... And all things wellness!
*** Do you want delicious pizza with a crispy crust and gooey cheese, but it just doesn’t fit into your healthy eating plan? Maybe you follow a gluten, grain, and /or dairy-free diet and have felt deprived of your beloved pizza! 🍕Perhaps you want a …
Are you gluten, grain, and/or dairy-free but love lasagna??? This Cassava Flour Pasta Lasagna is the answer to your prayers! Layers of sautéed vegetables and organic, grass-fed meat in between layers of homemade cassava flour fresh pasta! Healthy, “real food” Italian at its best!!! I …
In honor of the 1 year anniversary of the creation of Crazy For Yuca, I thought it was time to get personal and connect with my followers in new ways!
Hi! I’m Lauren, and I first discovered yuca exactly 2 years ago while eating at a Costa Rican restaurant on my birthday! (March 2017) What an incredible gift!!! 🎁 Since then, I’ve researched all I can about this amazingly versatile root vegetable, developed lots of recipes, continue to try every yuca recipe I come across, enjoy sampling all healthy yuca products I find, and have created a blog, Instagram, and Facebook page to spread the word about this outstanding tuber!!! (Even though I never had a social media account in my life, and vowed I never would!!!) Yes, I’ve become completely OBSESSED!!! 🤣 Be careful, you might too, once you discover all the wonders of yuca!
Just so we’re all on the same page – yuca, cassava, and manioc are different names referring to the same root vegetable. Tapioca is an extract of yuca. Click the links below for lots of other great yuca info!
Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava)
Getting to Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour
Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts
***
I want to know about YOU!!!
What attracted you to Crazy For Yuca??? Is this the first you’re hearing about it, or is cooking with yuca part of your family tradition? Are you gluten-free? Are you following a particular diet such as paleo, Whole30, low glycemic, or autoimmune protocol? Maybe you’re interested in healthy cooking and want to explore grain-free, “whole food” options, and decrease processed, genetically modified foods? Maybe you’re just adventurous and like to learn about new things!
No matter what brought you here, I’m SO HAPPY you found my blog, and look forward to getting to know you and creating an interactive community of yuca lovers!!!
If yuca is part of your culture, I’d love to hear about your family traditions! I get really excited to hear all the ways yuca is eaten throughout the world! If you’re willing to share a recipe, I’d love to give it a try and share it with the Crazy For Yuca tribe! (Giving you full credit, of course!)
***
***Please comment at the bottom of this post to introduce yourself! I can’t wait to hear from you!***
***
Here’s a little summary about me and why I dedicate my time to getting the word out about yuca.
In 2012, after suffering from autoimmune issues (endometriosis, Hashimotos and pre-diabetes) for a number of years, I started working with a Functional Medicine doctor. He discovered that I had sensitivity to gluten, dairy, soy, and chicken eggs, and that I had a leaky gut! (Fun, right???) As a result, I cut those things out of my diet.
I know what you’re thinking – “What’s left to eat???” (Everyone always says that!!!!) But trust me, I’ve added WAY more amazing foods into my life than I’ve cut out! (Yuca being one great example!!!) I began cooking from scratch, focusing on organic, unprocessed, “real food” ingredients, and eating WAY more fruits, veggies, and nuts. Before this change, my husband and I would joke saying I “prepared” meals (often with jars or packets of pre-made sauces and seasoning,) but didn’t really know how to “cook.”
Be comforted to know that I’m not a chef! You need no special skills to make any of my recipes!!!
All of my recipes are super simple and require zero cooking expertise! Each recipe post gives step by step instructions, along with pictures of most steps!! (Easy-peasy!!!)
Through the years I spent A LOT of time learning about healthy cooking, mostly by reading and experimenting in my own kitchen. My new way of eating ended the autoimmune attack my body was raging against my thyroid, led to a significant improvement in my energy level, blood sugar, brain fog, blood test markers, and general sense of well-being!
I would say that I adjusted to all the changes without too much stress, (although I must admit I had little breakdowns every few weeks in the beginning when I got hungry and there wasn’t anything I could quickly grab! Oh how I missed my bagel with melted American cheese!!!) Once I found my new go-to foods, and realized I must have food that I enjoyed in the fridge or freezer at all times, I was pretty content with the whole dietary situation. THEN I DISCOVERED YUCA!!!!! 🙌
I honestly thought I wasn’t feeling deprived at all eating this new healthy way! That is, until I experienced the pure joy of biting into fresh Garlic Yuca Flatbread right out of the oven!!! Then I made Yuca Empanadas!!!!!! 😇 (See recipe links below) I had totally forgotten about that satisfying crispy crunch one gets from fresh bread! The yuca dough was completely indistinguishable from wheat!!! I had found a new LOVE!!! 😍❤️😍❤️😍 And these recipes were just the tip of the iceberg!!! Thankfully, but not surprisingly, my husband and daughters fell in love with yuca too!!!
Garlic Yuca Flatbread / Pizza Crust
***
All I could think was:
“WHY DIDN’T I KNOW ABOUT YUCA FOR THE 1st 50 YEARS OF MY LIFE???
and
“I NEED TO TELL EVERYONE ABOUT YUCA!!!!”
*I especially feel compelled to tell every gluten and grain-free eater about yuca, as its addition to one’s diet ends any possible sense of deprivation! And so my mission to spread the word about yuca began!!!*
***
Click link below to check out my first post where I describe my journey with each of my first 5 yuca recipes!
Gluten-free? Never feel deprived again!
***
After creating a bunch of my own recipes, mostly substituting whole yuca or cassava flour for typical American recipes, I began to learn more about the traditional ways yuca is eaten throughout the world!!! I’m still discovering new ways every day! This has become my passion! (Passion/obsession – who knows!!! 🤣🤣🤣) Did I mention I’m a Clinical Psychologist for my real career? Is it ethical to diagnose myself???🤪
***
Comment below and tell me about your experience cooking with yuca, or what brings you to the Crazy For Yuca blog!
Ask questions, tell me about your experience making a Crazy For Yuca recipe (the good and the bad,) or any thoughts about your experience cooking and baking with yuca in all of its many forms! Are you gluten or grain-free??? I want to hear your story!
***
Share with me on Instagram or Facebook @CrazyForYuca
-Snap a picture of a yuca recipe you made or had at a restaurant and tag me!
-Tell me about an awesome yuca snack or product you found???
Your input will help build an awesome, interactive tribe of followers who are all Crazy For Yuca!!!
Follow me on Instagram, as I share on that platform more often, and on a more personal level. While on the Crazy For Yuca blog, most posts are new yuca recipes, on Instagram I share more about all my meals and snacks (yuca and non-yuca,) gluten-free friendly restaurants, clean eating, as well as living a wellness oriented lifestyle.
You can also connect with me in an email at CrazyForYuca@gmail.com if you prefer.
I look forward to connecting and getting to know you in the coming days. Don’t forget to reach out at the bottom of this post, or any other!
I’m happy you decided to become part of the Crazy For Yuca tribe!!!
I hope yuca makes you as happy as it makes me!!! 😃😃😃
I was inspired to make these Stuffed Cassava Balls from a chat I had with my Guyanese friend Anita, who grew up eating yuca/cassava in many exciting ways! She always gives me great authentic recipe ideas. Of course her idea of a recipe is telling …
I can’t think of any better way to say Happy Chanukah than with Cassava Latkes!!! (Although they’re also the perfect appetizer or side dish any day of the year!) These latkes are crispy on the outside, and slightly chewy in the very center. DELICIOUS! These Cassava …
Looking for a scrumptious, fudgy, brownie recipe? Look no further! These Chocolate Chip Peppermint Brownies are not only AWESOME, they’re gluten, grain, dairy, and soy-free! The peppermint adds an extra holiday feel, but these can be made any time of year! Not a fan of peppermint? Leave it out! These brownies will still be pure chocolate deliciousness!!!
I made these using Otto’s Cassava Flour, a very high quality cassava flour that can easily be swapped into recipes typically made with wheat flour. Cassava (a.k.a. yuca) is naturally grain-free, low glycemic, non-GMO, paleo, Whole30 approved, and autoimmune protocol friendly! Check out Otto’s Cassava Flour here:
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
Want more info about cassava flour? Check out my page Getting to Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour
Want more info about cooking with yuca? Check out my page Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava)
I created these Chocolate Chip Peppermint Brownies as a little nosh for an essential oils workshop I was hosting. (I MUST bring yuca/cassava wherever I go!) BIG HIT!!! They were an excellent demonstration of how essential oils can be incorporated into our lives, not just topically or through diffusing, but internally as well! (*Note: Not all brands or oil types are safe for consumption.) I used doTerra Peppermint Oil and carefully checked that it was safe to cook with before creating this recipe.
If you’d like more information about incorporating essential oils into your life, email me at CrazyForYuca@gmail.com.
*Click any non-perishable ingredient needed below to quickly and easily order it online.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
-1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
-1/2 cup organic maple syrup
-1/2 cup organic coconut oil – melted
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-2 cage-free eggs – room temperature (I use duck eggs since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs. Both work perfectly!)
-1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-Optional: 3-4 drops of doTerra Peppermint essential oil (Email me at crazyforyuca@gmail.com for wholesale pricing)
-1 1/4 cups dairy-free chocolate chips – divided (I use either Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mega Chunks or Pascha Organic 55% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips. (Both options are free of common allergens such as gluten, dairy, nuts, and soy!)
Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-In a large mixing bowl, cream maple syrup and melted coconut oil (I use an electric beater.)
-Add eggs, vanilla, and 3 drops doTerra peppermint essential oil – If peppermint flavored brownies are desired. (Be careful not to add too much oil. A little goes a long way!) Beat until fully blended.
-Stir in cassava flour, cocoa powder, and pink Himalayan salt. Mix with a spoon until fully combined.
-Mix in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
-Place in a baking pan (I used an 8″ by 8″ pan covered with parchment paper – makes for easy clean up)
-Place into pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
-Remove from oven. Allow to cool.
-Optional: Melt the additional 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and “ice” the peppermint brownies with the melted chocolate. Because more chocolate is always better!!!!
-Cut into desired sized brownies. Enjoy!
***
*By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. I only recommend products that I’ve personally tried, use in my own kitchen, and believe are high quality products. Thank you so much for supporting Crazy For Yuca’s efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
***
***
***
Looking for a scrumptious, fudgy, brownie recipe? Look no further! These Chocolate Chip Peppermint Brownies are not only AWESOME, they're gluten, grain, dairy, and soy-free! The peppermint adds an extra holiday feel, but these can be made any time of year! Not a fan of peppermint? Leave it out! These brownies will still be pure chocolate deliciousness!!!
***
Disclaimer– At Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Nothing says Fall like the smell of apples and cinnamon! And there’s nothing cozier than snuggling up with a baked apple crumble on a chilly day! This Apple Cassava Crumble is so quick and easy to make! Perfect for your next brunch, snack, dessert for Thanksgiving …
There are endless ways to enjoy yuca/cassava, as it’s eaten in so many parts of the world in various different ways! Attieke is fermented, grated cassava. It’s a staple street food of the people who live along the Ivory Coast of West Africa. Attieke is …
Pasta made from cassava flour! Dreams really do come true!!! I couldn’t be more excited to add this homemade Cassava Flour Fresh Pasta to my yuca/cassava repertoire! I’ve been meaning to create a pasta recipe, but I’ve been too caught up in all my other ideas lately! (Yuca recipe possibilities are truly endless!!!) When I came across a ravioli post by Hayley from “Health Starts In The Kitchen” on Instagram, I was compelled to try her Cassava Flour Pasta Dough recipe that very night! It was so perfectly scrumptious that I no longer feel the need to create my own! (Why recreate the wheel?) I’m just going to make her recipe from now on, and show you step by step pictures below of just how easy it is to make! I’m sure you’ll LOVE it as much as I do! See link below for Hayley’s recipe.
Have you ever had fresh pasta? It’s a real treat! Why eat processed pasta made from enriched flours when this incredible, gluten, grain, and nut-free, whole-food pasta is so quick and easy to make??? The possibilities of what can be made with this pasta dough are endless!!! I made mine into fettuccine this time, but this basic dough recipe can be used in any pasta dish!
This fresh pasta is made with Otto’s Cassava Flour – Get it by clicking here.
Ingredients:
– pink Himalayan salt (I use this type because of its high mineral content)
– pastured eggs
– avocado oil (I use Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil)
– organic chicken bone broth or filtered water. (I use Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Bone Broth since I did’t have fresh bone broth on hand.)
-parchment paper (My preferred method of rolling out dough to prevent sticking to counter or rolling pin.)
-plastic wrap
Blend ingredients into a dough (I simply mixed with a spoon, then kneaded dough with my hands.)
Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for a few minutes.
Using a rolling pin, roll out pasta dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to preferred thickness.
Cut into strips using a pizza cutter and straight edge. I chose to make fettuccine, but any desired shape can be made!
Place freshly cut pasta into pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes.
Check out this little video of my fettuccine boiling. (I was literally drooling in anticipation of trying it! It didn’t disappoint!!!)
Drain Grain-Free Pasta in colander.
Serve immediately as part of your favorite pasta recipe!
How simple and easy was that?!?!
Maybe some fun shaped pasta? Ravioli? Lasagna? Add it to your favorite soup or stew???
Don’t forget to take a picture of your creation and share with me on Instagram!
Comment below to tell me what you think of this recipe!
Cassava Flour Fresh Pasta with sautéed veggies! Here, I topped the fettuccine with sautéed onions, garlic, zucchini, red pepper, and red chard. I then topped it with a little sauce made with bone broth and Primal Palate Adobo Seasoning. YUM!!!
Check out Primal Palate’s amazing seasonings and blends by clicking here.
Here I added chicken from my Easy Go-To Crockpot Chicken that’s always in my fridge, ready to be thrown into any recipe!
To test out if this pasta stayed fresh, I used the leftovers the next night to add to my chicken cacciatore with spinach! Pasta perfection!
Chicken Soup with Cassava Fresh Pasta!!! 😃
***
***
By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. I only recommend products that I’ve personally tried, use in my own kitchen, and believe are high quality products. Thank you so much for supporting Crazy For Yuca’s efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
***
PALEO PASTA NOODLES {NUT FREE} by Jennifer from Predominantly Paleo
Homemade Paleo Pasta (Grain Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free) by Natalie from THE CASTAWAY KITCHEN
HOMEMADE CASSAVA FLOUR PASTA {NO PASTA-MAKER NEEDED!} by Cristina from Honey Ghee And Me
Disclaimer– At Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Nothing says Fall like homemade pumpkin pie! Just because you’re gluten or dairy-free doesn’t mean you should miss out! These delicious, adorable Cassava Flour Pumpkin Tartlets rival any pumpkin pie out there! Made with Otto’s Cassava Flour, they’re not only gluten-free, but grain-free and paleo …
I like to think of Baked Stuffed Yuca as healthy stromboli – an Italian inspired gluten and grain-free yuca dough rolled around all “real food” nutritious ingredients! They can be made vegan by filling them with only veggies. I filled these with organic grass-fed beef, …
These baguettes are AMAZING! You’d never guess they’re gluten-free! And they’re super simple to make! Perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and airy on the inside – just like good bread should be! I had to make it for myself after watching Jules Shepard do a demo at the Gluten Free Allergy Expo of how to make these, and observed how thrilled everyone was with their samples (both the gluten-eating and gluten-free people alike!) I feel compelled to get the word out about these baguettes. They’re THAT GOOD!
What’s the secret? They’re made with gfJules Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour! This flour has been voted the #1 gluten-free flour for 3 years in a row from 2016-2018! It’s a wonderful blend of tapioca starch (an extract of… you guessed it – YUCA! along with potato starch, corn starch, white rice flour, corn flour and xanthan gum.
*This flour is certified gluten-free and kosher, is non-GMO, soy-free, nut-free, and made in a gluten-free facility on a Top8 allergen free line! Jules has celiac herself, which is what motivated her to create her incredibly delicious and allergen safe line of products.
*This container makes 2 long baguettes like the one shown below.
Gather the following ingredients together to make these baguettes!
*Full printable link to gfJules full recipe below*
*Any needed pantry item can be ordered simply by clicking on the ingredients listed below.
*By ordering recommended products through affiliate connections on our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest gluten and dairy-free yuca/cassava recipes!
Version 1 – (This is the recipe I used)
–gfjules Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour (#1 ranking gluten-free flour 3 years in a row. High quality, clean flour)
–Coconut Milk Powder (I used Native Forest Dairy Free Gluten Free Coconut Milk Powder) Milk powder can also be used if dairy is tolerated.
-Additional ingredients common to both versions listed below.
Version 2-
–gfjules Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix (Can be used instead of the All-Purpose Flour and coconut milk protein)
-Additional ingredients common to both versions listed below.
Both version 1 and 2 require the following additional ingredients:
-salt (I used pink Himalayan salt because of its high mineral content)
-egg whites (flaxseed meal or chia seeds can be substituted for a vegan, egg-free version.)
-extra virgin olive oil (I used Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado oil)
–rapid rise yeast (For a yeast-free version a combination of vinegar, baking soda, and baking powder is outlined in Jules Shepard’s full recipe. See below.)
-toppings of choice (I used Trader Joe’s Onion Salt, but you can use whatever you like such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coarse salt, you name it!)
-a clean spray bottle to spritz the dough (*the key to the crispiness of the crust!)
-plastic zip lock bag – 1 gallon size
-Optional – baguette pan (I just used a parchment lined baking pan and it came out perfect!)
***
***
Baguette dough. I used a hand mixer to blend ingredients together. 
Jules recommends placing the blended dough into an oiled plastic bag, then cutting a 1″ hole in one corner to use as a piping bag. This method worked perfectly! Check out gfJules’ video here, where she demonstrates how to pipe out the dough.
Dough was piped out onto parchment paper and three cuts were made diagonally across the loaf to allow dough to rise evenly. An egg-wash was then applied (mine is yellow because I used a whole egg, not just the whites) along with my topping of choice – Trader Joe’s Onion Salt. Feel free to top with anything you like!
While a baguette pan can be used, I baked mine right on a parchment lined baking sheet. It came out perfect!
Can you imagine how hard it was to take these pictures before getting to eat this baguette?!?! Never have I had to demonstrate such restraint! The aroma filled the house and my mouth was watering the whole time!!!
Slicing the baguette.
No need to bake 2 types of bread – one for the gluten-free eaters and another for everyone else. I assure you, this bread can be served to anyone, even your fussiest eater, and no one will know it’s gluten-free!
How do you enjoy your bread? How about with some St. Dalfour Strawberry Fruit Spread (sweetened only with fruit juice.)
Or with some Vegan Pesto and Organic Mixed Cherry Tomato Medley (both from Trader Joe’s.)
No matter how you slice it, or stack it, this bread is top notch!
Check out her Cornbread Mix, Sandwich Bread Mix, Muffin Mix, Pancake-Waffle Mix, Original Cookie Mix, Cut-Out Cookie Mix, and Graham Cracker – Gingerbread Mix by clicking her logo below!
***
Disclaimer– At Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Everything is awesome with chocolate – am I right??? These Chocolate SunButter Pinwheel Cookies are a variation of my Strawberry Almond Butter Pinwheel Cookies (which are great even without chocolate!) Not only is this variation gluten, grain, dairy, and soy-free, but can be made nut-free as …
Creamy, whipped Yuca Mash! Simple, healthy, and made with all “real food” ingredients!!! What can be better than that? Oh, maybe that it’s Paleo, low glycemic, non-GMO, non-inflammatory, as well as Whole30 and autoimmune protocol approved!! Not sure what yuca is??? It’s a root vegetable, …
What do you get when you take cassava flour and a bunch of nuts and seeds? Delicious, nutritious Paleo Nut and Seed Bars!!!! These bars have just enough sweetness, without being overly sweet. Cassava flour is a low-glycemic, non-inflammatory starch, while nuts and seeds provide an excellent source of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and immune boosting phytonutrients! Try the nuts and seeds suggested, or choose your own favorites! These nutrient dense Paleo Nut and Seed Bars are perfect for a snack, dessert, breakfast or bunch. With all the ready-made bars out there claiming to be healthy (which are actually often full of chemicals and other processed ingredients) it’s nice to know there’s a truly healthy, scrumptious bar that’s quick and easy to make!
These bars can be frozen, and pulled out whenever needed. They’re even awesome right out of the freezer! No defrosting needed!!!
Makes 12 bars
*Printer-friendly recipe below*
-2 1/4 cups Otto’s Cassava Flour
-3 organic, cage-free eggs (I use duck eggs, but chicken eggs can also be used)
-2/3 cup organic coconut oil – melted
-3/4 cup organic maple syrup
-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
-2 teaspoons xantham gum
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-Optional: parchment paper (I prefer lining baking dishes with parchment for toxin-free, non-stick baking, and easy clean up.)
–Organic Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk (I use Let’s Do Organic brand which is Non-dairy, Vegan, Gluten-free, and Kosher)
-1/2 cup Unsalted, Dry Toasted Sliced Almonds (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1/2 cup Dry Roasted & Unsalted Pistachio Nutmeats (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1/2 cup Unsalted Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1/3 cup Organic Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1-2 tablespoons Organic Chia Seeds (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1-2 tablespoons Raw Shelled Hemp Seed (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
I’m clearly a big fan of Trader Joe’s!! (lololol) You just can’t beat their prices, quality, and customer service!
*Note: Don’t be overly concerned with the brands, types, or amounts of nuts and seeds I used. These bars will taste great with any nuts and seeds you have on hand in any amounts you enjoy.
Need Otto’s Cassava Flour? Click here to check it out!
For more information on baking with cassava flour click here: Getting to Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour
To discover all the nutrition benefits of eating yuca click here: Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts
Need Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk? Click here to order online
Note: No need to run to the store! Many non-perishable ingredients listed above can be purchased by simply clicking on the ingredient within the recipe.
By ordering recommended products through links on our website we get a small commission which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, blend Otto’s Cassava Flour, pink Himalayan salt, cinnamon, and xantham gum.
In a second bowl, blend maple syrup, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl and mix just until fully combined. *Do not over-mix or cookie crust may come out gummy.
Line a 9×11 inch baking pan with parchment paper. (This step is optional, but allows for easy clean up, as well as non-toxic, non-stick baking without the need to grease the pan.) Choose a baking pan that’s deep enough to hold the 3/4″ crust as well as the toppings which will be added after initial baking.
Spoon dough into parchment lined pan and press down so dough forms an even cookie crust about 3/4″ thick.
Dough pressed to bottom of pan to form cookie crust – before baking
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until edges become slightly brown and a fork stuck into center comes out clean.
Baked cassava flour cookie crust. Notice crust thickness – about 3/4″
Remove from oven, but keep oven on.
Add toppings:
While carefully handling hot pan with oven mitts, spread Organic Sweetened Condensed Coconut milk on top of cookie crust. (*Note: No need to use the entire can unless you desire a very sweet bar. Use just enough to cover cookie crust.) This will be the “glue” that holds the toppings on.
Scatter sliced almonds, pecan pieces, pistachios, shredded coconut, hemp and chia seeds over the sweetened condensed coconut milk, trying to cover entire cookie crust. It’s fine for nuts and seeds to overlap.
Place back into oven for an additional 10 minutes until toppings adhere to cookie crust.
Allow to cool before cutting into 12 bars.
Enjoy!
Bars can also be cut into 24 bites if a smaller treat is desired.
For yuca snacks, pantry items, and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make Crazy For Yuca recipes in my own kitchen.
Have you tried Primal Palate’s Organic Seasonings? They have some truly awesome blends!!!
Click below to check them out. Delish!!!
What do you get when you take cassava flour and a bunch of nuts and seeds? Delicious, nutritious Paleo Nut and Seed Bars!!!! Cassava flour is a low-glycemic, non-inflammatory starch, while nuts and seeds provide an excellent source of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and immune boosting phytonutrients! Try the nuts and seeds suggested, or choose your own favorites! These nutrient dense Paleo Nut and Seed Bars are perfect for a snack, dessert, breakfast or bunch. It's nice to know there's a truly healthy, scrumptious bar that's quick and easy to make!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, blend Otto's Cassava Flour, pink Himalayan salt, cinnamon, and xantham gum.
In a second bowl, blend maple syrup, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl and mix just until fully combined. *Do not over-mix or cookie crust may come out gummy.
Line a 9x11 inch baking pan with parchment paper. (This step is optional, but allows for easy clean up, as well as non-toxic, non-stick baking without the need to grease the pan.) Choose a baking pan that's deep enough to hold the 3/4" crust as well as the toppings which will be added after initial baking.
Spoon dough into parchment lined pan and press down so dough forms an even cookie crust about 3/4" thick.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until edges become slightly brown and a fork stuck into center comes out clean.
Remove from oven, but keep oven on.
While carefully handling hot pan with oven mitts, spread Organic Sweetened Condensed Coconut milk on top of cookie crust. (*Note: No need to use the entire can unless you desire a very sweet bar. Use just enough to cover cookie crust.) This will be the "glue" that holds the toppings on.
Scatter sliced almonds, pecan pieces, pistachios, shredded coconut, hemp and chia seeds over the sweetened condensed coconut milk, trying to cover entire cookie crust. It's fine for nuts and seeds to overlap.
Place back into oven for an additional 10 minutes until toppings adhere to cookie crust.
Allow to cool before cutting into 12 bars.
Enjoy!
These bars freeze perfectly! Bake, cool, then throw in the freezer for a ready-made treat any time!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Bring the campfire home with Oven Baked S’mores Bars! These were created as a surprise birthday “cake” for my daughter who is gluten and dairy-free! She isn’t a fan of typical cake so I wanted to come up with something special. (Mission accomplished!!!) Years ago, …
Have you tried Yuca Chips yet??? If not, maybe this post will inspire you. They’re crispy, crunchy, and DELICIOUS! While my Perfect Yuca Chip recipe is AWESOME, you likely don’t have time to break out the mandolin every time you’d like a snack. And since …
Imagine a dreamy, creamy soup made of all healthy ingredients that can be thrown together in under 45 minutes! It’s hard to believe this vegan soup is also gluten and dairy-free! The yuca gives this soup its creamy consistency, as well as makes it super filling. So simple to make! So incredibly delicious and satisfying!
*Full printer-friendly recipe below*
Ingredients:
-3/4 pound yuca/cassava (Can use fresh or frozen) If using fresh, it must first be peeled and cut into 3-4 pieces. Frozen yuca is already peeled and cut.
To learn more about yuca check out my pages:
Buying, Storing, Peeling, and Cooking Yuca and
Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts
-3/4 pound organic cauliflower – roughly chopped (can be fresh or frozen)
-3/4 pound organic broccoli (can be fresh or frozen)
-1 organic onion – chopped
-1 teaspoon Jada Spices Chicken Salt (Vegan bullion-like seasoning made of all natural spices – See description below.)
-4 cups filtered water (This is separate from the water used to boil the yuca.)
Contrary to what its name suggests, Jada Spices Chicken Salt is a vegan, all purpose seasoning blend that resembles the taste of chicken bouillon – only it’s healthy! (Chicken bullion is pure crap!) It’s a widely popular seasoning in Australia. Jada Spices Chicken Salt is made of sea salt, spices (trust me – these are all natural, but aren’t listed to protect their unique recipe), turmeric (excellent to combat inflammation,) onion powder, garlic powder, and less than 1% calcium stearate (to prevent caking.) Jada Spices Chicken Salt is free of soy, gluten, msg, preservatives, and GMOs! Check it out below because you’re going to need this seasoning so you can throw out those bullion cubes forever!!!
Instructions:
-Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add peeled fresh or frozen yuca. Return to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender.
-Meanwhile, in a separate pot, boil 4 cups of filtered water. Add chopped onion and cauliflower, along with 1 teaspoon Jada Spices Chicken Salt and cook for 20 minutes.
-Once yuca is fork tender, drain water from yuca pot.
-Place cooked, drained yuca, along with contents of second pot, into a Vitamix or blender and combine until smooth. (An immersion blender may also be used.)
-Return blended soup to the pot and add broccoli. Cover and cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes until broccoli softens. *Stir often with a spatula to ensure it doesn’t adhere to the bottom of the pot.
-Using a ladle, remove about half the soup contents and place back into Vitamix/blender. Combine until smooth. Place blended soup back into the pot and stir until well combined. This creates a creamy soup with some chunks of broccoli. If a fully creamy soup is preferred (no chunks,) cook broccoli along with cauliflower and onion in step 3.
-Serve immediately! Enjoy!
Note: My husband wants me to mention that while this recipe is delicious as a soup, he also enjoys putting leftovers on top of chicken and vegetable dishes as a sauce!
for Jada Spices Chicken Salt, pantry items and kitchen gadgets I use for Crazy For Yuca recipes. All recommended products are used personally by me in my own kitchen!
All yuca/cassava snacks have been taste tested and approved by myself and my family! For a discussion of recommended yuca/cassava chips, see my post The Perfect Yuca Chip!
*By ordering recommended products through affiliate connections on our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
***
Imagine a dreamy, creamy soup made of all healthy ingredients that can be thrown together in under 45 minutes! It's hard to believe this vegan soup is also gluten and dairy-free! The yuca gives this it a creamy consistency without the need for dairy, as well as makes it super filling. So incredibly simple to make! So incredibly delicious and satisfying!
Meanwhile, in a separate pot, boil 4 cups of filtered water.
Add chopped onion and cauliflower, along with 1 teaspoon Jada Chicken Salt and cook for 20 minutes.
Drain water from boiled yuca.
Place cooked, drained yuca, along with contents of second pot, into a Vitamix or blender and combine until smooth. (An immersion blender may also be used.)
Return blended soup to the pot and add broccoli. Cover and cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes until broccoli softens. *Stir often with a spatula to ensure it doesn't adhere to the bottom of the pot.
Using a ladle, remove about half the soup contents and place back into blender. Combine until smooth. Place blended soup back into the pot and stir. This creates a creamy soup with some chunks of broccoli. If a fully creamy soup is preferred, cook broccoli along with cauliflower and onion in step 3.
Serve immediately!
Note: My husband wants me to mention that while this recipe is delicious as a soup, he also enjoyed putting it on top of chicken and vegetable dishes as a sauce! Good to know!!!
***
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
What’s more fun than strawberry shortcake?… Strawberry Short-Crepe Cream on Top!!! This beautiful gluten, diary, and refined sugar-free dessert is made simply by layering Grain-Free Crepes, scrumptious homemade Strawberry Jam, organic fresh strawberries, and Coconut Cream! It’s the perfect dessert, brunch dish, or birthday cake …
Grain-Free Crepes are quick and easy to prepare, and lots of fun to eat! They can be filled with almost anything – whether sweet or savory! With a fruit filling, such as strawberry jam, they’re perfect for entertaining guests for brunch, or as a sweet …
This guilt-free lasagna has everything that makes lasagna yummy, yet no gluten, grain, or dairy to trigger many common food sensitivities. It’s even Paleo and Whole30 compliant! Who ever thought one could say that about lasagna??? While it may be a bit unconventional, this lasagna is so packed with natural flavor that you’ll never miss the cheese or noodles! The key to this recipe is the substitution of layers of rolled-out yuca (a.k.a. cassava) in place of noodles. This not only makes it more fun, it increases the nutritional value of the dish!
Yuca is a root vegetable with a low glycemic (GI of 46) and a significant amount of vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and manganese. It’s a non-GMO, Paleo, Whole30 approved source of non-inflammatory carbohydrate that’s a significant source of resistant starch. This means it’s a prebiotic food that supports colon health by feeding probiotic bacteria in the colon. (This type of fiber is seriously lacking in the Standard American Diet.) See” Yuca Nutrition Facts for more info on the benefits of adding yuca/cassava to one’s diet.
This lasagna is not only healthy, it’s DELICIOUS!!! It exemplifies how yuca/cassava can be used to transform typical “gluten-full” dishes into fun and hearty gluten-free delicacies! Yuca truly is the chameleon of foods! Discover more about cooking and baking with yuca by clicking the links below and by checking out the recipe tab above!
See: Getting to Know Yuca/Cassava
See: Buying, Storing, Peeling and Cooking with Yuca
Vegan Option: Customize this lasagna by doubling the vegetables and including 2 layers of veggies in between layers of rolled-out yuca (instead of one layer of vegetables and a second of ground meat.)
Links to recommended pantry items can be found in the shopping tab above or by clicking on the ingredient listed below.
Ingredients for yuca layers (6-8 servings)
-1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen yuca. (Fresh yuca must first be peeled. Frozen yuca is already peeled and cut into pieces. See picture above)
-3/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt -divided
-3/4 teaspoon garlic powder -divided
-1 1/2 teaspoons nutritional yeast -divided
-1 tablespoon avocado oil -divided – (I use Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil)
-*parchment paper – (Parchment paper is key in working with yuca dough, as it’s very sticky.)
–Vitamix or other food processor
Ingredients for vegetable layer
-1 large organic onion – chopped
-1 organic leek – chopped
-2 organic zucchini – chopped
-1 organic red pepper – chopped
-1-2 cups organic broccoli – chopped
-1 6 oz bag organic spinach
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt – or more if desired. (I use pink Himalayan salt for all cooking and baking because of its high mineral content.)
-1 teaspoon dried organic basil
-1 teaspoon dried organic oregano
-1 teaspoon dried organic parsley
-1/2 teaspoon dried organic marjoram
-black pepper – to taste
-1 tablespoon avocado oil
Ingredients for meat layer – (omit for Vegan option)
-1 pound ground organic grass-fed beef, chicken, or turkey
-1 cup organic tomato sauce – (I LOVE Organic Paesana Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce!)
-a pinch of pink Himalayan salt or garlic powder may be desired – to taste
Instructions for Yuca Layers
-Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
-*If using fresh yuca it must be peeled and cut into 3 pieces before boiling. See: How to peel fresh yuca. Frozen yuca is already peeled and cut into pieces. *There is no need to defrost frozen yuca before boiling.
-Place peeled, cut fresh yuca or frozen yuca into pot of boiling water and boil for 15 minutes – until fork tender. *Do not over-cook or yuca will become mushy and very difficult to work with.
-Drain water immediately and allow to cool.
-Once cool enough to handle, cut each piece of yuca in half from top to bottom to remove stick-like stem that runs through the center.
-Cut into bite-sized chunks.
-To form each of 3 yuca layers, place 1 1/3 cups yuca chunks (1/3 of total) along with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast, and 1 teaspoon avocado oil into food processor (I use a Vitamix) and pulverize for 30-60 seconds until a dough is formed. *Do not place more than 1 1/3 cups yuca in food processor at a time or machine may overheat.
-Place each of 3 yuca dough balls on parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out each yuca layer between 2 pieces of parchment. If yuca dough seems too sticky to work with, place into freezer for a few minutes before rolling out. See: Tips for Handling Sticky Dough
Instructions for Vegetable Layer
-Chop onion, leek, zucchini, red pepper and broccoli, and place into heated pan along with avocado oil, salt, basil, oregano, parsley, marjoram, and black pepper. Saute for 8-10 minutes until vegetables are soft.
Instructions for Meat Layer (Omit for Vegan option)
-Brown ground meat until no longer pink.
-Add 1 cup Organic Paesana Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce (or tomato sauce of choice.)
Assembling Lasagna Layers (I use an oval baking dish about 8″ wide by 11″ long)
-Spoon tomato sauce to cover bottom of lasagna pan to prevent yuca layer from sticking to pan during cooking.
-Carefully lay one yuca layer over tomato sauce. *Yuca dough is very sticky. Either coat fingers with a gluten-free flour such as cassava, tapioca, or arrowroot while handling it, or place yuca layer along with bottom layer of parchment on top of sauce layer, then peel back parchment to transfer yuca layer to baking dish.
-Spoon meat layer evenly over yuca layer.
-Place a second yuca layer on top of meat layer.
-Spoon vegetable layer evenly over second yuca layer.
-Place third yuca layer on top of vegetable layer. Brush with a thin layer of avocado oil, and sprinkle with a touch of salt, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast.
-Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Broil for the last 3 minutes if browning is desired on top. Keep an eye on it during broiling to avoid burning.
Enjoy!!!
***
for ingredients to make Grain-Free Soft Pretzels, or to see recommended pantry items and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make other Crazy For Yuca recipes!
Check out the yuca/cassava snacks! – All personally taste tested and approved by myself and my family! For a detailed description of the recommended yuca/cassava chips, see my post The Perfect Yuca Chip!
By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
This gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free lasagna may be unconventional, but it's so packed with flavor that you'll never miss the cheese or noodles! Layers of rolled-out yuca (a.k.a. cassava) are used as a perfect substitute for pasta, while increasing the nutritional value of the dish! This lasagna is healthy, delicious, and exemplifies how yuca can be used to transform typical "gluten-full" dishes into fun and hearty gluten-free delicacies!
-Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
-*If using fresh yuca it must be peeled and cut into 3 pieces before boiling. See: How to peel fresh yuca. Frozen yuca is already peeled and cut into pieces.
-Place peeled, cut fresh yuca or frozen yuca into pot of boiling water and boil for 15 minutes until fork tender. There is no need to defrost frozen yuca before boiling. *Do not over-cook or yuca will become mushy and very difficult to work with.
-Drain water immediately and allow to cool.
-Once cool enough to handle, cut each piece of yuca in half from top to bottom to remove stick-like stem that runs through the center, then cut into chunks.
-To form each of 3 yuca layers, place 1 1/3 cups yuca chunks (1/3 of the total) along with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast, and 1 teaspoon avocado oil into food processor and pulverize for 30-60 seconds until a dough is formed. *Do not place more than 1 1/3 cups yuca in food processor at a time or it could overheat machine.
-Place each of 3 yuca dough balls on parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out each yuca layer between 2 pieces of parchment. If yuca dough seems too sticky to work with, place into freezer for a few minutes before rolling out. See: Tips for Handling Sticky Dough
-Chop onion, leek, zucchini, red pepper, broccoli and place into heated pan along with 1 tablespoon avocado oil, basil, oregano, parsley, marjoram, and black pepper. Saute for 8-10 minutes until vegetables are soft.
-Brown ground meat in pan.
-Add 1 cup Organic Paesana Tomato Sauce (or tomato sauce of choice)
-Spoon tomato sauce to cover bottom of lasagna pan. This will prevent yuca layer from sticking to pan during cooking.
-Carefully lay one yuca layer over tomato sauce. *Yuca dough is very sticky. Either coat fingers with a gluten-free flour such as cassava, tapioca, or arrowroot flour while handling it, or place yuca layer along with bottom layer of parchment on top of sauce layer, then peel back parchment to transfer yuca layer to baking dish.
-Spoon meat layer evenly over yuca layer.
-Place a second yuca layer on top of meat layer.
-Spoon vegetable layer evenly over second yuca layer.
-Place third yuca layer on top of vegetable layer. Brush with a thin layer of avocado oil, and sprinkle with a touch of salt, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast.
-Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Broil for the last 3 minutes if browning yuca is desired. Keep an eye on it during broiling to avoid burning.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
What’s a Southwestern Egg Roll? Think Chinese egg rolls, only the inside is a burst of spicy Southwestern flavored chicken and veggies! WHAT AN AMAZING IDEA!!! I only wish I thought of it! This recipe is courtesy of The Modern Cavegirl from Heart & Bones …
How do you like your Avocado Toast? Slathered in guacamole? With organic turkey bacon and tomatoes? With a sunny side up egg? – with a broken yolk dripping down your toast… No matter how they’re garnished, they are a truly special treat! Made on top …
Who doesn’t love a salty hot pretzel??? As a gluten-free eater I thought I’d never have one again, until now! These Grain-Free Soft Pretzels are THE REAL DEAL!!! They’re made with Otto’s Cassava Flour, so they’re naturally gluten and grain-free! With all “real” whole food ingredients, this is a snack that you can feel good about eating and serving to your family. This soft, chewy dough topped with coarse salt is indistinguishable from soft pretzels made from wheat! Never feel deprived again! Eat them plain, with your favorite mustard, or other dipping sauce. You’ll be happy you did!!!
This first thing you’ll need in order to make your Grain-Free Soft Pretzels is a bag of Otto’s Cassava Flour which you can purchase by clicking the link below.
See: Getting To Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour for more information about this incredibly versatile gluten-free, grain-free, non-GMO, Paleo, Whole30 approved, autoimmune protocol friendly flour!
***At Crazy For Yuca, my goal is to bring my followers the best gluten-free, dairy-free, “real” food recipes featuring yuca and cassava flour. (Yuca and cassava are the same thing.) Some of my posts are original CrazyForYuca recipes, and others are from other bloggers and recipe developers who are doing amazing things with yuca/cassava! (Because there’s no need to re-invent the wheel – am I right???) My goal is to become the place yuca lovers can go to find all the best yuca/cassava recipes!
I test out others’ recipes to ensure they’re awesome, tweak them to fit my eating style if needed, take my own step by step pictures while making them, and post along with my personal tips – giving full credit to the original recipe creator with a link to their post. If it isn’t my own recipe I cannot legally provide the full recipe in my post.
Heather did an incredible job of re-creating soft pretzels using cassava flour! I’ve had my eye on this recipe since I launched my site back in November and finally had time to make them. They will definitely be a staple in my house from now on! Thank you Heather!
After reading my post about them, check out her full recipe by clicking this link: “Paleo Soft Pretzels.” Heather also has an AIP version without the yeast which she calls “AIP Soft Pretzel Bites.”
Links to all non-perishable pantry items can be found in the shopping tab above or by clicking on the ingredient listed below.
Ingredients for pretzel dough:
-warm water
-extra virgin olive oil (I used avocado oil, as I do for most baking, because of its high smoke point. An oil’s smoke point is the temperature at which it breaks down, loses nutrients, changes flavor, and may produce free radicals that can be damaging to one’s health. (See: Dr. Axe’s article “Why Avocado Oil Got Rx Status in France.”)
–pure maple syrup (I used Hidden Springs Organic Maple Syrup.)
-cage-free egg (I used a duck egg since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs. Both work perfectly!)
–active dry yeast (I used one packet of Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast, which is gluten-free and kosher.)
-salt (I used pink Himalayan salt because of its additional mineral content compared to table salt.)
Ingredients for boiling pretzels:
-water
Ingredients for pretzel topping:
-egg yolk for egg wash – (Brush pretzels after boiling)
–coarse salt (I used Pereg Coarse Crystals Red Sea Salt – which isn’t actually red in color.)
Instructions:
The recipe involves making the pretzel dough, forming it into the desired number of pretzels (depending on how big you want them to be,) boiling them, brushing with an egg wash, topping with coarse salt, and then baking. (While it contains yeast, there’s no requirement to allow time for the dough to rise. I was curious if that was an omission, so I covered the dough and put it in a warm, dark place for an hour, but it didn’t rise. They came out great which just makes these even quicker to make!)
For Heather’s full instructions click here, Paleo Soft Pretzels.
Pretzel dough balls get rolled out into “snakes,” which are formed into pretzel shapes (or whatever shape is preferred!)
The pretzel shaped dough is brushed with an egg wash, and sprinkled with coarse salt.
It’s important to use coarse salt, as opposed to a finer grain of salt, if an authentic soft pretzel look and taste is desired. YUM!!!
Heather instructs to use egg yolk mixed with a little water for the egg wash. My pretzels came out a bit darker in color than I would have liked (but still deliciously tasty!) Next time I will try using either the whole egg or just the egg whites to get a lighter colored pretzel. (The color may have been darker because I use duck eggs.)
Serve plain, with mustard, or any dipping sauce of choice! Make them for yourself, or for your next party!!! They’re a real crowd-pleaser!
***
for ingredients to make Grain-Free Soft Pretzels, or to see recommended pantry items and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make other Crazy For Yuca recipes!
Check out the yuca/cassava snacks! – All personally taste tested and approved by myself and my family! For a detailed description of the recommended yuca/cassava chips, see my post The Perfect Yuca Chip!
By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
These Grain-Free Popovers are so light and airy! They’re fun to eat and really hit the spot when you’re craving some bread, but don’t want the grain! They’re especially delicious warm right out of the oven! While most of my Crazy For Yuca recipes are …
Nothing says Easter like decorated eggs! And nothing says “fun celebration” like hand pies!!! Did you love Pop-tarts as a kid? If the answer is “yes”, you’ll adore these Easter Egg Hand Pies – with a delectable flakey crust on the outside, and sweet fruit …
I call this recipe Mandel Bread / Biscotti because there’s little (if any) difference between these 2 cookies. I want everyone to feel free to enjoy them – no matter one’s heritage, or holiday celebrating. With both Passover and Easter coming within the next week, these will be an excellent addition to any holiday dessert table! While delicious on their own, they’re especially fun to dip into coffee or tea!
Both mandel bread and biscotti are traditionally twice-baked, once as a loaf and then again after being sliced. This is what makes them especially crunchy, as opposed to a more cakey cookie. Because the moisture is baked out of them, they can be made days ahead and retain their freshness, especially if kept in an airtight container at room temperature. (Unfortunately, I can’t report how long exactly this recipe will stay fresh since we gobble them up way too quickly!!!)
This recipe is kosher for Passover, as it’s grain and dairy-free, and doesn’t contain any leavening. It’s made of only a few simple, whole-food ingredients and no refined sugar. The main ingredient is cassava flour, which is a welcome change during the 8 days of Passover when EVERYTHING is made of matzo!
Cassava (a.k.a. yuca) is the incredibly versatile root vegetable that is the focus of this blog. Yuca/cassava is gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, Vegan, Paleo, Whole30 approved, soy-free, and typically considered safe for those following an autoimmune protocol (AIP friendly.) (Note: this recipe is not nut-free, as almond flour and slivered almonds are added.)
Click link : Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava.)
Click link: Buying, Storing, Peeling, and Cooking Yuca (Cassava.)
Cassava flour is a whole-food flour made simply by drying and grinding the white flesh of peeled yuca/cassava root. With its neutral taste and similar consistency to wheat flour, it’s easily substituted for wheat flour (or matzo cake meal) in this recipe.
Click link: Getting to Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour
I use Otto’s Cassava Flour for all my baking. It can be found in specialty stores or online here by clicking the link below.
By ordering Otto’s Cassava Flour and other recommended products through our website we get a small commission which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional cost to you. All recommended products are ones that I personally use in my own kitchen. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
These are incredibly simple to make and delicious to eat!
The word mandel means almond, and biscotti are traditionally made with nuts, so I chose Almond Mandel Bread / Biscotti as the basic version of this recipe. I’ve also included chocolate chip and cinnamon variations below. YUM!!! Feel free to play around with different extracts and add ins to create your own personal favorite.
Makes 16 pieces (About 5″ long x 3/4″ high)
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
2/3 cup almond flour
4 teaspoons potato starch
2/3 cup avocado oil
2 cage-free eggs
2/3 cup organic maple syrup
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl blend dry ingredients, including Otto’s Cassava Flour, almond flour, potato starch, and salt. In a second bowl blend wet ingredients, including avocado oil, egg, almond extract, and maple syrup. Combine contents of two bowls by adding wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl. Blend thoroughly. Mix in slivered almonds.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough in half. With moistened hands, form 2 loaves on parchment lined baking sheet. To ensure even baking, make certain thickness of loaf is even throughout.
Place on middle rack of preheated oven (set to 350 degrees) and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. 
Using a spatula, carefully place each loaf onto a cutting board. Using a fine, sharp knife, slice into cookies. Carefully place cookies back on parchment lined baking sheet, cut-side down, and place back into oven for an additional 15 minutes to dry and lightly brown. (Check after 10 minutes to ensure cookies aren’t burning.)
Once edges brown, remove from oven and allow to cool.
Enjoy!!
***
***
For the chocolate chip version, simply swap out the slivered almonds for dairy-free chocolate chips! I use Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels. or Pascha Organic Dark Chocolate Chips (55% or 85% cacao.) They’re both gluten, dairy, soy, and nut-free! Check them out by clicking link below!
Mini Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Morsels can also be used.
For the cinnamon version, swap out the almond extract for vanilla extract and leave out the slivered almonds. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to batter, and sprinkle additional on top.
***
I call this recipe Mandel Bread / Biscotti because there's little (if any) difference between these 2 cookies, and I want everyone to feel free to enjoy them - no matter their heritage, or holiday celebrating. They are Kosher for Passover, but would be an excellent addition to one's Easter dessert table as well! While delicious on their own, they're especially fun to dip into coffee or tea! These cookies are twice-baked, once as a loaf, then again after being sliced. This is what makes them especially crunchy. Since the moisture is baked out of them, they can be made days ahead and retain their freshness, especially if kept in an airtight container at room temperature. (I can't report exactly how long they stay fresh since we gobble them up too quickly to know!!!) The main ingredient is cassava flour, which is a welcome change during the 8 days of Passover when EVERYTHING is made out of matzo!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl blend dry ingredients, including Otto's Cassava Flour, almond flour, potato starch, and salt.
In a second bowl blend wet ingredients, including avocado oil, egg, almond extract, and maple syrup.
Combine contents of two bowls by adding wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl. Blend thoroughly.
Mix in slivered almonds.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Divide dough in half and place each half on parchment lined baking sheet.
With moistened hands, form 2 loaves. To ensure even baking, make certain thickness of loaf is even throughout.
Place on middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Using a spatula, carefully place each loaf onto a cutting board.
Using a fine, sharp knife, slice each loaf into approximately 8 cookies (loaf can easily crumble if not careful.)
Carefully return sliced cookies to parchment lined baking pan, repositioning them so they're cut-side down.
Place back into oven for an additional 15 minutes to dry and slightly brown. (Check after 10 minutes to make sure they aren't burning.) Once edges brown and cookies harden, remove from oven and allow to cool.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
It’s time to plan your Passover menu! Why not decrease the grains this holiday with Grain-Free Cassava Flour Matzo Balls? They will be adored by your gluten-eating and gluten-free guests alike! (I had a little trouble stopping myself from eating them all before getting a …
While I usually incorporate yuca (a.k.a. cassava) into typical American food as a way to make gluten-free cooking more diverse and less restricting, today I’m excited to share a traditional recipe showing how yuca is eaten in another part of the world. This recipe for …
I’m making this banana bread as I type up this post, and the incredible aroma as it’s baking has taken over the house! I can’t wait for it to cool off so I can take my blog pictures and dig in!!! Whether made into muffins or loaves, this recipe is the perfect gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free, healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert any time! They’re just sweet enough, without being overly sweet. This banana bread is my husband’s absolute favorite! I like to make a batch, then throw them in the freezer so they’re available any time.
Go Nuts with Gluten-Free Grain-Free Banana Bread / Muffins!
While this recipe is amazing without nuts, adding your favorite nut is a great way to boost the protein, Omega-3 fats, fiber, and minerals in your diet, all while enjoying a scrumptious piece of banana bread or muffin!
If you haven’t tried cassava flour yet, you’re missing out! (FYI – yuca and cassava are different names for the same root vegetable.) Cassava flour is a relatively new flour that has emerged in the gluten-free, Paleo, and autoimmune protocol worlds in recent years. It’s a whole-food, non-GMO flour made simply by drying and grinding the white flesh of the peeled yuca root. Since yuca has a low glycemic index of 46, it will not spike blood sugar the way many other gluten-free flours can. It’s therefore considered safe for diabetics.
It can be used in place of wheat flour in most recipes to create grain-free treats with all the goodness expected of wheat flour. It has a neutral taste and a texture similar to wheat flour (not grainy like some nut flours.) It’s finer than wheat flour; a bit like powdered sugar in that if mixed too vigorously it creates a “flour cloud” over the bowl. It’s dryer than wheat flour, so recipes often need a bit more liquid.
I use Otto’s Cassava Flour for all of my baking since it tastes great, is certified gluten-free, non-GMO and Paleo, and is made upholding the highest standards. See About Cassava (Yuca) Flour for more information.
By ordering Otto’s Cassava Flour through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
This recipe makes 20 muffins or 2 loaves
Ingredients:
-2 cups Otto’s Cassava Flour
-2 tablespoons organic coconut flour (I use NOW Foods Organic Coconut Flour.)
-1 teaspoon baking soda (I typically use Bob’s Red Mill baking soda because they mine their sodium bicarbonate directly from the ground in it’s natural state, while many other brands use a chemical reaction process (1.))
-¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt (I use pink Himilayan sea salt for all cooking and baking because of its high mineral content.)
-4 cage-free eggs – room temperature (I use duck eggs since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs. Both chicken and duck eggs work perfectly!)
-2 cups mashed, ripe organic bananas (About 4-5 bananas)
1 cup organic maple syrup -room temperature
-½ cup organic applesauce – no sugar added
-1/3 cup organic coconut oil – melted ( I use Nutiva Organic Coconut oil)
-1 tsp organic vanilla extract
–baking cups – If making muffins.
parchment paper – If making loaves
-Optional: Add pecans and/or walnuts – reserving some to sprinkle on top of muffin or loaf.
How nutty are you??
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl blend dry ingredients including Otto’s Cassava Flour, coconut flour, baking soda and pink Himalayan sea salt . In a second bowl, combine wet ingredients including eggs, mashed bananas, maple syrup, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla. Combine ingredients from the 2 bowls by adding wet ingredients to the dry, then stir just until moistened. (*Over-blending may cause your banana bread to be gummy.)
Optional – Add chopped pecans and/or walnuts, stirring just enough to blend.
Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with baking cups or into 2 loaf pans lined with parchment paper.
Optional: Sprinkle additional nuts on top for added crunch and a truly spectacular looking muffin or loaf!
For muffins: Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a fork inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
For loaves: Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.
Notes: These freeze well.
Gluten-Free Grain-Free Banana Bread
Gluten-Free Grain-Free Banana Muffins (With and Without Nuts)
*****
*****
Whether made into muffins or loaves, this recipe is the perfect gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free, healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert any time! They're just sweet enough, without being overly sweet. Go nuts and add pecans and/or walnuts to boost the protein, Omega-3 fats, fiber, and minerals of this delicious treat! Make a batch, then throw them in the freezer so they're available any time.
In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients including Otto's Cassava Flour, coconut flour, baking soda and pink Himalayan sea salt until well combined.
In a second bowl combine eggs, mashed bananas, maple syrup, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla.
Place blended wet ingredients into dry ingredient bowl and stir just until moistened. (*Over-blending may cause your banana bread to be gummy.)
Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with baking cups or 2 loaf pans lined with parchment paper.
If desired, sprinkle additional nuts on top for added crunch and a truly spectacular looking muffin!
Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, and loaves for 45-55 minutes, or until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean.
Notes: Freeze well. Defrost quickly at room temperature or in microwave for about 30 seconds.
*****
*****
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Why should the gluten-free be denied scrumptious almond cookies from the Chinese restaurant? (After all, we already can’t have most Chinese food!) My daughter, who is gluten and dairy-free, had a hankering for almond cookies and asked me to create this recipe using cassava flour. …
This is no ordinary chocolate chip cookie! While it has chocolate chips, it also has dried cherries, cinnamon, and is made from naturally gluten-free cassava flour! They’re soft-baked, with a melt-in-your-mouth crumbly texture, and just enough maple syrup sweetness. These are my go-to cookie when …
Spend 5 minutes of prep time, then go about your day knowing this simple, delicious 4 ingredient crockpot chicken will be ready and waiting for you when you get home! Then boil up some yuca (because everything is better with yuca!) while chopping and sauteing your favorite vegetables. Then throw it all together into one pot. Within 30 minutes this perfectly healthy, mouthwatering stew is done! This is one of those recipes that makes it super easy and satisfying to eat well! It’s one of my go-to weeknight meals.
When I first began my gluten and dairy-free journey, my functional medicine doctor gave me a list of foods that were acceptable to eat and yuca was on the list. I had no idea what it was so I just ignored it. Who would have thought that 6 years later I’d consider this root vegetable to be the savior of a gluten-free diet, and create an entire blog around it! Without yuca, I unknowingly deprived myself of many wonderful dishes that would have made being gluten-free a lot easier. While this dish is perfectly yummy without the yuca (although not as hearty) take a moment to discover all the amazingness that is yuca by clicking the links below. You’ll be happy you did!!!
Getting To Know Yuca (Cassava)
Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts
Buying, Storing, Peeling, and Cooking Yuca (Cassava)
If you don’t have yuca on hand, this dish can be made with cooked rice, quinoa, or potato (for a non-Paleo version.) I recommend buying a bag or 2 of frozen yuca and keeping it in your freezer so you’re prepared for any exciting recipe that comes along on Crazy For Yuca! Yuca (also known as cassava) is typically found in the frozen Goya section at many larger supermarkets. Frozen yuca takes about the same amount of time to cook as rice or quinoa (15 minutes in boiling water.) Fresh yuca takes a bit longer to prepare, since it must first be peeled. See: How to Peel Fresh Yuca.
Ingredients for Chile Lime Crockpot Chicken: (Full Printable Recipe Below)
-whole, raw organic chicken
-juice of 1 large organic lemon (3 tablespoons)
-1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Seasoning Blend
-1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
-1 cup filtered water
Ingredients for Vegetables:
-3/4 lb fresh or frozen yuca (Half a bag Goya Frozen Yuca or 1 medium fresh, peeled yuca cut into 3-4 pieces.) Note: If using fresh yuca it must be peeled before boiling. See: How to Peel Fresh Yuca for instructions if needed.
-1 organic leek – diced (green part only for low FODMAP) (Or onion if FODMAPS are not a concern.)
-1 organic red pepper – diced
-3 organic carrots – sliced
-1 organic zucchini – diced
-8 oz organic rainbow chard – leaves torn/stems finely diced (or other green leafy vegetable of choice)
-1 tablespoon avocado oil
Note: Any vegetables can be used in this recipe, so feel free to use what you have on hand. I often also throw in broccoli, spinach, collard greens, or kale. It all depends on what’s in my fridge that day!
Let’s make Chile Lime Crockpot Chicken!
The key to this amazingly delicious meal is Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Seasoning Blend!
Start with a whole, organic chicken. Remove skin, wash, and place in crockpot. (I remove skin to decrease the fat, since I use the broth created during cooking as the sauce for this Chile Lime Crockpot Chicken and Vegetable Stew.)
Add 1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Seasoning Blend, 1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt, the juice of a large organic lemon (about 3 tablespoons,) and 1 cup filtered water to crockpot. (Water not yet added in picture below.)
Cover and cook, either on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, depending on your timing needs. That’s it! Go about your day knowing that your chicken will be ready when you need it in a few hours! (It’s fine if the chicken cooks longer on either of these settings. No need to rush home.)
Viola! Scrumptious, tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone chicken, ready when you are!!!
(I apologize for the boo boo on the top chicken breast. My husband came by and pinched off a taste while the chicken was cooling without realizing I planned on making our dinner my next post!!! It really is hard to resist!)
Once ready, uncover crockpot and allow chicken to cool enough to be comfortably handled during deboning.
While chicken is cooling, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add peeled, cut, fresh yuca, or frozen yuca (which is already peeled and cut into pieces) and return to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes until fork tender. Ensure that yuca is fully covered by water throughout cooking.
While yuca is boiling, chop vegetables.
A common question is whether or not to eat the stalks of rainbow chard. The answer is YES! They are chock full of dietary fiber, vitamins A and K, are an excellent source of iron, and have lots of beneficial polyphenols! These are antioxidants that have shown promise in preventing cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and degenerative neurological conditions (1).
To prepare rainbow chard for cooking, remove leaves from stems, tear leaves into pieces, and finely dice stems. The stems need to be cooked a bit longer than the leaves.
Heat a saucepan with avocado oil to medium heat. Add chopped leeks (or onions), carrots, red peppers, zucchini, and diced rainbow chard stems and saute for 3-5 minutes. 
Once yuca is fork tender, immediately drain water from boiled yuca and allow to cool for a few minutes. (If boiled yuca is kept in the water it will quickly become mushy.)
Once yuca is cool enough to handle (about 5 minutes,) cut each piece in half lengthwise to remove stick-like stem that runs through the center. Cut into cubes. 
Pour broth from crockpot chicken into saucepan with sauteed vegetables and bring to a simmer. Add yuca cubes and rainbow chard leaves to the pan. Cover and reduce heat to low.
Debone chicken. Add 2 cups of cooked chicken to the pot. Cover and heat for an additional few minutes. 
Serve.
Save the rest of your Chile Lime Crockpot Chicken for tomorrow’s lunch or dinner!!! It can be used for any dish that calls for cooked chicken (like my Zesty Chicken Salad Dijonnaise!) It shreds easily or can be cut into chunks. I make 2-3 crockpot chickens per week, so there’s always chicken on hand to throw together a quick lunch or dinner. (This prevents reliance on unhealthy, processed cold cuts and greatly decreases the time needed to prepare a meal!) For lunch, I toss it into a salad or chicken salad (using my Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing (low FODMAP)), or onto a Cassava Flour Tortilla Wrap, or eat it with steamed vegetables (which takes only 5-8 minutes.) Convenience is key when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
*****
*****
*****
All it takes is 5 minutes of prep time in the morning, and this delicious, gluten and dairy-free chicken will be ready and waiting when you get home. Then boil up some yuca while chopping your favorite vegetables, and within 30 minutes this perfectly healthy, mouthwatering dinner is done! Who says eating well needs to be hard or time-consuming?
Start with a whole, organic chicken. Remove skin, wash, and place into crockpot.
Add 1 tablespoon Trader Joe's Chile Lime Seasoning Blend, 1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt, the juice of one organic lemon (3 tablespoons,) and 1 cup filtered water.
Cover crockpot and cook either on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Once cooked, remove cover and allow to cool.
Once cooled, debone.
While chicken is cooling, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add yuca, return to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes until fork tender. Ensure that yuca is fully covered by water throughout cooking.
Meanwhile, chop leek (or onion), red pepper, carrots, and zucchini. Remove leaves from stems of rainbow chard. Tear leaves and finely dice stems.
Heat a saucepan to medium heat. Add avocado oil, chopped leeks, carrots, red peppers, zucchini, and diced rainbow chard stems. Saute for 3-5 minutes.
Once yuca is fork tender, immediately drain water and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, cut each piece of yuca in half to remove stick-like stem that runs through the center. Cut into cubes.
Pour broth from crockpot into saucepan with sauteed vegetables, and bring to a simmer.
Add yuca cubes, rainbow chard leaves, and 2 cups of cooked deboned chicken to pan. Cover and heat for a few additional minutes until chard is wilted.
Serve.
***
Comment below and let me know what you think of this dish!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
With this Paleo French Onion Soup topped with melted yuca dough, you won’t miss the cheese! This perfect pairing is deliciously gratifying in every way!!! Upon baking, the underside of the yuca gets soft and gooey, while the top browns just right! This Paleo variation …
Many panic when they find out they need to be gluten and/or dairy-free! I think one of the main reasons is fear of giving up their comfort foods. This Grain-Free Chicken Pot Pie recipe is true comfort food at its best! It’s proof positive that …
Valentine’s Day Cassava Flour Cake Pops
The time has come for the gluten-free and gluten-eating alike to enjoy cake pops together for all occasions!!! These pops are so incredible, no one will ever guess they’re gluten-free! Not to mention grain-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nonGMO!!!
I must admit, I’m known for my cake pops! Making themed pops for holidays, special occasions, and gifts has been a little hobby of mine. I started making them years ago – (in my previous life) – before going gluten-free and eliminating processed food from my diet. I was still making them to bring to parties and other gatherings since they’re such a crowdpleaser, but I haven’t eaten them because they were full of crap!!! They were GORGEOUS, but I can’t think of anything less healthy to eat! I’d actually cringe a little when serving them, feeling like I was giving people poison wrapped up like a beautiful present!
Those days are over now that we have Gluten-free Cassava Flour Cake Pops!
I set out to make healthy cake pops using Otto’s Cassava Flour and all natural ingredients and decorations. I must admit, I’m VERY happy with the results! They might not be as brightly colored as my pops from the past made with chemically dyed toppings, but they taste WAY better and are made of all “real” food. What can be better than that? I can’t wait to share this recipe with you!
Here are my Holiday Cassava Flour Cake Pops.
(See below for decorating instructions for each of these pops.)
With these Gluten-Free Cassava Flour Cake Pops you can have all the fun with no guilt! (or at least very little.)
Many believe that making cake pops is difficult. While it is a bit time consuming, there’s nothing difficult about it.
-3/4 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
-1/3 cup organic coconut oil
-1/2 cup organic maple syrup
-1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
-pinch pink Himalayan salt (chosen because of its purity and high mineral content)
-1 cage-free egg
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-2 cups melting chocolate (I use EnjoyLife Dark Chocolate Morsels or Pascha Dark Chocolate Chips – 55% Cacao. They are both gluten and dairy-free)
-1/4 cup Trader Joe’s Raw Almond Butter (or preferred nut butter)
-12 lollypop sticks
-cake pop stand or styrofoam to hold dipped pops
(*See full printable recipe below*)
In a large bowl, blend Otto’s Cassava Flour, xanthan gum and pink Himalayan salt. In a second bowl combine melted coconut oil, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl and mix until fully combined.
Place batter into a small baking dish (about 7″ x 7″) lined with parchment paper (for easy clean up and toxin-free baking.) Any shaped baking dish can be used, since the cake will be crumbled after baking.
*The key is to use a baking dish that fits all the batter, with batter only about 1/2 – 3/4 inch deep. Cassava flour can be tricky to bake with in that the perimeter of cakes can cook faster than the middle, if the cake is too thick. This small, thin cake will bake quickly and evenly, without browning. Browned cake becomes too dry and doesn’t hold its shape well when rolled into balls. For best results, remove any browning after baking before moving to the next step.
Be sure not to over-bake. The cake should be baked for 15 minutes – just until a fork inserted into the middle comes out clean.
In a large bowl crumble cake, either with your hands or by raking with a fork, until it’s the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs.
This is the “glue” that holds the balls together so be sure all crumbs are coated evenly.
Divide dough into 12 balls, rolling each between your hands as you would to make a meatball (or use a cake pop former if you have one.) This dough is highly malleable, yet holds its shape well, so use your imagination and create whatever shapes you want! (Below there are 2 oddly shaped “balls” that I was originally going to make into Santa hats, but then decided to stick with balls for this post.)
Dip the tip of each cake pop stick into chocolate, then push it through the center of each cake ball until it’s about halfway through the circumference of ball.
Once all balls have sticks in them, place in freezer for 20 minutes while setting up for decorating. Pops can be made a day ahead, stored in the refrigerator overnight, then decorated the next day.
*Note: Overly frozen pops will contract in the freezer, then expand once thawed out. If pops are frozen for much longer than 20 minutes and then dipped into warm chocolate, they will eventually expand causing cracks in chocolate.
(I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels. They’re dairy, nut, and soy-free as well as non-GMO verified. Any preferred chocolate can be used. )
If using a microwave, heat chocolate in intervals of one minute or less to avoid burning. Stir in between each heating. A double boiler is the preferred method since there’s no risk of burning, and chocolate can be kept over a low heat or covered so it stays melted throughout decorating.
*Note: If using a double boiler, ensure that absolutely no water drips into chocolate, as this will seize the chocolate and destroy its smooth texture. Seized chocolate must be discarded.
Ensure that each pop is fully covered in chocolate, while allowing excess chocolate to drip back into pot. A thin coating of chocolate is preferred. Too much chocolate can drip down stick while drying, take too long to dry, or cause pop to become top heavy and fall off stick.
If adding topping such as nuts, dried fruit, coconut, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, colored sugar, decorate immediately after dipping into chocolate, as chocolate begins to dry very quickly (within a minute or two.) I like to set up my toppings in separate little bowls so I can dip my pops, then place toppings on quickly and easily.
Once decorated, place each pop into a block of styrofoam (or cake pop holder if you have one) to dry undisturbed. I save large pieces of styrofoam that come as packaging to hold my drying cake pops. When creating decorative baskets and boxes for guests or gifts, I buy appropriate sized styrofoam shapes to fit inside whatever holder I’m using. These can be purchased at craft stores such as Michaels or at Dollar Tree (seasonal item, but each one is only 99 cents, so I stock up on varied sizes when I see them!) They’re typically used in floral arrangements to keep flowers in place.
For these Valentine’s Day cake pops I used a heart shaped cookie cutter so they would all be exactly the same size and shape. Since multiple layers of chocolate and colored icing was used, I allowed the first layer to dry fully before adding additional colors.
For the white icing: Blend one cup powdered sugar (sifted,) 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon filtered water.
For the red icing: I added a few drops of Color Garden 100% Plant Based Red Food Color to the white icing. This food coloring is made of beet juice, turmeric, annatto, and less than 1% ethyl alcohol as a preservative. It’s the first natural food dye I’ve tried that gives a true red color!
In the picture below I’m covering a pop with Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips – a true chocolate lovers dream pop!!!
Here’s the finished chocolate chip cake pop. YUMMY!!!
There are many natural options to use to decorate your cake pops beautifully!
This pop was rolled in Trader Joe’s Organic Unsweetened Coconut!
This pop is covered in Trader Joe’s Unsalted, Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces! (I LOVE pecans, but any chopped nut can be used.)
This cake pop was decorated with a combination of Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips and chopped up Trader Joe’s Dry Roasted & Unsalted Pistachio Nutmeats! ……Oh yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!!!
I love the colors of this pop that was decorated with chopped Trader Joe’s Golden Berry Blend. It’s a combination of golden raisins, cherries, cranberries, & blueberries! Who says deliciously sweet, pretty colored cake pops have to include candy and sprinkles filled with chemical dyes??? I think this one looks like a bouquet of flowers!
If a little green and red are desired for your holiday cake pops, consider this sanding sugar made by TruColor. Colors are derived from fruits, vegetables, roots, seeds & minerals, without synthetic FD&C dyes or artificial preservatives! It’s still sugar, but if one wants to use a colored sugar, this one holds up to pretty high standards.
Creating a few character cake pops for holidays and special occasions adds extra fun to your assortment. How adorable are these guys???
The antlers of this Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer pop was made with Trader Joe’s (are we starting to see a pattern here? – lol) Gluten-free Pretzel Twists. I cut off one side of each pretzel using a very sharp, fine knife, moved gently back and forth over the pretzel in a sawing motion. (I only broke 4 while perfecting these two!!) The nose is a dried cranberry from my Trader Joe’s Golden Berry Blend. The eyes are two Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate chips placed on top of white icing. (See recipe for white icing in description of the making of the snowman pop below.)
The basic white icing used for this snowman was a combination of 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted,) 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of water. (That was what I used for the whites of Rudolph’s eyes as well.) The snowman’s eyes are Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips. His nose is a slice of dried apricot. His mouth was drawn on using the melted dipping chocolate applied with a toothpick. His adorable hat was molded from a piece of a blueberry RXBAR (a protein bar made with dates, egg whites, almonds, cashews, blueberries, and natural blueberry flavor.) It has a consistency similar to a tootsie roll.
Have fun decorating your pops! One can decorate cake pops simply, or as elaborately as one’s creativity allows.
Cake pops can be presented in a variety of ways. They look great simply placed in a coffee mug!
Various sized boxes or baskets can be inexpensively purchased to display cake pops in decorative ways. Each of these boxes was bought at Dollar Tree for $1 each. You can’t beat that!!!
These pops look like a party simply laid out in a fan shape!
These pops look great displayed in this little holiday box! When giving cake pops as gifts, I wrap decorative boxes of all sizes in cellophane, and tie them with curly ribbon for a truly professional look!
I hope you enjoy your Gluten-Free Cassava Flour Cake Pops!!!
***
***
If you have any questions, reach out to me through the comments sections below and I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.
May your holidays be filled with the warmth of family and friends, food that truly nourishes you, good health, and peace. Warm regards – Lauren from CrazyForYuca.com
***
***
Nothing says fun like cake pops! They bring smiles and excitement to any dessert table! Finally, a cake pop that everyone can enjoy, whether gluten-free, dairy-free, or soy-free! They're so delicious, your guests will be shocked to know they're gluten-free!! (And you don't have to tell them!) These pops will be the talk of your holiday dinner or next party!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a large bowl, mix Otto's Cassava Flour, xanthan gum and Himalayan sea salt.
In a second bowl blend maple syrup, melted coconut oil, egg, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl and mix until fully combined.
Line a small baking pan with parchment paper. (This step is optional, but allows for easy clean up as well as non-stick baking without greasing baking pan.)
Choose a small baking pan that allows for a very thin cake (batter depth about 1/2 -3/4 inch.) This will allow cake to bake quickly and evenly throughout, without browning.
Bake for 15 minutes - just until a fork inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean. *Don't wait for browning to occur. If browning does occur, cut off browned parts before next step. Browned cake is too dry and will prevent pops from holding their shape once rolled into balls.
Allow to fully cool (about 15 minutes.)
In a large bowl, crumble the cake, either with your hands or by raking it with a fork, until it's the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs.
Add almond butter, mixing to ensure it's evenly blended throughout cake crumbs. (This is the glue that holds the pops together.)
Form 12 equal sized balls, rolling them with your hands the way you would a meatball. (A cake pop former can also be used if you have one, but isn't necessary.)
Place each formed cake ball on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate. (Wax paper can also be used.)
Melt a small amount of chocolate (about 1/4 cup) either in the microwave or in a double boiler. (If using microwave, heat for one minute, stir, heat for an additional minute, stir.... until fully melted. Heating for longer than a minute at a time can burn chocolate.)
Dip the tip of each cake pop stick into chocolate, then push it through the center of each cake ball until it's about halfway through the circumference of the ball.
Place the baking sheet with cake pops into the freezer for 20 minutes. (This allows pops to harden and adhere to the sticks so they won't fall off while being dipped in chocolate.) *Don't keep pops in freezer longer than 20 minutes. Pops that are too cold will contract, and later expand once they're dipped in warm chocolate, causing cracks in your pops. Pops can be kept in refrigerator overnight if decorating isn't being done on the same day. They can be dipped the next day without first putting them in freezer.
Melt chocolate in either the microwave (in intervals of no longer than 1 minute) or a double boiler (preferred method since there's no risk of burning, and chocolate can be kept over a low heat or covered so it stays melted throughout decorating.) *If using a double boiler, ensure absolutely no water drips into the chocolate, as this will seize the chocolate, destroying it's smooth texture. Seized chocolate must be discarded.
Dip each chilled pop into melted chocolate, tipping the bowl of chocolate and slowly rotating the pop to ensure full coverage. (Don't roll pops in chocolate, as this can place too much pressure on pop and cause it to fall off stick.)
Once pop is fully covered in chocolate, decorate immediately with chopped nuts, dried fruit, mini-chips, colored sugar, candy, etc. To make characters, additional embellishments can be adhered to pop with small dots of melted chocolate.
Place pops in cake pop stand or poke holes with pop into styrofoam block and allow to dry.
Display in any number of fun ways to serve to guests or to give as gifts.
Happy Holidays to you and your family from Lauren at CrazyForYuca!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Being gluten-free doesn’t mean missing out on the fun of holiday cookie baking! With cassava flour, you can make scrumptious gluten-free, whole-food sugar cookies that taste just like those made from wheat flour! If you haven’t discovered cassava flour yet, these Cassava Flour Holiday Sugar …
Have you tried baking with cassava flour yet? If not, this is the perfect cookie recipe to get you started! Whether you’re gluten-free, or just want to eat less grain, these cassava flour Strawberry Almond Butter Pinwheel Cookies are fun to make and to eat! …
If you haven’t tried Otto’s Cassava Flour yet, what are you waiting for??
Cassava flour is a whole-food flour made simply by drying and grinding the white flesh of the peeled yuca/cassava root. (Yuca and cassava are different names for the same root vegetable.)
For baking that does not require rising, cassava flour can often replace wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio. For recipes requiring rising, a combination of cassava flour and other gluten-free flours can be used to obtain the desired result. It requires a little experimentation.
Cassava flour can be used to make cassava breads, tortillas, pizza crust, pie crust, cookies, brownies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, crackers, you name it!! All with no gluten – or even any grain!!! I don’t know about you, but that is REALLY exciting to me!!!
For those who are gluten-free like me, I’m sure you can relate when I say – How much almond flour can a person eat? I kept worrying that the next food sensitivity I was going to develop was a sensitivity to almonds since I seemed to make EVERYTHING out of them!
Cassava flour is a truly healthy alternative to wheat for those who are gluten intolerant or have an allergy to nuts. A further benefit is that it will not spike blood sugar the way many gluten-free flours can. It’s a wonderful choice for “gluten eating” people as well, as it’s a delicious, natural, unprocessed flour.
There are many reasons why I use Otto’s Cassava Flour. First – it tastes great! Many people find it indistinguishable from wheat flour! It has no fillers and is not enriched with anything. The only ingredients are cassava/yuca and water. It’s certified non-GMO, gluten-free, and Paleo. Many other cassava flours are made by peeling and then sun-drying the root. This allows fermentation which can create a sour tasting and musty smelling flour. Otto’s Cassava Flour is made in Brazil, (not Africa like some brands) where it’s peeled and baked according to their proprietary method – with no fermentation or opportunity for mold growth. As someone with autoimmune issues, avoiding mold is a top priority. Otto’s is the highest quality, cleanest tasting flour. If you tried a different brand of cassava flour and didn’t like the taste of your recipe, don’t give up before trying Otto’s. You won’t be sorry.
Otto’s Cassava Flour – Nutrition
Serving size: ¼ cup (32g)
| %DV | ||
| Calories | 110 | |
| Total Fat | 0 g | |
| Cholesterol | 0 g | |
| Sodium | 0 g | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 28 g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g | 11 % |
| Sugars | 0 g | |
| Protein | 3 g | 11% |
| Calcium | 32 mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 83 mg | 2% |
| Manganese | 11% |
Otto’s Cassava Flour can only be found in some specialty stores and online. Click link or picture below to purchase Otto’s Cassava Flour.
By ordering Otto’s Cassava Flour through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Not sure what to do with your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers? Sick of eating plain, dry turkey? This Turkey Bacon Yuca Salad will forever change your perception of leftover turkey. Think potato salad mixed with chicken salad – only way better!!! The addition of organic turkey …
If you haven’t tried yuca (a.k.a. cassava) yet, you are in for a treat! Yuca is in many ways similar to a potato in that it’s white, has a very mild taste, and takes on the flavor of the sauces and spices within which it …
This is not your typical, dry Thanksgiving turkey! This bird is moist and flavorful and is made a day ahead so it can soak up its juices overnight and free you up to enjoy your guests. It makes a scrumptious main meal and side dish all at the same time! Don’t just think of it on Thanksgiving though, this hearty meal is satisfying any time.
I actually still have the piece of note paper from over 20 years ago, where I frantically scribbled down my mom’s turkey recipe after hearing she was flying in on Thanksgiving Day, and I would have to make a turkey for the first time! The directions say: “1:30- Preheat oven. Sprinkle turkey with paprika and garlic powder. Put 1/2 inch of water at the bottom of roasting pan along with sliced onions, neck and giblets. 2:00- Put turkey in oven and tent with aluminum foil. 3:30- Baste and take off tent. 4:30- Take out of oven. Discard giblets. Scrape stuff off the bottom of roasting pan and put into saucepan with water for gravy.” This all seemed very intimidating at the time! The turkey came out looking good, but was kind of dry and tasteless. In my experience, that’s pretty much the way it is with most Thanksgiving turkeys. For years I’d try to enhance the taste by making gravy from a can or package that was full of artificial flavorings.
About 10 years ago, I searched my refrigerator and spice cabinet for anything that might add some new flavor to my boring, dry turkey, and decided to dump a bottle of Italian dressing over it. When it came out of the oven, I reluctantly tasted a tiny piece and was literally bowled over by how good it was! There was a much greater quantity of drippings than usual and it tasted fantastic! Nothing like the greasy, bland drippings I was used to creating. I decided to carve the turkey and soak the meat in the drippings overnight so not a single drop was wasted. WELL, when I served it the next day, I had never gotten so many compliments on anything I had ever cooked! Everyone kept saying how this was nothing like the typical, dry turkey they had come to expect on Thanksgiving. After making my turkey this way for years, the dressing I used stopped being made. Since I started to eat much healthier by that time, cutting out processed foods, I set out to make my own homemade turkey marinade.
I’ve come a long way in my healthy eating journey, and in learning to value putting organic, “real food” ingredients into my body. My turkey recipe has evolved right along with me. This Turkey With Yuca And Carrots is a recipe you can feel good about eating, and serving to guests. It’s super moist and delicious!
***
I must warn you, while everyone loves this turkey, many hesitate to follow my recipe for their Thanksgiving turkey because it breaks from tradition in a number of ways. If you feel this way, feel free to make it any other day of the year.
The first break from Thanksgiving tradition is that this turkey gets cooked the day before it will be eaten, so it can marinate in its own juices overnight. – *The key to creating this moist, flavorful turkey! This is often a deal breaker for those who want to display their turkey in the center of the table and carve it in front of their guests. For me, the purpose of a holiday is to spend quality time with family, not fuss over dinner. I want healthy, delicious food that can be made ahead and enjoyed by everyone. If you share my philosophy, keep reading.
***
This recipe is super simple.
-1 1/2 pounds yuca (can be fresh or frozen)
-6 organic multi-colored carrots – sliced
-1 large organic onion – chopped
-1 organic leek – chopped
-3 organic garlic cloves – minced
-3 cups filtered water
Note: If using fresh yuca, it must be peeled and boiled before it gets roasted with the rest of the vegetables in this recipe. See: How to Peel Fresh Yuca for step by step instructions. If using frozen yuca, it’s already peeled, cut into pieces, and ready to be boiled.
-Peel yuca, cut into 3 or 4 pieces, and boil for 15 minutes.
-While yuca is boiling, cut up onion, carrots, leek and garlic.
-Once yuca is boiled, cool, then remove stick-like stem that runs through the center.
-Chop yuca into cubes and place it with the other vegetables at the bottom of a roasting pan that’s covered with parchment paper. (This makes clean up a breeze!)
-Add filtered water
-organic turkey
–pink Himalayan salt (chosen because of it’s purity and high mineral content)
Marinade
-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I use Primal Palate Amore seasoning – Check out Primal Palate’s high quality, great tasting seasonings by clicking here.)
-1 teaspoon organic dry mustard
-1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-1/2 cup red wine vinegar
-1/4 cup avocado oil
-1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
-Remove the skin from the body of the turkey, leaving skin only on the legs and wings. (When I “tent” my turkey, these parts don’t tend to get full coverage so they need the skin as protection from getting over-cooked and dried out.)
* You may be bothered by the idea of removing the skin, since this is another break from traditional Thanksgiving turkey cooking. I find that the skin adds a significant amount of unwanted greasy fat to the drippings and prevents the marinade from fully incorporating into the turkey breast meat. As long as the turkey is tented during most of its roasting time, the skinless turkey will be perfectly protected. Plus, it will be carved and sitting in the drippings overnight, which will further moisten it. Another difference from traditional turkey roasting is that I suggest placing the turkey right onto the vegetables, not on a rack inside a roasting pan. (To be honest, I’ve never even owned a traditional roasting pan!) I find that the vegetables act as my rack, slightly elevating the turkey, with the meat and vegetables each adding flavor to one another.
-Wash the turkey thoroughly, pat dry and place on top of chopped vegetables (or on a rack inside roasting pan.)
-Season turkey with pink Himalayan salt and garlic powder.
-Blend Italian seasoning, dry mustard, pink Himalayan salt, lemon pepper, red wine vinegar and avocado oil. I like to put all marinade ingredients into a Mason jar and give it a good shake. Pour marinade over turkey and vegetables.
-Place turkey and vegetables into a preheated oven at 400 degrees for the first half hour – uncovered. Then decrease temperature to 325 and cover turkey, with either a cheesecloth or parchment paper “tent” or with roaster lid.)
*If using parchment paper, be very careful to secure parchment away from the stove coils.
*Note: Do not “tent” turkey with aluminum foil! This has been proven to be a very unhealthy practice. See Healthy Cooking Tip below for more information about the dangers of cooking with aluminum foil.
-Remove “tent” for the last 30 minutes of roasting to allow turkey to brown.
| Weight | Time | Temperature |
| 8-12 lbs | 2 ¾ – 4 hours | 325 degrees |
| 12-14 lbs | 3 – 3 ½ hours | 325 degrees |
| 14-18 lbs | 3 ¾ – 4 ¼ hours | 325 degrees |
-Turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the breast or thigh registers 165 degrees and the juices run clear. If juices are still pink, it’s not yet ready. Once fully cooked, remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes to cool before carving.
-Place turkey on a cutting board. Spoon cooked vegetables from baking dish into a bowl, leaving drippings in the pan. These veggies are so incredibly flavorful!
-Carve turkey and place sliced meat back into the roasting pan with the drippings/gravy (or into any preferred pan for it to sit overnight.) Cover and refrigerate overnight. If meat is not completely covered by juices, rotate meat after a few hours.
-The next day, reheat turkey and vegetables at 375 for 20-30 minutes until warm.
-Serve. This recipe makes a delicious turkey and a scrumptious side dish all at the same time!
Give it a try and leave a comment below. I’d love to know what you think!
***
I know, you don’t want to hear that there’s something else you need to cut out of your life to stay healthy!!! You, and everyone you know, has been using aluminum foil for as long as you can remember. How can it be bad? Unfortunately, foil has been PROVEN to leach aluminum into food, with greater leaching in higher heat, with acidic solutions (like those involving tomatoes, lemon, and vinegar,) and with foods containing added spices. (1, 2) I don’t know about you, but that includes pretty much everything I cook!!! Aluminum foil is only considered safe for storage of cold food. The World Health Organization determined a safe daily limit of aluminum intake, but most people take in much more. This is likely the result of aluminum in antacids, vaccines, antiperspirants, drinking water, and the use of aluminum pans for cooking. Why should we care about aluminum exposure? The aluminum that is not excreted by the body interferes with the digestion of calcium, phosphorus, and fluoride, can result in osteoporosis, liver and kidney damage, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons. Aluminum has also been associated with colic, sleep disturbance, anemia, and speech problems. With all the exposure to aluminum that we can’t control in our environment, why knowingly expose ourselves to greater risk with the use of aluminum foil? Instead, use glass or ceramic cookware with lids or parchment paper. Parchment is a perfectly safe, non-toxic liner for baking. It has a non-stick surface, so no additional oil is needed to prevent food from sticking to the pan. Parchment paper is the mess-free, time-saving solution to healthy cooking and baking.
***
***
***
This is not your typical, dry Thanksgiving turkey! This bird is moist and flavorful and is made a day ahead so it can soak up its juices overnight and free you up to enjoy your guests. It makes a scrumptious main meal and side dish all at the same time! Don't just think of it on Thanksgiving though, this hearty meal is satisfying any time.
*If using fresh yuca (cassava) it must first be peeled and boiled before adding it to the rest of the vegetables in this recipe. See About Yuca: How to Peel Fresh Yuca for step by step directions. Frozen yuca is already peeled, but must also first be boiled.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add peeled fresh or frozen yuca, return to a boil and cook for 15 minutes until fork tender. Do not over-cook.
While yuca is boiling, chop onions, leeks, carrots, and garlic cloves. Place them on the bottom of roasting pan that is covered with parchment paper. (The parchment makes cleanup a breeze!)
Once yuca is fork tender, drain water and allow to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, place each piece of yuca on a cutting board and cut in half vertically and remove the stick-like stem that runs through the center.
Chop yuca into cubes and place in roasting pan with the other vegetables.
Pour filtered water over vegetables in pan.
Remove the skin from the body of the turkey, leaving skin only on the legs and wings.
Wash turkey thoroughly, pat dry, and place on top of the cut-up vegetables.
Pour 2 cups of filtered water directly into the pan with the vegetables.
Sprinkle pink Himalayan salt and garlic powder over turkey.
Blend ground mustard, Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, vinegar and oil. Pour directly over turkey and vegetables.
Place into a preheated oven set to 400 degrees for the first half hour.
Then decrease temperature to 325 and cover/tent the turkey either with the roaster lid, cheesecloth, or parchment paper (ensuring that paper is securely placed away from burner coils.)
Remove cover for the last 30 minutes of roasting to allow turkey to brown.
Turkey is ready when a meat thermometer inserted into the breast or thigh reads 165 degrees and the juices run clear.
When turkey is done, remove from oven and allow to sit 30 minutes before carving.
Move turkey to a cutting board and put cooked vegetables into a bowl for storage.
Carve turkey, placing sliced meat back into roasting pan with the drippings/gravy (or into any preferred pan for storage.) Cover and refrigerate overnight. If meat is not completely covered by juices, rotate meat after a few hours.
The next day, reheat turkey and vegetables at 375 for 20-30 minutes until warm.
Serve this delicious main meal and side dish!
***
***
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
If you’re anything like me, “Pop-Tarts” were a staple of your childhood. When I was little my mother would leave a box of them in a lower cabinet so my brother and I could get breakfast for ourselves on weekends, and she and my dad …
Whether right out of the pan or filled with your favorite toppings, these tortilla wraps are outstanding! While cooking up a batch I literally have to stop myself from eating them all before I finish making them. They’re sooooo yummy on their own… especially warm! …
If you’re looking for a crowd-pleaser you’ve found it! Young and old, as a meal, side dish or an appetizer for guests, these empanadas are a hit with everyone! (Whether the person is gluten-free or not!) They can also be made with beans for a delicious vegetarian version.
Yuca makes a delectable dough! No need to be concerned that these won’t taste as good as those made with wheat or gluten-free flour. Yuca is no inferior, gluten-free choice! I’d argue that these are actually superior to traditionally made empanadas, not just in nutritional value, but in overall taste! I’ve made these for my family, guests, and for my Recipe Swap Club with 5 star ratings all around! No matter what I’ve made for my Recipe Swap Club since, someone always brings up how amazing the empanadas were at EVERY MEETING! They’re that memorable! Try them out for yourself and comment below to let me know what you think.
These Yuca Empanadas can be custom-sized to fit any need. Make little 3 inch appetizer-sized ones (pictured above.) They’re so much fun to eat with your hands and maybe dip into guacamole or salsa! Or make medium-sized, or even giant meal-sized ones!!
This Yuca Empanada recipe is what truly made me go Crazy For Yuca! It’s so perfectly crunchy on the outside and bursting with mouth-watering flavor on the inside! I cannot say enough about how much my family and I enjoy them. Everyone is ecstatic to run to the table on empanada night!
This is the way my husband loves them – slathered with salsa and guacamole! He just picks up the whole thing and takes a big bite! No forks or knives needed!!
It’s still a bit hard to believe that a whole-food, non-inflammatory starch that’s filled with immune-building vitamin C and resistant starch can be this deliciously satisfying! Yuca is truly in a class by itself!!
***
Ingredients: (4 servings)
-1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen yuca
-2 tablespoons avocado oil – divided (plus additional to brush on empanadas just before baking.) I use Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil.
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt– divided (I choose Himalayan sea salt because of its purity and rich mineral content as compared to other salt.)
-1 teaspoon garlic powder – divided
-optional – 1-2 tablespoons either tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, or coconut flour (used to decrease stickiness of dough. If dough is too sticky to work with, it can also be placed into refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.)
–Vitamix (or other food processor)
*By purchasing items through our affiliate links we get a small commission which helps support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca at no additional cost to you. All recommended products are ones that I use in my own kitchen. Thank you for supporting the efforts of CrazyForYuca.com to bring you the lastest yuca/cassava recipes when you shop online!
If using fresh, be sure to peel yuca before boiling. For step by step directions on how to peel yuca, see: About Yuca: How To Peel Fresh Yuca (Cassava.) Jennifer from PredominantlyPaleo was the originator of “yuca dough.” I vary her recipe slightly to make these empanadas. See her dough recipe here.
Once fresh yuca is peeled, cut it into 3 or 4 pieces before placing it into a pot of boiling water. Frozen yuca (pictured below) is already peeled and cut. It’s as easy to make as boiling rice!
Boil until fork tender (about 15-20 minutes.) Drain and discard water.
Remove stem. Once boiled yuca is cool enough to handle, place on a cutting board. Cut each piece in half lengthwise, remove and discard the stem that runs through the center. (That stick-like center will not be pleasant in your empanadas!)
Chop boiled, cored yuca into cubes before putting it in the food processor (the smaller the better to not over-heat the machine.)
Pulverize into dough. Place 1 to 1 1/2 cup of yuca chunks into Vitamix (or other food processor) at a time, along with a pinch of Himalayan sea salt, pinch of garlic powder and a drizzle of avocado oil. Blend for about 30 seconds until yuca turns into a ball of dough. I never get tired of watching boiled yuca turn into dough in a matter of seconds! Watch the video below and you will see what I mean!
Place yuca dough ball on parchment paper. If too sticky to handle, I typically throw it into the freezer for 5-10n minutes and that usually does the trick. Adding a little tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, or coconut flour until it becomes manageable (just like bread dough) can also help.
See: Tips For Handling Sticky Dough.
Divide dough into balls, the number and size depending on desired size. One cup of yuca can make 6-8 appetizer-sized empanadas, 4 medium-sized ones, or one giant meal-sized one. (They are yummy no matter what size they are!!)
Roll out each dough ball in between 2 pieces of parchment paper to form a circle.
Ingredients:
-1 pound organic, grass-fed, ground beef, turkey, or chicken. (For vegetarian option I use 2 cans organic, BPA free black beans or lentils.)
-1 tablespoon avocado oil (I use Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil)
-1 large onion – chopped
-2 cloves organic garlic – minced
-2 tablespoons Primal Palate Taco Seasoning (or gluten-free taco seasoning of choice, or a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin.)
–Himilayan sea salt – to taste
–lemon pepper – to taste
Saute onions and garlic with avocado oil in a pan. Add ground beef, turkey, or chicken (black beans or lentils for vegetarian option) and cook until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning, pink Himalayan sea salt, lemon pepper and cook a few more minutes.
Fill one side of each rolled-out dough circle with Taco Meat (or bean mixture,) leaving a rim of dough along the edge.
Fold dough in half to create a semi-circle, pinching edges together to seal in meat (or beans.) If dough sticks to your fingers, it may be easier to fold the entire piece of parchment in half, along with the dough, as pictured below. Brush top of empanada with avocado oil and sprinkle with a pinch of Himalayan sea salt.
Bake at 375 on parchment lined baking sheet for 20 minutes. Flip empanadas and bake for another 5-10 minutes until crust starts to brown and get crispy. Enjoy!!
These Latin delights can be made ahead and frozen, ready to be pulled out for a delicious meal or appetizer any time! Nothing makes my older daughter happier than being sent back to her apartment with a bunch of frozen empanadas to quickly heat up as a scrumptious meal any time! It’s hard to believe that you’re actually eating healthy when eating these empanadas, but you are!!!
*****
Healthy Eating Tip: Choose grass-fed beef. Many make big claims about the health benefits of grass-fed beef over grain-fed beef. At the same time there is research showing that the differences in the amount of debated nutrients are minimal. After reading the literature, I’ve decided to buy grass-fed mainly because cattle raised on a pasture have been proven to be healthier and are not injected with antibiotics. I don’t want to eat meat from cattle that are stressed and diseased as a result of their confined, unsanitary living conditions, then injected with antibiotics in order to manage the disease caused by this horrendous environment! I also don’t want to support such cruel practices! In addition, antibiotic use in animals increases the risk of antibiotic resistance in humans, which is a real concern for our future. It is also an agreed upon fact that grass-fed beef is much leaner and is higher in omega 3 fatty acids, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Raising animals on a pasture is also good for the environment. It has been shown to decrease soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and improve water quality (due to decreased pollution) (1 , 2, 3, 4, 5.) The taste of grass-fed beef, compared to grain-fed, is slightly different, and the meat is not as tender (due to lower fat content.) It may take some getting used to for some people, but my family always enjoys it. Grass-fed is a bit more expensive, but I think it’s worth it. I shop at Trader Joe’s a lot and their prices are excellent. Their organic, grass-fed ground beef is $6.99 per pound! They also have Grass-Fed Angus Beef Strip Loin Steak in the freezer section for $9.99 per pound! (I feel like an add for Trader Joe’s right now!! I promise – I have no connection to Trader Joe’s and receive no money for promoting their products. I just love that store and feel so thankful that I live close to one!!! Not everyone is so lucky.) I have both in my fridge at the moment so I snapped a picture in case you are interested.
***
***
These grain-free empanadas are deliciously crispy on the outside and bursting with Mexican flavor on the inside! Make appetizer or meal-sized ones. No matter the size, they'll be a hit with everyone!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, if using fresh yuca, thoroughly peel and cut yuca into 3-4 pieces. See: How To Peel Fresh Yuca (Cassava). Frozen yuca is already peeled and cut.
Place yuca into pot, ensuring yuca is fully covered by water. Return to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until fork tender.
Once yuca is fork tender, drain water and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, place cooked yuca on a cutting board. Cut each piece of yuca in half lengthwise to remove and discard the stick-like center that runs through the middle.
Cut boiled yuca into chunks (the smaller the better - to not overwhelm your food processor.)
Place yuca chunks into food processor in batches of about 1cup (I use a Vitamix.) Add 1-2 tsp avocado oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder per cup of yuca.
Blend until a dough forms. This takes about 30 seconds in a Vitamix, but may take longer in other food processors.
Spoon blended dough onto a cutting board lined with parchment paper. (Parchment is a non-stick surface and will help greatly with managing this sticky dough.)
Divide dough into equal sized balls (the number of balls depends on the size of the empanadas you are making.) Each cup of yuca can make about 6-8 appetizer-sized, 4 medium-sized, or 1 giant meal-sized empanada.
Optional - Sprinkle each ball of dough with a little tapioca, arrowroot, or coconut flour and knead into dough to decrease stickiness. Add as much as needed until dough can be handled without sticking excessively to your hands. It should look and feel just like bread dough. Dough can also be made less sticky by placing it into the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.
Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball between 2 pieces of parchment paper until it forms a circle. Remove top layer of parchment.
While yuca is boiling, saute onion and minced garlic in 1 Tbsp avocado oil until slightly brown.
Add ground meat and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat. (Vegetarian option - substitute black beans or lentils.) Add 1-2 Tbsp Primal Palate Taco Seasoning, plus sea salt and lemon pepper - to taste. Cook for another few minutes to allow flavors to blend. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Spoon filling on to one half of each rolled-out dough circle, leaving a rim of dough along the edge.
Fold each dough circle in half to create a half-moon shape and pinch the edges together to seal in the meat (or beans.) You may prefer to press edges together with a fork. (If dough is sticky or too thin, I fold the parchment paper in half along with the dough, push down edges to seal, then uncover parchment paper.)
Place empanadas on parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush the top of each empanada with olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of Himalayan sea salt on top.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flip empanadas and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until dough is slightly browned along the edges. Cooking time will vary based on empanada size.
***
***
“Yuca-ta” Try These Cassava Flour Pancakes got their name because no one can believe they’re made with anything other than wheat flour! The taste is truly indistinguishable! These pancakes have been taste tasted on my husband, my kids, and a bunch of their friends with …
Welcome to the first post of the new blog Crazy For Yuca! What is yuca??? It’s the key to living happy, healthy and gluten-free! ***** First, let’s answer the basic question on everybody’s mind – “What is yuca???” Yuca (pronounced yoo-ka) is an incredibly …
Come one, come all! The time has come! Whether you’re following a gluten-free, Paleo, Vegan, or Autoimmune Protocol, there is now a scrumptious flatbread that you can eat without guilt!
Who could believe that delicious flatbread can be made simply by boiling some yuca, blending it with oil, salt and garlic powder (or any other spices you like), rolling it out, and baking it! It really is too good to be true! Thank you Jennifer Robbins of PredominenatlyPaleo.com for discovering this ingenious fact! While I use a similar “yuca dough” recipe to make this flatbread, Jennifer calls hers pizza crust. Two AMAZING options! See her full recipe and video links below.
*****
One of my husband’s favorite sayings is, “Everything is easy when you know how to do it.” This idea totally applies to making yuca flatbread. While it isn’t complicated, there are a few tips and tricks that will help avoid some common pitfalls. We’ll take it step by step. Mastering the making of this dough is very important, since it’s the foundation of countless recipes to come!
*****
Ingredients:
– 4 cups fresh or frozen yuca, peeled, boiled and cut into chunks (This is the equivalent of one 1 1/2 pound bag of Goya frozen yuca or 2 medium sized fresh yuca.)
– 3 tablespoons avocado oil – divided
– 1/2 teaspoon organic garlic powder
– 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (chosen for its high level of purity and mineral content)
– parchment paper
This flatbread can be made using either fresh or frozen yuca. The result will be the same either way, so use whatever feels more comfortable for you. If using frozen, it’s already peeled, cut, and ready to be boiled. There’s no need to even defrost it before boiling. Many find frozen yuca to be much more convenient.
If using fresh yuca it must be fully peeled before it gets boiled. For step by step instructions on how to peel yuca see: About Yuca: How to Peel Fresh Yuca (Cassava) on this site.
Once fresh yuca is peeled, cut it into 3 or 4 pieces and place it in a pot of boiling water. Ensure that the yuca is fully covered by water. Once water returns to a boil, cook 15-20 minutes, until just fork tender. It is very important not to overcook! Drain in a colander.
Once cool enough to handle, cut each piece of yuca in half lengthwise (top to bottom) and remove the stick-like stem that runs through the center.
Chop boiled yuca into small chunks before placing it into food processor. *Pulverize yuca in small batches (1 to 1 1/2 cups at a time) to avoid overheating the machine. Overheating the food processor is very easy to do and can be one of the most frustrating parts of making yuca dough. No one wants to wait 10 minutes for the machine to cool down in the middle of making dough! When I first started making this I would overheat my machine many times in the same day!!! Now I just pulverize about 1 cup at a time and it’s “easy peasy lemon squeezy” – as my daughters used to say! Trust me on this one. You will save a lot of time in the end.
I use a Vitamix which works very well because of its tamper (a tool used to push the food down onto the blade while it spins.) If using a different food processor you may need to stop a few times to scrape yuca off the wall of the bowl so that it blends completely.
Yuca chunks literally transform into dough in under a minute! (maybe a bit longer if a Vitamix isn’t being used.) It’s truly exciting to witness the first time you do it! Check out my little video!
Once dough forms, place it onto a cutting board lined with parchment paper. Beware – dough can be very sticky! Parchment paper is a non-stick surface which is needed to easily work with this dough. If dough seems too sticky to work with there are a few tricks that will help.
1. I try not to touch the dough much. I spoon it from the Vitamix right onto parchment paper. I then place a second piece of parchment on top, then roll it out.
2. Refrigerating or freezing dough for a few minutes will help greatly to reduce stickiness.
3. Kneading a little tapioca flour, arrowroot flour or coconut flour into the dough and keeping fingertips coated in flour will help as well. For more tips see About Yuca: Tips For Handling Sticky Dough.
Using a rolling pin, roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Decide how thick or thin to make it. Thinner dough will come out crispier, although this also depends on how long it’s cooked. I love it crispy along the edges and a little soft and doughy in the center.
Remove top piece of parchment and place flatbread (along with bottom piece of parchment) on a cookie sheet. If top parchment sticks to the dough, place the whole thing into the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes. The top parchment will then easily be removed.
Brush top of flatbread with a little avocado oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of Himalayan sea salt and garlic powder (according to taste.)
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, depending on thickness. Once edges start to brown and a spatula easily slides between flatbread and parchment, it’s ready to be flipped. Cook on second side for an additional 5-10 minutes – until reaching desired doneness.
Adjust cooking time according to how doughy or crispy you like it. Cooking at a higher temperature (400 degrees) will make the dough crispier as well. It can come out soft and bendable like a typical pizza crust or more crispy like a cracker. There’s no right or wrong way to bake these. They come out delicious no matter what!
Slice immediately into desired shapes with a pizza cutter. Delays in cutting will make slicing more difficult and increase breakage. Enjoy!
Variation: “Everything But The Bagel” Flatbread – One of my favorite variations is topping this flatbread with Trader Joe’s “Everything But the Bagel Seasoning Blend.” This seasoning contains all the toppings you would expect on an “Everything bagel” including sesame seeds, sea salt, garlic, onion, and poppy seeds (I’m happy to say there are no caraway seeds and no gluten ingredients.) Who needs bagels when you have this! Cut into whatever shape you want. Eat plain or top with anything you would put on a bagel! Yummy “whole-food” goodness!!! *Note- the addition of this seasoning would prevent this flatbread from being approved for those following an autoimmune protocol.
By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small commission which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional cost to you. All recommended products are ones that I use in my own kitchen. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
*****
See Original Recipe by Jennifer Robbins here at PredominanatlyPaleo.com
See Video – Yuca Dough – PredominanatlyPaleo.com
*****
Healthy Eating Tip: Make extra and freeze them! Spend the time once to boil up a big batch of yuca, blend in food processor in 1 cup batches, then roll out into individual flatbreads. (I make each individual flatbread with 1 cup of boiled, chopped yuca.) Separate each flatbread with parchment paper, place in an airtight plastic bag, and store in your freezer until you’re ready for a warm, fresh flatbread in about 30 minutes. Simply toss one into the oven to bake while you prepare the rest of your dinner (or bake one to enjoy as a delicious snack anytime!) To retain freshness of leftovers, freeze baked flatbread on the day it’s baked. Baked flatbreads won’t stay fresh when simply wrapped up and left at room temperature or put in the refrigerator.
*****
What if you want to make flatbread, but don’t own a food processor? You’re in luck! Stacy from PaleoGoneSassy.com has devised a way to make this same yuca dough on the stovetop with grated yuca/cassava! The main reason I don’t do it this way is because I haven’t found a store near me that carries grated yuca. The one time I found it was at a Wal-Mart and they only had one package Goya grated yuca left! Unfortunately, it isn’t carried at the Wal-Mart near my house. You can check Wal-Mart.com using the store locator to see if it’s carried at a store near you. It can also be gotten at Asian markets if you live near one. Click here to check out Stacy’s technique.
*****
I can’t wait to hear your feedback about these incredible grain-free, egg-free flatbreads! Once you master the making of this dough there is no limit to what you can create with yuca! Give them a try and let me know any new variations you come up with!
*****
Makes four 8” round flatbreads
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, if using fresh yuca, remove bark-like peel with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife before boiling. See: About Yuca: How To Peel Fresh Yuca (Cassava.) Once peeled, cut each yuca root into 3 or 4 pieces. Place frozen or peeled fresh yuca pieces into boiling water - ensuring yuca is fully covered throughout boiling. Return to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender. Drain water.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Once cool enough to handle, place cooked yuca on cutting board and cut each piece in half lengthwise (from top to bottom) to remove the stick-like center.
Cut boiled yuca into chunks (the smaller the better - to not overwhelm your food processor.)
Place yuca chunks into food processor (I use a Vitamix) in batches of about 1 - 1 1/2 cups. Add 1-2 tsp avocado oil, 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp garlic powder per cup of yuca. Blend for about 30 seconds until a dough forms. (It will likely take a bit longer with a traditional food processor.)
Spoon dough onto a cutting board lined with parchment paper. Note: dough is very sticky. Either spoon directly on to parchment paper without touching it or knead some arrowroot, tapioca, or coconut flour into dough until it can be handled without sticking to fingers.
Using a rolling pin, roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Decide how thick or thin to make it. Thinner flatbread will be crispier and thicker will be softer.
Remove top piece of parchment paper and place rolled-out crust and bottom piece of parchment paper onto a cookie sheet. Brush the top of the dough with a thin layer of avocado oil and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and garlic powder.
Place in preheated oven and bake. For thin flatbread - bake for 20 minutes before flipping. It's ready to be flipped when edges begin to brown and a spatula easily slides between flatbread and parchment. If flatbread is sticking to parchment, cook for a few additional minutes before flipping. Cook on second side for 5-10 minutes. For thicker flatbread, cook a bit longer.
Adjust cooking time according to desired crispiness. It can be soft and bendable like pizza crust or more crispy like a cracker.
Remove from oven. Slice immediately using a pizza cutter. Delays in slicing may cause it to crumble upon cutting. Enjoy!!
Variation: "Everything But The Bagel" Flatbread - One of my favorite variations is topping this flatbread with Trader Joe's "Everything But the Bagel Seasoning Blend." This seasoning contains all the toppings you would expect on an "Everything bagel" including sesame seeds, sea salt, garlic, onion, and poppy seeds (I'm happy to say there are no caraway seeds.) Simply roll out dough, brush with avocado oil, and sprinkle with amount of "Everything But The Bagel Seasoning" preferred. A true favorite!!
*****
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
The Perfect Yuca Chip! I’ve been busily perfecting my yuca chips! I tried fresh vs. frozen yuca, paper thin vs. slightly thicker slices, pan frying vs. oven baking, and 4 different seasoning variations! If you ask me, they’re all pretty terrific! But if I had …
Making yuca fries is super easy! It’s a perfect recipe to try when first experimenting with yuca (a.k.a. cassava.) These fries are baked in the oven (not fried) so their fat content is low – yet their taste satisfaction is high!! They’re crispy on the …
