Healthyish Recipes

Raspberry Yogurt Fiber One™ Cereal Cups

It’s January, so you’ve probably given up dessert and other foods you adore in the name of healthy eating, but skipping your favorites can backfire, causing you to ditch your efforts.  What good can come of dessert? Plenty, when there’s yogurt, fruit, and fiber involved! That’s why I love these Raspberry Yogurt Fiber One™ Cereal Cups for a sweet ending to a meal.

Note: I worked with Fiber One™ Original on this paid post. 

Fiber One cereal box with dessert cups filled with raspberry yogurt

Raspberry Yogurt Fiber One™ Cereal Cups

A Dessert with Benefits

Confession time: I love dessert! I indulge my sweet tooth every day, but not with just any candy, cookie, or cake.  I prefer desserts with benefits, including fiber.

According to the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, we struggle to include enough fiber. When you think of dessert, fiber doesn’t usually come to mind, but high-fiber desserts can help satisfy fiber requirements. The Daily Value – the recommended daily amount – for fiber is 28 grams. One Raspberry Yogurt Fiber One™ Cereal Cups contains 13 grams of fiber!

You can make these yogurt cups with any fresh or frozen berry you like. They are are delicious for a weeknight dessert, and pretty enough to serve to guests. Make the cereal cups ahead of time and add the filling when you’re ready to serve.

Foods like Fiber One™ Original Cereal make it easier to get the fiber you need, and recipes that include the cereal, including my Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce, make it delicious.

How do you “flaunt your fiber?” Let me know in the comments!

Dessert cups filled with raspberry yogurt
Print Recipe

Raspberry Yogurt Fiber One Cereal Cups

Say yes to dessert with this delicious, fiber-packed cereal cups!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fiber, Greekyogurt, raspberry
Servings: 5
Calories: 287kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Fiber One TM Original cereal
  • 8 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, or fruit of your choice
  • 3/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375˚F. Coat a 6-cup standard muffin tin with cooking spray.
  • Add cereal to a food processor and process until it is the consistency of fine crumbs, about 1 to 2 minutes. 
  • Transfer cereal to a medium mixing bowl.
  • Melt butter in microwave in a microwave-safe dish. 
  • Add melted butter and sugar to the mixing bowl. Stir until well-combined. 
  • Add a heaping ¼ cup of the cereal mixture to five of the muffin cups. Press evenly on the sides and bottom to form a cup.  
  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. 
  • To make the filling, blend the raspberries and yogurt in a food processor until smooth, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. 
  • Remove the cereal cups by inverting the pan on a flat surface and tapping on the bottom of each of the muffin cups so they pop out in one piece. 
  • To serve, fill each cereal cup to the brim with the fruit mixture. Garnish with sprigs of mint, if desired.  

Notes

Nutrition Information:
Per serving: 287 calories; 6g protein; 35g carbohydrates (13% DV); 20g fat (25% DV); 12 g saturated fat (59% DV); 51mg cholesterol (4% DV); 248mg sodium (11% DV); 13 g fiber (47%) 

 

Gluten-Free Chickpea Blondies

 

Gluten-free chickpea blondie with chocolate chips and walnuts

Flourless, gluten-free chickpea blondies are chewy and delicious.

I love to bake, and I love chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), so coming up with a chickpea blondie recipe was a no-brainer for me. After a few tries on my part, my family gave this version of Gluten-Free Chickpea Blondies the thumbs up. My taste-testers and I think the blondies are delicious, and I’m happy that a chickpea blondie is a relatively healthy dessert!

In my opinion, blondies should be chewy, slightly gooey, and they should smack of brown sugar without being overly sweet.  We like our gluten-free blondies with chocolate (we prefer just about everything with chocolate!) and some crunch, so I added chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

brown sugar, walnuts, eggs, chickpeas, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, oil, oatmeal

Gluten-Free Chickpea Brownies use just nine everyday pantry ingredients.

Better-for-You Blondies with Benefits

I didn’t set out to make these chickpeas gluten-free, it just happened that way. I have nothing against any kind of flour, but I know that some people must avoid flour and other foods with gluten.

Chickpeas take the place of most of the flour in Gluten-Free Chickpea Blondies, but you can’t use them whole! You must blend them first so that they are smooth and creamy enough to enhance the chewiness of baked goods and spread their goodness throughout the batter.

 

blended chickpeas in a food processor

Blended chickpeas contribute to the chewiness of baked goods.

