This Turkey Pumpkin Chili is perfect for fall

If you're like me, you have your tried-and-true standbys for cozy fall nights -- favorite chili recipe and a few favorite soups, maybe? Do you ever feel like you're in a rut and want to branch out, but are unsure what to try? This is the perfect chili for you.

I've tried pumpkin chili recipes in the past that have tasted a little too pumpkin-y and pie-like. (My guess is too many baking spices?) I've remedied that and the spices in this soup are spot-on.

Fun fact: This soup is a knock off recipe of the Pumpkin Chorizo Soup at Cafe Zupas -- our favorite soup/salad/sandwich chain here in the western US. They feature it every fall in the restaurant and now you can make it anytime you like!

Why we love this Pumpkin Turkey Chili 

When you try this fun twist on a turkey chili, you'll be adding it to your yearly fall rotation! Most of the ingredients can be stashed in your pantry or freezer for soup. It's rich and hearty, and the pumpkin puree adds some creaminess and body.

This turkey chili has all the fall vibes and lands somewhere between a chili and a taco soup. Down below I've included suggestions for ingredient swaps, step-by-step instructions, and tips for storing and freezing! (Yep, it freezes, too!)

Turkey Pumpkin Chili Recipe ingredients

• Onion
• Garlic
• Turkey Chorizo - Make sure you aren't using Spanish chorizo which is firm like a pre-cooked sausage and not loose and crumbly like Mexican chorizo.
• Rotel tomatoes - I love these! If you haven't used them, they're canned diced tomatoes with green chiles added.
• Black beans
• Pumpkin puree - Make sure this is plain, unsweetened pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Frozen corn
• Chicken broth
• Spices (cumin, smoked paprika). If you'd like to add a little heat, throw in a ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
• Heavy cream
• Garnishes (optional) - Avocado, cilantro, green onions, sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili Recipe substitutions

• Chorizo - You can use whatever type of Mexican style chorizo you prefer. I like turkey chorizo because it's less greasy than pork chorizo. If you'd like to use turkey chorizo, but can't find any, use 1 pound of ground turkey and add 3 Tablespoons of my chorizo seasoning recipe.
• Rotel tomatoes - If you can't find them just use a couple cans of regular diced green tomatoes and a 4-ounce can of diced green chiles. Rotel tomatoes come in a smaller sized can than regular diced tomatoes, but the extra tomatoes won't affect the soup much if you need to use regular ones.
• Black beans - If you're avoiding beans, swap it out for more chorizo or extra vegetables (corn or zucchini would work well.)
• Frozen corn - Use drained canned corn if that's what you have. If you are avoiding corn, use some diced zucchini or another small, quick-cooking vegetable.
• Heavy cream - If you'd like to make this soup dairy free, use coconut cream. There are enough bold flavors in this soup to mask any coconut flavor.

How to make Turkey Pumpkin Chili

1. Cook the chorizo in a large soup pot over high heat until it begins to brown a little. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, beans, pumpkin, corn, broth and spices.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through and flavors have gotten all cozy together.
4. Stir in the cream and cook for a few more minutes.
5. Serve with garnishes.

Serving Pumpkin Chorizo Chili

I'm a garnish girl. I love sprinkling extra things on soup or whatever I'm eating. Garnishing this soup is completely optional since it's great on its own!

You can use anything you'd put in a taco soup. I loved it with chopped avocado, some green onions, and a sprinkling of cilantro. You could also add sour cream, shredded cheese, and crushed tortilla chips. 

Pumpkin Chili Turkey storage

Store it chilled

Once the soup has cooled down to room temperature, transfer it to a lidded container and store chilled for up to a week.

Freeze it

This soup freezes well, too! Let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to some freezer safe containers. I love these Deli Containers on Amazon. I've been using them for years to store soup, broth and miscellaneous leftovers in the freezer and fridge.

More Latin Style Soups on Perry's Plate

If you like this recipe, try another one of the Latin style soups on my site! (They're always a hit around here.)

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup - This is a creamy blended soup with southwest spices and a fun roasted corn & bacon garnish. (I told you... I'm a garnish girl.)

Butternut Squash Chipotle Soup - Another blended butternut squash soup with a hit of chipotle and lime!

Tomatillo Soup - Made in the Instant Pot with tender shredded chicken and vegetables throughout.

