Hello & thanks for visiting Joy Filled Eats! Your go-to website for easy delicious recipes that fit into a gluten-free, sugar-free, low carb, keto, & Trim Healthy Mama life.
Welcome! I’m Taryn. The kitchen has always been a joy filled place in my life. Even in the midst of dieting and weight loss food should bring JOY. I have lost over 50 pounds and enjoyed every bite. 100% of my recipes here at Joy Filled Eats are gluten-free and sugar-free. 99% of them are also low carb, keto, and grain-free; along with over 100 paleo and dairy-free recipes. I enjoy spending time baking, cooking, and creating recipes and I want to share that with my readers.
I have been happily married for 20 years and I am a loving mom to 6 children from a 4-year-old to a 17-year-old. One of my first loves is baking and cooking. I’ve been playing around with recipes for over 30 years. Unfortunately, mothering all these babies has added to my waistline. After my 4th baby, I became determined to lose ALL the baby weight. And I did!
But now after welcoming my 6th baby, I get to do it all over again! I’ve tried whole30, low carb, keto, the South Beach Diet, intermittent fasting, Trim Healthy Mama, and paleo over the last 15 years. Right now I've found success using a combination of THM and Keto. I’m looking forward to sharing recipes and tips along the way.
I remember rolling out pie crust with my grandmother and sprinkling the scraps with cinnamon and sugar to make little cookies. The rolling pin in my header is a drawing of the rolling pin she passed down to me. I love having that little part of my grandmother on the top of every page.
With a love of food and a background in photography, food photography was a natural choice. My bachelor's degree is in Visual Arts with a concentration in Photography. I am available for professional food photography in Central NJ and the surrounding areas.
I love being in the kitchen and I want to share that with you. I hope you enjoy Joy Filled Eats as much as I enjoy creating it for you.
Make sure to visit my husband Paul and I at our newest venture, A Grill for All Seasons.
My daughter and I are also collaborating on a new site at Baking Me Hungry.
And check out my Amazon author page!
Contact:
Meet the Joy Filled Eats Team!
Paul
PaulPaul is the chief taste tester, support person, finance guy, and much more at Joy Filled Eats. I really couldn't do it without him!
My social media links:
FoodGawker
Yummly
Julie Anderson says
Hi Taryn, I've made several of your recipes and most have turned out. My question is at what altitude were your recipes tested in? I live at a higher altitude and a few receipes are really dark and burn when I use the baking time suggested. Thank you for your help.
Taryn says
I live almost at sea level. 39' to be precise. You might find these guides helpful: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking AND https://www.thespruceeats.com/adjusting-candy-temperatures-for-high-altitude-cooking-520317
Barry says
You’re probably correct about your natural sweetener being twice as sweet as sugar but here are my calculations:
Erythritol: 13 oz = 9.1 oz sugar (considering erythritol is 70% the sweetness of sugar)
Xylitol: 17 oz = 17 oz sugar (considering xylitol is equal to the sweetness of sugar)
NOW Better Stevia Organic Extract Powder: 2 tsp = 0.33 oz = 16 oz sugar (considering stevia is 48 times the sweetness of sugar)
Total = 30.33 oz sugar substitutes = 42.1 oz sugar
30.33 divided by 42.1 = 0.72
0.72 multiplied by quantity of sugar in recipe = quantity of your natural sweetener to add
Therefore your natural sweetener would be about 1.4 times the sweetness of sugar (1 divided by 0.72).
Taryn says
Wow, thanks Barry. I do use half the amount of my sweetener as sugar listed when coverting recipes and that seems to work well. If that isn't sweet enough for you you can always add more. It seems that many people want to even use less sweetener than that.
karen says
i would love to make this cake. But i don't want it to be too sweet. Any suggestions.
Annette Hughes says
Hi,
I hope you see this. I purchased your cookbook bundle around Christmas or a little afterwards. I must have deleted the email before I downloaded them. I'm heartbroken. Love your recipes. Is there any way I can get them without having to buy again. I can send you a copy of the charge. Thanks for your consideration.
Taryn says
Hi Annette, I resent all the links and emailed it to you 🙂
Karen R Lamadrid says
How do you get rid of the cool after taste?
Taryn says
That is from erythritol. Try mixing it with xylitol or allulose and stevia. joyfilledeats.com/sweetener
Karen R Lamadrid says
thank you, will try.
Mandy says
Hello, I’m a little confused about the amount of sweetener I need to use to equal your Joy filled sweetener. So with this recipe you call for 1/4 cup of your sweetener. I use monk fruit or swerve and at times, others that I can get on sale. How much would I have to use to equal your 1/4 cup? Thank you! 🙂
Taryn says
It would be 0.25 x 1.5 = 0.375 which is 3/8 cup or a scant 1/3 of a cup.
angel chiriboga says
they sound delicious-
I have been trying to use carrot and fruit pulp.
and coconut etc-
in the end,,, I keep getting a cooked outer crust and a bread pudding inside.
Im going to try the muffin recipe and add the pulp after. Maybe that will help
Kristy says
How did you incorporate THM and keto to lose the baby weight? That’s where I’m at right now and just struggling to consistent.
