The electric pressure cooker is my favorite way to make steamed sweet potatoes. I love that I can “set it and forget it.”

Where is the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we write our recipes so that anyone can easily make them. In the article below, you’ll find lots of cooking tips, details that are helpful to those who are new to the Instant Pot, and even special diet information for the 21 Day Fix, Weight Watchers, and 2B Mindset.

If you don’t need all of the extra information, simply scroll down to the bottom of the post to view the ingredient amounts and instructions for these Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes.

How long does it take for potatoes to soften in the Instant Pot?

Your cooking time will depend on the size of your sweet potatoes. Try to find potatoes that are roughly the same size so that your cooking time is the same for all of the potatoes. You’ll also want to allow a 10 minute natural pressure release at the end of cooking.

These cook times work for one sweet potato or however many you can safely fit inside your pressure cooker.

• For small sweet potatoes (less than 2 inches wide) I recommend cooking on high pressure for 15 minutes to 18 minutes of cook time (not counting the natural pressure release)
• For medium sweet potatoes (2-3 inches wide) I recommend cooking on high pressure for 30 minutes of cook time (not counting the natural pressure release)
• For large sweet potatoes (wider than 3 inches) I recommend cooking on high pressure for 60 minutes of cook time (not counting the natural pressure release)

It’s always best to cook for less time when you’re getting used to cooking with your Instant Pot. You can always cook the food for longer, but once it’s over cooked it can’t be undone.

I like to cook the sweet potatoes, open the pot and test for doneness, and then cook for longer if necessary. Did you know that you can even cook something for 0 (that’s zero) minutes if it just needs a little more time? It will cook as it comes to pressure, then it will immediately begin releasing pressure, continuing to cook.

My potatoes are medium sized and took 30 minutes to cook with a 10 minute NPR.

Ingredients in Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes:

• Sweet Potatoes: A powerhouse of vitamins and minerals sweet potatoes contain 400% of your daily recommended Vitamin A alone. Sweet potatoes are slow burning carbs, which help level blood sugar, and have tons of beta-carotene which studies show helps with vision.

How to cook whole sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot

1. Wash your raw sweet potatoes. Scrub sweet potatoes with a clean brush or sponge.
2. Add one cup of water to the Instant Pot to the bottom of your Instant Pot. Place your trivet or steamer basket in the bottom of the pot. Place your potatoes on top of the trivet.
3. Close and lock the lid and turn your pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 15-60 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes (specific cooking times can be found above).
4. Once the cook time is complete, allow the pot to release naturally for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure. This means that when it’s done cooking, don’t touch the pot or release valve. Set a time for 10 minutes (or watch your pot count up to 10 minutes) before moving the release valve from Sealing to Venting with the end of a wooden to spoon. When you do this, hot steam will come out of the pot.
5. Remove the lid and use the handles of your trivet to carefully remove your perfectly tender cooked sweet potatoes. Serve immediately or allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge up to 5 days.

Recipe Tips:

• Find potatoes that are the same size so that they all cook in the same amount of time.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot, but cooking times should stay the same for the 3 or 8 quart.
• I love this recipe during the holidays. It saves so much time making sweet potato casserole!
• For the natural release, I recommend allowing the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. If after 10 minutes there is still pressure in your pot, you can go ahead and manually release (also called quick release) it by moving the Valve over to the venting position.

Once you make Instant Pot sweet potatoes once, you’ll find the perfect time and it’ll be easier to cook them from here on out. This is actually the way it works with almost all recipes – each pot and elevation cook a tad different, and you’ll get to know your pot in no time.

I love that the potatoes cook evenly, and this is such an easy recipe to use to get healthy food on the table (or in meal prep containers).

Top your cooked Instant Pot Sweet Potato with:

• butter
• maple syrup and peanut butter for a perfect breakfast
• brown sugar and honey
• sour cream and green onions
• veggies – I love adding broccoli

Healthy Eating Plans:

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix:

Potato sizes can vary drastically, so for the most accurate container counts, count each 1/2 cup serving as 1 Yellow Container.

Weight Watchers:

Points were figured using the WW recipe creator with the serving size figured as 1/2 cup. 2 Points on the 2023 Plan | 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 0 Purple Plan Points

2B Mindset:

These are great for breakfast or lunch when following 2B Mindset. For breakfast add 50% protein for a complete meal. For lunch, add 50% vegetables and 25% protein for a complete meal.

More healthy Sweet Potato recipes

• Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Hash
• Healthy Crab Cake Recipe with Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Chili

More basic Instant Pot recipes:

• Instant Pot Meatballs
• Instant Pot Frozen Ground Beef
• Instant Pot Turkey Breast
• Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash

Print

Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Making perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes is quick and easy. I love to meal prep several at once so I can eat them all week.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword instant pot, sweet potato

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 447kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Instant Pot Trivet

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 1 cup water

Instructions

• Wash your potatoes. 4 sweet potatoes
• Add water to the bottom of your Instant Pot. 1 cup water
• Place your trivet or steamer basket in the bottom of the pot, and your potatoes on top of the trivet.
• Close and lock the lid and turn you pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 15-60 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes (cooking times can be found in recipe notes).
• Once the cook time is complete, allow the pot to release naturally for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure. Remove the lid and use the handles of your trivet to remove the potatoes.
• Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge up to 5 days.

Notes

• For small potatoes (less than 2 inches wide) I recommend cooking 15 minutes to 18 minutes.
• For medium sweet potatoes (2-3 inches wide) I recommend cooking for 30 minutes.
• For large sweet potatoes (wider than 3 inches) I recommend cooking for 60 minutes.

Recipe Tips:

• Find potatoes that are the same size so that they all cook for the same amount of time.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot, but cooking times should stay the same for the 3 or 8 quart.

Healthy Eating Plans:

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix:

Potato sizes can vary drastically, so for the most accurate container counts, count each 1/2 cup serving as 1 Yellow Container.

Weight Watchers:

Points were figured using the WW recipe creator with the serving size figured as 1/2 cup. 2 Points on the 2023 Plan | 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 0 Purple Plan Points

2B Mindset:

These are great for breakfast or lunch when following 2B Mindset. For breakfast add 50% protein for a complete meal. For lunch, add 50% vegetables and 25% protein for a complete meal.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 1752mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 73772IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

I love swapping out quinoa in any rice dish because quinoa is a whole grain and gives me a healthy boost that helps me feel full even longer. Quinoa is a complete protein and includes all nine essential amino acids that are perfect in a healthy and balanced diet. I make this crispy quinoa often and have so many delicious ways to incorporate this into my daily intake. 

The first time I made crispy quinoa, I was nervous that I wouldn’t find uses for it, but easily found out that I love sprinkling it over salads, buddha bowls, oatmeal, breakfast cereal, and even homemade chocolates. The quinoa provides a slightly nutty flavor and the perfect crunchy texture to level up any and all of my healthy snacks. 

The next time I use our simple method to make crispy quinoa, I’m going to play around with adding different seasonings and spices that will make this healthy crunch even more versatile.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we work hard to empower all of our readers. We want you to feel confident and successful in the kitchen. With that being said, we take the time to write our recipes with detailed instructions, helpful tips and tricks, nutritional information, and healthy eating plan points. 

