Dark Chocolate Fall Bark

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This may be the easiest recipe I’ve ever posted on here and really doesn’t even need a recipe to follow, but I still wanted to share it because of how great of a treat it is! This fall bark uses dark chocolate, nuts, seeds and dried fruit to create a healthier treat that is easy to store and grab a bite of when you’re in the mood for a little something sweet. For this recipe, you can easily get creative and make a bark that fits with your preferences and what you might already have in your pantry. The possibilities are endless, but I’m sharing what I used to make mine below.

Health Benefits:

  • Dark chocolate is the healthiest option when it comes to choosing your chocolate, as it is full of antioxidants and other nutrients that have benefits. I started using Enjoy Life chocolate chips because they are made from sustainably harvested cocoa beans, are free from 14 allergens, including dairy, and are certified vegan and FODMAP friendly.
  • Nuts like pecans and walnuts are healthy fats that support hormone balance and regulation, while also offering nutrients like vitamin E, magnesium and selenium.
  • Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are a great source of protein, phosphorous, monounsaturated fats, omega-6 fats, vitamin E and more.
  • Cranberries are high in antioxidants and also provide fiber. Raisins are similarly packed with energy, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Dark Chocolate Fall Bark

  • Servings: 2 cups bark, broken
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This fall bark uses dark chocolate, nuts, seeds and dried fruit to create a healthier treat that is easy to store and grab a bite of when you're in the mood for a little something sweet.

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/8 cup cranberries
  • 1/8 cup golden raisins
  • 1/8 cup pecans
  • 1/8 cup walnuts
  • 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/8 cup sunflower seeds

Directions

  1. Melt chocolate with coconut oil in 30 second intervals, stirring together each time. I only had to heat it for 1 minute total, then stirred until all melted together.
  2. Pour onto a greased pan or piece of parchment paper and tilt pan to let spread out evenly.
  3. Sprinkle topping of your choice on top of chocolate. I only estimated the amounts of these toppings to give you an idea, so do what you think fits and looks good!
  4. Refrigerate or freeze until solid, then break into pieces. Enjoy at room temperature, or store in the refrigerator or freezer and eat pieces whenever you want. I like to keep them in the freezer, but that’s just me!

This is such a simple idea for a tasty treat that is on the healthier side and I’d love to hear what you think of the idea, especially if you give it a try! A final tip, mix together the toppings to make your own trail mix for an easy snack!!

–Brit

Healthier Apple Berry Crisp

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I have always loved this dessert and think that it is great during any season and is super easy to make and full lots of healthy fruit, however when I made it last time I realized that it has a lot more added sugar than it really needs. So, I challenged myself to make a healthier version of this recipe by limiting the added sugar, making some easy substitutes and adding in some healthy nuts for flavor, texture and nutrients!

Health Benefits:

  • Apples are a healthy source of carbohydrates, providing you with energy. They also provide fiber, vitamin C, potassium, polyphenols and more.
  • Mixed berries are packed with antioxidants, which can help protect your cells, and also contain fiber, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin K and are anti-inflammatory in nature.
  • Whole wheat flour contains the bran (providing fiber, minerals and antioxidants), endosperm (mostly carbohydrates) and the germ (containing vitamins, minerals, protein and more). Refined grains like white flour only has the endosperm, so does not provide near as many health benefits as whole wheat flour does.
  • Nuts are a great source of a variety of nutrients and are considered a healthy fat. Healthy fats are important in maintaining a proper hormone balance and they also help to absorb nutrients and are a source of energy.

Remember that not all desserts that you make or eat have to be “healthier” versions. It’s ok to eat normal cookies, brownies, cakes, etc and trust me, I eat them too without guilt. However, when you have a sweet tooth and love baking (like me) it is nice to be able to create desserts that taste delicious, give you some added nutrients and don’t make you feel sick from too much sugar.

Healthier Apple Berry Crisp

  • Servings: 6-8 pieces (may vary on dishes used and serving size)
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This recipe is full of delicious fruit and topped with crispy, crumbly topping that is made healthier by using less sugar, swapping a few simple ingredients and adding nuts for healthy fats and nutrients!

Ingredients

  • 3 apples, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups frozen berries
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
  • 1/8 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 cups oats
  • 1/2 cup, walnuts and/or pecans
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup butter, cold and diced
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Lightly toss apples and berries with lemon juice and maple syrup. Add in flour and cinnamon and toss together again. Pour into an 8 x 8 or similar sized pan or dish.
  3. Add remaining ingredients to a medium bowl and cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork until mixture is crumbly. Pour topping onto fruit mixture and spread evenly.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes at 350° F. Let cool slightly, as fruit will be very hot, then serve warm and enjoy!

This is a recipe I’ve been wanting to make and post for a while now, so I hope that you enjoy it if you choose to make it or it inspires you to get creative in the kitchen as well! Thanks for checking this out!!

