Healthy Fig Bites (gluten free)

Fig Bites 

             Hi! It has been a while since I shared a recipe. I thought it would be fun to pass this yummy snack along. I have enjoyed eating figs lately. I have been excited about the calcium they have in them. I am always looking for foods that have calcium in them. They are a healthy treat. When you make them into these healthy bites you have a wonderful snack. 💕

Recipe 

3/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds

1/2 Cup chopped up Figs

1/2 Cup Chopped up Almonds (or nuts of your choice)

4 Tablespoons of honey

1/2 Cup Almond Butter

!/2 Cup Old fashioned rolled Oats (gluten free)

1 C unsweetened Coconut Flakes 

Instructions

1. Grind the sunflower seeds in blender.

2. Pour sunflower seeds into a bowl. 

3. Stir in the remaining ingredients into the bowl until all combined. 

4. Form into bites. 

5. Put on cookie sheet and freeze about an hour. Then store in air tight container in the freezer. 

6. Will store about 2 months. 

7. Makes about 16 balls depending on the size you make. Enjoy!!!

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Toasted Oatmeal and Almond Butter

I have toasted quinoa before for hot cereal but I have never toasted oatmeal for hot cereal. It added a nice nutty flavor to the oatmeal. It was fun to add almond butter it added to the nutty flavor and made the oatmeal a creamier texture. It is a yummy way to start your day. It also would make a great snack.

Ingredients
1/3 C Old fashioned oatmeal
1 C water
1 T almond butter
2 tsp honey* optional
almond milk
1/4 C raspberries

Directions serves 1
1. Put medium saucepan on stove medium heat. Pour the oatmeal into the pan and stir a couple minutes. You will start to smell a nutty smell.
2. Then stir water and let it cook a couple minutes until it starts to thicken.
3. Stir in the almond butter and honey. Let cook a couple minutes.
4. Take off the heat and serve into bowl. Pour almond milk on top. Top with raspberries.

Chocolate Apple Cupcakes filled with Almond Butter for Valentines

We hit the jackpot with this recipe! These cupcakes are healthy and delicious at the same time. They are healthy enough to have for breakfast but can also be served as a dessert. We loved them when we bit into them. They tasted sooo good! These would be great for Valentines Day to keep it healthy or for any day of the year. You can fill the almond butter as deep as you want.

If you don't want to go to the effort to make them so cute, just frost the whole top with the almond butter icing, place a paper template of a heart on the cupcake, dust with powdered sugar on the remaining cupcake, and then remove the paper. I think they could be just as cute!

They can be made gluten free, if you prefer, or using whole grains. They use no butter, no white sugar (except for the dusting of powdered sugar), are egg free, and yet are incredibly moist! You will love them!

Ingredients
2 C gluten free flour or 1 3/4 C spelt, kamut or wheat and 1/4 C quinoa flour
1/4 cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 C grape seed oil
1/2 C honey
2 T plain Greek yogurt
3/4 C almond milk
1/4 C water
1 apple, grated

Filling
1 C almond butter
2 T honey
1 tsp vanilla

cupcake liners (found these cute ones at Walmart)
powdered sugar to sift on top
heart cut out of paper

Directions (makes 12)
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl pour in flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a wire whisk until all combined.
2. In a separate bowl pour oil, honey, yogurt, milk and water. Blend with a wire whisk for a couple of minutes. 
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture. Stir until just combined.
4. Fold in the grated apples until all combined.
5. Place cupcake liners in the muffin pan. Pour evenly among the cups.
6. Bake about 18 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Cool on a wire rack.

Don't the cupcake liners look so cute?!

7. In a small bowl combine almond butter, honey and vanilla until all combined and nice and smooth.
8. Sift powdered sugar on the cupcakes.
9. Place small paper heart on top of each cupcake and cut around it into the cupcake as deep as you want the filling. We did about 1 inch down.

cutting out the shape using the paper heart as a template

10. Scoop filling into a plastic sandwich bag. Seal shut, releasing the air first. Cut a small piece off of one corner of the bag.

squeezing in the icing from the plastic bag

See the cute little heart?

11. Squeeze the filling into the heart. You can get a butter knife and smooth over the top. I dipped my finger in a little water to make it all smooth. Enjoy! You will want to serve these soon after making them, because otherwise the powdered sugar will be absorbed into the cupcake because it is so moist.

So pretty! Dig in! They taste as good as they look!

Good Things Utah and Almond Butter Puffs

 

So Britney and I had a lot of fun this morning. We were on "Good thing Utah". We shared this recipe with them and talked a little bit about our cookbook and grains. They were fun to talk to and pleasant to be around. It was a fun new adventure being on TV. Britney had done it before with a cookbook. I had never done it. We are having fun experiencing and learning new things. It is wonderful to help people learn some of the things we have learned about grains and eating healthier.  We will put up the link from the show once it is available. Have a great weekend.  
   
When I was young we used to make some yummy treats called "peanut butter puffs." They had peanut butter, special K cereal, sugar, and corn syrup. It brings back many happy memories. :) I would guess you have had something similar. Well I wanted to make a healthier version of them, and I was very happy with the end result. I caught my son eating some as well, so that must mean they were good. :) It is nice to have them for a yummy snack. They are quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1/2 C almond butter
1 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 C honey
1 tsp vanilla
*granola (to roll them in) optional
*You could also add raisins, chocolate chips, coconut, etc..)

Directions:
1. In a bowl mix the almond butter, honey, and oatmeal together until it is all combined. Then stir in the vanilla. (You could add chips, coconut, seeds, or raisins.)

