Power Bars

These are a great treat when I need a sweet treat without the guilt.  Dates do have a lot of natural sugars so these bars are not to be eaten in large amounts.  One square curbs my craving for sweets immediately.
Similar bars can be found in health food stores, however, they are so expensive!  A little bit of work in the kitchen makes a big difference on the grocery bill.

power bars

30 medijool dates, pitted
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup dry roasted almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
4 tablespoons coconut powder
2 tablespoons almond butter

1. Place all ingredients in food processor.
2. Blend for a 2-3 minutes, until you can form a ball with a spoonful.
3. Pour mixture into a parchment paper lined 9 X 13 cookie sheet or casserole dish.
4. Press down on mixture until it's very compacted.  This process should take a few minutes.
5. Cover with a cloth and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.
6. Remove from cookie sheet/casserole dish by pulling on the parchment paper.
7. Place on a cutting board (with parchment paper still underneath the mixture) and cut into desired size squares/bars.
8. Wrap individually in plastic wrap, place in a sealed container and return to refrigerator.  
9. These are great to enjoy as a quick snack at home or grab one to go!

Chocolate Chip Cookies



Chocolate chip cookies made with almond flour


I've been making these cookies for a at least a couiple of years now, and the feedback from tasters is always very positive.  Most times, I hear that these are the best chocolate chip cookies they've ever had.  I have to agree.  When I make a batch of these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, I usually put half of the baked cookies in the freezer and half in the refrigerator.  They freeze really well.

I've tried to make them with a few different almond flours and have to say that not all almond flours are created equal.  For baking, I use JK Gourmet almond flour, which I order on-line.  I use enough of it to buy in bulk and it is much more cost effective and is delivered to my front door!  I've tried Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour and ended up with a flat cookie pie, although it was still delicious!

As usual, this is quite a large batch as this is how I do my cooking, love love love to make enough to freeze!  If trying almond flour for the first time, you're probably not going to buy a large amount.  You can find it at health food stores, although it can be quite pricey for smaller amounts.  If needed, just cut the recipe in 1/2 or 1/3.


chocolate chip cookies

5 cups blanched almond flour (at room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup grapeseed oil
3/4 cup agave or raw honey
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg

1. With metal whisk, mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. With metal whisk, mix wet ingredients in smaller bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients into the dry with wooden spoon.
4. Form 1 inch balls and press down on parchment paper-lined baking sheet (kids are a great help with this part!)
5. Bake at 350 degrees for  13 minutes, or until golden
6. Remove from oven, let sit in baking sheet for 5 minutes
7. Place cookies on rack to cool completely.

Vegan: These cookies can easily be made vegan by omiting the egg.  The cookies will still have a nice texture and will not crumble.

Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

Gluten-Free Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

Imagine sending your kids to school every day with a chocolate brownie in their lunchbox and knowing that it's healthy!  I know, the black bean thing is a little offsetting, but you need to try making these brownies at least once to see how amazingly simple and delicious this recipe is.  

The first time I tried a chocolate black bean recipe was in a birthday cake for my nephew a few years ago and I was very pleasantly surprised, as was everyone else who ate it, children and adults alike.  My sister has been treating my nephew's ADHD naturally and has accomplished amazing things.  It has been years of changing many things in their lives and one of the major shifts was the foods they put in their precious bodies.  If anyone reading this has ADHD, children with ADHD, or is curious how healthy changes in our daily lives can change our whole lives, please click here to read about their journey.  

Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies

2 cups black beans (cooked and drained)

3 eggs
1/2 cup agave nectar or honey

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth
2. Pour into lined 9" square pan or divide into 12 muffins cups (I like the muffins for easy school snack)
3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean
4. Let cool 10 minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack as they need to set a bit so they don't break
5. Once completely cooled, store in refrigerator for up to a week.
6. These also freeze very well!  Enjoy!

Tip: I cook large batches of beans and freeze them in 2 cup portions to make this recipe easy-peasy!     

       I've also seen this recipe calling for canned beans.  Just rinse very well and measure the same.

Update: I now add a few dairy free chocolate chips to each filled muffin cup.  We enjoy them even more!