Category Archives: Snack

Chocolate Cashew Butter

Chocolate Cashew Butter

Cashews and chocolate are an underappreciated combination.

Peanuts and chocolate have Reese’s. Almonds and chocolate have Trader Joe’s chocolate covered almonds. Hazelnuts and chocolate have Nutella. When will cashews get their moment to shine?

Until they do, we’ll all have to settle for homemade, which really isn’t so bad once you taste it. The cashews have a nutty, roasted flavor that perfectly mixes with the cocoa powder’s bitterness. If you have powdered vanilla, it’s a great way to add another depth of flavor. Starting the day off with a spoonful of this on toast or oatmeal will certainly keep you happy and healthy.

Chocolate Cashew Butter Ingredients

You can use roasted or unroasted cashews for this recipe, whole or halves and pieces. Since you’re pureeing them into a butter anyway, I would recommend choosing whichever is cheapest at the store.

Chocolate Cashew Butter

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 16 ounces):

  • 3 1/2 cups unsalted cashews
  • 1 Tablespoon oil
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 5 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder(optional)

Chocolate Cashew Butter Making

Method:

  1. Combine the cashews and oil in a food processor or high-speed blender and puree according to the manufacturer’s directions until the cashews make a smooth butter.
  2. Add in the cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and salt and blend until its mixed.
  3. Move to a sealable container and store at room temperature when not eating.

Chocolate Cashew Butter Yield

Vegetarian Nachos

Vegetarian Nachos

If I could eat everyday like it were Cinco de Mayo I probably would. Melted cheese, margaritas, fried food—What else could you ask for?

We had a small party over the weekend. Nothing fancy. Premade margaritas, a piñata we named and so couldn’t hit, and nachos. That was really all we needed.

Vegetarian Nachos Topping

These are so simple you probably could make them everyday. I wouldn’t recommend it if I were a doctor, but as a food blogger I have no reservations. I think the best way to make these irresistible is using high quality salsa, sour cream and guacamole to get the perfect flavor.

Vegetarian Nachos

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Serves 4-6):

  • 8oz corn tortilla chips, preferably lightly salted or no-salt added
  • 4oz shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
  • 3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup or more salsa
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup guacamole

Vegetarian Nachos Cheese

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Put about half of the tortilla chips in a layer on top of a baking pan or in a baking dish.
  3. Cover the chips with half of the shredded cheese.
  4. Add another layer of chips.
  5. Sprinkle the rinsed beans on top of the second layer of nachos evenly.
  6. Add the remaining shredded cheese over the bean layer.
  7. Spread the salsa out on top of the cheese evenly over the entire tray.
  8. Bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese has melted completely. Remove from the oven.
  9. Plop the sour cream and guacamole on top of the hot nachos however you’d like. Serve immediately while still hot.

Vegetarian Nachos Finished   

Hazelnut Mocha Trail Mix

Hazelnut Mocha Trail Mix

Surprisingly for all the sweet teeth I have and my love of chocolate I’ve never been a fan of the fancy drinks at Starbucks. I love the occasional bitterness of black coffee but more often than not I’ll choose green or herbal tea, and if you try swirling chocolate syrup and whipped cream into your green tea you’ll get a few odd looks.

Chocolate covered coffee beans and the like, however, are a different story. They’re right up there with chocolate covered almonds, chocolate covered raisins, and chocolate covered everything else. I’ve never found chocolate covered hazelnuts but something tells me if I did I’d love them, too.

Hazelnut Mocha Trail Mix Yield

This trail mix hits just about every note that a good cup of coffee should. It has bitterness from the coffee beans, sweetness from the white chocolate and raisins, and a rich nuttiness from the hazelnuts and almonds. I think that hazelnuts pair great with chocolate and coffee but if you find yourself lacking them you can easily double the almonds in the recipe.

Hazelnut Mocha Trail Mix

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 3 cups):

  • 3/4 cup hazelnuts
  • 3/4 cup roasted almonds
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chocolate covered coffee beans
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Hazelnut Mocha Trail Mix Coffee Bag

Method:

  1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
  2. Store at room temperature when not enjoying.

Hazelnut Mocha Trail Mix Cup

Cape Cod Trail Mix

Cape Cod Trail Mix

New England doesn’t have a standard cuisine but it certainly could. Between the apple cider doughnuts, glazed Dunkin Donut’s munchkins with jimmies and Boston cream pies there’s a lot to love(mostly carbs).

And then there’s this trail mix. You won’t find the typical gang of peanuts and raisins; instead we have cashews and almonds with dried cranberries. White chocolate instead of milk chocolate adds a sweetness to match the tartness of the berries. The flavors are simple but purely addictive, especially paired with some local apples and Vermont cheddar slices.

