Peanut Butter Cake Pie Bars

These bars are one of a kind. Every bite is a cake, pie, and a bar all in one. It has three layers of textures and flavors that are sure to pair well with a cup of tea or coffee!

It almost reminds me of a Boston Cream Pie, but it doesn’t have a cream filling. Instead, it has a layer of saltine buttery crust, fluffy peanut butter cake, and a nice thick layer of chocolate ganache. YUM!

I hope you enjoy this delicious mountain munch recipe 🙂

• Servings: 6 bars
• Time: 2 hours
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Yields 6 bar slices

INGREDIENTS:

For the saltine crust layer-

• 1/2 pack of saltine crackers (can use other crackers but I find these to be so delicious with the salty and sweet combo)
• 5 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar

For the peanut butter cake layer-

• 1/4 cup slightly melted peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup pancake mix ( I used a buttermilk mix)
• 1/3 cup whole milk or half/half
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein (about 3 tablespoons)

For the chocolate ganache layer-

• 1 tablespoon melted butter or coconut oil
• 1/2 pack of semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup milk + more as needed

DIRECTIONS:

• Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan with nonstick or butter, then line with parchment paper. I usually cut about two rectangles and lay them across each other. It doesn’t have to cover the entire pan just each side will do (this will help you pull it out at the end).
• Next, grind your saltine crackers and mix in with the melted butter and sugar. Once this is all combined, pack it down into the prepared loaf pan and set aside.
• Mix all of the cake ingredients together- the slightly melted peanut butter ( I place it in a microwave safe dish and heat about 15-20 seconds) then I add with the pancake mix, milk, protein, and slowly add in the egg. Mix until just combined then pour on top of the saltine crust.
• Bake for 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Let the cake/ crust cool at least 15 minutes.
• Make your chocolate ganache by melting chocolate chips with butter/oil, and milk under a double broiler or in the microwave until it melts. It may be slightly thick and that’s perfect! Place it in the fridge until you’re ready to pour it on top of the cake/crust. It’s okay if the cake is slightly warm as this will help spread the chocolate!
• Once ready, pour the ganache on top of the cake, spread around evenly, then place it in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours until the chocolate is pretty set (you can also place it in the freezer for 45 minutes).
• Run a knife along the edges of the entire cake and then pull out with the parchment paper and place on top of a cutting board.
• Cut the bars into six equal slices. Place it in an airtight container in the fridge, they keep well when they’re cold then voila!

**Notes**

**These store well in the refrigerated 4-5 days or in the freezer for about a month if it’s stored tightly with wrap**

Enjoy!

-Hilda

Advertisement

Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Hand Pies

How about the iconic pop tart pastry? Such a classic delight! Well, I call these hand pies. They are just the tastiest little treats any time of day.

I didn’t make them perfectly rectangular and that’s okay. I prefer the more rustic look…I think it tastes more authentic that way 😉

The flaky pie crust, the ooey gooey brown sugar and cinnamon buttery goodness is the absolute best! You also can’t beat that wonderful glaze to seal the deal.

Give these a go! They are SO EASY to make. PS. If you have store-bought pie crust…these will take NO TIME at all 😉

• Servings: 6
• Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

INGREDIENTS:

For the pie crust-

• 2 cups white all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4-1/2 cup iced cold water

For the filling-

• 1/2 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• egg wash (for the end): 1 large egg mixed with 2 teaspoons milk

For the Glaze:

• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 Tablespoon milk (can use more if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

• Make your crust: In a food processor or by hand with a pastry cutter, mix the flour, salt, and sugar together, vegetable shortening and pulse everything together until you have pea sized pieces throughout the dough.
• Add the ice cold water little by little, until you form a the dough.
• Take your dough and cover in plastic wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.
• Make your filling: Mix all of the filling ingredients together (except for the egg wash) and set aside.
• Assemble your hand pies: on a floured surface roll out the dough into a large square or triangle, and cut your dough into even rectangles. Note- it’s okay if they aren’t perfect! I personally prefer the rustic look 😉
• Make your egg wash: simply beat your egg with milk in a small bowl
• Brush each rectangle bottom with some egg wash (this will help everything stick) and fill with the brown sugar filling ( I like filling a generous amount) then cover with another rectangle (that isn’t brushed with egg wash). Crimp the edges of the pastry with a fork and then poke three wholes on top (so the filling doesn’t explode). Transfer into a lined baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Continue until you’ve assembled all your pastries. Refrigerate your pastries for at least 20 minutes (highly recommend if you can) while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush the pastries with the remaining egg wash and pop them in the oven for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.
• Make the glaze: mix all of the glaze ingredients and set aside until the pastries have cooled, and are ready to be glazed. Once glazed, pop them back into the refrigerator so the glaze hardens 🙂

*notes*

*These keep well at room temp 2-3 days or in the fridge 6 days. You can also freeze before glazing and store in an airtight container up to 3 months. Simply defrost the night before in the refrigerator and bake.*

-Enjoy!

Hilda<3

Veggie Fritters

Nom noms! These are exactly that….delicious. You can’t go wrong with a crispy flavourful fritter topped with creamy sour cream.

