DIY Nut Milks, Nut Butters, and More - Melissa King

PRAISEFOR

DIYNutMilks,NutButters&More

“MelissaKingisahealthfultreatgenius.Istumbleduponherwebsiteonedaylookingupawholesomedessert recipe tomakewithmyson.That first recipe,andeveryotheroneI’vetriedsince,havenotonlybeenover-the-topdelicious,butalsonutritious.Shedoesadelightfuljobofcombiningthetwo.”

—IVYLARSON,authorofCleanCuisineandfounderofCleanCuisine.com

“DIYNutMilks,NutButters&Moreisanessentialresourceforanyonewhowantstoeatwell,gohomemade,andmakethemostofanamazingingredient.StrawberryBrazilNutMilk,CinnamonPecanButter,AlmondJoyCookies(!)—Icouldgoonandon.Whetheryou’re justbeginning tomakemorehomemadestaplesoryou’vebeenmakingnutmilkforyearsandwanttotakeittothenextlevel,MelissaKinghasyoucovered.”

—ALANACHERNILA,authorofTheHomemadePantryandcreatorofEatingFromTheGroundUp.com

“MyWholeFoodLifeistheperfectplacetofindhealthy,easy,anddeliciousrecipesofallkinds—fromsavorytosweet,andsoupstoicecream!Melissaisamagicianinthekitchenwhenitcomestocreatingwholesome,vibrant,andsimplefoodforeveryonetoenjoy.Ifyou’re interested in exploring the exciting flavors and colors of healthy food then thisbookisanessentialinyourhome.”

—EMILYVONEUW,authorofRawsomeVeganBakingandcreatorofThisRawsomeVeganLife.com

“Like her blog,MyWhole Food Life, Melissa King’s first book is filled with originalrecipesthatarefarfromintimidatingandcontainonlythepurestingredients.Melissahastaken a familiar ingredient, nuts, and transformed these plants into unique, exciting,flavorful possibilities. These recipes allow home cooks to embrace nutritionandcreatedeliciousfood—it’sawin-win!Thisismorethanacookbook.Itisakitchenmanualforanyonewhowantstoincorporate,andindulgein,plant-basedfood.”

—ASHLEYCOX,rawveganchefandcreatorofTheNakedFoodLife.com

“When I tested [the Chocolate Almond Banana Cups] in the Bauer house this pastweekendeveryoneFLIPPEDOUT!Bestpart?There’sonly5ingredientsandtherecipe’ssuper-simpletowhiptogether.”

—JOYBAUER,TodayshowhostandfounderofJoyBauerNutrition

http://CleanCuisine.com

http://EatingFromTheGroundUp.com

http://ThisRawsomeVeganLife.com

http://TheNakedFoodLife.com

DIYNUTMILKS,NUTBUTTERS&MORE:FromAlmondstoWalnuts

Copyright©2014MelissaKing

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King,Melissa(MelissaG.)

DIYnutmilks,butters&more:fromalmondstowalnuts/MelissaKing.

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ISBN978-1-61519-230-4(pbk.)—ISBN978-1-61519-231-1(ebook)1.Cooking(Nuts)2.Nutproducts.I.

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EbookISBN978-1-61519-231-1

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Thisbookisdedicatedtomygirls,MeadowandOlive.

ContentsIntroduction

WhyNutMilks?

WhyNutButters?

TypesofNutMilksandButters

HealthBenefitsofNutMilksandButters

Ingredients

Equipment

KitchenTips

NutMilks

BasicNutMilk

ChocolateCashewMilk

StrawberryBrazilNutMilk

VanillaHazelnutMilk

SpicedPistachioMilk

SunflowerSeedMilk

HotChocolateCashewMilk

BonusRecipe:CoconutWhippedCream

SpicedChaiMilk

NutButters

BasicNutButter

ClassicPeanutButter

SaltedHoneyCashewButter

RichandCreamyPistachioButter

ChocolateHazelnutSpread

ChocolatePeanutButterSpread

MapleVanillaAlmondButter

BonusRecipe:AppleDonutsandSandwiches

Manteshwer

Typewritten Text

Ahashare.com

CinnamonPecanButter

MapleCinnamonMacadamiaSpread

ChunkyBananaWalnutSpread

BonusRecipe:BananaWalnutFreezerFudge

Salted“Caramel”BrazilNutButter

SunflowerSeedButter

HowtoUseNutPulp

BasicNutPulp

Grain-FreePeanutButterBananaPancakes

BonusRecipe:ChocolateSauce

Grain-FreeEnergyBites

Protein-PackedSnackBalls

HoneyNutBreakfastCookies

MapleVanillaAlmondGranola

Breakfast

AlmondButterandJellyMuffins

BonusRecipe:HomemadeJam

BananaWalnutOatmealMuffins

BananaMuffinswithChocolateHazelnutFilling

PeanutButterCupGranola

BonusRecipe:PeanutButterCupGranolaCookies

PeanutButterChocolateChipDonuts

Four-IngredientAlmondButterBreakfastCookies

Pecan“Caramel”OvernightOats

TripleBerryChiaSeedPudding

Smoothies

StrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie

ChocolateAlmondButterSmoothie

MixedBerryandKaleSmoothie

SuperfoodChocolateSmoothie

TropicalProteinSmoothie

PeanutButterandJellySmoothie

OrangesandCreamSmoothie

ApplePieSmoothie

No-BakeTreats

StrawberryTartswithCashewCream

ChocolateHazelnutCoconutTart

SaltedHoneyCashewTruffles

WhiteChocolateCoconutFudge

ChocolatePeanutButterFudge

AlmondButterMousse

BrownieBars

CookieDoughBalls

ChocolateAlmondBananaCups

BakedTreats

AlmondJoyCookies

AlmondButterSandwichCookies

PeanutButterandChocolateBrownies

ChocolateChipMacadamiaCookies

ChocolateCashewButterThumbprintCookies

FlourlessAlmondButterBlondies

SlowCookerPeanutButterGranolaBars

IceCream

Three-IngredientPeanutButterIceCream

ChocolateHazelnutIceCream

PistachioIceCream

ChocolatePeanutButterChunkIceCream

BananaMacadamiaIceCream

Resources

Acknowledgments

AbouttheAuthor

IntroductionWelcometomybook!Tostartthingsoff,I’mgoingtotakeyouthroughabriefhistoryofnutmilksandnutbuttersandtheirrespectivebenefits toyourhealth.I’llalsocover the many different types of milks and butters you can make. You’re probablyalready aware of almondmilk and peanut butter, but there’s somuchmore to enjoy inthesecategories—you’llbesurprisedbythevariety.

To help you out in the kitchen, I’ve included a list of the common ingredients andequipment I use to createmy recipes, aswell as some valuable tips thatwillmake theprocessassmoothas,well,butter.I’llthenwalkyouthroughbasicrecipesfornutmilksandnutbutters,alongwithafewflavorvariationsthatwilltransportyoubacktobeingakid again.The really fun stuff starts aswedelve into some creative, tasty ideas for themilks and butters we’ve made—you’ll even find recipes that take advantage of anyleftoverpulp.And,finally,at theendofitall,youcanjustsitbackandenjoy,sincethebestpartofmakingtheserecipesiseatingthegoodiesyoucreate.

WhyNutMilks?Picture a tall, cold glass of milk. Do you simultaneously imagine a cow in a pasture,mooingtoherheart’scontent?Notonlyisthisconjured-upscenefromadairyfarmhardlyrealistic,butit’salsodifficulttodenythedairyindustry’sinfluenceonourlives.Wepourmilkinourcoffeeandoverourcereal.Webakewithit.Wecookwithit.Wedescribeitascreamy,silky,velvety,andsmooth.Someofusevendrinkitstraightfromacarton.Fromthetimewe’rechildren,we’retoldthatcow’smilkisgoodforourteethandbones.Later,we give our own kids milk so that they can grow up to be strong and healthy, neverquestioningthevalidityofwhatthemarketershavetoldus.IsawitonTVandonline,soitmustbetrue!

Ihaveaquestion,though:Whydowelimitourselvestodairy?Whystopatcow’smilk?Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, and evensunflower seeds can all bemade intomilks, eachwith their own qualities of richness,creaminess, silkiness, and nutrition. Moreover, these milks offer us new and excitingalternativeflavors toenjoyinourcoffee,overcereal,andinourbaking.Andwhenyoumakenutmilksathome,youcanusetheleftoverpulpinfunanddeliciousways,too—seeHowtoUseNutPulp.

PeopleofNorthernEuropeandescenthaveevolvedtodigestthelactoseincow’smilk.It’sthoughtthatthepracticeofconsumingnonhumanmilkstartedabout7,500yearsago,withthe spread of livestock domestication. In other regions of the world, however, andincreasinglyintheWest,manypeoplearelactoseintolerant.Some,likemydaughters,areoutrightallergic todairymilk(inmydaughters’case, thiscausedseveregastrointestinal

issues suchasacid reflux). In fact, cow’smilk is among themost commonallergens inAmerican children. For one reason or another, large numbers of theworld’s populationcan’tdrinkdairymilk.

For thosewhocan’tconsumecow’smilkorsimplywish tobranchoutabit, thereareotheroptions,someofwhichyoumayhavetriedalready.Soymilkwasalltherageforatime, but now people are beginning to shy away from consuming toomuch of it for avarietyofreasons.Onefactoristhegrowingconcernovergeneticallymodifiedorganisms(GMOs),sincemorethan90percentofsoyproductsintheUnitedStatesaremadewithGMOs.Someotheralternatives,suchasriceandoatmilks,aren’tasversatileasnutmilksand lack its desirable creamy quality. In addition, most store-bought milks containpreservatives,thickeners,addedsugar,andothernaturalflavoringstoenhancetheirshelflife,taste,andmouthfeel,nottoimproveyourhealth.

Nut milks are flavorful and easy to make, rendering them an enjoyable, naturalalternative to othermilks. Let’s take almondmilk, for example. It might seem new tosome people, but inmedieval times almondmilkwas a staple inmany kitchens, sincedairy milk spoiled too quickly. With the advent of refrigeration, though, cow’s milkbecame the go-to ingredient and beverage. In the United States, by the early 2000s,almondmilkcouldbefoundonlyinsmall,niche,healthfoodmarkets.Recently,however,ithas regainedpopularityas increasinglymorepeoplegiveupdairyandsoy. In fact, in2011salesofalmondmilkwereup79percentfromthepreviousyear.

Althoughwe can now go to grocery stores across the country and buy almondmilk,hazelnutmilk,andthelike,mostofthesecommercialvarietiesstillcontainadditivesandthickeners to give them a longer shelf life and smoother texture. If you’re trying tomaintainacleandietfreeofpreservativesandprocessedfoods,suchingredientswillmakeyouwanttoputtheseproductsbackontheshelf.Iadmit,atfirstIwasintimidatedbytheideaofmakingnutmilk,butIsoonhaditmastered.Withthisbook,you,too,willgrowspoiledbythewidevarietyofflavorsandusesfornuts,andyou’llneverlookatanothercartonofmilkorstickofbutteragain.

WhyNutButters?Here’saclassicAmericanscene:amothermakingapeanutbutterandjellysandwichasherchildlooksonfondly,mouthwatering,waitingtosavoreachbite.Howdidthissimplesandwichbecomesuchastapleinourculture?TheAztecswerethefirstpeopleknowntogrindroastedpeanutsintoapaste,andbydoingso,itseemstheycreatedaninternationalsensationthathaslastedthroughouttheages.PeanutbuttergaineditsfameintheUnitedStatesduringbothworldwars,when the troopswouldeat it as aneasy-to-carryproteinsource.In1928commerciallysoldpeanutbuttermadewithpartiallyhydrogenatedoils—tokeepitfromseparating—hitthemarket.

Today,peanutbutter,alongwithotherformsofnutbutter,makesupanearly$1billionindustry. And while most Americans enjoy this tasty food and clearly spend a lot ofmoneydoingso,nutbuttersareactuallyquiteeasytomakeathome.Ifyouownagoodblenderorfoodprocessorandhaveafewminutestospare,healty,homemadenutbuttercanbeyoursforthetaking—andmaking!

Inadditiontoitsincredibleflavor,nutbutterisgoodforyou:twotablespoonsofalmostanykindofnutbutter contain about200calories, ahealthydoseofbeneficial fats, andanywhere between four and eight gramsof protein.Making homemadenut butters alsomeans a food product that’s closer to the original source, since you skip the extraprocessingstepsthatmanufacturerstaketokeepthebuttersfromseparatingfromtheoilandtoextendshelflife.Youenjoysomanybenefits,withtheonlydrawbackbeinghavingtowashafewdishes.

TypesofNutMilksandButtersAlmosteveryonehasheardofalmondmilkandpeanutbutter,andI’vetalkedaboutthemquiteabitalready.Thesemaybe,respectively,thebest-knownvarietyofnutmilkandnutbutter,but thereareothers that are just asappetizingandequallynutritious. In thenextfewchaptersI’llgiveyousomefantasticmilkandbutterrecipesmadefromawiderangeof nuts—macadamias, Brazil nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, and, of course,almonds.I’vealsoincludedrecipesusingsunflowerseedsforthosewithnutallergies.Allofthesecanalsobeusedtomakewonderfuldessertsandsomuchmore.Bytheendofthisbook,you’llbeamazedatthemanydiverseusesofnuts.Ihopeyouenjoy!

HealthBenefitsofNutMilksandButtersBesides tasting oh-so-good, nut milks and nut butters are also chock-full of beneficialnutrients.They’re a fine source of omega fatty acids, are high in fiber, are loadedwith

vitamins andminerals, have no sugar, have zero cholesterol, and, for those who countthem,they’relowincalories.Theyseemtoogoodtobetrue,really.Havingallofthesevirtuesmeanstheycanhelpreducetheriskofheartdisease,fightcancer,controldiabetes,and even aid thosewith osteoporosis. It’s almost silly that nutmilks and butters aren’tmoreprevalent.SinceI’vealreadymentionedthehealthbenefitsofnutbutters,let’slookathownutmilksstackupagainstthecompetition.

CALORICCONTENT

The caloric content of nutmilk is far lower than that of dairymilk. Animalmilks areinherentlyhigherincalories,sincetheyarethemeansofdeliveringthenutritionalneedsof growing offspring. It should go without saying that nut milks need not serve thatpurpose. So if counting caloriesmatters to you, then nutmilks are theway to go. Forexample,atypical8-ounce(240ml)glassofunsweetenedalmondmilkcontainsonly35totalcalories,with25ofthosecomingfromfat.Incontrast,thesameamountoforganicwholemilkcontains150calories.Evenskimmilkhasabout85calories.Thismeansthatroughlyfourglassesofnutmilkareequalincaloriestooneglassofwholemilk.Italsomeansthatallyourfavoritesweettreatsjustgotthatmuchhealthier.

