Today’s post is short (on time) and sweet (to your taste buds)! Lot’s of quick-to-make breakfast, dessert and sweet snack ideas made with my most favorite EVER, protein powder – Clean Lean Protein from Nuzest.
I’m I big stickler on getting enough protein throughout the day. For my activity level and healthy aging, I personally aim for 1 gram protein per pound bodyweight – that’s about 120g protein per day for me. An easy way to help me meet the goal is using a quality protein powder, and Clean Lean Protein from Nuzest has been a favorite I’ve used for years. And, YES, I do have a 15% discount code to share: FITFORK
Clean Lean Protein from Nuzest is plant-based and suitable for vegan, vegetarian, Paleo and many other dietary eating patterns. I eat all the foods, including meat, but I find that a plant-based protein powder is easier on my digestive system than other powders. Nuzest protein powder is the best of the best in terms of quality, macros, taste and texture (IMO) – and it comes in many flavors to suit your preference – or even unflavored.
It’s easy to use protein powder in smoothies or a shaker bottle with almond milk. But baking with protein powder is also very easy and smart – in fact, I use it in almost all my protein powder dessert and breakfast creations like protein waffles and pancakes; protein cakes, cupcakes and muffins; post-workout protein bites, bars and snacks; and more. Here are some of my favorite easy protein powder recipes from thefitfork.com
Ooh-la-la! I really love my easy Mixed Berry Sheet Pan Clafouti recipe. My take on the famous French dessert is easy, it’s bursting with beautiful berries, has been “low carbed” with sweetener alternatives and a portion of the flour with almond meal. This berry sheet pan breakfast also features a good amount of protein thanks to six eggs in the recipe.
For all these reasons and more, I declare my Clafouti in a sheet pan suitable for breakfast or brunch, any day! Macros on a generous-sized serving come in at 250 calories, 12g fat, 24g carbohydrates, 4g dietary fiber, and 12g protein.
Use berries . . . or another favorite fruit!
If you’ve never heard of clafoutis, it’s one of those French things. Clafoutis (the “S” is silent) is a baked dessert classically featuring black cherries (but most any fruit will work) arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. It’s served slightly warm or room-temperature, with a dusting of powdered sugar or whipped cream.
My version is baked up in a sheet pan (actually a Jelly Roll Sheet Pan (10.5″ x 15″ x 1″), for a larger scale dish that can serve a big hungry family – or be meal-prepped to eat for breakfast, brunch or dessert throughout the week. This sheet pan clafoutis also freezes beautifully – just thaw out and warm up in the microwave on busy mornings.
The batter is pretty thin, it’s just eggs, flour (or gluten-free alternative), almond flour, and a low-carb sweetener that measures as a cup-for-cup for granulated white sugar. I really just see the atter as the binder to hold the berries together! You don’t need a mixer or blender to make it, in fact, that would over work the batter– all you need is a whisk. I’m in love with this kitchen-drawer space-saving Collapseable Whisk.
PRO TIPS:
Let batter rest for 20 minutes to prevent a rubbery final product
Sheet Pan Mixed Berry Breakfast Clafoutis (Lower Carb)
Prep Time
5mins
Cook Time
40mins
Total Time
45mins
Based on a famous French dessert, but with mindful low-carb tweaks, this Berry Clafoutis makes a delicious brunch, breakfast or healthy dessert. It reminds me of a hybrid flan-pancake. Lower cal and lots of protein from eggs. Size up for a sheet pan to make a little more than the traditional recipe.
Course:
Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Keyword:
blueberries, clafoutis, low carb, sheet pan
Servings: 6Servings
Calories: 250kcal
Ingredients
6large eggs
2tsp.vanilla extract
1/8tsp.salt
½cupbaking sweetener1:1 cup measuring equivalency, I used a stevia blend
½cupunbleached all-purpose flouror gluten-free alternative
½cuppacked almond meal
2cupswhole milk
Baking spray for baking sheet
1lb.mixed fresh berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, sliced strawberries (rinsed and dried)about 3 to 3.5 cups
1/2cupsliced almondsabout 2 ounces
Optional Powdered sugar for dusting (I used a zero-carb powdered sweetener)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
In large bowl, crack open eggs and whisk smooth. Whisk in milk until incorporated.