If you are ready to cook and not in need of all of this helpful information, simply scroll down to the bottom of the page where you can find our easy to print recipe for How to Make Crispy Quinoa. 

Ingredients in Crispy Quinoa

• Quinoa: Swoon! I’m obsessed with this healthy whole grain that is a superfood AND a complete protein! Quinoa is the perfect addition to meals, and any healthy snack in my opinion. (Quinoa crispies, puffed quinoa, quinoa crisps, crispy quinoa cakes, quinoa pops – so many options!) We prefer to use the white quinoa, but any quinoa mixture will work perfectly. 

How to Make Crispy Quinoa on the Stovetop

1. Rinse quinoa in cold water in a mesh colander or bowl.
2. Add 1 cup of uncooked quinoa to a hot dry pan on low-medium heat (not cooked quinoa, but it will be wet from rinsing). If you add too much quinoa, it won’t toast, it’ll just cook. 
3. Use a wooden spoon or whisk to stir the quinoa as it’s toasting. (Don’t use a metal utensil – it’ll scratch your pan because you’ll be doing a lot of whisking).
4. The quinoa will be fairly wet, then it’ll start to dry out and eventually it’ll pop. If the temp is too high, it’ll start popping fast and make a mess. If you keep the temp to low-medium/medium, it’ll give you a bit of warning. :) 
5. Once the quinoa starts to turns a golden brown color (if using white quinoa) and gets crunchy, remove from heat and allow the quinoa to cool completely. 

How to Make Crispy Quinoa in the Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.  
2. Rinse quinoa in a large bowl or mesh colander with cold water.
3. Add 1 cup of quinoa to a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Spread out quinoa into a single layer. This is an easy way to ensure that the quinoa will crisp evenly. 
4. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Stir the quinoa every 5-10 minutes to promote even cooking.
5. Once you notice that it slightly turns color and gets crunchy, remove from oven and allow the quinoa to cool completely. 

Recipe Tips

• Make sure your crunchy quinoa is correctly cooked, as eating raw quinoa can cause digestive discomfort. 
• We first tested cooking crispy quinoa on medium-high heat and found that the quinoa cooked too quickly and started popping. Be sure to keep your pan on low-medium heat. 
• If you have any leftover quinoa, store in an airtight container but try to use up all of the quinoa as quickly as possible. The crispy quinoa gets soggy when being stored in a container. 
• We opt to not use any tablespoons of olive oil when making our crispy quinoa, we found it unnecessary to do so in the crisping process. If you do want to use olive oil for an extra crunch booster, be sure to only use one tablespoon of olive oil. Adding too much will make your quinoa soggy.
• Crispy quinoa can be served alongside roasted veggies – the extra crunch and nutty flavor will be the perfect extra protein boost for your roasted veggie side. 

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Crispy Quinoa

Each 1/2 cup serving is 1 yellow container.

Weight Watchers Points

A half cup serving is 3 2023 Plan Points

2B Mindset

This is a delicious addition to your breakfast or lunch plate!

More healthy and delicious snack recipes

• Recipe for Baked Carrot Fries
• Low Carb Cloud Bread with Greek Yogurt
• Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
• No-Bake Tahini Chocolate Chip Balls
• Easy Black Bean and Corn Salad

Print

How to Make Crispy Quinoa

Making crispy quinoa is easy and I love sprinkling it over salads, buddha bowls, oatmeal, breakfast cereal, and homemade chocolates.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword quinoa

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 104kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Enameled Cast Iron Pan
• Baking Sheet
• Strainer

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked white quinoa

Instructions

How to Make Crispy Quinoa on the Stovetop

• Rinse quinoa in cold water. 1 cup uncooked white quinoa
• Add 1 cup of quinoa to a hot dry pan on low-medium heat (not cooked quinoa, but it will be wet from rinsing). If you add too much quinoa, it won't toast, it'll just cook. 
• Use a wooden spoon or whisk to stir the quinoa as it's toasting. (don't use a metal utensil – it'll scratch your pan because you'll be doing a lot of whisking)
• The quinoa will be fairly wet, then it'll start to dry out and eventually it'll pop. If the temp is too high, it'll start popping fast and make a mess. If you keep the temp to low-medium/medium, it'll give you a bit of warning.
• Once you notice that it slightly turns color and gets crunchy, remove from heat and allow the quinoa to cool completely. 

How to Make Crispy Quinoa in the Oven

• Preheat the oven to 375º.  
• Rinse quinoa in a large bowl or mesh colander with cold water.
• Add 1 cup of quinoa to a baking sheet. Spread out quinoa into a single layer. This is an easy way to ensure that the quinoa will crisp evenly. 
• Cook for 20-30 minutes. Stir the quinoa every 5-10 minutes to promote even cooking.
• Once you notice that it slightly turns color and gets crunchy, remove from oven and allow the quinoa to cool completely. 

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• Be sure to fully cook crispy quinoa, eating raw quinoa can cause digestive discomfort. 

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Crispy Quinoa

Each 1/2 cup serving is 1 yellow container.

Weight Watchers Points

3 2023 Plan Points

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1.7g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0g | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

The post How to Make Crispy Quinoa appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This healthy and easy Instant Pot coconut rice recipe is made with just a few simple ingredients. Creamy coconut milk adds a rich flavor to the rice, and it also helps to keep the rice moist and fluffy. This delicious side dish is a great way to add some extra nutrients to your diet, and it is also a great option for those who are looking for a gluten-free or vegan meal.

Coconut rice is popular among many cuisines around the world, including African and Asian dishes, as well as Caribbean dishes. It’s typically made with long grain white rice, but jasmine rice or basmati rice are sometimes used as well. For this Instant Pot rice recipe we will be using brown rice to really bump up the nutrition profile.

My family loves when I make Asian-inspired dishes, and this coconut milk rice is the perfect accompaniment to them! 

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we want every one of our readers to feel confident recreating our recipes. Because of that, we like to included a lot of helpful information in our posts. 

If you’re comfortable in the kitchen and want to skip past the ingredient information, cooking instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations, you can scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find our easy to print recipe card for this perfect fluffy coconut rice. 

Ingredients in this Instant Pot Coconut Rice

• Rice: Brown rice is my everyday rice and so I use it to make this coconut rice. Brown rice hasn’t had it’s husk, bran, and germ removed, like plain white rice has. Because of that, brown rice is higher in fiber, vitamins and minerals than white rice. 
• Coconut milk: coconut milk is full of important nutrients like manganese and copper. It has a delicate coconut flavor that is popular in Thai curries and Indian curries. I use full fat coconut milk. Make sure you buy canned unsweetened coconut milk and not coconut milk in a carton. 
• Water: water is needed in this recipe to keep the dreaded burn notice from popping up during the pressure cooking.
• Oil: you will need just a light spray of cooking oil. You can use olive, avocado, or coconut oil spray. Wondering which oil is healthiest? Read my thoughts on what oils are healthiest.

