Tag: Healthy

Snack

Vegan Fruit Scones

These vegan fruit scones are super quick and easy to make. Until recently I’d never made scones, and then inspired by a holiday in Scotland I decided to make cheese scones for my toddler. When they came out of the oven they looked and smelled delicious, however, I was unable to eat them due to being lactose intolerant so I decided to play around and came up with these vegan fruit scones.

I tested them on my baby yoga class and at my mini retreat and they went down a treat! I served them with my heathy chia jam and some coconut cream. To make the coconut cream I simply got a can of coconut milk, placed it in the fridge for a couple of hours and then scooped the thick cream off the top of the milk.

These vegan fruit scones have no added sugar they are simply sweetened by the dried fruit and you can use whatever dried fruit you have, raisins, sultanas and apricots work well. This makes them a great snack for toddlers too.

Ingredients for Vegan Fruit Scones:

Makes 14 mini scones

  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 40g melted coconut oil
  • 140ml almond milk
  • 50g dried fruit

Method:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7
  2. Line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper
  3. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl
  4. Melt the coconut oil and add to the flour
  5. Use a spoon to mix the coconut oil into the flour until it has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs
  6. Add the dried fruit and stir well
  7. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in a little bit of the milk
  8. Using your hands fold in the milk, keep adding the milk and folding until you have a dough, the dough will be slightly wet
  9. Place the dough on a chopping board or clean surface that has been dusted with flour
  10. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes
  11. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 2cm thick
  12. Using a biscuit cutter cut the dough into scones
  13. Place the cut dough onto the baking trays, leaving enough space between the scones for them to expand
  14. If you have any dough edges left you can knead them again, roll them out and cut more scones
  15. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
  16. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe why not check out my other vegan recipes?

Drink

Vegan Healthy Hot Chocolate

Yes you did hear correctly ‘healthy’ and ‘hot chocolate’ and ‘vegan’ in the same sentence!

At this time of year there is nothing more comforting than a warm hot chocolate, however some coffee shop brands having a whopping 24g of sugar in a medium cup! So I decided to play around and create a healthier version that you can enjoy at home.

This vegan healthy hot chocolate is great to help you wind down in the evening but I would suggest having it early in the evening as sugar close to bedtime can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Almond milk is a source of calcium and tryptophan which help the brain to produce melatonin which is important for sleep regulation. Both cashews and almonds contain magnesium which acts as a natural sedative and help to relax your muscles. Whilst cacao also contains tryptophan helping to balance the body’s serotonin levels

I have not specified how much maple syrup to add to this hot chocolate as ideally you want to make it to your taste. However, be aware that maple syrup is still recognised by your body as a form of sugar, and so your body will respond to it as sugar so use as little as possible. For a more chocolaty taste you can add more cacao but it is bitter so the more you add the more maple syrup you are likely to need.

Vegan Healthy Hot Chocolate Ingredients:

  • 300ml almond milk
  • 1 tsp cashew nut butter
  • 1- 1.5 tsp Cacao powder (to taste)
  • Drizzle of maple syrup (to taste)

Method:

  1. Heat the milk and cashew butter in a pan
  2. When it is hot place into a blender with the remaining ingredients and blend until frothy
  3. Serve in a mug and enjoy

A great variation to this recipe is to add a drop or two of peppermint oil to give you a delicious mint hot chocolate!

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe then why not email me for a consultation to find out more about natural ways to help you sleep