Cape Cod Trail Mix Yield

You could use raw almonds but I think roasted just have such a better flavor and texture. Similarly you could use raw cashews but I think you need something salted in the recipe to add a balance to the sweet.

Cape Cod Trail Mix

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 1/2 cups)

  • 1 cup roasted, salted cashews
  • 1 cup roasted almonds
  • 3/4 cup craisins
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks

Method:

  1. In a large bowl, combine and mix all of the ingredients together.
  2. Keep in an air-tight container at room temperature when not eating.

Cape Cod Trail Mix Serving

All that’s missing is a bag of Cape Cod potato chips—never the baked or reduced salt kind.

Healthy Chocolate Walnut Bread

Healthy Chocolate Walnut Bread

If February is the month of chocolate, March is probably the month of dessert detox. I could never give up chocolate cold-turkey, though; I would never want to. There are always ways to lighten up chocolate treats to make them better for your every day.

Stonyfield Farm asked some of their Clean Plate Club bloggers to make a chocolate treat healthier using yogurt and Divine Chocolate. Chocolate quick-breads are always delicious but usually too sugary to eat for any meal except dessert; yogurt and less sugar is an easy fix to make this a lighter food.

This chocolate loaf looks decadent but has a lot to offer besides fat. It’s only a little sweet—perfect for a quick breakfast with a cup of coffee. The nuts on top offer some healthy fats while using yogurt in place of more oil cuts down the calories. Using a whole-grain flour like brown rice flour also adds nutrients to each slice.

Healthy Chocolate Walnut Bread Cocoa Powder

The Divine Chocolate was incredible to work with. I used the milk chocolate bar to make this recipe but couldn’t stop eating the dark chocolate bar all on its own. It melted incredibly smoothly and evenly; that’s always the benefit of using actual baking chocolate instead of chocolate chips. Instead of plain yogurt you could always use sweetened vanilla yogurt or even one with more flavor to it.

Healthy Chocolate Walnut Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

Healthy Chocolate Walnut Bread Slice

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl sift together the coconut flour, brown rice flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
  3. Mix in the eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, water, and oil until the batter is wet and mixed.
  4. Melt the milk chocolate baking bar in a microwave or over the stove top.
  5. Slowly fold the melted chocolate into the batter until entirely mixed.
  6. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan.
  7. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Add the crushed walnuts on top and press them in gently.
  8. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center of the loaf is cooked through. Let the bread cool before cutting.

Healthy Chocolate Walnut Bread Slice w Yogurt

You’ll never guess it’s any good for you.

Homemade Granola Bites

Homemade Granola Bite

I don’t believe that things always taste better when they’re homemade; there are plenty of things that I’d rather just buy at the grocery store because it’s easier or tastier that way.

These thankfully are one of those things that taste better made yourself and the recipe couldn’t be easier. They’re slightly soft and chewy—a perfect snack in the afternoon or something to nibble on before a workout. And because you make them yourself you can adjust the flavor to be whatever you like. Personally I’m a fan of almond butter and chocolate chips.

Homemade Granola Bite Yield

To make these gluten-free make sure you’re using oats that are certified gluten-free. Make sure to mix the ingredients evenly and well to prevent them from falling apart in the oven.

Homemade Granola Bites

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 14 bites):

  • 1 1/2 cups oats
  • 1/2 cup natural almond or peanut butter
  • 3 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips or raisins
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 250.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until it starts to form a dough. If there isn’t enough moisture to hold the oats together, add almond butter by the tablespoon until there is.
  3. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a non-stick baking surface.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes until the outsides have browned.
  5. Let the granola bites cool and store them at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.

Homemade Granola Bite Baked

Nutella Yogurt Dip

Nutella Yogurt Dip

Nutella is one of those foods that I think everyone likes. Maybe it’s not for everyone, but it has 17 million fans on Facebook so it must feel pretty loved. I’m sure all those birthday notifications must be a bitch.

Two years ago I shared a fruity peanut butter yogurt dip recipe and since then it’s been pinned on Pinterest almost 190,000 times; who knew there were even that many Pinterest users? I’ve seen countless reviews and variations of it and this is another one to add to the list.

Nutella Yogurt Dip Nutella

Nutella isn’t exactly a health food but that doesn’t mean you have to pass up on this delicious dip. There are plenty of all-natural varieties of chocolate hazelnut spreads out there and you can even make your own. If you’re using a brand that’s less sugar-laden you might want to add a touch more honey.

