Sugar-Free Chocolate Caramel Whipped Coffee with Collagen (Low Carb)

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Jennifer FIsher

Sugar-Free Chocolate Caramel Whipped Coffee with Collagen let’s you create a coffee-shop experience at home with multiple benefits! Whipped coffee (also called Dalgona) is a trend that is definitely meets and exceeds all the buzz!

Sugar Free Chocolate Caramel Whipped Coffee is an impressive yet easy coffee beverage to make -- and much more economical than going out, too! Serve warm or cold over ice. Low carb and friendly for Keto diets, diary-free, vegan and paleo diets. Collagen adds additional nutrients along with a protein boost. 128 cal, 2g net carb, 5.6g fat, 14.3g protein

This Chocolate Caramel Dalgona is a decadent-tasting coffee beverage that blends two classic flavors — chocolate and caramel – that are beloved pairings in most everyone’s cuppa Joe.

Check out more benefits of Caramel Chocolate Whipped Coffee which you can serve warm or cold depending on your mood:

Venti: When it comes to coffee, more is better in my book! That’s why I made this chocolate coffee dalgona “venti” sized, measuring in at over 20 ounces. However, if that’s too much caffeine for you, half the recipe or share with a friend.

Sugar Free: Using sugar-free coffee syrups and products that inherently have no sugar or have been sweetened with a natural, low-carb option (like Stevia) means this remains a low-carb coffee beverage.

Economical: Instead of $6+ you might pay in a gourmet coffee shop, this caramel chocolate whipped coffee is a fraction of the cost – I’d say just under a dollar, and that’s including a serving of collagen powder which is amazing for your health.

Collagen-Boosted: A serving of collagen hydrolysate (in a caramel flavor) is added to the almond milk before topping with the espresso foam. This not only creates the rich caramel flavor, but boosts the drink with 12g of protein and benefits for bones, joints, skin, gut and more.

Save 10% code at GreatLakesWellness.com --- THEFITFORK10OFF

I used the Daily Joint Collagen from Great Lakes Wellness – save 10% with code THEFITFORK . You can also use a plain flavor collagen and mix a tablespoon of sugar-free caramel syrup into the milk.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. A small commission is earned from sales generated through links, but price to you remains the same. Proceeds are used to offset operating costs for The Fit Fork. Thank you!

Sugar Free Chocolate Caramel Whipped Coffee

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

Sugar Free Chocolate Caramel Whipped Coffee is an impressive yet easy coffee beverage to make — and much more economical than going out, too! Serve warm or cold over ice. Low carb and friendly for Keto diets with 2g net carbohydrate.

Course: Beverage, Drinks

Keyword: caramel, chocolate, coffee, dalgona, keto, low carb

Servings: 1 serving

Calories: 128 kcal

Ingredients

18 oz. almond milk
2 tbsp. Great Lakes Wellness “Daily Joint” Collagen Classic Caramel Flavor
2 oz. boiling water
2 tbsp. instant espresso
2 tbsp. sugar-free chocolate syrup for coffee
Optional garnish: sugar-free chocolate dessert syrup

Instructions

Warm milk or keep cold, depending on preference.
Stir in collagen until combined; set mixture aside.
Boil water in bowl in microwave. Add instant espresso and sugar-free chocolate coffee syrup to hot water and use coffee frother to whip for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft peaks form.
Gently pour espresso mixture and froth over milk.
Drizzle with sugar-free dessert chocolate syrup, if desired.

Recipe Notes

Per 20-ounce serving: 128 cal, 2g net carb, 5.6g fat, 14.3g protein

Lemon, Blueberry & Almond Granola (Lower Carb + Protein Packed)

Posted on January 11, 2022 by Jennifer FIsher

Lemon, Blueberry & Almond Granola is perfect for breakfast with milk or on yogurt — or for eating straight by the handful as a snack. I’ve used my kitchen hacks (like using alternative sweeteners and adding collagen powder) to moderate carbohydrates, boost protein and create a nutritious food to fuel my goals.

Crunch, lightly sweet and wholesomely satisfying for breakfast or a snack, this easy homemade granola recipe features oats, dried blueberries and almonds -- and also sugar swaps and collagen powder to keep the carbs lowered and protein up!

Preparing homemade granola is surprisingly easy . . . and super economical. Oats are inexpensive and can really stretch your food budget a long way — the biggest expense in homemade granola is the array of mix-ins like nuts, dried fruit, seeds and such. But you still get more goodies in your batch than you’d find in a more expensive bag of packaged granola.