SUGAR-ANDCHOLESTEROL-FREE

Didyouknowthatan8-ounce(240ml)glassofwholedairymilkcancontainup to35milligrams of cholesterol? That’s a whopping 12 percent of the recommended dailyallowance.Skimmilk,whilelowerinfat,stillcontainscholesterol.Nutmilks,ontheotherhand, are naturally cholesterol-free. That’s great news for people who are geneticallyprone to high cholesterol, likemyhusband,whohad to give up cow’smilk.Nutmilksevengoastepfurther,withcholesterol-loweringeffectsfromthevitaminE,magnesium,monounsaturated fats, flavonoids, andomega fatty acids found in them.The flavonoidsand omega fatty acids are especially important, because they’re known to fight heartdisease. The skins, if left on while making nut milk, are full of flavonoids. Plus,homemadenutmilkissugar-free.Ifyouwantitsweetened,theamountofsugarthatgoesintoitisuptoyou.Dairymilk,however,hasnaturallyoccurringsugars,andtomakeskimmilk taste better, store-bought brands add sugar to replace the fat that was removed.There’salmostnowaytoavoidsugarindairymilk.

FIBER-RICH

Fiberaidsthedigestionprocess,and,unfortunately,mostAmericansdon’tgetenoughofitin their diet. White flours and many other commercial foods remove fiber during theprocessingprocedure,anddairymilkcontainsnonaturalfiber.Nutmilk,asaplant-basedfood, contains 1 gram of fiber in an 8-ounce (240 ml) glass. Since most people needbetween25and38gramsoffiberaday,everylittlebithelps.

MINERALSANDVITAMINS

Moststore-boughtmilkshavebeenfortifiedwithvitaminsandminerals.This isa fancyway of saying that the nutrients were mixed in artificially, because they were eitherstripped out during processing or were never actually in the food to begin with. It’simportant tobeawareof this.Ifyouthinkoneof theonlywaystoget themineralsandvitaminsyouneedistopurchasemilkfromagrocerystore,you’rewrong.Copper,zinc,iron,magnesium,manganese, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium can all befoundnaturallyinnuts,whichmeansyoucanreapthesamehealthbenefitsbymakingnutmilkathome.

PROTEINCONTENT

An8-ounce(240ml)glassofhomemadealmondmilkcontainsaround2gramsofprotein,whichisaboutfourtimeslowerthantheequivalent indairymilk.(Thesameamountofsoymilknormally contains7gramsofprotein.)Althoughmostnutmilkshavea lowerproteincontent,theirotherhealthbenefitsfaroutweighthisfact.Ifyou’relookingtogetmoreproteinthroughmilk,it’seasytoaddsomeproteinpowdertoyourdrink.Forthosewhochoosenottoconsumedairymilk,theproteincontentofnutmilkishigherthanthatofanothercommondairysubstitute,ricemilk.Ingeneral,ifyou’reeatingabalanceddiet,thislowerproteincontentshouldn’tbeofconcern,evenifitisworthnothing.

IngredientsMostoftheingredientsusedinthisbookareprettystraightforward,butit’sstillimportantto review the following list, since some items might need further explanation. Forexample, I call for gluten-free oat flour, rolled oats, or steel-cut oats inmany of theserecipes.Ifyou’resensitivetogluten,youneedtomakesurethattheoatsyoupurchasearecertified gluten-free, since oats are often processed in the same factories as wheat. Aproductshouldspecifywhetherthat’sthecase,butdocheckthelabeltobesure.

Youmaynoticethatabout90percentoftheserecipesarevegan,withtheoccasionaluseof honey. If you’re a strict vegan, you can substitute maple syrup for honey in thoserecipes.

Ichose the ingredients that followbecause they’reeither in theirnatural state, suchasthefruits,nuts,seeds,andgrains,orthey’reminimallyprocessedandall-natural,likepuremaplesyrupandrawhoney.Youcanfindmanyoftheseingredientsinyourlocalnaturalfoodsgrocerystoreorhealthfoodmarket,oryoucanorderthemonline(seeResourcesforalistofInternetretailersforalloftheitemslistedbelow).

APPLESAUCE

Applesaucecanbeemployedinbakinginmyriadways.Ioftenuseitasabinder,inplaceof oil, or to add a natural sweetness to baked goods. I only work with unsweetenedapplesauce,soIcanbettercontroltheamountofsugargoingintoarecipe.Makesureyou

checklabelbeforeyoubuyapplesauce,sincesomebrandscontainundesirableingredients.

Applesaucecanreplacemostoilsata1:1ratio.However,ifyousubstituteapplesauceforalloftheoilinarecipetheendproductcanbeslightlygummy.Iliketouseatleast1to2tablespoonsofoilinmyrecipesforabettertexture.Ifyou’readventurous,youcaneasilymakeyourownapplesaucebygrindingupsomepeeled,slicedapplesinafoodprocessor.Trytopickanaturallysweetapple—IlikeGalasorHoneycrisps.

CACAOPOWDER

Onegreatwaytoaddsomeantioxidantstoyournutmilksandnutbuttersistoaddalittlecacao, which is the raw, unprocessed form of the cocoa bean. Antioxidants, which areabundant incacaopowder,kill free radicalsandcouldhelppreventcancer.Youcanusecacao inpowder formor innibs,whichare similar tochocolatechips.Since rawcacaocontainsnosugar,it’snaturallyverybitter,souseitsparinglyinrecipesthataremeanttobesweet.Ifyoulikedarkchocolate,eatingcacaowon’tbeadifficulttransition.

CHOCOLATE

Someoftheserecipescallfordarkchocolateorchocolatechips.Fordarkchocolate,Ilikethe72percentcacaovarietytoavoidtoomuchaddedsugar.Feelfreetogowithahigherorlowerpercentage,though—that’sjustmypersonalpreference.Mostoftherecipesthatinclude dark chocolate call for 3- or 3.5-ounce (85 or 100 g) bars. You can buy high-qualityvarietiesatmanygrocerystores thesedays; IuseEndangeredSpeciesChocolatebarsinmybaking.

Forchocolatechips,I’mfondofthebrandEnjoyLife,sincethey’regluten-,dairy-,andnut-free.Theydo,however,containasmallamountofprocessedsugar.Youcanalsousecarob chips, which are only mildly sweet, although I find they don’t work as well aschocolatechipsinrecipesthatrequiremeltedchocolate.

If none of these chocolate choices fits inwith your lifestyle, you can alsomake yourown. Justmix together½cup (120ml)of coconutoil,½cup (60g)of cocoaor cacaopowder, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. You can even pour the meltedchocolatemixtureintomoldstomakeyourownchocolatebars!

COCONUTMILK

Coconutmilk isoften found invegan ice creamsand rich soups. It’s thickandvelvety,makingittheperfectdairy-freealternativetoheavycream.Iespeciallyliketouseitinmyicecreamrecipes.WhenIrefer tococonutmilk,Ialwaysmeantherich,full-fatvarietythat comes in a can.Coconutmilk is frequently used in certainAsian cuisines, so youshouldbeabletofinditintheinternationalorAsiansectionofyourlocalgrocerystore.

COCONUTOIL

Ialmostexclusivelyusecoconutoilintheserecipes—mostlybecauseIlovetheflavor,butalsobecauseofitshealthbenefits.Coconutoilcomesinjarsinasemisolidstateandcanbestoredinthepantryaslongasthetemperaturedoesn’texceed75°F(24°C).

Whenyouseeameasurementforcoconutoilinmyrecipes,itwillalwaysmeanaftertheoilismelted—inotherwords,inaliquidstate.IfyoustoreyourcoconutoilinthepantryasIdo,itwillalreadybesemi-soft.Tomelttheoil,setthejarinapotofwarmwatertogentlyheatit.Itshouldmeltinjustaminuteortwo.Ifyou’repressedfortime,youcanalsomeltitonalow-powersettinginthemicrowaveinaboutaminute.

COCONUTSUGAR

Coconut sugar is made from the sap of the coconut palm. Since coconut sugar isminimallyprocessed,it’soneofthefewsweetenersIkeepinmyhome.Itcontainstracenutrientssuchaspotassium,zinc,calcium,andiron.It’salsolowontheglycemicindex,whichmeansitwon’tmakeyourbloodsugarspike.

EGGSUBSTITUTES

There are several ways to make substitutes for eggs. Using flax meal is my favoritemethod.Tomaketheequivalentofonelargeegg,simplywhisktogether1tablespoonofflaxmealand3tablespoonsofwarmwater.Youshouldbeabletoscalethisupata3:1ratio; I normallymake a total of three “eggs” at a time.Once the flaxmeal andwarmwaterarecombined,put themin therefrigeratorfor1minute.Themixturewillbecomegummy, like an egg.You can also use thismethodwith chia seeds. I prefer flaxmeal,though, because it’s less expensive. Another alternative is a commercial egg replacer,whichisverysimpletouse,aswell.ThemostpopularbrandthatcomestomindisEner-G-EggReplacer.IavoidusingEggBeaters,sincethey’renotvegan.

GOJIBERRIES

Gojiberriesareoneofnature’s superfoods.These littlegems tastemildlysweet,withaslightlytartnote.They’rehighinvitaminsCandE,andrecentresearchshowstheycanbeanatural energybooster.Chinese-medicinepractitionersoftenuse thevibrant berries totreatbloodpressureanddiabetes.Iaddthemtosmoothies,oatmeal,chiapudding,andjustaboutanythingelseIcan.WheneverImentiongojiberriesinmyrecipes,I’mreferringtothedriedversion.

GROUNDVANILLABEANS

Addingspicessuchasgroundvanillabeanstofoodsmakesthemtastesweeterthantheyactually are,much theway adding crushed red pepper to foodsmakes them tastemoresavory. Ifyouwant toomit sugar froma recipe, addinggroundvanillabeans is agreatsubstitute.Plus,itaddsanamazingflavor.Groundvanillabeanscanbedifficulttofindinsupermarkets,soIordermineonline.

If youhave ahard time findinggroundvanilla beans, you canuse avanilla beanpodinstead.Justslitthepodopenandscrapetheseedsout.Grindtheseedsintoapowdertouseintherecipe,andsavethepodtoaddflavortosaucesandmilks.

Youcanalsousevanillaextractinplaceofthevanillabeans.However,ifyouusevanillaextract in raw recipes, I suggest halving themeasurement; since the food isn’t cooked,you’lltasteaslightflavorofalcohol.

MEDJOOLDATES

Imustadmit,Ihavealoveaffairwithdates.Icall themnature’scandybecauseoftheircaramel-likesweetness.Theycanbeusedasasugarsubstitute,asbindingagents,andtoprovideasmoothtexture,makingthemextremelyversatileinbaking.They’realsofulloffiber, so that’s another benefit.One ofmy favorite snacks is dates stuffedwith almondbutter.Talkaboutheaveninyourmouth!

Therearemanytypesofdates,butIadoretheMedjoolvariety.They’rethelargestandthesoftestand,accordingtomyTurkishmother-in-law,thebestofthemall.Havingtriedmanydifferentkindsofdatesmyself,Ihavetoagree.

NUTS

AllthenutsIuseintheserecipesarerawandunsalted.Sincenutscangetpricey,trytostockuponthemwhenthey’reonsale.Ihavefoundbulkbinstobeaneconomicalroute.Whenyoubuypackagednuts,someofyourmoneygoestothepackaging.Forpriciernutssuchascashewsandpecans,lookfortheminpiecesratherthanbuyingthemwhole.Thisalonecanmakeadifferenceofafewdollars.Sinceyouplanonblendingthemathomeanyway,thepricierwholenutsareawasteofmoney.

Youcansaveevenmoremoneybyroastingandsaltingyournutsyourself.TheKitchenTipsincludedirectionsfordoingso.Bypreparingthemathome,you’llendupwithnutsthataremuchmoresavory,andlessexpensive,thanthoseyougetfromastore.

NUTSUBSTITUTES

If you or someone in your family has a nut allergy, you can stillmakemany of theserecipesbyreplacingthenutswithoats,sunflowerseeds,flaxmeal,orpumpkinseeds.Inrecipes that call for nut milk, you can replace it with oat milk or rice milk; both areavailableinmostgrocerystores.

OATS

I use oats to give texture and sweetness tomy recipes. Iwork almost exclusivelywithrolledoats,whichalsogobythenameold-fashionedoats. Ifyou’re followingagluten-freediet, it’s important tomake sureyoubuy rolledoats that are labeledas such, sincemanyoatsarecutonthesamemachinesaswheat.

OATFLOUR

Toavoidgluteninmyrecipes,Iuseoatflour.Youcaneasilymakeyourowngluten-freeoatflourbygrindingrolledoatsinablenderorfoodprocessor.For2cups(180g)offlour,you’llneedabout3½cups(350g)ofrolledoats.

Ifyoucan’ttolerateoats,feelfreetosubstitutegluten-freeall-purposeflourinanequalsubstitutionratio.Ifyoudon’thaveaproblemwithwheatproducts,feelfreetousespeltorwholewheatpastryflour,whichyoucanalsosubstituteatanequalratio.

PUREMAPLESYRUP

IfI’mnotusingdatesasasweetener,mygo-toispuremaplesyrup,sinceit’sminimallyprocessedandhasaflavorthatIabsolutelylove.Lookforbrandslabeledaspuremaplesyrup,eithergradeAorB.Ifyoucanaffordit,Irecommendgoingwithorganicaswell.

RAWHONEY

Afewofmyrecipescallforrawhoney,whichIusebecauseit’slessprocessedthanothervarietiesandcontainssometracenutrients,too.Ifyouhaveallergies,localrawhoneycanhelpcombat themduringallergy season. Ifyou’re aveganwhodoesn’tusehoney, feelfreetosubstituteequalpartsofpuremaplesyrup—youwon’tbedisappointedeitherway.

SHREDDEDCOCONUT

Shreddedcoconutcomesbothsweetenedandunsweetened.Ibuytheunsweetenedkind,sinceI like tocontrol theamountofsugar inmyrecipes.Youcanalsofind low-fatandfull-fatvarieties;Ialwaysusefull-fat.Blendnatural,full-fatshreddedcoconutinafoodprocessortomakecoconutbutter,whichissomelt-in-your-mouthdeliciousthatIuseitasabaseformyfudgerecipes.

