Coconut adds wonderful richness to baked goods, and is lactose free! I tend to stick with the light version, but do use full fat in some of my recipes. The fat in coconut milk offers more health benefits than fat found in cow’s milk. Much is the fat in coconuts is in the form of medium chain saturated fatty acids. This form of fat is thought to be rapidly metabolized and used as energy, versus the fat from cows milk, which tends to be stored as fat in the liver. I am absolutely not a nutrition expert, but have enjoyed researching the health benefits of foods to help put the best ingredients I can into my body. Available here
I was playing around with floral flavors one day and decided to stir some hibiscus powder into my scone glaze. My goodness was I pleased! My mom could not get enough of these which made me so happy! It has a wonderful tartness which actually balances out the sweetness from the glaze quite nicely. I also love the bright deep pink color it gives off. Available here
I use dried lavender quite a bit in cupcakes and cookies. I especially love using this in iced oatmeal cookies – my boyfriend actually prefers them this way :). The lavender offers a faint floral undertone bringing a lovely warmth to your baked goods. Available here
These are my go to sprinkles for cupcake, cookie and cake decorating. They are high quality and have an amazing selection – including vegan sprinkles! Have fun with these as the combos are endless
I absolutely love coconut butter and cannot believe I lived so long without experiencing this. It is a little pricey but very worth it. I love to use it in glazes for donuts or muffins, in truffle fillings, on toast, or in muffins, cookies and granola! You will not regret trying this. Available here
I have experimented with many gluten free flours, but always find myself coming back to this blend. It truly is a one to one substitute for regular all-purpose flour. This blend does not produce a gummy texture or have a distinct taste I have noticed in other brands. Available here.
This is a great almond flour at a great price. Other flours are not as finely ground and therefore produce more of a textured batter. I have never been disappointed with this. If you use a lot of this you can order in bulk on Amazon or Jet for a better price. Available here
This is another excellent almond flour also at an excellent price. I have found little difference between this and Bob’s Red Mill above. Available here.
This is amazing cocoa. I will say you get what you pay for when it comes to cocoa powder. This has an amazing chocolate taste and blends beautifully. Adding even just a quarter teaspoon of espresso powder to this really bumps up the chocolate flavor in recipes. I promise you will taste the difference when using this cocoa. Available here
Vanilla bean paste is one of my all-time favorite ingredients. It brings the vanilla flavor up a level in you baked goods. It is an absolute a game changer in vanilla bean buttercream. It also provides the beautiful vanilla bean specs in your buttercream. It can easily be subbed at a 1 to 1 ration for vanilla extract in your recipes. Nielsen Massey is also excellent. The Queens brand is a little more affordable and still tastes excellent. Available here
Not all coconut oils are created equal. There are a few things you need to look for to ensure you are putting quality products into you baked goods and enjoy all the health benefits. Do not buy refined, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated versions to avoid exposure to rancid byproducts from coconut flakes or chemical solvents used in the refining process. Look for “USDA Organic” on the label as well as “raw” or “unrefined”. Virgin and Extra-Virgin are treated equally when it comes to coconut oil. These are both great options and safe words to see on a label. Lastly “expeller-pressed” is important because it tells you chemicals and solvents were not used in the extraction process. To summarize your good key words are organic, virgin, extra virgin, raw, expeller-pressed or cold-pressed. Still confusing but hopefully less so now :). Available here
I am a cinnamon addict. I have been know to stir a full teaspoons into my yogurt. I also love it in my coffee. I tend to throw at least an extra half teaspoon than what recipes call for as well. Cinnamon is loaded with health benefits as it is high in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, improves insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar, has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, fights heart disease and may even protect against cancer. There are many types and honestly a little confusing when knowing what to buy. Be careful if using Saigon cinnamon as this has high levels of Coumarin which has blood thinning properties. Avoid if you have liver disease. I look for Ceylon cinnamon as it has the lowest level of Coumarin and a sweet delicate taste great for baking. I love Penzey’s spice house in Indianapolis. They have many versions of cinnamon. Their version above is actually a blend of many types of cinnamon. The Spice House in Chicago is connected with this company also. Available here
I have become a little excessive with my dried rose petal use. I adore the way they dress up baked goods, chocolate bark or even your smoothie bowl! This brand above is available online. Feel Good Organics and Wild Foods are other great versions available on Amazon. Always buy organic to ensure pesticides or other chemicals were not used. Available here.
I do a lot of baking for others who do not have to be gluten free. When I can use gluten I love to use whole wheat pastry flour in muffin and quick break recipes. It helps make baked good light and fluffy. I usually do half all purpose and half whole wheat pastry flour. This one is my pick :). Available here
This is the baking pan I use for my mini bundt cakes. I like the diversity of the cake shapes this pan provides, but you can buy pans with a single design. My bundt cakes bake evenly every time, and remove with ease when the proper baking spray is used. These pans dress up a simple dessert and take it from basic to beautiful in one easy step! You will have a lot of fun with these. Bonus they are incredibly easy to clean. Available here
I use this baking spray with the bundt pan above. The staff at William Sonoma highly recommended this spray for Nordic products. The details of the cake in these pans is rather intricate, therefore want to ensure you cakes come out with ease. I have never had trouble when I use this spray. Available here 
Titanium dioxide works wonders in brightening up your buttercream icing. It really helps your colors pop, taking a standard turquoise to a beautiful bright turquoise! I always add a little less milk in my buttercream recipe because you have to dissolve the powder in water before adding. Place your content for the second column here.
Butter that is good for you….umm yes please! There are many reasons to incorporate butter from grass-fed cows into your diet and recipes. Milk from grass-fed cows has higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins, antioxidants, linoleic acid and butyrate. Linolieic acid is a fatty acid known to have cancer fighting properties, help build muscle and burn fat, and decrease inflammation within the body. Butyrate comes from butyric acid and helps increase insulin sensitivity, decrease bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels, increase our bodies fat burning potential, and better our overall gut health…you’re welcome 🙂