Southwest Chicken Soup - Also made in an Instant Pot (or not!) -- my favorite chicken soup recipe with a creamy southwest twist.

Green Chile Soup - A SUPER quick & easy soup made with blended black beans and green chiles!

Paleo Chili - A chili that satisfies everyone! It's paleo, vegetarian, AND Whole30 friendly!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili Recipe

Yield: Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This turkey pumpkin chili recipe is the bomb -- landing somewhere between a chili and a taco soup. It's not too pumpkin-y and has a rich, cozy feel, yet hits lighter with turkey chorizo! Bonus: it's SUPER easy to make -- I'll show you how!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 pound bulk turkey chorizo (see note)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes (see note)
• 1 15oz can black beans, drained
• 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 quart chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream or coconut cream

Instructions

1. Heat the avocado oil in a large soup pot over high heat. Add onion and turkey chorizo, breaking the chorizo up into small bits as it cooks. Cook for about 15 minutes until the chorizo has started to brown a little and the onions have softened.
2. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne (if using) as well as the minced garlic and let it cook for about a minute while you open the cans for the other ingredients. Add all the tomatoes (undrained), black beans, pumpkin puree, frozen corn, and 3 cups of chicken broth.
3. Bring the chili to a boil, then turn the heat to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes, uncovered.
4. Stir in the heavy cream. Use the remaining chicken broth to adjust the texture of the chili, if you like.
5. Serve immediately and garnish with whatever you'd like! I loved topping my chili with sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, some corn chips, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Notes

1. If you can't find turkey chorizo, either use regular pork chorizo (might be a little greasier) or use a pound of ground turkey and 3 Tablespoons of my chorizo seasoning recipe. You'll add the meat and the seasonings at the same time in step 1.
2. Rotel tomatoes are simply canned tomatoes with green chiles added. If you can't find these, substitute another 15oz can of diced tomatoes with a 4oz can of diced green chiles.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1.5 cups
Amount Per Serving Calories 327Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 84mgSodium 840mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 7gSugar 7gProtein 24g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

The post Pumpkin Chorizo Chili appeared first on Perry's Plate.

You Will Love this Instant Pot Thai Curry

Here’s the kicker: it’s not just tasty, it’s smart cooking. I’ve been making curries like this for years, and the balance of creamy coconut, spicy curry paste, and tender chicken nails that restaurant-level vibe every time. Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free and veggie-flexible

Bonus points: Garlic, ginger, and turmeric aren’t just flavor powerhouses—they’re anti-inflammatory, gut-loving workhorses. Pile it over jasmine rice, add a squeeze of lime, and feel smug about the whole situation.

Thai Curry Instant Pot Ingredients

• Chicken breasts or thighs, boneless and skinless
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Coconut or avocado oil
• Onion
• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Thai Curry Paste
• Tomato paste
• Fish sauce
• Lime
• Chicken broth
• Coconut cream or coconut milk

Thai Curry Chicken Instant Pot Substitutions

Protein - You can swop chicken for beef (add 5 minutes to cooking time).

Vegetarian - Use a can or two of chickpeas, lentils, or meat alternative.

Vegetables - Feel free to use different vegetables you have in your kitchen. Try adding harder vegetables that will survive the pressure cooker; cauliflower, cabbage, kale, winter squash, and root vegetables usually do well. You could also stir in some smaller green beans, snow peas, red bell peppers or spinach at the end after everything else has cooked.

Spice - You can use a spicier curry paste, or simply add sriracha or sambal oelek to your own portion.

Fish sauce alternative - If you don’t want to use fish sauce, you could use soy sauce or Liquid Aminos.

Coconut alternatives - Use heavy cream if you aren’t a coconut fan.

How to Make Instant Pot Thai Curry

1. Sprinkle the chicken with a few generous pinches of sea salt and a few pinches of black pepper.
2. Turn your instant pot or electric pressure cooker to the Saute setting, and add the coconut oil to the pot. When the cooker has preheated, brown the chicken in two batches, flipping once or twice during cooking. The chicken does not need to be cooked all the way through. When you're finished, press "cancel" on the cooker.
3. Return all of the chicken to the pot along with the prepped onion, carrots, and potatoes.
4. In a small glass measuring cup, whisk together the curry paste, tomato paste, fish sauce, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Add the chicken broth to the pot as well, and give everything a good stir.
5. Place the lid on the cooker, sealing it closed and ensuring the steam valve is set to "sealing". Set it to high pressure for 10 minutes. I always use the "manual" or "pressure cook" button.
6. When the pressure cooking cycle has finished, switch the steam valve is set to "venting" to release the steam from the pot.
7. Remove the lid and stir in the coconut cream. Taste, and add a little more salt if you feel it needs it.