How to Make Instant Pot Coconut Rice

1. The first thing you will want to do is rinse your rice in cold water. Make sure you give it a good rinse and that the water runs clear.
2. Next, spray the inner pot of your electric pressure cooker with cooking oil spray, and then add the rinsed rice to your pot.
3. Now you need to add an equal amount of liquid to your rice (2 cups of rice = 2 cups of liquid). Pour the full-fat coconut milk into a measuring cup and then fill the measuring cup to 2 cups with water. 
4. Add the coconut milk and water to your instant pot. 
5. Close the lid of your pot and turn your pressure release valve to Sealing position.
6. Use the Pressure Cook or Manual button and set the cooking time to 24 minutes.
7. When the cook time has completed let the remaining pressure naturally release. Allow a natural release time of at least 10 minutes, and turn off the “keep warm” setting if your pot has one. Allowing the rice to naturally release pressure without the heat keeps the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. 

Recipe Tips

•  A quick release of the pressure will cause your rice to cool faster and stick to the bottom of your pot. Nobody likes cleaning that up!
• Add more liquid to your rice if you like sticky rice.
• If you get the burn message when pressure cooking your rice, check these things:
  • Is there enough liquid in the pot?
  • Did you turn off the “keep warm” setting?
  • Is your rice overcooking?
• If you cook a huge batch for meal prep, freeze the extra rice. It reheats in the microwave really well.
• Refrigerate cooked rice for up to 6 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
• My rice freezing tips:
  1. Freeze individual servings of rice in separate ziplock bags.
  2. Write the cook date and serving size on the outside.  
  3. Spread the rice out in a flat layer, this makes it easier to store and helps to evenly reheat when ready to eat.

Healthy Eating Plans

This recipe makes 12 servings. Each serving size is about 1/2 cup.

​21 Day Fix

An entire recipe of this 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Coconut Rice is 12 Yellow Containers and 5 Blue Containers.

Each serving is 1 Yellow Container and a little less than 1/2 of a Blue Container.

Weight Watchers

Each serving, using full fat coconut milk, is 7 Points on the 2023 Plan.

If you would like to lower the total points, you can use light coconut milk, which would bring the points down to 4 per serving.

Need a great recipe to go with this fluffy rice?

• You’ll want to put it in this Teriyaki Tofu Bowl – it’s so delicious.
• This Crispy Air Fryer Tofu is currently my favorite main dish to pair with coconut rice. 
• This Healthy Kung Pao Chicken is better than takeout, and less expensive as well!
• If you want to make your taste buds happy, try this easy Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken. It turns out delicious every single time I’ve made it. 
• With just the right amount of sweet and spicy, this Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp is one of my favorite foods to make with coconut rice. 
• Who doesn’t love salmon and rice? It’s the perfect combination, and this Spicy Teriyaki Salmon is a must! Sweetened with honey and fresh pineapple, this will be your favorite salmon recipe!
• This Healthy Orange Chicken is an easy dump and cook one pot meal that is great with pressure cooker rice!  

Print

Instant Pot Coconut Rice

Instant Pot Coconut Rice is a flavorful side dish that is simple to make and so delicious. If you like coconut, you are going to love this easy recipe!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Asian

Keyword brown rice

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 65kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Coconut Milk
• Olive Oil Spray

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown rice I use short grain
• 1 can coconut milk full fat
• water combine with can of coconut milk to get 2 cups total liquid.

Instructions

• The first thing you will want to do is rinse your rice in cold water. Make sure you give it a good rinse and that the water runs clear.
• Next, spray the inner pot of your electric pressure cooker with cooking oil spray, and then add the rinsed rice to your pot.
• Now you need to add an equal amount of liquid to your rice (2 cups of rice = 2 cups of liquid). Pour the full-fat coconut milk into a measuring cup and then fill the measuring cup to 2 cups with water. 
• Add the coconut milk and water to your instant pot. 
• Close the lid of your pot and turn your pressure release valve to Sealing position.
• Use the Pressure Cook or Manual button and set the cooking time to 24 minutes.
• When the cook time has completed let the remaining pressure naturally release. Allow a natural release time of at least 10 minutes, and turn off the "keep warm" setting if your pot has one. Allowing the rice to naturally release pressure without the heat keeps the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. 

Notes

Healthy Eating Plans

This recipe makes 12 servings. Each serving size is about 1/2 cup.

​21 Day Fix

An entire recipe of this 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Coconut Rice is 12 Yellow Containers and 5 Blue Containers.

Each serving is 1 Yellow Container and a little less than 1/2 of a Blue Container.

Weight Watchers

Each serving, using full fat coconut milk, is 7 Points on the 2023 Plan.

If you would like to lower the total points, you can use light coconut milk, which would bring the points down to 4 per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.6g | Protein: 0.8g | Fat: 3.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.8g | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg

The post Instant Pot Coconut Rice appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Homemade pork and beans are the perfect side dish for your next potluck. It’s an easy recipe that has amazing flavor without any added brown sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Turkey bacon and honey are the magic ingredients in this delicious and healthy backyard BBQ recipe.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we have readers of all comfort levels in the kitchen. From new home chef to experienced cook. To best serve all of my readers I like to provide a lot of helpful information. 

If you’re a confident cook and want to skip over ingredient information, cooking instructions, and recipe tips, please scroll to the bottom of the page. There you will find the recipe card with nutrition information and measurements for this healthy pork and beans recipe.

Ingredients in this Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe

• White beans: White beans are a nutritional powerhouse, as they’re packed with fiber and protein and a good source of numerous micronutrients, including folate, magnesium, and vitamin B6. There are several white bean options, but I typically use great northern beans for this recipe.
• Bacon: One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it uses fresh bacon, rather than pork that’s been sitting in a can for a year. Turkey bacon, while lower in fat than traditional bacon, is highly processed so there are conflicting views about if it’s really healthier than regular bacon. For the sake of this recipe I used turkey bacon, but you can definitely choose what works best for you.
• Onion powder
• Smoked paprika: When choosing smoked paprika, look for a brand that is made from high-quality ingredients. Smoked paprika should be bright red in color and have a strong, smoky flavor.
• Molasses: That sweet and smoky flavor of pork and beans is a unique one that many people love, but I never loved opening a can of beans that had sugars and meat in it. The molasses in this recipe is a great way to use a natural sweetener for that deep sweetness and bbq flavor we all love in this recipe.
• Garlic powder: Pantry staples like garlic powder make this a truly easy recipe. If you’d rather use fresh garlic cloves you can absolutely do that. 
• Honey: Honey is a natural sweetener that I love using in place of refined sugar. A new study shows that, in addition to it tasting delicious, it may also have benefits for cardiometabolic health.

How to Make this Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe on the Stove

1. First cook the bacon. You want cooked, not crispy bacon for this recipe.
2. Next, add all of the ingredients into a medium sauce pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. I always spray my pans with olive oil before cooking, if you’re nervous about sticking you can use olive oil, as well. 
3. Then lower the temperature, cover the pan and allow the pork and beans to simmer for 45 minutes or so, stirring a few times so the beans don’t stick. If you like thick sauce I’d leave the top off so some of the moisture can escape. If you’re not worried about thick beans you can leave the top on. 
4. After the beans are done cooking and the sauce has thickened remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately. 