EquipmentBeforeIstartedmyblog,MyWholeFoodLife,IwasaprettytypicalAmerican,withmostofmymealscomingfromabox,jar,orcanofsomesort.IfsomeonetoldmeIcouldmakemyownalmond,cashew,orBrazilnutmilkorbutter, Iwouldhaveassumed itwas toodifficult.ButIsoonlearnedthatcouldnotbefurtherfromthetruth—bothnutmilksandbuttersarequitesimpletomake.

Therearesomekeypiecesofequipmentthatcomeinhandywhilemakingthem,though.Besidesthemostobviousutensils,suchasbowls,spatulas,measuringcups,bakingsheets,andsoforth,afewadditionalappliancesand toolswillhelpsimplify the taskandmakethingsabitmoreorganized.Theseitems,detailedhere,alsohavemanyotherusesbeyondmakingnutmilk.Soifyoudon’talreadyownthem,don’tfret—youwillmakebackwhatyou spend on them pretty quickly, considering all the things you’ll be able tomake athomeratherthanbuy.

CHEESECLOTH

Agood,strongcheesecloth isessentialformakingnutmilkandcannotbeomittedfromtheprocess.Iinitiallytriedtousecheapcheesecloth,anditfellapartthefirsttimeImademilk,creatingahugemess.Makesureyoubuyasuperfine,durablecheesecloth.Mineisultrafine100percentcottonthat’s9squarefeet(.8squarem).Theextrapenniesyouspendup front forhigh-qualitycheeseclothwill saveyoumoremoneydown the road, since itshouldlastyoualongtime.Ihangmineoutsideinthesunafterusingandthenwashingit.Not only does that help bleach the stains out naturally, but it gets rid of any smells, aswell.

Youcanuseaspecialnutmilkbaginstead,butcheeseclothworksjustaswell.

COOKIESCOOP

Iloveusingacookiescoop—itmakesfornice,uniformcookies.Eachonebakesevenly,since they’re all the same size.Using a cookie scoop is also lessmessy. I used todropcookieswith two spoons,butdoughwouldget everywhere, and the finalproductneverlooked neat. I recommend buying a high-quality cookie scoop; I gotmine onAmazonafterreadingallthecustomerreviewsfirst.

FINE-MESHSTRAINERORSIEVE

Thistoolisessential—makingnutmilkbasicallycannotbedonewithoutone.Afine-meshstrainer catches all the pulp after the nuts havebeenblended,whichmakes for amuchsmootherliquid.Mouthfeelandconsistencyareimportantwhenmakingnutmilks,astoomuchpulpinthemilkcandetractfromtheflavorasyoufocusonthemushinyourmouth.Sincestrainersandsievescomeindifferentsizes,makesuretolookforonethatcansitontopofalargebowlsothatyoudon’tneedtoholditwhiletryingtopourthemilkthroughit.

FOODPROCESSOR

The food processor is by far themost utilized appliance inmy kitchen. I use it almosteverytimeIcook.MyhusbandjokesthatIshouldtestfoodprocessorsforthecompaniesthatmakethem,becauseIusethemsofrequently.Theycanchopnuts,grindflour,makenutbutters,blendsauces,dicevegetablesforsoup,andsomuchmore.Ifyouweretoaskmewhatoneapplianceyouabsolutelyneedinthekitchen,itwouldbethisgem.It’strulyaworkhorseinmyhome.Ihavea7-cup(1.75L)Cuisinartfoodprocessor,whichislargeenoughformypurposes.Ipurchaseditatareasonableprice,andIhavemorethanmademymoneybackusingit.Mostimportant,itcutsdownonmypreptime.

FUNNEL

For me, a funnel is an absolute necessity. After making a mess of my kitchen while

attemptingtopournutmilkfromabowlintoajar,Idecidedthatafunnelwascrucial.Ifyouhaveabowlwithapourspoutonit,youmaybeabletoskipusingafunnel,butformeit’samust-have.

GLASSBOWLS

Theseareessentialformeltingchocolate.Byplacingaglassbowlontopofasaucepanofboilingwater,youcangentlymeltthechocolatewithoutburningit.Thisisknownasthedoubleboilermethod.Glassbowls areverydurable, andyouneedn’tworry aboutBPA(BisphenolA,a chemical found inmanyplastics) leaching intoyour food from them. Iboughtmineinasetofthree,andtheydoubleasservingbowls.

GLASSJARS

Istoremymilkinmasonjarsorclearglasspitcherswithapourspoutandlid.Makesureyou buy jarswith secure lids, because you’ll need to shake themilk before every use,sincesomeofthesedimentseparatesfromthewaterasthemilksitsintherefrigerator.Iavoidusingplasticcontainers,asIfindthemmorepronetoleaking,andIwanttostayasBPA-freeaspossible.Myjarshold4cups(about960mlofmilk,andthatworkswellformy batches. For storing nut butters, I like to use 12-ounce (340ml) glassmason jars,whichIfindtobetheperfectsize.

HIGH-POWEREDBLENDER

Just tobe clear, it is possible tomakenutmilks in a typical blender, but it takesmuchlonger, since the batches have to be quite small. A high-powered blender, such as aVitamix,Ninja,orBlendtec,canmakethejobeasierandfaster.Italsodoesabetterjobofpulverizingthenutsthanlower-poweredblenders.Ithasbeenmyexperiencethatyoucansqueezemoremilkoutofabatchofnutsifthey’reblendedveryfinely.Ahigh-poweredblenderalsocomesinhandyformakingincrediblycreamynutbutters.Theyalwaysseemto turn out much smoother in a blender, but if chunkier butter is your thing, a foodprocessorwillsuffice.

High-poweredblenderscanbe ratherexpensive,but ifyouwant tostartmakingallofyourmilksathome,thiswillbeoneofthebestpurchasesyoucanmakeandwellworththeinvestment.Here’salittletip:withsomemanufacturers,ifyoucanpresentamedicalneedfortheblender,theymightgiveyouadiscount.WedidthisformydaughterOlive,whohadtouseafeedingtubeforthefirst twoandahalfyearsofherlife.WeusedourVitamixtoblendfoodratherthangivingherformula.

ICECREAMMACHINE

An ice creammachine is a must for making homemade ice cream. I have a CuisinartmodelandIfinditveryeasytouseandclean.It’simportanttomakesuretheicecreambowlhasbeeninthefreezeratleast18hoursbeforeusingit.

MEASURINGCUPSANDSPOONS

Measuring cups and spoons are essential for any baking recipe. To measure dryingredients,I liketousedurable,stainlesssteelmeasuringcups,sinceI’vehadsomanyplasticonesbreakonme.Forliquids,IhaveaglassPyrexpitcher,whichshouldalsolastalongtime;plus,ithasaneasy-griphandletohelpmekeepfromspillingliquidsasImoveitaround.

MIXER

Nomatterhowhardyoutry(andtrustme,Ihave),youcannevermixabatterassmoothlyby hand as an electric mixer can. Whether it’s a powerful stand mixer or a smallerhandhelddevice,amixerisanecessityforbaking.InowhaveaKitchenAidstandmixerthat I love, but I used a handheld one for years. Amixer with a whipping attachmentcomesinhandywhenmakingnondairywhippedcream.

MUFFINLINERS

Muffinlinersaregreatbecausetheyeliminatetheneedtogreasemuffinpanswithoil.Youcanusepaperlinersorthereusablesiliconeones,whichIprefer.Muffinscomeoutfromthemmuchmorecleanlythantheydowithpaperliners,plusthere’snowaste.

PARCHMENTPAPER

Thisisgreatforliningbakingsheets.Unlikealuminumfoil,parchmentpapereliminatestheneedforoiltogreasethepananddoesn’taddatinnyaftertaste.Ihavefoundthatyoucanoftenreusethesamepieceofparchmentpapernumeroustimes.

PIZZACUTTER

You’reprobablyaskingyourself,“WhywouldIneedapizzacutterfordesserts?”Well,Iloveusingminetocutpiecesevenlyandefficiently.Sometimesrunningaknifethroughbrowniesorbarscanpullthemapartmessily,whichissomethingyoudon’thavetoworryaboutwithapizzacutter.

SLOWCOOKER

Believe it or not, a slow cooker can be used formore than stews and chili. I’vemadebreads,quinoadishes,andevenbakedgoodsinmyslowcooker.Oneoftherecipesinthisbook, the Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Granola Bars, is made in a slow cooker, whichshowsthatyoucanuseappliancesinwaysyouneverthoughtpossible.

SMALLSAUCEPAN

Icallforasmallsaucepaninmanyoftheserecipes,sinceit’sidealformeltingnutbutterfor baking. I highly recommend buying a stainless steel saucepan.Not onlywill it lastseemingly forever,butyouwon’thave toworryabout surfacepieces flakingoffasyou

mightwithaTeflonpan.Plus,Ifindthemveryeasytocleanafterjustashortsoak.

SPATULAS

Spatulasareexcellenttoolsforgettingeverylastlittlebitofbatteroutofabowl.Ilikethesiliconevariety,whicharemuchmoredurablethantherubberones,andthey’realsoheatresistant.They’reperfectformixingchocolateinadoubleboiler.

KitchenTipsThe following kitchen tips are meant to save you time, money, and headaches. If youfollowthesepointers,Ipromise,they’llmakeyourlifeeasier;Iknowthey’vehelpedme.

Nutscanbeveryexpensive,asin$10-a-poundexpensive.Therefore,asImentionedearlier,buyingnutsinbulksavesalotofmoneyandmakesalotofcents…Imean,sense.Theonlyrealdrawbackisthatyouhavetofindanairtightcontainertostorethemin;Iuseglassjarsformine.Mosthealthfoodstoresstockbulkbinsofnuts,oryoucancheckoutonlinesitessuchasNuts.comandVitacost.com(seeResourcesforafulllistofretailers).Anothergreattipistobuypiecesinsteadofwholenuts.Theyusuallycostatleastadollarlessperpound,andifyou’reusingthemtomakenutbuttersandmilks,thepiecesareperfect,sincethey’llgetblendedupanyway.

Didyouknowthatnutscangorancid?Ifyouleavethemoutatroomtemperature,theywilllastanywherefrom1to12months,dependingonthetypeofnut.Makesuretostorethemintherefrigeratororfreezerforlongeruse.Ifkeptintherefrigerator,theycanstayfreshatleast12months,withtheexceptionofpinenuts,whichlastonly4months.Ifyoufreezenuts,theycanlastuptoawhopping2years.Ofcourse,weallrealizethey’llbefinishedoffwaybeforethen,butit’shelpfultoknow,anyway.

Wanttosavemoneyonspicesandoils?Theseitems,especiallythenicerorganicbrands,canquicklybecomepricey.Here’satipmyTurkishmother-in-lawtaughtme:internationalmarketscarryspicesandoilsatfarlowerpricesthanbig-boxstores.Thequalityisusuallyhigher,aswell.That’sahardcombinationtobeat.Ifyoudon’thaveaninternationalmarketnearyou,youcanpurchasespicesinbulkatmosthealthfoodstores.They’remuchcheaperthatway,too.Youcanbuyjusttheamountyouneedinsteadoflettingthatexpensive,exoticspiceyouusedonceinanepicdishtwoyearsagogostaleinyourpantry.Iknowthatpainfrompersonalexperience.

Stockuponfreshfruitwhenit’sinseason,andthenfreezeittouseallyearlong.

Thiswillsavemoney;plus,yougettoenjoythoserefreshingsummerberriesinthemiddleofwinter.They’regreatinsmoothiesandforbaking.Tofreezemostfruits,youcansimplylaythepiecesoutonaparchment-linedbakingsheetandplaceitinthefreezer.Oncethefruitisfrozen,putthepiecesintoaziplockbagforeasierstorage,andthenplacethembackinthefreezer,wheretheyshouldkeepforupto6months.

Ifyouhavehecticmornings,asIdo,Isuggestyoumakeyoursmoothiesthenightbefore.Oncethey’remixed,pourthemintosomeicecubetraysandpopthemintothefreezertoreblendinthemorning.Thissavesalotoftimeonbusydaysandgivesyouayummysmoothieatafractionofthepreptime.Youcanevenmakeaweek’sworthofsmoothiesthisway.Ifyoudon’thavetimetocleantheblenderrightaway,pourinadropofdishwashingliquid,fillituphalfwaywithwater,andleaveit.Whenyougethome,blendthewaterforaboutthirtysecondsandthenrinse.Thisnormallycleansthemessrightup,oratleastdoes90percentoftheworkforyou.

Whenyoumeasurestickyingredients,suchasmaplesyrupornutbutter,makesuretobrushthemeasuringcupwithathinlayerofmild-tastingoil.Thiswillensurethattheentireamountcomesoutofthemeasuringcupcleanly.

Beforeusingnutstomakemilk,you’llneedtosoakthem.Thismightseemaseasyasputtingsomenutsinwaterandlettingthemsit,butthere’sabitmoretoit.Asnutritiousasnutsare,theyalsohavenaturalagentsbuiltintoprotectthemfromharmfulthingslikeearlygermination.Thesecompounds,suchastannin,aregreatforthenut’sself-defense,buttheytendtobeawfulforourdigestivesystem.(Ifyoudon’tknowwhattanninis,thinkofitasnature’sbitter-tastingpesticidethatprotectsthenutfrombeinggobbledupbypredators.)Thesoakingprocessbreaksdowntheagents,makingthemeasieronourdigestivesystem,aswellasmakingthenutseasiertoblend.Itcanalsoprovideahighernutritionalvalueifthenutsbegintosproutinthewater.

Tosoakthem,Ifillabowlorjarusinga2:1water-to-nutratio.Regulartapwaterisfine,anditdoesn’tneedtobeataspecifictemperature.Youcanalsoadd½teaspoonofseasaltifyoulike,althoughIusuallyskipthatstep.I’veseensomesourcessaytosoaknutsforatleast20minutes,whileotherssay2to3hours,andsomesuggestevenlongerthanthat.Inormallyleavemineovernightinaclosedcontainerintherefrigerator,andIrecommendthatyoudothesame.Whensoakingthem,you’llnoticethenutsbegintoshedtheirdustandtannin.Afteryouremove

themfromthesoakingwater,rinsethemthoroughly.Ifyou’reusingsoakedorsproutednutsforbaking,you’llneedtodrythemoutfirst,eitherinadehydrator—Idrymineatabout125°F(50°C)for10hours—orinyourovenonitslowestsettingfor30to90minutes,checkingthemoften.

Whenroughlychoppingnutswithaknife,placeacleandishtowelovertheknifeandtheworkspace.Thetowelwillkeepthenutsfromscatteringoffyourcuttingboard.Youcanalsouseasmallfoodprocessortoquicklychopthem,whichIhighlyrecommend.

