Happy Good Friday and Easter weekend. I honestly don’t think of Easter as an unhealthy Holiday. It’s more of a celebration, actually a JOYOUS celebration! And when I think of Easter dinner or brunch, I think more about the gathering of friends and family, where good food is supposed to be shared and enjoyed.
Unless you’re turning one around Easter time, then you can get away with hogging the cake and using your hands to eat!
But let’s face it, the Easter egg/candy hunt is where most of the real damage is done! And when I say damage, I mean ingredients. So maybe we can help “ease” the damage a bit. Maybe we can just focus on TASTY real food and real ingredients. Hence the word FOCUS.. which means we do what we can to eat real 80% of the time.
The other 20%…… well it just might be consumed by marshmallow peeps or Cadbury eggs (the kiwi’s guilty pleasure).
This past week I made two Easter themed snacks that are both worth making year round! Made with real ingredients (yes sugar is real, sorry.) and lots of LOVE. Love because I’m Corny Cotter. Always.
First to try is out a Carrot Cake Smoothie, a perfect post workout shake! I made this one with Vanilla Corepower and Growing Naturals Rice Protein Drink. That way it stays lactose free. The maca was added because I really think it helps with hormonal balance. Hey, i always need that. 😉
The second is a Jelly Bean Healthy Bite. I made these for my nieces bday last weekend and saved some for this week as well!
The jelly beans are from Surf Sweets; a dye free, gluten free, and all natural candy company (see pic from above).
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Ingredients:
- ⅔ Vanilla Protein Powder (I used Growing Naturals Brown Rice Vanilla)
- ¼ cup coconut Flour (can use pb flour or almond meal if you are not sensitive to nuts)
- ¼ to ⅓ cup Sunflower Seed Butter (or nut butter of choice)
- ¼ to ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tsp. Cherry Or Raspberry Extract
- ¼ tsp. Lime or Orange extract
- ¼ tsp. Vanilla etract
- ¼- ⅓ cup favorite Sur Sweets Jelly Beans
- 2 –3 tablespoon Crushed Banana Chips (optional but makes it crunchy vs. all chewy)
- optional : add in shredded coconut and extra protein or coconut flour to coat.
Directions:
- This recipe is super easy because you don’t need to grind anything but your banana chips, if your adding them. Just mix up dry ingredients first, then add in your jelly beans or Jelly bellies.
- If you are using large jelly beans, you will need to chop them first. The minis work great just mixed in.
- Then add in you sunflower seed butter, extract, and honey. Mix well, then roll into balls/bites. One in balls, coat with extra vanilla protein. Or you could try coating the bites in a tropical flavored protein powder or coconut flakes! Freeze right away then store in fridge or freezer to maintain freshness. Makes around 20 bites, give or take.
- NOTE –> if you add in more coconut or have a thick protein powder, you might need to add more honey and/or nut butter to keep batter from being to dry. [/print_this]
Are you surprised I shared another healthy bite recipe? Ya, me too! That’s 2 in one month! Take advantage.. haha.
And if you’re still looking for a Easter dessert, I’d try my Lemon Shortbread Pie or Apple Cider Cake. Both are truly refreshing Spring desserts, made with REAL ingredients of course.
Hope these Treats and Eats make it to your table or on your snack plate. Have a JOYOUS Easter weekend. Make it a Strange But Good one!
[Tweet “Carrot Cake Smoothie and Jelly Bean Healthy Bite Recipe via @LCCotter #glutenfree #fitfluential”]
Favorite Easter Treat?
Cheers!
LC
My fave easter treat has to be carrot cake… which I did not have this year! I kept some roasted carrots though to try making into a smoothie…
I want all please…Come and deliver me some to Houston! Miss you pretty lady and hope you enjoy the rest of another quick weekend! XOXO
i miss you more!!!
As always thanks for sharing those wonderful healthy bite recipes. Drake eats them as if were candy! I love your outlook on easter 🙂 I feel the same, it’s one of my favorite holidays. The beginning of spring, fun colors & of course the meaning behind it. Favorite candy would have to be the reese egg 🙂 Honestly I haven’t even had ANY easter candy yet this year. Seriously what is wrong with me! P.S. I must make that corepower smoothie…
you’ve been too busy eating the good things. so way to go!!! you’d love the smoothie, for sure
These all look so good!! I can’t wait to make some!
oooo! I had those jelly beans on a cupcake today— carrot cupcake with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut topped with those jelly beans! (gluten free, vegan, of course!) And it must have been my 1st birthday today ’cause I ate that (cup)cake with my hands! 😉 Happy Easter my friend!
oh no way!! that sounds awesome!! and how much did you swim? haha
every pool was closed- trust me- I tried every city from the race to home to find an open one with no luck. I contemplated an easy ride but since it was the first time racing with the foot I didn’t want to push my luck…just have to do a nice ride and swim after work tomorrow! 😉
more jelly beans to work for! haha
I want to come to your Easter party!!! YUMMMMMMMMMMM! 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend Lindsay!! I know you will!
