coconut chocolate chip chia bundt

The holidays are in full swing, which for many (myself included) means indulging in the delicious baked goods that we would normally politely pass on.  I mean hey, most of us join the gym on January 2 and while we may lose our resolve by January 28, you're sure to burn off the calories in this treat. And if you're not going to join the gym, Greek yogurt and chia seeds are two major ingredients that happen to be exceedingly healthy. :)

Yield: One bundt

295 calories per piece, if cut into 16 pieces

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

ingredients

2½ cups all-purpose flour 

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1. In your stand mixer bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and eggs.

2. Except for the chocolate chips and coconut flakes, combine the remaining ingredients in your stand mixer bowl, and stir until very well blended.

3. Pour half of the batter, which will be VERY THICK, into a parchment lined bundt pan. Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips and coconut flakes over the batter, and then pour over the remaining batter.

5. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

6. Turn the bundt out onto a wire rack to cool.

Original recipe found here.

apple cake

Last spring, I made a traditional apple cake. Although it was pretty tasty, it was also little greasy given the amount of butter called for in the recipe. This apple cake uses Greek yogurt instead of butter or oil, making it amazingly moist, dense, and delicious.

Yield: 1 cake
135 calories per slice, if cut into 16 slices
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 75 minutes

ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 apples, diced

preparation
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, cream the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.

3. Add in the yogurt, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, mixing on a speed of 4 until very well combined.

4. Add in the flour and apples, continuing to stir on a speed of 2 until well blended.

5. Pour into a well greased pan and bake until dark brown and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. This cake is very, very dense so a toothpick may come out cleanly even though the cake isn't cooked through. Another method is to gently press on the top of the cake. If it springs back, it's ready.

6. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Other modifications:

• Bringing the cake to a holiday party? Separate the batter into two 8 or 9 inch pie pans, whip up a cream cheese frosting of glaze, and stack. Viola!

Original recipe found here.

oatmeal apple muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
130 calories per muffin
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

ingredients

2 cups oats

1/3 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons nutmeg

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 egg

1 apple, finely chopped

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin tin with liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.

3. Stir until well mixed.

4. Spoon the batter evenly  into the muffin wells.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes clean, about 15 minutes. Because there isn't any fat (oil or butter) in these muffins, they brown quite quickly and may stick to the liners. If you have silicone muffins liners, I recommend using them.

Original recipe found here.

carrot oatmeal chia muffins

I love bran muffins, but was super excited to try these this recipe that uses chia seeds (my new obsession) and Greek yogurt!

Yield: 12 muffins
130 calories per muffin
Active time 5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

4 large carrots, shredded

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chia seeds

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Line your muffin tin with liners

3. In your stand mixer bowl, add all the ingredients, stirring with the paddle attachment until well blended, about 3 minutes.

4. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill each well with batter. The batter is thick, so you may need to use a spoon to scoop the batter out and top it off.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

strawberry scones

I go to Starbucks multiple times a week. While I enjoy their coffee, I'm not a huge fan of their pastries because they don't taste fresh. I've re-created their "berry coffee cake" and now offer this scone adaptation, which is moist, fruity, and has half the calories of a certain store bought counterpart. Yay!

Yield: 8 large scones
215 calories per scone
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

ingredients

3/4 cup Greek yogurt 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sliced strawberries

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.

3. Mix with a spoon to blend by repeatedly folding the dough over itself.

4. Turn the dough out onto your counter top and knead by hand a few turns. The dough will be sticky and a little loose.

5. Shape evenly into 8 balls, placing each on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.

6. Brush the scones with an egg wash and sprinkle sugar over the tops.

7. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

roasted strawberry coffee cake

I'll admit it, I occasionally partake in a slice of Starbuck's Berry Coffee Cake. While the crumb itself is tasty, the topping is often dry and mushy. An odd combination of adjectives, I know, but those of you who've gotten a less than fresh slice know what I'm talking about.

Not only is this homemade coffee cake a healthy alternative, but it can also be made at the beginning of the week and separated into Ziplock bags, leaving you with a daily slice of fruity deliciousness. (Pssst! The secret to the cake's moistness is the Greek yogurt.)

Yield: 1 bundt cake

325 calories, if cut into 12 slices

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: 90 minutes

ingredients

2½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

¼ cup brown sugar

2 cups strawberries

preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Wash and cut the strawberries, placing them on the baking sheet.

4. Bake the strawberries for 30 minutes. See “roasted nectarine greek yogurt chocolate cake” for more on roasting fruit.

5. In a large bowl use your hand mixer to cream the white sugar and eggs, about 3 minutes. See step 9 of  “oreo cupcakes” for more on creaming.

6. Add the butter to the sugar mixture, beating until well blended, about 3 minutes.

7. Add the Greek yogurt, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla, beating until well blended and smooth.  You may have to use your spatula to scrape down the sides. The batter will be thick.

8. Fold in the roasted strawberries.

9. Scoop half of the mixture into a well-greased bundt (or springform) pan.

10. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar on top and cover with the remaining batter.

11. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until done, about 40 minutes. Here are some resources for testing for cake doneness. See step 12 of “coconut chocolate chip monkey bread” for tips on turning out the bundt.

Original recipe found here.