Let’s face it, sometimes desserts taste so good because of the unhealthy ingredients we put in them. But, what if your recipe could taste just as good, by using healthy ingredients?! AND, what if you could bake your cake, eat it too- WHILE getting your vegetable servings for the day?! Best solution for all? Baking with vegetables!!

We found a great article called “5 Vegetables to Bake in Your Cupcake,” by Kimberley Stakal, that gives great insight to different options for baking with vegetables.
The first she suggests is shredded zucchini. It dissolve into cupcakes in the oven and doesn’t effect the taste or look of your creation. We’ve used it in our Vanilla & Cocoa and Zucchini Cake Recipe and combined it with our rich, gourmet cocoa to give this cake a flavor you’d never suspect had vegetables!

Next, Kimberly suggests a great way to naturally color your baked goods: with beets! By shredding them, and adding them to your recipe, it gives your cake or cupcake a pink hue… and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, what could be better! Try adding shredded beets to our Double Vanilla Cupcake recipe which will be the perfect touch to make these delicious treats festive!

Thirdly, try baking with carrots! They’re a great ingredient because they’re rich in natural sugars and skin-rejuvenating carotenoids. Adding carrots to your baked good is a smart idea for your stomach and for your skin! If you’re interested in a delicious recipe, try our Layered Carrot Cake Recipe!

Now, how about sweet potatoes- an obvious one if you think about it. It’s used in pies all the time, but really – it’s a great ingredient to add a smooth and creamy texture, with a sweet taste to your cupcakes and cakes!

Lastly, is sauerkraut. Yes, it’s true… we were skeptical at first too. But Kimberly makes a great point. Sauerkraut is juicy and has a powerful flavor that pairs deliciously with chocolate. Try it in your next chocolate recipe- let us know what you think!!

Well there you have it, a great way to add healthy vegetable servings into your delicious baked goods!! ENJOY!

 Click for recipe!

Being vegan has become a very popular trend. This is a person who does not eat or use animal product. Which as you can imagine can be quite tricky! Because let’s face it, there is pretty much cheese and butter in everything!

We found a wonderful article, Vegan Baking Substitution Guide, by VegNews that gives a good insight to the ins and outs of making it easier to be a vegan. We’ve listed some of the main ingredients that vegans struggle with, and thanks to VegNews- GREAT ways to solve this problem.

Butter: If baking a recipe that has natural spice or flavor to it, such as spice cookies or gingerbread, olive oil or untoasted sesame oil work well. Unrefined coconut oil (which is solid at room temperature) can add the thickness that butter would, and canola oil works in recipes with liquid sugars (think agave) or solid fats, such as groundnuts or chocolates in cakes. Vegan shortening works well with cookies and pie crusts. And of course, there’s margarine, which creates the buttery taste so many holiday cookies require.

Milk: Full-fat soymilk will help create the richness of whole milk, while rice milk is lighter. Almond milk sometimes can add a subtle almond taste, as can coconut milk, and both will contribute to the richness of a recipe. If you want to add an even sweeter taste, we recommend adding a teaspoon of Rodelle Vanilla Extract to give your milk an flavor component.

Eggs: Ground flax seeds are a popular substitute that are also nutritious—three tablespoons of water to one tablespoon of ground flax seeds equates to one egg. Mashed banana and applesauce are other healthy alternatives that completely cut out the cholesterol eggs add to baking. And soy yogurt is a creative way to replace eggs and can add a rich texture to your baking, as can puréed black beans. If you’re not a believer yet, try our Black Bean Brownies just to show you that they really do create an incredible recipe!

Now, we certainly understand that you may not decide to jump on the vegan bandwagon, however cutting some of these fatty foods from your diet is always an easy way to take your recipes to the next step in being healthier.

Try these substitutions in our Double Vanilla Cupcake Recipe!

We all know we’re supposed to eat grains for our daily nutrition. However the question remains, which grains are actually the healthy ones?

A lot of recipes call for all-purpose white flour. White flour doesn’t hold much for nutritional value so we’d recommend using whole wheat flour instead! The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that you should intake six 1/2 cup servings of grain a day. White flour has been very heavily processed, loosing its nutrition, whereas wheat flour hasn’t undergone the same processes keeping its value intact.

Another great reason to use whole-wheat is it’s fiber content. Fiber helps regulate your digestive system, lowers blood cholesterol, and can promote weight loss. According to an article by Louise Tremblay, 1/2 cup of white flour contains 1.3 grams of fiber, while an equal serving of whole-wheat flour contains 6.4 grams. As a result, selecting foods that contain wheat flour helps you reach your dietary fiber intake goal.

This is such a simple and easy tip that will greatly benefit your diet without sacrificing any taste. Try it in your next muffin recipe!!