It typically takes me 24 hours to make my bread from start to finish (from feeding my starter to baking) 24 hours sounds like a high-maintenance process, but I promise it’s not. There are a lot of hours where you just leave the bread alone to rise or leave the starter alone to activate. The process can be customized to fit any kind of schedule. The more you bake sourdough bread, the more you’ll find your groove when it comes to a timeline that works for you. 

Reasons why you will love an easy beginner’s sourdough bread recipe:

1. Simple ingredients: This beginner sourdough bread recipe has a short list of simple ingredients, making it easy to get started with minimal fuss.
2. Clear instructions: This Beginner sourdough bread recipe has detailed instructions and step-by-step guidance, making it easy to follow along even if you’ve never made bread before.
3. Healthy and natural: Sourdough bread is a healthier option than regular bread, as it contains more nutrients and is easier to digest. It’s also made with natural yeast, which is better for your gut microbiome.
4. Delicious flavor: Sourdough bread has a unique, tangy flavor that many people find irresistible. Plus, with a little practice, you can customize the flavor by adjusting the fermentation time, adding herbs or spices, or using different types of flour.
5. Budget-friendly: Making your own sourdough bread can be more cost-effective than buying it from a bakery or grocery store, especially if you’re buying high-quality artisan bread.
6. Satisfaction of baking: There’s something satisfying about making your own bread from scratch, and sourdough bread is no exception. Plus, it’s a great way to impress your friends and family with your baking skills!

Don’t Overcomplicate Your Starter

People (including myself, at first) get so nervous about the sourdough starter. It’s hard to understand at first, and it’s a bit intimidating. I think it’s often way too overcomplicated. So many people tell you that you can’t do this and can’t do that, but I’ve done many of those “can’t dos,” and my bread has turned out perfectly fine.

What should I do if I want to make sourdough bread?

The first thing you need to do is feed your starter. Some people will tell you to feed your starter with equal parts, but I hardly ever do that, especially if I have to make enough starter to bake 10-12 loaves. (feeding instructions are listed below)

If you want to make sourdough bread and do not have a starter, try purchasing some from a local bakery or a live starter on Amazon, or ask a neighbor for some starter. You’ll be able to immediately feed the starter and get to baking within a day.

Feeding your starter with equal parts

Equal parts of starter, water, and flour are what most people do when feeding your starter.

You can make a successful starter by combining 1/4 cup of active starter, 1/4 cup of water, and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour (or 1/2 cup,  1/2 cup, 1/2 cup, and so on)

Feeding your starter with more flour and water (not equal parts)

If you add more flour and water than a starter to your jar, it’s called a Levain. The levain has a less sour taste, and it also makes more starter, just in case you need more for a recipe. It may require more hours to activate, but it’s helpful when you need more starter or if you’re trying to tone down the sourness. If you only have about two tablespoons of starter in your refrigerator, you’ll want to make a levain in order to bake a recipe that requires 100 + grams of starter.

Let’s just say you only have a few lingering spots of starter in your jar after making a loaf of bread, you’ll add in 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of flour to keep it going, place it in your refrigerator, and about 12 hours, your starter will be activated again.

I never measure accurately. This is why I say people overcomplicate the starter process. I sometimes don’t even measure the water and flour going into the starter jar, and it works out perfectly each time. I’m not saying you should do this, but this is just my reason why I think the “bread people know it alls” overcomplicate things. It’s an intimidation technique (just kidding, idk, ahhh)

You’re probably confused, but I promise you’ll catch on soon. I plan to do a lot of TikTok and videos in the future that will help explain much more of this.

Do I toss out the extra starter when feeding my starter?

Yes, this is what confused the heck out of me at first.

It’s called your discard. If you’re using 1/4 cup of starter to feed, you’ll discard the rest. You can either toss the discard out, use it for making the more starter, or use it for another recipe. I hardly ever dump mine out. I usually feed it, place it in the refrigerator, and use that for the next batches of bread. You can find so many cool recipes online to use up the discard, so nothing goes to waste. I’ve tried chocolate chip cookies, muffins, quiche, and pancakes. I’m looking forward to sharing so many more sourdough recipes this year. I’m kind of obsessed at this point.

Where should I store my starter if I’m not baking for a few days?

Starters take many weeks of neglect to die, and they are pretty forgiving after some troubleshooting. If you do not plan to use your starter for a week or two, just place it in the refrigerator. Feed it every 7 to 12 days. Scoop out a few tablespoons of starter, and add in a few tablespoons of water and a few tablespoons of flour. Mix, and let it be. You do not have to add much flour and water if you do not plan on baking. 

If you do plan to bake every 24 to 48 hours, you can leave your starter out on the countertop. You’ll just have to keep feeding it daily. Refrigerating the starter slows down the fermentation, putting your starter to sleep and allowing you to let it be for a few days or a few weeks. I always feed my starter before sending it to the refrigerator jail.

If you are going on a vacation, rest assured your starter will be perfectly safe in the refrigerator. 

How do you feed your starter after weeks of refrigeration?

So you’re ready to bake, but your starter has been in the refrigerator for a week or two.

Take your starter from the refrigerator, and let it sit on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour. Make a levain, or feed your starter with equal parts. Place your fed starter by a window or in a warmer spot for 5-12 hours. Use the tape to measure its growth, and your starter should be active and ready to bake! You can also do this the night before if you plan to make the dough in the morning. 

The starter is Ready when…

After feeding your starter, place it in a warmer area in the house. (I keep mine under a heat vent or by the window on a warm day.)

