With spring finally here, many have renewed focus on healthy eating habits to get your body in tip top shape for summer or feel all around healthier. Then, bam! Easter is here and there are sweets and cakes all around. It’s hard to stick to a healthy diet with so much temptation. For someone with a gluten-free diet, I can avoid much of these, but I don’t really want to avoid them. I want my health and cake and eat it, too!

Being gluten free or sticking to clean eating doesn’t mean you have to nix your favorite Easter brunch cakes anymore – pancakes and pound cake! Instead, swap in coconut flour for regular flour in all your favorite recipes to enjoy baked goods, without the guilt or health ramifications.

Carrington Farms Organic Coconut Flour is a great-tasting, flour alternative that is low in carbs and perfect for paleo and gluten-free baking. From muffins to scones and pancakes, this flour will be the baker’s best friend this spring. I’ve shared some of my favorite gluten free Easter treats below.

Gluten-Free Easter Brunch Recipes

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup cream (coconut cream for non-dairy substitute)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Carrington Farms Organic Coconut Flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Carrington Farms Unflavored Liquid Coconut Cooking Oil for cooking

Directions:

1. Mix eggs, cream and vanilla together.
2. In a separate bowl, combine coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking soda and salt.
3. Slowly fold wet mixture into dry mix.
4. Heat griddle or frying pan to medium heat. Add Carrington Farms Coconut Cooking Oil.
5. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until top starts to bubble around the edges.
6. Top with bananas, maple syrup or any other topping and enjoy!

Lemon Pound Cake with Coconut Butter Glaze

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• 1/3 cup Carrington Farms coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup plus 1 T Carrington Farms coconut flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/2 t baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 1/3 cup coconut butter, for glaze
• 2 T maple syrup, for glaze
• 2 T lemon juice, for glaze

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease a 7.5″ by 3.5″ loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
3. Add the coconut flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
4. Transfer to prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
5. Remove from pan and cool completely.
6. In a small bowl, mix together the coconut butter, maple syrup, and lemon juice for the glaze. Spread on cake.

Feta and Olive Oil Cakes

Ingredients

• 5.30 ounces (or a little less than ¾ cup) feta cheese
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/4 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 cup Gaea’s Kalamata D.O.P. Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3.50 ounces (or a little less than ½ cup) ground almonds
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• Gaea Pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
• Brown sugar for garnishing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Process the cheese with the sugar and honey in a mixer until smooth.
3. Add olive oil.
4. Combine flour with the ground almonds and baking powder and add to bowl while mixing.
5. Divide batter among 6 greased one-use individual cake molds and top each with half an olive.
6. Sprinkle top of batter with brown sugar and bake for about 25 minutes.

Enjoy your family, great food without worry, and reflect on the true meaning of Easter this weekend. I put together a list of some good books that share the real meaning of Easter you might want to read with your kids.

Do you have favorite Easter holiday foods that you can’t go without on Easter Sunday? Please share in the comments!