How to Make this Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe in the Instant Pot

1. Add all of the ingredients (cooked bacon included) to the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
2. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to Sealing.
3. Then set the Instant Pot on high pressure (or manual setting) for 3 minutes. 
4. When the cook time is done, quick release the pressure and give the beans a stir.
5. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Recipe Tips

• These are tough to under or overcook because of the canned beans, so it’s ok to allow them to simmer longer or for less time. You’re just waiting for the spices and bacon flavors to meld together.
• Use these beans in traditional baked beans recipes, or as their own side dish. You can use these however you’d use traditional canned pork and beans.
• This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time. I love making a big batch of this easy baked beans recipe and then freezing for future use. I’d recommend freezing in single servings after the beans have cooled, and in freezer safe bags or containers. You can simmer the beans on the stove or in the microwave to reheat.
• I love simmering these beans on the grill in a foil pan–if you have a smoker, I highly recommend using that! Just simmer on the grill or smoker for about an hour.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

Entire recipe:​ 4 yellow containers, 2 red containers, and 13 teaspoons

Per serving: Just under 1 yellow container, 1/2 red container, and just over 3 teaspoons. 

To lower the total teaspoons, reduce the amount of honey in the recipe.

Weight Watchers

Per serving: 6 Blue Points | 9 Green Points | 6 Purple Points | 7 points on the 2023 Plan

More Easy Recipes 

• Healthy Baked Beans with Ground Turkey This recipe for Homemade Baked Beans with Ground Turkey makes the best baked beans I’ve ever had! It’s got plenty of beans like kidney beans and black beans, and a tangy sauce that’s made of honey, dry mustard, apple cider vinegar, and ketchup. 
• I love making freezer staples, like these pork and beans, so that I always have healthier alternatives to prepackaged foods in my house. Some of my other favorites are cream of mushroom soup, and brown rice.
• If you’re looking for a delicious, satisfying, and spicy BBQ sauce to go with…everything… you’ll want to make this Low Carb Barbecue Sauce.
• This Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Salad recipe is a great low carb recipe to make for your next summer BBQ.
• Easy and healthy Crack Chicken Pasta Salad in the crock pot is a creamy, cheesy pasta salad with chicken breasts and a homemade ranch dressing. It’s a perfect side dish for any summer potluck. 
• One of our favorite summer recipes are these Sweet Refrigerator Pickles. They’re perfect for burgers and are so easy!

Print

Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe

These homemade pork and beans are the perfect summer side dish. They’re healthier than traditional canned pork and beans, too! Turkey bacon and honey are the magic ingredients in this delicious backyard BBQ recipe. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword backyard barbeque, baked beans, BBQ

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 268kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Stock Pot
• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Enameled Cast Iron Pan

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon turkey or nitrate free | cooked, but not crispy. Cut into small pieces.
• 1 can white beans 14 oz can, undrained, I used great northern beans
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup honey

Instructions

Stove Top

• First cook the bacon. You want cooked, not crispy bacon for this recipe. 8 slices bacon
• Next, add all of the ingredients into a medium sauce pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. I always spray my pans with olive oil before cooking, if you’re nervous about sticking you can use olive oil, as well. 1 can white beans, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp molasses, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 cup honey
• Then lower the temperature, cover the pan and allow the pork and beans to simmer for 45 minutes or so, stirring a few times so the beans don't stick. If you like thick sauce I'd leave the top off so some of the moisture can escape. If you’re not worried about thick beans I’d leave the top on. 
• After the beans are done cooking and the sauce has thickened you can remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately. 

Instant Pot

• Add all of the ingredients (cooked bacon included) to the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
• Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to Sealing.
• Then set the Instant Pot on high pressure (or manual setting) for 3 minutes.
• When the cook time is done, quick release the pressure and give the beans a stir.
• Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Notes

Recipe Tips

• These are tough to under or overcook because of the canned beans, so it’s ok to allow them to simmer longer or for less time. You’re just waiting for the spices and bacon flavors to meld together.
• Use these beans in traditional baked beans recipes, or as their own side dish. You can use these however you’d use traditional canned pork and beans.
• This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time. I love making a big batch of this easy baked beans recipe and then freezing for future use. I’d recommend freezing in single servings after the beans have cooled, and in freezer safe bags or containers. You can simmer the beans on the stove or in the microwave to reheat.
• I love simmering these beans on the grill in a foil pan–if you have a smoker, I highly recommend using that! Just simmer on the grill or smoker for about an hour.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

Entire recipe:​ 4 yellow containers, 2 red containers, and 13 teaspoons

Per serving: Just under 1 yellow container, 1/2 red container, and just over 3 teaspoons. 

To lower the total teaspoons, reduce the amount of honey in the recipe.

Weight Watchers 

Per serving: 6 Blue Points | 9 Green Points | 6 Purple Points | 7 points on the 2023 Plan

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

I use this method to make Instant Pot hard boiled eggs every single time. I can make enough hard boiled eggs to fill all of my meal prep needs and have some for a healthy snack for the family to snack on! 

When you need to make some hard boiled eggs in a hurry this is the best way to make them. There’s no muss, no fuss, no waiting for water to boil, they’re done in just 5 quick minutes. Get ready to enjoy the perfect hard-boiled eggs made perfect in the Instant Pot! 

This is just another one of the many ways that the Instant Pot makes things so much quicker and easier. Everything from Instant Pot Meal Prep, to less hands on cooking time in the kitchen. The Instant Pot makes cooking a breeze.  

If you haven’t purchased one, click here to see which Instant Pot is right for you! You’ll see all of the features, accessories, uses, and more.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we have a range of readers who use our recipes. Some are beginners in the kitchen, while others are pros. With this in mind, we are dedicated to providing detailed instructions, recipe tips, nutrition information, healthy eating plan information, and more! 

If you are feeling confident and ready to start, simply scroll down to the bottom of the page to find our easy to print Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs recipe. 

Ingredients in Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

• Eggs: Large eggs, medium eggs, whatever you have on hand. Just be sure to use fresh eggs, not old eggs. The age of the egg has a lot to do with how your hard-boiled eggs will turn out! 
• Water: Water is key for all forms of pressure cooking. The water at the bottom of the rack will boil and create the pressure to cook the eggs. 

How to Make Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

1. Place metal rack or egg trivet inside the Instant Pot.
2. Places eggs on top of the metal rack.
3. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your Instant Pot if using a 6-quart IP. If using an 8-quart IP, increase the water to a 1 1/2 cups.  
4. Close, and place the lid on the instant pot making sure the steam valve is sealed. 
5. Set the manual/high pressure/pressure cook setting for 5 minutes.
6. Use the natural release for 5 minutes, then quick pressure release the rest of the remaining pressure.
7. Transfer the eggs to an ice cold water bath.
8. Peel and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Cooking eggs in the Instant Pot make the best hard boiled eggs. 
• I’ve boiled as few as 5 and as many as 18 eggs at one time in my Instant Pot with no time change, there is no specific amount that is required or necessary for the hard boil eggs to turn out perfectly. 
• Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs High Altitude: Elevation affects the cook time because the Instant Pot needs more time to cook in higher elevation. If you live at high altitude, you might have to add a minute or two to your cook time. Our high-altitude guide can help you nail down the perfect amount of time necessary for cooking your eggs. 
• Egg age is also important, I find the fresher the eggs the more likely i’ll end up with perfect hard boiled eggs. 
• If you prefer soft-boiled eggs, cook for 4 minutes and manually quick release immediately after the cooking process.
• The ice bath is key and important to have as much ice as possible. It stops the cooking process and helps you avoid getting the green rings that appear on eggs if you overcook the eggs. The green rings aren’t harmful, just ugly. 
• If you have any eggs remaining, store any peeled eggs in an airtight container. Unpeeled eggs will remain fresh for up to five days in the refrigerator. 
• You might modify the amount of time the eggs cook in the instant pot. Give it a few times and be gracious with your learning curve–you’ll find the perfect amount of time that will yield your favorite type of boiled egg and consistency of the egg yolks.