In about 5 to 12 hours, your starter should double in volume, look foamy like a sponge, and it will smell sour. Once you grab a spoonful, it will stretch like bubblegum. (or try the float test.)

What ingredients do you use to make your starter?

• Organic All-Purpose Flour (there are other flours you can use to make starter, but I like to keep it simple)
• Purified Room Temperature Water
• Starter

 

What ingredients do you use to make your sourdough bread?

Ingredients are so important when making sourdough bread successfully.

• Organic Bread Flour – I use King Arthur – (you do not have to use organic, it’s just what I use most often)
• Purified Room Temperature Water – (you can leave your water out overnight to help kill lingering chlorine)
• Active Starter – (previously fed within the past 5 to 12 hours)
• Fine Artisan Sea Salt – (or fine sea salt) – Try to avoid iodized salt because it can leave a bitter aftertaste.
• +any fillers you’d like to add during the fold & shaping.

Side note: these are the ingredients I use most of the time, but you do not have to use organic bread flour or artisan sea salt.

I have made wheat sourdough bread, but I’ll save that for another post. I’m already throwing way too much information at you right now.

Can I use a metal spoon or metal bowl with sourdough bread?

This is an annoying debate! Some people (the bread know-it-alls) will yell at me in the comment section about using metal bowls and spoons, but I haven’t had any issues! My bread turns out fine no matter what I mix or proof it in.
  


There are so many different ways to bake sourdough, which is why each loaf is unique! Here is how I get my bread to come out perfect each time! 

This depends on your timeline; it does not have to be exactly 12 or 24 hours.

Customize this timeline to fit your daily routine. I wake up so early, so I make mine start at 4 or 5 am. You do not have to do that.

Ingredients for Two Loaves of Sourdough Bread

• 190 g Active Starter
• 780 g Purified Room Tempurature Water
• 1060 g Organic Bread Flour
• 4 Tsp Fine Artisan Sea Salt

The Best Golden Sourdough Bread Recipe | Easy for Beginners | 24 Hour Sourdough  Bread Timeline

5:30 am

Feed Starter 1/4 cup of starter, 1/4 cup of purified room temperature water, and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour (not bread flour!) Add a piece of tape near your starter line to track the growth. Set the starter in a warmer area of the house. 

12:00 to 1:00 pm

Add the weighed activated starter and water to a large bowl and mix well. Mix in the weighed organic bread flour. You may have to use your hands to combine the ingredients. Add the salt (make sure to add it last, so it does not interfere with the starter.) At this point, the mixture will be very sticky and hard to form into a ball. Cover it with a damp towel, and set it aside for one hour. 

1:15 pm

After making your sourdough, feed your starter jar, and place it back in the refrigerator if you do not plan to bake for a few days. If you plan to bake it again the next day, you can leave it out on the counter.

2:00 pm

Wet your hands. Fold and stretch your dough until it forms a large ball. You can do this without bringing your dough onto the countertop. I usually do this step with the dough in the bowl the entire time. (refer to the video for help) Once the dough is formed into a ball, cover it back up with a damp cloth and set it aside for three to five hours. It should double in size at this point. Keep your dough in a warm house (67 to 73.) I have often placed the bread in the oven to rise with the light on.

6:00 pm

Remove the dough from the bowl. Divide the dough into two equal parts. I use a scale to ensure the separated dough weighs the same; otherwise, baking times will change for each. It’s ok if they are a few grams off. Add a little flour to your surface, stretch and fold, and then shape each sourdough into a tight ball. Add flour to the banneton, and place the dough smooth side down into the banneton (proofing basket.) Cover with a damp towel, and place in the refrigerator overnight. The longer it proofs in the refrigerator, the bolder the flavor will become. If you want to add in fillers like cheese, cinnamon, raisins, etc., do this during the last stretch and fold (I shared this in the video.)

You can leave the proofing sourdough in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours, so if you want to bake the bread when you get home the next day instead of the morning time, that will work too!

Some do not proof their sourdough in the refrigerator. I had the BEST results after cool proofing. Whenever I left the bread out, it rose and rose, and I had to do another stretch and fold in the morning before baking.

5:30 am (next day)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Remove the proofed sourdough from the refrigerator. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper (smooth side up.) Dust with flour, and use your fingers to smooth the surface. Use scissors, a knife, or a scoring tool to add fun designs. Slice the dough about 1/2 inch thick on the top before placing it into the oven. This will form a stunning “ear” on the sourdough bread.

6:00 am

Bake your sourdough bread.

Place the bread (still on top of parchment paper) into a dutch oven with a lid. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the lid, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remember that all ovens cook differently, so pay attention to the bread once you remove the lid. You do not want to go through all of that work and then burn your bread!

7:00 am

Allow the bread to cool on a rack for two hours before slicing.

9:00 am

ENJOY YOUR BREAD!

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When do I add my fillers to sourdough bread?

Once you master the art of making a plain loaf, adding in flavors is when the fun begins!

If you add herbs, you can mix those in during your first fold and stretch.

Garlic, rosemary, lavender, oats, cinnamon, thyme, basil, etc.

If you’re making bread filled with cheese, fresh produce, sugar, honey, olive oil, or other fun ingredients, I typically wait until the final stretch and fold and shape to do so.

The key is ensuring the ingredients (other than herbs) are folded into the center and not on the outside. Otherwise, it can stick to the pan or burn at a high temperature (especially when using honey.)

Some ingredients can take the extra heat. 

