... And all things wellness!
I was inspired to make these Stuffed Cassava Balls from a chat I had with my Guyanese friend Anita, who grew up eating yuca/cassava in many exciting ways! She always gives me great authentic recipe ideas. Of course her idea of a recipe is telling …
I can’t think of any better way to say Happy Chanukah than with Cassava Latkes!!! (Although they’re also the perfect appetizer or side dish any day of the year!) These latkes are crispy on the outside, and slightly chewy in the very center. DELICIOUS! These Cassava …
Looking for a scrumptious, fudgy, brownie recipe? Look no further! These Chocolate Chip Peppermint Brownies are not only AWESOME, they’re gluten, grain, dairy, and soy-free! The peppermint adds an extra holiday feel, but these can be made any time of year! Not a fan of peppermint? Leave it out! These brownies will still be pure chocolate deliciousness!!!
I made these using Otto’s Cassava Flour, a very high quality cassava flour that can easily be swapped into recipes typically made with wheat flour. Cassava (a.k.a. yuca) is naturally grain-free, low glycemic, non-GMO, paleo, Whole30 approved, and autoimmune protocol friendly! Check out Otto’s Cassava Flour here:
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
Want more info about cassava flour? Check out my page Getting to Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour
Want more info about cooking with yuca? Check out my page Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava)
I created these Chocolate Chip Peppermint Brownies as a little nosh for an essential oils workshop I was hosting. (I MUST bring yuca/cassava wherever I go!) BIG HIT!!! They were an excellent demonstration of how essential oils can be incorporated into our lives, not just topically or through diffusing, but internally as well! (*Note: Not all brands or oil types are safe for consumption.) I used doTerra Peppermint Oil and carefully checked that it was safe to cook with before creating this recipe.
If you’d like more information about incorporating essential oils into your life, email me at CrazyForYuca@gmail.com.
*Click any non-perishable ingredient needed below to quickly and easily order it online.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
-1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
-1/2 cup organic maple syrup
-1/2 cup organic coconut oil – melted
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-2 cage-free eggs – room temperature (I use duck eggs since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs. Both work perfectly!)
-1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-Optional: 3-4 drops of doTerra Peppermint essential oil (Email me at crazyforyuca@gmail.com for wholesale pricing)
-1 1/4 cups dairy-free chocolate chips – divided (I use either Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mega Chunks or Pascha Organic 55% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips. (Both options are free of common allergens such as gluten, dairy, nuts, and soy!)
Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-In a large mixing bowl, cream maple syrup and melted coconut oil (I use an electric beater.)
-Add eggs, vanilla, and 3 drops doTerra peppermint essential oil – If peppermint flavored brownies are desired. (Be careful not to add too much oil. A little goes a long way!) Beat until fully blended.
-Stir in cassava flour, cocoa powder, and pink Himalayan salt. Mix with a spoon until fully combined.
-Mix in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
-Place in a baking pan (I used an 8″ by 8″ pan covered with parchment paper – makes for easy clean up)
-Place into pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
-Remove from oven. Allow to cool.
-Optional: Melt the additional 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and “ice” the peppermint brownies with the melted chocolate. Because more chocolate is always better!!!!
-Cut into desired sized brownies. Enjoy!
***
*By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. I only recommend products that I’ve personally tried, use in my own kitchen, and believe are high quality products. Thank you so much for supporting Crazy For Yuca’s efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
***
***
***
Looking for a scrumptious, fudgy, brownie recipe? Look no further! These Chocolate Chip Peppermint Brownies are not only AWESOME, they're gluten, grain, dairy, and soy-free! The peppermint adds an extra holiday feel, but these can be made any time of year! Not a fan of peppermint? Leave it out! These brownies will still be pure chocolate deliciousness!!!
***
Disclaimer– At Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Nothing says Fall like the smell of apples and cinnamon! And there’s nothing cozier than snuggling up with a baked apple crumble on a chilly day! This Apple Cassava Crumble is so quick and easy to make! Perfect for your next brunch, snack, dessert for Thanksgiving …
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, …
These baguettes are AMAZING! You’d never guess they’re gluten-free! And they’re super simple to make! Perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and airy on the inside – just like good bread should be! I had to make it for myself after watching Jules Shepard …
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 well! These Pinwheel Cookies are made with Pascha Chocolate, a brand known for their high quality, allergen-free chocolate, and SunButter, which is simply sunflower seeds pulverized into a creamy spread. Rolled into a “pinwheel” design, then topped with roasted sunflower seeds (or nuts,) these cookies are not only scrumptious, they’re full of healthy, “real food” ingredients! Fun, delicious, and a gorgeous treat to serve for your next brunch, or as a dessert any time!