These are packed with flavor and have a ton of yummy veggies. That’s a win win over here! Feel free to use any kind of veggie here. Sweet potato or russets would also be divine. It is such an easy recipe you can whip up in no time. It makes the perfect snack or appetizer any time of day.

• Servings: 3 Fritters
• Time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Yields: 9 Fritters Total

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups chopped or shredded veggies ( I used zucchini, carrots, and kale)
• 1 clove of Garlic
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup buttermilk pancake mix (I used Kodiak)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Salt
• olive oil for frying (or any oil of choice)
• Sour cream or yogurt for topping

DIRECTIONS:

• Start by chopping your veggies and the garlic clove. I placed my veggies in a food processor and pulsed a couple times until the veggies were finely chopped.
• Add your veggie mix to a bowl, and then add the egg, milk, pancake mix, salt and pepper and mix with a spatula until combined.
• Drizzle a frying pan with olive oil and turn the heat to medium high. The oil should be nice and hot but not too hot.
• Grab about 1/4 cup of the mixture and pour into the pan ( like you’re making little pancakes).
• Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or until they form a nice crust on the outside and the centers are set.
• Repeat this step for all your fritters.
• Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt with chives on top. It’s so delicious!

*Notes*

*You can store these in the fridge for about 4 days*

Bon apetitte!

-Hilda

Snickerdoodle Bites

These little bites are heaven in your mouth, and they are the perfect snack at any time of the day. They are delicately sweet with the dates, and the outer candy coating of cinnamon and sugar. You’ve got to give these a try!

I used a vitamix blender to make these but a food processor would work perfectly here.

The perfect pre-workout snack!

• Servings: 15
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Yields 15 Bites

INGREDIENTS:

For the base of the bites:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 scoop whey protein (I used Hammer’s vanilla flavor)
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1/2 cup pretzels*
• 100g medjool dates
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water

For the coating:

• 1-2 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar or coconut sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Place all the ingredients except the water in a blender and blend until it gets crumbly.
• Add in the water a little bit at a time until you form the dough then turn the blender off.

*Please note: the pretzel is optional, but I like the texture and the savory to sweet taste 🙂

Enjoy!

-Hilda ❤

Brownie Donuts

Okay, this is my favorite recipe ever! It’s a one bowl brownie recipe, healthy, and packed with good nutrients.

I love topping these babies with peanut butter, greek yogurt, or having them on their own with some coffee and eggs on the side for a filling, and tasty breakfast. Guilt-free, and delicious? you’re welcome 😉

They are also super portable which makes them perfect for a quick breakfast or snack on the go!

• Servings: 6
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Yields 6 Donuts

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
• 2 scoops vital proteins collagen powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 ripe mashed bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup almond butter (creamy or crunchy)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with some butter.
• Start by mixing the mashed bananas, vanilla extract, cocoa powder together until nice and creamy.
• Add the oat flour, flaxseed meal, protein powder, baking powder and mix well.
• Microwave 1/2 cup of almond butter for 20-30 seconds *optional but makes it easier to mix!
• Incorporate the almond butter to the brownie batter and mix until everything is incorporated.
• Bake for 12 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow it to cool for 15 minutes then run a knife around the edges and lift the donuts out of the pan. You can store these in a gallon ziplock bag in the freezer for weeks or in the fridge for 5-7 days!

*Note: You can blend 1/2 cup oats in a blender to make the oat flour. Top these with peanut butter or yogurt. It’s so delicious on its own as well and perfectly sweet!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Cheers ❤

Hilda

Meal Prepping!

I’ve meal prepped for just about 6 years, and found that it helps keep me motivated to stick to my healthy eating habits throughout the week. It doesn’t have to be complicated! Even cutting up some vegetables, and fruits makes the world of a difference. I find that it really saves so much time since as for me- I’m busy working from home all week.

I felt that this was the perfect opportunity to share different ways that you could meal prep at home. The beautiful thing here is that you can customize this whichever way you’d like.

A couple of tips to help you get started (not required but highly recommended):

1. Create a grocery list of the food you’ll need. This helps minimize waste.
2. Make sure you have plenty of clean, air tight containers or zip lock bags
3. Once you have all your ingredients create a quick strategy such as cooking/ baking what ever takes the longest to cook first. That way we use time wisely.
4. Make sure you have plenty of storage in the fridge or freezer. I have a tiny fridge/freezer so I have to make sure I make plenty of space.

Meal prepping in bulk:

This method of meal prepping is my current FAVORITE. Why? because it takes no time at all and it still allows me to eat what I want- just with healthier choices. If I feel like making a salad, I throw it all together. If I feel like eating a sandwich, I throw it all together in my sandwich, pasta, etc. You catch my drift, right? It’s so easy.

