Black Raspberry Morning Muffins October 28 2023, 0 Comments

Early mornings can be hard to start on a positive note, especially as December arrives and the sun rises later than you do. These muffins might mirror those early morning hues, but that's only because they are infused with the power of black raspberry anthocyanins to energize your day! Filled with carrots, apple, nuts, and dried fruit, these morning muffins are packed with healthy whole foods, with a hint of sweetness and zing from orange juice to brighten up your morning routine.

They are great on their own, or you can try them with our black raspberry pumpkin butter spread.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (240g) whole wheat flour, lightly packed*
• ¼ cup (20g) BerriHealth Black Raspberry Powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp table salt
• ⅔ cup avocado or vegetable oil
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup grated apple
• ½ cup dried cranberries, cherries or raisins
• ½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans
• Optional: sprinkle some pumpkin or sunflower seeds on top

Notes:

*We tried a few different types of whole wheat flour, and the weight in grams for 2 cups of flour was different for all of them. We recommend using a scale if at all possible!

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray muffin pans with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners (we prefer liners made with parchment paper).
2. In a small bowl, cover the dried cranberries, cherries or raisins with hot water. Drain after 20 minutes, then set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and Black Raspberry Powder. 
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla. When nicely blended, mix in the grated carrots and apples.
5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir together a few times with a rubber spatula. Then fold in the drained, dried fruit and nuts until just combined with no pockets of flour left. Do not overmix.
6. Fill to just below the top of the muffin cup or liner with batter. Sprinkle a few pumpkin or sunflower seeds on top of each muffin if desired.
7. Bake for 22-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without any raw batter (there can be muffin crumbs on the toothpick). Take the muffin pan out of the oven and allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes. Then, take the muffins out of the pan and cool on a wire rack until you’re ready to enjoy!
8. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week. You can also freeze your muffins to make them last longer.

 

Fiber-Filled Black Raspberry Pumpkin Balls October 02 2023, 0 Comments

Every October, it's all about pumpkin spice. Everything from lattes to cookies has pumpkin spice. But what about the actual pumpkin? For this recipe, we wanted to focus on the actual pumpkin! Pumpkin is low in sugar, a good source of fiber, and has a ton of vitamins and and minerals like calcium, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin K.

This black raspberry pumpkin ball recipe loads up on fiber with pumpkin, oats, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and of course black raspberry powder to give a big boost of anthocyanin antioxidants to the mix. We also take a traditional pumpkin spice in cinnamon and give it a new pairing with an optional sprinkle of cayenne pepper to bring a hint of heat to each bite. A coating of unsweetened coconut makes them easy to grab for a healthy snack during the day.

 

Black Raspberry Pumpkin Balls:

Ingredients (Makes around 12 pumpkin balls):

• ¼ cup dark chocolate (see notes)
• 2 Tbsp Black Raspberry powder
• 1 cup oats
• ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree
•  2 Tbsp almond butter or your favorite nut butter
•  2 Tbsp chia seeds
•  2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
•  2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut shreds for coating the pumpkin balls.

 

Instructions:

• Pulse coconut in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour the chopped coconut in a separate small bowl for coating the rolled pumpkin balls later. You can also coat the balls in finely chopped nuts if you prefer. 
• Pulse all ingredients (except coconut) in a food processor until well-mixed.
• Roll the mixture into walnut sized balls and then coat balls in the bowl of finely chopped coconut.  Store the balls in the freezer or refrigerator.

 

Notes:

1. If you are buying canned pumpkin puree, make sure it is puree and not pumpkin pie mix (which has spices and sugar added).
2. If you want to make these pumpkin balls even healthier, take a bar of 70%+ dark chocolate and add it to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients to break it into smaller pieces. Dark chocolate chips are usually only 50% dark chocolate!
3. The cayenne pepper should not be "hot" but add just a little warmth to the flavor of the pumpkin balls. If you are sensitive to spice, adjust the cayenne pepper and cinnamon to your taste.
4. The mixture should come together in the food processor, but may be a little crumbly until forming the balls. If the mixture is very crumbly, add a teaspoon or two of water or juice.

This black raspberry guava smoothie is a healthy tropical escape! November 16 2021, 0 Comments

The fall season is coming to an end, and while we love sweater weather and pumpkin spice, occasionally it’s nice to have something that reminds us of warmer times.

Dr. William Li just shared with us a smoothie recipe that he loves, and the guava fruit in it made us immediately think of a tropical vacation. It turns out that guava is a great addition to smoothies for health reasons too, with lots of fiber, vitamin c, and other nutrients. Here is the recipe from Dr. Li:

Immune-Boosting Smoothie:

• 1 guava
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (or pure pomegranate juice)
• 1 teaspoon black raspberry powder
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup crushed ice

Instructions:

Rinse the guava and slice in half, then scoop out the flesh and puree in blender until smooth (you can remove the seeds for a more silky texture in your smoothie).

Add the remaining ingredients and fully blend, then serve immediately in glasses.

Tips:

Guava fruit is usually green, and starts to look a little more yellow or even tinged with pink when it is ripe. You can also check and see if the fruit is soft to the touch (think of a more firm avocado). Guava fruit comes in a ton of varieties and sizes, so don't be surprised if guavas at your local supermarket look different! We find the seeds can be extremely hard, but both the seeds and skin of the guava are edible.