Instant Pot Thai Curry tips

• Thai curry paste varies wildly in heat levels. I always buy Thai Kitchen curry paste, and it is very mild. Make sure you are familiar with the heat level of your curry paste before adding the suggested amount.
• Feel free to swap out the vegetables for ones you prefer. I'd avoid quick cooking vegetables like broccoli and asparagus or else they'll turn to mush.
• This recipe is Whole30 compliant as written (just serve with cauliflower rice). Be sure to check the labels on your curry paste and fish sauce for non-compliant ingredients.
• To make this low-carb or keto friendly, replace the potatoes (and maybe the carrots?) with lower carb options like summer squash or cauliflower.

How to Serve Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry

Serve your Thai curry with steamed Jasmine rice, Coconut Rice, or Cauliflower Rice.
I love topping my curry with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, Thai basil, or Toasted Coconut Cashew Nuts.

Storing Thai Curry Chicken

Thai curry is one of those dishes that gets better the second day. Store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge

More Kid-Friendly Ethnic Recipes

Paleo Pad Thai  - They literally jump up and down when I make this. Unless I use zoodles, in which case they writhe on the floor in agony. Sigh. Kids, man.

Paleo Hungarian Goulash -  This is also an Instant Pot recipe! It looks like beef stew, but it has a fiery red-orange sauce (not spicy, just red bell pepper based). We love it over mashed potatoes or rice or gluten-free noodles. (Again, zoodles don't go over well with them. Sometimes Roasted Cauliflower Rice does, though!)

Mulligatawny Soup  -- Have you had this? It's an Indian-inspired blended soup with cooked rice and chicken added at the end. (Rice is optional.) It's such a fun introduction to Indian flavors, too.

Grilled Moroccan Chicken  -- Tuck this away for grilling season! It has a SUPER easy marinade (like 4 ingredients?) and the garlic sauce that goes with it TOTALLY rocks. Especially if you serve it with Simple Marinated Cucumbers. Mmm....

California Roll Sushi Bowls  -- More jumping for joy for this one. I buy the pre-cooked, wild-caught mini shrimp at Costco and heat it up with some lime juice and coconut aminos. Or I use leftover salmon. Or white fish. It's super easy to put together.

Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken -- I know I mentioned this one already, but my kids LOVE LOVE this one. It's from my book, The Big Book of Pressure Cooking and is in my 6-month rotation. Like I said, my kids don't like eating the same stuff more than twice a month. Ha. I could eat that curry every week. It's so, so good.

Curry Lentils -- This is a delicious little vegetarian curry (more Indian style instead of Thai) that is great for a weeknight meal or meal prep!

Thai Curry Chicken (Instant Pot)

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Make this flavorful, kid-friendly Thai Chicken Curry in your Instant Pot! (Also includes stovetop and slow cooker instructions!) Swap out the vegetables, protein, or even make it vegetarian. Super easy and can be made low-carb/keto or Whole30 friendly.

Print

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 ½ - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Sea salt & black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons coconut or avocado oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• One 4-ounce jar of Thai Curry Paste (about 7 Tablespoons)
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
• Juice of 1 lime (about 1 Tablespoon)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 13.5 ounce can of coconut cream or coconut milk
• Steamed jasmine rice or Roasted Cauliflower Rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the chicken with a few generous pinches of sea salt and a few pinches of black pepper.
2. Turn your instant pot or electric pressure cooker to the Saute setting, and add the coconut oil to the pot. When the cooker has preheated, brown the chicken in two batches, flipping once or twice during cooking. The chicken does not need to be cooked all the way through. When you're finished, press "cancel" on the cooker.
3. Return all of the chicken to the pot along with the prepped onion, carrots, and potatoes.
4. In a small glass measuring cup, whisk together the curry paste, tomato paste, fish sauce, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Add the chicken broth to the pot as well, and give everything a good stir.
5. Place the lid on the cooker, sealing it closed and ensuring the steam valve is set to "sealing". Set it to high pressure for 10 minutes. I always use the "manual" or "pressure cook" button.
6. When the pressure cooking cycle has finished, switch the steam valve is set to "venting" to release the steam from the pot.
7. Remove the lid and stir in the coconut cream. Taste, and add a little more salt if you feel it needs it.
8. Serve with side dish of your choice.