Fun flavors of sourdough bread

Jalapeño & Cheese

Fold in a generous amount of diced pepper jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and jalapeños. Add olive oil, extra cheese, and jalapeños to the score lines before baking.

Cinnamon Honey

Add lines of honey and sprinkles of cinnamon in the center of your folds. Try your best not to get honey on the outside of your dough (honey burns quickly.) If honey intimidates you, use brown sugar instead!   

Garlic Parmesan

Add roasted garlic cloves, dried basil, olive oil, and parmesan to the center of your folds.

When your bread is done, add more parmesan and basil to the top, and let it cool. (don’t add parm on top until it is cooked, or it will burn)

Everything But the Bagel

Fold everything but the bagel seasoning in during your first stretch and fold. After scoring, add olive oil and extra everything but the bagel seasoning into the creases.

Cream Cheese & Lox

One of my favorite ways to enjoy sourdough is slicing it, drizzling olive oil over the top, warming it up in the oven, spreading garlic cream cheese on top with a splash of dill, lox, red onion, a lemon drizzle, and capers. Or, if you want to keep it dairy-free, use an avocado spread instead of cream cheese.

Honey Oat

Fold in the oats during the first stretch and fold. Carefully fold in the honey during the final stretch and fold.

 

What tools should I purchase for making sourdough bread?

You can use tools you already have in your house, like a knife for scoring, cups as jars, or regular round bowls lined with cloth for proofing.

If you want the fun products that excite you for baking, here are some of my favorite sourdough items I use! You can always add them to your Christmas wish list! I get so excited each time I purchase a new baking gadget. 

I’ve added all items to my Amazon Shopping Storefront!

• Active Starter
• Whisk
• Bread Flour
• Food Scale
• Dome Bowls
• Proofing Baskets
• Salt
• Flour Sack Towels
• Scoring Tools
• Dutch Oven
• Parchment Paper Sheets
• Bread Bags

Print

Perfect Sourdough Bread Loaf | Golden, Crispy, Flavorful

This recipe for sourdough bread has taken months to perfect. It's golden, and delicious. You'll never buy a loaf of bread at the store ever again.

Course Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword sourdough bread, sourdough loaf, bread, breadmaking, baking, homemade recipe, sourdough loaves, sourdough starter, sourdough scoring, sourdough journey, how to make sourdough

Prep Time 1 day day

Servings 2 Loaves

Author Taralynn McNitt

Equipment

• 1 Dutch Oven
• 1 Digital Kitchen Scale

Ingredients

• 190 G 190 g Active Starter
• 780 G Purified Room Temperature Water
• 1060 G Organic Bread Flour
• 4 Teaspoons Fine Artisan Sea Salt

Instructions

Feed The Starter

• 5:30 am

  Feed Starter 1/4 cup of starter, 1/4 cup of purified room temperature water, and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour (not bread flour!) Add a piece of tape near your starter line so you can track the growth. Set the starter in a warmer area of the house.

Make Sourdough Dough

• 12:00 to 1:00 pm

  Add the weighed activated starter and water to a large bowl and mix well. Mix in the weighed organic bread flour. You may have to use your hands to combine the ingredients. Add the salt (make sure to add it last, so it does not interfere with the starter.) At this point, the mixture will be very sticky and hard to form. Cover with a wet towel, and set it aside for one hour. 

Refeed Starter Jar

• 1:15 pm

  After making your sourdough, feed your starter jar, and place it back in the refrigerator if you do not plan to bake for a few days. If you plan to bake bread the next day, you can leave it out on the counter.

Stretch and Fold | First Rise

• 2:00 pm

  Wet your hands. Fold and stretch your dough until it forms a large ball. You can do this without bringing your dough onto the countertop. I usually do this step with the dough in the bowl the entire time. (refer to the video for help) Once the dough is formed into a ball, cover it back up with a damp cloth and set it aside for three to five hours. It should double in size at this point. Keep your dough in a warm house (67 to 73.) I have often placed the bread in the oven to rise with the light on.

Stretch, Fold, Shape & Cool Proof

• 6:00 pm 

  Remove the dough from the bowl. Divide the dough into two equal parts. I use a scale to ensure the separated dough weighs the same; otherwise, baking times will change for each loaf. It’s ok if they are a few grams off.

  Add a little flour to your surface, stretch and fold, and then shape each sourdough into a tight ball. Add flour to the banneton, and place the dough smooth side down into the banneton(proofing basket.) Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

  The longer it proofs in the refrigerator, the bolder the flavor will become. If you want to add fillers like cheese, cinnamon, raisins, etc., do this during the last stretch and fold.

  You can leave the proofing sourdough in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours, so if you want to bake the bread when you get home the next day instead of the morning, that will work too!

Scoring

• 5:30 am (next day)

  Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

  Remove the proofed sourdough from the refrigerator. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper (smooth side up.) Dust with flour, and use your fingers to smooth the surface. Use scissors, a knife, or a scoring tool to add fun designs. Slice the dough about 1/2 inch thick on the top before placing it into the oven. This will form a stunning “ear” on the sourdough bread.

Baking Bread

• 6:00 am

  Bake your sourdough bread.

  Place the bread (still on top of parchment paper) into a dutch oven with a lid. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the lid, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remember that all ovens cook differently, pay attention to the bread once you remove the lid. You do not want to go through all of that work, and then burn your bread!

Cooling Process

• 7:00 am

  Allow the bread to cool on a rack for two hours before slicing.
• 9:00 am

  Enjoy your bread!

