Cranberry and pecan millionaire shortbread

My millionaire shortbread has always been one of my favourite bakes. I love the mix of textures and flavours you get from the three distinct layers- with sweetness from the shortbread and caramel encased in a rich dark chocolate shell. So when I was in the mood to bake something new, creating a variation of this classic was a must-do!

These cranberry, pecan and maple millionaire shortbreads were inspired by my mum’s love of adding cranberries and pecans to her breakfasts. Adding maple rounded out the cosy flavours to create something with warmth and indulgence. The result is a bake perfect for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of tea or as an easy dessert at the end of the day.

The base is a golden shortbread packed with crunchy pecans and bursts of chewy dried cranberries, all enriched with a deep, almost caramel-like maple flavour. On top sits a smooth and silky date caramel that adds natural sweetness and a fudgy texture. Everything is finished with a rich dark chocolate layer, scattered with extra cranberries. Each bite has a balance of crunch, chew and melt-in-the-mouth softness.

They also store beautifully in the fridge or freezer, which makes them perfect for batch baking. I love having a stash ready to grab whenever I need something sweet without having to start from scratch.

Even better, this recipe is completely gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free, so it’s ideal when you’re baking for different dietary needs. It’s one of those bakes that feels indulgent but is made with simple, plant-based ingredients — no one would guess it ticks so many boxes.

One of my favourite things about this recipe is how adaptable it is. Once you have the base idea, you can easily make it your own:

• I use almond butter, but any nut or seed butter works just as well, depending on what you have in the cupboard.

• The cranberries and pecans can be swapped for other dried fruits, nuts or seeds.

• If you don’t have dates for the caramel, raisins make a great alternative and create a slightly lighter flavour.

• I like making my own chocolate topping so I can control the sweetness and thickness, but simply melting your favourite chocolate works perfectly too.

• I love the addition of almond extract in this one, but you could use a different flavour or remove the extract altogether

• Maple syrup gives a rich, distinctive flavour, but date syrup or agave would also work well.

This is the kind of recipe that feels a little bit special but is surprisingly simple to make — layered, flavourful and perfect for sharing.

The Recipe...

Shortbread Layer

6 tbsp Coconut oil, melted

6 tbsp Maple syrup

170g Plain gluten-free flour

4 tbsp Nut butter (I use almond)

1/2 tsp Zanthem gum

A crack of salt

80g Dried cranberries

100g Pecans, chopped

Caramel Layer

190g Dates

3 tbsp Coconut oil, melted

115 g Nut butter (I use almond)

100 ml Maple syrup

1/2 tsp Almond extract

A pinch of salt

Chocolate Layer

70g Coconut oil, melted

50g Cacao powder

60ml Maple syrup

A sprinkle of Dried cranberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan and line a square tin with parchment paper (I use a brownie pan).

2. Prepare the dates by soaking in hot water while you prepare the shortbread.

3. For the shortbread layer: whisk the maple syrup and coconut oil together in a large bowl, and then add the flour, nut butter, xanthan gum and salt and whisk to combine.

4. Stir in the dried cranberries and chopped pecans.

5. Press the mixture into your tin until even (I do this with my hands and then level it out by pressing lightly with a fork) and place into the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown on top, and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

6. Place the shortbread in the fridge whilst you make the caramel: blend all the ingredients in your food processor or blender until smooth. Spread the caramel over the cooled shortbread and place it back in the freezer for at least an hour until the caramel has set.

7. In a bowl, mix your chocolate topping ingredients and add this to the top of the caramel, sprinkling on the remaining dried cranberries and place this back in the freezer until the chocolate is set.

8. Slice into squares and enjoy (Store in a sealed container in the freezer)

Whether you’re baking for a special occasion, prepping snacks for the week ahead, or simply craving something sweet and satisfying, these cranberry, pecan and maple millionaire shortbreads are a beautiful twist on a classic. They’re rich, layered and full of flavour, yet made with simple ingredients that come together effortlessly. I hope you love them as much as I do. If you want to keep up with my new recipes or get an insight into what I have been baking recently, check out my Instagram @rubysgfkitchen.