Stovetop Instructions: Follow steps 1-4 in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Then bring the mixture to simmer, reduce heat to medium low and cook, covered, for 15-20 minute or until the potatoes and carrots are soft and the chicken is tender. Stir in the coocnut cream at the end.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Put the chicken, vegetables, and the whisked mixture from step 4 into a 4-6 qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the potatoes and carrots are soft. Stir in the coconut cream at the end.

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. Thai curry paste varies wildly in heat levels. I always buy Thai Kitchen curry paste, and it is very mild. Make sure you are familiar with the heat level of your curry paste before adding the suggested amount.
2. Feel free to swap out the vegetables for ones you prefer. I'd avoid quick cooking vegetables like broccoli and asparagus or else they'll turn to mush. You can also swap out the chicken for beef (add 5 minutes to cooking time) or make it vegetarian by using a can or two of chickpeas.
3. This recipe is Whole30 compliant as written (just serve with cauliflower rice). Be sure to check the labels on your curry paste and fish sauce for non-compliant ingredients.
4. To make this low-carb or keto friendly, replace the potatoes (and maybe the carrots?) with lower carb options like summer squash or cauliflower.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, and Warmer, 6 Quart

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made by using these links don’t cost you any extra and helps to keep my content free.

Instant Pot Thai Curry FAQs

Is Thai curry very spicy?

This recipe isn’t, but make sure you taste your curry paste before adding it to your recipe! Store-bought curry paste generally have a spice level on their label that you should take note of.

Why is my instant pot chicken so tough?

This could be because you didn’t cook your chicken long enough to tenderize the meat.

Is curry Thai healthy?

This depends on your ingredients. I like to use Thai Kitchen’s curry paste because there are no added sugars or weird ingredients.

Why is my Thai curry not thick?

The post Easy Thai Curry in Instant Pot appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Steve and I went to New York the first week of July and ate ourselves silly. We made a few trips to the gelato stands, and I totally fell in love with the pistachio gelato. I had to come home and make a cleaned-up Dairy Free Pistachio Ice Cream. (Or "mustachio", like my 3-year-old calls it. I hope he never says that word correctly.)

I've made homemade coconut milk, almond milk, and cashew milk before, but never pistachio milk. Spoiler: pistachio milk isn't any different.

I soaked the nuts like I do with almonds, then threw them into my Blendtec with some fresh water...

Then BOOM. Pistachio milk. I love the light green-ish color and richness it has!

I don't think I've ever talked about my nut milk bag on here. I got it from Ellie's Best and it really is THE best nut milk bag I've ever used. It's big and sturdy and even stands up on its own while I'm pouring.

You can use it for nut milk or squeezing the water out of shredded zucchini/cauliflower or coffee. It makes it so much easier. And it cleans up well, too.

This is kind of an involved recipe, but it's nice that you can break the prep work into chunks. The pistachio milk will keep for about a week in the fridge. And the ice cream base will keep chilled for a few days, too.

I don't say this often, but one of my favorite things about this ice cream is that my kids didn't like it. (Well, except for my "mustachio"-loving 3-year-old.) It's something I can pull out for Steve and me and we can take our time with it and not open the freezer after the kids have gone to bed to find that they've already eaten it.

We've been on a low-carb/keto kick lately, so I used erythritol-based Swerve granulated sweetener in this. I've been buying it on Amazon for a while, but I noticed it's less expensive on Thrive Market -- if you happen to use them. It's like an online natural foods-focused membership store. Like Costco. Only you don't have a "snack lady" trying to convince you to buy a cheesecake on a Wednesday afternoon for no particular reason.

(Psst, by the way... If you use my link to Thrive Market you can get $25 off your first order. Try it for a free month and let me know what you think!)

Meanwhile, make a batch of this Dairy-Free Pistachio Ice Cream and enjoy a few more nights out on the porch after the kids go to bed.