Makenomistakeaboutit—makingnutmilkcanbeamessyendeavor.Beforeyouevenstart,goovertheprepworkfirst.Getallyourducksinarowbymakingsureeachworkstationisassembledandreadytogo.Havetheblendersetupwiththenutsandwater.Setoutalargebowlwiththefine-meshstrainerontopandthecheeseclothdrapedoverit.Lastly,haveaparchment-linedbakingsheetreadyandwaitingtobeslidintotheoventobakethenutpulpforfutureuse.Thewholeprocesscanbequitequickwhenyou’reproperlyorganized.

Onceyournutmilkismade,properstorageiskey.Ikeepmymilksintherefrigeratorinaclosedglassjar.Mostmilkslastabout3to5daysintherefrigerator.

Asforthepulp,onceit’sbakedanddried,itcanbeleftoutinanairtightcontainerifyouplanonusingitrightaway.Otherwise,storeitintherefrigeratorinanairtightcontainer.Thepulpwilllastafewweeksintherefrigerator.Ifyouplanonkeepingitformorethanafewweeks,youshouldstoreitinthefreezer.Ikeepmineinasealedziplockbag.

Agreatwaytoaddflavortoyournutbuttersistoroastthenutsfirst,whichisaverysimpletask.Themethodisthesameforallnuts.Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).LineabakingsheetwithparchmentpaperorasiliconelinersuchasaSilpat.Spreadthenutsoutonthebakingsheetandsprinklethemwithalittleseasaltifyouwant.Roastthemfor10minutes.Stophalfwaythroughthecookingandgivethenutsagoodshaketomakesuretheyroastevenly.Waituntilthenutsarecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthepanandstoringthem.Ifyouchoosetouseroastednutsinyournutbutterrecipes,youmightneedtoaddatablespoonofmild-tastingoiltothenutbuttertogetareallycreamytexture.

Whether you’re a newbie to making milk from nuts or you’realreadyanoldpro,thischapterisforyou.Wehaveabasicrecipefor nut milks for beginners, and then we’ll dive into some funflavoredvariationsthatshowyouhowversatilenutmilkscanbe.By the end of the chapter, making nutmilk will seem so easy,you’llwonderwhyyoueverbought it inastore.Forpeoplewithnut allergies, check out the Sunflower SeedMilk recipe, whichmakesagreatalternativetonutmilks.

BasicNutMilkMAKING NUT MILK is an easy process that’s pretty consistentamongvarieties.Thebasic formulabelow isgood foralmonds,Brazilnuts,cashews, hazelnuts, and pistachios. All the nuts will need to be soakedaheadof time,preferablyovernight.Formoreonsoaking, read theKitchenTips.Afterblending,mostnutmilksneed tobestrained throughanutmilkbagorfinecheesecloth.ThebestadviceIcangiveistobepreparedaheadof time.Haveall of yoursupplies laidoutwhere theyneed tobe.Thiswillkeepthingsneat—trustme.

MAKES4 CUPS (960 ML)

1cupraw,unsaltednuts,whole(125g)orchopped(70g)

3½to4cups(840to960ml)water

OPTIONALSWEETENERS:

1teaspoongroundvanillabeans

½teaspoonvanillaextract

1Medjooldate,pitremoved

1tablespoonmaplesyrup

1tablespoonrawhoney

1. Soakthenutsovernight.Iliketousea32-ounce(960ml)masonjarforthis,withregulartapwater.Itdoesn’thavetobeaparticulartemperature.Placethenutsin

thejarandthenaddenoughwatertocoverthem,plusanextrainchortwo.Thenutswillexpandslightlyduringthesoakingprocess.Inthemorning,drainandrinsethenutswell.

2. Addthenutstoahigh-poweredblenderwith3½cups(840ml)offreshwater(seeNotesbelow).Blendfor2minutes.IusemyVitamix,startingoutataslowspeedbeforeworkingmywayuptoahigherone.

3. Setafine-meshstrainerontopofalargebowl.Placeahigh-qualitycheeseclothontopofthestrainer,oruseanutmilkbaginstead.

4. Pourthecontentsoftheblenderintothecheeseclothornutmilkbag.Atthispoint,Iliketowalkawayandletgravitydomostoftheworkonitsown.Itshouldtakeabout5minutesorsoformostoftheliquidtoendupinthebowl.

5. Gatherthecheeseclothornutmilkbaginyourhandsandgentlysqueezeit.You’llstarttoseealotofliquidcomeout.Keepsqueezinguntilyoufeelthatalltheliquidisgone.Itcanbequitethehandworkout!

6. Addanoptionalsweetener,ifdesired,andthenblendagainforanother2minutes.

7. Dumptheexcesspulpontoaparchment-linedbakingsheet.Itwillbewetandclumpy.Iusemyfingerstobreakitupandspreaditoutonthebakingsheetsothatitdriesouteasily.Pleasedon’tthrowitaway—thereareanincrediblenumberofusesforpulp,whichwe’llexplorelater(seeHowtoUseNutPulp).

8. Useafunneltopourthenutmilkintoaglassstoragejar,andstoreitintherefrigeratorfor3to4days,orinthefreezerforupto2months.

NOTES

Ifyoudecidetoaddasweetenerortwotothisrecipe,startwithgroundvanillabeans,whichmakethingstastesweeterwithoutraisingtheactualsugarcontent.Besuretostrainthemilkbeforeaddingthesweetener.Ifyouaddthesweetenertooearlyintheprocess,someofitwillgetcaughtinthecheesecloth,especiallydates.IaddthedatesonceIhavestrainedthemixture,andthenIblendeverythingagainforanother2minutestomakesuretheingredientsarecompletelymixed.Notethatifyouusevanillaextract,youmightbeabletoslightlytastethealcohol,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.

Asyoustartplayingaroundwiththetypesofnutsyouuse,you’llnoticethatnotallofthemneedtobestrainedafterthey’reblended.Some,suchascashewsand

pistachios,createaveryfinepowderthatgoesstraightthroughthecheesecloth.Forthose,Isimplyblend,pour,chill,andserve.

Don’tbeshockedwhenyoutakeyourmilkoutoftherefrigeratorandfindthatit’sseparated.Justgiveitagoodshaketomixitupagain.Homemadenutmilkdoesn’thaveaddedthickeners,emulsifiers,orstabilizerstokeepthemixturehomogeneous.

Ifyoudon’thaveahigh-poweredblender,youcanusearegularblender.You’lljustneedtomakethemilkinsmallerbatches—about½cup(65g)ofnutsto1¾cups(420ml)ofwateratatime.

Mostnutmilkswilllast3to4daysintherefrigerator,whichshouldbeplentyoftimeifyouusethemregularlyincoffee,cereal,andrecipes.ThesomewhatshortlifespaniswhyIdon’tmakeitinlargebatches.Store-boughtmilkstendtolastlongerbecausetheyhaveaddedpreservatives.

PREPTIME:About15minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak),plus2hoursifdryingthepulpforlateruse(seeHowtoUseNutPulp)

ChocolateCashewMilkIT SEEMS THAT every kid loves chocolate milk, and what adultdoesn’t reminisce about drinking the thick, sweet stuff? Well, here’s ahealthier, grown-up version for you. It’s a luxurious milk that makes anamazinghotchocolateoncold,snowydaysorworkswonderfullyasanafter-dinnerdrink.Therecipeiseasy,aswell:simplyblend,pour,andenjoy—nostrainingrequired.Chocolateisn’ttheonlydelicious,satisfyingflavoryoucanaddtoyournutmilks!Thenextfewrecipeswillshowyoujusthowversatilenutscanbe.


1cup(130g)raw,unsaltedcashews,soakedovernight

3½cups(840ml)water

One3.5-ounce(100g)darkchocolatebaror½cup(80g)chocolatechips

1tablespoonunsweetenedcocoapowder

1teaspooncinnamon

2Medjooldates,pitsremoved

1. Drainandrinsethecashews.

2. Chopthechocolatebarroughly.There’snoneedtochopitfinely,sinceyou’llbeputtingitintotheblender.

3. Addalltheingredientstoahigh-poweredblenderandblenduntilsmooth,about2to3minutes.

4. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepfor3to4days.

NOTE

Youcanstrainthemilkifyoulike,butitisn’treallynecessarywithcashewmilk,sincethenutsarenaturallysoftandblendeasily.

VARIATIONS

YoucanreplacetheMedjooldateswith2teaspoonsofrawhoneyorpuremaplesyrupifyouprefer.Ijustlikethewaythedatessweetenthemilk.

Afunideaistopourthechocolatecashewmilkintofreezer-popmolds.Theywillneedatleast6hourstofirmupinthefreezer,butwhentheydo,you’llhavesomedairy-free“Fudgsicles,”whichmakeadelightfultreatonahotday.

PREPTIME:10minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak)

StrawberryBrazilNutMilkBRAZILNUTSPRODUCEextremelythick,velvetymilkthatcouldbeconsideredthefull-fatversionofthenutmilkworld.Iregularlydrinkitonitsown,butmykidsloveflavoredmilk,soIcreatedthisrecipewiththeminmind. I typicallyusestrawberries,as the recipesuggests,but itworkswellwith any berry, even frozen ones if fresh aren’t available because of theseason or location. If you choose to use frozen berries, just make surethey’rethawedbeforestartingtherecipe.

MAKES1½CUPS (360 ML)

1cup(240ml)Brazilnutmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

1cup(125g)slicedstrawberries(fresh,orfrozenandthawed)


1. Combinealltheingredientsinablenderandmixfor1to2minutesathighspeed.Ahigh-poweredblenderisideal;aregularblenderorMagicBulletwillalsodothejob,althoughyoumighthavetoblendtheingredientsalittlelonger.

2. Youcandrinkthestrawberrymilkasisor,ifdesired,pouritthroughafine-meshstrainertoremovethepulp.Eitherwayworks—itdependsonyourpreference.

3. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepforupto3days.

NOTES

Ifyou’reusingtartstrawberries,youcanaddasweetener.Irecommend1Medjooldateor2teaspoonsofpuremaplesyrup.

Youcansubstituteanequalquantityofvanillaextractforthevanillabeans,butyoumightbeabletoslightlytastethealcoholifyoudo,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.

PREPTIME:5minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak)

VanillaHazelnutMilkI’VENEVERMETanyonewhodoesn’tlovehazelnuts(alsoknownasfilberts). They make an excellent butter, which is magnificent whenmixedwithchocolate,asinmyChocolateHazelnutSpread.Here’sawaytoenjoythem as a milk. This drink will remind you why hazelnuts are universallyadored.Ithasaluxuriousflavorthatkeepsmecomingbackformore.Ievenput it in mymorning coffee as a creamer. Plus the pulp is like a gift thatkeeps on giving—try it in the Grain-Free Energy Bites or Protein-PackedSnackBalls.Ican’tsayenoughaboutthevirtuesofthisnut.


1cup(135g)raw,unsaltedhazelnuts,soakedovernight

3½cups(840ml)water


1. Drainandrinsethehazelnuts.

2. Addthenutsandwatertoahigh-poweredblender(seeIngredientsifyoudon’thaveoneofthese),andblenduntilsmooth,about2to3minutes.

3. Setafine-meshstrainerontopofalargebowl.Placeahigh-qualitycheeseclothontopofthestrainer,oruseanutmilkbaginstead.

4. Slowlypourthemilkintothecheeseclothornutmilkbag,makingsurenottooverfillthecontainer.Youwillneedtodothisinbatchestoavoidmakingamess.

5. Gatherthecheeseclothornutmilkbaginyourhands,andgentlysqueezeit.Keepsqueezinguntilyoufeelthatalltheliquidisgone.

6. Dumptheleftoverpulpontoaparchment-linedbakingsheet(seeHowtoUseNutPulp).

7. Repeatthesestepsuntilallthemilkisextracted.

8. Pourthemilkbackintotheblender,andaddthevanillaandasweetenerifyouchoose(seeNotesbelow).Brieflyblend.

9. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepforupto4days.

NOTES

Youcansubstitutevanillaextractforthevanillabeans,butyoumightbeabletoslightlytastethealcoholifyoudo,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.

Ifyouwantasweetermilk,tryblendingin1to2Medjooldates(mypersonalfavorite)or2teaspoonsofmaplesyrup.Addingsteviaisanotherpossibility,butitcanleaveaslightlybitteraftertaste,soIdon’trecommendit.However,ifyou’reusedtothetasteofstevia,feelfreetomixin2to3drops.

PREPTIME:About15minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak)

SpicedPistachioMilkPISTACHIOMILKISoneof theeasiestnutmilks tomake.There’sno straining necessary, and it makes a super-creamy milk that tastesmagnificent in your morning coffee. To make this recipe even better, I’veaddedsomespicesthatpairwellwithitsrichtexture.Thisisonedrinkyou’llwant to make over and over again. I advise you to buy unsalted, shelledpistachios.Purchasing unshelled pistachios is fine, but itmakes for a longandfrustratingpreparation.

MAKES6 CUPS (1 .4 L )

1cup(125g)raw,unsaltedpistachios,soakedovernight

3½cups(840ml)water

1teaspooncinnamon

¼teaspoongroundginger

¼teaspoongroundnutmeg


1. Drainandrinsethepistachios.

2. Addthepistachios,water,cinnamon,ginger,andnutmegtoahigh-poweredblender(seeIngredientsifyoudon’thaveoneofthese).Ifyouhaveavariable-speedblender,startonalowsettingandworkyourwayuptohighoveraperiodof1to2minutes.Ifyoudon’thaveavariable-speedblender,simplymixonhighfor

1to2minutes.

3. Setafine-meshstrainerontopofalargebowl,andslowlypourthemixturethroughthestrainer.Therereallyshouldn’tbemuchtostrain;Idon’tuseacheeseclothatallforthisrecipe.

4. Pourthemilkbackintotheblenderandaddthedates.Blendfor2minutestomakesurethedatesarecompletelygroundup.

5. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepfor3to4days


SunflowerSeedMilkIKNOWSUNFLOWER seedsaren’tnuts,but Iwanted to includethem, since so many people suffer from nut allergies these days. It mayseemunbelievable, but you can actuallymakemilk from these tiny seeds.Youcancreatesunflowerbutter, too—checkout theSunflowerSeedButterrecipe.TheprocessformakingSunflowerSeedMilkisverysimpleandreallynodifferentthanmakingnutmilk.


