Sunday, April 29, 2012

Treats with no guilt for the kiddos!

I figured it was time to post some of the treats that I have come up with for the girls. They LOVE having treats and I don't want to give them processed cookies or sugar laden candies, so I have come up with things to satisfy them and keep me guilt free at the same time!! Some of the favorites are as follows..

Chocolate covered almond butter bars:
1 cup of almond butter
1 cup of almond flour
melted raw honey - add just enough to sweeten it to your taste. I think I only added just about a tablespoon to this batch. Raw honey is REALLY sweet tasting!
A bar of 75% or higher (the higher the better) dark chocolate

Melt your almond butter and mix in your almond flour. Melt your honey and slowly add it to the butter mixture making sure to taste as you go along. You don't want to add too much. Spread that mixture into an 8X8 pan. Melt your dark chocolate and spread on top of your butter mixture and place in the fridge. When it hardens cut in to squares and eat. The girls LOVED this one.

Next up is...
Frozen banana slices:
You will need as many bananas as you would like to eat :)
Enough 80% or higher dark chocolate to cover those bananas
optional toppings : chopped almonds or walnuts, unsweetened shredded coconut

So first step is to slice up your banana slices. Spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer.




Melt your chocolate in the microwave ( have to watch it closely) or a double boiler. While your melting your chocolate you could use this time to process up some nuts that you might like to use as a topping. 

Next take the frozen banana slices and coat them in the chocolate. You could stop right there or press in some nuts or coconut into the melted chocolate. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and store them in the freezer. My girls kept asking for the "ice cream bites". Another hit with them.




Last but not least...MY favorite. Macadamia nut cranberry bars!!! I LOVE these!

Ingredients:
‎1/4 cup chopped Macadamia nuts
1/4 cup chopped unsweetened dried cranberries. 
1/4 cup hazelnut butter
3/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup chopped 86% dark chocolate 
1 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut


Melt the coconut oil, hazelnut butter, and dark chocolate all together. Mix in the nuts, cranberries, and coconut. Spread into an 8X8 dish and place in the fridge. These have to stay in the fridge due to the coconut oil. I have actually had a couple of people make these all ready and they loved it as well. This came about on a night that I really wanted something sweet. I ransacked my pantry and threw it all together. I didn't plan on coming up with something THIS yummy though. I guess I can get lucky every once in a while. :)






Well, make sure to keep checking back. I plan on making my famous ( in this house at least) coconut milk "ice cream" pops. 


Thanks for reading!

3 comments:

  1. please feel free to bring any samples over to my house :)
    those all look super yummy!

    ReplyDelete