More Ice Cream Recipes on Perry's Plate

You can make almost any of my ice cream recipes low-carb/keto friendly by using a low-carb sweetener and swapping out the dates for avocado, when necessary Here's a list of them below:

5-Minute Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream 

Paleo Chocolate Blender Ice Cream 

Raspberry Blender Sorbet 

Ginger & Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream 

Dairy-Free Pistachio Ice Cream

Yield: Makes about 1 ½ quarts

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours

Dairy Free Pistachio Ice Cream starts off with homemade pistachio milk -- it's easier than you think! This ice cream is naturally sweetened and has a low-carb/keto option, too.

Print

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• ⅓ cup preferred unrefined granulated or liquid sweetener (see note)
• 5 egg yolks
• A few drops of vanilla stevia
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup coconut cream

Instructions

1. If your pistachios are salted, give them a good rinse. Put the nuts in a small heat-safe bowl and pour very hot water over them. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
2. Drain the pistachios, discard soaking liquid, then put the nuts in a high-speed blender along with 4 cups of fresh water. Blend for 2-3 minutes until the nuts are completely pulverized and the liquid has turned to a creamy light green. Strain the milk through a nut-milk bag or a coffee filter or a paper towel-lined fine mesh strainer. You can save the pistachio pulp for another use (energy bites?) or discard it. (Don't put your strainer away. You'll need it again.)
3. Place the pistachio milk in a medium saucepan and add the granulated sweetener. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it gets steamy and the sweetener has dissolved -- do not boil.
4. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks in a small mixing bowl. When the milk mixture has heated, slowly whisk a ladle full of the hot liquid into the yolks. Then whisk the yolk mixture back into the milk mixture.
5. Cook over medium low for another few minutes until the ice cream base has thickened slightly, lightly coating the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla stevia, vanilla extract, and coconut cream. Stir for a minute or so until the coconut cream melts.
6. Strain the mixture again through a fine-mesh strainer -- if you want. This ensures that you don't have bits of scrambled egg yolk in your ice cream. Chill the mixture for at least 2 hours.
7. Freeze the ice cream mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
8. Serve. With some extra chopped pistachios, if you like.

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. You can absolutely make the pistachio milk a few days before you make the ice cream base. And you can leave the ice cream base in the fridge for a couple of days before you freeze it. This doesn't have to be an all-day project. Space it out how you like!

2. I used Swerve granulated sweetener in this recipe. You could use another low-carb sweetener like erythritol or all stevia. Coconut sugar or honey would also work well in this recipe if you aren't watching your carbs, but still wanted to use a natural sweetener.

3. Putting ½ teaspoon spirulina powder into the base will make it more green -- like commercially-made pistachio ice cream -- without needing food coloring. Just whisk it into the base at the very end in step 5 when you add the vanilla extract.

Nutrition info (per 1 cup serving): 109 Calories | 9.8g Fat | 1.8g Net Carbs | 3.3g Protein

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made by using these links doesn’t cost you any extra and helps to keep my content free.

The post Dairy Free Pistachio Ice Cream (with Keto option) appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Today is a great day, my friends. Steve and I are leaving on a red-eye to New York City tonight to spend a few days there for an early anniversary getaway. I can't tell you how excited I am. Summertime takes it toll on me REALLY quickly since I'm not one of those moms who loves having all their kids home all day during the summer. Luckily they can go outside and we can make fun frozen desserts -- like these Keto Frozen Key Lime Mini Pies.

This is another recipe from Carolyn Ketchum's newest book, Easy Keto Desserts. She is a serious cookbook-producing machine! This is her third cookbook in less than a year. (Can you hear my head exploding?)

This one does have dairy, but I included some paleo modifications in the recipe notes if you're off dairy and aren't into low-carb sweeteners.

Still have that bag of Swerve erythritol-based sweetener you used for the White Chocolate Raspberry Fat Bombs or the Keto Chocolate Tahini Fat Bombs? (See? Lots of uses!) Pull it out for this, too.

These little cups have a creamy, bright lime flavor, which I love, but my favorite part is the candied pecan crumble on the top. Er... bottom, when you flip them around to eat them.

Another good thing about these is that they can hang out in the freezer and wait until you're ready to eat them. They don't dry out on the counter and "force" you into eating more than you need to by glaring at you all day as you go in and out of the kitchen.