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers

Serving size: 1 egg

0 Points on the 2023 Plan | 0 Blue Plan Points | 2 Green Plan Points | 0 Purple Plan Points

21 Day Fix / Portion Fix

Our 21 Day Fix Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs are easy to track. Count one red container for every 2 eggs you eat! 

Other Delicious Egg Recipes

• Healthy Egg Salad (without peeling eggs!)
• Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Salad
• Tuna Macaroni Salad
• Healthy Starbucks Egg Whites Bites

Print

Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

You might not think that hard boiled eggs are a pain to make…unless you’ve been there, struggling to peel them, only to realize that they are either over or under boiled.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword hard boiled eggs, instant pot

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 minutes minutes

Servings 3 person

Calories 126kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Instant Pot Trivet
• Sealing Rings

Ingredients

• 6 Eggs
• 1 Cup Water (for 6 qt Instant Pot)

Instructions

• Place metal rack or trivet inside the Instant Pot.
• Places eggs on the metal rack. 6 Eggs
• Add 1 Cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. 1 Cup Water
• Use the manual setting for 5 minutes.
• Allow the pressure/steam to release naturally for 5 minutes, then release steam manually.
• Place hard boiled eggs in cold water.
• Peel and enjoy

Video

Notes

Our 21 Day Fix Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs are easy to track. Count one red container for every 2 eggs you eat! 

Weight Watchers 1 Egg: 0 Points on the 2023 Plan| 0 Blue Plan Points | 2 Green Plan Points | 0 Purple Plan Points

Nutrition

Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 327mg | Sodium: 129mg | Potassium: 121mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

It’s an easy meal prep breakfast, and a great way to make a perfect protein-packed breakfast!

One of the main reasons why I love making this sweet homemade sausage is for meal prepping. I can whip up a batch and have breakfast protein for the whole week! You can’t go wrong with an easy, healthy, protein packed breakfast.

Studies have shown that eating protein in the morning will help you stay full longer and have more energy. With minimal ingredients, and simple ingredients at that, our healthy breakfast is the perfect way to start your day. Shy away from all the extra sugar in things like cereal and pastries and give our tasty homemade sausage patties a try instead.

Where’s the recipe?

I love to provide my readers with all kinds of tips and tricks for my recipes to make sure you get the best results possible, especially if this is your first time making this recipe.

However, I know many of you are experienced in the kitchen and might not need all of my recipe tips and nutritional information. If so, simply scroll to the bottom and you’ll find our easy to print recipe card for Easy Chicken Apple Sausage Patties.

Ingredients in Chicken Apple Sausage Patties

• Ground Meat: Any lean ground meat will work. I typically use ground chicken or ground turkey.
• Cinnamon & Nutmeg: I love the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg in this sweet sausage recipe. The warmth of these spices complements wonderfully with the apple. If you’re looking for a savory sausage, give this recipe a try.
• Apple: A fresh apple is perfect for this recipe, choose green for a nice balance in flavors. The apple gives the sausage a perfect hint of sweetness.
• Bone Broth: There are many store-bought options for incredible bone broth, be sure to look for low sodium bone broth. If you’d like to make your own bone broth you can use this easy chicken crockpot bone broth recipe.
• Coconut Oil: If you’re cooking on a skillet, you’ll need oil to ensure that the sausage patties won’t stick. I prefer coconut oil but olive oil or avocado oil can also be used.

How To Make Easy Chicken Apple Sausage Patties in the Oven

1. First preheat your oven to 375º degrees
2. Place the ground meat, chopped apple, bone broth, and spices into a large mixing bowl.
3. Then combine the ingredients together using your hands or spatula.
4. Form the sausage mixture into 12 small patties and then place them on a parchment or lightly greased foil lined baking sheet.
5. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until internal temperature of sausages is 165º. We recommend checking the sausage patty temperature with a meat thermometer a few times while baking to ensure the turkey or chicken doesn’t overcook.
6. Once the patties are cooked, remove the pan from the oven and serve immediately. See below for storing tips.

How To Make Easy Chicken Apple Sausage Patties on the Stove Top

1. First, place the ground meat, chopped apple, bone broth, and spices into a large mixing bowl.
2. Then combine the ingredients together using your hands or spatula.
3. Form the sausage mixture into 12 small patties and set aside.
4. Next, add coconut oil to a large skillet and heat over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sausage patties to your pan.
5. Cook for about 5 minutes, flipping the sausage patties in the frying pan half way through the cook time. An internal temperature of 165º will ensure that your breakfast sausages are cooked.
6. Once the patties are cooked, remove from heat and serve immediately. See below for storing tips.

Recipe Tips

• A non-stick skillet can help ensure that the breakfast patties stay together when flipping.
• After handling raw meat, take the extra step of making sure you have both clean hands and clean countertops.
• Made a double batch and want to freeze some? Place your completely cooled, cooked breakfast patties on a baking sheet and cover them with plastic wrap. Once frozen, remove them from the sheet and place them in a freezer-safe container.
• To re-heat frozen homemade breakfast sausage, warm a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the patties for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can also heat them up in an air fryer!

21 Day Fix

This delicious homemade sausage recipe is completely 21 Day Fix friendly. You can find all of the container counts below. Make sure you adjust the counts if you add, alter, or change any ingredients when you make this at home!

Serving Sizes: Recipe makes 12 patties. Each serving is 3 patties.

Entire Recipe: 4 Red Containers, 1/2 Purple Container, 6 teaspoons of oil, if frying

Per Serving: 1 Red Container, Negligible Purple Container, 1 teaspoon

Weight Watchers

3 Blue Plan Points | 4 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points | 2023 points: 0 (without using coconut oil)

Looking for more healthy breakfast ideas?

Easy Southwest Breakfast Casserole

View Recipe

Savory Homemade Turkey Sausage

View Recipe

Breakfast Fajita Casserole

View Recipe

Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

View Recipe

Baked Amish Oatmeal Recipe

View Recipe

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Banana Bread

View Recipe

Print

Easy Chicken Apple Sausage Patties

These homemade chicken apple sausage patties are an easy breakfast! Pair with scrambled eggs or a side of fruit for a healthy start to your day.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword 21 Day Fix, homemade turkey sausage, Sweet Homemade Sausage

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 206kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Baking Sheet
• Enameled Cast Iron Pan

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
• ½ apple green, chopped small
• 1/4 cup bone broth low sodium
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp coconut oil if frying

Optional: salt to taste

Instructions

Oven Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F
• Add the meat, apple, broth, and spices to a large bowl. 1 lb ground turkey, ½ apple, 1/4 cup bone broth, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg
• Mix the ingredients together with your hands and form 12 small patties.
• Place patties on parchment or foil lined baking sheet.
• Cook for about 20-25 minutes, until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.

