Chocolate-covered frozen bananas. Need I say more? Yes. It tastes just like frozen banana split. Is that a thing everywhere around the world? It sure is here in Germany. If you don’t know what a banana split is: it’s a split banana with vanilla icecream, chocolate sauce and usually lots of whipped cream. Not in this version. ‘Cause this is a healthy blog.

I came up with this idea just this week, because, as you might know: we have a major heat wave in Europe. Not just in the South, but there are temperatures in the 30s (celcius) registered in Scandinavia. That’s insane and not something we, nature or the animals are used to. It breaks my heart to see fish dying, plants dying and the elder people in the nursing homes struggle with this weather.

But now to these chocoalte covered frozen bananas. They are everything you’ll need for a fun weekend time. If you have kids and they like bananas (many kids don’t apparently), then please make them with your kids. IT IS SO MUCH FUN! Since we freeze the bananas before dipping them into the chocolate, the glaze will dry immediately, which is so cool! You got to be extra quick to sprinkle the toppings onto the glaze as it dries so quickly, even in 27 °C hot kitchens. Yeah, my kitchen is not the place to be during this heat wave.

Also, I’ve found a way to substitute the often hard to find cacao butter that I usually make my chocolate with. Turns out, you can just as easily use coconut oil to make divine tasting chocolate and chocolate glazes. Another benefit is that coconut oil is already liquid in the summer if you keep it out of the fridge. This saves you one step of the process – a lifesaver in temperatures like our current heat wave.

If you’re not too keen on eating bananas these days, because you’ve heard about their high sugar content, let me tell you a little bit about bananas. Yes, they are high in fructose and high in energy, but the difference between a chocolate bar and a banana is the high fiber and mineral content in bananas. Not only does the fiber prevent the blood sugar level from spiking, it also aids digestion. There is also a reason why athletes love eating bananas: their high potassium content regulates blood pressure and supports a healthy heart. All the more reasons to eat a banana a day.

Now, have fun making these delicious summer treats!

xx

Lynn

Enjoy!

The post Frozen chocolate covered bananas appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

This recipe is also available in German. / Dieses Rezept gibt es auch auf deutsch.

I know it’s crazy but I recently realized that my blog does not have a single „Nicecream“ recipe. If you’ve lived under a rock these past years: nicecream is a plant-based ice cream that really is creamy. Nicecream comes from „Banane Ice-cream“, which is the basis of Nicecream. It is made with frozen bananas and frozen berries, mangos, dates or chocolate powder – the variations are endless. Today I am sharing with you the most basic nicecream – raspberry nicecream, which is so simple that you won’t even need a recipe for it.

If you’re totally yawning right now, I completely understand. But I am really not one of those super up-to-date trendy people. I am always behind trends. Always.
So I am actually really sure that there are some folks reading this right now, who might appreciate a quick homemade ice-cream recipe. After all, my 30-minute pasta dish from the other day was so popular because it was so basic and so simple. I am still blown away by how many people clicked on this last recipe.

Back to this nicecream. The idea behind nicecream is that frozen bananas make the creamiest of bases ever. Also, ripe bananas are very sweet, so you won’t need any additional sweeteners at all. My personal favorite nicecream is the raspberry version as raspberries are just the perfect blend between sweet and tangy. And they are my personal favorite berry right behind blueberries.

The best thing about nicecream is that you really don’t need a recipe and that the combinations are endless. I love the raspberry version, but you can also use frozen mangos, pineapple, dates for a caramel version or chocolate powder for a rich chocolaty flavor.

If you’re not into sugar lately (I’m not either), then I can understand that you will cry out loud, because bananas are high in fructose. If you are avoiding fructose, then this banana ice-cream is probably not for you. I suggest you try one of my coconut yoghurt popsicles, and replace the maple syrup or honey with rice syrup. I am not eating a lot of sweets anymore, but if I do, I do not stay away from fructose. It’s my personal choice and I tend to digest fructose well.

Enjoy!

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Too lazy for summer rolls? Then these salad wraps are perfect for you!

Not that summer is finally here, it’s time to prepare four our bikini body. You know the drill:

How to get a beach body?

Have a body. Go to the beach.

I’m sorry, but I just love this joke so much. That’s exactly what I will be doing this week, because we are off to Bali for two weeks! I do not have a problem with my weight, but of course I have parts of my body, that I do not find all that attractive. I absolutely hate dieting – like I’ve never went through with a single one in my life -, but when summer comes, I find myself being less hungry, so summer is usally a good time for me to drop some points (if I wanted to). What I am always craving in the summer: fresh vegetables and a great dip. That’s why I’ve created these delicious 15 minute salad wraps, they are the perfect way to eat light and fresh and still feel satisfied. They are also great for cleaning out the fridge before you go on a weekend trip or longer vacation, so make sure you give them a try.