Happy Baking,

Ruby x

Banana Fruit Loaf

Easy, gluten-free, and a fun twist on an old classic

Have you ever had to make the very serious decision between banana bread and fruit loaf? Because, same. But good news — this recipe is the solution, bringing you the best of both worlds. It’s sweet, spiced, a little nutty, and packed with flavour. Banana bread… but make it a fruit loaf… but also gluten-free.

I made this on a whim when I was feeling very over the traditional banana bread, and honestly? I think I like this version more. It’s got texture, it’s super easy, and it only needs 7 key ingredients, with a few optional extras for spice and crunch.

Why You’ll Love This

• Naturally gluten-free

• Can be made dairy-free + refined sugar-free

• Customisable — switch up the fruit, the nuts, or the sweeteners

• Just one bowl (we love an easy clean-up)

• No flour! Uses ground almonds for a soft, moist crumb

The recipe...

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas

• 3 tbsp honey (or maple/agave syrup)

• 2 large eggs

• 140g plain yoghurt (use thick dairy-free yoghurt if needed)

• 250g ground almonds

• 1 tsp xanthan gum

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp mixed spice

• 100g chopped mixed nuts

• 280g dried fruit (raisins, chopped apricots, cranberries — anything goes)

  
  

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C fan. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment and lightly grease it with coconut oil.

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas and mix in the honey. Add the eggs and yoghurt, then whisk together until smooth.

3. Fold in the ground almonds, xanthan gum, baking powder, and mixed spice using a spatula. Stir until just combined. Add a splash of milk; it is a bit stiff.

4. Add your nuts and dried fruit, and gently fold them through the batter.

5. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin, and smooth out the top. Optional: decorate with extra nuts or banana slices if you’re feeling fancy.

6. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a knife/skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, just cover it with foil halfway through.

7. Let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

   
   

Allergy-Friendly Swaps + Notes

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and grain-free, but here are a few easy tweaks for other allergens:

Dairy-Free?

• Use a thick plant-based yoghurt (coconut or almond-based works well).

Refined Sugar-Free?

• This recipe uses honey and fruit to add sweetness to this loaf.

  
  

Vegan?

• Replace the eggs with 2 flax eggs or chia eggs (1 tbsp ground flax/chia + 2 tbsp water per egg, mixed and left to sit for 5–10 mins).

  Note: I haven’t tested it yet, so if you try it, let me know how it turns out!

  
  

Nut-Free?

• Instead of the ground almond base, oat flour could be used instead.

• A gluten-free plain flour would also work well.

• Swap chopped nuts for pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or leave them out entirely.

For Oat-Sensitive or Top 14 Allergen-Free Bakers:

• No oats in this one, so it's already oat-free! (If you swap the ground almonds for oat flour, just make sure they are gluten-free!)

• To make it Top 14 allergen-free, you’ll need to:

  • Replace eggs with flax or chia eggs

  • Use a nut-free flour substitute

  • Use a dairy-free yoghurt

  • Avoid any add-ins like nuts or allergen-risk dried fruits

    
    

This version will be a bit softer and more cake-like, but still delicious and nourishing.

This bread is one of those chuck-it-in-a-bowl-and-hope-for-the-best kind of bakes — and somehow, it always turns out right. Whether you're having it toasted with a smear of nut butter or just slicing it warm from the oven, it’s comforting, wholesome, and the perfect mix of two classics.

With only one bowl and using up all your old bananas, this is the perfect bake for when you want something super easy and nourishing! If you want to use this as an opportunity for meal prep, you can wrap slices up in cling film or foil and store them in the freezer for easy breakfasts or snacks!

For more gluten-free bakes and easy recipe inspo, you can find me over on Instagram @rubysgfkitchen — where I share behind-the-scenes bakes, tips, and very real kitchen chaos.

Let me know if you give it a go!

Happy Baking,

Ruby x

A Weekend In Bournemouth...

I recently took a little weekend trip to Bournemouth for a Cat Burns concert, and it honestly turned out to be the perfect weekend. The concert was absolutely incredible (still not over it), but what really surprised me was the food. Everywhere we ate was so on it when it came to allergies, which made such a difference. It meant I could order what I wanted without stressing and actually feel present and enjoy the day. I was so impressed that I thought I’d share more about where we tried, in case you ever find yourself in Bournemouth too!