Read: 26 Easy Recipes to Make with a Can of Chickpeas 

 

I prefer foods with lots of benefits, even desserts.  Why not get the biggest bang for your caloric buck from what you eat, even if it is a treat? One of these gluten-free chickpea blondies supplies many different nutrients, but these are stand-outs:


• 13% of your daily fiber for digestive health, and overall wellbeing


• 10% of your daily choline, necessary for every cell in your body and brain health


• 10% of daily vitamin E, which a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage


Chickpeas also provide phytonutrients, which are protective plant compounds. Eating plans that are rich in phytonutrients are associated with a lower risk for certain health conditions, including heart disease.

batter for gluten-free chickpea blondies with chocolate chips and walnuts

Stir the walnuts and chocolate chips in at the end.

Print Recipe

Gluten-Free Chickpea Blondies

Chickpeas make these flourless blondies moist and chewy!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chickpeadessert, flourless, glutenfree, glutenfreeblondie, walnuts
Servings: 8
Calories: 280kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup plain gluten-free oats, uncooked
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/3 cup gluten-free semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350˚F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
  • Place drained chickpeas and oil in large food processor. Process until smooth, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Add the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla and process for another 45 seconds.
  • Add the oats, baking powder, and salt and blend for another minute or so. (The oatmeal won't completely break down, and that's OK.)
  • Stir the walnuts and chocolate chips into the batter and pour into the pan.
  • Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Per serving: 280 calories, 15 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat), 47 milligrams cholesterol, 206 milligrams sodium, 34 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams fiber, 6 grams protein

Recipe Variations for Gluten-Free Chickpea Blondies

I love it when readers swap ingredients to make a recipe their own.  Here are some possible ingredient substitutions, and I’m sure you can come up with your own, too!

  • Use white chocolate chips instead of dark or semisweet chocolate chips.
  • Pump up the flavor with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
  • Swap walnuts for chopped hazelnuts or pecans.

Leave a note in the comments if you changed the recipe around to your liking!

Read: How to Make Ingredient Substitutions 

pin for chickpea blondies

Beef and Mushroom Burgers

Beef and mushroom burger topped with tomato on plate with salad.

Use mushrooms to go further with meat.

You’ve probably seen the news about a possible shortage of meat, and higher meat prices, but even if you can’t buy all the beef you’d like, you can still enjoy juicy, delicious meat burgers.  Beef and mushroom burgers are better for you and are a great way to stretch the meat you have on hand.

Why mushrooms are good for you, your food budget, and the planet 

Mushrooms are tan or white, and are often disregarded for their lack of deep color, which is taken to mean that they’re not worth much nutritionally. Wrong!

Mushrooms supply B vitamins, selenium and other protective compounds, and when producers expose them to ultraviolet rays, mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamin D. In fact, mushrooms are the only source of vitamin D found in the produce aisle.

Here are some facts you probably didn’t know about mushrooms’ sustainability: it’s possible to grow up to one million pounds of mushrooms on a single acre of land, and producing a pound of mushrooms requires less than two gallons of water. That’s good news for the environment.

How to use less meat and not miss it 

Mushrooms have a meaty texture and a savory taste called umami which pairs well with meat.  I also use mushrooms to replace meat in marinara sauce and pizza, too.

Beef and Mushroom Stew forgoes some meat for mushrooms.

Substituting mushrooms for some meat, no matter what type, increases vegetable intake, which is always a good idea. It addition, combining mushrooms and meat naturally decreases the calories, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol in a typical beef burger.

 

mushrooms on a cutting board

Mushrooms provide a savory taste and meaty texture.

How to make beef and mushroom burgers

In my beef and mushroom burger recipe, each burger uses just two ounces of lean beef.  I serve the burgers on whole wheat hamburger buns, along with a large green salad topped with olive oil and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for extra crunch and nutrition.  I like to garnish my burger with a horseradish/mayonnaise mixture, sliced tomato, and lettuce.

finely chopped mushrooms

Processing cooked mushrooms makes for a consistency that’s closer to ground beef. 

 

beef and mushroom burger recipe
Print Recipe

Beef and Mushroom Burgers

Delicious, juicy beef burgers that use less meat and more vegetables.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beefburgers, healthierburgers, mushrooms, umami
Servings: 4
Author: ewardrd

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces baby bella mushrooms or white button mushrooms
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces 93% lean ground beef
  • fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup seaonsed breadcrumbs
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 2-ounce whole wheat buns, toasted or grilled, if desired

Instructions

  • Chop mushrooms into 1/4-inch pieces.
  • Add oil to medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan, place in medium mixing bowl, and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  • Place mushrooms in a food processor or blender and pulse until they take on a paste-like consistency, about 10-15 seconds.
  • Add the mushrooms back to the mixing bowl and add beef, black pepper, eggs, breadcrumbs, basil, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine thoroughly.  Form mixture into 4 patties of equal size.
  • Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
  • Cook burgers for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until they reach an internal temperature of 160˚F.
  • To serve, place patties on buns with desired toppings

Notes

Per serving (burger and bun): 
360 calories; 11 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat); 141 milligrams cholesterol; 771 milligrams sodium; 40 grams carbohydrate; 5 grams fiber; 27 grams protein

beef and mushroom burger on a plate with salad pinterest

No-Bake Vegan Bean and Peanut Butter Treats

As a dietitian, and lover of all things sweet, this no-bake vegan bean and peanut butter treats recipe checks all the boxes for me!