Yum these both look delicious! The carrot cake smoothie has my heart though as I love anything carrot cake really.
Favourite Easter treat? Hot cross buns all the way 😉
Love the look of your apple cider cake, yum!
oh we love hot cross buns too!! i still need to work on my gluten free version though
Woohoo just pinned the healthy bites flavor. I LOVE jelly beans!
let me know if you try!
Cadbury eggs are hands down my fav Easter candy!
That smoothie I think I could very easily become addicted to – I have tried CorePower shakes before and they are delicious! These bites sure sound intriguing – I have seen coconut flour used in many unbaked treats and have been curious to try it out.
Happy Happy Easter Lindsay!
both are addicting! and yes, you would love coconut flour friend!
Adding jelly beans to healthy bites?!? You, my friend, are a genius. I’ve never had the Surf Sweets jelly beans before, but I’ve had their gummy bears and I’m a big fan. Fave Easter candy is definitely Mini Eggs, though… I was all sorts of heartbroken when they slapped the allergy label on them 😥
Happy Easter weekend to you and your family! xox
darn peanuts. they should be banned from certain candy.. like these!
Wow. I mean need of your balls! Happy Easter my friend 🙂
Mmm, so many great ideas! I love the jelly bean healthy bite idea! The junk in the Easter candy drives me crazy, too. We weren’t here for local Easter egg hunts, but L will get plenty of treats at grandma’s tomorrow and church fellowship time. 🙂
Those healthy bites look too fun! I don’t think I have any of the fun extracts though. Perhaps I have lemon but will need another- the kids will love those!
you don’t any really but they do make it more jelly bean or jelly belly like! Lemon works!!
So much goodness in this post! Those healthy bites… LOVE! And the carrot cake smoothie, looks so delicious. Remember those sugar coated marshmallow eggs? I probably overdosed on those growing up, I wash ever into the Peeps or Cadbury Creme eggs. Just give me the marshmallow eggs and straight up chocolate eggs!
I *was never*… ugh, typing too fast 😉
First of all the smoothie — YES! And, second . . .. jelly beans in healthy bites? I like your style!
totally thought of you and the smoothie!!
My son would love those jelly bean bites! I’m not a huge jelly bean fan but when I do buy them for him I buy the Surf Sweets 🙂 Actually need to pick up a few for Easter!
the kids loved them! let me know if you make them.
Not a big jelly bean fan but the healthy bites look yummy! I’ve seen many Carrot Cake smoothie recipes but have never tried one. Time to remedy that with your recipe 🙂
let me know what you think of it!
Jelly bean Healthy Bites?! Might have to try those – could I use Starburst JellyBeans? (I have already eaten about 5 bags of those because they only sell them during this time of the year!!)
you totally can!! i’m kinda addicted to these bites. so let me know whatcha think
I LOVE carrot cake smoothies! I use tofu in mine to make it super creamy… and for protein, bro.
Cute jelly balls too! I’d much hater have had that in my Easter eggs grown up then those malted things.
dang tofu! i so wish i could eat it. Maybe tempeh would work? i’m getting bold here
I forgot about that! Tempeh might be a little funky… even for me. 😉 Banana or avocado?
i think the walnuts make it creamy. But i will try avo, for sure!
These are perfect! I love anything with carrots! 🙂 Have a great Easter Weekend!
you too friend!! xxoo
Yes, its Friday now but Sunday’s coming! Have a wonderful Easter! And can we PLEASE plan to meet up soon? 🙂 xoxo
yes!!! we need a major catch up
I’m with the kiwi- cadberry eggs are the best! I haven’t had a single one yet though! Go me. Thinking the healthy Sherpa balls will satisfy me perfectly! Happy Easter friend.
i should have sent you some of these bites.. you’d be in heaven! okay i am bias LOL!
That smoothie looks so good! I must try!!
Mmm I just got back into eating smoothies a lot, so that carrot cake smoothie is sounding delicious!
oh let me know if you try it liz! maybe with PB! hehe
Happy Easter to you! Have a good one!
have a wonderful Easter weekend! xoxoxoxoxo
you too friend! wish you were here.
I love Corny Cotter! I know we would get on very well in real life too! Great ideas with the recipes, i have seen a lot of carrot cake smoothies, it is very festive (is that the right word) so I think I should make it this weekend. I agree that it is all about the celebration! So have a wonderful Easter weekend my friend!
haha yes, festive for sure!!
SO creative for the healthy bites! My favourite is cadbury solid standard eggs- It used to be cream eggs until they became available ALL YEAR ROUND.
I’m pumped for Monday- half price Cadbury eggs of all varieties!!!!
i think you and the kiwi have very similar taste buds and humor. He’s way too excited for the price cadbury eggs come monday. And i think he wants to make a pavlova. Please tell me you are gonna make one!!?!
Cadbury eggs are amazing. I allow myself to buy one pack when I see them around Easter. I probably did not need to know they are being sold all year =/ I would like to try those Surf Sweets though. Grocery shopping later today, I’ll take a look and see if my store sells them.
let me know if you find them John!