Sleep has always fascinated me.
Next to death and God, it's one of the most interesting, research-worthy subjects, in my opinion.
When I've really thought about it in the past and realized that we literally spend (about) one-third of our lives sleeping, it has just boggled my mind! It's like we live another mini-life somewhere.
I don't tend to have 'good' dreams about love, inheriting a lot of money, or the typical subjects that we, as awake beings, refer to as 'dreams'.
When I was younger, I usually dreamt of chainsaw-strapped men breaking into my house or homicidal sharks biting off my legs. That last one was a doozy. I was frantically swimming underwater in the ocean away from the sharp-toothed beast, when he bit off my left leg at the precise moment that I woke up.
What's even more strange is that when I awoke, I could feel bite marks around my leg where he had sunk his daggers!
These days, my dreams don't tend to be quite as morose. I often dream of my dad, who's always leaving and never talks to me, or I dream of food.
I literally formulate recipes and ideas for recipes in my sleep. Granted, I don't wake up with an exact list of ingredients, but I do glean general meal schemes.
This recipe, for example, started with a half awake, half asleep dream for a healthy strawberry shortcake, which is awesome right now since strawberries are so delicious and sweet!
The 'money' component in this equation is obviously the cake. Comprised of coconut flour, eggs, and (my favorite much to the chagrin of some of you) beans! 😀
Healthy, Grain-Free Strawberry Shortcake (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can white (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 eggs
- 3 T . applesauce
- ½ t . powdered stevia extract
- 2 t . vanilla
- 5 T . honey
- 3 T . coconut oil
- ¼ c . coconut flour , sifted twice
- ½ t . baking soda
- 1 t . baking powder
- ½ t . sea salt
- 1 lb fresh (or defrosted) strawberries, de-stemmed and cleaned
- coconut whipped cream , for serving
- fresh mint , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Oil the sides of a cake pan and lay a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom to prevent sticking.
- In a food processor, process the beans, eggs, applesauce, stevia, vanilla, honey, and oil together until smooth and well combined.
- In a small bowl, mix the sifted coconut flour with the salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the dry mix to the processor and pulse until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake the cake for approximately 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out relatively clean.
- Cool the cake before removing and slicing.
- Mash the strawberries with a potato masher until they are the consistency you desire.
- Pour a spoonful of the strawberries atop a slice of cake and top with whipped (coconut) cream.
- Garnish with mint, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from this recipe
Notes:
Be sure to sift your coconut flour the recommended two times, otherwise you may end up with an unappetizing bite of it!
I don't typically add any sweetener to my strawberries, as they are sweet enough on their own for me, but feel free to drizzle in a bit of your favorite sweetener when mashing them.
If you want to make cupcakes from this recipe, check out this recipe.
Be aware of over-baking, as this can dry out the cake.
If you're a novice with coconut whipped cream, this post may be of help!
I know there are still a decent amount of you who are scared to try beans, but they truly are delicious in desserts!
What I also love is the amount of protein they add. The one can used in this recipe adds a whopping 28 grams of protein! You should see my beefy husband light up over this delicious dessert, simply because it's so protein-packed! He's now requesting it regularly. 🙂
Are you a fan of strawberries?
Shared with: Hearth and Soul
Eileen
I am not a fan of coconut flour or the oil
Could you recommend a substitute
Strawberry shortcake is my all time favorite, so I was happy to read your recipe to try
Thank you
Lauren
Hi Eileen,
Unfortunately, coconut flour is very unique in how absorbent it is, so I can't offer an equal substitute, sorry.
Eileen
Thank you for responding
Janette
The recipe includes applesauce in the ingredient list but I don't see where to add it in the instructions. Tasted amazing without the applesauce anyway!
Lauren
Sorry about that, Janette! I've fixed the recipe to include it, but I'm happy it worked for you without it! 🙂
Chastine
This and your cupcakes are my favorite recipes from this site!!
swathi
Delicious love this healthy shortcake, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning.
April J Harris (@apriljharris)
I'm fascinated by how you have used beans in this cake, Lauren! What a great way to make delicious really healthy! Your Strawberry Shortcake looks absolutely delicious. Pinned and will tweet. Thank you for sharing it with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Irene
Hi, Thank you for this lovely recipe. Have you happened to try chickpea eggs (chia/flaxseed eggs) with this recipe? Not sure if it would work with beans....
Lauren
Hi Irene,
I have tried chickpea eggs and while they work when subbing out 1-2 eggs, I don't know that using them in this recipe would work. If you have any luck, let me know! 🙂
Lucia Baldwin
Wow! I'm very impress with your recipes!!! Thank you so much for sharing these amazing recipes with us!!! 🙂
Shelby John
Lauren, although it didn't look perfect it was really yummy. My husband and kids loved it and came back for more!! Thanks for the great recipe, I love your site.
Shelby John
Making this now because the picture looks so gorgeous. Sadly I'm. It sure it's turning out!! It was definitely not done when I scraped it from the pan do I just popped it back in. And my whipped cream won't firm up either. I'm so sad!
Lauren
Hi Shelby,
I can't comment on the whipped cream, as the recipe isn't mine, but for the cake, perhaps it just needs a bit longer in the oven. You can top it with an aluminum foil 'hat' so that the top doesn't burn, and let it continue to bake until firmed. My oven is practically new, so it probably operates at a higher temp than some. I hope this helps!
Shelby John
I am trying this recipe as we speak!! The picture looks so gorgeous. But sadly I'm not sure it's turning out. I can't understand what I did wrong. And my whipped dream didn't firm up either. I'm so sad.
Aubree Cherie @ Living Free
This looks delicious! I love baking with beans 🙂 If you're interested, I'd love to have you share this at Naturally Sweet Tuesday this week. http://livingfree.aubreecherie.com/2014/06/naturally-sweet-tuesday-june-10-2014/ Thanks for considering! ~Aubree
Louise
This recipe looks lush. I would like to use maple syrup instead of stevia. Do you know how much I should substitute?
Thanks
Lauren
Hi Louise,
I would use about 1/2 cup of another sweetener for the stevia. Let me know if it turns out for you! 🙂
Louise
Thanks for the info.
Louise
Gabby @ the veggie nook
I almost never remember my dreams but when I do its because they were extremely intense. As in waking up crying or laughing. I guess I just don't half-ass anything 😉
What a beautiful recipe! Loving strawberries right now!
dina
i love a high protein dessert. i must try this!
Chrissy
This is great! I use white beans in tons of stuff and people are none the wiser. Can't wait to try this one!
Lauren
Thanks Chrissy! They really are awesome in desserts. 🙂
Mike@TheIronYou
I'm as well fascinated by sleep, I've read many books on circadian rhythm and it's mind blowing. Seriously.
Just like your GF strawberry shortcake, I wish I had a slice tomorrow for breakfast!
Matt Robinson
This looks so good, Lauren! Love how you came up with it:)