The making off these salad wraps starts with my pulling a forgotten bag of edamame out of the deepest corner of my freezer. Cool, I thought, but what should I do with these?? I was too lazy to make summer rolls and I didn’t even have rice paper to begin with. So I went over to the grocery store around the corner and got myself a nice big lettuce (the very dark green kind, not the almost white kind), because I wanted to make the lettuce wraps from the Cheesecake Factory.

I know. I know. I know.

How could I possibly love the Cheesecake Factory when I claim to be a healthy food blogger. Well, first of all, I’m German, and when Germans go to America, there are certain things that we just love to do, because it fascinates us. Visiting a Victoria’s Secret (used to be) is amongst these things, as is visiting outlet malls and the Cheesecake Factory. I believe it’s the size of the menu, the crazy rich cheesecakes and the completely different restaurant experience than the one we are used to back at home.

So, whenever my boyfriend and I would visit each other, we would go on a date night to the Cheesecake Factory, ordering either Thai Lettuce Wraps or Avocado Egg Rolls (I know, I KNOW!), as an appetizer. To my defense, I have to say, that the food really tastes delicious there. And those Thai Lettuce Wraps are so delicious, that I think about them often. Well, maybe not often, but I just really really liked them. So much that I just had to recreate them. And I think I succeeded quite well.

It all comes down to the sauce, which the Cheesecake Factory even shared on their blog a while ago. I wrote it down, but of course, it was anything but healthy. I tried to make it healthier, and I think I succeeded. The sauce is made up of garlic, cilantro, cashews and honey mixed with aromatic spices. It’s so good, folks, you have to try it!

If you do not feel like making the lettuce wraps, you could also use the sauce as a BBQ dip or marinade – it will give you lots of approving nods. If you do decide on making the wraps, make sure you chose a protein that fills you up such as edamame, chickpeas, lentils or GMO-free tofu. I also like to add avocado and rice noodles, but that’s totally up to taste. Just use what you have in the fridge, because these wraps are the best clean the fridge solution.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

Merken

Merken

Merken

The post 25-minute salad wraps with the best cashew-cilantro-sauce appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

This recipe is also available in German. / Dieses Rezept gibt es auch auf Deutsch.

It finally feels like summer, the farmer’s market is selling local strawberries and you can see people wearing shorts and sandals all over town. I love the feeling of the first summer days. The warm temperatures have me craving berries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – and dessert. That’s why I came up with these healthy strawberry muffins that I know you’re going to love just as much as I do.

I find it strange that every café in my city is somehow offering blueberry muffins, but I never see strawberry muffins. I know that they are supposed to be too watery for baked goods, but I strongly disagree. Strawberries work just fine for making muffins. I made mine with the first local strawberries that I could get my hands on, and they tasted delicious without turning out too watery. You should definitely not try this recipe with frozen strawberries though as they will definitely make the muffins too runny.

For the batter, I used a mix of oat and brown rice flour, added some arrowroot powder as a binding ingredient and aluminum-free baking powder as a raising agent. I know that many healthy baking recipes do not have baking powder in them, but I think as long as you go for the aluminum-free powder, there’s nothing wrong with adding some rising ingredients to your muffins. It’s just something I prefer in baked goods – but of course, everybody’s taste is different.

For sweetener, I used coconut blossom sugar as they are also suitable for diabetics because they do not have such a strong impact on our blood sugar level as refined sugar has. This has the effect that the energy is released more slowly and sustainably, giving us the power we need to get through a long afternoon at work without craving something sweet an hour after eating the muffins.

Of course, you can also try mixing the strawberries with other berries such as raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries, but I’m all about the delicious strawberry taste at the moment.

I hope you’ll like this recipe – let me know what you think about it in the comments below.

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

The post Healthy Strawberry Muffins appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

If you live in Germany like me, then you know that summer is once again being a diva over here. It’s been a typical northern European summer this year: lots of rain, wetness, cold and only occasional peaks of sunshine. I was lucky to be able to spend the last two weeks in Austria with the most beautiful weather, but coming home was such a disappointment weather-wise. I did not feel like cold smoothies at all these past mornings, and I even felt like making oatmeal for breakfast. Instead, I chose this summer baked berry oatmeal, which is a nice change from my usual healthy bircher muesli in the morning. It’s so nice to eat something warm for breakfast, without feeling like it’s already fall or winter. 

Baked oatmeal is nothing less than, well, baked oatmeal. Instead of eating it straight from the saucepan, you add all ingredients to a baking dish, cover it with nuts and more berries and put it into the oven for a few minutes. So basically it’s like a hybrid between oatmeal and crumbles. There’s not much sugar in this baked berry oatmeal, as sweet, local berries are in season right now, so it’s a healthy and wholesome breakfast option that keeps you satisfied for many hours.