Next, whisk in sweetener, flour, almond meal and salt until smooth.
Spray 10” x 15” “jelly roll” sheet pan with baking spray. Do NOT try to use a standard 9” x 13” low-rimmed sheet pan, it will be too small and overflow. As an alternative, you can use a 9” x 13” ceramic or glass baking dish with HIGHER sides (cooking time will need to be increased).
Pour egg batter into pan. Gently scatter berries as evenly as possible on top of batter. Next, sprinkle on sliced almonds.
Bake on center rack for 40 minutes, or until turning golden on top and set. If using the 9”x13” glass baking dish, the batter will be deeper, so add on 5 to 10 more minutes of cooking time (so 45 – 50 minutes cooking time).
Remove from oven at let cool 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar or alternative, if desired. Cut into either 6 large squares or 12 smaller squares (2 smaller pieces per serving).
Store leftovers in fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in microwave for about 45 seconds.
Gingerbread or chocolate . . .why choose? You’ll “loaf” the joining of these two popular holiday flavors in this recipe for Chocolate Gingerbread Mini Loaves.
Gingerbread is the quintessential holiday treat and most of have fond memories of the delicious aroma and warm, spicy taste of this flavor profile that is incorporated in cookies, cakes, and other yummy Christmas treats. Adding chocolate even deepens the flavor experience and speaks to a chocolate-lover’s soul!
This is a smaller-scale gingerbread recipe making two loaves in approximate-sized 5.5” x 3” loaf pans. You can also use all the batter in a single 6” diameter small cake pan. You can also half the recipe and make a single mini loaf and you can also double the recipe to make 4 mini loaves or fill a bigger 8” to 9” diameter cake pan.
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Slice them up and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream, or the toppings of your choice. If you’d rather gift them to a friend or family present them in nicer, disposable mini loaf liners or, even better, a beautiful ceramic mini loaf pan (can be used long after the food gift is gone)! If you are wrapping in plastic wrap or a cellophane food gift bag, make sure the gingerbread loafs are completely cooled. You can also store in the freezer for up to 6 months, in wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in a freezer bag.
Mini Chocolate Gingerbread is easy to make, sharable, delicious! Enjoy!
A chocolate-lover's twist on the quintessential holiday season treat – gingerbread! Simple and delicious, makes two little loaves, one for you and one for sharing!
Course:
bread, Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Keyword:
cake, christmas, gingerbread, holiday
Servings: 2loaves
Ingredients
4tablespoonsunsalted butter
1/2cuppacked brown sugar
1large egg
1/2cupbuttermilkhack: whole milk + ½ tsp vinegar, let sit 5 min
1/3cupmolasses
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
2tablespoonsunsweetened cocoa powder
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonground ginger
1/8tspground nutmeg
1/4teaspoonsalt
1cupflour or gluten free blaking blend
1/2cupmini chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease TWO mini loaf pans (about 5.5” x 3”) or one 6" round cake pan.
Cream the butter and brown sugar then beat in the egg. Mix the buttermilk and molasses into butter mixture. Stir in baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt until combined. Next stir in flour until a smooth batter forms. Fold in chocolate chips.
Bake for about 25 or until a toothpick inserted in center pulls clean. Cool 10 minutes before slicing.
My goal for 2023 is to “Eat More Brunch” . . . and I’m starting now with this “Breakfast at Midnight” snacking board. It’s so perfect for our stay-at-home New Year’s Eve celebration. I’m not a fan of going out on this crazy night and would rather stay at home in my PJs and eat my favorite foods – and a breakfast grazing board pretty much covers all the favorite comfort food bases!
With help from Wildgrain Box (more details below), I made this gorgeous grazing board overflowing with beautiful brunch and breakfast trimmings. To balance my board nutritionally, I like to offer an array of nibbles and noshes.