1. Lolas Bakery

Now this is a little bit of a cop-out because, as you might know, this is actually a London-based bakery. That said, they do have cupcake outlets in a few different locations, and a bakery in London that sells cupcakes and so many other sweet and savoury goodies.

My sister now lives near this bakery, and ever since we missed going the last time we visited, I have been begging her to go. So when she surprised me with some treats to enjoy on the train to kick-start our weekend, I was very happy. I had to include it in this post because it really set the vibe for the whole weekend.

First of all, the choice in this bakery was unbelievable. The entire counter was gluten-free — everything from every cupcake flavour you could think of to muffins, cookies, and brownies. There was honestly so much choice, it was almost overwhelming.

Me and my sister ended up sharing a hazelnut brownie and an oat and cranberry cookie. The brownie was unreal — so rich and indulgent, with chunks of salty hazelnut cutting through the sweetness, topped with hazelnut butter and a thick, crunchy layer of chocolate. The cookie didn’t disappoint either: soft, chewy, and packed with a strong cranberry flavour in every bite.

There are still so many things I want to try from here, and with the café closing in May, I’ll definitely be running back.

2. Pho

This place has been on my bucket list for ages, so when I was looking for somewhere me and my sister could go for dinner and found one near The Botanist, where we had already planned to go for drinks (some of the best cocktails ever), I knew it was perfect.

The attentiveness to allergies here completely astounded me. During our visit, I had two separate waiters come over to talk through the dishes I could and couldn’t eat. And this menu is not small – there are loads of different options for pho, curries, fried rice and noodles, not to mention the long list of starters and drinks you can get to accompany any meal. Out of this whole menu, there were only three things that weren’t suitable for a gluten allergy. Three things!

If that wasn’t reassuring enough, they double-checked every time either me or my sister ordered something and confirmed who it was for, which made me feel so catered for.

Alongside a couple of cocktails, we ordered a selection of starters. There were so many we wanted to try that it took us ages to decide, but we eventually compromised and went for our top three.

One of the main reasons I’ve wanted to try this place for so long was their summer rolls, and they exceeded all expectations. The highlight for me was the peanut dipping sauce they came with – salty, smooth, and the perfect creamy accompaniment to these fresh and crispy rolls. We also went for the squid, which was super light and crispy and came with a lime-and-salt dipping sauce that you mix at the table. I thought this was such a fun, interactive element to the dish.

The last starter we got was a crispy Vietnamese pancake with tofu. This was another really interactive dish, served with tofu and bean sprouts (I didn’t know bean sprouts could be that good – me and my sister were genuinely fighting over them), alongside dipping sauce and rice paper so you can create your own tofu pancake roll.

For my main, I got the cha ca la vong, which is turmeric-coated grilled fish served with noodles and fish sauce. This was a type of fish I’d never heard of before, and it was absolutely delicious. I loved being able to add the amount of sauce I wanted, and the noodles were a really unique shape for a gluten-free dish, which I really enjoyed. There were also big chunks of chilli throughout, which added so much flavour.

There is still so much on this menu that I want to try, and I will 100% be back.

3. Bagels by Soho

   
   

While looking for a breakfast spot we could grab and take down to the beach the next morning, I stumbled across this café specialising in bagels and seasonal drinks. Being just a five-minute walk from our hotel, it was absolutely perfect. So, we headed there in the morning and were immediately overwhelmed—in the best way—by the number of options.

There were so many unique bagel fillings to choose from, all of which could be made on your bagel of choice, including a gluten-free option. I went for the banana and peanut butter bagel, which, despite being relatively simple, was honestly one of the best bagels I’ve ever had. It held together perfectly, wasn’t dry, and didn’t fall apart at all. It was prepared in a separate area from the regular bagels, which made me feel really confident ordering.

The overwhelming choice didn’t stop at the food—it continued when it came to drinks. There was a long list of regular options alongside a selection of specials. I’ve never been a big coffee lover, but I’ve always been intrigued by matcha. When I saw that their spring special was a piña colada matcha (one of my favourite flavours ever), I knew this had to be the drink that finally introduced me to it. And wow—it did not disappoint. I’ll genuinely be dreaming about this matcha.

I can’t wait to revisit some of these spots. If you have any other recommendations, let me know! And if you want to keep up with where I’m heading next, follow me on Instagram @rubysgfkitchen.

Ruby x