1cup(140g)raw,unsaltedsunflowerseeds(soakedovernight)

4cups(960ml)water

1. Drainandrinsethesunflowerseeds.

2. Placetheseedsinablenderwith4cups(960ml)offreshwater.Blendonhighfor1to2minutes.

3. Setafine-meshstrainerontopofalargebowl.Placeahigh-qualitycheeseclothontopofthestrainer.

4. Slowlypourthemilkintothecheese-cloth,makingsurenottoputtoomuchinatonce.Youwillneedtodothisinbatchestoavoidmakingamess.

5. Gatherthecheeseclothinyourhands,andgentlysqueezeit.Keepsqueezinguntilyoufeelthatalltheliquidisgone.

6. Dumptheleftoverpulpontoaparchment-linedbakingsheet(seeHowtoUseNutPulp).

7. Repeatthesestepsuntilallthemilkisextracted.

8. Placeafunnelontopofthestoragecontainerforyourmilkandpourintheliquid.Iliketouse32-ounce(960ml)glassmasonjars,whichfitthisrecipeperfectly.

9. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepfor3to4days

NOTES

Ifyou’veevertriedricemilk,youknowthatithasathintexture,especiallycomparedtonutmilk.SunflowerSeedMilkisverysimilarinthataspect.Ifyouwantitslightlythicker,youcanadd2teaspoonsofarrowroottothemilkafteryoupouritintothestoragecontainer.Simplymixwell.

Youcanaddatablespoonofhoneyorpuremaplesyrupifyoulikeyourmilkalittlesweet.Addthesweetenerafteryoustrainthemixture,andthenblendagainforanotherminutetomakesureeverythingiscompletelymixed.


HotChocolateCashewMilkINTHEDEADofwinterwecanallgoforalittlecoziness,andthere’ssomethingdelightfullycomfortingaboutwarmmilk.Wemaythinkofnutmilkasacoldrefreshment,butitcanbeusedtomakesomedelicioushotdrinks,too.Cashewmilk is incrediblycreamybynature,makingit theperfectbaseforhotchocolate,and,luckily,thisrecipeisoh-so-easytomake.Iaddalittlecinnamontospiceitup,andnutmegcanbeanicetouchaswell.Ifyoulikeanextrabitofheat,tryincludingapinchofcayenne.SeetheBonusRecipeforCoconutWhippedCreambelowtomakethisanevenmoredeluxetreat.

MAKESTWO1 -CUP (240 ML) SERVINGS

2cups(480ml)cashewmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

Heaping¼cup(40g)darkchocolatechips

3tablespoonsunsweetenedcocoapowder

½teaspooncinnamon

2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup,optional

1. Mixalltheingredientsinasaucepanovermediumheat.Youcanaddmaplesyrupifyoulikeyourdrinksalittlesweeter,butpersonallyIdon’tthinkitneedsit.

2. Stiruntilalltheingredientsaremixedandthechocolatechipshavemelted,5to7minutes.Serveimmediately.

VARIATIONS

Tryaddingashotofespressotomakethisamochadrink.

Ifyouhaveamilkfrother,youcanfrothabitofextranutmilkontoptocreateahomemadecappuccino.

PREPTIME:About10minutes,notincludingCoconutWhippedCream

CoconutWhippedCreamIfyouwantadollopofwhippedcreamontopofyourhotchocolate,youcaneasilymakeitwithcoconutmilk.Allyouneedisone14-ounce(400ml)canoffull-fatcoconutmilkand1to2teaspoonsofpuremaplesyrup.

Refrigerate the unopened can of coconut milk overnight.When you open it the nextmorning,you’llsee that thefattypartof thecoconutmilkhasseparatedfromthewater.Thatfattypartmakesthemostwonderful,dairy-freewhippedcream!

Spoonoutthefattypartofthecoconutmilkintoasmallmixingbowl.Youcanfreezetheleftover coconut water in ice cube trays to add to smoothies. Using the whippingattachmentonyourmixer,whipthecoconutfatintoacream.Thiswilltake2to3minuteson high speed. The result should resemble a whipped cream made from heavy dairy

cream. Ihighly recommendusing thewhippedcream right away, since itwillharden ifyourefrigerateit.

SpicedChaiMilkSERVEDWARMANDwithalittletouchofspice,thisdrinkisperfectforrelaxingafterabusyday.It’salsodeliciouschilledandusedasacoffeecreamer.

MAKES1 CUP (240 ML)

1cup(240ml)nutmilkofchoice(seeBasicNutMilk)

1teaspoonpuremaplesyrup

½teaspooncinnamon

½teaspoongroundvanillabeans


1. PlacealltheingredientsinablenderorMagicBulletandblendfor1to2minutesonhigh,untiltheingredientsarewellmixed.

2. Pourthemixtureintoasmallsaucepanandplaceovermediumheat,stirringeveryfewminutesuntilitreachesthetemperatureyoudesire.Makesuretowatchitclosely;itcanquicklybubbleoverifyou’renotcareful.

3. Servethemilkimmediately,orrefrigerateitforupto4daysforuseasacoffeecreamer.

NOTE

I highly recommend using almond milk or Brazil nut milk in this recipe. Both have

creamytexturesthatworkwellwiththeseflavors.

PREPTIME:5to7minutes

Once you realize how easy nut butters are to make, you’llprobably laugh at yourself for not trying it sooner. You’ll alsonever buy them from a supermarket again. The preparationdoesn’ttakelong,thebutterlastsquiteawhileifproperlystored,and it tastesmore flavorful thancommercial versionsdo. If youkeepyournutbutter inthefridge, itcanlast forseveralmonths,althoughweusuallygothroughitmuchmorequicklythanthatinour house. You can make butter from just about any nut, witheach variety offering its own unique, finger-licking-good flavor.The following recipes will show you that homemade nut buttersoarswaybeyondthestandardpeanutbutter.

BasicNutButterTHECONCEPTBEHINDmakingnutbutters isprettysimple: justblendthenutsuntiltheyreachthecreaminessyoudesire.Theprocessisthesameforallnuts.Youshouldmakenutbutterinsmallbatchestogetthebestresultsandtoavoidburningoutyourblenderorfoodprocessor.Ifyoupreferitabitchunky,asIdo,afoodprocessorworkswell,oryoucanuseablenderforafiner,smootherconsistency.Ihavemadenutbutterinafoodprocessor,aVitamix,andmyBlendtecusingtheTwisterJar(seeNotesbelow).

MAKES½CUP (125 G)

1cup(125g)nuts(seeNotesbelow)

1. Grindthenutsinafoodprocessororahigh-poweredblender.Thefoodprocessorrequiresalittlemoretime,butyouwon’thavetoscrapedownthesidesasoften,andit’seasiertoclean.Bothworkequallywell;yousimplyneedtodecidewhichoneisbetterforyou.

2. Blenduntilthebutterissmooth,scrapingdownthesidesofthecanisterperiodically.Thetimethistakesdependsonthenuts.Brazilnuts,macadamias,peanuts,pecans,andwalnutsalltakeabout5minutes.Almonds,hazelnuts,pistachios,andsunflowerseedscantakeupto20minutes.Forthosethattake

longer,Isuggestpausingtheblendingprocessevery5minutestogivethemachineabreakandallowthenutstoreleasesomeoftheiroils.

3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightcontainerforstorage.Istoremynutbutteronthecounteranditwillkeepforafewweeks,butit’susuallygobbledupbeforethen!Ifyouplanonsavingitlongerthan2weeks,Irecommendrefrigeratingit.Itcanlastupto4monthsintherefrigerator,sincethecoldtemperaturehelpskeeptheoilsfromgoingrancid.

NOTES

Itypicallymakemynutbutterswithraw,unsaltednuts.Youcanuseroastednuts(seeKitchenTipsfordirections),butyoumightneedtoaddatleast1½teaspoonsofamild-tastingoiltogetasmooth,butteryconsistency.

Pleasemakesurethenutsarefresh.Ifthey’reold,theywillnotcreateasmoothconsistency.

IfyouchoosetousetheBlendtecTwisterJar,Irecommendmaking1cup(250g)ofnutbutteratatime.Evenifyoudon’thaveapowerfulfoodprocessororblender,youcanmakenutbutterusingasmallerappliancelikeaMagicBullet.Ifyougothatroute,cuttherecipeinhalfto½cup(65g)ofnuts.

VARIATIONS

If youwant to add flavorings suchasoil, sea salt, or sweetener, do so afteryouhavemadethenutbuttersothatyou’llknowwhatyourbaseconsistencyandflavoris.Somesuggestions are ½ teaspoon of sea salt; 1 teaspoon of sweetener, such as puremaplesyrupor rawhoney;or½ to1 tablespoonofoil (I like touse coconut,grape seed,orolive).

PREPTIME:5to20minutes,dependingonthetypeofnutyouuse

ClassicPeanutButterTHISISTHEclassicnutbutterrecipe,makingitagreatstartingpoint.You can use any type of peanuts you desire: raw, roasted, salted, orunsalted.They’re all delicious. I prefer using roasted, unsaltedpeanuts forthisbutter,because itallowsme tocontrol thesalt content,and I love thatgreatroastedflavor.Ifyouuseroastedpeanuts,remembertoaddalittleoilto keep thepeanut buttermoist throughout theprocess.This recipeworksperfectlyforthePeanutButterCupGranolaorPeanutButterChocolateChipDonuts.

MAKES1 CUP (250 G)

2cups(280g)peanuts,roasted(seeKitchenTips)orraw

½teaspoonseasalt

1to2tablespoonsmild-tastingoil,ifusingroastedpeanuts

1. Grindthepeanutsandseasaltinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderuntilcreamy,5to10minutes.Ifyou’reusingablender,Irecommendstartingonalowspeedandthenworkingyourwayuptohigh.Youmightneedtostopseveraltimestoscrapedownthesides.

2. Transferthepeanutbuttertoanairtightcontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto2weeks,orupto4monthsintherefrigerator.


SaltedHoneyCashewButterTHERICH,SMOOTH taste of cashew buttermakes it one of themostspecialnutbutters, inmyopinion.Sweetandsalty,alwaysawinningcombination,joinforcesperfectlyinthisextra-luxurioussaltedhoneycashewbutter.Youmightbetemptedtoeatitstraightfromthejar—Ifindthatbreadjustgetsintheway.It’salsoaperfectfillingfortruffles.

MAKES½CUP (160 G)

1cup(130g)rawcashews

1tablespoonrawhoneyorpuremaplesyrup

½teaspoonseasalt(seeNotebelow)

1. Grindthecashewsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderfor5to10minutes,stoppingoftentoscrapedownthesides.Startatalowspeedandslowlyworkyourwayuptohigh.

2. Addthehoneyandseasaltandcontinuetoblenduntilsmooth.Thisshouldrequireonlyafewmoreminutes.

3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglassstoragecontainer.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto2weeks,orupto4monthsintherefrigerator.

NOTE

Ifyoubuysaltedcashews,omitthesaltinthisrecipe.

RichandCreamyPistachioButterIDON’TKNOWaboutyou,butabagofpistachiosneverlastslonginmy house, even with the hassle of shelling them. There’s just somethingabouttheirsmoothtexturethatmakesthemsoappealing.Addsomesaltandyouhaveyourself ahandy snack!Throw them inablenderandyouget avelvety butter that you can use in cookies, ice cream, truffles, and othertreats. I especially love using pistachios in truffles, since their pretty greenhue contrasts beautifully against the chocolate, making them ideal for theholidays.

MAKES½CUP (140 G)

1cup(125g)raw,unsaltedpistachios

½teaspoonseasalt

1teaspoonpuremaplesyrup

1. Grindthenutsandtheseasaltinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderonhighspeedfor10to15minutes.Youmightneedtoscrapedownthesidesoftheblenderorfoodprocessorseveraltimes.

2. Whenthemixtureisalmostsmooth,addthemaplesyrup,andblendforanother2minutes.

3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglasscontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto2weeks,orupto4monthsintherefrigerator.

NOTE

This pistachio butter is alsowonderful in place of the pecan butter in PecanCaramelOvernightOats.Delicious!


ChocolateHazelnutSpreadHAZELNUTSAREONEofmy favoritenuts touse in thekitchen,perhaps because my mother was German. Since many German dessertsand candies contain hazelnuts, recipes like this one take me back to mychildhood.Thisspreadcanbeenjoyed insomanydifferentways.Smear itontoast,waffles,crepes,orpancakes,oraddaspoonfultoPecanCaramelOvernight Oats. It’s also wonderful in Banana Muffins with ChocolateHazelnutFilling.Unlikethepopularstore-boughtchocolatehazelnutspread,thisonedoesnotcontainprocessedsugarorsoy.Try thiseasyrecipeandyou’llneverhavetheurgetopurchasethecommercialbrandagain.

MAKES1½CUPS (360 G)

2cups(240g)raw,unsaltedhazelnuts

1cup(240ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

⅓cup(40g)unsweetenedcocoapowder

3tablespoonspuremaplesyruporrawhoney

2teaspoonsgroundvanillabeans

1. Youcanremovethehazelnutskinsorleavethemon;I’vedoneitbothways.Ifyoudecidetoremovetheskins,you’llneedtoroastthenutsfirst(seeKitchenTipsfordirections).

2. Waituntilthehazelnutsarecompletelycooledbeforeattemptingtoremovetheskins;otherwiseyou’llburnyourhands.Itshouldtakeabout5minutesforthe

hazelnutstocooldownenoughtohandle.Oncecooled,rubthembetweenyourpalmstoremovetheskins.

3. Grindthehazelnutsinablenderuntiltheyhaveacoarseconsistency,about1minute.Ihighlyrecommendusingahigh-poweredblendertogetasmoothertexture.Youcanuseafoodprocessor,butyoumightneedtogrindthenutsforabout2minuteslongerandaslightgraininessmayremain.Itwillstilltastedivine;itwilljusthaveadifferenttexture.Ihavetestedthisrecipewithbothappliancesandfindthatthehazel-nutspreadmadeintheblendermostcloselyresemblesthestore-boughtvariety.

4. Addthealmondmilk,cocoapowder,maplesyrup,andvanilla.Blenduntilsmooth,about2minutes.

5. Becausethisrecipecontainsalmondmilk,itneedstobestoredintherefrigerator.Itshouldlast7to10days.

NOTE

You can substitute 1 teaspoonof vanilla extract for the groundvanilla beans, but youmightbeabletoslightlytastethealcoholifyoudo,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.

PREPTIME:5to7minutes(longerifremovingtheskinsfirst)

ChocolatePeanutButterSpreadSINCETHEBEGINNINGoftheirmutualexistence,chocolateandpeanutbutterhavebeenpairedtogether.SomeofthemostpopulardessertsinWestern culture today are based on thiswonderful combination, be it asumptuous mousse at an expensive restaurant or a common candy barimpulsively purchased at the checkout line in a grocery store. They’re theperfectmatch,with thesaltinessof thepeanutsand themelt-in-your-mouthsweetnessofthechocolatetoogoodtopassup.Isimplyhadtoincludethisrecipeinthebook.Thisspreadisgreatontoast,waffles,oricecream,oryoucanjusteatitbythespoonful!