Stove Top Directions:

• Add the meat, apple, broth, and spices to a large bowl. 1 lb ground turkey, ½ apple, 1/4 cup bone broth, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg
• Mix the ingredients together with your hands and form 12 small patties.
• Heat coconut oil in large pan and add sausage patties to hot oil. Cook on both sides until and internal temperature of 165°F is reached, about 5 minutes. 2 tbsp coconut oil

Notes

21 Day Fix: 

Entire Recipe: 
4 Red Containers, 1/2 Purple Container

Per Serving: 
1 Red Container, Negligible Purple Container

Weight Watchers:

Per Serving: 

3 Blue Plan Points / 4 Green Plan Points / 3 Purple Plan Points

The points for the new 2022/2023 points plan is 0

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Chicken Apple Sausage Patties appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

These savory turkey sausages are especially great for 21 Day Fix, Weight Watchers, and other healthy lifestyle programs because they are made with ground turkey (although you can also substitute chicken). Turkey and chicken are excellent choices for lean protein that is also low in fat.

This is a homemade savory breakfast sausage you won’t want to miss out on! Pair these homemade turkey sausage patties with some fresh vegetables or your favorite eggs and you’ll be ready to go!

Where’s the recipe?

Readers with all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen visit My Crazy Good Life for healthy and delicious recipes. To make sure you love your food, I like to provide a ton of helpful tips and tricks in my recipes.

However, if you’re an experienced cook or you’ve made this before and would like to skip over recipe suggestions and healthy eating plan information, please just scroll to the bottom of the post where you’ll find an easy-to-print version of this turkey sausage recipe!

Ingredients in Savory Homemade Turkey Sausage

• Garlic: fresh minced garlic will add a zing to these savory sausages! Garlic powder can also be used in a pinch.
• Onion: freshly chopped onion is best, but you can use onion powder if you don’t have onions on hand.
• Cumin: cumin will add a little spice to these sausages, giving them a more robust flavor.
• Black pepper: the black pepper complements the cumin. Feel free to adjust the amount of pepper to your tastes.
• Bone broth: low-sodium bone broth is what really gives these sausages their savory flavor.
• Cayenne pepper (optional): Like a bit more heat? Add some extra spice with cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes! You can use seasonings to create a spice mixture that’s right for you.

How to Make Savory Homemade Turkey Sausage

1. Put the lean ground turkey, garlic, onions, broth, and spices into a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix the ingredients together with your hands.
3. Form into 12 small patties. Place a generous amount of the meat mixture into the palm of your hand and form the turkey mixture into a round, flat patty shape.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes on a silpat mat and baking sheet.

Seriously, it really is that easy.

Recipe Tips

• This is a favorite recipe for meal prep! It’s super easy to put together, and sometimes I just need a warm and cozy breakfast food to start my day.
• If you double this delicious recipe you’ll have a big batch of lean breakfast sausages for an entire week.
• Not sure how big of a patty to make? If your silpat mat has circular markings on it, use those as a guide to help with portion sizes.
• Pork sausage and other turkey sausage recipes will sometimes add real maple syrup or brown sugar for a sweeter sausage. Remember that if you add any sweeteners to this homemade version the nutritional counts will change.
• Made a large batch and want to freeze some? Great! Place your completely cooled, cooked breakfast patties on a baking sheet and cover them with plastic wrap. Once frozen, remove them from the sheet and place them in a freezer-safe container.
• To re-heat frozen homemade breakfast sausage, warm a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the patties for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can also heat them up in an air fryer!

Healthy Eating Plans

Serves 4 (3 patties per serving)

21 Day Fix

Entire recipe: 4 Red | 1/3 Green

Per serving: 1 Red | negligible Green

Weight Watchers

You can find the Weight Watchers Homemade Sausage post with point calculations here.

More Breakfast Recipes to go with this Homemade Sausage

Don’t worry, there’s plenty more where that came from! Here are a few of my other favorite breakfast recipes. Give them a try and let me know what you think.

• Easy Breakfast Casserole
• Breakfast Fried Rice
• Pancakes Without Flour
• Breakfast Egg Fajitas
• Homemade Healthy Bagels
• Veggie Breakfast Hash Browns

Print

Homemade Turkey Sausage Recipe

The recipe for this delicious homemade turkey sausage could not be easier! Give it a mix, form the patties, and you are ready for the oven. It’s about as quick and easy as it gets.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword homemade turkey sausage, Savory Homemade Turkey Sausage

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 141kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Mixing Bowls
• Slip Mat

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
• 3 tsp garlic minced
• ⅓ cup onion red, diced
• ¼ cup bone broth low sodium
• 1 tsp cumin ground
• ½ tsp black pepper ground

Optional: salt to taste

Instructions

• Put meat, garlic, onions, broth, and spices into a mixing bowl, mix the ingredients together with your hands. 1 lb ground turkey, 3 tsp garlic, ⅓ cup onion, ¼ cup bone broth, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp black pepper
• Form into 12 small patties.
• Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Video

Notes

21 Day Fix Counts: 1 Red Per 3 sausage patties (the green is negligible)

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 363mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

SaveSaveSaveSave

The post Homemade Turkey Sausage Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

The combination of almond milk and coconut milk gives you the thickness of cream without the overpowering coconut flavor that most healthy homemade coffee creamer recipes have. I often freeze mine in single servings so I can easily make iced coffee–you can thaw each serving to use in hot coffee, as well. 

Adding this homemade (and healthy!) creamy almond milk creamer to my daily routine has been exactly what I needed to break my store bought coffee creamer habit.

Where’s is the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we make our recipes easy for everyone to follow. In the article below you’ll find lots of information including recipe tips and ingredient substitutions.

If you’d like to skip past that and jump to the recipe, simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the easy to follow Mocha Almond Milk Creamer recipe.

Ingredients in Homemade Mocha Creamer

These delicious and dairy-free ingredients are super easy to find in your local grocery store:

• Coconut Milk: Be sure to grab a can (not a box or carton) of full fat coconut milk to ensure you get the true cream consistency you want.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk: You can find this in your grocery store’s refrigerator section right next to the regular milk. Be sure and grab the unsweetened variety. You can use unsweetened chocolate almond milk if you’d like.
• Coconut Crystals: Much like maple syrup comes from the sap of a maple tree, coconut sugar come from coconut tree sap, not the actual coconut. Coconut crystals are minimally processed, vegan, and studies show they have a lower glycemic index than traditional sugar. You can typically find this near the regular sugar.
• Cocoa Powder: A great way to get that chocolate taste without extra sugars. Be sure you’re using real cocoa powder and not chocolate syrup or a powdered hot cocoa mix.
• Vanilla Extract: Be sure and check the bottle label for pure vanilla.