I can see lemon or orange versions being good, too! Or a MEYER LEMON one. I'm totally going to try that the next time I see them pop up in the grocery store.

Easy Keto Desserts releases TODAY! Go grab a copy and be sure to check out Carolyn's blog, All Day I Dream About Food for more keto dessert action. (Seriously. She's a master.)

Keto Frozen Key Lime Mini Pies

Yield: Makes 6 mini pies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 27 minutes

Keto Frozen Key Lime Mini Pies are so easy to make, and they can hang out in the freezer until you need them. I love the crumbly candied pecan crust on the bottom! You can make them dairy-free, too.

Print

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons powdered erythritol-based sweetener (or other powdered low-carb sweetener)
• ⅓ cup Key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted)
• ½ cup finely chopped raw pecans
• 1 Tablespoon granulated erythritol-based sweetener (or other granulated low-carb sweetener)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Additional lime slices and whipped cream, for garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. Line 6 standard-sized muffin cups with paper or silicone liners.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and ¼ cup of the powdered sweetener with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the lime juice.
3. In another bowl, beat the cream with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of powdered sweetener until it holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined. Divide the mixture among the lined muffin cups, filling each cup to the top.
4. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and the granulated sweetener and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the pecans are toasted and fragrant. Sprinkle with the salt, then remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the pecan mixture over the lime mixture in the muffin cups, pressing lightly to adhere.
6. Freeze for 3-4 hours, until set. Invert the pies onto a plate and remove the liners before serving.

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. If you freeze these for longer than 6 hours they'll become very hard, but soften when you let them sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes before serving.
2. If you're not keto and you'd rather not use low-carb sweetener, replace both sweeteners with an equal amount of honey or pure maple syrup. I wouldn't recommend using coconut sugar in the filling because it will be grainy, but it would be fine to use it with the nuts.
3. To make this dairy-free, use dairy-free cream cheese (Kitehill makes a great one!) and use whipped coconut cream and coconut oil in place of the heavy cream and butter.
Nutritional info (per cup): Calories 219 | Fat 20.5g | Protein 2.4g | Carbs 3.7g | Fiber .9g | Erythritol: 17.5g

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made by using these links doesn’t cost you any extra and helps to keep my content free.

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The post Keto Frozen Key lime Mini Pies appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Are you ready for this? Creamy strawberry paleo ice cream -- without an ice cream maker! All you need is a speedy, high-powered blender or a badass food processor.

Easy frozen blender desserts are a huge favorite around here -- especially on weeknights! The very first thing I made in my Blendtec blender years ago was this Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream. Instant hit! I think we made it almost every day for a while.

You only need a few ingredients for this, too! (I'll show you below!) I can whip up a batch of this paleo strawberry ice cream before the kids clear the dinner dishes.

I could also eat the entire pitcher and watch an episode of Bones, too, because sometimes those after-dinner chores take, like, and hour to do. Kids, man.

Why this Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe WORKS:

You know how sometimes you make something with frozen strawberries and it falls flat? Like the strawberry flavor tastes… bored. But you don’t exactly know how to fix it?

My recipe uses a little secret ingredient to fix this issue – orange juice. This does two things: 1. Adds some acidity to brighten the strawberry flavor without making it taste orangey. 2. Adds some natural sweetness so you can use less sweetener elsewhere.

What You Need to Make this Paleo Strawberry Dessert:

• Frozen strawberries: You can use pre-frozen strawberries or fresh ones that you froze yourself. They need to be frozen for this recipe to work well. Otherwise you end up with a smoothie.
• Coconut Cream: This adds that nice hit of creaminess. You can find unsweetened coconut cream in the Asian aisle. The coconut cream you see in the mixed drinks aisle is full of sugar. (Also delicious, but just a heads up in case you’re wanting to control the sugar.)
• Coconut milk or almond milk: Or even dairy milk, if you’re not avoiding dairy.
• A large orange: The secret weapon. You can also use store-bought orange juice.
• Medjool dates: I use dates for this because it’s a good natural sweetener that also adds a little more body to the ice cream. Feel free to use any natural sweetener you prefer (maple syrup, stevia) or regular granulated sugar.
• Vanilla extract: Yes, please! Measure with your heart.
• Ice cubes: Just a few.

