Bringing back a CLASSIC breakfast.

My Paleo Biscuits and Gravy was one of the first recipes that debuted on this blog almost TEN years ago (I'll spare you the link, my photography of it back then wasn't stellar, haha. If you look hard enough around here you can find it.) and I wanted to create a new and improved recipe now that I have  mastered flakier biscuits and a creamier gravy than I previously made. 

While not paleo, you could swap the gluten free 1 to 1 with a Cassava flour to keep it grain free. Or you could stick with my OG recipe suggestion of almond flour for a denser, heartier biscuit.  You do you, but I like the FLUFF. 

So much healthier than the restaurant variety, you can make extra gravy and freeze it to keep on hand for weekend brunches and breakfasts. I would suggest making your biscuits fresh, but you can freeze them as well. 

Biscuit Ingredients

• 1/3 C dairy-free butter
• 1/3 C vegan sour cream
• 1/2 TBSP organic sugar
• 1 1/2 C gluten-free one to one all purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1  tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup club soda or sparkling water

Gravy Ingredients

• 1/2 lb gluten free sausage (we love organic AppleGate maple sausage or Jenny-O Sweet Italian)
• 2 TBSP gluten free all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 C. milk alternative
• 1/4 C dairy-free cream
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

​


Directions For The Biscuits

• Preheat oven to 425° degrees.
• Melt 1/3 cup dairy-free butter, to soft but not liquid.
• Whisk vegan sour cream and sugar into melted butter until smooth.
• Add flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar and stir with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add sparkling water and stir until mixture comes together and is sticky. 
• Lightly flour a clean surface and turn dough onto counter, turning to fully coat. Be careful not to mix the flour into the dough.
• Flatten with your hands into a circle about 3/4" thick.
• Fold in half to form a half circle, then in half again to form a triangular shape, and pat to 3/4" thickness again.
• Repeat the last step. This folding is what creates the flaky, layered effect.
• Cut into circles with biscuit cutter or large cup and arrange in a round cake pan so the biscuits are so close they are almost touching.
• Bake biscuits for 7-10 minutes. Remove biscuits just as edges begin to turn a golden brown and don't overbake!

Directions For The Gravy

• Brown sausage in a skillet. If your sausage has a casing, make sure to remove before browning. 
• Once browned, stir in gluten free flour and continue to cook over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Pour in milk while stirring and continue to stir until thick.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• Serve over fresh biscuits, cut in half. Enjoy! 

​Serve these up with a fresh fruit salad and piping hot coffee or tea for a delectable morning indulgence. This recipe remind me of a rainy day or breakfast at a small-town café. Do Biscuits and Gravy bring to mind any special memories for you?

My delicious Glazed Cinnamon Pumpkin Donuts, which traditionally use Almond Flour and Egg, now have a nut-free, egg-free variation. They are smaller and softer than their nuttier, dense counterpart. A favorite of my husbands these are not grain-free but are gluten-free, of course, and so delicious. See the recipe below!

Ingredients:

Donuts:
dry:
1/4 c. potato starch
1/4 c. oat flour
1/4 c. brown rice flour
1/4 c. tapioca starch
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. cinnamon 
1/4 tsp. ginger

wet:
1/4 c. honey
1 TBSP. coconut oil
1/4 c. dairy-free milk
2 TBSP. organic applesauce
1/4 C. canned organic pumpkin


Glaze:
1 C. Corn-Free Confectioners Sugar (I use an organic cane sugar/tapioca starch blend)
2 TBSP. Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance Dairy-Free/Soy-Free)
1 1/2 TBSP. non-dairy milk

Directions: 

For Donuts:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease donut pan LIBERALLY with coconut oil or coconut oil spray. Combine dry ingredients and mix well with handheld mixer. Combine wet ingredients and mix well with handheld mixer. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and mix once more until well blended. Empty contents from bowl into piping bag or ziploc bag to disperse easily into donut pan. Fill donut pan 3/4 of the way and cook for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and glazing. 

​For Glaze:
Mix ingredients once donuts have cooled and dip donuts to cover top. Set for 5 - 10 minutes until glaze solidifies. If glaze hardens before you are finished dipping, or if you are baking multiple batches, simply warm the glaze on low for 2-3 minutes to reuse. 

This week I started prepping and planning recipes to make in bulk for post baby. She's due in just over 9 weeks! WHAT?! This pregnancy has gone lightning fast (after the first trimester, anyways. Woof. So sick.) and I'm just now trying to get my booty into gear on planning, buying and prepping all the things. 

Sweet girl will be in our room for the first year or so, so no nursery was designed this time around. Keeping it simple helps not only your prenatal sanity but your budget as well.

