How To Be a Healthy Bunny this Easter

Rainbow-foiled chocolate eggs, bunnies in bow-ties and the smell of spiced, fragrant Hot Cross Buns. Easter is a sensory delight. But the ever-tempting path of overindulgence looms; as sugary, gluten-filled, preservative-packed offerings are aplenty. We’ve been on our own Easter Egg hunt, and have pried open the ovens and pricked our (bunny) ears to the best healthy takes on Easter favourites. We have asked our favourite healthy bunnies to share their eggcellent (we couldn’t help ourselves!) recipes. So pop on your paleo, sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free hats and hop away with us.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @BADGALRIRI

1. The Egg – Berrylicious Eggs

By Abigail O’Neill, Model Chocolate

The ‘Choccie’ Egg is synonymous with all things Easter. It comes in many a size, colour and flavour – however most are laden with sugar and nasties. Not at Beauticate though. The stunning Abigail O’Neill cracks open her recipe for raw, velvety Berrylicious Eggs with us. These eggs are rich in skin beautifying antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. Best thing is they taste delightful and can be whipped up in a matter of minutes.

Ingredients

70g raw cacao butter, finely chopped
1 tablespoon raw organic coconut oil
1 tablespoon tahini
½ teaspoon vanilla powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup or more frozen mixed organic berries
Easter egg moulds.

Instructions

Melt finely chopped cacao butter and coconut oil in glass mixing bowl over boiling water.
Remove from heat, add in vanilla, maple syrup, tahini, cacao powder and whisk until smooth.
Place a few frozen berries into the bottom of each Easter egg mould.
Pour raw chocolate over the berries. The chocolate will begin to set instantly!
Place in the freezer a few moments more until chocolate is fully hard.
Serve.

Makes 15- 20 Berrylicious Eggs in just over 10 minutes.

Recipe by Abigail O’Neill | Instagram | facebook

2. The Savoury Egg – Baked Eggs with Dill, Spinach and Labneh

By Jacqueline Alwill, The Brown Paper Bag

Don’t think Easter is just about the chocolate eggs, we are as clucky over the real ones too. Here the beautiful Jacqueline from The Brown Paper Bagopens up her bag and shares her delicious baked eggs recipe. A wonderfully healthy, fresh option for Easter breakfast, brunch or lunch. The chicks will be most impressed.

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, halved
200g chopped tinned tomatoes, or fresh if they are on hand
1-2 tbsp labneh in oil (Opt : Persian, Danish or greek feta)
2 handfuls baby spinach
4 small sprigs dill

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200C.
Warm a small fry pan and drop a teaspoon of oil from the labneh (opt: coconut oil), add the tomatoes and cook for 2 min, then remove from heat.
Evenly portion your tomatoes and baby spinach between 2 large ramekins (or 4x 1 cup ramekins).
Crack the eggs over the top of the tomatoes and spinach.
Place a generous spoonful of labneh in each followed by a sprig of dill.
Pop ramekins on a baking tray and into the oven for 15-20min (depending on how you like your eggs cooked).
Serve with a small bowl of quinoa or a slice of your bread of choice, smeared with avocado or organic butter + enjoy!

Serves 2

Recipe by The Brown Paper Bag | Instagram | facebook

3. The Bun – Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns with Lemon Cashew Cream

By Amy Crawford, The Holistic Ingredient

Fear not gluten and lactose-intolerant tummies! We have buns just for you! The divine Amy, from The Holistic Ingredient, has opened up her oven and offered us her scrumptious, moreish hot cross buns. Full of goodies and lacking the additives of their naughty supermarket counterparts, these buns will keep you toasty and satisfied in between Easter Egg hunting. It may take a while, but it’s well worth the wait.

Ingredients

For the Buns:

3 ½ cups of THI gluten free flour mix
1 cup almond milk
1 cup dried fruit (we used ½ cup currants & ½ cup sultanas)
½ cup coconut sugar
¼ cup coconut oil
3 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons dry yeast
2 tablespoons flax meal
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Zest and juice of 2 oranges

For the Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

In a small bowl, soak your dried fruit in enough warm water to submerge them.
Place the almond milk into a medium sized saucepan and warm slowly over a low heat. Be sure not to boil the milk, you want it to be lukewarm.
To the saucepan add the yeast and coconut sugar.
Set the saucepan aside and allow the yeast in the mixture to rise (be sure to use a large enough saucepan, otherwise the mixture will overflow – I speak from experience!).
In another bowl combine the gluten free flour mix, flax meal, orange zest and juice, coconut oil and all the spices. Pour in the yeasty almond milk mixture, (which should be foamy by now).
Using a high-powered blender, blend on medium speed until combined and the mixture has aerated.
Drain the dried fruit and add to the mix, continue beating for another 2 minutes (note: in the absence of a blender you could also knead).
Turn your dough into a clean bowl and cover with a tea towel, placing in a warm place (i.e. not your fridge!) for approximately 1 hour, allowing the yeast to rise in the mixture.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
Using your hands roll dough into balls and place side by side in the baking tray so that they are just touching.
Brush the top of the balls with a little extra almond milk.
Place the tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before applying the icing crosses.
While the buns are cooking you can prepare the icing. Place the cashews, yoghurt, lemon juice and rice malt syrup in a blender or electric mixer and combine until smooth yet still thick enough not to be runny.
Using a piping bag (or a snap log bag with a small hole cut in the corner), pipe lines/crosses across the buns.
These buns freeze beautifully (believe me, I know – I’ve been enjoying my tasty little morsels in between meals with absolute pleasure).

Recipe by The Holistic Ingredient | Instagram | facebook

4. The Bunny – Ferrero Rocher Bunnies

By Abigail O’Neill, Model Chocolate

Easter isn’t complete without a visit from the Easter Bunny. And what better bunny to visit than a Ferrero Rocher inspired one. Abigail O’Neill from Model Chocolate has hopped over to Beauticate to share her bunnies with us. We were twitching in excitement. Simple raw chocolate bunnies, flavoured with pure hazelnut butter and real vanilla to make you even more beautiful, from the inside out.

Ingredients

70g raw cacao butter, finely chopped
2 tablespoons raw organic coconut oil
2 rounded tablespoons hazelnut butter
2 tablespoons dark raw agave or maple syrup
Pinch sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla powder
⅓ – 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
Easter bunny moulds.

Instructions

Melt finely chopped cacao butter and oil in a glass mixing bowl over boiling water.
Remove from heat, add everything else and whisk altogether until well combined.
Set raw chocolate into Easter bunny chocolate moulds and place in the freezer.
Serve, knowing these are 100% as good for you as they taste!

Makes 7-10 bunnies

10 minutes to prepare + setting time.

Recipe by Abigail O’Neill | Instagram | facebook

Story by Chrisanthi Kaliviotis.