How to Make Strawberry Paleo Ice Cream

1. Put the coconut cream, milk, orange juice, dates, and vanilla in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add the strawberries and ice cubes. If your blender pitcher has measurements on the side, fill it with strawberries to the 3 cup mark and the ice to the 4 cup mark.
3. If your blender has presets, use the ice cream setting to blend everything together. You may have to run the preset more than once and push all of the frozen bits down to the bottom between blending. If your blender has a hard time getting everything smooth, add ¼ cup more milk.
4. Serve.

Tips for Making Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream

This recipe works best if you have a high-powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix. You'll need to add more milk to get it to blend if you have a regular blender and it won't be quite as thick and soft-serve-like, but it'll still be tasty.

I have a Blendtec, and I run the "Ice Cream" program two or three times to get this blended, usually scraping down the sides between every cycle. I don't have a Vitamix, so I'm not familiar with how to do this the best way. It does need a pretty high speed, though, to smooth out all of that ice.

Afterward you can even pop it in the freezer for an hour or so in a freezer safe container to thicken it up. But if you leave it in there for too long, it'll get rock hard. Then you'll have to let it sit out for a while before you can scoop it. (Just don't forget about it or it'll melt and get soupy, and it won't recover after that.

(Ah, the dance we do with food to get JUST the right temperature.)

Amazing, right? The first time I made a dessert like this in my Blendtec, it totally made that bigger price tag worth it. It can blend such thick, frozen stuff without needing a lot of extra liquid. It's witchcraft.

(This isn't a sponsored post by the way. I just like professing my love for my blender.)

You could totally change up the fruit in this! Just make sure it's frozen so the consistency is the same. Mixed berries would be fabulous! Or even mangoes -- a creamier version of my 5-Minute Mango Sorbet.

And if you have some ice cream mixture leftover, make some popsicles....

One more thing -- I've got a bunch more paleo ice cream recipes and more frozen treats on my site! Grab a few of them and plan a frozen treat party with some friends!

Or a frozen treat date with your hubs after the kids go to bed. Because, if you're like me, you're usually to wiped to invite anyone over for a party. Haha. (Just run the blender on the back patio or in the garage so they don't hear you. ;)

More Paleo Ice Cream Recipes and Other Frozen Healthy Treats

Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream (in the blender) -- The one I mentioned above -- the first blender ice cream I ever made! And still one of our favorites. It totally reminds me of a Wendy's frosty.

Dairy-Free Pistachio Ice Cream -- This unique ice cream uses pistachio milk -- super easy to make and you can make it ahead of time to get this ice cream made even more quickly! (This one has a low-carb option, too!)

5-Minute Mango Sorbet (in the blender) -- Just three ingredients and you've got a tasty tropical treat in your face.

Raspberry Blender Sorbet -- Another fruity blender sorbet -- this time with freeze-dried berries for maximum flavor and minimal sogginess.

Ginger and Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream -- This one can be made primal (with dairy) or dairy-free. Strawberry and ginger is a stellar combo. And have you ever roasted strawberries? I die.

Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Yield: About 1 quart

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

A handful of ingredients and five minutes will give you a blender full of paleo strawberry ice cream!

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Ingredients

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• ½ cup coconut cream
• ½ cup coconut or almond milk
• Juice from ½ of a large orange
• 3 medjool dates, pitted
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1 cup of ice cubes

Instructions

1. Put the coconut cream, milk, orange juice, dates, and vanilla in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add the strawberries and ice cubes. If your blender pitcher has measurements on the side, fill it with strawberries to the 3 cup mark and the ice to the 4 cup mark.
3. If your blender has presets, use the ice cream setting to blend everything together. You may have to run the preset more than once and push all of the frozen bits down to the bottom between blending. If your blender has a hard time getting everything smooth, add ¼ cup more milk.
4. Serve.

The post 5-Minute Strawberry Paleo Ice Cream appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Yeah, I know. The fifth chai recipe in just a few weeks. What can I say? I’m obsessed! When I made these paleo gingerbread waffles using my Homemade Chai Spice Blend, I was surprised how close it came to traditional gingerbread spices! You still get that familiar taste of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon with a little bit of something extra — that you can’t put your finger on, but you love it.

My 5-year-old was home from school that day so I put her to work. I can’t believe how lanky she’s getting. Those arms, man. And it still surprises me how fair she is since I’m rather dark and my husband is a quarter Mexican with jet black hair and olive skin — the only blonde-haired, blue-eyed member of our family. Our little ball of recessive genes.