Which lets you spend more on high quality, nutritious food for pregnancy and post-baby! 

Below is my recipe for a DELICIOUS, easy and homemade Banana Bread Granola. Gluten, dairy and refined sugar free, its much healthier than granola's your find in your local health food store and it took no time at all to whip up. I make this in large batches, dry it completely, then store it in a sealed glass container to eat on for the week or for a couple of weeks. 

I'll be making a triple batch pre-baby arrival, as oats are AMAZING for milk production when nursing. 

Also, you could add nuts to this if you like for added protein and crunch, I however am a banana bread purest and don't care for nuts in it. 

​Enjoy!

Ingredients

• ​3 cups gluten-free oats (not quick cooking!)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped dried banana chips (I use Sun Tropic for the amazing thin chips) 
• 1/4 cup avocado or coconut oil
• 1/3 cup organic raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 banana, smashed

​Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Whisk together gluten free oats, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and banana chips in a large mixing bowl.
• In a small saucepan, over low-medium heat, combine the oil, vanilla and honey. Heat until warmed and liquid.  Remove and whisk in banana.
• Gently mix wet ingredients into the dry until fully incorporated. Spread mixture onto your baking sheet in an even layer. 
• Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• Allow to cool and dry out completely (this takes about an hour or so).
• Store in a airtight container and enjoy! 

​Can everyday be Sunday?

There's something slower, something sweeter, simpler and more divine about Sundays.

Thankful God gave us this day of rest and holiness and beauty. We slept in (thank you Grey!) and made our way slowly,but hungrily, into the kitchen where my little one helped make fluffy, warm and sweet ooey gooey vegan cinnamon rolls from scratch.

More laborious than most of my other recipes, but so worth it. I would definitely mark them down in the treat column because it's one of the very, very few recipes where I used cane sugar, but they are gluten free, soy free, yeast free, corn free and completely vegan!

The trick to making buttermilk cinnamon rolls without the buttermilk? Lemon juice in coconut or almond cream! A trick I'm SO glad I learned early on. Have a blessed and happy Sunday with those you love.  
​

So I did a thing.

And it was amazing.

My son asked for donuts last weekend and I awoke to find I was out of our gluten free 1 to 1 flour. What's a mom to do?!

S'Mores Donuts. 

I grabbed a bag of our gluten free pancake and waffle mix and decided to sub it for my normal donut recipe flour. Having just returned from his first camping trip, with a newfound love of S'Mores, I tossed a few mini marshmallows on top and some crumbled GF graham crackers.

He. Ate. It. Up. Literally. And I have to say, I love my original donut recipe, but the pancake mix added a subtle sweetness and moist, chewy, cakey consistency that made these highly addictive and disappear before the weekend was over. 

INGREDIENTS:
Donut
2 1/2 C. Bobs Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix
1 1/2 tsp. Corn-Free Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1/2 C. Cocoa Powder
1 c. Coconut Sugar
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 C. Almond Milk (or other non-dairy milk for nut-free)
1/2 C. Avocado Oil (olive oil or coconut oil also work)

Frosting + Toppings
2/3 C. Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Coconut Oil or Avocado Oil
1/8 C. Almond Milk
2 Gluten Free Graham Cracker Sheets
1/2 C. Mini Marshmallows

​DIRECTIONS:

Donuts
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease your donut pan or pans lightly with coconut or avocado oil.

I use two six space donut pans for this amount of mix.

Mix all dry ingredients until blended well. Add wet ingredients and stir or mix with a hand mixer until batter consistency. Add more milk of choice if needed.

Add batter to piping bag to pipe into pan (easiest method for perfect circles, or spoon batter into pan evenly. Fill almost to top for fluffiest donuts.

Bake regular sized donuts for 12 minutes, mini donuts (if using a mini donut pan) for 7. Check for doneness and remove to allow to cool for 15-20 minutes on a wire rack.

Frosting
Start by warming a small sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Add chocolate chips and coconut oil until they start to melt.

Add vanilla and mix.

When mixture is completely melted together, add dairy-free milk of choice until desired frosting consistency is achieved.

Pour immediately into a wide, ceramic bowl and dip cooled donuts to frost. Allow to set and cool for another 15 minutes. Crush gluten free graham crackers and sprinkle on top, use a small flame to scorch mini marshmallows and add to donut. 


Enjoy!

This morning I woke up wanting to whip up something special with my little guy for breakfast and thought I'd bake a batch of my Double Chocolate Cake Donuts. That was, until I saw that we were out of cocoa powder and chocolate chips. 