Vegan peanut butter and peanut heart-shaped dessert on Love napkin.

Nothing says “love” like a healthy, delicious dessert.

Healthy, no-bake dessert recipe 

The best thing about vegan recipes is that you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy them. (Also, you can eat the raw dough!)

No-Bake Vegan Bean and Peanut Butter Treats are perfect for everyone because they’re delicious, energizing, and heart-healthy.  And, if made with certified gluten-free oats, this vegan treat is gluten-free, too.

Children can help form the dough into hearts. Or, if it’s easier for them, they can form the dough into balls and dunk them into the chocolate.

Click here for a flourless Easy Black Bean Brownie recipe!
Small bowls of white beans, uncooked oats, peanuts

White beans, oats, and peanuts are the basis of these treats.

 

Print Recipe

No-Bake Vegan Bean and Peanut Butter Treats

Peanut butter, white beans, and oatmeal combine to make a delicious sweet vegan treat that can be gluten-free, too. 
Prep Time30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beans, glutenfree, peanutbutter, ValentinesDay, vegan
Servings: 18
Calories: 124kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup oatmeal, uncooked
  • 1 15-oz. can white beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan and gluten-free, if desired)
  • 3 Tbsp. finely chopped peanuts

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients except the chocolate chips and peanuts in a food processor.  Blend until the mixture is well-combined, about 3 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides of the processor.  Leave the dough in the food processor and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
    Place the dough on a large cutting board and press into a 9-inch square that’s about 1/2-inch thick. Use a medium heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the dough into hearts.*  
    Combine the remaining dough and press into a 1/2-inch thick piece. Cut dough into hearts until you have 18, and place hearts on a wire cooling rack on top of a cutting board.
    To decorate, melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler and  drizzle on the hearts. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and allow the chocolate to harden before eating. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Information: Per serving: 124 calories; 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat); 0 cholesterol; 82 milligrams sodium; 16 grams carbohydrate; 3 grams fiber; 4 grams protein.

    Notes

    *Note: You can also shape the dough into 18 balls. Dip half of each ball into the melted chocolate and coat with peanuts. Place on wax paper to harden.
    Plate of vegan bean and peanut butter no-bake treats

    They’re vegan, so you can pick at the batter without worries!

     

    Delicious Mini Dessert Recipes



    They say good things come in small packages, and for me that means mini desserts. There is no way that I’m going to skip sweets, yet I don’t want a huge piece of pie or cake, either.  The first few bites of any food are the most satisfying, so why eat more than you need? Here are three delicious mini dessert recipes suitable for entertaining, and for every day!

    Brownie Bites with Raspberry Chia Jam

    Brownie Bites with Raspberry Chia Jam

    Brownie Bites with Raspberry Chia Jam

    Makes 24 brownies.

    1 cup fresh or frozen plain raspberries

    1 tablespoon sugar

    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chia seeds

    1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

    1/4 cup canola oil

    2 large eggs

    3/4 cup sugar

    1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    1/2 teaspoon baking powder

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    2/3 cup semisweet chocolate mini chips

    2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.

    Place berries in small saucepan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the fruit breaks down. Using the back of a wooden spoon, mash the berries. Take the berries off the heat. Add the sugar and chia seeds, and let the mixture stand until thickened.  Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

    Place the beans and the oil in a food processor. Process on high until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract and blend well. Add the baking powder and salt and blend for 10 seconds more. Stir in the chocolate chips.

    Pour the batter by rounded tablespoons into each muffin cup. Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a brownie bite comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely.

    Top each brownie with 1 teaspoon jam and a few coconut flakes.

    mini pumpkin mousse

    Mini Pumpkin Mousse

    Mini Pumpkin Mousse 

    Makes 12 servings.

    2 cups plain canned pumpkin

    1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

    3/4 cup pure maple syrup

    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

    1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

    8 ounces frozen, thawed light whipped cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream that’s been whipped, or cashew cream)

    2-3 medium gingersnaps, crumbed (optional)

    Place pumpkin, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Beat on high speed for 1 minute. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the whipped topping or cream, and fold what remains into the pumpkin mixture. Spoon the mousse into 12 small serving dishes. Chill until ready to serve. Top each with a teaspoon of whipped topping and crumbled gingersnap cookies, if desired.

    peanut butter chocolate cups

    Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

    Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

    Makes 24 cups.