This is a must make for your breakfast and brunch celebration. – or anytime of day!
Ideas for Your Breakfast or Brunch Charcuterie Tray
Eggs: Deviled eggs, sous-vide egg bites, slices of quiche, egg salad, or simple slices of hard-boiled egg.
Meats: Bacon, breakfast sausages, chunks of steak, and traditional charcuterie meats such as salami, prosciutto and summer sausage.
Cheese: Your favorite cheese cut in “cracker stacker” form, along mini wedges of bold cheese like blue cheese, and spreadable cheese and even a ooey-gooey baked brie.
Seasonal Fruit: All the beautiful fruits you love, avocados and tomatoes too for sandwich building.
Dried Fruits and Nuts
Butter, Honey, Jams, Spreads
Artisan Breads, Pastries, Crackers: Sourdough sliced for breakfast sandwich making, biscuits, pastries, donut holes, muffins, crackers and more! I even added homemade cottage fries with this brunch board.
Croissants from Wildgrain are magnifique! For a limited time, new orders get a FREE 4-pack with each shipment for life.
When it comes to artisan breads and pastries, I’ll admit right here and now – I’m NOT a scratch baker (those croissants above would literally take ALL DAY from scratch, but only 18-22 minutes the Wildgrain way)! Wildgrain Box to sends me other baking championship-worthy items – and no one is the wiser! Wildgrain is an amazing subscription box that sends artisanal pastas, breads and pastries to my home that are frozen and ready to prepare in no more than 25 minutes!
I transformed my Cranberry Orange Biscuits from Wildgrain into look-alike baby scones by cutting in half diagonally, giving an egg wash on top, and sprinkling with sugar crystals.
All the labor-intensive work has been done for me thanks to Wildgrain Box. The dough has been hand-prepped, the breads have been proofed, and the pastries given extra TLC. This means I save a ton of time and no extra mess is made at my house, lol! I also appreciate that Wildgrain use clean, non-GMO ingredients and their fermentation process provides benefits you won’t find at the grocery store. Items are always shipped free in and eco-friendly box and recyclable stay-cold packaging. They also support small bakeries and responsible source products from some of the best bread and pasta makers in existence. With each bite, I can taste the talent and love these yummy delights.
BTW, you can save $10 on your first order with code THEFITFORK. Every month (pause or cancel at any time), I get a frozen shipment of tender pastas, artisan breads and pastries delivered to my door.
Slow-fermented Olive Oil Ciabatta from Wildgrain is a winner with any meal. I sliced it up to use for breakfast sammies on my brunch board.
For New Year’s Eve . . . and beyond, keep Wildgrain in mind as your secret shortcut. One of my quick and east dinner solutions throughout the year (and to support my carb loading for longs runs, haha) are the artisan pastas from Wildgrain. These fresh hand-cut pastas taste oh-so “old world,” yet only need to be plopped into boiling water for mere minutes. Add a sauce, some veggies, a protein – and boom-bam, it’s a nutritious meal in under 30 minutes!
Slow-Fermented Brioche Rolls (likely but not confirmed)
Giant Chocolate Chunk Cookes
+ Free Croissants
Oh yeah, did I mention that every subscription of a Wildgrain Bread Box started now through January gets a free 4-pack of croissants sent with EVERY box shipment for LIFE. There are no words to describe how good they are! Remember to use my Wildgrain coupon code to save $10 — THEFITFORK
Pumpkin Spice French Toast Casserole with Pecan-Oat Crumble topping is a scrumptiously seasonal dish for upcoming holiday breakfasts and brunches.
Throw it together the night before you plan to serve and keep this make-ahead breakfast casserole in the fridge until ready to bake and serve. This takes so much stress out of a busy morning when hosting guests or just otherwise have a lot on your proverbial plate.
Pumpkin spice everything is LIFE this time of year, and using a pumpkin pie spice blend and already pureed pumpkin from a can minimizes the steps and adds convenience to putting together a holiday brunch recipes. A Wildgrain subscription box is another way to simplify and add convenience to your holiday entertaining and recipe plans.