So, like any resourceful baker, I perused the ingredients I DID have and came up with an alternative that my toddler was all too happy to gobble right up. Because what almost two year old doesn't like sugar, maple or donut shaped foods? I haven't met one yet. 

This donut starts with the same base as my Powdered Blueberry Donuts, minus the berries of course, and is then dipped in sweet confection of confectioner's sugar and maple syrup. This isn't one of my healthiest recipes, but it remains gluten-free and vegan. 

This is definitely a once in a while weekend treat and the perfect nosh for a traditional donut craving. 

A note* - The maple syrup in this glaze is SUBTLE due to using high quality maple syrup. If you're wanting a stronger, more traditional maple donut flavor you will need to add 1-3 drops of Maple Extract. I wanted to keep these more pure and didn't have the extract on hand when I decided to whip these up on a whim, but I may do so in the future if I were make these for a brunch or for others. 

Donut Ingredients:
Makes 12 Donuts

Dry: 
2  c. Gluten-Free Flour (I used Bob's Red MIll 1-to-1)
1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2  tsp. Sea Salt
2  tsp. Cinnamon

Wet: 
1/2 C. Maple Syrup
1/2 C. Dairy-Free Milk of Choice (I use unsweetened almond milk)
1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
6 TBSP. Avocado Oil (Coconut or Grapeseed Oil would also work)

Maple Glaze Ingredients:
3 C. Confectioners Sugar (The brand I get is here) 
2 1/2 tsp. Maple Syrup
1-3 Drops Maple Extract
1/4 tsp. vanilla 
1/3 c. Water 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your donut pans with coconut oil lightly. 

In a small mixing bowl, mix together all wet ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Slowly mix wet ingredients into medium bowl with dry ingredients. 

Using a piping bag, ziploc bag or spoon, fill donut pan rings 3/4 of the way. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack. 

Prepare your maple glaze by mixing all ingredients in a bowl and set aside. 

Cool donuts completely before dipping in Maple Glaze. 

​gluten free - dairy free - vegan - nut free - yeast free - soy free - egg free

I've been thinking a lot about childhood lately. 

I love seeing the world through Grey's eyes. How he lights up at every little thing. How the simplest joys make him laugh those beautiful deep baby belly laughs. It all got me thinking about my childhood. Joy. Innocence. Peace. Playfulness. 

I adored my childhood. I was blessed to have attentive, loving parents, a mom who stayed home with us and a dad who worked so hard for us but then gave his all on evenings and weekends. I want to make a happy home for Grey to thrive and feel like his imagination can soar to heights greater than I could imagine. And I want to go on that incredible journey once again, this time, letting him take the reigns and just really let him be little and be uniquely him. 

(just took a quick break to let him chase me in his walker, emitting squeals of laughter)

See what I mean? Glorious. 

And reminiscing about my childhood got me thinking about the food of my childhood. 

Which got me thinking about comfort foods.

Which, of course, led to thinking about donuts. 

Which if you've hung around here since my pregnancy you can see it's become an obsession of mine to perfect the allergy-friendly donut. My Blueberry Powdered Sugar Donut, My Double Chocolate Donut and my Apple Cinnamon Glazed Pumpkin Donut are a few of my top recipes here at Nosh and Nurture, proving to me that other people have a love for the circular pastry as much as I do.

Have I told you lately that I love you?

One of my favorite donuts to get at the shoppe on weekend mornings with my dad was the Pink Frosted with Rainbow Sprinkles. Because it was colorful, girly, sweet and just made me happy. 

But, of course, loaded with yeast, gluten, sugar and dairy, (and God knows what else) these are no longer on my list of accessible morning breakfast items. So when weekends roll around and I find myself reminiscing of sweets of the past, I get my booty into the kitchen to try to create something that hints of days can by while meeting my nutrition seal of approval. 

And these babies (colored with freeze-dried strawberries) allowed me to visit a bygone era where sprinkles and pink stained confectioners sugar were the staples of a Saturday morning cartoon binge. 

I'm thinking of adding 10 or so more custom donut recipes to the blog (I have plans for an allergy-friendly Apple Fritter, A Maple Bar, a Cinnamon Roll and more) and then maybe turning them into a book. Not sure yet. Still feeling it out as I have another book on my 2017-2018 business plan that's been in the works for some time. That's all to say, enjoy them while they're here, as they may move into a little book home of their own one day. 

Would love your ideas on some others to recreate! What is YOUR favorite donut that you miss?