*Any nut butter can be used instead of SunButter if nuts are preferred and tolerated.
*Printer-friendly recipe below*
Click on any needed non-perishable ingredient listed below to order online:
Ingredients for cassava flour dough:
-1 1/2 cups Otto’s Cassava Flour
-2 tablespoons organic 100% maple syrup
-1 organic, cage-free egg (I use duck eggs since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs, but either can be used.)
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
-1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (I use Bob’s Red Mill.)
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-1/2 cup Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening
-1/2 cup filtered water
It’s available in small specialty markets or online here.
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening. Click picture below to check it out:
Ingredients for filling:
-1/2 cup Organic SunButter (a nut-free, creamy spread made from pulverized sunflower seeds.) *Almond or peanut butter can also be used if nuts are tolerated.
-1/4 cup sunflower seeds. (I use Trader Joe’s Roasted, Unsalted Sunflower Seeds.)
-1 teaspoon cinnamon – divided (I use Primal Palate Cinnamon.)
-1/2 cup melted chocolate. (I use Pascha Organic Dark Chocolate Baking Chips – either 55% cacao or 85% depending on the palate of my audience.) The higher the cacao, the less sweet the cookie. 55% is most typical of the sweetness of the average chocolate chip. Pascha chocolate chips even come in 100% cacao!
Topping ingredients:
-1 organic cage-free egg (for an egg wash.) Whisk, then brush over rolled-up cookies to give them a golden color when baked.
-1/4 cup sunflower seeds (I use Trader Joe’s Roasted, Unsalted Sunflower Seeds.)
-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I use Primal Palate Cinnamon.)
To make cassava flour dough: In a large bowl, blend Otto’s Cassava Flour, baking soda, xantham gum, and salt. In a second bowl, whisk egg, then add organic maple syrup and water. Combine contents of the two bowls. Add Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening and blend until a dough is formed. Once mixing with a spoon becomes too difficult, use hands to fully incorporate ingredients. (A stand mixer can also be used.)
Making dough into Pinwheel Cookies: Divide dough into 2 equal balls. Roll out each dough ball between 2 pieces of parchment paper to form the base of the Pinwheel Cookies.
Spread half of the Organic SunButter (1/4 cup) on top of each piece of rolled-out dough, leaving a 1/2 inch plain edge along one side. (This will prevent filling from overflowing over the top of the pastry when being rolled up.)
Place half of the melted chocolate (1/4 cup) directly on top of the Sunbutter for each of the two rolled-out pieces of dough.
Sprinkle each rolled-out dough with half of the cinnamon, and half the roasted sunflower seeds (or nuts.)
Starting with the end where the SunButter and chocolate were spread right up to the edge, tightly roll dough from one end to the other like a jelly roll. I find it helpful to lift parchment paper to guide the dough. *Make sure to roll up your pinwheel cookies before allowing the chocolate to dry and become stiff.
Ensure that pinwheel log is rolled-up as tight as possible (no air within the log.)
Wrap Chocolate SunButter Pinwheel Cookie logs tightly in either parchment or plastic wrap and place in freezer for one hour. (I prefer using the same parchment I just used to roll out dough. This prevents waste as well as provides a non-toxic wrap for my logs as compared to plastic wrap.) Placing Pinwheel logs into the freezer is needed to firm up ingredients so they will hold their shape during slicing into individual cookies. This will enable the creation of the pinwheel design. If sliced at room temperature, layers blend together during slicing. If frozen for longer than 1 hour, dough becomes brittle and crumby during slicing. If this occurs, simply leave log out on the counter for a few minutes before continuing to slice.
Remove logs from freezer, unwrap and place on cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice each log into 12 Chocolate SunButter Pinwheel Cookies. Test readiness for slicing by starting at one end (since each end is unlikely to form a perfect pinwheel design.) It’s the proper temperature for slicing when a sharp knife easily slices through log without the dough crumbling or log losing its shape.
Place Pinwheel Cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (The same piece of parchment can be wiped clean and re-used.)