Sourdough Terms

What Is Proofing?
In both regular (yeasted) bread making and sourdough baking, proofing refers to the rise after shaping.

Scoring is a way of making shallow cuts in the tops of the unbaked bread dough right before baking it.

Sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of fresh flour and water. Once combined, the culture will begin to ferment and cultivate the natural yeasts found in our environment. A small portion is added to your bread dough to make it rise.

Stretching and folding is a form of kneading in sourdough. Stretching and folding help activate the gluten in wheat flour, making it easier to work with and shape. If you skip stretching and folding, you will likely have a soggy dough that doesn’t hold its shape before or during baking.

Alveoli refers to the gas bubbles or pockets in the crumb of your bread. Large alveoli can be achieved by getting the right combination of fermentation, time, and temperature.

Discard is the process of removing a portion of unfed starter from the jar before you feed your sourdough starter. The remainder of the unfed starter is called discard, and there are many recipes you can use it in to make sure it does not go to waste (or you can create a new starter)

The float test is when you put a teaspoon of sourdough starter into a glass of water. If it floats, it’s ready to bake bread with. If it sinks, you need to work on building your starter a little longer.

I think I’ve filled you with enough sourdough bread information for now! Feel free to leave any questions in the comment area, and I will answer them! I cannot wait to share more, and I hope you all send me photos of your bread creations.

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Questions for you!

1. Have you ever made sourdough bread before?

2. What about sourdough bread intimidates you?

3. What flavor would you like to make?

I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend! The 4th of July weekend always makes it officially feel like summer. We had a great weekend celebrating with family and friends. My recap will be up sometime this week, along with a recipe for apple fritter cake! On Saturday morning, I had a few girlfriends over for a trail walk, followed by a DIY papaya boat board. When I used to take my trips to Hawaii, I had both girls visit me! We fell in love with fresh Hawaiian papaya (never the same on the mainland!) It grew on the trees at the house we were staying at, which made it even better! After playing tennis in the mornings, I started making papaya boats with homemade granola. 

Emily messaged me on Instagram after seeing one of my stories and said she wanted to make these again, so I told her I’d do it for us on Saturday! It was just as good as I remembered, and I need to start making these more!

Mix the chia seeds to thicken if you use a dairy-free yogurt. 

This recipe can easily be gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan! Just use a plant-based yogurt, and make sure to use certified gluten-free oats with granola. 

Print

Yogurt Papaya Boats with Homemade Crunchy Granola

Course Breakfast

Servings 4 Boats

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 2 Papayas
• 4 Cups Yogurt Any Kind (use a dairy-free to make this recipe vegan)
• 1 Cup Mango diced
• 1 Cup Fresh Berries
• 2 Bananas sliced
• 1 Dragon Fruit Sliced
• 2 Cups Homemade Granola
• 4 Tsps Chia Seeds

Instructions

• Slice the papayas in half and scoop out the seeds.
• Fill each half with one cup of yogurt.
• Top the yogurt with fruit, chia seeds, and granola.

  You can also mix the chia seeds with the yogurt.

Papaya is incredibly healthy!
 
I hope this post gives you a fun breakfast idea!

Questions for you!

1. Do you like papaya?
2. What is a food that only tastes good in your state! 
3. What is your favorite brand of yogurt?

One of my favorite desserts in the summer is homemade ice cream. We love creating new flavors and throwing all the ingredients into our ice cream maker. Sometimes, we have competitions to see who can create the best ice cream recipe.

If a dessert has blueberries, you better believe I’m already asking for seconds. Sign me up for blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, cake, and the list goes on! I think they’re one of the best dessert fruits. When I was trying to come up with my ice cream flavor, I kept thinking about something “blueberry.” I was also in the mood for vanilla ice cream, so I came up with a blueberry cobbler-style bowl. It turned out delicious! Instead of making a streusel, I made my homemade granola for the topping. This blueberry cobbler ice cream bowl is light, and refreshing, and I can’t wait to make it again with a lemon base.

If you’re not a fan of blueberries, you can swap them for lemon curd, pie filling, or even a chocolate sauce.

All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan-friendly. Of course, you can make some swaps if you don’t have all the ingredients.

This ice cream maker is still one of my favorite purchases. I use it in the summer to make frozen drinks, too! I love that it’s easy to use and easy to clean. It’s not intimidating or filled with complicated parts like the fancy ice cream makers. We’ve been using it for years to make all sorts of fun flavors!


My homemade granola recipe is one of my favorites! I always have some made, and keep it in jars for yogurt, cereal, and now an ice cream topping! I made it without cranberries since I planned to add blueberries to this recipe.

You can use frozen, fresh, or even canned blueberries for this recipe! I used frozen, but a canned blueberry pie filling would take it to the next level.

The vanilla ice cream is a perfect base for any flavor you’d like to get creative with. You could make the vanilla ice cream and mix in cookie crumbles, chocolate syrup, strawberries, lemon, or peanut butter.

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Blueberry Cobbler Vanilla Ice Cream Bowls

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword ice cream, blueberry, pie, cobbler, gluten-free, dairy-free, light, ice cream maker, vegan

Servings 2

Author Taralynn McNitt

Equipment

• 1 Ice Cream Maker

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Frozen Blueberries or canned blueberry pie filling
• 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup or your choice of sweetener
• 1/2 Cup Homemade Granola
• 1/4 Cup Canned Coconut Cream
• 2 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1/4 Cup Monk Fruit or your choice of sweetener
• 1 Tbsp Tapioca Starch
• 2 Tsps Vanilla

Instructions

• Add coconut cream, almond milk, sea salt, monk fruit, tapioca starch, and vanilla to the ice cream maker. Churn for 20-25 minutes.
• While the ice cream is churning, cook the frozen blueberries in the microwave for 30-seconds. Mix in the maple syrup, and set aside.