Check out this video tutorial on how to make Lemon Blueberry Almond Granola!

As hinted, this lower-carb, higher protein Lemon, Blueberry & Almond Granola uses a few favorite products — a honey alternative (or any zero-carb syrup will do) and unflavored collagen. And, so many wholesome, good-for-you ingredients in this low carb blueberry granola.

I’m a long-time user of collagen hydrolysate fromGreat Lakes Wellness. They have quite a few flavors, but the unflavored (green can) is very versatile for everything from mixing into coffee to using as a protein multiplier in recipes like this homemade granola with collagen.

Save 10% on anything at Great Lakes Wellness with my discount code: THEFITFORK

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Blueberry and Almond Granola - Crunch, lightly sweet and wholesomely satisfying for breakfast or a snack, this easy homemade granola recipe features oats, dried blueberries and almonds -- and also sugar swaps and collagen powder to keep the carbs lowered and protein up!

LEMON BLUEBERRY & ALMOND GRANOLA – Lower Carb and Packed with Protein!

Crunch, lightly sweet and wholesomely satisfying for breakfast or a snack, this easy homemade granola recipe features oats, dried blueberries and almonds — and also sugar swaps and collagen powder to keep the carbs lowered and protein up!

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Keyword: almond, blueberry, collagen, granola, lemon, lower carb

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 301 kcal

Ingredients

1 lemon zested and juiced
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup unflavored collagen powder
1/3 cup sugar-free “honey” or can sub real honey but will increase carbs
4 cups rolled oats gluten-free, if needed
¼ cup chia seeds
1 cup raw almonds
1-2 pinches salt
1/3 cup dried blueberries no-sugar added

Instructions

Juice and zest one lemon in large bowl.
Mix in honey substitute, collagen, and coconut oil.
Add oats, chia seeds, almonds, salt and blueberries.
Mix until coated.
Dump out on parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Lightly pat down.
Bake at 300F for 35 to 40 minutes, using spatula to turn over clusters at halfway point.
Let cool.
Store in air-tight containers.

Recipe Notes

301 Calories

20g net carb

16g fat

11 g protein

Veggie Enchiladas with Hatch Green Chile and Spinach Sauce

Posted on January 4, 2022 by Jennifer FIsher

Looking to add more veggies to your diet in 2022? My Veggie Enchiladas with Hatch Green Chile – Spinach Sauce make it easy to enjoy a favorite comfort food while loading up on plenty of healthy vegetables.

Easy Veggie Enchiladas with Hatch Green Chile and Spinach Sauce offer loads of vegetables and a surprising amount of protein thanks to cottage cheese blended smooth. In fact, each enchilada has about of protein! Sauce is prepared in blender, and the casserole bakes up for 20 to 30 minutes in oven until bubbling! Great for make-ahead weeknight meals.

Veggies in the filling include corn, onions and zucchini (throw in mushrooms too, if you like) while the sauce made easily in a blender includes fire-roasted green chilies and spinach. The veggie filing reminds me of a quick side dish I often make, but now I’m stuffing it corn tortillas as the main dish.

white cheddar cheese, pepper jack and blended cottage cheese

When most people think of enchiladas without meat, they don’t exactly think “loads of protein.” However, these vegetarian enchiladas feature my secret low-fat protein boost ingredient – cottage cheese! I like to blend cottage cheese for a smooth texture and 1 ½ ounces has about 6 grams of protein, which how much is stuffed into the center of each enchilada (along with additional protein sourced from other ingredients that totals 19g per enchilada).

Hatch green chile season is typically August through September, so sourcing fresh can be difficult if not impossible in the winter. I’ve found the next best thing is diced frozen hatch peppers that have already been roasted – I buy in bulk from The Hatch Chile Store and keep in freezer so I can satisfy my cravings year-round. If you absolutely must substitute, a green chile salsa would be my next choice and then green chiles from a can after that.

Hatch Green Chile - fire roasted, peeled and frozen for convenience

The sauce comes together quickly in the blender. No need to simmer, a deep, complex flavor like it’s been on the stovetop all day already exists when using hatch that have been oven-blistered or fire-roasted. I like to just pulse sauce ingredients together so everything stays chunky – but if it’s your preference, blend it smooth.

hatch green chile and spinach sauce for enchiladas

Assemble enchiladas with cottage cheese, cheddar cheese and sauteed veggies. Roll up and place seam-side down. Pour sauce evenly over top and sprinkle with a little extra cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and garnish as desired.

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This post contains affiliate links.