Wildgrain is a delicious bread subscription box that also delivers artisanal pastas, pastries all kinds of breads (made with clean, nutritious ingredients) to your door that are frozen and ready to prepare in a flash – no more than 25 minutes from freezer door opening to your mouth opening for the first bite! I love to cook, but baking from scratch is a whole ‘nutha skill set and patience level, so I’m happy to let Wildgrain come to my rescue this holiday season when there is already more than enough “to-dos” on my list!
For this pumpkin breakfast casserole, I used the plain sourdough loaf in my box. Wildgrain bakers start with wild yeast to made the sourdough starter which takes days from start to finish and provides nutrients such as fiber-rich bran, proteins, probiotics, and vitamin-rich germ. The exterior of this loaf bakes up fabulously crusty and audibly crunchy while the interior is soft and tender with that old-school sourdough zip. So good!
When making a French toast casserole, it typically usually turns out best with bread a tad on the stale side so that it better soaks up the milk-egg mixture like a sponge.
With a fresh-baked loaf, the easy work around is to cut up in bite-sized cubes and leave on the counter uncovered for a couple hours.
Check out the No-Cook Tomato Artichoke Pasta made using one of Wildgrain’s hand-cut pastas! This was a quick and simple summer-inspired dish I created but would also be great for the holiday season, to bring to a party or serve at home on one of those busy nights when everything’s happening at once.
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Let me know what you think about this pumpkin spice breakfast casserole and don’t forget to check out Wilgrain. Use code THEFITFORK to save $10 on your first box (AND, if you sign up now, they will treat you to a free 4-pack of croissants with each and every box you have delivered for life – and these croissants ARE AMAZING, we were fighting over the last one at my house!!!)
Pumpkin Spice French Toast Casserole with Pecan-Oat Crumble Topping
Prep Time
15mins
Cook Time
45mins
Total Time
1hr
Treatyour holiday crowd this delicious pumpkin spice breakfast bake inspired byFrench toast! A crusty loaf of sourdough soaks up all the goodness and apecan-oat streusel like topping adds extra yum and then some! Make it ahead,stick in fridge overnight and bake in the morning for brunch
Course:
Breakfast, brunch
Keyword:
entertaining, fall, holiday, make ahead
Servings: 8servings
Ingredients
1 16-ounceloaf sourdough breadI used plain sourdough loaf from Wilgrain
6large eggs
2 1/4cupswhole milk
2teaspoonspure vanilla
1cuppumpkin pureefrom can
3/4cupbrown sugar
2teaspoonspumpkin pie spice
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
CRUMB TOPPING
1/3cuppacked light brown sugar
1/3cuprolled oats
1/2teaspoonpumpkin pie spice
6tablespoonsbuttercold
3/4cuproughly chopped pecans*
Optional topping ideas: maple syrupcaramel sauce, or powdered sugar drizzle
Instructions
Cut or tear loaf into approximate 1” cubes. Stale bread soaks up the egg mixture better, so if loaf is fresh-baked, let the bread cubes sit on counter uncovered for a few hours.
Spray a 10”-diameter oven-proof skillet or 9”×13” inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Add bread cubes to skillet or dish.
In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, pumpkin, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together. Pour mixture evenly over bread.
Cover skillet and chill in fridge for 2 hours or more (even overnight) so that bread absorbs as much of the egg-pumpkin mixture as possible.
Prepare topping by tossing brown sugar, oats, and pumpkin pie spice. Cut cold butter in little cubes and, using a fork or pastry cutter, mash around until mixture is coarsely combined and crumbly. Do not add topping until ready to bake (also keep in fridge until ready).
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sprinkle pecan-oat crumb topping evenly over casserole and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Then, cover skillet with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until center appears set. Total bake time is about 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. If desired, drizzle with a sauce such as maple syrup, caramel sauce, or a simple powdered sugar-milk drizzle.