-Brit

Sour Cream Cherry Pie

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This recipe, like the Dreamy Strawberry Pie, comes from my grandmother’s cookbook and is a seasonal family favorite! We always make this with fresh cherries from our cherry trees, but buying cherries from the store works just as good! You can also substitute the cherries for blueberries if you aren’t a cherry fan or if they aren’t in season.

The pie has a sweet sour cream filling with the perfect amount of tartness from the cherries. Along with this, it has a vanilla wafer crust that makes for the perfect pie combination! This recipe is not a healthier version and definitely contains sugar and fat, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it when you want. Besides, cherry season doesn’t last all year!

Sour Cream Cherry Pie

Another perfect summer pie for cherry season that balances a creamy, sweet filling with the tartness of cherries and pairs perfectly with the vanilla wafer crust!

Ingredients

  • 40 vanilla wafers, crushed
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar, for the crust
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 3/4 cup sugar, for the filling
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups sour cherries, pitted

Directions

  1. For the crust, crush approximately 40 vanilla wafers, which should equal 2 cups afterwards. You can place them in a large bag and use a mallet or rolling pin, but you can also throw them in a blender or food processor until they are all crushed up.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix crushed vanilla wafers with melted butter and the 1/4 cup sugar. Press into a pie pan and bake at 350° F for 10 minutes.
  3.  For the filling, beat 3 eggs in a medium bowl and add the 3/4 cup sugar and sour cream. Mix well, then fold in the pitted cherries. Pour filling into the baked vanilla wafer crust and bake at 325° F for 1 hour, then chill and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this pie recipe as much as my family does and maybe make it for your next summer gathering! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to let me know! Thanks for being here and checking it out!!

-Brit

Dreamy Strawberry Pie

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This pie comes from my grandmother’s cookbook and is my all-time favorite dessert and yearly birthday request! It’s especially perfect in the spring and summer with warmer weather and fresh strawberries.

Though this recipe definitely has sugar and lots of cream cheese in it, it makes me happy and is totally okay to enjoy every once in a while, as long as you are still providing your body with the nutrients it needs. You don’t need to “earn” this dessert by working out more or limiting your calories that day. So just enjoy this perfect combination of strawberry glaze, fresh strawberries and cream cheese filling with a hint of orange!

Tips & Tricks

Your pie crust doesn’t have to be homemade. Store bought saves time and still tastes great in my opinion. In the pictures for this post, I used a store bought crust because we had it. If you don’t have any on hand or want to get a little more creative, then make your own! It’s all up to you and will taste great either way!

When choosing your strawberries, save the best looking ones to place on top of the filling and use the ones that aren’t as pretty (or are frozen) for the strawberry glaze. I used about eight large strawberries to place on the filling, but if yours are normal sized you will probably need a few more.

While your pie crust is baking, get to work on the strawberry glaze! Once your strawberries are starting to warm up and soften, mash them up to your desired consistency. Then, add in the corn starch and sugar mixture and stir until the glaze is thickened and glossy, not cloudy anymore. Take it off of the heat and let it start cooling.

By now, hopefully your pie crust is pretty cool and your cream cheese has softened so you can start on the filling! Use a standing or hand-held mixer to cream softened cream cheese with the rest of the ingredients. For the orange juice, you can juice the orange you use for the zest, but if you don’t have oranges or want to save it to eat, feel free to use some orange juice from your fridge. Wait until crust is cool, then spread filling in an even layer on the bottom of the crust.

Now it’s time for the pretty strawberries! Wash and vertically cut the strawberries in half, then arrange in circles on top of the filling layer. Space them out and arrange them however you want, they’ll still taste the same, but below is a picture of how I arranged mine!

Lastly, once the strawberry glaze is cool, carefully pour and spread it on top of the filling and fresh strawberries. Then the worst part, putting it in the fridge for 4 hours to chill, but in the mean time you can lick the bowls!

Dreamy Strawberry Pie

  • Servings: 1 pie, 8 slices
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The most delicious combination of strawberry glaze, fresh strawberries and creamy orange filling!

Ingredients

  • 1 pie crust
  • 3 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 2 tbsp cream
  •  8-12 fresh strawberries, halved

Directions

  1. Bake a pie crust of your choice (homemade or store bought) and get out cream cheese so it can start to soften.
  2. For the glaze, heat and mash strawberries to desired consistency in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Stir together 1 cup sugar and corn starch in a bowl, then add to strawberries. Stir on heat until mixture is thickened and translucent. Remove from heat and let cool.
  3. For the filling, use an electric mixer to beat together cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, orange zest, orange juice and cream. Beat until smooth.
  4. Once pie crust is cooled, spread filling in an even layer on the bottom. Arrange fresh, halved strawberries on top of the filling and then pour cooled strawberry glaze on top. 
  5. Refrigerate for 4 hours so pie can set, then enjoy!

Thanks for being here and checking out one of my favorite recipes! If you bake this, I hope you love it as much as me (but that might be hard)!!

–Brit