  If you're using canned pie filling, no need to microwave!
• Scoop the vanilla ice cream into a bowl. Top the ice cream with blueberries and homemade granola!

I love ending my summer nights with a bowl of ice cream while watching the sun go down in the backyard. Now that my climbing roses are getting taller, it feels like my dream cottage garden. I hope you all enjoy this recipe!

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite dessert fruit?
2. What flavor of ice cream should I make next?
3. Do you have an ice cream maker?

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Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts with a Honey Soy Sauce

This recipe will make you fall in love with brussels sprouts. They are easy to make and super crispy without using an air fryer.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword brussels sprouts, glutn-free, dairy-free, vegetables, baked veggies, dinner, easy recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Brussels Sprouts
• 3 Tbsps Avocado Oil
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 3 Tbsps Soy Sauce gluten-free soy sauce if making this recipe gluten-free
• 1 Tbsp Honey or maple syrup to keep recipe plant-based

Instructions

• Heat oven to 425-degrees
• Add the brussels sprouts to a pot of boiling water, and boil until they are fork-tender.
• Transfer the cooked brussels sprouts to a large mixing bowl. Coat them with avocado oil, garlic, powder, onion powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
• Use the bottom of a cup or your hands to smash the brussels sprouts. If you're having trouble smashing the brussels sprouts, try cutting them in half first.

  Add the smashed brussels sprouts to a baking sheet.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes (flipping them halfway is optional)
• Mix the soy sauce and honey. Drizzle the sauce over the baked brussels sprouts.

And did I eat that entire bowl by myself? You bet I did.

Questions for you!

1. What’s your favorite way to eat brussels sprouts?
2. Did you like brussels sprouts the first time you tried them?

I hope you’re having a great start to your week. We still have snow on the ground, which is rare for the south. It usually melts within 24-hours, but it’s unusually been cold. The crazy part is that we’re expecting more snow on Friday! This is starting to feel like midwestern weather, but I love it. While it was snowing on Wednesday, I made a batch of my favorite peanut butter chocolate chip protein balls. I didn’t plan to blog this recipe (which is why they are all cell phone photos), but I had so many people asking for it when I posted the photo on Instagram. They are so simple to make and tastes just like dessert!
These peanut butter protein balls are perfect for on-the-go snacking or when you need a quick pick-me-up. I love having them right when I wake up or before bed if I’m hungry. I leave them out on my countertop next to the coffee maker. Kyle loves having them after his peloton rides. They are gluten-free, plant-based, and require no baking at all.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Balls

These delicious peanut butter chocolate chip protein balls are gluten-free, vegan, and can be made in ten minutes!

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword gluten-free, dairy-free, snacks, vegan, oatmeal bites, peanut butter, chocolate chip, maple, protein balls, healthy snacks, on-the-go snacks

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 28 Protein Balls

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups Quick Oats
• 1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Coconut
• 1/4 Cup Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder
• 1/8 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• 3-6 Tbsps Almond Milk

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, peanut butter, coconut, protein powder, sea salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, and three tablespoons of almond milk. Use a fork or electric mixer to combine.
• The consistency should resemble cookie dough. If it's too dry, add in a tablespoon of almond milk. If it's too sticky, add in more oats.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Roll approximately one tablespoon-sized scoop of the mixture into a ball.
• Store inside the fridge or in a container on the countertop.

  Ingredient Swaps:

Maple Syrup – Honey
Chocolate Chips – White chocolate chips, walnuts, cranberries (any fillings you’d like!)
Plant Protein Powder – Any kind will work!
Almond Milk – Your choice of milk or water
Peanut Butter – Your choice of nut butter.

This recipe can be made without salt, cinnamon, and coconut.
I hope you all enjoy this recipe!

Questions for you!

1. What flavor protein balls should I make next?
2. What do you like to eat first thing in the morning?

You may also like these protein ball recipes!

That was a short week, wasn’t it? It definitely flew by for me. I have a lot to get done around the house now that my brother left, and Kyle and I are heading to the mountains for a few days early next week. It’s going to be nice to sit by the water and dive into all the books on September’s list. I just finished American Dirt, and wow. What a book! I’ll be writing my thoughts next week, and I’ll discuss how I feel about the controversy that comes with the story. I’ve seen many comments about that, and I’ll make sure to address it now that I’ve finished the book.

When Kyle and I travel, I love going non-stop and exploring all the shops and restaurants the town has to offer. This time, we decided we were going to stay in and just relax. I’m looking forward to it.

Before I start my workout and getting things done around here, I wanted to share one of my favorite veggie sandwiches that I’ve been making lately. It’s inspired by the sandwich I had back in Lake Tahoe, and I get reminded of that amazing trip every time I take a bite!  This sandwich is so easy to make. I made a big batch on Monday and have been eating one for lunch every single day. I plan to make more for our weekend trip to the mountains. Plus, making sandwiches at home is so much cheaper than buying them. I made eight sandwiches for under $20, and that’s even including the gluten-free bread! Now that I have the hummus and jar of vegenaise in the fridge, it’ll be even cheaper the next time I decide to make them. My veggie sandwiches had:

Gluten-free bread
vegenaise
tomatoes
bell peppers
avocado, cucumber
alfalfa sprouts
traditional hummus
collard greens
red onion

You can add any extra veggies you want! I go back and forth when it comes to toasting the bread. Sometimes I like it, and sometimes I love a soft sandwich bread with my vegetables. This time, I left them untoasted. I think the untoasted bread keeps the leftovers longer. In the winter I almost always toast my bread. 

