Maple Syrup Cinnamon Buns (low sodium, low fat, low calorie, no butter or oil, and no refined sugar)

This is another low-sodium recipe I have attempted for my sodium-restricted father-in-law. He LOVES cinnamon buns, so I wanted to create some that were more heart-healthy for him, and I think I succeeded my first try (which is very unusual for me!)

These do not contain any oil, butter, salt, baking soda, baking powder or refined sugar. I used strictly maple syrup and cinnamon to sweeten. These are not overly sweet but have lots of flavor!

Printable Recipe:

Maple Syrup Cinnamon Rolls:
(makes 15)

Dough:
3 cups unbleached white flour, white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp quick-rise yeast
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup nonfat milk
1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tbsp maple or vanilla extract

Filling:
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
cinnamon


Directions:
Preheat your oven to the lowest setting for 5 minutes then shut off.
Mix together the flour, yeast and cinnamon in an oven-safe bowl and make a well in the center.
Mix together the milk, applesauce, syrup and extract. Microwave for 45 seconds, until lukewarm.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until most of the flour is incorporated.
Turn the dough out onto parchment paper that has been sprinkled with flour and knead the dough until it all comes together in a ball.
Place the dough back into the oven-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in warmed oven for 30 minutes.
Turn dough back onto parchment paper that has been sprinkled with flour and roll out/shape the dough (I used my hands) until you have an approximately 16" x 10" rectangle.

Drizzle the maple syrup over the dough (try to leave about a 1" strip all around with no syrup, otherwise when you roll it up the edges may not stick).
Roll the doll (starting with the long end) and pinch together the edges to seal.
Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 15 cinnamon buns and place the buns into a 9 x 11-inch pan that has been prepared with nonstick spray.

Place plastic wrap over the top and let them rise (in the still-warm oven) for another 30 minutes. They should have grown taller and filled in the gaps between the rolls like this:

Remove pan from oven and preheat to 325 F (place the rack in the middle position of oven).
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until rolls are golden. Remove from pan and drizzle with glaze if desired.

Glaze (optional, but highly recommended!):
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Whisk all together in a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat, turn down to low and boil gently until slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool slightly before brushing over cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls without Glaze:

Cinnamon Rolls with Glaze:

Note: If you want your cinnamon buns to stay fresher, longer, you can sub a heart-healthy oil such as rice bran, canola or light olive for the applesauce...but I'm willing to bet these won't last that long! :)

Soft Baked Oatmeal Loaves

I am sadly not a breakfast person, coffee first :) But admittedly about halfway through the morning, my stomach starts to make noise at work - so I have to bring along something portable that will hit the spot. These are too delicious to just eat for breakfast though - they make an excellent nutritious snack for kids lunches too. These mini loaves are soft and wholesome and super tasty with no flour, no butter, no oil and no refined sugar, and only 75 calories for a whole mini loaf!

Printable Recipe

Soft Baked Oatmeal Loaves
(makes 8 mini loaves)

1/4 cup bran
1/2 cup milk

1 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites (1/4 cup)
1 banana, mashed

In a medium measuring cup, mix together the bran and milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the dry ingredients.
When the 5 minutes are up, add the rest of the wet ingredients to the bran/milk mixture. Stir until all combined, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry and only stir until just combined. Spray mini loaf pan with non-stick spray (I use a light olive oil spray) and pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each mini loaf. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top springs back lightly when touched.