Berries are my favorite reminder that it’s actually summer, even though the weather here tells me otherwise. They are the best antioxidant boost, protecting your body from free radical damage and chronic diseases. If you pair this oatmeal with my current favorite turmeric latte, then your body is really in for a treat.

Have you ever tried baked oatmeal? What’s your favorite flavor combination?

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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With rising summer temperatures, I could literally just drink this pineapple turmeric smoothie all day. It’s just so refreshing and delicious, and obviously filled with ingredients that nourish and fuel your body. I have already declared my love for turmeric in various posts before, such as in my turmeric latte (golden milk), so it was only a matter of time until I started adding it to my smoothies too. This pineapple turmeric smoothie has been the best turmeric-based smoothie creation yet, so I am excited to share it with you today.

The combination of pineapple and turmeric has been a totally new taste experience for me. Even though turmeric is a warm spice, the smoothie is nevertheless very refreshing due to the mild acidity of the pineapple and the freshness of the cucumber and ginger. Pineapple is not only a juicy summer fruit, it’s also bursting with goodness, too. It’s an excellent source of manganese, which is important for the production of energy and antioxidant activity. It also adds a good vitamin C boost to this smoothie, making it a complete health bomb.

Turmeric is becoming more and more popular in the Western world, mainly because of it’s anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventing properties. If you’re not sure about the turmeric in this smoothie, then start slowly and increase the amount of turmeric gradually with time as you get accustomed to the taste. Try to find a fresh turmeric root, it will make a huge difference in taste. You could also swap the almond milk for coconut milk to make the smoothie taste like a good old pina colada. Since I have never been the biggest fan of cream-based cocktails, I did not feel like turning this smoothie into a healthy pina colada smoothie, but if you love the taste, go for it.

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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Summer has finally decided to show up again (at least over here in Germany) so today let’s celebrate summer with these blueberry coconut yoghurt popsicles. The popsicles are similar to the healthy strawberry coconut popsicles I recently posted. However, I tried them with coconut yoghurt instead of coconut milk this time, which really makes them taste like yoghurt popsicles. 

Healthy popsicles are the best summer snack, they keep you cool, fuel you with nutrients and are so easily prepared. Even though I photographed them with two different layers, I recommend blending the two layers together as this makes them extra creamy, and you’ll have all the deliciousness in every bite.

The difference between coconut yoghurt and coconut milk is that coconut yoghurt contains probiotics (healthy gut bacteria) that are important for a healthy gut and bowel system. When you decide to go completely plant-based, but do not want to miss out on yoghurt, then coconut yoghurt is your new best friend. Compared to soy yoghurt or other plant-based yoghurt, co-yo is completely natural and comes without nasty additives such as colorants, sugars or preservatives as the commercial dairy industry has not yet picked up on this trend yet.

There are only a few companies in Europe that sell coconut yoghurt, all of which promote clean eating, and a healthy lifestyle. Coconut yoghurt is still pretty expensive, and I’ve tried making it myself before, but I wasn’t quite lucky the first time I tried it. I’ll continue to try my best at creating a recipe that works, and I hope I’ll be able to present it to you soon. Until then, you’ll just have to go with Co-Yo or Harvest the Moon coconut yoghurt, which both taste delicious.

Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe or have any suggestions, questions or comments?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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This recipe brings back great memories from my trips to Florida, where I tried the famous Key Lime Pie for the first time in my life. It’s such a great cake, because it’s not too sweet and has this amazing lime flavor, that makes you want to never stop eating it. Key Lime Pie is originally from the Florida Keys, where they use the so called “key limes” to make this pie, which gives it its famous name. I have yet to try to make my own healthy version of key lime pie, but since I like it so much, it will be hard to find a version that will come close to the original masterpiece. 

Since I don’t have time to bake a lot these days, I simply kept adding lime juice to my smoothies, and realized pretty soon, that it reminded me of the sweet and sour taste of key lime pie. So I tested a few versions and came to like this one the most. The smoothie contains lime juice, obviously, bananas (because they make every smoothie naturally creamy and sweet), coconut flakes and coconut water for the extra touch of holiday feeling, cucumbers (because I add cucumber to all my smoothies), spinach for a vitamin K boost, mint for even more freshness, and avoado, which adds some healthy fats to the whole thing. And there you go, that’s all the magic ingredients in this refreshing smoothie.

I love adding lime juice or any kind of citrus fruit juice to my smoothies, because it contains lots of vitamin C, which is the most well-known antioxidant. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system by protecting our cells from free radical damage. Besides from its health benefits, lime juice simply adds a great touch of freshness to any smoothie, and instantly makes it taste more like a cocktail than a healthy drink. Try it for yourself!

Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe or have any suggestions, questions or comments?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

The post Refreshing Cucumber and Lime Smoothie (Key Lime Smoothie) appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.