cashew pumpkin dip

Pass on the pile of candy and dive into a bowl of Cashew Pumpkin Dip this Halloween!  It’s secretly healthy and tastes just like pumpkin cheesecake!  Dip into it with apple slices, pretzels or spread onto graham crackers for a delightful snack…or just eat it by the spoonfuls like I did :)

Cashew Pumpkin Dip ~vegan~ It's secretly healthy and tastes just like pumpkin cheesecake! Dip into it with apple slices, pretzels or spread onto graham crackers for a delightful snack...or just eat it by the spoonfuls!

This recipe takes only a few minutes to make.  Simply blend creamy cashew butter, pumpkin, maple syrup and spices until fluffy.  Cashew butter is a mild tasting nut butter that works well in recipes.  It’s also super buttery, which makes for a decant dessert!  Cashews are a great source of zinc, biotin, iron, potassium and magnesium.  They also provide protein and monounsaturated fat, making this a snack that will keep your glucose levels in check and in turn preventing sugar cravings.  Sugar cravings and Halloween are a bad combo!

Cashew Pumpkin Dip ~vegan~ It's secretly healthy and tastes just like pumpkin cheesecake! Dip into it with apple slices, pretzels or spread onto graham crackers for a delightful snack...or just eat it by the spoonfuls!

cashew pumpkin dip
 
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Cashew Pumpkin Dip ~vegan~ It's secretly healthy and tastes just like pumpkin cheesecake! Dip into it with apple slices, pretzels or spread onto graham crackers for a delightful snack...or just eat it by the spoonfuls!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 can pumpkin
  • ¼-1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup cashew butter
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch sea salt
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a food process or high-speed blender. Puree until smooth and creamy.
  2. Serve with apple slices, pretzels and graham crackers!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 137 Fat: 8 Carbohydrates: 16 Sugar: 8 Fiber: 2 Protein: 3

Cashew Pumpkin Dip ~vegan~ It's secretly healthy and tastes just like pumpkin cheesecake! Dip into it with apple slices, pretzels or spread onto graham crackers for a delightful snack...or just eat it by the spoonfuls!

P.S. Leftovers make a tasty topping on whole grain toast for breakfast! 

Head over to Nuts.com for more healthy snack ideas including snacks for work, snacks for kids and high-protein snacks!

double chocolate banana bread

Surprise your kids with this Double Chocolate Banana Bread when they get off the bus, because nothing says “welcome home” better than banana bread!

Double Chocolate Banana Bread ~vegan~

For many, last week was the first week back to school.  My little one starts Pre-K on Monday and he couldn’t be more excited!  (I can’t wait as well…a few items on my “to do” list might actually get done!)  This summer definitely goes down in the books as one of the best ever!  We welcomed Rowan into the world, spent endless hours on the beach and made memories to last a lifetime, but I’m ready for things to slow down a bit.  It will be nice to get back into a routine, cook more meals at home and enter into hibernation mode.  I don’t know about you, but banana bread has slow down and relax written all over it!

This isn’t your typical banana bread recipe that is loaded with butter and saturated fat.  Instead applesauce is used to give it a fluffy texture.  Sweetened naturally by ripe bananas and maple syrup and of course a few chocolate chips are tossed in for good measure!

I used a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and ground old-fashioned oats for added fiber and nutrients, but you can simply use whole wheat pastry flour if you prefer.  If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour use whole wheat flour and a half white flour.

Surprise your kids with this Double Chocolate Banana Bread when they get off the bus, because nothing says "welcome home" better than banana bread!

double chocolate banana bread
 
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Double Chocolate Banana Bread, the ultimate comfort food! !Makes 15 servings
Author:
Serves: 15
Ingredients
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats (ground into a flour)
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • ¼ cup cacao powder or high quality cocoa powder
  • ¾ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoons salt
  • 3 ripe bananas (mashed), 1 heaping cup
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • ¼ cup soy or almond milk
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup chocolate chips plus ¼ cup for topping (I like using Enjoy Life chocolate chips)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x4 baking pan with natural cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Place old-fashioned oats in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until a flour is formed.
  3. In a large bowl add oat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, cacao powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until well combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, add mashed bananas, maple syrup, apple sauce, milk and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
  5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and lightly stir together until just mixed. Don't over mix!
  6. Fold in chocolate chips and transfer batter to baking pan. Top with ¼ cup chocolate chips.
  7. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean and edges are pulling away from side of pan.
  8. Let bread cool, slice and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 157 Fat: 4 Carbohydrates: 29 Sugar: 15 Fiber: 3 Protein: 3

At only 157 calories and 4 grams of fat per slice, this is a healthier way to satisfy that sweet tooth!

Surprise your kids with this Double Chocolate Banana Bread when they get off the bus, because nothing says "welcome home" better than banana bread!

Surprise your kids with this Double Chocolate Banana Bread when they get off the bus, because nothing says "welcome home" better than banana bread!

Double Chocolate Banana Bread…double chocolate, enough said!

Happy Friday :)

no-bake cinnamon raisin almond butter oat bars

No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars, that’s a mouthful to say!

No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

The kids are headed back to school soon, which means packing lunches and providing after school snacks.  Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with healthy snacks that the kids will love and are safe to bring to a “peanut free” zone.  Snacks made with almond butter are a great option as almond butter provides protein, fiber and a dose of healthy fat.  Almond butter is extremely nutrient dense and provides vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.  It also helps with sustained energy and optimizing blood glucose control.  I love using nut-butters in kid-friendly recipes because it keeps the little ones feeling full and happy for longer!

These aren’t just for kids!  They make a great adult approved snack or can be paired with a piece of fruit for a wholesome breakfast!

No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

no-bake cinnamon raisin almond butter oat bars
 
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Makes 12 bars No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!
Author:
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1½ cup old fashioned oats
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup brown rice syrup
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
  1. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Pulse oats in a food processor a few times to make a course flour and set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan over low heat add almond butter, coconut oil, brown rice syrup, sea salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir until melted and well combined. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in oats and raisins.
  4. Press mixture into the lined baking pan. Use fingers to pack dough down well. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours to set. (or place in freezer to speed up the process!)
  5. Remove from parchment paper and cut into 12 bars.
  6. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 176 Fat: 11 Carbohydrates: 18 Sugar: 7 Fiber: 2 Protein: 4

No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and individually wrap for an on-the-go snack.  You can substitute brown rice syrup with agave or maple syrup.  However, just make sure to adjust the amount of oats as needed because brown rice syrup is much thicker than maple syrup or agave.  You want to aim for a cookie dough consistency.

No-Bake Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter Oat Bars. A vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly after-school snack!

Here are some more great school snack ideas using almond butter:

Almond Butter and Banana Open Sandwich

Almond Butter Snack Balls

Try making your own Almond Butter, this one from Happy Healthy Life looks amazing :)

Maple Coconut Cinna Almond Butter