Whisk an egg and brush top of each cookie with egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon and top with sunflower seeds.
Lay each cookie down, pinwheel design facing up (and down) during baking.
Place in a preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
Enjoy as a delectable dessert or as a pastry at your next brunch!
These Chocolate SunButter Pinwheel Cookies freeze well – to be honest my husband and I love eating them right out of the freezer – FROZEN!
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, and shipping is always free. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
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 well! They're made with Pascha Chocolate, a brand known for their high quality, allergen-free chocolate, and SunButter, which is simply sunflower seeds pulverized into a creamy spread. (Any nut butter can also be used if nuts are tolerated.) Rolled into a "pinwheel" design, then topped with roasted sunflower seeds (or nuts,) these cookies are not only scrumptious, they're full of healthy, "real food" ingredients! Fun, delicious, and a gorgeous treat to serve for your next brunch, or as a dessert any time!
In a large bowl, blend Otto's Cassava Flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.
In a second bowl, whisk egg, then add organic maple syrup and water.
Combine contents of the two bowls, then add Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening. Blend until a dough is formed. (Once mixing with a spoon becomes too difficult, use hands to fully incorporate ingredients. A stand mixer can also be used.)
Divide dough into 2 equal balls. Roll out each dough ball between 2 pieces of parchment paper to form the base of the Pinwheel Cookies.
Spread half of the Organic SunButter (1/4 cup) on top of each piece of rolled-out dough, leaving a 1/2 inch plain edge along one side. (This will prevent filling from overflowing over the top of the pastry when being rolled up.)
Place half of the melted chocolate (1/4 cup) directly on top of the Sunbutter for each of the two rolled-out pieces of dough.
Sprinkle each rolled-out dough with half of the cinnamon, and half the roasted sunflower seeds (or nuts.)
Starting with the end where the SunButter and chocolate were spread right up to the edge, tightly roll dough from one end to the other like a jelly roll. I find it helpful to lift parchment paper to guide the dough.
Note: Make sure to roll up your pinwheel cookies before allowing the chocolate to dry and become stiff. Ensure that pinwheel log is rolled-up as tight as possible (no air within the log.)
Wrap Chocolate SunButter Pinwheel Cookie logs tightly in either parchment or plastic wrap and place in freezer for one hour.
Remove logs from freezer, unwrap and place on cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice each log into 12 Chocolate SunButter Pinwheel Cookies. Test readiness for slicing by starting at one end (since each end is unlikely to form a perfect pinwheel design.) It's the proper temperature for slicing when a sharp knife easily slices through log without the dough crumbling or log losing its shape.
Place Pinwheel Cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Whisk an egg and brush top of each cookie with egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon and top with sunflower seeds.
Lay each cookie down, pinwheel design facing up (and down) during baking.
Place in a preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
Enjoy as a delectable dessert or as a pastry at your next brunch!
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.
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.
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 …
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 treat any time. They can also be used in place of bread to roll up meats, salads, nut butters, cheese, or anything desired! Since they’re made with tapioca and cassava flours they’re naturally gluten-free, grain-free and Paleo-friendly. They’re so delicious, no one will ever guess they’re healthy!
This post includes a great recipe for Strawberry Chia Seed Jam” by Lexi from LexisCleanKitchen.com. Why buy store-bought jellies or jams when homemade, low sugar jam is this simple to make? Thank you Lexi for this incredible, healthy recipe!
While this Strawberry Crepe is super low in sugar (it only contains a little honey in the jam) it really satisfies one’s sweet tooth!
Have fun adding your favorite fillings to these grain-free crepes and share your ideas and comments below, or tag me on instagram @CrazyForYuca and include #CrazyForYuca.
Servings: Six 8 inch crepes
Crepe Ingredients:
-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 Coconut Oil)
-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (*Omit if using a savory filling)
-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.)
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.
Cook on first side for about 1 minute, until batter solidifies. (See picture below.)
7. Flip and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds. Crepes should be slightly browned.
Eat immediately with desired toppings, such as the Strawberry Chia Seed Jam below. Crepes can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for future use in an airtight bag or container.
*Note: These crepes can be quickly reheated from frozen in a toaster oven for 3-5 minutes or microwave for 30-45 seconds. Enjoy!
Strawberry Jam Ingredients:
-organic strawberries
-raw organic honey or maple syrup
-lemon juice
-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!!!
