Chai Spice Raisin & Carrot Muffins – Low Fat, Gluten Free (regular recipe included)

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Sometimes I get absent minded while baking and make a mistake. Now and then, those mistakes turn into a new recipe that works out wonderfully and all is well again.

I wanted to make scones with a healthy twist, less sweet but full of flavour and decided to try mixing these ingredients. I used raisins as I had them but wanted them a bit plump as they can sometimes be hard to bite once baked. I covered the raisins with warm water and accidently threw the whole lot instead of draining them and it worked out ok! Suddenly the recipe turned from scones to muffins.

The mix of all spices works really well with the carrot and gives these muffins a lovely warm bite. They will last for up to 5 days in the fridge, in an airtight container and I just popped mine into the microwave before enjoying them.

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Dulche de Leche Muffins

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Such a simple, sweet and totally delicious muffin recipe yet looks really professional. Definitely one to impress guests. The muffins are light and fluffy just as muffins should be even though this time you use a hand mixer. It’s not at all like a muffin recipe to do this but in order to completely combine the dulche de leche, it has to be done.

I found that making the muffins the day before you need them really deepens the flavour so it’s a great make ahead recipe too.

You can of course make your own dulche de leche but I buy a tin of the Carnation Condensed Cream Caramel and this works perfectly.

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Fruity Coconut Bites – Gluten, Dairy and Wheat Free

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I love finding recipes that are both healthy and delicious while omitting refined sugars. These delicious bites of fruit and coconut uses the fruit and honey as a natural sweetener and using Brown Rice Flour brings them up another notch on the healthy snack ladder.

If you can’t find a brown rice flour, then sub gluten free rice flour. I got a some brown rice flour from my local health shop.

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Summer Berry Cake – Gluten Free Version included

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The original recipe for this cake is what the American’s call a pound cake. It’s similar to our madeira cake mixture so the result is a more dense texture compared to a traditional sponge. It has to be like this in order to hold the addition of berries but it still works out nice and light and the addition of almond extract gives it a lovely buttery flavour.

It’s from a US blog, “if you give a blonde a kitchen” – great name!! and was used as a 4th July Independence Day cake using blueberries and raspberries. I’ve reduced the sugar quantities, removed refined sugar and made mine a gluten free version. I will put both options in the ingredients below so go with your own choice.


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Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Yes indeed there are such wonderful things as the perfect gluten free chocolate chip muffins and this recipe is possibly one of the best. Bragging I know but it works and it works really well.

They are light and airy just as muffins should be and with the reduced sugar quantity, still full of just the right amount of sweetness with your morning beverage or for an afternoon pick me up. Please ….. give them a try and let me know how you get on 🙂

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Lemon Curd Coconut Cups – Gluten & Dairy Free

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These little mini coconut cups filled with delicious, tangy lemon curd are just so good and make a great mini dessert for any occasion. Quick to make, just a gently bit of handling is all that’s needed and you will have a pretty impressive dessert! They are gluten free which is a bonus and if you omit the whipped cream to decorate, they are also dairy free so you’re covering everyone!

Originally from the blog, Hidden Ponies, I’ve adapted the recipe slightly and feel it’s worked out really well. I did use mini sized tins to make them but the second batch were made in a slightly bigger sized tin which I found easier to manage with less breakage but the key here is to really grease your tins well – you have been warned so don’t curse me when some of them break on removal.

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Lemon & Rosemary Loaf Cake – Gluten Free

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While browsing through Instagram, I saw this recipe on the Prima account – https://www.prima.co.uk/all-recipes/  It’s not hard to get me interested when I see lemon and then to add fresh rosemary to the mix, well it was so intriguing and interesting that I wanted to give it a try.

Originally the recipe has a higher sugar content which I’ve greatly reduced plus I decided to try and convert it to a gluten free version and hope it wasn’t noticed and what do you know, it worked! It’s impossible to tell this cake is gluten free. It’s been a big success and I love it. All the tasters thought it was plenty sweet with the reduced sugar quantity too. Other than cutting up the rosemary into teeny bits, it’s quick and simple to make so give it a go.

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Light, Fluffy Lemon Muffins

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There’s nothing nicer than a light, fluffy muffin and when it’s lemon flavoured, well it’s lifted to another level. Now the key to light and fluffy muffins is nothing big or exciting. It’s restraint! Put that spoon down and stop mixing! Your batter should be thick and lumpy. That’s it. That’s the big secret and it’s difficult as you’re so tempted to give another couple of mixes but hold back …. I promise you’ll thank me 🙂

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Orange & Cranberry Oat Muffins – Gluten Free option included

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I really love the combination of orange and cranberry. They just work so well together and as dried cranberries are easy to get, I always have a few packets in the cupboard to add to recipes. They are naturally lovely and sweet so it helps when reducing sugar quantities in whatever you’re making.

Quick and easy to make, these healthy oat muffins are a great standby for when you’re in a hurry and need something for breakfast that will keep you going for a while but not adding high calories and bad fats to your daily intake. I find them perfect for a mid afternoon snack.

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Traditional Malt Loaf

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I had such wonderful nostalgic memories flooding back when I made and ate this gorgeous Malt Loaf. Some of you might remember the Maltana Loaf? Good old Johnston Mooney & O’Brien. A slice of Maltana with butter was such a treat and when you toasted it …. oh now that was perfect!

Well it had been on my mind for months now to make one and I wanted to try and put together a recipe that was low in fat and with no processed ingredients and this is definitely it. With less than 90 calories per slice combined with organic malt extract, juicy sultanas, dates and other good stuff, it’s positively good for you 😉

Make this recipe 2/3 days before you want to eat it (I know it won’t be easy) as it is best allowed to mature beautifully into a sticky, delicious cake.

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Oat Cookies – Gluten Free Option included

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I recently bought the lovely Val Stones’ book, The Cake Whisperer and there are some great home baking recipes in it which are tried and tested over many years. I loved Val on GBBO when she said she listened to her cakes to see if they were baked through. She came across such a lovely, warm person who really loved baking and those she baked for.

This recipe is originally for Ginger & Cinnamon Cookies and I’ve made both the original version plus I’ve made a Chocolate Chip & Cinnamon version too. Both are really delicious and went down very well with everyone. I converted them to gluten free so everybody at cozebakes could enjoy them and no one noticed the difference so that’s always a good sign. I’ve put the regular and gluten free versions in the ingredients.

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The Fluffiest Gluten Free Scone Recipe – variations included

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I have a gluten free scone recipe already here and it’s a good one too. I found mixing gluten free flour with almond flour was a great way to get a delicious result and I have no complaints about it. You can try it here: https://www.cozebakes.com/2017/03/31/gluten-free-fruit-scones/

My gluten free scone world was moving along very nicely thank you until I visited Marlfield House https://www.marlfieldhouse.com/ and they served THE most fluffy scone I’ve ever tasted and it was gluten free! I couldn’t get the scone out of my head and once home did a little research on different gf scone recipes and decided to try adding rice flour to my recipe. Obsessed?? Me?? 🙂 🙂 Oh did it deliver and how so it was worth it!

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