5 from 4 votes

Easy Veggie Enchiladas with Hatch Green Chile and Spinach Sauce

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Easy Veggie Enchiladas with Hatch Green Chile and Spinach Sauce offer loads of vegetables and a surprising amount of protein thanks to cottage cheese blended smooth. In fact, each enchilada has about of protein! Sauce is prepared in blender, and the casserole bakes up for 20 to 30 minutes in oven until bubbling! Great for make-ahead weeknight meals.

Course: dinner, dinner, entree, entree

Cuisine: Mexican, Southwestern

Keyword: casserole, hatch green chile, vegetarian, zucchini

Servings: 8 enchiladas

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chopped white onion
1 large zucchini chopped (between ¾ and 1 lb.)
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup white wine
8 ounces 2% cottage cheese pureed smooth
8 ounces pepper jack cheese grated
8 ounces white cheddar grated
16 ounces roasted hatch green chiles; skinned seeded and diced*
¾ to 1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups fresh spinach
¼ cup half and half
½ teaspoon each: cumin salt, ground black pepper
8 white corn tortillas

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F.
Add olive oil to large skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Add onion, corn and zucchini and sauté for 4 to 6 minutes until softening and getting brown on some of the edges. Add garlic and cumin, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add wine to deglaze pan and stir quickly for about 30 seconds to pull up the browned bits on skillet. Remove from heat and set aside.
In 9” x 13” baking dish, arrange 8 corn tortillas. Pour an even amount of the pureed cream cheese in each as well as equal portions of the cheese (reserving ½ cup for the top).
Spoon in approximately 2 heaping teaspoons of the vegetable mixture on top of cheeses. Roll up tortillas and turn seam to bottom of dish.
In blend, pulse together green chiles, broth, spinach and half and half until coarsely blended – does not need to be smooth.
Pour sauce across top of enchiladas and sprinkle top with remaining cheese.
Bake at 375 F degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until bubbling and cheese lightly browning on top. Let cool for 5 minutes before sprinkling with additional garnishes like avocado, diced tomato, red onion, etc.

Mendiants – Dried Fruit & Nut Chocolate Candy

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

Mendiant is the French word for scraps of chocolate, melted and sprinkled with bits of dried fruit and nuts, typically served around Christmas. Derived from the Latin root for “begging” and I know my whole family gobbled the up and was begging for more!

Quick and easy, these yummy chocolate candies called Mendiant (a French word) just need a bag of chocolate chips and a couple tablespoons each of dried fruit, nuts, seeds or whatever other ingredients you like paired with chocolate. Use sugar-free chocolate chips for a low-carb, keto-friendly treat.

Ridiculously easy and taste amazing, but Mendiants are a lifesaver when you need a last-minute treat to serve, give as a hostess gift, or food gift for the chocolate-lover . . . but have almost nothing in the pantry.

All you need for this easy chocolate candy recipes is a 12 oz. package of dark chocolate chips (use sugar-free chocolate chips for a low-carb chocolate candy recipe) and a variety of toppings that you likely already have stashed away.

*Use up whatever little “bits” of dried fruit, nuts and extras you have in the pantry!*

My Mendiants were topped with a variety of eight simple ingredients swiped from my pantry – not much of anything is needed, just a tablespoon or so of each. I used chopped nuts like pecans, Marcona almonds, and pistachios; chopped dried apricots, cherries and apples; and even had toasted quinoa and coconut for sprinkling. Any other kind of nut, seed or dried fruit also works.

Plus, try cacao nibs, dried citrus peels, coarse salt sprinkles, crushed coffee beans and whatever else you think pairs well with chocolate. If you are making keto mendiant, then nuts, seeds and spices will be your best picks paired with sugar-free chocolate chips.

Pour chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments (stirring between each blast), until completely melted, smooth and glossy. It took me 3 minutes, for reference. Take care not to over-microwave or allow any drips of water to get in the chocolate.

Dollop out chocolate in approximate 1.5 tablespoon portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet. It should spread out into at least a 2” circle. If chocolate begins to cool, keeping it from spreading out properly, use the back of a spoon to encourage.

While mendiant chocolate is still gooey, sprinkle with desired toppings. I think 3 types of topping per chocolate is ideal. Stick in fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Serve or package as desired. Makes approximately 24 fruit and nut studded chocolate coins.

*Pin for Later — check out the IDEA PIN with video*

Quick and easy, these yummy chocolate candies just need a bag of chocolate chips and a couple tablespoons each of dried fruit, nuts, seeds or whatever other ingredients you like paired with chocolate. Use sugar-free chocolate chips for a low-carb, keto-friendly treat.

