This time of year is challenging to be Paleo …. but I’ve found my answer to the processed cakes, pies and cookies on www.paleoplan.com.. I found a nice listing of two desserts I’ll eat today and tomorrow which are all natural and organic. The does of sugar is higher than I’m used to, but its natural sugar (honey), so how can you lose, right?

If you’re interested, here is the first…

Apple Cinnamon Cake

2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder (available online and at some farmer’s markets)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup raw honey
1 egg
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 Tbs vanilla extract (optional)
dash freshly grated nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.

2. Combine all dry ingredients (except nutmeg) in a bowl and stir well to incorporate.

3. In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil, honey, egg and vanilla extract (optional), and stir to combine.

4. Mix this into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the apples and stir one more time.

5. Pour batter into a pan greased with coconut oil. Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

6. For a cake or loaf pan, bake approximately 30 minutes. For cupcakes, bake approximately 14 minutes.

This recipe is killer, you must try it… but finding the ingredients is always challenging. Arrowroot starch is not common and you have to really LOOK for almond meal/flour in a normal store but in your local healthy food store (mine is Healthy Alternative), it shouldn’t be a problem.

My other salvation is this one …

Carrot Cake

6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup raw honey (or less, if desired)
1 1/2 cup cooked and pureed carrots
1 Tbs orange zest
1 Tbs orange juice (freshly squeezed)
3 cups almond flour
coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 325℉.

2. Beat the egg yolks and honey together in a medium mixing bowl.

3. Mix in carrot puree, orange zest, orange juice concentrate, and almond flour.

4. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff (a hand mixer is recommended for this step). Carefully fold into batter.

5. Pour batter into a 9-inch springform pan, lightly greased with coconut oil.

6. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This one needs a little whipped cream of some sort (no dairy allowed), so I whipped up some coconut creme by taking whole fat coconut mile, refrigerating it until the cream rises to the top and then removing it and whipping. You can add a little honey to it for sweetness if you like.

So there is a way to avoid the normal sugar rush that most people go through thus time of year by staying healthy. You won’t be disappointed… I know I’ll be carrying these goodies with me for my evening and dinners tomorrow…

Merry Christmas …