Today on Guest Blogger Wednesday we would like to introduce you to Alaena of Grazed and Enthused. Alaena is an AIP Paleo Blogger and today she is offering a dessert choice that is AIP Friendly and EASY! No baking required is always great in my book, but especially awesome when it’s hot and humid and you don’t want to turn on the oven!
We hope you enjoy her recipe and check out her website! AIP options are so limited (as Stacy well knows) and in our opinion there cannot be enough AIP bloggers out there striving to create interesting recipes to break up the monotony. This unique spin on one of our classic favorites certainly does just that!
♥♥♥
To quote the great Eileen Laird, “AIP ain’t for sissies.” It takes incredible resolve and self-control to restructure your diet, lifestyle, and exercise routines. Fortunately when I transitioned from a standard Paleo diet to the Autoimmune Protocol, I already had a “gut feeling” (har, har) that eggs, nightshades, seeds, and nuts were causing some major flares. I also discovered that foods high in histamine like avocados, bacon, and spinach were responsible for my headaches, brain fog, and facial edema. High FODMAP foods like cabbage, broccoli, apples, and sweet potatoes caused immobilizing stomach cramps. Seriously? AIP + low-histamine + low-FODMAP = one hungry chick.
I spent a couple months sulking in a sea of steamed butternut squash and season-less chicken thighs. I am a flavor-fiend… known to sprinkle-slash-dump oregano, cumin, and smoked paprika on everything. It was a tough two months, but I survived. My husband encouraged me to finally start a food blog – something I had wanted to do for years – to get my cooking mojo back. Grazed and Enthused forced me to find easy and creative solutions to “#AIP Problems”. Some of my most popular recipes are AIP replacements for Paleo replacements of Standard American Diet fare (like this recipe for Chicken N’ Gravy )… but ridiculously nutrient-upped. This tells me one thing: food doesn’t just keep us alive, it makes us feel alive. It’s a way to socialize, show appreciation to others, and relieve ourselves from nutrient-poor, inflammatory past choices. The Autoimmune Protocol has given me control back. I control my digestive health, my inflammation, and my mood by maintaining an AIP diet, keeping stress low (cooking is cathartic), and by refusing to sacrifice sleep for anything.
This recipe excites me for several reasons:
1) No added sugars! The pies are sweetened naturally with fruit.
2) Fun and easy to make! Kids can help spread the Banana Cream over the Carob Fudge Crust.
3) No bake! Great for those of us who ruin everything that enters the oven in cake form and comes out with the texture of a Nerf ball.
4) Pre-portioned sizes which are convenient for anyone watching blood sugar levels. Each cup has about 8g of natural sugar and loads of high-quality fats.
Please enjoy and be sure to check out more of my recipes (most can be made in 30 minutes and under) at Grazed and Enthused .
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced ripe bananas (about 2 small ones)
- ¼ cup coconut butter
- ¼ cup coconut cream*
- 1 T coconut oil
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup carob powder
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup cold coconut cream*
- 1 T carob powder
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Place bananas in the saucepan and let caramelize for 5-7 minutes, stirring every minute so they do not burn.
- Turn heat to low. Add coconut butter and stir into the bananas until melted. Now add the coconut cream and stir until bananas are well-mashed, 1-2 more minutes. It is okay if a few small chunks remain.
- Place in fridge to cool down as you make your crust.
- In a measuring cup with a pourable lip, stir together the coconut oil, carob powder, and sea salt. Pour into 6 silicone muffin cups and place in freezer to harden for 20 minutes.
- Remove from freezer and scoop Banana Cream mixture onto crusts. Spread evenly with the back of a small spoon. Place in fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- In a small bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the coconut cream and carob powder for 3-4 minutes until a whipped mousse consistency is formed.
- Top Banana Cream Pies with Carob Whipped Cream and serve. Store covered in fridge.
Notes
From the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk placed in the fridge overnight. I needed exactly 1 can of coconut milk for this recipe, but you may need 2 cans depending on the brand you purchase
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://paleoparents.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/BioPicture2-001-737×740.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Alaena Haber is the creator of the Paleo and AIP recipe site Grazed and Enthused. After eating standard Paleo for two years, Alaena transitioned to AIP in January to combat lingering symptoms of Hashimoto’s, leaky gut, and histamine intolerance. Alaena’s passion for holistic well-being shows in her dedication to sourcing nutrient-dense ingredients for creative and flavorful recipes. She believes each meal is an opportunity to show respect for oneself and gratitude for others. Alaena hopes to reach members of the autoimmune community who need inspiration and support during their healing journey. She lives with her husband, Jeff, and cockapoo, Rafael, in Chicago while attending a full-time occupational therapy master’s program.
Connect with Alaena: | Instagram | Facebook | Grazed and Enthused Blog | [/author_info] [/author]