    12 ounces dark chocolate

    1 cup heavy cream

    2/3 cup Greek-style cream cheese

    1 cup powdered sugar

    1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

    mini chocolate chips or chocolate for shaving, if desired

    Cut two clean, one-dozen empty foam egg cartons into separate egg cups to make 24 cups.

    Melt the dark chocolate.  Place a heaping teaspoon of melted chocolate in each egg cup and tilt to evenly coat. Put egg cups on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes.

    Place cream in a large mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until cream forms stiff peaks, about one or two minutes. Do not overbeat.  Transfer cream to a medium bowl and set aside.

    Add cream cheese, sugar, and peanut butter to the large mixing bowl.  Beat on high speed until smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until completely combined and the mixture is uniform in color and texture. Refrigerate.

    Take egg cups out of the freezer. Carefully peel the egg carton from the chocolate, keeping your fingers near the bottom.

    To assemble, place a tablespoon or so of the peanut mixture into each chocolate cup and top with shaved chocolate.

    Easy Flourless Black Bean Brownies

    Warning: Rave ahead. As in I can’t stop raving about these easy flourless black bean brownies that are also gluten-free!

    Black bean brownie topped with raspberries and melted chocolate on a white plate.

    The health benefits of beans

    This might come as a surprise: beans are vegetables and they are bursting with nutrition. Beans supply several nutrients including protein and potassium, and they contain phytonutrients, which are plant compounds that protect your cells against damage.

    Black beans, and other legumes, also contribute fiber to your eating plan. Fiber feeds the beneficial gut bacteria that support your immune system and help prevent you from getting sick from a virus or bacteria.

    Fruits and vegetables can make indulgences like brownies, bars, and cookies better for you, even when the baked goods contain added sugar.

    Why beans are a good ingredient substitute for baking

    You can use beans to replace some of the fat and flour when baking, and enhance the texture of baked goods, like these brownies. I have nothing against fat or flour, however. I just like to bake with beans sometimes!

    I love desserts that have more to offer more than calories, and these brownies are one of them. The black beans and the raspberries pump up the fiber content to 10 grams per serving, which is more than 25% of your daily fiber needs! Along with the eggs, beans also contribute protein, so that a serving has 7 grams, which, along with fiber, helps you to feel satisfied.

    I top my brownies with raspberries because they are delicious, beautiful, and nutritious. Raspberries supply vitamin C, fiber, phytonutrients, and so much more. And, raspberries provide natural sweetness so you can use less added sugar in baked goods.

    Flourless black bean brownies topped with raspberries and melted dark chocolate on a wire rack.

    These easy flourless black bean brownies take less than 40 minutes to prepare from start to finish. While they look special enough for a celebration, they’re also easy enough to make any time.

    Black bean brownie topped with raspberries and melted chocolate on a white plate.
    Print Recipe

    Easy Flourless Black Bean Brownies

    Delicious, easy, flourless black brownies topped with fresh raspberries.
    Prep Time10 minutes
    Cook Time25 minutes
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: blackbeanbrownies, flourlessbrownies, glutenfreebrownies
    Servings: 8

    Ingredients

    • 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1 3/4 cups)
    • 3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. canola oil
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2/3 cup sugar
    • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips*
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, washed and dried

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
    • Place the beans and 3 tablespoons of oil in a food processor. Process on high until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.  
    • Add the eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract and blend well.  
    • Add the baking powder and salt and blend for 10 seconds more. 
    • Stir in 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips.
    • Pour the batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Remove the brownies and allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
    • Top the brownies with the raspberries, forming a single layer.
    • Combine the remaining teaspoon of canola oil and the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave until chips are melted, about 20 to 30 seconds, stopping to stir once.  
    • Immediately drizzle the chocolate mixture on top of the raspberries. Allow the chocolate to harden for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 8 equal pieces.
      * You can also use white chocolate chips for the topping, if desired.

    Notes

    Per serving (1/8 of recipe): 
    319 calories; 15 grams fat (5 grams saturated fat); 48 milligrams cholesterol; 324 milligrams sodium; 46 grams carbohydrate; 10 grams fiber; 8 grams protein

    Flourless black bean brownies topped with raspberries and melted white chocolate

    You can also substitute white chocolate chips for dark, if you like. Here’s a post about using the ingredients you have on hand.

    Two black bean brownies topped with fresh raspberries on white plates on a gray background.

     

     

     

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