MAKES1 CUP (300 G)

1½cups(210g)rawpeanuts(seeNotesbelow)

1cup(160g)darkchocolatechips

1¾cups(420ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup

1. Grindthepeanutsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderonhighspeeduntiltheyhaveacoarseconsistency,1to2minutes.

2. Addthechocolatechipsandcontinuetopulseforafewmoreminutestomix.

3. Addthealmondmilkandmaplesyrupandblendforanother3minutes,oruntilthespreadreachestheconsistencyyoudesire.

4. Transferthespreadtoaglassjarforstorage.Becausethisrecipecontainsalmondmilk,itneedstobestoredintherefrigerator,whereitshouldlastforupto2weeks.

NOTES

Youcanmakethiswithsaltedorunsaltedpeanuts;Iuseunsalted.Ifyougowithunsaltedpeanutsandwouldstilllikeasaltyelement,Isuggestadding½teaspoonofseasalt.Youcanmixitinatthesametimeasthealmondmilkandmaplesyrup.

Ikeepthisspreadin12-ounce(340ml),wide-mouthglassmasonjars,whichfittherecipeyieldperfectly.

Thisspreadwillfirmupafterbeinginthefridge.Beforeusing,letitsitatroomtemperatureforabout30minutes,orheatitinamicrowaveathalfpowerfor1minute.


MapleVanillaAlmondButterHAVINGGROWNUP intheNortheast,Icanattesttothemagicofanythingmaple, frommaple butter tomaple syrup. The natural sweetenermakes everything better, and it pairs perfectly with vanilla, which reallystandsoutinthisflavorfulspread.Addinggroundvanillabeanstoadishcanmakeittastesweeterthanitreallyis,whichmakesusingvanillaaterrificwayto cut sugar consumption while still indulging. I promise this classiccombinationwillhaveyoucomingbackformore.

MAKES½CUP (175 G)

1cup(125g)raw,unsaltedalmonds



½teaspoonseasalt

1. Grindthealmondsinafoodprocessororahigh-poweredblenderonhighspeed(seeNotesbelow).Pauseeveryfewminutestogivethealmondstimetoreleasetheiroils.

2. Oncethealmondslookmoist,after10to15minutes,addtheremainingingredientsandblenduntilsmooth.


NOTES

Youcansubstitutevanillaextractforthevanillabeans,cuttingtheamountdownto½teaspoon,butyoumightbeabletoslightlytastethealcoholifyoudo,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.

Thetimeittakestomakealmondbuttervariesdependingonthetypeofequipmentyouuse;ittypicallytakesabout15to25minutes.Ahigh-poweredblenderwillbefasterthanafoodprocessor.Bothhavetheirprosandcons.Whilethefoodprocessormighttakelonger,thecleanupismucheasierandthesidesdon’tneedtobescrapedasoften.Ablenderisquicker,butitrequiresmorescrapingandamoredifficultcleanup.Eitherway,thisrecipeisworththetimeandeffort.


AppleDonutsandSandwichesHere’s a fun serving suggestion for thisMaple Vanilla Almond Butter: use it in appledonuts and apple sandwiches. I enjoy making these simple, healthy snacks with mydaughters,wholovethem!Ifyourchildisallergictonutsorattendsanut-freeschool,youcansubstituteSunflowerSeedButterforthealmondbutter.Here’showyoumakethem:

Takeanappleofyourchoice(IlikeHoneycrisp)andsliceitinto¼-inch-thickcircles.Ifyouhaveveryyoungchildren,youcanpeeltheapplebeforeslicingit.Whatyouendupwithareabout6applecircleswitha littlecorein themiddleofeachone.Useasmallcircularcookiecutteroraknifetocutthecoreoutofeachappleslice.

Tomakedonuts, simplyspread thenutbutteron topofeachslice,and thengive thekids some toppings to add. We like to use shredded, unsweetened coconut, rawsunflowerseeds,driedfruit,choppednuts,orcacaonibs.

Ifyouwantapplesandwiches,juststacktwoslicesofappleontopofeachotherwiththenutbutterinthemiddle.Applesandwichesmakeexcellentsnacksforschool.Ifyouwanttokeepyourapplesfrombrowninginthelunchbox,simplysqueezeatinydropoflemonjuiceontoeachslice.

CinnamonPecanButterPECANSHAVEAnaturalsweetnessthat I’m incredibly fondof,andtheymakeanidealnutbutter.Isometimesusepecanbutterasthebaseinmytruffles,sinceit’ssorichinflavorwithoutanyextrasugar.Whenyouaddcinnamontothemix,ittakesthetastetoawholenewlevel.I’msurethiswillbecomeastapleinyourhouseasithasinmine.TryusingitinplaceoftheChocolateHazelnutSpreadinmyBananaMuffins.

MAKES½CUP (160 G)

1½cups(150g)raw,unsaltedpecans

1teaspooncinnamon

½teaspoonseasalt

1. Combinealltheingredientsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblender.Blendonhighspeeduntilthemixturereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.Ifyouuseablender,thisshouldtakeonlyabout2minutes;afoodprocessorwillneed5to7minutes.


NOTE

If you decide to add a sweetener, mix it in when the butter looks almost ready. Irecommendusing1teaspoonofpuremaplesyrupor1teaspoonofrawhoney.

MapleCinnamonMacadamiaSpreadTHISSPICE-FILLEDNUTbutterissuretocomfortyouonacoldday.Sweetandbuttery,burstingwithhintsofcinnamonandnutmeg,itmakesawonderfuldipforfruitorcookies,oryoucangivenewlifetoyourmorningtoastbyusingitinsteadofbutterorjam.

MAKES1¼CUP (330 G)

2cups(280g)raw,unsaltedmacadamianuts


1teaspooncinnamon

1teaspoonseasalt


1. Grindthenutsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderonhighspeedfor1to2minutes.

2. Addtheremainingingredientsandcontinuetoblenduntilthemixtureissmooth.Thisshouldtakelessthan5minutes.Scrapedownthesidesoftheblenderasneeded.


NOTES

Ifindthatthisspreadtastesevenbetterwarm,sokeepthatinmindwhenservingit.Iwarmthespreadbystickingthejarinabowlofhotwaterforafewminutes,oryoucanheatitgentlyinamicrowaveonhalfpowerfornolongerthan20seconds.

I’vediscoveredthata4-ounce(120ml)masonjarfitsthisrecipeperfectly.

VARIATION

Applesandnutsgoperfectlytogether,soifyouwanttokickthingsupanotch,add¼cup (60 ml) of unsweetened applesauce. This mixture tastes great on toast or evenswirledintoacupofplainyogurt.


ChunkyBananaWalnutSpreadTHIS IS NOT your mama’s nut butter—this stuff is over-the-topawesome,withadeepandunendingflavor.Therichnessofthewalnutbuttermixedwiththesweetnessoftheripebananatastesamazingtogetherinthisepicspread.Ihighlysuggestspreadingsomeontopofpancakesorwaffles;Ipromiseyou’llloveit.

MAKES1 CUP (330 G)

2cups(200g)raw,unsaltedwalnuts,plusanextrahandfultomixinforanaddedcrunch

1largeveryripebanana

1to1½teaspoonscinnamon

1. Grindthewalnutsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderonhighspeedfor1to2minutes,untiltheybegintoclumptogetherslightly.

2. Addthebananaandcinnamonandblenduntilsmooth,another2minutes.Gentlyfoldintheextrawalnutsforanadditionalcrunch,oryoucanomitthemandleaveitsmooth.

3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglasscontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepintherefrigeratorforupto1week.

NOTE

Afterthisspreadhasbeenrefrigeratedforawhileitwillhardenabit,soyou’llneedto

pullitoutabout30minutesbeforeusingit.Youcanalsosetthejarinabowlofwarmwatertosoftenit.

PREPTIME:About5minutes

BananaWalnutFreezerFudgeYoucanmakeaheavenlyfreezerfudgeusingthebasicingredientsinthisrecipe.Take2cups(200g)ofwalnuts,1mashedbanana,and1tablespoonofpuremaplesyrup,andmixthem together ina foodprocessororblenderonhigh speed.Scoop themixture into thelinedcupsofastandardmuffinpanandplacethepaninthefreezer.Afterabout4hours,you’ll have a decadent fudgewith very little added sugar. This recipemakes 10 to 12piecesoffudge,dependingonhowlargeyoucutthem.

Salted“Caramel”BrazilNutButterBRAZILNUTBUTTER is one of the quickest nut butters you canmake. If you have a high-powered blender, you should be able to do it inabout2minutes.Thesweetandsaltycomboof this recipemakes ithighlyaddictive. TheMedjool dates provide a caramel-like taste and texture in amuchhealthierwaythantheactualsugarystuff,andtheseasaltenhancesalloftheflavors.Youcanspreadthisnutbutterontoastorsimplyeatitwithaspoon.Touseitinafun,creativeway,trymeltingitoversomeicecream.

MAKES1½CUPS (360 G)

2½cups(360g)raw,unsaltedBrazilnuts


1½teaspoonsseasalt

1. GrindtheBrazilnutsinahigh-poweredblenderorfoodprocessoronhighspeeduntilcompletelycrumbled,2to4minutes.

2. Addthedatesandseasalt,thencontinuetoblenduntilthemixtureissmooth,another1to2minutes.

3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglassstoragecontainer.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto1week,orupto3weeksintherefrigerator.

NOTE

Ifyoustorethisbutterinthefridge,itmighthardenalittle.Tosoftenitbackup,simply

stickthejarinabowlofverywarmwaterforabout2minutes.Youcanalsogentlyheatitinamicrowaveathalfpowerfor30seconds,whichshouldloosenitup.


SunflowerSeedButterTECHNICALLY SUNFLOWER SEEDS are not nuts.However,Ifelttheneedtoincludetheminthisbook,sincesomanypeoplesufferfromnutallergiesthesedays,andsunflowerseedscanmakeatastyspread.Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowisallergictonuts,sunflowerseedsareagreatalternative.Thisbutter isveryeasy tomake,although itdoesrequiresomepatience.

MAKES1 CUP (300 G)

2cups(280g)raw,unsaltedsunflowerseeds

2tablespoonsoliveoil

½teaspoonseasalt

1. Grindthesunflowerseedsinafoodprocessororahigh-poweredblenderfor2to3minutesonhigh.Stopandgivetheseedsafewminutestoreleasesomeoftheirnaturaloils.

2. Startprocessingtheseedsagain,scrapingdownthesidesoften.Pauseeveryfewminutestogivetheblenderarestandtoallowtheseedstoreleasemoreoils.

3. Afterabout10minutes,themixturewillstarttogetmoistandclumptogether.Addtheoliveoilandseasalt.Continuetoprocessuntilitformsaspread.MakingSunflowerSeedButtertakesmuchlongerthannutbutter,usually20to25minutes.

4. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglasscontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepatroom

temperatureorintherefrigeratorfor2to3weeks.

NOTES

Ifyouhaveahigh-poweredblendersuchasaVitamix,Ninja,orBlendtec,thisprocesswillbemuchfaster,althoughyou’llprobablyhavetoscrapedownthesidesmoreoften.IusedmyBlendtecwiththeTwisterJarattachment,whichcutsdownonthetimeabit.


Aftermakingnutmilks,you’llbe leftwithpulp.Thegoodnews?Thispulp isnottrashandhassomanyexcellentuses.Thebadnews?Thereisnone.Similartonutmealornutflour,nutpulpiscommonlyutilized ingluten-freebaking. It canbesubstituted inrecipesthatcall fornutmealsor flours,mixed intosmoothiesoroatmealforadditionalproteinandfiber,addedtoenergybitesorotherrawsnacksinplaceofnutmealsorflours,orsprinkledontoapplesauce or yogurt as a crunchy topping—just use yourimagination! I’ve included some recipes here that demonstratehowdiverseandusefulnutpulpcanbe.

BasicNutPulpNOCOMPONENTSOF the“milking”processneedwindupinthegarbageorcompostheap—nutpulphasanendlessnumberofuses!Belowismyrecipeforcreatingnutpulp.Keep inmindthatsincethepulp isquitemoistrightafterthemilkingprocess,itwillneedtobedriedout,eitherinanovenorafooddehydrator(seeNotebelow).Iusuallyusetheoven,sinceit’sabitquicker.

1. Preheattheovento225°F(110°C).Spreadthepulpoutevenlyonaparchment-linedbakingsheet.

2. Bakeitintheovenforabout2hours,untilnomoistureremains.Takeitoutoftheovenevery30minutesandtrytobreakupthelargeclumpsbygentlymashingthemwithafork.Thishelpstodryoutthepulpmorequickly.Ifthepulpisn’tcompletelydryattheendof2hours,continuecookingalittlelonger,checkingitsprogressoften.

3. Thedriednutpulpwillstillbealittleclumpy.Tobreakitapartcompletely,letthepulpcoolinthepanandthenblenditintoafinepowderintheblender.

4. Useafunneltopouritintoaglassstoragejarandstoreitintherefrigeratorfor3to4days,orinthefreezerforupto2months.

NOTE

Ifyou’redryingthepulpinadehydrator,setthetemperatureto135°F(57°C)andcookitfor4to6hours.Checkoniteveryhourtobreakuptheclumps.

PREPANDBAKETIME:2to3hours

Grain-FreePeanutButterBananaPancakes

GRAIN-FREEBAKINGHAS many benefits, one being that thefoodisgluten-free.Althoughnoteveryoneisallergictogluten,itseemsthatmoreandmorepeoplearetryingtoavoidit.Removingthegrainsalsomakesadishlow-carb.Thismeansit’sperfectfordiabeticsandthosewhofollowapaleo diet. The texture of grain-free pancakes isn’t the same as that oftraditionalpancakes,sodon’tfretiftheycomeoutslightlydifferentfromwhatyou’reusedto.

MAKESTEN4 - INCH (10 CM) PANCAKES

3tablespoonsflaxmeal

½cup(120ml)warmwater

1cup(250g)ClassicPeanutButter

2largeripebananas,mashed

¾cup(180ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

¼cup(60ml)puremaplesyrup

1teaspoonvanillaextract

1cup(112g)coconutflour

½cup(50g)almondpulporalmondmeal(seeBasicNutPulp)

2teaspoonsbakingpowder

½teaspoonseasalt

2to3tablespoonscoconutoil,forgreasingpan

1. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.