Mendiant – Dried Fruit and Nut Chocolate Candy (Low Carb / Keto Option)

Prep Time

15 mins

cooling

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Quick and easy, these yummy chocolate candies just need a bag of chocolate chips and a couple tablespoons each of dried fruit, nuts, seeds or whatever other ingredients you like paired with chocolate. Use sugar-free chocolate chips for a low-carb, keto-friendly treat.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: candy, chocolate, christmas, holiday

Servings: 24 pieces

Ingredients

12 ounces dark chocolate chips traditional or sugar-free
1 to 2 Tbsp EACH of 6 to 10 toppings like: nuts, seeds, dried fruits, toasted quinoa, chia seeds, cacao nibs, citrus peel, even pretzels or potato chips. Chop, crush or dice until everything small-sized for topping

Instructions

Pour chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments (stirring between each blast), until completely melted, smooth and glossy. It took me 3 minutes, for reference. Take care not to over-microwave or allow any drips of water to get in the chocolate.
Dollop out chocolate in approximate 1.5 tablespoon portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet. It should spread out into at least a 2” circle. If chocolate begins to cool, keeping it from spreading out properly, use the back of a spoon to encourage.
While chocolate is still gooey, sprinkle with desired toppings. I think 3 types of topping per chocolate is ideal. Stick in fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Serve or package as desired.

Maple Mustard Halibut with Pecan-Quinoa | Air Fryer Friendly

Posted on December 11, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

Maple Mustard Halibut with Pecan-Quinoa Topping (in the air fryer or conventional oven) is ridiculously easy and absolutely delicious weeknight meal or special occasion supper.

Deliciously flakey and moist with a satisfyingly crunchy topping, this easy halibut recipe only takes 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook in an air-fryer.

First, I started with wild hook-and-line-caught Alaskan halibut. This hearty white fish is a personal favorite with tender flakes, a delicate flavor yet meaty texture that holds its own in any recipe. However, other firm fish can be used such as cod or salmon.

Next up an easy smear of stone-ground mustard mixed with maple syrup, just enough to make a layer between the fish and halibut topping of ground pecans and quinoa that crusts up so nice and crunchy while baking.

Meal prepping cooked quinoa for the freezer.

For a time-saving convenience, I keep a bag of COOKED quinoa in my freezer for recipes like this or to sprinkle in salads or soups. See my quinoa meal prep post HERE.

As far as a quick fish dinner, this pecan-quinoa crusted halibut recipe wins taking only about 10 minutes on 400F degrees. I use a toaster-oven style air fryer (the Omni Plus XL Toaster Oven – Air Fryer from Instant) because I like the spacious interior and front-opening functionality (it’s like a smaller-version of my big oven) but a basket-style air-fryer will work too.

If you are cooking in a conventional oven, the temperature remains the same, but you’ll just cook up to 5 minutes longer (keep an eye on it because if the pecan quinoa topping for fish starts to get too brown, you’ll need to loosely cover with a swatch of foil.

Such an easy fish recipe using halibut and nutritious too, with 275 calories, 7.7g protein, 11.4g net carb, and 40.1g protein per serving.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

5 from 2 votes

Maple Mustard Halibut with Pecan-Quinoa Topping

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Deliciously flakey and moist with a satisfyingly crunchy topping, this easy halibut recipe only takes 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook in an air-fryer.

Course: dinner, dinner, entree

Keyword: 15 minutes, air fryer, fish, halibut

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 275 kcal

Ingredients

10 to 12 oz fresh halibut or other firm fish like cod or salmon
1 1/2 tbsp. stone ground mustard
1 1/2 tbsp. real maple syrup
¼ cup finely chopped raw pecans
½ cup cooked quinoa
1/2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
Olive oil spray

Instructions

Pat halibut dry with paper towel. In small bowl, mix together mustard and syrup.
Slather mustard mixture on top only portion of fish. In small bowl, mix together pecans, cooked quinoa, salt, pepper and parsley.
Spoon onto top of fish and use hands to pat down into a crust, extended as far out to the edges of fish as possible.
Lightly spray top of pecan-quinoa mixture on fish with olive oil.
Pre-heat air fryer to 400F degrees.*
Transfer fish by large spatula to air fryer basket.
Air fry for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, until fish flakes and coating on top is turning lightly brown.
Remove immediately from air fryer and serve. With optional prepared honey mustard sauce or other condiment of choice.
(=*for conventional oven, heat to 400F and bake for approx. 14 to 18 minutes).

Recipe Notes