No time to make Grain-Free Crepes and Strawberry Chia Seed Jam?
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.
Shop online now for ingredients needed to make Grain-Free Crepes With Strawberry Jam by clicking pictures of needed pantry items below.
By purchasing items 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 I use in my own kitchen. Thank you for supporting the efforts of CrazyForYuca.com to bring you the lastest yuca/cassava recipes when you shop online!
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!
Grain-Free Crepes are quick and easy to prepare, and lots of fun to eat! They're perfect for entertaining guests for brunch, or as a dessert any time. Since they're made with tapioca and cassava flours they're naturally gluten-free, grain-free and Paleo-friendly. They're so delicious, no one will every guess they're eating healthy! These crepes can be filled with any number of things! See full post for a link to a super easy Strawberry Chia Seed Jam by LexisCleanKitchen.com.
Have fun adding your favorite fillings to these grain-free crepes and share your ideas and comments below, or tag me with your crepe pictures on instagram @CrazyForYuca and include #CrazyForYuca.
Melt coconut oil.
Place melted coconut oil into mixing bowl along with eggs, vanilla, and almond milk. Blend thoroughly.
Add tapioca flour, cassava flour, and pink Himalayan salt. Blend until smooth.
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.
Cook on first side for about 1 minute, until batter solidifies. Flip and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds. Crepes should be slightly browned.
Eat immediately with desired toppings, or store crepes in the refrigerator or freezer for future use in an airtight bag or container. These crepes can be quickly reheated from frozen in a toaster oven for 3-5 minutes or microwave for 30-45 seconds.
***
***
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
What’s a Southwestern Egg Roll? Think Chinese egg rolls, only the inside is a burst of spicy Southwestern flavored chicken and veggies! WHAT AN AMAZING IDEA!!! I only wish I thought of it! This recipe is courtesy of The Modern Cavegirl from Heart & Bones …
How do you like your Avocado Toast? Slathered in guacamole? With organic turkey bacon and tomatoes? With a sunny side up egg? – with a broken yolk dripping down your toast… No matter how they’re garnished, they are a truly special treat! Made on top …
Who doesn’t love a salty hot pretzel??? As a gluten-free eater I thought I’d never have one again, until now! These Grain-Free Soft Pretzels are THE REAL DEAL!!! They’re made with Otto’s Cassava Flour, so they’re naturally gluten and grain-free! With all “real” whole food ingredients, this is a snack that you can feel good about eating and serving to your family. This soft, chewy dough topped with coarse salt is indistinguishable from soft pretzels made from wheat! Never feel deprived again! Eat them plain, with your favorite mustard, or other dipping sauce. You’ll be happy you did!!!
This first thing you’ll need in order to make your Grain-Free Soft Pretzels is a bag of Otto’s Cassava Flour which you can purchase by clicking the link below.
See: Getting To Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour for more information about this incredibly versatile gluten-free, grain-free, non-GMO, Paleo, Whole30 approved, autoimmune protocol friendly flour!
***At Crazy For Yuca, my goal is to bring my followers the best gluten-free, dairy-free, “real” food recipes featuring yuca and cassava flour. (Yuca and cassava are the same thing.) Some of my posts are original CrazyForYuca recipes, and others are from other bloggers and recipe developers who are doing amazing things with yuca/cassava! (Because there’s no need to re-invent the wheel – am I right???) My goal is to become the place yuca lovers can go to find all the best yuca/cassava recipes!
I test out others’ recipes to ensure they’re awesome, tweak them to fit my eating style if needed, take my own step by step pictures while making them, and post along with my personal tips – giving full credit to the original recipe creator with a link to their post. If it isn’t my own recipe I cannot legally provide the full recipe in my post.
Heather did an incredible job of re-creating soft pretzels using cassava flour! I’ve had my eye on this recipe since I launched my site back in November and finally had time to make them. They will definitely be a staple in my house from now on! Thank you Heather!
After reading my post about them, check out her full recipe by clicking this link: “Paleo Soft Pretzels.” Heather also has an AIP version without the yeast which she calls “AIP Soft Pretzel Bites.”
Links to all non-perishable pantry items can be found in the shopping tab above or by clicking on the ingredient listed below.
