin-y texture and would probably benefit from cooking with unsalted butter (or even coconut oil!).
If you become hooked on making them sweeter I'd suggest to add some date paste or rice malt syrup to the cake batter - I'm yet to do this but I am going to keep trying this recipe with a few tweaks and will update as I go along.

I adapted the cake recipe from one I found on the Sweet Poison Forum
The original Date Glaze recipe can be found here.

No Sugar, High Protein Lemon and Blueberry Cake Slice

After I had my little one my Mother-In-Law made me this Blueberry and Yoghurt Loaf by Donna Hay, and I was obsessed with it!
Here is my adaptation of the recipe to make it more healthful for me - I have to say this smells gorgeous while it is baking. It also forms a lovely glossy crust once cooked and the greek yoghurt give the texture a softness, I'd say it is my most successful sugar-free baked treat to date!

INGREDIENTS
1.5 Cups of Protein Pancake Mix
2 punnets blueberries
1/2 cup sultanas
handful of craisins (Optional, I just had some in the pantry so thought I would try)
1/2 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup flaked almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup hazlenut meal (or just whiz hazlenuts using a handheld food processor)
4 eggs
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup greek yoghurt
3/4 cup milk (or substitute of your choice)
1 tablespoon of lemon rind
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

METHOD
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees
- Line a lamington tin with greaseproof paper
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl
- In a seperate bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut oil, yoghurt, milk, vanilla and lemon juice
- Combine all ingredients together in one bowl
- Pour mixture into lined lamington tin
- Bake at 160 degrees for 20min, then turn oven up to 180 degrees, bake for a further 35min
- Allow to cool in tin resting on a wire rack, once cool cut into squares and enjoy!

These also benefit from 20sec of warming up in the microwave if eaten after baking day.
Fine for freezing, too - again, just warm up in microwave and munch away!

Beef Stroganoff

 INGREDIENTS

• olive oil cooking spray
• 500g beef fillet, trimmed, cut into thin strips (I just buy beef cut for stir fry from the butchers)
• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 250g button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 teaspoons coconut flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup Greek-style yoghurt
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 600g steamed vegetables, to serve

METHOD

- Spray a frying pan with oil on high heat
- Add one third of the beef. Cook, stirring, for 30 to 60 seconds or until browned all over. Remove to a plate. Repeat with oil and remaining beef in 2 batches.
- Combine coconut flour, stock and worcestershire sauce in a small jug, place to one side
- Reduce heat to medium, spray pan with oil
- Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and mushrooms
- Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender
- Stir in paprika and cook for 1 minute
- Stir stock mixture into mushroom mixture. Cook, stirring, until sauce comes to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 minutes
- Add yoghurt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes
- Return beef and juices to pan, stir until warmed through.
- Stir in parsley and season with pepper
- Spoon stroganoff onto plates. Serve with steamed vegetables.

Adapted from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/7338/beef+stroganoff

No Sugar, High Protein Carrot Cake

After success last week making some Apple Cinnamon Brekkie Bars using Protein Pancake Mix I used my imagination and made this carrot cake! It is awesome if I do say so myself... it is filling and fragrant, and without any added sugar!

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups Protein Pancake Mix
• 3 medium Carrots, grated
• 1 cup Sultanas
• 1/2 cup chopped Dates
• 3/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup Pepitas
• 1 cup Almond Meal
• 4 Eggs
• 1tbsp Olive Oil (or oil of your choice)
• 1 1/4 cups Milk (I use full cream organic milk, but you can substitute with the milk of your choice)
• 1 cup Shredded Coconut
• 1/2 cup Kapai Puku Seed of Life
• 2 tsp Mixed Spice
• 1 tsp Cinnamon

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celsius.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Using your (clean) hands, combine everything together.
3. Pour and spread the mixture into a slice tin lined with baking paper.
4. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown on top - it may need longer, depending on how firmly it sets near the middle of the pan.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing.
6. Enjoy!

I cut up the slab and store it in the fridge and freezer, warming it up in the microwave before eating (say, 30-40sec) makes it truly delicious!

You could also bake in a muffin tin or in patty cases (for less time, but I am yet to test) so they can be eaten on the run!