Can you believe that it’s already Easter?!  We were surprised how fast time is moving, too, but that didn’t mean we forgot to prep for fantastic healthier Easter treats. River decided on a carrot cake with Karrot Krispie toppers and Terran opted for traditional Easter treats—glazed hot cross buns.  You can try out the recipes for yourself.  Scroll down for instructions, or just follow along with the YouTube video!

Healthier Easter Treats: 

Karrot Krispies with Vegan Marshmallows & All Natural Food Color

Ingredients

• 8T butter 
• 5 ounces vegan marshmallows
• Approximately 3-5 cups of krispie cereal
• Food color (optional)
• Fennel greens or other leafy herb to act as carrot tops

Directions

1. Melt the butter over low-medium heat
2. Add marshmallows (use vegan marshmallows for healthier Easter treats) to the butter, reduce heat to low and stir consistently until marshmallows are fully melted.
3. Remove from heat, and begin adding krispies, a little at a time, while folding them into the marshmallow mixture. 
4. Add a few drops of food color at a time and combine until you reach the desired color.  This step is optional.
5. Once krispie mixture is cool enough to handle, form small amounts into carrot shapes around pieces of fennel (or herb of your choosing)

We opted to use these as cake toppers, but you could just serve as individual snacks!

Healthier Easter Treats: 

Carrot Cake with Almond Flour, Ceylon Cinnamon, and Organic Pecans

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 Cups almond flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp ceylon cinnamon
• 1 ¼ C melted coconut oil, cooled slightly
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 C pure brown sugar
• 1 C sugar
• 4 large eggs
• ½ C raisins
• 1 C pecans, coarsely chopped (or mortared)
• 3 ½ cups shredded carrots

Cake Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat two round baking pans with oil and flour
3. Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (we used almond flour and ceylon cinnamon for healthier Easter treats) with a fork until fully combined
4. In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil, brown sugar, sugar, and eggs.
5. Slowly add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and stir until smooth, repeat with the second third, and then the remaining dry ingredients.  Adding in stages prevents lumps.
6. Add in raisins, pecans, and carrots and stir until spread evenly throughout the dough.
7. Pour dough into cake pans, so it is evenly split between the two.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 45 minutes.  

Frosting Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 ¼ C powdered sugar
• ⅓ C whipping cream

Frosting Directions:

1. Place cream cheese into a tall mixing bowl and use hand mixer to blend until smooth
2. Add sugar slowly and continue blending
3. Add whipping cream and whip for another 1-2 minutes
4. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge
5. When cakes are cooked and cooled, gently apply small amounts until the top of the first cake is covered.  Place the second cake atop the first, and gently frost the top of it
6. Decorate as you choose
7. Serve and enjoy!

Healthier Easter Treats: 

Glazed Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ tsp yeast
• 2 C room-temperature milk
• 2 eggs
• ¼ allspice (or make your own*)
• ⅓ C butter, softened
• ¼ C sugar
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
• 3 cups + 3 cups flour, separated
• 1 cup raisins (or dried currants)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 T water

*to make allspice, combine 1 part cloves and 1 part nutmeg to two parts cinnamon (i.e. ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp cinnamon).  Be sure to mark your jar, so you can enjoy your allspice in other recipes!

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 ½ C powdered sugar
• 4-6 T milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine yeast and milk, gently, with a fork and allow to sit for two minutes
3. Add two eggs, butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon and allspice to the bowl and whisk thoroughly
4. Place flour into the bowl of a stand mixer with bread hook, and slowly add liquid ingredients
5. Mix until fully combined
6. Add in raisins and mix until spread evenly throughout
7. Slowly add the additional flour until you’ve reached a consistency that is kneadable but still sticky
8. Remove from mixer onto a floured surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes.
9. Place in a floured bowl, cover with a towel, and allow to rise for one hour.
10. Punch down the dough, and then fold out onto floured surface
11. Split dough until there are 14 – 16 evenly sized pieces
12. One bun at a time, pinch the edges and fold them over the center until the bun is smooth and round
13. Place on a lightly-greased cookie sheet, cover with a towel and allow them to rise for 35 – 40 minutes
14. Use a butter knife to score each bun vertically and horizontally to create a cross
15. Combine egg yolk and water to create egg wash and lightly brush it on each bun
16. Place in the oven for 15- 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown
17. In a small mixing bowl blend powdered sugar and milk (adding milk slowly to achieve the desired glaze consistency)
18. Once buns are cooked and cooled, carefully spoon glaze into the crosses on each
19. Serve and enjoy your slightly healthier Easter treats!

Did you try these recipes? Let us know!

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 Recommended Products

• • Vegan Marshmallows
  • krispie cereal
  • almond flour
  • ceylon cinnamon