How to make this Mocha Coffee Creamer with Almond Milk

1. Add canned coconut milk, almond milk, cocoa powder, coconut crystals, and vanilla to a small saucepan.
2. Whisk over low heat until cocoa powder and coconut crystals dissolve completely.
3. Turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat. Allow your creamer to cool naturally for 20 minutes, then transfer it to an airtight container bottle and refrigerating.
4. Refrigerate for 5-7 days or freeze up to 3 months. 

Recipe Tips

• Homemade creamers are often not quite as creamy as store bought creamers. That’s why we are adding canned coconut milk to this recipe. It’s how we get the thicker and creamier consistency.
• Missing your store bought peppermint mocha almond creamer? Add a drop or two of peppermint oil or peppermint extract to add a “kiss of peppermint” to your coffee.
• The basic recipe is coconut milk, almond milk, and coconut crystals–I encourage you to experiment a bit with your favorite flavors and make a creamer of your own!

Why use a healthy coffee creamer alternative?

Most store bought creamers (even my favorite Silk Mocha Almond Creamer!) are highly processed and contain unsavory ingredients. While almond milk creamers are healthier and dairy free, they still have extra ingredients (including preservatives) in them.

I love making this homemade creamer because it’s super easy and I know exactly what I am putting in my body. I’ve done plenty of research on buying a healthy coffee creamer you can get at the store, but still prefer making my own. 

Why freeze coffee creamer?

As easy as this recipe is, making your own coffee creamer is a time commitment. I don’t want even small amounts to go to waste, so make these into coffee creamer ice cubes. Another perk of frozen creamer cubes is that they’re perfect for iced coffee, which is pretty important down here in Arizona.

Healthy Eating Plans

Over the years, I’ve seen that many coffee drinkers struggle losing weight because of the ratio of coffee to store bought creamer that they use. Many store bought creamers contain artificial sweeteners, which can cause weight gain stall as well as cause sugar cravings. Using a minimally processed creamer with whole foods ingredients can help you keep the weight off and not derail your progress every morning.

One of the things that isn’t usually encouraged on weight loss plans are coffee drinks. This idea of frozen creamer cubes helps you enjoy an iced coffee or frozen blended drink with ease. It’s a fun way to have a guilt-free indulgence when you’re paying attention to ingredients and being mindful of what you’re consuming.

The 21 Day Fix, for example, doesn’t promote adding anything except homemade coffee creamer into your morning brew. This recipe fits into the Fix food list pretty perfectly uses minimal containers. If skipping the coffee creamer isn’t for you, I definitely think this is a delicious option.

Weight Watchers Coffee Creamer: Each 2 tablespoon serving of this recipe contains 3 2023 Points | 2 Blue Plan Points | 2 Green Plan Points | 2 Purple Plan Points

21 Day Fix Coffee Creamer: For the entire recipe: 5 Blue Containers, 1/3 Teaspoon.

Per Serving (2 tbsp): 1/4 Blue Container, Trace Teaspoons (I do not count the teaspoons).

2B Mindset: This is an “Accessory” on 2B Mindset.

More delicious recipes:

• Healthy Pumpkin Cold Brew
• Easy Southwest Breakfast Casserole
• Healthy Vanilla Coffee Creamer
• No Bake Mocha Coconut Bar Recipe
• Fudgy Espresso Brownies
• Mocha Wonder Whip
• Dairy free Coffee Ice Cream

Print

Mocha Coffee Creamer with Almond Milk

This Mocha Coffee Creamer with Almond Milk is the perfect creamy, dairy free creamer with just the right amount of sweetness. This recipe makes healthy homemade coffee creamer using a mix of coconut milk and almond milk.

Course staples

Cuisine American

Keyword coffee creamer

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 17 servings

Calories 60kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Le Creuset Cast Iron Pot
• Whisk
• Egg Bite Molds

Ingredients

• 1 can coconut milk full fat, unsweetened
• 3 tbsp almond milk unsweetened, chocolate if you'd like
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp coconut crystals
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Add coconut milk, almond milk, cocoa powder, coconut crystals, and vanilla to a small saucepan. 1 can coconut milk 3 tbsp almond milk 2 tsp cocoa powder 2 tbsp coconut crystals 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Whisk over low heat until cocoa powder and coconut crystals dissolve completely.
• Turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat. Allow your creamer to cool naturally for 20 minutes, then transfer it to an air tight glass jar or bottle and refrigerating. This recipe can also be frozen in egg bite molds or ice cube trays, as well.
• Refrigerate for 5-7 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Mocha Coffee Creamer with Almond Milk appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Drinking your coffee black is often thought to be the best for our health, but it’s not the most appealing flavor to most drinkers. Flavored store bought coffee creamers are full of sugar, artificial ingredients, and trans fats. This is an easy and healthy dairy free coffee creamer that will change the way you drink coffee.

Many almond milk, oat milk, and soy creamers, while lactose free and plant based, are still lacking in nutrition and flavor. I’ve been on a mission to to create a plant based coffee creamer that has all the flavor of store-bought creamers, but with clean ingredients. I think this Vanilla Almond Milk Creamer fits the bill. 

Where is the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we like to make our recipes easy for everyone to follow. In the article below you’ll find lots of information about the ingredients needed for this recipe as well as recipe tips and ingredient substitutions.

If you’d like to skip past all of that extra information and jump to the recipe, simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find easy to follow directions for How to Make Healthy Coffee Creamer.

Ingredients in this dairy free creamer

• Coconut Milk: You’ll want the canned coconut milk. Be sure it is unsweetened and full-fat coconut milk for that creamy taste you love. Using another non-dairy milk instead of the canned coconut milk will result in thinner more “watered down” creamer.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk: I like to use unsweetened vanilla in this recipe, but plain works just as well. You could also use another non-dairy milk of your choice.
• Coconut Crystals: Also called coconut palm sugar or coconut sugar. Studies show that coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar, which means it causes a slightly lower rise in blood sugar. I’ve found that this is a 1:1 swap for brown sugar so if you can’t find coconut sugar, brown sugar will give you the same result (but with different nutritional values).
• Vanilla Extract: Be sure and pick up pure vanilla extract, not bakers vanilla or imitation vanilla, for the best vanilla flavor. You could also use almond extract or another flavor if you’d like–experiment and have fun with different flavors!

How to make Healthy Coffee Creamer

This recipe should take about 10 minutes to mix ingredients and heat, and about an hour in the fridge to chill.

1. Add canned coconut milk, almond milk, coconut crystals, and vanilla to a small saucepan.
2. Whisk ingredients together over low heat until the crystals melt and incorporate completely.
3. Turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat. Allow your creamer to cool naturally for 20 minutes so it cools closer to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container or glass jar and refrigerate.
4. This keeps in the fridge for 5-7 days. You can also freeze it.