For the leftovers I placed them in a container in the fridge. The gluten-free bread has held up perfectly! These are also a great sandwich to make for picnics! You can add turkey or chicken to give them a bit more protein. I also think sandwiches are always better paired with grapes!

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite sandwich combo?
2. If you could only choose one condiment to eat with your food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I’m finally sharing the homemade cinnamon sugar chips that we’ve been eating all month long. I forgot all about this recipe over the years, but it’s a childhood favorite that my mom used to make every 4th of July! She’d pack a massive bag of them, and we’d head to the beach to watch the fireworks. Now, these cinnamon chips bring all the nostalgia. I’m making her recipe but changing up a few ingredients to make it gluten-free and vegan. If I had to describe the taste, it would be a replica of Cinnamon Toast Crunch!

What I love about this recipe is that you only need a few ingredients, it’s super easy and quick to make for a last-minute party, and it fits in with almost any holiday. I’m going to be making these again for the 4th of July this year and adding red, white, and blue sprinkles on top!

Make sure to watch the tutorial video to get some extra tips!  For the tortillas, I always use gluten-free Mission brand tortillas. I also use the regular flour Mission for non-gluten-free eaters.  
Keep the oil at a medium-high, and turn it to low while coating the chips in cinnamon! This helps the oil from burning.
The trick is to coat the chips fresh out of the oil so the cinnamon and sugar stick right onto it. ohhhhhh, it’s so good.

For the cream cheese frosting, I used Kite-Hill plain cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. You’ll want to add in the powdered sugar super slow otherwise, prepare yourself for a fun powdery mess. This recipe works with most swaps! Use regular cream cheese and flour tortillas if you’d like.

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Cinnamon Sugar Chips with Cream Cheese Frosting (GF&DF)

Course Appetizer, Dessert, Snack

Keyword gluten-free, dairy-free, cinnamon, sugar, dessert, party food, summer

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 1 Package Flour Tortillas (gluten-free Mission Brand)
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Ground Cinnamon
• 4 Cups Oil Canola or Vegetable
• 1 Container Plain Cream Cheese Kite-Hill Brand
• 1 Tsp Vanilla
• 1 lb Powdered Sugar

Instructions

• Heat oil in a pan at medium-high.
• While the oil is heating, combine the cinnamon sugar in a small bowl and cut the tortillas into bite-sized pieces.
• Once the oil is hot, add in 10-12 tortilla pieces into the oil. Flip every 3-minutes, or until both sides are lightly golden brown.
• Transfer pieces onto a cooling rack and immediately coat in cinnamon and sugar. You'll want to do this while the chips are still covered in oil. *warning, it's going to be hot.

  Continue until all of the tortilla pieces are delicious cinnamon chips!
• For the icing, mix the cream cheese with the vanilla. Slowly mix the powdered sugar.

  Serve the icing with the chips and enjoy!

  The chips can be left out unrefrigerated (and still stay crispy!)

I brought these over (and many batches since then) to the neighbors, and they loved them! Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything cinnamon-sugar!
I hope you all enjoy this recipe, and don’t forget to tag me in your pictures! I love seeing you recreate them. Now, I need to make another batch!

Questions for you!

1. Is there a family recipe that you have every 4th of July?
2. What flavor of homemade chips should I make next?

Video! 

If I had to choose a vegetable to eat every day for the rest of my life, it would most likely be roasted Brussels sprouts! I can down an entire bag by myself. And if they’re fried? It’s like candy to me. Last weekend, I made a delicious creamy brussel sprout salad for Easter! It was so easy to make and the perfect side-dish. I’m excited to make this for backyard bbq’s this summer! If you’re a brussel sprout lover or need a dish to make for a party (hopefully we’ll have those soon), you’ll love this recipe!
There are a lot of ingredients I will be adding next time I make this, so feel free to add these in there as well. I didn’t have any in the house, and the grocery store trips are limited these days. If you can, add in dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and if you want to get even crazier…try adding in spiraled pasta!
I love how quick and easy this brussel sprout salad is! It’s vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Start by roasting the brussels sprouts for 30-minutes in the oven at 375. I flip them at the fifteen-minute mark! All ovens cook differently, so you may need to adjust the cooking time. You can season them with salt and pepper, or everything but the bagel seasoning.

Let the Brussels sprouts cool to room temperature before adding in the creamy sauce. I let mine sit in the fridge for a half-hour while I candied the walnuts and sliced up the onions.

Candy the walnuts by adding them to a frying pan with the vegan butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. This is going to make your house smell like Christmas! Let them cool down along with the brussels sprouts.
For the creamy mixture, combine the tahini, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and veganaise. In a large bowl, coat the brussels sprouts and onions with the creamy sauce. Next, chop up the walnuts and fold them into the brussels sprout salad. This is where I would add in the sunflower seeds and cranberries (if I had them on hand!)
This was the perfect side dish to go with our grilled chicken and roasted potatoes.

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Creamy Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad With Candied Walnuts

Keyword brussel sprouts, summer salad, side dish, healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, light, no added sugar

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 5 Cups Brussel Sprouts
• 1 Tbsp Vegan Butter
• 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar or honey / agave / maple syrup
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
• 1/3 Cup Veganaise
• 1/4 Cup Tahini
• 1/2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions

• Heat oven to 375

  Wash the brussels sprouts and slice them into halves. Place them on a baking sheet with cooking spray and bake for 25-30 minutes. Flip halfway through.