Soft Baked Mini Loaves: 

You can also bake these into soft (thin) oatmeal bars - pour batter into an 8 x 8 pan and bake at 350 for approximately 15 minutes - cut into 10 bars, the nutrition info is as follows: 

Soft Baked Bars: 

Raw Protein Cookies - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip with Chocolate Fudge Filling

You can't beat raw cookies in the summertime - no need to heat up your house to bake these. These ones are super quick to make and super filling thanks to all the added protein. They are also low in fat and sodium with no added sugar:

Printable Recipe

Raw Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip with Chocolate Fudge Filling
(makes 1 sandwich cookie or 2 individual cookies)

Cookies:
1/2 scoop vanilla flavored whey protein powder
1 tbsp PB2 (powdered peanut butter)
2 tsp brown rice flour
2 tsp nonfat milk
1 tsp chocolate chips (the darker the better)

Mix together all of the ingredients (except chocolate chips) until mixture is clumpy and then knead the dough with your hands until it all comes together into a ball. Mix in the chocolate chips and then split the dough into 2 pieces and flatten each piece into a cookie shape.

Filling:
1/2 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 1/2 tsp nonfat milk
1 tbsp vanilla or chocolate flavored whey protein powder

Mix all together until combined then spread as a filling between the 2 cookies, it also makes a really good dip for the cookies! If you want a thicker filling, just add 1/2 tsp brown rice flour.

2 Cookies: 

1 Cookie with Filling: 

Fiber + Protein Homemade Cereal Flakes

My son is really into fitness and nutrition, so I've been toying with the idea of making a protein cereal for him. I found a promising looking recipe to try on Running To The Kitchen. I adapted her recipe a bit -  I left out the sugar completely and added some flavored protein powder and fiber (bran) to give it a boost. Keeping my sodium-restricted father-in-law in mind, I left the salt out of this recipe. The verdict? This recipe is a definite keeper! I feel spoiled eating this cereal, and I don't know if I could go back to store-bought cereal now - these flakes are so crunchy, toasty and wholesome. They make a great crispy snack without milk too! And I love that this is such a flexible recipe...you could experiment with different flavored protein powders (cake batter, strawberry, cinnamon bun, chocolate truffle, oh my!~) and/or different extracts to create so many wonderful unique cereal flavors!

Printable Recipe


Fiber + Protein Homemade Cereal Flakes
adapted from Running To The Kitchen

Makes approx. 6 x 1/2-cup servings

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup all purpose flour (Bob's Red Mill Unbleached AP flour)
1/4 cup brown rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup bran
2 scoops protein powder (I used whey protein in a vanilla flavor)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons fat free plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil*

Directions: 
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until all mixed and mixture clumps when pressed together, then pour mixture out onto parchment-lined baking sheet:

Spread the mixture out evenly, pushing down firmly on the surface with your open palm, until the mixture is evenly spread and pressed firmly on the cookie sheet, you want it spread thinly and evenly like this:

Next, bake the cereal for 20 minutes at 350 F. Remove the cereal from the oven and turn the oven down to 300 F. Carefully break the cereal into smaller flake-sized chunks (it will be hot!):

Place the cereal flakes back in the oven for 5 minutes at a time, stirring with each interval, until your cereal flakes are evenly browned - my cereal took another 15 minutes at 300 F:

When they are completely baked, turn the oven off but leave the cereal flakes in the oven, with the door open, until the oven and the cereal are cooled down....this extra step helps them stay crunchy in milk! Store in an airtight container.


* you can also sub unsweetened applesauce for half of the oil...mine cooked much faster with the applesauce; in fact, it was completely baked through after just 15 mins at 350 F, I didn't have to put them in again at 300 for any time.

Here is the nutrition information for both methods (most of the fat is heart-healthy fats from the almond flour):

Cereal Flakes with Coconut Oil: 

Cereal Flakes with Coconut Oil + Applesauce: 

Heart Healthy Pancake for One

This single-serve pancake is filling thanks to the extra fiber and protein, but is very low in fat and sugar and only 112 calories!

Heart Healthy Pancake for One

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 
1/8 cup brown rice flour
1/8 cup bran
1/2 tsp xylitol (1 tsp if you like a sweeter pancake)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp baking soda

1/2 of a large egg white (1.5 tbsp)
1/2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tbsp fat free plain yogurt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/16 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Add-ins of your choice (raisins, blueberries, chocolate chips, etc)

Directions: 
Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside, then mix the wet ingredients together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until combined (do not over stir!). Pour onto a hot surface that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and cook until browned on both sides, flipping once.