Nutella Yogurt Dip

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 cup):

  • 1/2 cup Nutella
  • 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey(optional)

Method:

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Store in the refrigerator when not eating.

Nutella Yogurt Dip Fruit

Serve on fruit, graham crackers, and fingers.

Homemade Honey Roasted Cashews

Homemade Honey Roasted Cashews

I’m not sure when but at some point nuts became one of the most expensive items in the grocery store. It’s a shame. They’re one of the healthy foods that are naturally delicious, but dressing them up never hurts.

These have become my go-to afternoon snack. They’re perfect for a slight sweet craving or to throw on yogurt or even a tofu stir-fry.

I’m not sure if the egg white is completely necessary for this recipe but I love the texture of the sugar on the cashews after they’re baked. You can spice these up easily by adding in some cinnamon.

Homemade Honey Roasted Cashews

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cashews
  • 1 Tablespoon egg white
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Homemade Honey Roasted Cashews Roasted

Method:

  1. Preheat you oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the egg white, honey, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
  3. Mix the cashews with the wet ingredients until they are covered.
  4. Lay the cashews out on a non-stick surface in a single layer.
  5. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the edges begin to darken slightly, taking care not to burn them.
  6. Remove the cashews from the oven and let them cool completely.
  7. Break the cashews apart and store them in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Homemade Honey Roasted Cashews Yield

Purely addicting.

Peanut Butter Snack Squares

Peanut Butter Snack Bars

Every afternoon around 3pm I run into the problem of something healthy to snack on. I’d usually just prefer a bag of M&Ms and some Reese’s peanut butter cups and call it a day, but apparently that’s not good for you(who knew?). I went ahead and tried to make a healthy snack since it’s a lot easier and cheaper than finding tasty ones in the grocery store. And wouldn’t you know you can still have your peanut butter and chocolate and eat well, too?

These definitely aren’t fudgy enough to be blondies or airy enough to be cake; that’s why I’d call them “squares” and say they’re the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when you’re not sure what to have. They’re filled with whole grains, peanut butter, and low-fat yogurt so they must be a better choice than anything from the vending machine.

Peanut Butter Snack Bars Healthy

If you want to make these really healthy, swap out the chocolate chips for raisins. Then again if you want to use both I won’t tell anyone.

Peanut Butter Snack Squares

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 9 squares):

  • 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour(or regular flour)
  • 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 2-4 Tablespoons water
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Snack Bars Peanut Butter

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8 baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, and sugar.
  3. Add in the peanut butter, yogurt, and egg and beat well.
  4. Slowly add in water just until the batter is wet enough for you to stir with a whisk or spatula to mix it.
  5. Lastly fold in the chocolate chips.
  6. Pour the batter into the greased baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes until the edges start to brown.
  7. Let the pan cool before cutting it into 9 squares. Store sealed in the refrigerator until ready to eat. 

Peanut Butter Snack Bars Serving

After a few days these start to stiffen up. Just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds on a low setting and it’ll be just like they came out of the oven again!

Raw Walnut Brownies

Raw Walnut Brownies

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. I don’t think that’s true always, but certainly in this case it is. It’s amazing what you can make with just dates, walnuts, and cocoa powder.

This is something I’ve been making for years now. I think I learned the originally recipe from a food blog that no longer exists; it’s simple enough that you don’t have to write it down or bookmark a page to remember it. The trick to making these well is recognizing what consistency the dough should be; thankfully these are very forgiving and it’s easy to figure out after making a few batches(and you’ll want to make a few batches).

Raw Walnut Brownies Block

You can use any nut for this but I think walnuts are the best both for flavor and texture. They also pack a lot of omega-3s which are great for anyone’s diet. I’d suggest adding crushed walnuts into the batter dough after processing to give these a crunch.

Raw Walnut Brownies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 8 squares):

  • 2 cups pitted dates
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1-2 Tablespoons water

Raw Walnut Brownies Ingredients

Method:

  1. Blend the dates in a food processor until they are pulverized and start to stick together.
  2. Add the walnuts and continue blending until the dough starts to stick to itself. Add water as necessary if your ingredients are too dry to clump.
  3. Lastly add the cocoa powder and continue blending until it’s mixed in.
  4. Dump the processed ingredients onto a piece of parchment paper. With your hands, clump them together into a square or rectangle.
  5. Freeze the dough for 5-10 minutes until it’s firm and cut it into even sized squares. Store in the refrigerator for freshness.

Raw Walnut Brownies Serving

You can add chocolate chips or other dried fruit to make this a little more exciting, but I think this is a perfect snack or pick-me-up for after a meal all on its own.