2. Form the batter into small balls. Then roll in granola. (Or coconut!) Eat them or save them for later in an air tight container or bag in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy! I already need to make another batch of them.

* Here is an update a new variation to this recipe.

Chocolate Almond Butter Oatmeal with Bananas

 

This was a yummy way to eat oatmeal for breakfast. It also made a nice snack tonight. I love the flavors all put together. It left me feeling very satisfied. I am hoping my son will want it for breakfast too. It is a great way to get his day started.


 Ingredients: serves 5-6 store leftovers in covered containers in the fridge.
2 C water
2 C almond Milk or another milk
1 T coconut oil * op
2 C oatmeal (I used 6 grain rolled oatmeal)
3 T unsweetened cocoa
3T almond butter or peanut butter
2-3 T honey 
1 tsp almond extract * optional
topping options: fresh  bananas, fresh fruit, or chocolate chips :)
Drizzle on some additional milk. 

Directions:  
1. Boil water and then add milk and *oil. Stir in oatmeal. Bring to low boil.

2. Stir in cocoa, butter, almond extract* and honey.  Turn down the heat to low. Let the oatmeal mixture thicken until it gets to  your desired consistency.   

3. Serve in bowls and put on your favorite topping. 
   

Chocolate Almond Puffs (Raw)

I loved this recipe so much. I have been thinking about new variations that would be good. I made these last night and they turned out wonderful. I loved leaving a little texture to them. I don't like crunchy peanut butter, but I do like crunchy almond butter in things. I have found that not all almond butter is equal. I really like the Kettle brand almond butter. I have made some from scratch before, but I need to perfect that recipe.

I was just recently reading an article that talked about the benefits of dark chocolate, almond butter and coconut oil. So this recipe is loaded with some nutritional foods.

I store them in an airtight container in the fridge and they are ready for a quick and easy snack. :) 

Ingredients: makes about 8

1/2 C crunchy almond butter
1/4 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 extra dark chocolate chips
2 T coconut oil
1/2 tsp almond flavoring

Directions:
1. Put all the ingredients in blender. Blend a couple minutes and stir. Continue this process until you get to desired consistency.
2. Dump into a bowl. Then form into balls. Eat or put in an airtight container and store in fridge or freezer for a quick snack. Yum!

Almond Butter Oatmeal Puffs (Raw)

This month for Recipe Redux we are doing recipes that feature either honey or maple syrup. I decided to use honey.

When I was young we used to make some yummy treats called "peanut butter puffs." They had peanut butter, special K cereal, sugar, and corn syrup. It brings back many happy memories. :) I would guess you have had something similar. Well I wanted to make a healthier version of them, and I was very happy with the end result. I caught my son eating some as well, so that must mean they were good. :) It is nice to have them for a yummy snack. They are quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1/2 C almond butter
1 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 C honey
1 tsp vanilla
granola (to roll them in)
*You could also add raisins, chocolate chips, coconut, etc..)

Directions:
1. In a bowl mix the almond butter, honey, and oatmeal together until it is all combined. Then stir in the vanilla. (You could add chips, coconut, seeds, or raisins.)

2. Form the batter into small balls. Then roll in granola. (Or coconut!) Eat them or save them for later in an air tight container or bag in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy! I already need to make another batch of them.

* Here is an update a new variation to this recipe.

Almond Butter Treats (Raw)

These are another one of my creations. I have made a lot of different versions. It is fun to experiment and come up with something new. I shared some of these with some friends and they were a hit. So I thought I would pass along the recipe to you. I like to store them in the freezer in a zip lock or air tight freezer container. Then they are ready when ever you want a quick snack. They are very satisfying to me, and I feel like I am eating something healthy too. You really can't go wrong when you combine these yummy ingredients. :)

Ingredients:
5-6 dates (softened) You can soak them ahead of time
1/4 C almond butter or peanut butter
1/2 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/3 C pumpkin seeds unsalted
1/3 C cashew pieces unsalted
2 T coconut oil

Directions:
1. Make sure the dates are soft. You can put them in the microwave with a little water for 30 seconds.If you haven't soaked them. 
2. Pour all the ingredients into the blender and pulse a couple seconds and  stir it and continue the same process until it reaches the desired consistency.
3. Pour the mixture into a bowl and form into balls. Put in the fridge or freezer to let harden. You can eat them soft too. Enjoy!

Here are some other ones:

1. Almond cocoa balls
2. Almond Coconut treats
3. Power Balls

Millet Cranberry Bars

This was a winner. It has some similarities to rice crispy treats, yet healthier. It was a fun snack. It is a nice way to incorporate a new grain too. I also used Almond Butter in it. I hadn't bought it before. You can bring your own container into Good Earth. They will weigh the container, then you only pay for the Almond butter. I learn new tricks every day. I put cranberries in it, that I got from Good Earth as well. I really liked the consistency of the cranberries. They were softer than the ones you usually see, and not all the added sugar. They were yummy!
I found this cereal at Sunflower Market!

Ingredients:

1 C almond butter or creamy peanut butter
2/3 C honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 C oatmeal (I used old fashioned)
3 C puffed millet
1/2 dried cranberries or different dried fruit
1 tsp cinnamon (I used pumpkin spice)

Directions:

1. In a saucepan on the stove. Heat on med low heat butter and honey. Heat until a smooth consistency. Then stir in vanilla.

2. In a separate bowl mix the oatmeal and millet together with the cinnamon ,and cranberries. Pour the hot mixture on top. Mix until the cereal mixture is all covered.

3. Grease a 13x9 " pan. Pour the mixture in the pan. Flatten let harden a little. Cut into squares and wrap in plastic, and store in fridge. They are a nice snack for you to have when you are on the go. Enjoy!