One shortcut we used when making this recipe was to buy pomegranate seeds in the frozen fruit section. Frozen fruit is great in smoothies, and with pomegranates it really saves a lot of time not having to take the seeds out ourselves! 

 

Lean more about healthy foods from Dr. William Li:

If you are interested in learning more about these ingredients and a whole bunch of other foods you can add to your diet to improve your health, Dr. Li is offering a free online class that you can sign up for in the link below:

 

 

 

Rich and Creamy Black Raspberry Ice Cream May 27 2017, 0 Comments

Super Simple Black Raspberry Ice Cream

Now that the weather is finally starting to warm back up, it's always a good excuse to indulge in ice cream! This black raspberry ice cream could not be simpler. There's no need to cook and strain any berries. Instead, we used our Black Raspberry Extract. No extra work required, and the taste is pure, sweet and delicious!

 Here's how we made it:

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 (more or less to your taste) teaspoons BerriHealth's Black Raspberry Extract
• 4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate (add more or less if you like and save some to sprinkle on top)

 

Directions:

Combine milk, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk the ingredients together until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the cream, vanilla and Black Raspberry Extract and stir with a rubber spatula until nicely blended. Now cover the bowl and pop it in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight is fine too. After the cream mixture has chilled, pour it in your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Toward the end of the churning cycle, add the chopped chocolate.  Serve immediately for a soft ice cream or freeze for a couple of hours for a firmer ice cream. Top with some chopped or shaved chocolate. Simply delicious!

Now, if you have a bit more time and want a creamier custard, try this recipe from the New York Times: The Master Ice Cream Recipe.  Blend in about 6 - 8 teaspoons of Black Raspberry extract (you can always add more!) before putting the cream mixture in the refrigerator. Be sure to check out the video for great tips on making ice cream: How to Make the Recipe Video

 

 Enjoy!

 

 

A Fast, Delicious and Nutritious Protein Shake February 03 2015, 0 Comments

 

Black Raspberry Chocolate Protein Shake

Fast, delicious and nutritious!  The black raspberry chocolate protein shake is sure to become your go-to drink in the morning. Two scoops of chocolate protein powder, 3 teaspoons of black raspberry powder and about a cup of your favorite milk.  A quick whirl with an immersion blender and you're done!

Want to take it to the next level?  Add a half of a frozen banana, ½ cup of frozen berries, ½ cup of Greek yogurt and a teaspoon of chia seeds.  Mix it in a blender and you’re ready to head out the door to work or a work out.

The great thing about our black raspberry powder is all the prep work has been done for you. It’s recipe ready any time. No freezer or refrigeration is needed. Plus, because it is in powder form, your body can absorb so much more of all those great antioxidants and nutrients!

A Very Special Hot Fudge Sauce February 02 2015, 0 Comments

   

Black Raspberry Hot Fudge Sauce

Silky hot fudge cascading over scoops of creamy ice cream. Tuck a chewy brownie or a thick slice of chocolate cake underneath and it's hard to beat that for a dessert!  But if you want to surprise your family and friends with a rich, sweet layer of flavor, try adding our Black Raspberry Extract to your next hot fudge sauce.

Since many people have not had black raspberry, you get to treat them to a unique experience that is absolutely delicious. And as an added bonus, you make a healthier version of hot fudge because black raspberry extract is loaded with nutritious antioxidants and anthocyanins. You serve an indulgent dessert minus the twinges of guilt.

Black Raspberry Hot Fudge Sauce is easy to make. Use your favorite hot fudge recipe and when you’re all done making it, just stir in the black raspberry extract to the warm sauce. How much you add is up to you. For a subtle hint of special sweetness, blend in just a couple of teaspoons. For a complex fruity burst of flavor, add ⅛ - ¼ cup of extract to about 2 cups of sauce. The fun part will be you get to do a lot of taste testing!

Pour this sauce in a jar, tie a bow around it and you have a unique and luscious gift to take to neighbors over the holidays or to your friend's house paired with a container of gourmet ice cream. And for the chocolate lover in your life, you can always give your special someone a jar of this very special hot fudge sauce on Valentine's Day!  

 

Refreshing Black Raspberry OJ Spritzer July 24 2014, 0 Comments

 

 

Beating the Summer Heat 

As we slowly march into the middle of summer, we seem to stumble across those inescapably hot and humid days with more frequency.  Sometimes it is nice to whip up a quick, refreshing drink that tastes good but has more than just sugar in it.  We experimented with a lot of cool combinations, but one of our favorites was this simple orange juice spritzer.  It's easy to make, only has a few ingredients, and we've already put it to use on a few hot days in the last couple of weeks.

Ingredients:

• ½ - 1 teaspoon Black Raspberry Extract
• ½ cup of orange juice
• Club soda
• Ice
• Fresh orange slice

Directions:

Pour about ½ cup or more of orange juice into a large glass. Stir in ½ - 1 teaspoon of Black Raspberry extract and club soda.  Add plenty of ice, a slice of fresh orange and sip on a frosty spritzer with healthy black raspberry nutrients.

 

 

 

Enjoy!