2. Mixthepeanutbutter,bananas,almondmilk,maplesyrup,andvanillatogetherinasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,2to3minutes.Removethemixturefromtheheatandsetitasidetocoolalittle.

3. Whilethepeanutbutterandbananamixturecools,combinethecoconutflour,almondpulp,bakingpowder,andseasalttogetherinalargebowl.

4. Oncethemixtureinthesaucepanhascooledtolukewarm,addittothebowlofdryingredientsandmixwell,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

5. Addtheflax/watermixtureandstiruntiltheingredientsarewellcombined.Thebatterwillbemuchthickerthantraditionalpancakebatter.

6. Addthecoconutoiltoalargesautépanovermediumheat.Usinga½-cup(120ml)measure,scoopoutthepancakebatter.AsIpreviouslynoted,thebatterwillbethick,soyou’llneedtouseaspatulatospreaditoutontothepan.Ifindthatwettingthespatulawithalittlewatermakesiteasiertospreadthepancakesout.Unliketraditionalpancakes,youcan’treallytellwhenthesearereadytobeflippedwithoutlookingattheunderside.Icheckthemafter1to2minutes,usingthespatulatocarefullyliftupacornertoseeifithasturnedgoldenbrownyet.

7. Repeatthesestepsuntilyou’veusedallofthepancakebatter.Sincemaplesyrupisaddedtothebatter,thesepancakesaresweetenoughtobeeatenontheirown.

NOTE

Ifyouhaveanyleftoverpancakes,storetheminanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratoror freezer.Place a sheetofparchmentpaperbetweeneachpancake so that theywon’tstick together. If you store them in the fridge, they should last aweek. If you freezethem,theyshouldlastseveralmonths.Toreheatfrozenpancakes,letthemmostlythawatroomtemperature,thengentlyreheattheminanovenat350°F(177°C)for5minutes,orinamicrowaveforabout20seconds.

VARIATIONS

Therearesomanydelightfulwaysyoucan furtherenhance this recipe.One idea is to

fold½cup(60g)ofslicedstrawberriesor¼cup(40g)ofchocolatechipsintothebatterright before you cook the pancakes. Another fun variation is to drizzle some warmchocolatesauceoverthem(seeBonusRecipebelow).

PREPANDCOOKTIME:About30minutes

ChocolateSauceIfyouneedagoodrecipeforchocolatesauce,Ihaveyourback.Justtake¼cup(60ml)ofmeltedcoconutoil,¼cup(30g)ofunsweetenedcocoapowder,and2to3tablespoonsofpure maple syrup, and mix it all together. The cocoa powder drowns out most of thecoconutflavor,sogiveitatryevenifcoconutisn’tyourthing—it’swellworthit.Keepinmindthatthecoconutoilwillsolidifyaftersometimeatroomtemperature,somakesuretousethesauceimmediately,whileit’sstillwarm.

Grain-FreeEnergyBitesTHESE NO-BAKE ENERGY bites are a great way to utilizeleftoverhazelnutoralmondpulp.Theycontainenoughprotein,fat,andsugartomake them an excellent pre- or post-workout snack.My husband eventakesthemtoworkforamid-afternoonpick-me-up.Youcanalsopackthemastrailfoodforahike,althoughIrecommendfreezingthemfirstsothattheydon’tbecometoosoftwhileyouexplore.

MAKESF IFTEEN1½- INCH (4 CM) B ITES

1½cups(150g)hazelnutpulporalmondpulp(seeBasicNutPulp)

1cup(90g)unsweetenedshreddedcoconut

10to12Medjooldates,pitsremoved

3to4tablespoonswater

1. Putalltheingredientsintoafoodprocessorandmixuntiladoughforms,2to3minutes.Ifitseemsabitdry,addmorewater.Youcanalsouseahigh-poweredblender,butifso,Ihighlyrecommendsoakingthedatesinwaterfor30minutesfirstinordertosoftenthemenoughtobeusedinablender.

2. Rollthemixtureintobite-sizeballsandplacethemonaparchment-linedplate.Refrigeratethemforanhourtoset.

3. Storethebitesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks;orinthefreezerforupto6months.

NOTES

Theseenergybitesareonlymildlysweet,soifyoupreferanextra-sweetflavoryou’llprobablywanttoaddsomeliquidsweetener.Irecommendusing2tablespoonsofpuremaplesyrup.

Ifyoudon’thaveleftoverpulpfrommakingnutmilk,youcanusealmondmealinstead.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:5to10minutes(notincludingthesoaktimeforthedates,ifusingablender),plusanhourtosetintherefrigerator

Protein-PackedSnackBallsTHESE NO-BAKE SNACK balls are perfect for an extended-energysupply, andprovideanothergreatuse foralmondorhazelnutpulp.Combining chia and flax seeds with the almond butter means that thesesnacks are full of protein and fiber, and It doesn’t hurt that they tasteamazing,too.Onceyoutrythese,you’llwanttomakethemagainandagain.

MAKESTWELVE1½- INCH (4 CM) BALLS

1cup(150g)almondpulporhazelnutpulp(seeBasicNutPulp)

⅓cup(85g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)


2tablespoonscoconutoil

2tablespoonschiaseeds

2tablespoonsflaxseeds

1. Putalltheingredientsintoafoodprocessorandmixuntiladoughforms,about5minutes.

2. Carefullyrollthedoughintoballs.Thedoughdoesn’tholdtogetherverywellwhenrollingitbetweenyourhands,butitwillfirmupagainintherefrigerator.

3. Chillintherefrigeratoruntilniceandfirm,about1hour.

4. Storetheballsinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthe

freezerforupto3months.

VARIATION

Ifyouwantalittlecrunchaswellasanaturalsourceofcaffeine,rolltheballsin¼cup(30g)ofcacaonibsbeforeyouputthemintherefrigeratortochill.Ifyouwantthesameflavorbutwithamilderkick,foldthecacaonibsintothemixtureinstead.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About10minutes,plus1hourtosetinthefridge

HoneyNutBreakfastCookiesI ABSOLUTELY LOVE making breakfast in cookie form. My twogirls, likemostotherchildren,canbeprettypickyeatersattimes.Theywill,however,eatalmostanythingifitlookslikeacookie.ThisrecipeisonewayI’m able to get healthy whole grains into their diet without their knowing.Thesecookiesarepackedwithasubstantialamountoffiberandprotein,sothey’ll keep you full for quite some time. Don’t be fooled—this recipe isn’tonlyforkids;adultsenjoythecookiesaswell.Myhusbandoftenbringsthemtoworktoeatasamid-morningsnackwithacupofcoffee.

MAKESF IFTEEN1½- INCH (4 CM) COOKIES

1tablespoonflaxmeal

3tablespoonswarmwater

1½cups(150g)gluten-freerolledoats

1cup(100g)almondpulporalmondmeal(seeBasicNutPulp)

⅓cup(63g)rawalmonds,chopped

½teaspoonbakingpowder

½teaspoonseasalt

⅓cup(85g)ClassicPeanutButter

½cup(120ml)unsweetenedapplesauce

⅓cup(80ml)rawhoneyorpuremaplesyrup

3tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)


1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).


3. Combinetheoats,almondpulp,choppedalmonds,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.Setitaside.

4. Mixthepeanutbutter,applesauce,honey,almondmilk,andvanillatogetherinasaucepan.Stirovermedium-lowheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,2to3minutes.

5. Addthepeanutbuttermixturetothedryingredientsandmixwell,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell),about2minutes.

6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandmixwellforanotherminute.

7. Shapethedoughintobite-sizeballs,slightlyflattened,andplacethemabout1inch(2.5cm)apartonaparchment-linedbakingsheet.

8. Bakethecookiesfor15to17minutes,untiltheedgeslookgolden.Waituntilthey’vecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheet.

9. Storethecookiesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto3weeksorinthefreezerforupto3months.

NOTE

Ifyouhaveapeanutallergy,almondbuttercanbe substituted for thepeanutbutter. Ifyou’re allergic to nuts altogether, you can substitute sunflower seeds for the choppednuts, Sunflower Seed Milk for the almond milk, and Sunflower Seed Butter for thepeanutbutter.Yourcookieswillcomeoutequallydelicious.

PREPANDBAKETIME:25to30minutes

MapleVanillaAlmondGranolaGROUNDVANILLABEANS are the true star in this homemadegranola,butthealmondpulpplaysanimportantsupportingrole.SometimesIdevouritrightoffthepan,andit’salsogoodinabowlwithsomealmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)orontopofsomeyogurt.Itusuallydoesn’tlastadayinmyhouse,withall thehandssneakingtastesbeforeit’sevencooledall theway.

MAKES4 CUPS (480 G)

3cups(300g)gluten-freerolledoats

⅔cup(65g)almondpulporalmondmeal(seeBasicNutPulp)

½cup(35g)choppedalmonds


½teaspoonseasalt


½cup(120ml)puremaplesyrup


2. Mixtheoats,almondpulp,choppedalmonds,vanilla,andseasaltinalargebowl.Inanothersmallerbowl,mixtheapplesauceandmaplesyrup.

3. Addthewetingredientstothedryonesslowlyandstiruntileverythingiswell

combined,about1to2minutes.Iuseasiliconespatulatomixthembyhand.

4. Spreadthemixtureoutevenlyontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetandbakeitfor15to20minutes.

5. Pullthegranolaoutoftheoven,shakeitaround,andplaceitbackintheovenforanother15to20minutes,untilgoldenbrown.

6. Storethegranolainanairtightcontaineratroomtemperatureforuptoaweek,intherefrigeratorforupto3weeks,orinthefreezerforupto3months.

NOTES

Ifyoulikeextra-crispygranola,turntheoventemperaturedowntoabout200°F(100°C)andcookitalittlelonger,checkingitevery5minutes.Itwillburneasilyifyou’renotcareful.

Ifyoudon’thaveaccesstopuremaplesyrup,rawhoneyworksfine,althoughitalterstheflavorabit.

PREPANDBAKETIME:About45minutes

If you asked me what my favorite meal of the day is, I wouldinstantly tellyou,breakfast.After fastingallnightwhileIsleep, Iappreciate nothing more than a bowl of oats with my morningcoffee. But why stop at oatmeal? There are so many ways toincorporatenutmilksandbutters intoyourmorning routine,andthese breakfasts will keep you satisfied and satiated untillunchtime.

AlmondButterandJellyMuffinsWEMAKEFILLEDmuffinsquiteoften inourhouse—they’resuchatreatforthechildren(andadults!).Myfour-year-olddaughterreferstothemas“muffinswithlittlesurprises.”Bitingintothesealmondbuttermuffinstofindsomejellywaitinginsidewillmakeyoufeellikeakidagain.They’reperfecttobringtoapartyortoyouroffice,wherethey’llquicklydisappearafterpeoplegetataste.

MAKES12 MUFFINS


¼cupplus2tablespoonswater

2cups(180g)gluten-freeoatflour

1teaspoonbakingpowder

1teaspoonbakingsoda

½teaspoonseasalt

½cup(120g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)

⅓cup(80ml)puremaplesyrup

¼cup(60ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)


½cup(170g)yourfavoritejam(seeBonusRecipebelow)



3. Mixtheoatflour,bakingpowder,bakingsoda,andseasaltinalargebowl.Setitaside.

4. Mixthealmondbutter,maplesyrup,almondmilk,andvanillainasauce-panovermediumheat.Usingasiliconespatula,stiruntilsmooth,about2minutes.

5. Addthealmondbuttermixtureandtheflax/watermixturetothedryingredientsandmixwell,about1minute,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

6. Spoonalittledollopofbatterintoeachcupofalinedorgreasedmuffinpan,fillingthemabout¼-inch(.6cm)high.Thebatterwillbeverythickbecauseofthealmondbutter,soIrecommendwettingaspoonorspatulatohelpkeepitfromsticking.Oncealittlebatterisinthebottomofeachcup,useyourfingertocreateasmalldepressioninthemiddle.Thisiswherethejamwillsit.Becarefulnottomaketheholetoodeep,orthejamwilloozeoutthebottom.

7. Spoonadollopofjamintotheindentation.

8. Spoonsomemorebatterintoeachmuffincup,untilthey’reaboutthree-quartersfull.

9. Bakethemuffinsfor10to12minutes,untilatoothpickinsertedintothemiddlecomesoutclean.Waitforthemtocoolcompletelybeforeremovingthemfromthepans.

10. Storethemuffinsinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeksorinthefreezerforupto6months.

NOTE

Ifyou’renoteatinggluten-free,feelfreetousewholewheatpastryflourorspeltflour.


HomemadeJamIliketomakemyownjamusing1cup(150g)ofberries,1tablespoonofchiaseeds,and1teaspoonofpuremaplesyrup.Mixtheingredientsinafoodprocessorfor30seconds,thenplacethejaminthefridgefor30minutes.

BananaWalnutOatmealMuffinsINMYHOUSEbreakfasthastobekid-friendlyorelseIwindupmakingtwomeals.Thesemuffinsarealwaysgreetedwithsmilingfacesbymywholefamilyandneverlastverylong.Youcanmakethemaheadoftimeandfreezethemforaneasybreakfastonbusydays. Ipullmineout thenightbefore Iwanttoservethemsothatbymorningthey’reperfectlythawedandreadytoeat.Thisrecipeyieldsasmallbatch,soyoumightwanttodoubleortripleitifyouintendtofeedmorethanafewpeople.

MAKES3 JUMBOOR6 STANDARDMUFFINS


1teaspooncinnamon

½teaspoonseasalt

2ripebananas,mashed

⅓cup(85g)walnutbutter(seeBasicNutButter)


2to3tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)



2. Mixtheoats,cinnamon,andseasalttogetherinalargebowl.Setitaside.

3. Mixthebanana,walnutbutter,maplesyrup,almondmilk,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatwithasiliconespatulauntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about2to3minutes.

4. Addthebananamixturetothebowlwiththeoats.Stiruntiltheingredientsarecompletelymixed,about1minute,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

5. Spoonthemixtureintothecupsofalinedorgreasedmuffinpan.Bakefor15to18minutes,untilslightlygolden.Waituntilthey’recompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthemuffinpan.

6. Storethemuffinsintherefrigeratorforupto1weekorinthefreezerforupto3months.Iliketokeepmineinaziplockbag.

VARIATIONS

Ifyouwanttogivetheseanextraboost,trysprinklingacinnamon–coconutsugarblendontopofeachmuffin.Use1tablespoonofcoconutsugarand¼teaspoonofcinnamon.