Ingredients: 

​Dry: 
1 c. Gluten-Free Flour (I used Bob's Red MIll 1-to-1)
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Wet: 
1/4 C. Honey (Maple Syrup or Agave for vegan)
1/4 C. Dairy-Free Milk of Choice (I used Trader Joe's boxed Coconut Milk)
1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 1/2 TBSP. Avocado Oil (Coconut or Grapeseed Oil would also work)

Frosting: 
1 C. Confectioners Sugar
1/2 C. Freeze Dried Strawberries, ground to dust
1 TBSP. dairy-free milk
Dye-Free Rainbow Sprinkles (I use India Tree) 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a donut pan with coconut oil lightly. (My donut pan makes 6 donuts, to make a full dozen you will need to double the mix)

In a small mixing bowl, mix together all wet ingredients.. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Slowly mix wet ingredients into medium bowl with dry ingredients. 

Using a piping bag, ziploc bag or spoon, fill donut pan rings 3/4 of the way. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack. 

While the donuts are cooling prepare your frosting. Mix all ingredients and microwave for 30 seconds. 

Once the donuts are cooled completely (10-20 minutes total) Dip 2-4 times per donut to get a good, thick glaze and top generously with sprinkles. 

So, you guys. I did a thing.

I've been feeling super under the weather. Me and the baby both have colds and I've been trying to come up with exciting ways to get my fruits and veggies in (and ok, I may have snuck a little chocolate into this one). I've also been looking for fun things to do in the house since we aren't going out in the cold right now so recipe planning was on the agenda in between naps today! 
​

I had won an amazing case of Zing Bars from them, and they were already my FAVORITE bar, so WIN for me! And I wanted to incorporate them in a bowl for a while. We also had bananas that needed to be used today and I always have an over abundance of gluten free oats in the house, so I started to brainstorm and my Banana Split Breakfast Oats were born. 

I used traditional Banana Split ingredients and put a healthy spin on it. No added sugar is used in the oats. The coconut cream is sugar free and aside from a little organic sugar in Zing Bars chocolate coating, the bars are sweetened with agave nectar. 
​

Energy these days is definitely fleeting. Last Friday I hit month 9 in my pregnancy and tomorrow we hit 37 weeks. Which means Baby P can make his or appearance any time between now and the next three weeks. 

We are trying to get everything wrapped to prep for babes arrival. The hospital bag is packed, all essentials have been purchased and the nursery is almost done. I'm working later in the day now as I wind down into my maternity leave next week and am soaking up the mornings sleeping in because I know they will soon be a distant memory. 

All worth it in the name of our little miracle. 

Today's doctor appointment made us super happy as my placenta has moved up further (praise Jesus!) and we got to see Baby P's chubby cheeks and HAIR!! My heart is just so happy and content.  

Yesterday I had a little burst of energy, so aside from cleaning the house up pretty good I got into the kitchen to whip up some baked goods and try out some new recipes that were floating around in my over- packed little mind. 

I have a few fruit-based donut recipes that I've been meaning to experiment with and I had a bunch of organic Farmers Market blueberries that needed to be used so I gave these Powdered Blueberry Donuts a go. And they came out SO scrumptious. The donuts don't contain any refined sugar in the mix, just a little honey (or maple syrup/agave if you are vegan) so I dusted them with a little corn-free confectioners sugar to add a little something as I didn't want a heavy or sugary glaze. 

These are great without the powdered sugar as well. More diet friendly and more Blueberry Muffin like. Which, if you throw the batter in a muffin pan, they can totally become! Light, fluffy and not overly oily or sweet, they were perfect with my morning pregnancy tea. 

These donuts take just minutes to mix up and just 10-12 minutes in the oven which make them a convenient brunch or weekday option. I baked them on a Wednesday so I could share them with Mr. Charming and while I was in the kitchen also made some yeast-free biscuits to serve with dinner last night. 

Ingredients:
Dry: 
1 c. Gluten-Free Flour (I used Bob's Red MIll 1-to-1)
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Wet: 
1/4 C. Honey (Maple Syrup or Agave for vegan)
1/4 C. Dairy-Free Milk of Choice (I used Trader Joe's boxed Coconut Milk)
1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 1/2 TBSP. Avocado Oil (Coconut or Grapeseed Oil would also work)
1/3 c. Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a donut pan with coconut oil lightly. (My donut pan makes 6 donuts, to make a full dozen you will need to double the mix)

In a small mixing bowl, mix together all wet ingredients except for the berries. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Slowly mix wet ingredients into medium bowl with dry ingredients. Fold in berries. 

Using a piping bag, ziploc bag or spoon, fill donut pan rings 3/4 of the way. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack. 

Cool for an additional 5-10 minutes. Enjoy plain, dust with powdered sugar or use a for a sweeter donut.