  Keep in fridge to chill
• Add the vegan butter to a frying pan with the walnuts on high heat.

  Once the butter has melted and the walnuts are coated, bring the heat down to medium-low. Mix in the cinnamon and brown sugar. Slowly mix for 2-3 minutes.

  Turn heat back up to high and mix for another 30-seconds.

  Allow them to chill.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the chilled brussel sprouts, chopped onion, veganaise, tahini, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and apple cider vinegar together.
• Once the brussel sprouts are coated, fold in the walnuts.
• Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve!

I’m a huge fan of summer salads! I can’t wait to come up with more recipes for all the backyard barbecues this year!

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite salad side-dish recipe?
2. Do you have a favorite summer salad you think I’d love? Please share!
3. How do you like your Brussels sprouts cooked?

more summer salads you may enjoy!

Last fall, I took a hiatus from working out, caring about the food I ate or cautiously watching my portion sizes. I’ve been very intuitive with my diet and exercise. I eat when I’m hungry (even if I just had lunch an hour ago), I go for a walk if I feel like it, and I have chocolate more than once a day if I want it. There haven’t been any rules for the way I live in a long time, and I’ve never felt this “normal.” The crazy part is that when you do physically recover from an eating disorder, it takes years for you to recover mentally. Anyone who’s been through it knows exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, consider yourselves very lucky. There were days when I never thought I’d get into that mindset. And it doesn’t help when your life is on the internet, and so many opinions about your body are circulating the comment section. If you gained weight, they let you know, and if you lose weight, they also let you know. That’s not healthy for anyone, and it’s not just the internet; I have people close in my life that are extremely toxic when it comes to diet culture, and I have to check myself out from those conversations completely. Thank you, therapist, for those exercises! As soon as I was old enough to walk and talk, I was already being introduced into the diet culture. I’d do my mom’s workout videos with her, I’d drink her Slimfast shakes, and I’d mimic my aunt’s Atkins diet. I was doing everything I could, even as a little kid, just to be thin and fit. My entire life up until a few years ago had been consumed with haunting thoughts and negative body positivity. I’ve been very open about it on the blog but took a step back these past months and chose not to talk about anything as I went on a new journey of exiting this whole “diet” world.

Where I’m going with this. 

Since taking my hiatus, I’ve been very happy and stress-free. All of my friends are extremely into fitness, and it’s been hard dealing with the FOMO and saying “no” when it comes to going to the gym or training for a race with them. But I’ve been very confident with my “no,” and that’s been the best part. I now feel healed in the mind and would like to start getting myself back into the world of fitness, but for the right reasons. I want to start reaching for more whole foods again and not having frozen pizza two nights in a row. I want to walk more trails and play more tennis now that it’s getting warmer. I don’t want to get back into running yet, but maybe eventually. The reason I want to start getting more active is so that I can feel strong, boost endorphins, and simply get into shape. When I say “get into shape,” I mean not heavy breathing after running up the stairs. I used to think “getting into shape” was looking good in a bikini, but that’s not the case. This time, I’m going into fitness differently. I’m ready for it this time. I used to force myself to do things because I let my diet culture mindset win. The crazy part is that even after my hiatus, my weight is lower than it has been in a few years, and my jeans fit me better. My doctor told me it’s because working out was causing my cortisol levels to rise so much, and after taking the hiatus, my body wasn’t in stress-mode, and I was losing weight. Again, it’s not about the weight, but that was just an example as to why I was not ready for fitness during that time in my life. I just want to get this all out here just in case anyone can relate to how I’m feeling or this stage in my life that I’m going through. And if none of this makes sense to you and you just came here for the smoothie recipe, scroll below. Starting today, I want to be more proactive in my activity levels. My Apple Watch is actually on the charger for the first time in five months…

I’m not going on a diet…

Last night, after eating the last slice of frozen pizza, I said to Kyle, “I think I’m going to start Whole30 tomorrow.” And then I thought to myself, WHY?” Was I just doing that because I felt bad about the pizza, or was I just sinking back into old habits? Well, whatever it was, I quickly said, “no, you’re not going to do Whole30 tomorrow.” Instead, “You’re going to go to the grocery store and purchasing a ton of great nutritious foods and continue to eat intuitively.” So that is what I did today. I loaded my cart with fresh produce, frozen fruits for smoothies, fresh fish, tea, dark chocolate, gluten-free bread, crackers, hummus, yogurt, roasted almonds, protein powder, and more. My goal is to keep eating as healthy as possible but treating myself whenever I feel like I want something. I was just very proud of myself for sticking out this long-term goal of mine, and always practicing intuitive eating and zero limitations. Life, for me, is about balance. For example, on Wednesday night, I had french fries for dinner and didn’t think twice about it. Old me would have been distraught.

There’s no moral to the story here other than that it’s human for us to want to fall back into old habits, but we need to recognize that and choose the better route. My goal this spring is to start eating better and moving more but for the RIGHT reasons. It’s simple, and maybe this inspired someone to do the same, or not to go down the route they didn’t want to go when it came to “dieting.”

Now, I hope you’re ready for some smoothie bowls, trail walking posts, tennis, big jumbo salads, and more this spring! I’m ready to start feeling like my best self again.

This weekend, I am going to do THREE active things. I challenge you to do the same. I’ll be talking more about this on Monday, and I hope you report back with what activities you did! Sorry for the rambling, but sometimes I feel like it’s the best form of therapy! Typing this out also helps, and I always feel like you all hold me accountable when I mention something. I know at least one of you will, and that’s all it takes for me to feel it.

Oh, you wanted this smoothie bowl recipe? It’s just unsweetened cashew milk, fresh spinach, frozen raspberries, frozen peaches, and one scoop of Vega vanilla with greens protein powder. I topped it with banana, granola, coconut, and chia seeds!

Questions for you

1. Did you notice my lack of health and fitness posts?
2. What will you do to get active this weekend?
3. Would you like me to talk more about this new journey?

Valentine’s day is one of my favorite holidays, and it has been ever since I was a little girl. My mom and I used to handmake the cards for school and stuffed the goody bags with candies for classmates. One thing we always loved doing was making frosted sugar cookies in the shape of hearts with tons of obnoxious sprinkles! I thought it would be so fun to recreate those cookies, but of course, make them gluten-free and vegan. I’ve been working on perfecting the gluten-free and vegan frosted sugar cookies, and I feel like I finally have it down. The consistency and flavors are almost identical to the Pillsbury roll-out dough. I realized that tapioca flour was the missing ingredient to making these cookies PERFECT. One of my talented baking friends recommended trying it out because it helps bind together the gluten-free flour, and it was absolutely a game-changer.
Spending the afternoon making these Valentine’s Day cookies was so therapeutic. It was a rainy day, and baking was the perfect indoor activity. You can decorate the cookies, all the same, to make it easier, but I decided to make them all a bit different for fun. And you’re going to be mind-blown when you find out what I used for the royal icing…
These gluten-free frosted sugar cookies are the softest in the world. They just melt in your mouth. I can’t wait to make these cookies for every holiday coming up, especially Christmas!

I found $1 sprinkle packages at Michaels that I loved! For an all-natural food coloring, Watkins is such a good brand. You can find it on Amazon. 
I’m excited to tell you about something I’ve been experimenting with lately, aquafaba.

You’re probably wondering what the heck aquafaba is, but I’m sure you’re super familiar with it. It’s the juice in the can with the garbanzo beans. It can mimic the same reaction as eggwhites so that it can be used in vegan marshmallows or meringues. It also works as the perfect egg-replacement in royal icing. With added powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract, you cannot taste a trace of the garbanzo beans!

However, I tried the aquafaba with sugar-free powdered sugar, and it was pretty awful. It tasted like a kid’s toothpaste. Just stick to regular powdered sugar with this recipe! If you do want to cut the sugar, you can replace the cane sugar with monk fruit in the dough. There is also a brown sugar monk fruit that works as a great substitute.

One of the great things about this recipe is that you don’t have to wait for the dough to chill in the fridge. You mix all the ingredients, and you can begin rolling, cutting, and baking! 
For rolling the dough, I always throw flour on linen for my working space.

I used squeeze bottles for the icing. I did about a dozen of the cookies the same before switching designs. When I was a kid, I made every single cookie different, and then at the end of it, I would take all the leftover mixed sprinkles and pour them on top of the final few. And those were always my dad’s favorite ones.

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Gluten-Free & Vegan Frosted Sugar Cookies

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword cookies, gluten-free,dairy-free,, frosted cookies,, royal icing, sugar cookies, vegan, valentines day,

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Vegan Sugar Cookie Dough

• 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter Earth Balance
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Sugar or monk fruit replacement
• 1 Tsp Almond Extract
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 3/4 Cups Gluten-Free Flour I used bob's red mill
• 2 1/2 Tbsps Tapioca Flour
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
• 2 Tbsps Cashew Milk (start with one 2 tablespoons until desired consistency)

Vegan Royal Icing

• 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract
• 4 Tbsps Aquafaba (juice from the garbanzo bean can)
• 1/4 Tsp Cream of Tartar

Instructions

Gluten-Free Vegan Sugar Cookie Dough

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees
• In an electric mixer, add room temperature butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and almond extract and mix on high.
• Sift in the flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
• The dough will be super dry, add in the cashew milk one tablespoon at a time until you get the perfect cookie dough consistency. If you accidentally add too much milk, add a tablespoon of gluten-free flour.
• Flour your linen for the workspace, and roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your desired shapes, and add them to a non-stick baking sheet. Make sure the cookies are all the same size to keep them evenly cooked.
• Bake about 5-7 minutes.

  They'll be slightly golden, but make sure you do not overbake!

Vegan Royal Icing

• In an electric mixer, whisk the aquafaba and the cream of tartar on high for about three minutes, or until the mixture is foamy.
• Stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract.

  If it's too dry, add a teaspoon of milk, and if it's too runny add in more powdered sugar.

Frosting The Cookies

• Add the frosting to a squeeze bottle.
• Make sure the cookies are completely cool before frosting!
• They take about ten minutes for the icing to harden
• Have fun!

You can store the cookies in the fridge, freezer, or out on the counter! We bagged them up, put them in the freezer, and treated ourselves to them for a few weeks. The saddest part was eating the last cookie! I didn’t want to make another batch because they were dangerously good, but each bite was so worth it!
  I hope you all love this recipe and make sure to tag me if you make them! I’d like to share, and I love seeing your recreations! (Instagram)

Questions for you!

1. Do you like Valentine’s Day?
2. What is your favorite Valentine’s Day memory?
3. What shape/design of sugar cookies should I make next?