Recipe Tips and Common Questions:

• This creamer works great in iced coffee as well. I like to make ice cubes out of the creamer, and then pour brewed ice coffee or cold brew right over them.
• Definitely add flavors that appeal to you and experiment with this recipe! Your base recipe is coconut milk, almond milk, and coconut sugar. You’re welcome to swap the vanilla out for other flavors that you like.
• Looking for chocolate creamer? Try this recipe for Mocha Coffee Creamer :)
• Making your own homemade coffee creamer will take some getting used to as it doesn’t last as long as store bought. I love freezing my creamer small containers so I can use a little bit at a time.
• If you feel like the oil in traditional coffee creamer is something you’re missing, try adding a tablespoon of coconut oil or mct oil to the creamer. Just stir or shake well before use.
• If you prefer an unsweetened creamer, skip the coconut crystals in this recipe.
• If you’re looking for other flavors, I recommend adding one of these options in place of the vanilla extract:
  • cocoa powder
  • pumpkin pie spice
  • hazelnut flavors
  • coconut flavor
• I’ve added maple syrup in place of the coconut crystals and love that flavor. This is an easy recipe to experiment with!

Healthy Eating Plans

This is a perfect 21 Day Fix, 2B Mindset or Weight Watchers coffee creamer. This healthy homemade coffee creamer recipe makes 17 servings that are about 2 tablespoons each.

Weight Watchers: 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points | 3 Points on the 2023 Plan.

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: For the entire recipe: 5 Blue Containers, 1/3 Teaspoon. Per 2 Tablespoon Serving: 1/2 Blue Container and trace teaspoons (I do not count them).

2B Mindset: This would be an “Accessory” on 2B Mindset

More healthy breakfast recipes

• Whole Wheat Banana Bread
• Zucchini Bread Oatmeal
• Pumpkin Cold Brew
• Pumpkin Overnight Oats
• Chia Pudding
• Starbucks Egg Bites

Print

How to Make Healthy Coffee Creamer | Vanilla Coffee Creamer Recipe

Wondering how to make healthy coffee creamer? This Vanilla Creamer is full of good things–it's plant based, vegan, dairy free, no refined sugar, and so easy to make!

Course staples

Cuisine American

Keyword coffee creamer

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 17

Calories 61kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Le Creuset Cast Iron Pot
• Glass Milk Bottles

Ingredients

• 1 can coconut milk full fat, unsweetened
• 3 tbsp almond milk unsweetened
• 2 tbsp coconut crystals also called coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Add coconut milk, almond milk, coconut crystals, and vanilla extract to a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. 1 can coconut milk 3 tbsp almond milk 2 tbsp coconut crystals 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• Heat on low, stirring continuously until crystals incorporate with the rest of the ingredients.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes before storing in the fridge.
• Keep in fridge for 5-7 days, or freeze.

Notes

 

Healthy Eating Plans:

This is a perfect 21 Day Fix, 2B Mindset or Weight Watchers coffee creamer. This healthy homemade coffee creamer recipe makes 17 servings that are about 2 tablespoons each.

Weight Watchers: 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points | 3 2023 Points per serving.

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: For the entire recipe: 5 Blue Containers, 1/3 Teaspoon. Per 2 Tablespoon Serving: 1/2 Blue Container and trace teaspoons (I do not count them).

2B Mindset: This would be an “Accessory” on 2B Mindset.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

The post How to Make Healthy Coffee Creamer appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This easy salsa recipe is perfect for happy hour tortilla chips and salsa or as a topping for fajitas, tacos, or taco salad. Fresh homemade salsa makes a great addition to almost any menu or meal plan because it packs a lot of flavor without adding a lot of unnecessary calories or fat.

Ingredients Needed for this Restaurant-Style Salsa:

• Diced Tomatoes I buy the no sugar added canned tomatoes. You’ll still notice a measurement for sugar in the nutritional information, but that is because tomatoes have some natural sugar in them. You’ll just want to verify that the ingredients do not contain sugar.
• Fresh garlic
• Fresh limes You’ll be squeezing them to get lime juice
• Onion I prefer red onions for the color and anti-inflammatory properties. Yellow or white onion is good to use, as well!
• Fresh cilantro I’d definitely skip the dried cilantro here. Fresh cilantro will add to the fresh flavors you’re looking for.
• Jalapeño pepper or serrano peppers This will give you a fairly spicy salsa. If you’d rather a mild salsa, skip the peppers.
• Salt

Directions for Making this Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa:

Follow these simple steps to make this flavorful salsa. It should take about 15 minutes of your time.

1. Wash your ingredients.
2. Cut the onion into smaller pieces and add all of the ingredients to your blender or food processor.
3. Blend until smooth (or whatever your desired consistency is) and store in the fridge in an airtight container until serving. I love storing this salsa recipe in mason jars.

Recipe Tips:

• I love making a big batch of this salsa and freeze them in quart sized zipper bags. This salsa is best thawed on the counter or in the fridge–not in the microwave. 
• You can use fresh tomatoes in this recipe, but I’d recommend removing the seeds and liquid to avoid watery salsa.
• Using fire-roasted tomatoes or tomatoes with green chiles (a can of Rotel) is a fun way to make this recipe.
• Love onion? Add an additional one. Love cilantro? Add an extra bunch of cilantro to this recipe–it’s very easy to adapt and will be delicious even with extra ingredients. SO much better than store-bought salsa.

Healthy Eating Plans:

21 Day Fix/Portion Fix:

1 cup salsa = 1 green container

Trim Healthy Mama

This is a FP recipe on THM and you don’t have to make any substitutions. 

Weight Watchers:

This recipe is 0 points on the myWW plans and on the 2023 Plan.

Looking for more easy recipes?

• Instant Pot Lentil Tacos
• Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
• Instant Pot Cauliflower Rice with Chicken
• Crockpot Pork Carnitas
• Healthy Breakfast Tacos with Eggs and Veggies

Print

Restaurant Style Salsa in the Blender

This fresh and easy Restaurant Style Salsa recipe is our favorite, and one you've probably enjoyed if you've spent any amount of time in my kitchen. 

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Easy Salsa

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 38kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board
• Vitamix Blender

Ingredients

• 16 oz diced tomatoes can, no sugar added
• 2-3 cloves fresh garlic
• 2 limes juiced
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1/4 bunch of cilantro chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno more to taste if you’d like
• 1/2 tsp salt optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Wash your ingredients.
• Cut the onion into smaller pieces and add all of the ingredients to your blender or food processor. 1/2 onion, 16 oz diced tomatoes, 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, 2 limes, 1/4 bunch of cilantro, 1/2 jalapeno, 1/2 tsp salt
• Blend until smooth (or whatever your desired consistency is) and store in the fridge in an airtight container until serving. I love storing this salsa recipe in mason jars.

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• I love making a big batch of this salsa and freeze them in quart sized zipper bags. This salsa is best thawed on the counter or in the fridge–not in the microwave. 
• You can use fresh tomatoes in this recipe, but I’d recommend removing the seeds and liquid to avoid watery salsa.
• Using fire-roasted tomatoes or tomatoes with green chiles (a can of Rotel) is a fun way to make this recipe.
• Love onion? Add an additional one. Love cilantro? Add an extra bunch of cilantro to this recipe–it’s very easy to adapt and will be delicious even with extra ingredients. SO much better than store-bought salsa.

Healthy Eating Plans:

21 Day Fix/Portion Fix:

1 cup salsa = 1 green container

Trim Healthy Mama

This is a FP recipe on THM and you don’t have to make any substitutions. 

Weight Watchers:

This recipe is 0 points on the myWW plans and on the 2023 Plan.

Nutrition

Calories: 38kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Restaurant Style Salsa in the Blender appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.