Ingredients for pretzel dough:
-warm water
-extra virgin olive oil (I used avocado oil, as I do for most baking, because of its high smoke point. An oil’s smoke point is the temperature at which it breaks down, loses nutrients, changes flavor, and may produce free radicals that can be damaging to one’s health. (See: Dr. Axe’s article “Why Avocado Oil Got Rx Status in France.”)
–pure maple syrup (I used Hidden Springs Organic Maple Syrup.)
-cage-free egg (I used a duck egg since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs. Both work perfectly!)
–active dry yeast (I used one packet of Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast, which is gluten-free and kosher.)
-salt (I used pink Himalayan salt because of its additional mineral content compared to table salt.)
Ingredients for boiling pretzels:
-water
Ingredients for pretzel topping:
-egg yolk for egg wash – (Brush pretzels after boiling)
–coarse salt (I used Pereg Coarse Crystals Red Sea Salt – which isn’t actually red in color.)
Instructions:
The recipe involves making the pretzel dough, forming it into the desired number of pretzels (depending on how big you want them to be,) boiling them, brushing with an egg wash, topping with coarse salt, and then baking. (While it contains yeast, there’s no requirement to allow time for the dough to rise. I was curious if that was an omission, so I covered the dough and put it in a warm, dark place for an hour, but it didn’t rise. They came out great which just makes these even quicker to make!)
For Heather’s full instructions click here, Paleo Soft Pretzels.
Pretzel dough balls get rolled out into “snakes,” which are formed into pretzel shapes (or whatever shape is preferred!)
The pretzel shaped dough is brushed with an egg wash, and sprinkled with coarse salt.
It’s important to use coarse salt, as opposed to a finer grain of salt, if an authentic soft pretzel look and taste is desired. YUM!!!
Heather instructs to use egg yolk mixed with a little water for the egg wash. My pretzels came out a bit darker in color than I would have liked (but still deliciously tasty!) Next time I will try using either the whole egg or just the egg whites to get a lighter colored pretzel. (The color may have been darker because I use duck eggs.)
Serve plain, with mustard, or any dipping sauce of choice! Make them for yourself, or for your next party!!! They’re a real crowd-pleaser!
***
for ingredients to make Grain-Free Soft Pretzels, or to see recommended pantry items and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make other Crazy For Yuca recipes!
Check out the yuca/cassava snacks! – All personally taste tested and approved by myself and my family! For a detailed description of the recommended yuca/cassava chips, see my post The Perfect Yuca Chip!
By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
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, …
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.
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 …
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! They’re sweet, but not too sweet. A perfect pastry to serve to guests at your next dinner party or brunch, or to accompany your afternoon coffee or tea.
Cassava flour is a whole-food flour made simply by drying and grinding the white flesh of the peeled cassava root. (Cassava is also known as yuca.) Nothing is added or removed. It’s a pure, natural foundation for baking.
Cassava flour is a relatively new flour that’s gaining popularity within the healthy eating community. And why not? It’s gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, soy-free, Paleo, Vegan, easily digested, and Autoimmune Protocol friendly! If that’s not enough to entice you, consider that cassava flour can replace wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio in most recipes, so it’s super easy to incorporate into your baking!!!
Making the swap to cassava flour adds wholesome, real-food goodness to your recipe without any sacrifice to the quality of your dish. The only things you have to lose are:
Cassava flour has a neutral taste and a texture similar to wheat flour (not grainy like some nut flours.)
If you are gluten-free, adding cassava flour (and yuca) into your repertoire is really a “no-brainer.” It will add so much back into your diet that you thought was lost forever.
*See additional yuca/cassava recipes in the recipe dropdown menu located at the top of this post. Discover how you can live happy, healthy and gluten-free with CrazyForYuca.com! Your days of feeling deprived are over!!!
For more information on the nutritional value of Cassava Flour see: Getting To Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour
There are many reasons for this choice. First – it tastes great, practically indistinguishable from wheat flour! It has no fillers and is not enriched with anything. The only ingredients are cassava/yuca and water. Otto’s Cassava Flour is 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 is available in small specialty markets or online here!
.
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
*Printer-friendly recipe below*
Ingredients for cassava flour dough:
-1 1/2 cups Otto’s Cassava Flour
-2 tablespoons organic 100% maple syrup
-1 organic, cage-free egg (I use duck eggs since I’m sensitive to chicken eggs, but either can be used.)
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda (I use Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda)
-1/2 teaspoon xantham gum
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-1/2 cup Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening
-1/2 cup filtered water
What makes this crust so flakey and delicious?
Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening. Click below to check it out:
Ingredients for filling:
-1/2 cup raw almond butter – divided (I use Trader Joe’s Raw Unsalted Almond Butter)
-1/2 cup fruit spread – I use St. Dalfour Strawberry 100% Fruit Spread (Sweetened only with real fruit and concentrated grape juice.)
(-1/2 cup chopped raw or dry roasted pecans – divided (I use Trader Joe’s Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces)
-1 teaspoon cinnamon – divided (I use Primal Palate Cinnamon)
Check out St. Dalfour 100% Fruit Spread by clicking below:
Topping ingredients:
-1 organic cage-free egg – whisked for use as egg wash
-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I use Primal Palate Cinnamon.)
-1/4 cup chopped raw or dry roasted pecans (I use Trader Joe’s Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces)
To make cassava flour dough: In a large bowl, blend Otto’s Cassava Flour, baking soda, xantham gum, and salt. In a second bowl, whisk egg and add organic maple syrup and water. Combine contents of the two bowls. Add Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening and blend until a dough is formed. Once mixing with a spoon becomes too difficult, use your hands to fully incorporate ingredients into a dough. (A stand mixer can also be used.)
Divide dough into 2 equal balls. Roll out each dough ball between 2 pieces of parchment paper to form the base of the Pinwheel Cookies.
Spread half of the almond butter (1/4 cup) on top of each piece of rolled-out dough, leaving a 1/2 inch plain edge along one side. (This will prevent filling from overflowing over the top of the pastry when being rolled up.)
Place half of the strawberry fruit spread (1/4 cup) on top of the almond butter, for each of the two rolled-out pieces of dough. Any preferred fruit spread flavor can be used for these Pinwheel Cookies. Some great options include apricot, blueberry, mixed berry, raspberry, or peach!
Spread fruit preserves evenly over almond butter, remembering to leave 1/2 plain edge on one side.
Sprinkle each rolled-out dough with half of the cinnamon and chopped pecans (or other preferred chopped nut.)
Starting with the end where the almond butter and fruit spread were spread right up to the edge, tightly roll dough from one end to the other into a jelly roll. I find it helpful to lift parchment paper to guide the dough. (Note: In the picture below I didn’t leave enough of a plain edge to prevent almond butter and jam from overflowing at the top. Oops! Live and learn! )
Ensure that pinwheel log is rolled-up as tight as possible (no air within the log.)
Rolled-up Strawberry Almond Butter Pinwheel Cookie log.
Wrap Strawberry Almond Butter Pinwheel Cookie logs tightly in either parchment or plastic wrap and place in freezer for one hour. (I prefer using the same parchment I just used to roll out dough. This prevents waste as well as provides a non-toxic wrap for my logs as compared to plastic wrap.) Placing Pinwheel logs into the freezer is needed to firm up ingredients so they will hold their shape during slicing into individual cookies. This will enable the creation of the pinwheel design. If sliced at room temperature, layers blend together during slicing. If frozen for longer than 1 hour, dough becomes brittle and crumby when slicing into cookies. If this occurs, simply leave log out on the counter for a few minutes before continuing to slice.
Remove logs from freezer, unwrap and place on cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice each log into 12 Strawberry Almond Butter Pinwheel Cookies. Test readiness for slicing by starting at one end (since each end is unlikely to form a perfect pinwheel design.) It’s the proper temperature for slicing when a sharp knife easily slices through log without the dough crumbling or log losing its shape.
Place Pinwheel Cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (The same piece of parchment can be wiped clean and re-used.)
Whisk an egg and brush top of each cookie with egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
Enjoy as a delectable dessert or as a pastry at your next brunch!
Chocolate Variation! Everything is delicious with chocolate – am I right???
For the chocolate version, simply swap 1/2 cup melted chocolate in place of the strawberry jam, and immediately roll after spreading chocolate and sprinkling cinnamon and nuts. Rolling will be hampered if chocolate is left to cool and harden.
I use Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels. I prefer dark chocolate because it’s lower in sugar. Enjoy Life dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips are both gluten, dairy, nut and soy-free as well as non-GMO verified. If you like your cookies sweet then you may prefer using semi-sweet chocolate. Click link below to check out Enjoy Life Morsels.
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, and shipping is always free. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
***
Healthy Eating Tip: Choose almond butter over peanut butter!