1. GRILLED VEGETABLES: asparagus, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant etc.
   • The char these veggies get from the grill gives them so much flavor in bowls, sautes, scrambles, soups, salads, and pizzas. I like to slice em up, coat them with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then throw them on the grill for about 6-8 minutes until they get nice grill marks. I then transfer them into my airtight container and they keep well in the fridge 4-5 days.
2. ROASTED VEGETABLES: potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli.
   • I drizzle some olive oil, top potatoes with salt & pepper, and roast them in the oven at 450 for about 30 minutes. Broccoli is seasoned the same, but takes about 15-20 minutes (keep an eye on those).
3. GRILLED CHICKEN
   • I like to marinate the chicken breast overnight with lemon, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil. If I don’t have time to marinate overnight, I marinate at least 30 minutes then I grill them up about 8 minutes per side or until the temperature reaches about 165 degrees F.
4. FRESH FRUIT: sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
   • A great way to clean your berries is by putting all of them in a big bowl, covering them with cold water and 1 tsp or so of apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar (not too much) and letting them sit for up to 5 minutes. No more – or else they’ll get soggy. Drain them, dry them up with a cloth or paper towel just a little bit, then transfer them into an airtight container and put them in the fridge.
   • It makes it so easy to just grab these clean berries, put them in cereal, oatmeal, or just as a quick snack!
5. FRESH VEGETABLES: cut celery, cucumber, carrots
   • I typically just cut the ends off of celery hearts, peel cucumbers and slice them into coins or strips, and rinse them along with the celery and baby carrots and place in airtight containers and put them in the fridge.
   • They make such a great snack with hummus, or guacamole!
6. BAKED GOODS: Healthy muffins, donuts, snack balls/bars
   • I make baked goods every week, or every couple weeks to make sure I satisfy my sweet tooth 🙂 I have a few recipes on the blog you can check out!
   • They are excellent for a snack, dessert, or breakfast.
7. GRAINS/LEGUMES: cooked quinoa, brown rice, black beans, lentils, chickpeas
   • Cooked grains are amazing in burrito bowls, buddha bowls, or in a saute. I even add them to salads to add a bit of satiety.
   • Cauliflower rice is also an amazing alternative even though it’s not considered a grain/legume but rather…a veggie!
8. SAUCES/DIPS/SPREADS: guacamole, tahini sauce, pesto, peanut sauce, hummus
   • Store bought hummus is excellent, but sometimes I like to switch it up and make my own sauces like my avocado sauce. I put this on everything! This is a great way to add flavor to your veggies, or dishes.
9. EGGS: Hard boiled eggs, frittatas, egg muffins
   • I find eggs to be such an essential source of protein! To make perfectly hard boil eggs, fill your pot with water and leave about 3 inches of space, bring the water to a boil, then carefully place the eggs into the pot and boil on high for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, drain the eggs, and run them in cold water or an ice bath until cool enough to peel. Peel them up, then store them in airtight containers. It’s an amazing snack, breakfast, or amazing in my tuna salad recipe!
   • Check out my this Kale Frittata you can make ahead and store in the fridge 4-5 days! Just warm up in the microwave or oven until it’s warm and delicious.
   • Egg muffins are also delicious for a quick grab and go breakfast! Just spray muffin tins with cooking oil, beat eggs with some milk, and pour into muffin tins, sprinkle cooked bacon, turkey, or sausage, and cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 16-20 minutes and ta-da! Let them cool, then store them in the fridge 4-5 days.

I hope you found these meal prep ideas super helpful! Sometimes I do more, sometimes I do less. This just gives you an idea of how much you can do for the week ahead. It saves so much time, and you’re able to customize the meals as much as you want.

Cheers!

-Hilda ❤

Coconut Dream Donuts

These dreamy donuts melt in your mouth because they are so soft, and incredibly moist. If you love that fresh coconut taste and smell you will LOVE these donuts! The coconut isn’t over powering. It’s the perfect spring dessert!

• Servings: 8
• Time: 30 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Servings: 8 Donuts

INGREDIENTS

Donut:

• 1 Cup and 2 Tbsp (160g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp (29g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2Tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil or canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp real coconut extract
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (118ml) canned light coconut milk
• 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Glaze:

• 3/4 Cup (89g) powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp (23ml)  coconut milk, or as needed
• 1 Tbsp (11g) salted butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp real coconut extract
• 1/2 cup (28g) finely shredded coconut, toasted or untoasted (as needed)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment blend together butter and sugar then mix in vegetable oil. 
• Mix in one egg then mix in second egg, coconut extract, and vanilla extract. 
• Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture then mix on low until combined, mix in 1/2 of the coconut milk and the apple cider vinegar. 
• Mix in another 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by remaining 1/2 of the coconut milk. Mix in last 1/3 of the flour, fold batter with a rubber spatula to ensure it’s evenly incorporated. 
• Spray donut pans with non-stick baking spray. Transfer batter to a gallon size resealable bag. 
• Cut a small corner from bag and pipe batter into donut pans, coming about 1/3-inch from the top. 
• Bake in preheated oven until donuts are set, about 8 – 11 minutes. Let cool in pan for about 3 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool.

Glaze Instructions:

• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar, milk, butter and coconut extract until smooth.
• Place coconut in a bowl. Dip cooled donuts in glaze then let excess run off and dip glazed portion in coconut. 
• Return to wire rack to let glaze set. Store donuts in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy! 🙂

-Hilda