Taryn says
I get bored easily. I find just sticking to whatever diet for a week or two at a time and then changing it up when I get tired of it. As long as the scale keeps moving I'm happy. I do lose weight very slowly. Like a pound a month.
Nancy Ayers says
I found your site looking for Keto recipes. I love the fact that you switch things up and customize your diet to your lifestyle. I gained like 40 pounds in the past 18 months after maintaining a size 14 for many years (I'm a grandmother of 5 boys) and i'm not happy being out of my wardrobe, so i'm doing Keto/Atkins with a bit of intermittent fasting thrown in as often as possible. thanks for your inspiration and your recipes. Blessings to you and your sweet family.
NATALIE STORER says
YOUR RECIPES SAY TO USE JOY FILLED SWEETS SWEETNER ( SEE RECIPE NOTE FOR ALTERNATIVES) BUT A LOT OF YOUR RECIPES DON'T MENTION SWEETNER ALTERNATIVES IN THE NOTE AND THERE IS NO WHERE TO BUY YOUR SWEETNER. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING!! CAN WE PURCHASE YOUR SWEETNER ANYWHERE? AND IF NOT WHY DON'T YOU MAKE IT EASIER TO USE YOUR RECIPES BY MAKING SURE YOU'RE CLEAR ON WHAT SWEETNERS TO USE AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND THE EXACT MEASUREMENT?? THE RECIPE I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS FOR YOUR LOW CARB OATMEAL COOKIES.
Taryn says
Natalie, those words are a clickable link in each and every recipe. And each and every recipe has the substitution information in the recipe card. I spent days adding them all last fall. You can easily make my sweetener with these measurements: joyfilledeats.com/sweetener
And, btw, your caps lock was on when writing that.
Tammy says
Hello Taryn, I found your site when looking for some tasty low carb alternative foods for health issues I’m struggling with. I tried a couple of your recipes and they were fabulous! I purchased your bundle pack and am looking forward to many more tasty meals in the future. I do have one concern I started looking into making your sugar substitute blend and came across some adverse health information about the sugar alcohols you use in the sweetener blend. I’ve just begun doing my due diligence on whether or not it’s safe with certain health issues to consume these ingredients. So I started wondering if you ever use warnings or disclaimer’s in your recipes about possible medical concerns regarding these or other ingredients? Thank you for all the healthy alternative and very tasty recipes you’ve created.
Taryn says
There was one recent study in the news. I've been using my sweetener blend since 2015. I recently added that any blend of 1:1 granular sweeteners plus stevia will work. So you are welcome to use your preferred sweetener in the same ratio.
June sayre says
Can I get ur cookbooks in paperback
Taryn says
Yes, you can! They are on Amazon: https://amzn.to/33RjRZF
Beverly says
What is your best recipe for Keto sandwich type bread? I love switching to Keto and all the awesome benefits but I miss having a sandwich. I have tried making almond flour loaves but they are so heavy. My daughter can't have gluten for health reasons so I am trying to find a good recipe for both of us. I am not sure if making a yeast version of the almond bread would make it better. Since you are obviously an experience baker, I was curious what you have found. And if you have any suggestions. By the way, I love all of your wonderful variety of Keto recipes. Your website and photographs are gorgeous. It's all lined out with easy to follow steps and photographs to make it easy to make the recipes. I will definitely share your site with others. Thank you for all your hard work in creating the recipes and sharing them in a such an easy and beautiful format.
Taryn says
Thank you, Beverly. To be honest, I haven't found (or created) a homemade bread recipe that I truly love (yet). I have heard good things about this bread though: https://www.gnom-gnom.com/gluten-free-paleo-keto-bread/
Hope Moreland says
Dear Joy filled Eats !!!! I have never commented on a site even though I love to cook. I have to tell you that YOU ARE AMAZING !!!! Your recipes are sooooo great !!!! I am new to the Keto thing and you have made it so delicious !!!!! Did I mention that I am a good cook. I will follow you anywhere ! Keep up the good work. Your recipes are to die for !!!!! Thank you !!!!!
Taryn says
Thank you, Hope!
Jody says
Hi Taryn,
In your Mashed Cauliflower what can I use besides the coconut oil in this recipe? Also I am going to make the chocolate chip cookies. Do I have to use the coconut flakes? For the Braided Garlic Breadstick what can I use beside the coconut flour. My Friend can't have coconut, they are allergic to it. Any recommendations where coconut is involved would be appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a great weekend.
Taryn says
Mashed Cauliflower - if you can have dairy try this one: https://joyfilledeats.com/cauliflower-mashers/ if not you could try to just omit the coconut oil. If it's too thick just add a bit of broth or nut milk to thin it.
Which chocolate chip cookies? I have several.
Breadsticks - you can use additional almond flour.
Charlotte McNamara says
Hi Taryn,
Would you please give me your "recipe" for your "baking mix." I'm looking for a substitute for flour or
"Bisquick" mix to convert my old recipes to Keto. Also, I believe you have a mix for nataural sweetner. Could you share that with me as well, and tell me your rerason for mixing.
Thank you for your help,
Charlotte
Taryn says
Hi Charlotte, I use either 2/3 almond flour & 1/3 coconut flour OR 1/3 each almond flour, coconut flour, ground golden flax. My sweetener can be found here: joyfilledeats.com/sweetener