Both peanuts and almonds are a good source of protein, have heart healthy monounsaturated fats, have similar amounts of calories, contain fiber, and have vitamins and minerals such as potassium, biotin, magnesium, and zinc. However, there are a few big reasons to choose almond butter over peanut butter for optimal health.
One of the main reasons I limit my intake of peanuts is because they can be inflammatory within the body. Systemic inflammation is believed to be an underlying cause of many debilitating illnesses including heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, irritable bowl syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and chronic pain. Omega 6 fats cause inflammation, while Omega 3 fats reduce it. Peanut butter contains too much Omega 6 fats, which can disturb the healthy balance between Omega 3 and 6 fats within the body. While a 2:1 ratio between Omega 6 and Omega 3 fats is recommended, as a result of the Standard American Diet the ratio is more often about 20:1 (1.)
The second reason I choose almond butter is because almonds are alkalizing while peanuts are acidic within the body. We are susceptible to illness when the body is in an acidic state. Our blood should be slightly alkaline (just higher than a ph of 7.) Since most Americans consume an overabundance of acidic foods such as meat, dairy, wheat, sugar, alcohol, and coffee, it’s important to find areas to make swaps to more alkaline foods whenever possible to keep our bodies in balance (2, 3.)
A further problem with peanuts is that they are prone to mold growth. This is a major trigger for asthma, allergic reactions, as well as autoimmune disease (1.)
As compared to peanut butter, almond butter has significantly more iron, calcium, and vitamin E (an antioxidant that can stop the development of plaque within the arteries,) as well as 25% more monounsaturated fats (a further link to a reduction of heart disease.) Almond butter also has half the saturated fat as peanut butter (4.)
Overall, almond butter has clear advantages over peanut butter. If peanut butter is eaten, be sure to choose an organic brand with no additives, hydrogenated oils or added sugar. The ingredients should simply be peanuts or peanuts and salt. Choose peanut butter made with Valencia peanuts since they’re grown in a way that doesn’t promote mold growth. While eating peanut butter, eat foods or take supplements that contain Omega 3 fats to keep the Omega 6:3 ratio in balance (.1)
***
***
***
Ditch the grain with these incredible gluten and grain-free Strawberry Almond Butter Pinwheel Cookies made with cassava flour. You'll never miss the grain! They're the perfect to accompany your afternoon coffee or tea, brunch item, or dessert. They're sweetened with only a touch of maple syrup and strawberry jam. Who says unprocessed, "real" food can't be a scrumptious treat???
In a large bowl, blend cassava flour, xantham gum, salt, and baking soda.
In a small bowl, whisk egg. Add maple syrup and water and fully combine.
Combine the wet and dry ingredient bowl contents and add Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening. Blend into a dough, first by mixing with a spoon and then using hands to fully incorporate ingredients. If dough is too dry, add additional water - 1 Tbsp at a time. If dough is too wet, add additional cassava flour - 1 Tbsp at a time.
Split dough into 2 equal sized balls.
Place dough balls, one at a time, on a piece of parchment paper.
Roll out each of the 2 dough balls between 2 pieces of parchment paper until they're about 1/4 inch thick.
Remove top piece of parchment paper and place each rolled-out dough, with bottom parchment, onto a baking sheet.
Spread half of the almond butter (1/4 cup) onto each of the 2 pieces of rolled-out dough, leaving a 1/2 inch plain edge along one side. (This will prevent filling from overflowing at the top of the pastry when rolled up.)
Spread half of the strawberry jam (1/4 cup) to fully cover almond butter. (Any preferred jam flavor can be used such as raspberry, apricot, peach, blueberry, mixed berry, etc.)
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp cinnamon evenly over each of the 2 rolled-out pastries.
Sprinkle half of the chopped pecans (1/4 cup) over each of the 2 rolled-out pastries.
Starting with the end where the almond butter and jam were spread right to the edge, roll dough into a tight jelly roll. (I find it helpful to lift parchment to help guide the dough. See picture in body of post.)
Wrap each of the 2 individual Pinwheel Cookie logs tightly in either parchment or plastic wrap and place in freezer for one hour. (Placing logs in freezer is needed to firm up ingredients so they hold their shape during slicing - allowing for the pinwheel design.) The log is ready for slicing when a sharp knife easily slices through log without the dough losing its shape or crumbling. If crumbling occurs, the log froze excessively. Simply leave log out on counter for a few minutes before slicing.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place individual Strawberry Almond Butter Pinwheel Cookie slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (The same parchment can be used.)