OK, don’t hate me for this, but splitting the eggs and whipping the egg whites separately is really the best option for waffles. If you REALLY don’t want to do it, you can just put them in whole, but I feel like the waffles are floppier that way and don’t have as much fluff.

Also, I can usually get an extra waffle or two out of the batch because whipped egg whites creates more volume in the batter.

I swear, I’ve been making waffles for most of my life and almost every batch will have at least one waffle that spills out the sides. *facepalm*

I don’t know why I keep overestimating my waffle iron’s capacity. We were gifted a Belgian waffle iron when we got married that lasted about a decade. When it died I replaced it with a traditional waffle iron. (this Cuisinart waffle iron which is inexpensive and gets the job done. I would love to spring for this double Belgian waffle iron, but…. storage space.)

It took me a while to get used to putting half as much batter in my new iron. Overfills ALL. THE. TIME. And a few years later I’m still doing it. Can anyone relate or am I just destined to have a crusty waffle iron my whole life?

Want to know a secret? Don't stack your waffles. It'll make them soggy faster.

Put them on a wire rack on a cookie sheet, and try not to overlap them too much. Then put them in your oven on the warming setting. It'll keep some of that fresh-from-the-iron crispness.

No, this isn't leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving. (Our leftovers went the way of Paleo Orange Cranberry Bars. Twice.)

I actually bought more cranberries (At Costco. *Facepalm* Triple batch it is!) to make some paleo Wassailed Cranberry Sauce so I could put it on these waffles. It was a round about way of getting what I wanted, but it was worth it!

And now I have over a quart of extra cranberry sauce for something else. But if we're being honest here, it'll probably end up on a couple more batches of these paleo gingerbread waffles.

I mixed the cranberry sauce with some whipped coconut cream to make a creamy sweet-tart topping for my waffles. If you can handle some dairy, I highly recommend using real whipped cream.

A sprinkle of pomegranate arils was the perfect touch!

These waffles are on the sweet side because I was anticipating a more tart topping. If you decide to serve them with something sweeter you can hold back on the sweetener in the waffle batter.

Or not. #Christmastime

Chai Paleo Gingerbread Waffles with Pomegranate & Cranberry Cream

Yield: Makes 6 round waffles

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

These aren't ordinary paleo gingerbread waffles -- chai spice gives them a familiar flavor with a hint of something interesting. And cranberry cream? *Swoon*

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Ingredients

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• 1 cup tapioca flour
• ½ cup blanched almond flour
• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 Tablespoon Homemade Chai Spice Blend
• 6 Tablespoons coconut sugar or preferred dry sweetener
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ⅓ cup molasses
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 cup prepared cranberry sauce
• 1 cup coconut cream, whipped (see note)
• Arils from 1 large pomegranate

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, chai spice, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt.
2. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into the bowl with the dry mixture and the whites in a separate, smaller bowl. (Don't mix in the yolks quite yet.)
3. To that bowl, add 3 eggs, applesauce, molasses, almond flour, and coconut oil. Mix it together only after you have added all of the wet ingredients.
4. Whip the egg whites using an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form.
5. Add the whites to the batter and GENTLY fold them in using a rubber spatula, scraping from the bottom and folding the batter over. The batter will be fluffy and aerated when you're done.
6. Cook the waffles in a heated waffle iron sprayed with non-stick spray (I like coconut oil spray) according to the manufacturer's directions.
7. Clean off your beaters and then use your hand mixer again to whip the coconut cream, if it's hard. Beat until it's smooth and soft. Stir in the cranberry sauce and set it aside until ready to use.
8. Serve the waffles with a dollop of cranberry cream and a sprinkle of pomegranate arils.

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. You can find canned coconut cream in some grocery stores or online. If you have trouble finding it, you can use the separated cream from 2-3 cans of chilled coconut milk.

2. If you put the cranberry cream in the fridge for a while before eating it will harden again. I recommend just letting it sit out if you plan on eating soon. Or prepping it immediately before eating.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made by using these links doesn’t cost you any extra and helps to keep my content free.

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The post Chai Paleo Gingerbread Waffles with Pomegranate & Cranberry Cream appeared first on Perry's Plate.