Low Sodium Yeast Pancakes

A huge problem when trying to reduce the amount of sodium in baking is the immense amount of sodium found in baking soda and baking powder. Most traditional pancakes use either baking soda or baking powder as a leavening agent to make the pancakes fluffy. You can purchase low-sodium baking powder and baking soda, but it is not readily available where I live and seems quite expensive to purchase online.

While contemplating this, I remembered that my grandma used to make yeast pancakes - which I loved as a kid. Yeast is used to rise the batter instead of baking powder or soda.

So, I've tried to recreate her yeast pancakes but also to lower the amount of fat, sugar and sodium in these pancakes. Yeast pancakes are more dense than traditional pancakes but have a great fresh-baked taste that my kids love. As they are not very sweet, you could also split these in half and use them as a 'sandwich' for lunchboxes - sort of like an english muffin :)

Printable Recipe 

Low Sodium Yeast Pancakes
(Makes 8)

Ingredients: 
1 1/8 cup flour (I like Bob's Red Mill)
2 tsp xylitol (or sugar)
1 1/8 tsp yeast (I like quick-rise yeast)

1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup fat free plain yogurt
1/3 cup skim milk (or other nonfat milk)
1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce (or 1/8 cup oil, see note at bottom of post)*
1 egg white

Directions: 
Turn your oven on to the lowest setting (170 F on mine) and set the timer for 5 minutes. When the timer goes off, shut off your oven and leave the oven door closed.

Meanwhile, mix together the dry ingredients in an oven-safe dish and set aside.

Next, mix together the yogurt and applesauce and microwave for 30 seconds. Mix in the vanilla and egg white.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until well combined (batter will be sticky). Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of your dish and place it into the warmed (shut-off) oven. Keep the oven door closed and let the dough rise for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and give the yeast batter a stir. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto a preheated griddle or frying pan that has been prepared with nonstick spray. You will need to cook these lower and slower than traditional pancakes, I cooked mine on medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, flipping occasionally.

Store leftovers in the fridge.

*If you don’t like the gummy texture from baking with applesauce, sub a heart-healthy oil such as olive, canola, avocado or rice bran oil. I've included the nutrition info for each below:

Applesauce: 

Oil (canola): 

Also, I haven't tried this yet, but I have seen yeast pancake recipes where you can mix the batter the night before and let it rise in the fridge overnight - it would be worth a try...if you try this method, please let me know if it worked for you!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Loaf

I've mentioned before that my father-in-law has to be on a very strict low-sodium and low-potassium diet, and I've had a really hard time finding sweet recipes that are low sodium and low potassium. He enjoys his homebaked goods so much and has had to forgo so many of his beloved treats, so I've embarked on a mission to come up with some low sodium and low potassium baking recipes that he can enjoy.

This brownie loaf is something he really enjoyed, it's so dense and fudgy and rich with chocolate flavor. I prefer to slice it up and eat it that way, but you can also cut it up into brownie size chunks....I've included the nutritional information for each method at the bottom of this post.

Here is the recipe:

Printable Recipe

Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Loaf:

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp applesauce
4 egg whites (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour
1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup xylitol
1/4 cup coconut sugar

Directions: 
Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in the microwave, then stir in the applesauce. Set aside.

Mix together the egg whites, yogurt and vanilla extract, then stir in the chocolate chip mixture.

Blend together the dry ingredients and then mix in the wet ingredients, just until combined.

Pour batter into a mini loaf pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake in a 375 F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let sit in pan for 5 minutes before removing. Cool and slice.


Here are the directions and nutrition info for each method of slicing:

28 Brownie Pieces:
Thinly slice off the ends of the loaf, and cut the loaf into 7 even slices, and then cut each slice into 4 brownie chunks.

Alternatively, you can slice the loaf into 14 slices and the nutrition info is as follows: