... And all things wellness!
Do you enjoy pancakes and eggs? Do you have your old sandwich maker lying around? If the answer is yes, you’re in for a real treat! This Grain-Free Pancake Pocket recipe is simple to make and extremely fun to eat!!! If you can prepare pancake …
Looking for a healthy, delicious treat that’s quick and easy to make and can easily travel with you wherever you go? You’ve found it! Paleo No-Bake Date Nut Balls!!! Sweetened only with dates, and made with all “real food” ingredients, this is a truly guiltless …
Have you ever tried Hamantaschen??? They’re the wonderful, triangle shaped pastries traditionally eaten on the Jewish holiday of Purim! Hamantaschen are named for Haman, the villain in the story of Purim. I thought it would be fun to make a gluten, grain, and dairy-free version of these delicious cookies out of cassava flour! (Because anyone who knows me knows I must make cassava flour versions of EVERYTHING I enjoyed before I cut out gluten from my diet.) Why should healthy eaters miss out??? With cassava flour, there’s literally zero deprivation as a grain-free, paleo eater!!! 😃 Thank you cassava flour!!! 🙏
Hamantaschen are especially fun because they can be stuffed with a variety of possible fillings! While I filled mine with strawberry and apricot fruit spreads, the possibilities are endless! Back in the day, they were originally filled with poppy seeds, but these days people make them with all sorts of fruit fillings, prunes, chocolate, nuts, dates, raisins, figs, caramel… you name it!! You can get pretty creative with Hamantaschen! But I’m keeping things super simple here.
(Makes 18-20, 3 1/2″ cookies)
*Click on any needed ingredient to purchase
-1 1/2 cups cassava flour (I use Otto’s Cassava Flour)
-1 cage-free egg (I use a small duck egg since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs, but either can be used)
-1/2 cup organic maple syrup
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (chosen for its high mineral content)
-2/3 cup organic vegetable shortening (I use Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening)
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-1/4 cup filtered water
-Jelly or jam of choice for filling (I chose St. Dalfour Strawberry and Apricot Fruit Spreads– because they contains no added sugar!)
-circle cookie cutter or round glass with 3 – 3 1/2″ circumference
-rolling pin
-cookie sheet
Purchase Otto’s Cassava Flour by clicking here:
Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Blend dry ingredients in a large bowl (cassava flour, pink Himalayan salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum) with a spoon.
-In a small bowl blend egg, maple syrup, vanilla, and vegetable shortening with an electric mixer.
-Add water and continue mixing, first with a spoon, and then with your hands until a dough is formed.
-Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper (to prevent dough from sticking to rolling pin) to about 1/8″ thick. If they’re too thick or thin, it will be difficult to form them into triangle shapes.
-Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out 18-20 dough circles, re-rolling extra dough as needed until all dough is used.
-Place a spoonful of filling into the center of each dough circle. (I used St. Dalfour Strawberry Fruit Spread here.)
-Carefully begin folding the right end of each dough circle, while pinching it together between your thumb and forefinger, to form one corner of the Hamantaschen triangle. (see picture below)
-Then fold up the left side of the dough circle, using both hands to pinch dough together on each side to form the next 2 triangle corners. (See picture below.)
-Place each triangle Hamantaschen on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
-Enjoy!!!
Click here, or on the SHOP link in the menu bar above,to see the recommended pantry items and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make Crazy For Yuca recipes. Check out the yuca/cassava snacks – all personally taste tested and approved by me and my family!
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 meet my own personal standard for high quality and clean eating that I use in my own kitchen. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
Have you ever tried Hamantaschen??? They’re wonderful, triangle shaped pastries traditionally eaten on the Jewish holiday of Purim! Hamantaschen are named for Haman, the villain in the story of Purim. I thought it would be fun to make a gluten, grain, and dairy-free version of these delicious cookies out of cassava flour! Because anyone who knows me knows I must make cassava flour versions of EVERYTHING I enjoyed before I cut out gluten from my diet. Why should healthy eaters miss out??? With cassava flour, there’s literally zero deprivation as a grain-free, paleo eater!!! I filled mine with St. Dalfour Fruit Spread. What will you use to fill yours???
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Blend dry ingredients in a large bowl, including cassava flour, pink Himalayan salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum.
In a second bowl blend egg, maple syrup, vanilla, and palm shortening with an electric mixer.
Add the contents of the two bowls together, along with the water, and blend until a dough is formed. (Full blending will likely require using your hands if you do not have a stand mixer.)
Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper (to prevent dough from sticking to rolling pin) to about 1/8″ thick. If dough is too thick or thin, it will be difficult to mold the circles created into triangle shapes.
Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out 18-20 dough circles, re-rolling extra dough as needed until all dough is used.
Place a spoonful of filling into the center of each dough circle.
Carefully fold the right end of each dough circle while pinching it together between your thumb and forefinger to form one corner of the Hamantaschen triangle.
Then fold up the left side of the dough circle, while using both hands to pinch dough together on each side, forming the next 2 triangle corners.
Place each filled, Hamantaschen triangle on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Allow to cool before enjoying these delicious treats!
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.
Welcome to the Crazy For Yuca… and All Things Wellness community! 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 …
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 …
Have you ever had a best friend be right there with you as you struggled through a really hard time? That’s what these Apple Cinnamon Nut Muffins were for me on my quest to eliminate gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, and eggs from my diet! These muffins came with me everywhere I went, ensuring I’d always have a healthy choice at my disposal! I literally don’t think I could have gotten through the transition without them!
Once I discovered I could make a huge batch, throw them in the freezer, and pull one out any time I needed it, the terror of fearing there would be nothing to easily grab when hunger hit vanished!
The early days of making huge changes to the way one eats can feel pretty unsettling and depriving! So many things that have been your go-to’s now become your no-no’s!!! (Good-bye bagels with melted cheese!!!)
For the transition to healthy eating to be successful, I not only had to eliminate problematic foods, but find new yummy foods to add to my repertoire that I was excited to eat! These Apple Cinnamon Nut Muffins definitely fit the bill! (As does yuca!!!)
What we eat is largely a habit. It’s important to put forth some real effort at first to create a new eating repertoire. Once you do, you can relax again, as these new foods become your new normal. This is key for healthy eating to become a permanent part of one’s lifestyle, and not just a short-term “diet”.
I began my journey toward taking back my health with numerous lifestyle changes, including a huge evolution of my diet, almost 8 years ago. These muffins, in a few flavor variations, have been by my side the whole time, and are still a valued staple for myself and my family. (No, I don’t ALWAYS eat yuca! But I do eat it a lot!!!)
While my blog is typically dedicated to recipes containing yuca / cassava root and cassava flour, as these are my newest besties keeping me happy and fulfilled these days, I felt compelled to share this recipe! It’s just too good, and too important for healthy eaters to have on hand! I’ve shared it with family members, friends, and patients through the years and everyone agrees they’re AWESOME!!!
Makes 9 muffins
Click on any non-perishable ingredient below to purchase it online!
-2 1/4 cups almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour)
-2 heaping tablespoons organic flaxseed meal (I use Spectrum Essentials Organic Ground Flaxseed)
-1 tablespoon organic chia seeds (I use Trader Joe’s Organic Chia Seeds)
-1/4 cup organic coconut oil – melted (I use Nutiva Organic Coconut oil)
-1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1 teaspoon vanilla (I use Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract)
-1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (I use Primal Palate Organic Spices.)
-1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (because of its high mineral content)
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1 peeled, grated organic apple (a ripe banana can also be used instead)
-1/4 cup sweetener (For family I use organic maple syrup. For myself I use Lakanto Monk fruit sweetener for zero calorie option that won’t have any impact on blood sugar.)
-1 to 1 1/2 cup nuts of choice (I typically use a combination of chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts from Trader Joe’s)
-9 muffin cups
-muffin tin
Lakanto MonkFruit Sweetener – Classic
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-In one large bowl combine the dry ingredients including almond flour, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and monk fruit sweetener (if using this sweetener option.) Blend well.
-In a second bowl, blend wet ingredients including melted coconut oil, vanilla, almond milk, and maple syrup (if using this sweetener option.)
-Combine the contents of the two bowls and blend thoroughly.
-Peel and grate an organic apple.
-Add grated apple and nuts to the bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
-Place 9 muffin cups into muffin tin
-Scoop muffin batter evenly into the muffin cups
-Top with whole pecans, if desired
-Bake for 25-30 minutes, until slightly browned on top.
-Enjoy!!!
*Since this recipe contains no eggs, feel free to eat the raw muffin batter! With or without the grated apples and added nuts it’s absolutely scrumptious!!!
***
***
*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!
***
***
Do you love muffins, but hate grains??? Then you'll be wild about these grain-free Apple Cinnamon Nut Muffins! They came with me EVERYWHERE when I first eliminated gluten, dairy, soy, sugar and chicken eggs from my diet. I feared I'd be hungry and not have anything healthy that I can readily eat! These muffins and I go way back, long before I discovered yuca! They've remained a favorite of mine, my family, and everyone I've shared it with! They're super delicious, filling, and full of healthy fats! Once you try them please comment below and let me know what you think!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In one large bowl combine dry ingredients including almond flour, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and monk fruit sweetener (if using this sweetener option.) Blend well.
In a second bowl, blend wet ingredients including melted coconut oil, vanilla, almond milk, and maple syrup (if using this sweetener option.)
Combine the contents of the two bowls and blend thoroughly.
Peel and grate an organic apple.
Add grated apple and nuts to the bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
Place 9 muffin cups into muffin tin
Spoon muffin batter evenly into muffin cups
Top with whole pecans, if desired
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until slightly browned on top.
Enjoy!!!
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 …
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 (or any time!) It’s not only DELICIOUS, but healthy as well! (But we don’t have to tell anyone!) Made with fresh apples, pumpkin pie spice, a hint of coconut sugar, and cassava flour, this treat is not only gluten-free, but grain-free, paleo, nut-free, and refined-sugar free! So feel free to eat all you want!!!
I use Otto’s Cassava Flour to make this Apple Cassava Crumble, and for all my baking! It tastes great (truly indistinguishable from wheat flour,) is certified gluten-free, non-GMO and paleo, and is made by upholding the highest standards.
See: About Cassava (Yuca) Flour for more information about this incredible flour!
CLICK LINK BELOW TO ORDER YOUR OWN BAG OF OTTO’S CASSAVA FLOUR SO YOU CAN MAKE SCRUMPTIOUS GLUTEN-FREE, GRAIN-FREE Apple Cassava Crumble!
-5 organic apples – peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
-juice of 1 large organic lemon – 3 tablespoons
-2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I use Primal Palate Pumpkin Pie Spice.)
-1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-1/2 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
-1/4 cup coconut sugar
-2 teaspoons cinnamon (I use Primal Palate Pumpkin Pie Spice. Check out Primal Palate Seasonings below.)
-1/4 cup organic coconut oil – melted
-Optional: 1/4 cup Unsalted Dry Toasted Pecans (omit for nut-free option) I use Trader Joe’s brand.
Check out Primal Palate’s Pumpkin Pie Spice, Cinnamon, Apple Pie Spice, Gingersnap and other amazing seasonings and spice blends by clicking here.
Check out this Primal Palate Three Pack! A necessity for all your holiday baking!
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
-Peel, core, and cut apples into chunks.
-Place apple chunks in a bowl, then and add lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, and pink Himalayan salt. Blend until apples are evenly coated.
-Place apple mixture into a baking dish (I used a 10″ round shallow CorningWare quiche pan.) Spread out evenly.
-In a separate bowl, add cassava flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and melted coconut oil. Mix until thoroughly blended and crumb-like.
-Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over apples.
-Optional: Sprinkle with Unsalted Dry Toasted Pecans, if desired. I meant to add the pecans, but forgot to this time 🙁
-Place into preheated oven and bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until apples become soft and everything starts bubbling.
-Serve and 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!
***
***
***
This Apple Cassava Crumble is not only healthy and delicious, but so quick and easy! It's great for brunch or as a dessert! Made with fresh apples, pumpkin pie spice, a hint of coconut sugar, and cassava flour, this treat is not only gluten-free, but grain-free, paleo, dairy-free, non-gmo, and refined-sugar free! But I promise, it's so scrumptious no one will suspect it's made of all good-for-you ingredients! It can be our little secret.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place apples chunks into a bowl.
Add lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, and pink Himalayan salt. Blend until apples are evenly coated.
Place apple mixture into a baking dish (I used a shallow 10" round CorningWare dish.) Spread apples out evenly.
In a separate bowl, add cassava flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and melted coconut oil. Mix until thoroughly blended and crumb-like.
Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over apples.
Place into preheated oven and bake for 25-30 until apples become soft and everything starts bubbling.
What can be easier than that!!!
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.
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 …
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 as well! Sprinkle with your favorite toppings to add even more fun! I love them topped with mini dairy-free chocolate chips and chopped pecans! Healthy and scrumptious!!!
-1 can organic pumpkin – BPA free (15 oz) (not pumpkin pie filling)
-1/2 cup organic coconut milk
-3 cage-free eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
-1/3 cup organic maple syrup
-pinch pink Himalayan salt
Optional toppings – chopped pecans and/or Enjoy Life Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
*Inspiration for this pumpkin pie filling came from Downshiftology – Paleo Pumpkin Pie. I love Lisa’s choice of healthy, whole-food, gluten and dairy-free ingredients! I just tweaked the proportions a bit, then added my own toppings.
-1 1/2 cups Otto’s Cassava Flour
-3 tablespoons organic maple syrup
-1 cage-free egg (I use a duck egg since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs. Either works perfectly.)
-1/2 cup Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening
-1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (my preference because of its high mineral content.)
-1/2 cup filtered water
-mini muffin tins
-3 inch diameter, round cookie cutter (or cup/glass with a 3 inch diameter)
Blend all pumpkin pie ingredients together using an electric mixer including canned pumpkin, organic coconut milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
-In a large bowl, whisk cage-free egg. Add maple syrup and blend thoroughly.
-Add Otto’s Cassava Flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, and Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening and water. Blend into a dough, first by mixing with a spoon and then using your hands to fully incorporate ingredients. (A stand mixer can also be used.)
-If dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If dough is too wet, add additional cassava flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
-Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to about 1/8 inch thickness.
-Using cookie cutter or cup, cut out 36 dough circles. Repeated rolling and collection of the scraps will be needed to attain the 36 dough circles.
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-Carefully fit dough circles inside muffin tins to create mini tart shells.
-Fill each mini tart shell with pumpkin filling.
-Optional: Sprinkle top of filled tartlet with chopped pecans, Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips or both!!!
-Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, until pumpkin filling sets and dough slightly browns.
Enjoy your Cassava Flour Pumpkin Tartlets plain!
With chopped pecans!
With Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips (Dairy-free)
***
Cassava Flour Pumpkin Tartlets with chopped pecans and Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips!
My personal favorite – pecans and chocolate chips!!!
*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!
***
***
What 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! Sprinkle with your favorite toppings. I love them topped with mini dairy-free chocolate chips and chopped pecans!
In a large bowl, whisk cage-free egg. Add maple syrup and blend thoroughly.
Add Otto's Cassava Flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, and Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening and water. Blend into a dough, first by mixing with a spoon and then using your hands to fully incorporate ingredients. (A stand mixer can also be used.)
If dough is too dry, add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time. If dough is too wet, add additional cassava flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
Roll out dough on parchment paper to 1/8 inch thickness.
Using cookie cutter or cup, cut out 36 dough circles. Repeated rolling and collection of the scraps will be needed to attain the 36 dough circles.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Carefully fit circles inside muffin tins to create mini tart shells.
Fill each mini tart shell with pumpkin filling.
Optional: Sprinkle top of filled tartlet with chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips or both!!!
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, until pumpkin filling sets and dough slightly browns.
Enjoy your Cassava Flour Pumpkin Tartlets!
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.
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, …
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, also called cassava or manioc, that’s a staple in Latin, Asian, and African cooking. It has been gaining popularity in the US lately within the healthy eating community. I’m literally OBSESSED!!! This is a super easy dish to prepare, and a great one if you’re cooking yuca for the first time.
You may wonder, why make Yuca Mash instead of mashed potatoes??? Great question! While they’re both root vegetables, look the same once mashed, have a very similar flavor profile, and are good sources of vitamin c and potassium, yuca has a few benefits over white potatoes.
Most significantly, yuca has a low glycemic index (GI) of 46 (below 55 is considered low) while a baked white potato has a GI of 72.5 (above 70 is considered high.) Having a low glycemic index means that a food releases glucose into the bloodstream at a slow, steady rate without causing blood sugar spikes. For those with blood sugar issues (like me) yuca is a way better option. It has even been recommended by the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology for diabetics.
The sense of fullness one gets from eating yuca has been shown to aid in weight loss as well! (Yay!)
Unlike potatoes, yuca is not genetically modified. That’s super important to me!
While both yuca and potatoes contain resistant starch, potatoes must either be eaten raw, or cooked and then fully cooled (and eaten cold) to gain the benefits. Resistant starch got its name because it resists digestion throughout the small intestines. It makes its way all the way to the large intestines undigested. It’s here where it becomes food for beneficial probiotic bacteria, thereby supporting colon health. Within the large intestines it ferments into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, which provide numerous potential health benefits. #Eatyuca!!!
For more details see: Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts
***
*Printer-friendly recipe below*
Serves 6
Yuca Mash Ingredients:
-1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen yuca (1 small bag Goya frozen yuca)
-1 teaspoon granulated onion (I use Primal Palate organic seasoning)
-1 1/2 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt (I use Primal Palate organic seasoning)
-1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (omit for AIP)
-3 organic garlic cloves – minced
-1 tablespoon avocado oil (I use Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil)
-1 cup almond milk
-2 tablespoons fresh chives – chopped
Instructions:
-Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
-If using frozen yuca, it has already been peeled. If using fresh yuca, the skin must first be removed. For instructions on how to peel yuca click here: How to Peel Fresh Yuca
-Place peeled yuca into pot of boiling water (no need to defrost if frozen) and boil for 25 minutes. I boil my yuca for a few extra minutes for Yuca Mash as compared to other recipes. Cooking for that 5 extra minutes will make the yuca must softer, and the Yuca Mash much creamier. But don’t cook for too long or you’ll end up with a sticky pile of mush!
-Once boiled, drain water and allow to cool slightly.
-Once cool enough to handle, remove the stick-like stem that runs through the center
-Cut yuca into chunks to make it easier to mash.
-Yuca can be mashed in a food processor, with an electric beater, or a hand masher.
-Place boiled yuca either into food processor or large bowl, along with granulated onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, avocado oil, and almond milk. (*If using a food processor, work in 3 or 4 batches to not overwhelm the machine.)
-Blend until perfectly creamy.
-Add chopped chives and thoroughly blend with a spoon. Garnish with additional chives.
as well as pantry items & kitchen gadgets I personally use to make Crazy For Yuca recipes!
*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!
***
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, also called cassava or manioc, that's a staple in Latin, Asian, and African cooking. It has been gaining popularity in the US lately within the healthy eating community. This is a super easy dish to prepare, and a great one if you're cooking yuca for the first time.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
If using frozen yuca, it has already been peeled. If using fresh yuca, the skin must first be removed. For instructions on how to peel yuca click here: How to Peel Fresh Yuca
Place peeled yuca into pot of boiling water (no need to defrost if frozen) and boil for 25 minutes. I boil my yuca for a few extra minutes for Yuca Mash as compared to other recipes. Cooking for that 5 extra minutes will make the yuca must softer, and the Yuca Mash much creamier. But don't cook for too long or you'll end up with a sticky pile of mush!
Once boiled, drain water and allow to cool slightly.
Once cool enough to handle, remove the stick-like stem that runs through the center.
Cut yuca into chunks to make it easier to mash.
Yuca can be mashed in a food processor, with an electric beater, or a hand masher.
Place boiled yuca either into food processor or large bowl along with granulated onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, oil, and almond milk. (*If using a food processor, work in 3 or 4 batches to not overwhelm the machine.)
Blend until perfectly creamy.
Add chopped chives and thoroughly blend. Garnish with additional chives.
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 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 …
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 different brands of ready-made yuca/cassava chips are very different from one another, I thought a little review of my favorite varieties might come in handy (because I’ve tried every brand I could find!!) If you’ve tried one, you have definitely NOT tried them all!!!
Yuca (pronounced “yoo-ka”) and also known as cassava, is an incredibly versatile root vegetable that can do pretty much anything potatoes or wheat can do, only in a healthier way! (Check out the many gluten and dairy-free recipes on CrazyForYuca.com featuring yuca.) Yuca is a tuberous root with a waxy, brown, bark-like skin and a white or yellowish flesh. It’s long and thin, with one end thicker than the other (similar in appearance to a large sweet potato with thicker, waxy skin.) The yuca that we see in the US tend to be about a foot long, but they can grow really large. It can also be bought frozen. It can be found in the frozen Goya section at many supermarkets.
Yuca is gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, Vegan, Paleo, Whole30 approved, soy-free, non-inflammatory, non-GMO, and typically considered safe for those following an autoimmune protocol (AIP friendly.) While not typically a familiar food in America, it’s widely consumed in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, and its popularity is growing steadily in the US. (I’m doing everything I can to get the word out!!!)
For more information about yuca and its incredible health benefits, click links below.
Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava)
Buying, Storing, Peeling, and Cooking Yuca (Cassava)
Yuca (Cassava ) Nutrition Facts
In this post I’ll be describing my favorite brands and varieties of yuca/cassava chips, and will do my best to provide enough detail so you can choose the ones you think you’d enjoy. Keep in mind that since I’m gluten, dairy, and soy-free, I’m not able to personally taste test every flavor variety offered. I also aim for the healthiest options that use the “cleanest” ingredients and taste great!
It’s rare to find most brands in stores, but they can all be purchased online by clicking the pictures and links below.
Artisan Tropic Cassava Strips are an excellent, truly classic yuca chip! They’re similar in appearance and crunch to potato chips. They’re made the same way I make mine, by thinly slicing the whole yuca root, cooking in oil (these are cooked in sustainable, non-hydrogenated palm oil) and adding sea salt. Simple, crispy, salty goodness! Artisan Tropic Cassava Strips are non-GMO, vegan, Paleo and gluten-free certified, contain no preservatives, and are made in a peanut and tree nut-free facility. Click text or pictures below to check them out!
Don’t let the name “tortilla chip” fool you! While these chips look like typical tortilla chips made of corn, they’re actually made with a blend of cassava and coconut flours. These are amazing!!! They come in 3 flavors: sea salt, lime, and nacho. All 3 varieties are gluten, dairy, and soy free! I love them all, but my absolute favorite is the lime flavor! No need to dip these babies. They’re awesome plain! Be sure to eat the crumbs at the bottom of the bag – they’re extra limey!! The nacho ones remind me of the Herr’s Ketchup Chips that my kids used to be obsessed with. While not a true nacho cheese type flavor, they’re still delicious! In addition to cassava and coconut flour, these chips are made with chia seeds, sea salt, and conscious spice choices (different for different flavors.) I love that Siete makes these chips with avocado oil, as this is a very healthy oil that remains stable at high temperatures. The cassava flour blend is formed into classic tortilla chip triangle shapes. These chips literally melt in your mouth, kind of like a Pringle. There’s one caveat with these chips – they’re TOTALLY ADDICTIVE! I never buy just one bag!
Click here or on pictures below to check out Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips – Sea Salt
Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips, 3 bags (5 oz each) Sampler of Nacho, Lime, Sea Salt
(Yes, that’s me! A rare cameo!!!)
Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips, Lime, 5 oz. (Pack of 3)
Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips, Nacho, 5 oz
Plant Snacks created these delicious gluten-free, non-GMO, grain & corn free, Paleo, trans fat free chips with no preservatives and no artificial flavors or colors. So what’s in them? In the sea salt variety (the one I sampled) the ingredients are simply dried yuca/cassava root, sunflower oil, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast and sea salt. These ingredients are blended together, then formed into a square chip (about 1″ square.) They’re salty and crispy with a sesame flavor. Very unique and delicious!
*Note: These yuca root chips used to be called “Cassava Crunch” but have been renamed “Plant Snacks” and repackaged after the taking of the picture below. The recipe has not changed.
Plant Snacks Yuca Root Chips come in 4 flavors including: Sea Salt, Cheddar, Beet with Goat Cheese, and Super Seed varieties.
Click the link or picture below if you’d like a sampler pack so you can try them all!
(Note: I have not taste tested all of the flavors since some contain dairy.)
Plant Snacks Variety Pack – Cheddar, Sea Salt, Beet with Goat Cheese, Super Seeds Cassava Root Chips, Vegan, Big-8 Allergen Free, Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Grain Free, No Added Sugar, 5 oz Bags, Pack of 4
If you like a little spice in your life, Jans Jalapeño Chips are the way to go!!! These chips start out like a classic yuca chip in that they’re made from fried, thinly sliced whole yuca/cassava root, but with a kick of jalapeño seasoning! (A mixture of sugar, salt, yeast extract, onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder.) Don’t be frightened off by the word “jalapeño.” I think they taste more like an extra spicy barbecue potato chip. No matter what you call these, they’re AMAZING! These are a real favorite in my house, especially with my husband and daughter, true spice lovers who put Sriracha sauce on everything! I enjoy them as well, as long as I have a glass of water handy. (And I’m not typically a spice lover.) Check them out by clicking the pictures or link below.
Jans Root Chips (Jalapeno Cassava Chips, 3 oz)
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!
For yuca snacks, pantry items, and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make Crazy For Yuca recipes in my own kitchen.
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.
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 …
If you’re a Nutella fan, but prefer a healthy version that’s free of dairy, refined sugar, soy, and processed inflammatory oils, this Chocolate Hazelnut Butter is for you! While the first ingredient of Nutella is sugar, with only 13% hazelnuts, the predominant ingredient in this …
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 for any healthy eater! So much fun to make and eat!!! While this Strawberry Short-Crepe Cream on Top is super low in sugar, it really satisfies one’s sweet tooth!
This post includes a great recipe for Strawberry Chia Seed Jam by Lexi from LexisCleanKitchen.com. Why buy prepared jellies or jams when homemade, low sugar jam is this simple to make? Thank you Lexi for this incredible, healthy recipe!
Crepe Ingredients: (makes six 8 inch crepes)
-1/2 cup tapioca flour – (I use Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour)
-2 Tbsp Cassava Flour – (I use Otto’s Cassava Flour)
-4 organic, cage-free eggs (I use duck eggs since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs. Both work perfectly!)
-2 Tbsp coconut oil – melted (I use Nutiva Organic, Unrefined, Virgin Coconut Oil)
-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract)
-2 Tbsp almond milk (Cow’s milk can be used if a dairy option is preferred.)
-1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt (While any salt can be used, I use pink Himalayan salt because of its high mineral content.)
Strawberry Jam Ingredients:
-organic strawberries
-raw organic honey or maple syrup
-lemon juice
–chia seeds (I use Trader Joe’s Organic Chia Seeds.)
*Check out Lexi’s super simple recipe by clicking here: Strawberry Chia Seed Jam. She also has variations for blueberry and mango! If you haven’t checked out LexisCleanKitchen.com yet, you’re in for a treat!!!
Coconut Cream Ingredients:
-1 13.5 oz can organic coconut cream – chilled in refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours. (I use Trader Joe’s Organic Coconut Cream) If coconut cream is not available, 2 or 3 cans of full fat coconut milk can also be used. Use only the coconut cream solids. Save coconut milk for another use.
-1 tsp pure vanilla extract (Optional – adds great flavor, but will taint pure white color of cream) (I use Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract)
-2 tsp coconut sugar (I use Nutiva Organic Coconut Sugar)
Simply click on the ingredients listed in recipe above to be brought to that pantry item on Amazon. By purchasing products through our affiliate links we get a small commission which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca at no additional cost to you. All recommended products are ones that meet my high standards for quality, and are used 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 through our site!
***
Crepe Instructions:
Melt coconut oil.
Place melted coconut oil into mixing bowl along with eggs, vanilla, and almond milk. Blend thoroughly.
Heat a frying pan on medium heat. (No need to use a non-stick pan or oil. These crepes will not stick to pan!)
Pour batter, about 1/4 cup at a time, into ungreased, heated frying pan. In order to make thin, circle-shaped crepes, pour batter slowly into the center of pan and use the back of the spoon or ladle in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly. *Don’t be discouraged if the first crepe sticks to the pan or is irregularly shaped. That is typical until you get the hang of it.
Cook on first side for about 1 minute, until batter solidifies.
7. Flip and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds. Crepes should be slightly browned.
*Note: These crepes can be made ahead and placed in the refrigerator or freezer and later made into your Strawberry Short-Crepe Cream on Top. They can be quickly reheated from frozen in a toaster oven for 3-5 minutes, a microwave for 30-45 seconds, or by being left on counter to defrost.
Check out St. Dalfour brand strawberry fruit spread by clicking the picture below. It’s made with all natural ingredients including strawberries, sweetened only with grape and date juice concentrates, fruit pectin, and lemon juice.
Coconut Cream is quick and easy to make. It’s an awesome option for Vegan and dairy-free eaters who enjoy a dollop of whipped cream on their desserts!
Coconut Cream Instructions:
3. Spoon coconut cream solids into chilled bowl (leaving behind any liquid coconut milk.)
4. Using an electric mixer with chilled beaters, gradually increase speed from low to high. Beat until peaks form. This takes about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat until fully combined. 
1. Place one crepe on desired serving plate.
2. Spread jelly and cut-up organic strawberries on top of crepe.
3. Place a second crepe on top, and spread coconut cream and fresh strawberries on second crepe.
4. Alternate layers of crepes, strawberry jam, and coconut cream until you run out of crepes.
5. Top with additional strawberry jam, fresh strawberries, and a dollop of coconut cream.
Note: Use a very thin, sharp knife to cut into servings.
Enjoy!
***
for healthy pantry items, yuca snacks, and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make Crazy For Yuca recipes in my kitchen!
All personally taste tested and approved by myself and my family! For a detailed description of recommended yuca/cassava chips, see my post The Perfect Yuca Chip!
***
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 for any healthy eater! So much fun to make and eat!!! While this Strawberry Short-Crepe Cream on Top is super low in sugar, it really satisfies one's sweet tooth!
Spoon coconut cream solids (not any liquid coconut milk) into chilled bowl.
Using an electric mixer with chilled beaters, gradually increase speed to high, and beat until peaks form. This takes about 3-4 minutes.
Add sugar and vanilla and beat until fully combined.
Place one crepe on desired serving plate.
Spread jelly and cut-up organic strawberries on top of crepe.
Place a second crepe on top, and spread coconut cream and fresh strawberries on second crepe.
Alternate layers of crepes, strawberry jam, and coconut cream until you run out of crepes.
Top with additional strawberry jam, fresh strawberries, and a dollop of coconut cream.
Enjoy!
Note: Use a very thin, sharp knife to cut into servings.
***
Shop Amazon Warehouse Deals – Deep Discounts on Open-box and Used Kitchen Gadgets
***
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.
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 …
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 Kitchen. I made these last night for dinner and they were DELICIOUS! My husband was still talking about them this morning!
For the outer wrap of these Southwest Egg Rolls, I used the Egg Roll Wrappers pictured below – made by The Modern Cavegirl herself! They’re made of all whole-food ingredients including yuca, avocado oil, tapioca starch, and salt. (You can see why I HAD to try them since I’m “the yuca-lady”!!!) It was so nice to meet a fellow yuca enthusiast! These wrappers are basically an unseasoned version of my Garlic Yuca Flatbread recipe (which I also use for other recipes such as empanadas and pizzas,) but these are ready-made! My readers often ask me for ready-made versions of my flatbread and now you know where to find it! They’re perfect for those nights when you want a great, wholesome, grain-free meal, but there just isn’t enough time to make everything from scratch.
Click here to check out The Modern Cavegirl’s Egg Roll Wrappers made of yuca!
And while you’re there, check out her Spinach Wraps and Plaintain Gnocchi – both made with tapioca flour (an extract of yuca) so you know they have to be great!!!
(For full recipe visit heart & bones kitchen by clicking here)
Ingredients:
–Egg Roll Wrappers (Click here to purchase: heartboneskitchen.com/online-store or follow my Yuca Garlic Flatbread post and use the rolled out dough (don’t bake them into the Yuca Flatbread) to make your own egg roll wrappers out of fresh or frozen boiled yuca!
Taco Seasoning Ingredients:
-chili powder
-garlic powder
-onion powder
-dried oregano
-paprika
-mustard powder
-cayenne powder
-cumin
-salt (I use pink Himalayan salt because of its high mineral content.)
-pepper
Filling Ingredients:
-chicken breast, butterfly
-red onion – diced
-celery – diced
-green chili – diced (My store only had jalapeños, which are significantly hotter than green chilis. I’m not a spice lover, but I thought it worked perfectly!)
-red bell pepper – diced
-yellow bell pepper – diced
-taco seasoning (made above)
Spicy Lime Cilantro Aoli Ingredients:
-egg yolks
-garlic cloves
-lime – juiced
-green onion
-cilantro (I left this out – not a cilantro fan – the aoli was still AWESOME!)
-taco seasoning (made above)
–salt
-water
First, coat the chicken in taco seasoning and cook in pan along with avocado oil.
Chop and cook the veggies in frying pan.
Place Egg Roll Wrappers on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until soft and pliable. Don’t bake long enough to toast.
Combine chicken and vegetables and place filling into each Egg Roll Wrapper.
Roll up each egg roll and place (seam side down) into frying pan. This will seal wrapper, as pictured below. Pan fry all sides of egg rolls.
Blend Spicy Lime Cilantro Aoli ingredients. I didn’t think I would want to dip my egg rolls into a sauce, but boy was I wrong! I couldn’t get enough of it!!! DELISH!
Enjoy!!!
I want to thank The Modern Cavegirl for creating this fantastic recipe and allowing me to share it with my readers!
Click here for her full Southwestern Egg Roll recipe
Click here to purchase her Egg Roll Wrappers
Brittany from The Modern Cavegirl is a Portland based chef who specializes in handmade products liberated from dairy, grains, nuts, and soy. Her mission is to inspire others to read labels and eat whole foods, as well as to make real, healthy food more accessible.
Check out Jans Jalapeño Cassava Chips!
These chips look similar to classic potato chips, in that they’re slices of actual yuca root. They are then fried and spiced to perfection! I think they taste more like spicy barbecue potato chips than jalapeño, but either way they are ADDICTIVE!!! Click below to check them out!
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!
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.
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 …
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 made with either fresh or frozen yuca (a.k.a cassava) or cassava flour, the main ingredient of these popovers is Gluten Free Cake Meal, which is mostly potato starch and tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour.) Tapioca starch is actually made from yuca during the process of making cassava flour. While related, there are important differences.
Cassava flour is made by drying and grinding the whole cassava root, after extracting the starchy liquid from the cassava. Tapioca starch is what is left after all the water evaporates out of the starchy liquid that was extracted out of the cassava while making cassava flour. In sum, cassava flour is the ground whole root, and tapioca flour is the starchy extract of the root that is made into flour. These popovers, therefore, don’t contain as much fiber as they would if they were made from cassava flour, but the consistency is much lighter.
These Grain-Free Popovers puff significantly while baking. They’re often partially hollow inside and can be cut in half and stuffed with your favorite filling! I love them warmed up with a little ghee (or butter before I cut out dairy,) or cut in half and filled with a Veggie Egg!
While originally created as a Passover muffin (since they’re made with Gluten Free Matzo Cake Meal,) these babies can be made any time of year and enjoyed whenever a roll or piece of bread would be served. They’re quick and easy to make. You can get Gluten-Free Cake Meal by clicking this link any time of year!
-cage-free eggs
-filtered water
In a small saucepan, heat water and oil to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a mixing bowl, blend Gluten-Free Cake Meal, salt, and sugar. Then add water and oil mixture to mixing bowl.
Beat eggs in separate bowl. Then pour into mixing bowl and thoroughly blend.
Coat muffin tins with thin layer of avocado oil to prevent sticking. (I use avocado oil because of its high smoke point. Avoid using oils that degrade at high temperatures, as this destroys the beneficial nutrients and phytochemicals in the oils and creates free radicals.)
Spoon batter evenly into each of 12 muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven set to 375 degrees for 40 minutes.
Muffins are ready when they have puffed up and browned.
for ingredients to make Grain-Free Popovers, or to see recommended pantry items and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make 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 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!
***
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! They're especially delicious warm right out of the oven! They puff significantly while baking! They're often partially hollow inside and can be cut in half and stuffed with your favorite filling! While originally created as a Passover muffin (since they're made with Gluten Free Matzo Cake Meal,) these babies can be made any time of year and enjoyed whenever a roll or piece of bread would be served.
In a small saucepan, heat water and oil to a boil. Then remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a mixing bowl, blend Gluten-Free Cake Meal, salt, and sugar.
In a mixing bowl, blend Gluten-Free Cake Meal, salt, and sugar. Then add water and oil mixture to mixing bowl.
Beat eggs in separate bowl. Then pour into mixing bowl and thoroughly blend.
Coat muffin tins with thin layer of avocado oil to prevent sticking.
Spoon batter evenly into each of 12 muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven set to 375 degrees for 40 minutes.
Muffins are ready when they have puffed up and browned. 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.
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, …
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 good blog photo! I just LOVE these!!!) I created a few versions for my family to taste test, and they unanimously agreed that this recipe is the best!
These Grain-Free Matzo Balls have an authentic matzo ball taste (you’ll never miss the matzo,) with a bit more flavor than typical bland Passover matzo balls. This extra pop of flavor comes from the addition of Trader Joe’s Onion Salt and minced scallions, which complement the soup perfectly!
These Grain-Free Cassava Flour Matzo Balls are a bit more dense in the center (not as fluffy) as some matzo balls, which is actually how I’ve always preferred them. The addition of 2 tablespoons of seltzer creates a nice moistness throughout. Passover perfection!!!
For more information about cassava flour see: Getting to Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour.
(Makes 10-12 matzo balls)
Ingredients: (Full printer friendly recipe below)
-3/4 cups Otto’s Cassava Flour
-3 cage-free eggs (I use duck eggs since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs. Both work perfectly!)
-1/2 teaspoon Trader Joe’s Onion Salt
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-1 teaspoon scallions or chives – minced
-1 tablespoon avocado oil (I use Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil.)
-2 tablespoons seltzer (Cassava flour matzo balls can be a bit denser than those made from wheat. Seltzer helps them to be more moist and fluffy.)
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!
***
Directions:
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Step 2: In a large bowl, blend all ingredients including Otto’s Cassava Flour, eggs, pink Himalayan salt, Trader Joe’s Onion Salt, avocado oil, seltzer, and minced scallions or chives.
Step 3: Moisten hands and scoop up enough dough to make a 1 inch ball. Roll dough between hands like a meatball, and place into pot of boiling water. Repeat to make 10-12 matzo balls. (Balls with expand during cooking.)
Step 4: Return water to a boil, then reduce heat and cover pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Remove from water and add to your favorite chicken soup. Enjoy! (Or eat plain with your fingers immediately, because they’re just that good!!!)
***
***
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! These Grain-Free Matzo Balls have an authentic matzo ball taste (you'll never miss the matzo,) with a bit more flavor than typical bland Passover matzo balls. This extra pop of flavor comes from the addition of Trader Joe's Onion Salt and minced scallions which complement the soup perfectly! They are a bit more dense in the center (not as fluffy) as some matzo balls, which is actually how I've always preferred them. The addition of 2 tablespoons of seltzer creates a nice moistness throughout. Passover perfection!!!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, place all ingredients into a large bowl, including cassava flour, eggs, avocado oil, seltzer, salt, Trader Joe's onion salt, and minced scallions (or chives) and blend thoroughly.
Moisten hands and scoop up a small amount of dough (enough to make 1" balls.) Roll dough between hands like a meatball. (If balls stick excessively to hands, moisten them again before rolling the next matzo ball.)
Place matzo balls directly into boiling water. They will expand while cooking.
Return to a boil. Then cover pot, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove cooked matzo balls from pot. Place into your favorite chicken soup. 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.
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 …
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. I decided to bake them for her this Valentine’s Day. They came out great! I made some round ones and some heart shaped ones. I’m excited to say that they held their shape perfectly during baking! No spreading at all! They can therefore be molded into any desired shape with cookies cutters, and decorated for any occasion. These Almond Cassava Flour Cookies are quick and easy to bake and have that delicious almond extract flavor!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
These Almond Cassava Flour Cookies are made with Otto’s Cassava Flour. It’s a nonGMO, gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, Whole30 approved, autoimmune protocol approved, whole-food flour. That says a lot! It has a neutral taste and looks and performs very similar to wheat flour. It contains a significant amount of resistant starch, a type of fiber that feeds the good bacteria of the colon. While cassava is a starch, it has a low glycemic index (46) so it doesn’t raise blood sugar the way many gluten-free flours can. Check out these links to discover more about yuca (a.k.a. cassava) and cassava flour.
Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava)
Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
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!
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
-3/4 cup almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour.)
-1/4 cup organic coconut oil
-3/4 cup organic coconut sugar
-1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract (I use
-2 cage-free eggs (chicken or duck eggs can be used. I use duck eggs since I’m sensitive to the protein in chicken eggs.)
-1/8 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt (I use pink Himalayan sea salt for all my cooking and baking because of its purity and increased mineral content, as compared to regular sea salt and table salt.)
-1 cup slivered almonds. (I use Trader Joe’s Unsalted, Dry Roasted Slivered Almonds.)
Melt organic coconut oil, then blend with coconut sugar, almond extract and 2 beaten cage-free eggs. Add Otto’s Cassava Flour, almond flour and pink Himalayan sea salt. Once ingredients are fully combined, add slivered almonds.
Divide batter into 18 cookies, of any shape desired, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Below, I used a cookie cutter to make each heart shaped Almond Cassava Flour Cookie for Valentine’s day. I filled the cookie cutter with dough, pressing down to fully fill mold.
Once desired cookie shapes are formed, garnish with additional slivered almonds for a true almond cookie appearance.
So simple, yet sophisticated!
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
Enjoy your Almond Cassava Flour Cookies!
Serve them in baskets, or in any number of creative ways.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Get creative with your decorating and garnish with additional sweetness if desired!!
These cookies were decorated using melted Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels, then sprinkled with Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chips. Enjoy Life morsels are gluten, dairy, and soy free, as well as vegan.
The red heart icing was made first by making a basic white icing (1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon filtered water,) then adding a few drops of Color Garden Natural Red Food Dye. I’ve used a number of natural dyes before, but this was the first that gave a true, deep red! (Typically they come out more of a pink color.) The ingredients are beet juice, turmeric, annatto, and less than 1% ethyl alcohol as a preservative. There’s absolutely no Red Dye 40, as with conventional food dyes. Red Dye 40 is one of the most controversial dyes used today. It has been shown to cause allergic reactions and hyperactivity in some children (1,) In mice, research demonstrated that Red 40 decreases survival, reproductive success, brain weight, as well as parent and offspring weight. Evidence of both physical and behavioral toxicity were evident (2.)
I like to steer clear of Red Dye 40, and most chemical dyes, at all costs! Now that I discovered Color Garden Natural Red Food Dye, my Valentine’s Day baking can be gorgeous and healthy!
Look how gorgeous the red icing looks! A true red using only natural ingredients. 🙂
*****
*****
*****
These cookies taste just like almond cookies from the Chinese restaurant! With cassava flour, the gluten-free no longer need to be deprived of almost any treat! If you haven't baked with cassava flour yet, you're really missing out. Give these grain-free Almond Cassava Flour Cookies a try! You won't be sorry.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt 1/4 cup coconut oil, either in microwave or on stovetop.
Blend melted coconut oil with 3/4 cup coconut sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract and 2 beaten cage-free eggs.
Add 1/2 cup Otto's Cassava Flour, 3/4 cup almond flour, 1/8 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt, and mix until fully combined.
Add 1 cup slivered almonds. Blend into batter.
Divide batter into 18 cookies and place on parchment lined baking sheets. These cookies hold their shape perfectly (no spreading.) They can therefore be made into any desired shape, such as the heart shapes shown in post. Have fun with different shapes for different occasions!
Decorate with additional slivered almonds.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
Note: Since these cookies hold their shape perfectly during baking, they can be molded into any desired shape using cookie cutters. Once cooled, they can be decorated any number of ways. Use your imagination and send me pictures of your creations!
*****
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.
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 …
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 of this beloved comfort food really hits the spot!
As someone who is gluten and dairy-free, I’ve definitely missed going to restaurants and ordering French Onion Soup. Plain old onion soup in a bowl, with no bread in the middle or gooey cheese on top just doesn’t cut it! I used to really enjoy when the cheese dripped down the side of the crock, hardened during baking, and had to be chipped off the side. It was extra flavorful and crunchy! I’m not going to say that the yuca topper is EXACTLY like that (as my cheese eating daughter insists that it isn’t) but as someone who hasn’t eaten cheese in 6 years, this recipe feels satisfying in that same way. The seasoned yuca dough is soft and can be pulled with your fingers, or easily scooped into a scrumptious spoonful of onion soup… and the parts that droop down the side harden just right!
It all starts with the onions!!! I used 6 organic yellow onions. (Full printable recipe below.)
Shred onions in a food processor (or hand slice, if desired.) It looks like a lot of onions, but they shrink significantly when cooked.
In a pan on low heat melt 1/3 cup ghee. Add shredded onions and mix to fully coat with melted ghee. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2-3 thyme sprigs, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 3 bay leaves and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until browned and caramelized.
Add 4 cups organic beef broth (or bone broth) and simmer for 30 minutes. If desired, season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Place into 4 oven-safe ramekins. (I use small Corningware bowls.)
Fresh or frozen yuca can be used to make the yuca toppers.
While soup is simmering, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
If using fresh yuca, each root must first be peeled and cut into 3-4 pieces before boiling. For more information see: Buying, Storing, Peeling, and Cooking Yuca.
For 4 servings, 3/4 pound (about 1 medium sized whole, fresh yuca root or half a bag of frozen yuca) is needed. Place peeled, cut, fresh or frozen yuca into pot of boiling water. (If using frozen yuca do not defrost before boiling.) Return to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until fork tender. *Do not over-cook! If cooked for too long, yuca becomes mushy and difficult to work with.
Drain water and allow boiled yuca to cool for a few minutes. Once cool enough to handle, cut each piece in half lengthwise to remove stick-like center that runs through the middle.
Chop yuca into chunks.
For each of 4 yuca toppers, place 1/2 cup chopped yuca, 1/2 tsp avocado oil, a pinch of garlic, and a pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon each) into Vitamix (or other food processor) and blend for a few seconds until a dough is formed. (I suggest making the toppers in 4 batches because if more than 1 cup of yuca is placed into Vitamix at a time, it can easily overheat machine.)
Place each dough ball on parchment paper and add 1/2 teaspoon chopped chives.
Roll out each dough ball between 2 pieces of parchment paper to fit the size and shape of your ramekins. *Note: If dough sticks to parchment, place in freezer for 5-10 minutes. This will decrease stickiness and make dough easier to work with.
Place each rolled out yuca topper over each soup filled ramekin.
Place ramekins on baking sheet, brush yuca toppers with avocado oil (to increase browning) and place in preheated oven set to 425 degrees.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. If additional browning is desired, place under the broiler for the last 2 minutes.
Enjoy! Let me know what you think in the comments section below.
***
***
***
Enjoy this Paleo French Onion Soup topped with melted yuca dough! You won't miss the cheese, as this seasoned dough makes a perfect pair with onion soup. Upon baking, the underside of the yuca gets soft and gooey, while browning on top. A deliciously satisfying Paleo variation of a beloved comfort food.
Shred onions in food processor. (Can be done by hand, if needed.)
In a pan on low heat, melt ghee.
Add onions and stir to fully coat with melted ghee.
Add salt, pepper, minced garlic, thyme sprigs, dried rosemary, and bay leaves.
Cook on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until onions become browned and caramelized.
Add beef broth and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
If needed, add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon onion soup evenly into 4 oven-safe ramekins. (I use small Corningware bowls.)
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, if using fresh yuca, remove peel and cut into 3-4 pieces before placing it into pot of boiling water. See: Buying, Storing, Peeling, and Cooking Yuca for more information, if needed.
If using frozen yuca, do not defrost before placing into pot of boiling water.
Return to a boil, then cook yuca for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender. Ensure that yuca is fully covered by water throughout boiling. *Do not overcook! Overcooked yuca will become mushy and very difficult to work with.
Drain water and allow yuca to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, cut each piece of yuca in half lengthwise to remove stick-like center that runs through the middle.
Cut yuca into chunks.
For each of the 4 yuca toppers, place 1/2 cup yuca, 1/2 teaspoon avocado oil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of garlic powder (about 1/4 teaspoon each) into Vitamix (or other food processor) and blend for a few seconds until it forms a dough.
Place dough onto parchment paper and top with chopped chives.
Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to fit the size and shape of your soup ramekin.
Remove dough from parchment and place on top of soup-filled ramekin. *Dough can be very sticky to work with, especially if it's warm. If dough sticks to parchment paper, place it into freezer for 5-10 minutes. This will decrease stickiness and make the dough more manageable. Click here for other tips on handling sticky dough.
Brush dough with avocado oil to enhance browning.
Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. If additional browning is desired, place under the broiler for the last 2 minutes.
Enjoy your Paleo French Onion Soup!!!
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.
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 …
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 Cookies are the perfect reason to do it now! See: Getting to Know Cassava (yuca) Flour.
I can now make ANYTHING I used to make with wheat, with either boiled yuca or cassava flour. (See my other yuca/cassava recipes on this site such as Pop-tarts, Flatbread, Tortillas, Empanadas, Baked Fries, Pinwheel Cookies….)
I use Otto’s Cassava Flour for all of my baking. It can be swapped into many recipes that call for wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio. It has a powdery consistency – just like wheat flour (not grainy like nut flours.) I don’t know about you, but as someone who has been gluten-free for 6 years I can’t bear to make another thing out of almond flour!!!
Otto’s Cassava Flour can be found in some specialty stores or purchased online by clicking below.
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
*Full printable recipe below*
Makes 24 cookies
Click on any needed non-perishable item below to order online.
-1 1/2 cups Otto’s Cassava Flour
-3/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-1/2 cup Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening
-1/2 cup maple sugar
-1 cage-free egg
-1/2 teaspoon almond extract ( I use Simply Organic)
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 cup filtered water
–parchment paper (For rolling out dough. Cassava dough can be sticky.)
-cookie cutters of any desired shape
-1 cup powdered confectioners sugar
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-1 1/2 teaspoon filtered water
In a mixing bowl (or stand mixer) blend Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening and maple sugar. Add egg and almond extract, then mix until well combined. In a separate bowl, blend dry ingredients (Otto’s Cassava Flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, pink Himalayan salt.) Combine contents of the 2 bowls, add water, then mix until a dough is formed.
Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper, until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Parchment is a non-stick surface. Using it on the top and bottom of the dough prevents the need to flour your surface or rolling pin. (WAY less of a mess!!)
Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes from rolled out dough – such as these snowflakes. To make optimal use of time, place cookie cutter as close as possible to previously cut out shapes to decrease dough scraps and additional re-rolling.
Multiple cookie cutter shapes can be used with the same rolled-out dough – such as these snowmen.
Here I added reindeer, Christmas trees, dreidels and menorahs for the full holiday experience!
Place each cut out cookie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (The same parchment can be used as when rolling out dough.) Place in an oven that has been pre-heated to 350 degrees.
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until edges begin to slightly brown. (These are very easy to burn so keep an eye on them.)
Allow cookies to fully cool before decorating.
Sugar cookies are fun because bakers can decorate them using any number of colored icings and candies to make their own signature creations!
In this post, I used white icing made with powdered confectioners sugar, pure vanilla extract and water as my base for decorating.
In line with my philosophy of clean eating, I used fruits, vegetables, and spices to color the white icing. I do anything I can to keep chemical dyes, artificial flavorings, preservatives and pesticides out of my food. The one slight exception I made was with the blue colored icing used for the Chanukah cookies. For these, I used ColorKitchen Real Food Decorative Coloring, since no fruit, vegetable, or spice that I know of is able to make a true blue colored icing, and Chanukah cookies can’t be made without blue icing – am I right??? (I tried blueberries, but the icing came out purple.) The only ingredient in the blue ColorKitchen Real Food Decorative Coloring is “spirulina color,” which is a natural colorant. I think this is acceptable.
For details on natural colored icing, check out my post – Icing Colored With Fruits and Vegetables
*****
While I’ll show you my personal creations, feel free to decorate your Holiday Cassava Flour Cookies any way that expresses your way of eating, personal style, and holiday traditions!
I’d love to hear about your creations in the comment section below! Or email pictures to me through my contact page.
***
For a simple snowy effect, sprinkle cookies with powdered confectioners sugar. Place 1 or 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar into a sieve. Hold sieve over cookies and tap gently, allowing sugar to fall evenly over cookies (just like falling snow.)
Using powdered sugar is the simplest and quickest way to have beautiful holiday cookies! They taste delicious and look beautiful plated any number of ways!
The body of this snowman was decorated with the basic white icing mentioned above. His red hat was made with the white icing colored with the juice of organic strawberries! (See post: Icing Colored With Fruits and Vegetables for directions on how to make it.) This snowman’s eyes and buttons are Enjoy Life Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, and the pom pom on his hat is an Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chip. (Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips are gluten, dairy, soy and nut free.) I used a slice of real carrot for his nose, which I wouldn’t recommend since the moisture in the carrot infused into the icing overnight. In the future, I will use dried fruit such as apricot or mango for the nose. (Live and learn!)
Next came these adorable reindeer! The brown icing was colored by adding cinnamon to the basic white icing. The cinnamon not only made these reindeer the perfect color, but made them extra DELICIOUS!!! The antlers were decorated using melted Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips. The eyes were crafted first by placing 2 dots of white icing over the dried brown icing, and then immediately adding an Enjoy Life Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip over each dot of icing (before the icing had time to dry.)
These “Rudolph” noses were made by placing drops of white icing onto parchment paper, and sprinkling TruColor Natural Sanding Sugar immediately on top of each icing drop (before they began to dry.) This sanding sugar contains only sugar, vegetable color, and carnauba wax, so I figured it was acceptable for my healthy-ish holiday cookies. The icing drops were left to harden overnight and then placed onto each reindeer cookie. Carefully remove “noses” from parchment by sliding a knife under each drop. Adhere to reindeer cookie using another drop of wet icing.
Note: Icing can be re-hydrated after hardening by adding a few drops of water and stirring.
Note: While drying starts quickly, these “noses” don’t fully solidify, so handle carefully.
How cute are these reindeer???
Believe it or not, the icing of these Christmas tree cassava flour cookies was colored with freshly juiced spinach! (See my post: Icing Colored With Fruits and Vegetables for the simple instructions on how to do it!) The color came out gorgeous, and they didn’t taste like spinach at all! Red TruColor Natural Sanding Sugar was sprinkled on top to give these trees a more decorative holiday look!
The rich, yellow coloring for these dreidels and menorahs were made by adding turmeric to the basic white icing! The blue color was made by adding ColorKitchen Real Food Decorative Coloring in blue, which has only one ingredient, “spirulina color,” a natural colorant.
Enjoy your Holiday Cassava Flour Sugar Cookies no matter what shapes or decorations you choose!
***
Click here, or on the SHOP link in the menu bar above, to see the recommended pantry items and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make Crazy For Yuca recipes. Check out the yuca/cassava snacks – all personally taste tested and approved by me and my family!
***
Healthy Eating Tip: Why add cassava flour to your baking repertoire!
The holidays are definitely extra challenging for gluten-free and healthy eaters. From Thanksgiving through New Years we are bombarded with food and desserts wherever we go, most of which we can’t eat. It’s a time of year that’s supposed to be festive, but can be very straining for those who are gluten free. Many give in to temptation during the holidays and end up feeling sick and inflamed. With a little planning and baking of your own, you can enjoy treats made with Otto’s Cassava Flour without compromising your health. You’re worth the effort!
Otto’s Cassava Flour is gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, soy-free, Paleo, Vegan, Autoimmune Protocol friendly, and non-GMO! How many flours can make a claim like that? 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.) It isn’t enriched with anything or stripped of any of its nutrients.
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 won’t spike blood sugar the way many gluten-free flours can. Cassava (yuca) has a low glycemic index, which makes it an ideal choice for those with blood-sugar issues.
Cooking and baking with cassava flour is a wonderful choice for anyone looking to eat a healthy, low grain, “real food” diet, whether gluten intolerant or not.
And check out my other posts to get excited about other delicious things you can make when your cassava flour arrives. (I have a lot more recipe ideas on the way!!!)
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
***
***
***
Who says you can't be gluten free and eat delicious holiday sugar cookies? With Cassava Flour Holiday Sugar Cookies no one misses out on the fun of holiday cookie baking and decorating! These gluten-free, whole-food, cassava flour cookies taste so much like those made from wheat, no one will even know they're gluten-free! If you haven't discovered cassava flour yet, what are you waiting for??
In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, blend Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening and maple sugar.
Add egg and almond extract and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together - Otto's Cassava Flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, and Himalayan sea salt.
Combine contents of the two bowls, add water, and blend until a dough is formed.
Place dough on parchment paper and roll it out to desired thickness - about 1/4 inch.
Cut out desired shapes using cookie cutters.
Dough can be made back into a ball and rolled out again and again until all dough has been make into cookies.
Arrange cut out cookies on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Place baking sheet in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees. Bake for about 12 minutes, until edges start to brown slightly.
Allow to fully cool before icing.
Place powdered sugar, vanilla extract and water in a bowl and blend until fully incorporated.
Add food coloring, if desired, to create any number of holiday designs.
See my post entitled Icing Colored With Fruits and Vegetables for ideas on how to color icing naturally.
Decorate cookies with colored sugar, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or candies to create desired effect or holiday characters.
Enjoy your holiday cookie baking!!!
*****
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.
Can you believe that the icing for this Christmas tree cookie was colored with spinach? It’s true!!! And the tree trunk was colored with cinnamon! This year I thought I’d have a little fun experimenting with fruits, vegetables, and spices as natural dyes for the …
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 …
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 …
“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 rave reviews! They are light and fluffy and everything you want in a traditional pancake.
You may be thinking, “What’s the big deal about cassava flour? Aren’t there lots of gluten-free flours out there?”
While there are many gluten-free flours, few can be used in a 1:1 ratio with wheat flour or have so similar a taste and texture. For me, cassava’s low glycemic index (46) makes it a way better option because of my blood sugar instability. White rice flour and tapioca flour have a glycemic index of 89 and 85 respectively, which causes my blood sugar to spike. (To have a reference point – below 50 is considered low glycemic, 70 and above is considered high.) Immediately after eating pancakes or baked goods made with high glycemic flours, brain fog sets in, followed by a huge drop in energy level. I literally have trouble focusing on even the most basic things when I eat high glycemic foods. Flours such as rice and tapioca are also often highly processed (nowhere close to whole-grain!)
Nut-flours (like almond flour) are the other popular gluten-free alternative, but how many almonds can a person eat??!! I can’t make EVERYTHING out of almond flour – although I often did before finding cassava flour – which typically led to stomach aches. For those with nut allergies cassava flour is a perfect option.
The days of high glycemic or grainy nut-flour pancakes are over! With Otto’s Cassava Flour the perfect gluten-free pancake has finally arrived! These are even a great option for the gluten-eating community as well. Cassava flour is an unprocessed, grain-free, non-GMO, non-inflammatory, paleo, whole30 approved, whole-food flour that is much better for our health than wheat flour.
I use Otto’s Cassava Flour for all of my cooking and baking with delicious results!
Otto’s Cassava Flour is available in some specialty stores, and can be purchased online by clicking the link below!
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
Click here: Getting To Know Cassava (Yuca) 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!
***
Healthy Eating Tip: Decrease the sugar and give monk fruit sweetener a try! Monk fruit, also known as lo han guo, is a melon grown in Southeast Asia. It has been used in Eastern medicine to treat ailments for centuries. Monk fruit sweetener is a natural extract of monk fruit, with a single serving containing zero calories. It’s highly recommended for weight loss and for diabetics because it doesn’t impact blood sugar levels. Organic Pure Monk is almost 300 times sweetener than sugar. I recommend using only 1/8 tsp in this 8 pancake recipe! The taste is different than sugar, and may take some getting used to. It’s FDA approved and considered safe for children as well as women who are pregnant or nursing. Note: If you buy any brand of monk fruit sweetener other than Pure Monk, be sure to read the label carefully. Many call their sweeteners monk fruit, but blend them with other sweeteners to make the taste more similar in taste and sweetness to sugar. The added ingredients may add calories, decrease the relative sweetness, or change the health profile of the sweetener. Give monk fruit sweetener a try and let me know what you think. But trust me, use VERY little. More is not better in this case.
*****
*I use the exact same recipe to make my Cassava flour Waffles! See pics below where I top my waffles with baked apples with cinnamon and another with blueberry and strawberry compote. 🥰
*****
These pancakes are so delicious you can’t tell they aren’t made from wheat flour! Your family will never suspect they’re eating gluten-free!
In a large bowl, whisk eggs along with melted coconut oil, milk of choice, and vanilla until well combined.
Add cassava (yuca) flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, and sweetener. Blend until batter is smooth.
Heat a greased skillet over medium heat.
Spoon batter (divided) onto heated skillet to make 6 pancakes.
Once bubbles appear (after about 1 minute) flip and heat for an additional minute. Watch pancakes closely to avoid burning.
Eat immediately.
Serve by themselves, with syrup, or with sliced fruit such as strawberries, bananas or blueberries. Make them your own way. Enjoy!
Notes: These pancakes can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Monk fruit sweetener is a natural extract of monk fruit, with a single serving containing zero calories. It's highly recommended for weight loss and for diabetics because it doesn't impact blood sugar levels. Organic Pure Monk is almost 300 times sweetener than sugar. I recommend using only 1/8 tsp in this 8 pancake recipe! The taste is different than sugar (VERY sweet), and may take some getting used to. It's a great way to decrease one's sugar intake!
*****
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.
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 …
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 to choose a favorite, this recipe using fresh, finely sliced, pan fried yuca is a cut above the rest! These chips are an incredibly satisfying, crispy, salty, gluten-free snack! (I guess it’s no surprise that frying in oil is delicious!) My daughter describes these homemade Yuca Chips as seeming like a cross between a potato chip and a pita chip in consistency, and insists that they’re WAY better than any store bought ones she has tried.
As a kid I remember making homemade potato chips with my mom a few times and they just couldn’t be beat! (Until now!!!!)
I got inspired to buy a mandoline to make these thin, crispy chips (after trying to slice my yuca as thin as possible and really only succeeding in making very thin fries.) Don’t get me wrong – they were DELICIOUS, but not really a thin, crunchy “chip.”
I bought the Oxo Good Grips V-Blade Mandoline Slicer. I chose this one because it was BPA free, had a few different thickness settings, can cut straight slices, crinkle cuts, or julienne strips, has a setting where the blade is safely tucked away, and folds away for easy storage. It was so much fun to use to make The Perfect Yuca Chip!
It helps to have a long handled metal mesh skimmer to flip and remove chips from the pan to protect against getting burned by hot oil. A metal spatula can also be used. If you need one, click link below.
Ingredients: (Full printer friendly recipe below)
-1 pound fresh yuca (Fresh yuca can be found in some larger grocery stores, and in Latin and Asian grocery stores.) I always buy a little more than a recipe calls for just in case I find black steaks in the white flesh upon peeling. It’s important to buy very fresh yuca, as it doesn’t last long after harvesting. Make sure fresh roots are firm (no mushy spots.) See: Buying, Storing, and Peeling Fresh Yuca for tips.
–avocado oil (I use Chosen Foods 100% Pure avocado oil.) I prefer avocado oil for almost all my cooking because it’s neutral tasting, is full of healthy anti-oxidants, won’t cause systemic inflammation like most vegetable oils do, and has a high smoke point (which makes it ideal for cooking involving high heat like frying.) *Do not use olive oil to fry your yuca chips! See Healthy Eating Tip below for more details.
-fresh ground black pepper
Have some fun trying different seasoning variations!
Not only can the seasonings be switched up, but the amount used can be customized to accommodate any palate. My family had a ball doing a 4 seasoning variation taste test, and here’s what we concluded:
Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Seasoning – Voted #1 seasoning variation by my family! Everyone agreed that the burst of lime flavor is AWESOME!!! While there’s a hint of chile flavor, it’s extremely mild – not spicy at all. It’s the perfect balance of tangy and zesty!
Trader Joe’s Onion Salt – Also LOVED by my family as a top choice seasoning variation, and my personal favorite! The combination of onion powder, dried scallions and garlic powder give these a sour cream and onion type taste (a flavor that the two of us who are gluten and dairy-free haven’t experienced in years!) YUMMY!!!
Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper with a pinch of pink Himalayan salt is a very tasty option. It has a more full bodied flavor than salt and pepper alone, with the added pleasure of a hint of lemon and pepper flavor. Not overpowering at all.
Salt and pepper – We all agreed that yuca chips are delicious with salt and pepper alone. These are a simple classic which highlights the taste of the yuca, which has a delicious hint of sweetness.
Any way you slice them, Yuca Chips are fun to make and to eat!
***
Fresh yuca looks a bit like an elongated sweet potato with a much thicker peel and a waxy coating (which is added to help preserve its shelf-life.)
Step 1: Peel fresh yuca. With a very sharp knife or vegetable peeler, fully remove peel. I like to use a knife to remove the majority of the peel and then go over it with a vegetable peeler to get any remaining fragments. See: How to Peel Fresh Yuca for tips and more detailed instructions.
Note: Do not eat raw yuca. Yuca contains a cyanogenic glycoside called linamarin, located mostly in the outer peel. This is why the peel must be removed before yuca is cooked or eaten. Once yuca is peeled and cooked it’s perfectly safe to eat, as these steps eliminate all linamarin. There’s no need for concern; there’s cyanogenic glycoside in many commonly eaten foods, such as almonds, lima beans, flax seeds, bamboo shoots, and apricots. In small doses, this compound is not only safe, but is beneficial for our health.
See: Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava) for more info.
Step 2: Cut peeled yuca in half (horizontally, so there are 2 equal sized pieces.)
Step 3: Slice yuca into “chips” using a mandoline. If you don’t have a mandoline, slice yuca with a vegetable peeler, or very sharp knife. The thinner the slice, the crispier the chip! If using a mandolin, put it on the thinnest setting and choose a straight v-blade.
Yuca can either be sliced into circles, or from top to bottom, making long chips!
Step 4: Place about an inch of avocado oil on the bottom of a large frying pan and heat on high.
Step 5: Once hot, place yuca slices into avocado oil – do not overlap. (The oil is hot enough when the first yuca slice sizzles upon entering oil.) It works best to pan fry in batches, as chips cook very quickly. *Be careful not to get splattered by hot oil!
Step 6: Flip chips. Pan fry for about 1 minute, until yuca begins to brown and curl up at the edges. Depending on the amount of oil in the pan, flipping chips halfway through may be needed to ensure even browning on both sides. Yuca chips cook very quickly so keep a constant eye on the pan. Flip using a metal spatula or long handled metal mesh skimmer to avoid getting scalded by hot oil.
Step 7: Once browned, remove yuca chips using metal mesh skimmer or slotted spatula, allowing excess oil to drain back into pan. (Beware – the hot oil might melt plastic utensils!)
Step 8: Place chips on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Step 9: Immediately sprinkle with salt and pepper, or your favorite seasoning. See recommended seasoning variations below.
My favorite variation is Trader Joe’s Onion Salt – It’s a combination of granulated onion, granulated garlic, minced onion, kosher salt, green onion and dried chives! YUM!!! It just pops these yuca chips to a whole new level!
Enjoy this mouth-watering, salty, crunchy, satisfying treat!
*****
Artisan Tropic Cassava Strips are an excellent, truly classic yuca chip. Very similar to potato chips. They’re made just like I make mine, by thinly slicing the whole yuca root, cooking in oil (they use non-hydrogenated palm oil) and adding sea salt. Cassava Strips are non-GMO, vegan, certified Paleo and gluten-free, contain no preservatives, and are made in a peanut and tree nut-free facility. Click below to check them out.
Siete makes AMAZING yuca/cassava chips, which they call Grain Free Tortilla Chips. They come in 3 flavors: sea salt, lime, and nacho. They’re all gluten, dairy, and soy free! I love them all, but my absolute favorite is the lime flavor! The nacho ones taste more like the Herr’s Ketchup Chips that my kids used to be obsessed with than a true nacho flavor, but they’re still delicious. They are made with cassava flour (not sliced, whole cassava root) and then formed into triangle shapes. These chips melt in your mouth, kind of like a Pringle. I love that Siete makes these chips with avocado oil (See healthy eating tip below – as this is the healthiest high heat cooking oil.) Be careful, they’re totally addictive! Here’s a link to a 3 flavor sampler pack, but you can also buy just one flavor.
Cassava Crunch is another awesome yuca/cassava chip! Plant Snacks created these delicious gluten-free, non-GMO, grain & corn free, Paleo, trans fat free chips with no preservatives and no artificial flavors or colors. The ingredients are simply dried yuca/cassava root, sunflower oil, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast and sea salt. These ingredients are mixed together and formed into a square chip (about 1″ square.) They’re salty and crispy with a definite sesame flavor. Very unique and delicious! Check them out by clicking the link below.
Cassava Crunch comes in 5 flavors. Click the link below if you’d like to try them all! (Note: some flavors include dairy.)
Jans Root Chips (Jalapeno Cassava Chips, 3 oz)
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!
*****
With a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, remove bark-like peel from fresh yuca. (See: How to Peel Fresh Yuca)
Cut peeled yuca in half horizontally, and soak in a bowl of water for 20 minutes. (This step further removes any remaining linamarin, which will otherwise be eliminated during frying.) Discard water.
If you have a mandoline, put it on the thinnest setting and choose a straight V-blade. Slice peeled yuca into circles, or from top to bottom for long, chips. If you don’t have a mandoline, yuca can be thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler, or very sharp knife. The thinner the slice, the crispier the chip!
Place about an inch of avocado oil on the bottom of a large frying pan and heat on high.
Once hot, place yuca slices into oil - do not overlap. (The oil is hot enough when the first yuca slice sizzles upon entering oil.) It works best to pan fry in batches, as chips cook very quickly. *Be careful not to get splattered by hot oil!
Pan fry for about 1 minute, until yuca begins to brown and curl up at the edges. Depending on the amount of oil in the pan, flipping the chips halfway through may be needed to ensure even browning on both sides. Yuca chips cook very quickly so keep a constant eye on the pan.
Once browned, remove yuca chips using a metal mesh skimmer or slotted spatula, allowing excess oil to drain back into the pan. (The hot oil might melt plastic utensils.)
Place chips on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Immediately sprinkle with pink Himalayan Sea Salt and a pinch of pepper - to taste.
Variation: Immediately sprinkle with Trader Joe's Onion Salt and pink Himalayan sea salt - to taste.
Enjoy!!
Variations: Sprinkle with Trader Joe's Chile Lime Seasoning, Trader Joe's Onion Salt, or Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper. These chips can be seasoned with any spice that you enjoy - so start experimenting! Comment at the bottom of the post or tag me with your pictures on Instagram @CrazyForYuca to tell me about your perfect chip creation!!
A word on frying: If you are like me, frying is like "a four letter word!" You avoid it as part of your healthy lifestyle. While that is typically true for me, I read a great post by Alton Brown which helped me to make these chips less oily. (See Alton Brown's post Fry Hard Transcript.) In a nutshell, he says the keys to frying without absorbing oil into food are to pat food dry before placing into oil, and to fry just until the sizzle stops. While the sizzling/bubbling is happening, moisture is being expelled from the food. Once bubbling stops, moisture and fat are being absorbed by food. SO INTERESTING!! Also, do not cover pan. Covering causes steam and condensation within pan which will create soggy, oily chips.
***
Healthy Eating Tip: Start using avocado oil, especially for cooking involving high heat.
Avocado oil has a very neutral flavor and is a healthy addition to both raw and cooked meals. For high heat cooking like frying, it’s critical to use oils with a high smoke point (the temperature at which an oil breaks down under heat.) Avocado oil has the highest smoke point of any cooking oil. It’s able to remain stable at temperatures up to 520 degrees! This is very important, as when cooking oils are heated above their smoke point they degrade into free radicals. This causes systemic inflammation, damage to cell membranes, healthy cholesterol and collagen, and even attacks our DNA! Avocado oil not only doesn’t break down and harm the body in these ways, it actually helps to prevent physical aging and chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and Alzheimers. While many oils increase systemic inflammation in the body, avocado oil helps to decrease inflammation as a result of its high levels of monounsaturated fats, oleic acid, carotenoids, lutein, vitamin E and phytosterols. It has even been shown to increase nutrient absorption. Making the simple swap to avocado oil is a simple step toward greatly improving one’s health (1, 2.) I use Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil.
*Never use olive oil for high heat cooking! With its smoke point at 350 degrees, olive oil should only be used in recipes that don’t involve cooking at high temperatures – such as a quick saute, salad dressing, or cold vegetable salad.
Chosen Foods 100% Pure Hand-crafted Avocado Oil (33.8-oz Bottle) Pack of 2
***
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 require personal guidance from a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
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 …