In a small bowl, crack and whisk an egg.
Brush the top of each cookie with egg wash.
Sprinkle a touch of cinnamon on top of each cookie.
Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of each cookie.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!!
Chocolate Variation: Substitute 1/2 cup melted chocolate for the strawberry jam in the recipe above. Melt and then spread chocolate directly over the almond butter on the rolled-out dough. Be sure to roll up the pinwheels immediately after spreading chocolate. Once chocolate cools it will harden and hamper rolling. All other instruction steps are the same for both variations. Use dark chocolate for a dairy-free, less sweet version or dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate for a sweeter cookie. I use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips, as they are gluten, dairy, nut and soy-free as well as non-GMO verified.
*These freeze perfectly.
***
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 …
This simple-to-make dressing not only adds zip to any salad, but is a creamy vegetable dip, a sauce for meat, and a zesty mayonnaise literally bursting with mouth-watering flavor! And it’s dairy-free!!! I first created this Dijonnaise during a time when I was suffering from …
In my opinion, guacamole is the perfect condiment! It’s gluten and dairy-free, full of healthy fats, and is “whole food” at its best. Not to mention it’s creamy and delicious!
Guacamole makes chopped up veggies WAY more fun, and is a perfect pair with many yuca recipes including Yuca Empanadas (pictured above,) Taco Meat in a Cassava Flour Tortilla, Mexican Yuca Pizza, and Garlic Yuca Flatbread. (This pairing makes an amazing gluten-free avocado toast!!)
I’ve always enjoyed having guacamole made fresh at my table at fine Mexican restaurants. That’s where I learned how easy it is to make it at home in just 10 minutes!
I’ve had people tell me they don’t like guacamole, but for some reason they like this recipe. I think it’s because I don’t use cilantro. People tend to either LOVE or HATE cilantro. I’m a hater so I stay away from using it. I’ve been told one’s taste for cilantro is based on environmental exposure to it, yet new research is showing there may be an actual genetic component! Either way, this cilantro-less guacamole is sure to please.
***
Simply choose ripe avocados (dark green in color and slightly soft when squeezed gently,) cut each in half, then scoop out flesh with a spoon. Place flesh in a bowl, and chop or mash avocado along with diced sweet onion and tomato, salt, garlic powder, and lemon juice. Mix until well blended. That’s all there is to it!
I like my guacamole chunky, but if smooth and creamy is your thing, just place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend for a few seconds until it reaches desired consistency. Enjoy!
***
Comment below and let me know what you think of this guacamole. I look forward to your feedback!
***
Healthy Eating Tip: Use Pink Himalayan Sea Salt instead of iodized table salt. Table salt is highly processed, which strips away most of its natural mineral content, leaving only sodium. It’s often then bleached, and iodine and anti-clumping agents are added. High quality Himalayan sea salt is said to be over 99% pure and contains at least 84 minerals and trace elements, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron, in addition to sodium. Since Western diets are typically deplete of minerals, using Himalayan sea salt is an easy way to get the vital nutrients needed.
It only takes minutes to have fresh guacamole any time. This guacamole recipe will ruin you for store-bought varieties! It's fresh and creamy, with just the right amount of chunkiness. Enjoy it on Yuca Empanadas, Tacos with Cassava Tortilla Wraps, salads, Garlic Yuca Flatbread, or to jazz up your vegetable platter.
Cut each avocado in half, remove pit, then scoop out flesh with a spoon. Chop flesh into small cubes.
Place chopped avocado, tomatoes, onion, sea salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix to fully combine ingrdients with a spoon. Taste test and add additional sea salt if needed. This guacamole is chunky. If smooth guacamole is preferred, blend in a food processor for a minute or two until desired consistency is reached. 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.
Whether right out of the pan or filled with your favorite toppings, these tortilla wraps are outstanding! While cooking up a batch I literally have to stop myself from eating them all before I finish making them. They’re sooooo yummy on their own… especially warm! …
If you’re looking for a crowd-pleaser you’ve found it! Young and old, as a meal, side dish or an appetizer for guests, these empanadas are a hit with everyone! (Whether the person is gluten-free or not!) They can also be made with beans for a …