Thisrecipeisalsodeliciouswhenyouusealmondbutterinsteadofwalnutbutter,omitthecinnamon,andadd¼cup(40g)ofchocolatechips.

Otherpotentialadd-insinclude2tablespoonsofshreddedcoconut,raisins,chiaseeds,orhempseeds.


BananaMuffinswithChocolateHazelnutFilling

IFYOU’REAseasonedbaker,youprobablyknowthatbananabreadsare a great way to use up bananas that are beginning to brown. Thesewonderfullymoistmuffinshavebeensuperchargedwithalusciouschocolatehazelnutfilling.Ireallydon’tseehowtheycouldgetanybetterthanthis.

MAKES12 MUFFINS

1tablespoonflaxmeal


1¾cup(160g)gluten-freeoatflour


½teaspoonseasalt

2ripebananas,mashed

⅓cup(80ml)unsweetenedapplesauce



1tablespooncoconutoil


1cup(240g)ChocolateHazelnutSpreadoryourfavoritenutbutterforfilling(seeNutButters)



3. Mixtheoatflour,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.

4. Mixthebananas,applesauce,maplesyrup,almondmilk,coconutoil,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatwithasiliconespatulauntilalltheingredientsarewellcombined,2to3minutes.

5. Addthebananamixturetothebowlwiththeoats.Stiruntiltheingredientsarecompletelymixed,1to2minutes.

6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandmixwell,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

7. Spoonasmallamountofbatterintothebottomofeachcupinalinedorgreasedmuffinpan.AddadollopoftheChocolateHazelnutSpreadontop,thenfilleachcupwithmoremuffinbatteruntilthey’reaboutthree-quartersfull.

8. Bakethemuffinsfor12to15minutes,untilgolden.Waituntilthemuffinshavecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthepans.

9. Storethemuffinsinanairtightcontaineratroomtemperatureforupto4days,forupto2weeksintherefrigerator,orforupto6monthsinthefreezer.

VARIATION

Trymakingthesewithalmondbutterorcashewbutter,whichareequallydelicious.


PeanutButterCupGranolaBEFOREISTARTEDdownmywhole-foodjourney,Iadoredpeanutbutter cups. I remember going to chocolatiers when I lived in Las Vegas,lookingfortheperfectpeanutbuttercuptodevour.AlthoughI’mnolongeronasearchfortheperfectpeanutbuttercup,Imadethisrecipetoincorporatemyloveofeverythingpeanutbuttercupintomymorningmeal.Itmightbeabreakfast food, but I promise it tastes like you’re eating dessert. Andwhodoesn’tlikealittlesomethingsweettostarttheday?Thisdishwillgiveyousomethingtolookforwardtowhenyougotobedatnight.

MAKES4 CUPS (480 G)


3tablespoonsunsweetenedcocoapowderorcacaopowder

1teaspoonseasalt

½cup(125g)ClassicPeanutButter


¼cup(60ml)unsweetenedapplesauce


1teaspoongroundvanillabeansorvanillaextract


2. Mixtogethertheoats,cocoapowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.

3. Mixthepeanutbutter,maplesyrup,applesauce,almondmilk,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatusingasiliconespatulauntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about2minutes.

4. Addthepeanutbuttermixturetothebowlwiththeoatsandstirwiththespatulauntileverythingiswellcoated.

5. Spreadthemixtureoutevenlyontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetandbakeforabout25minutes,stoppinghalfwaythroughtoshakethegranolaaroundabit.Youcantellit’sreadywhenthegranolahasagoldencolortoit.

6. Waituntilthegranolaiscompletelycooledbeforeremovingitfromthebakingsheet.

7. Storethegranolainanairtightcontaineratroomtemperatureforupto7days,intherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.


PeanutButterCupGranolaCookies

Youcaneasilyturnthisrecipeintocookies.Allyouneedtodoisaddanother¼cup(60g)ofpeanutbutter.Aftermixing,dropscoopsofthebatterontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetandbakefor15minutes.It’shardtovisuallytellwhenthesearedone,soIlightlypressmyfingerintoacookietofeelifit’sfirmenough.Useacookiescooportwospoonstodropthecookiesontothebakingsheet;eithermethodworksfine.

PeanutButterChocolateChipDonutsDIDSOMEONESAY donuts?Yes, please! These iconicAmericanbreakfast(well,possiblydessert)treatsbringasmiletoeveryone’sface.Myhusbandlovesdonutssomuchthathetakesoff for theclosestdonutshopwheneverIturnmyback.Okay,maybethat’sanexaggeration,butIpromise,it would be impossible for him to live without the occasional donut. So Icreatedthesepeanutbutterchocolatechipversionsforhimtohaveathome.Donuts are traditionally deep fried in peanut or vegetable oil, but tomakemineabithealthierthantheirstore-boughtcounterparts,Ibakethemtoavoidthegreaseoverload.I’llbetyou’llgethookedonthesethefirst timeyoutrythem,justlikemyfamilydid.

MAKES12 DONUTS








½teaspoonseasalt

⅓cup(50g)darkchocolatechips


2. Mixtheapplesauce,maplesyrup,peanutbutter,almondmilk,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,2to3minutes.Removethemixturefromtheheatandletitcoolfor5minutes.

3. Whiletheapplesaucemixturecools,mixtogethertheoatflour,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.

4. Whentheapplesaucemixturehascooled,addittothedryingredientsandmixwell,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

5. Foldinthechocolatechipswithaspoonorspatula.

6. Spoonthebatterintogreaseddonutpansandbakefor10minutes,untilgolden.Letthedonutscoolcompletelybeforeremovingthemfromthepans.

7. Storethedonutsintherefrigeratorforatleastaweek,ifnotafewdaysmore,orinthefreezerforupto3months.Todefrost,pullthemoutthenightbeforeandletthemthawatroomtemperatureovernight.

NOTE

Ifyoudon’thavedonutpans,youcanmakethisrecipeinastandardmuffinpan.Simplycookthemafewextraminutestoallowthecenterstocookthrough.Theyturnoutjustastasty.


Four-IngredientAlmondButterBreakfastCookies

IFBAKINGISN’Tyourthing,whetheritintimidatesyouoryou’renewto it, this is one of the easiest recipes you could ever make. If you’re aseasonedprofessional,thesecookieswillremindyouthatsimplefoodcanbeexquisite. One of the best things about this recipe is that you probablyalreadyhavealltheingredientsyouneedonhand!Sostepintothekitchenandgetbusy—you’llbefinishedinnotime.

MAKESS IXTEEN2 - INCH (5 CM) COOKIES


½teaspoonseasalt

2bananas,mashed

1cup(240g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)

2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup,optional


2. Mixtheoatsandseasaltinalargebowl.

3. Mixthebananaswiththealmondbutterandmaplesyrup(ifyouchoosetouseit)inasmallsaucepan.Cookovermediumheat,stirringconstantly,untiltheingredientsaremixedwell,about2minutes.

4. Addthebananamixturetotheoatsandmixuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell),ormixitbyhandwithasiliconespatula.

5. Usingacookiescooportwospoons,dropdollopsofthedoughontoaparchment-linedbakingsheet,about1inchapart.

6. Bakethecookiesfor10minutes,untillightlygolden.Letthemcompletelycoolbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheet.

7. Storethecookiesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.

NOTE

Foranaddedboostofprotein,add2tablespoonsofchiaseedsorhemphearts(shelledhempseeds).


Pecan“Caramel”OvernightOatsIMAGINE A BREAKFAST that takes only minutes to make,requiresnocooking,andwillleaveyousatisfiedforhours.Itexists!Overnightoats are my favorite breakfast, partly because of the endless number offlavorcombinationsyoucanenjoy.Imakefivejars’worthatatimeforeasybreakfastoptionsallweek. Itmakeshavingahealthymealandstillgettingoutthedoorontimeonweekdaymorningseasy.

MAKESONE12 -OUNCE (340 G) SERVING

½cup(150g)gluten-freerolledoatsorgluten-freesteel-cutoats

2teaspoonschiaseeds

1teaspooncinnamon

½to¾cup(125to180ml)almondmilk(amountdependsonhowthickyoulikeyouroatmeal;seeBasicNutMilk)

1tablespoonpecanbutter(seeBasicNutButter)

1Medjooldate,pitremovedandfinelychopped

1. Mixtheoats,chiaseeds,andcinnamontogetherinaglassjarthatholdsatleast12ounces(340ml).Iprefermasonjars,butyoucanuseanykindyoulike;recycledjamjarsworkwell,too.

2. Addthealmondmilk,peanutbutter,andchoppeddate,andstiruntiltheingredientsarewellcombined.Makesuretoblendthepecanbutterevenlyinsidethejar.Iuse

thebackofmyspoontobreakupanychunkswhileI’mstirring.

3. Storetheoatscoveredovernightintherefrigerator.Makesuretomixthemwellinthemorningjustbeforeeating.

NOTES

Steel-cutsoatswillstillretainacrunchinthemorning,whichIenjoy.Youcanuserolledoatsifyoupreferasmootheroatmeal.Don’tusequickoats;theygettoosoggy.

Ifyou’resensitivetooats,youcanusemilletinstead.

Insteadofthedate,youcanuse2teaspoonsofpuremaplesyrup,althoughitwon’thaveasmuchofacaramel-liketextureandtaste.

Thisoatmealalsoworkswellwarmedup.Heatitinthemicrowavefornomorethan30seconds,orplacethejarinapotofwaterandheatitgentlyonthestove.

VARIATIONS

Agreatalterationtothisrecipeistosubstitutealmondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)forthepecanbutter,omitthecinnamon,andadd2teaspoonsofunsweetenedcocoapowderorcacaopowder.

Ialsoliketoadd1to2teaspoonsofmacapowdertothisrecipeforanaturalenergyboost!


TripleBerryChiaSeedPuddingINTHE1980Schiaseedsweresomethingyouspreadoveraceramicanimaltowatchthemsprout.Todaythey’rerecognizedasanancientAztecsuperfood.Didyouknowthatoneservingofchiaseedscontains11gramsoffiber?That’s42percentof thedaily recommendation!They’realsoagreatsourceofproteinandhealthyfats.Withtheirhighfibercontent, they’llkeepyousatiatedforalongtime.Sincetheyexpandinliquid,alittlegoesalongway,andtheyfillyouupmorethanyoumightthink.Therearesomanywaystoeatchiaseeds,butmyfavoriteisinpudding,likeinthissimplerecipe.Youcaneveneasilytakeitonthego!

MAKESFOUR½-CUP (250 G) SERVINGS

2cups(480ml)Brazilnutmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

½cup(80g)chiaseeds

½cup(47g)shreddedunsweetenedcoconut

1cup(125g)slicedstrawberries(seeNotesbelow)

1cup(150g)blueberries(seeNotesbelow)

½cup(70g)blackberries(seeNotesbelow)



1. Placealltheingredientsinalargebowlandmixthemverywell.Thechiaseeds

haveatendencytoclumptogetheratthebottomofthebowl,somakesuretostircompletelyforseveralminutes.Usingasiliconespatulahelpsblendthosestubbornchiaseedsatthebottom.

2. Placethebowl,covered,intherefrigeratorfor4hourstofirmup.Thepuddingshouldlastintherefrigeratorfor4to5days.

NOTES

Chiaseedshaveatexturesimilartotapioca,althoughtheseedsaremuchsmaller.Ifyou’renotafanofthetexture,aftertheseedshaveexpanded,throwthewholemixtureintoablenderandmixittoasmoothertexture.

Youcanusefreshorfrozenberriesforthisrecipe.Ifyouusefrozenones,makesurethey’recompletelythawedbeforemixing.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About5minutes,plus4hourstosetinthefridge

Theperfectbreakfastforthoseonthego,oradelicioustreatanytimeoftheday,smoothiescangoincountlessdirections:vibrantand green, healthfully protein-packed, rich and dessert-like,refreshingly fruity. The possibilities are endless. I’m pleased toshare several different smoothie recipes that are sure to put asmile on your face. If you want to add a protein boost to yoursmoothies, I suggest adding a few tablespoons of oats, chiaseeds,hempseeds,ornuts.Youcanuseaproteinpowderifyouwish,butItrytogetmyproteinfromnaturalsources,sincemostprotein powders are highly processed, compromising thenutrients.

StrawberryBananaGreenSmoothieONEOF THE most classic green smoothie recipes, this delectablecombination of strawberries and bananasmakes it hard to resist. If you’renewtogreensmoothies,thisisagreatonetostartwith,sincethefruitmasksany flavor from the greens. My kids eat this up and have no idea they’regettingahiddenservingofveggies.Youdon’thave touse thegojiberries,althoughIreallyenjoytheflavortheybringtothissmoothie,nottomentionthat they contain highamounts of vitaminAandantioxidants andare verygoodforyou.Ifyou’renotafanofspinach,don’tworry—youcan’ttasteitatall.

MAKES10 OUNCES (295ML)


2cups(20g)looselypackedspinach

1frozenbanana(seeNoteunderStrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie)

1cup(220g)frozenstrawberries

1tablespoondriedgojiberries

1. MixtheBrazilnutmilkandthespinachwellinahigh-poweredblenderonmediumspeed,about2minutes.Youmightneedtostopandscrapedownthesidesofthecanisterafewtimes.It’simportanttodothisstepfirsttomakesurethespinachbreaksdowncompletelysothatyoudon’tendupwithchunksofgreeneryinyour

drink.

2. Addthefruitandcontinuetoblendwell,1to2minutes.

3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justthrowsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.

NOTES

Ifyou’dliketoincreasetheproteininthissmoothie,add2tablespoonsofhempseeds,chiaseeds,oats,ornuts.Ifyoupreferproteinpowder,feelfreetousethataswell;justaddtheservingamountlistedonyourcontainer.

Ihighlyrecommendusingahigh-poweredblenderforgreensmoothies,sinceitdoesthebestjobofbreakingupthegreens.

WhenIfreezebananas,Isimplypeelthemandputtheminaziplockbag.ThenIslicethebananaintosmallpiecesrightbeforeputtingitintotheblender.


ChocolateAlmondButterSmoothieTHIS DECADENT YET nutritious smoothie makes a healthybreakfast and is indulgent enough for dessert as well. I like to pour themixtureintoice-popmoldsandsticktheminthefreezertoenjoywithmykidsonhotsummerdays.


½to1cup(20g)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

1cup(240ml)looselypackedfreshspinach

2frozenbananas(seeNoteunderStrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie)

2tablespoonsalmondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)

1heapingtablespoonunsweetenedcocoapowder

1tablespoonchiaseeds

1. Mixthealmondmilkandspinachwellinahigh-poweredblenderonmediumspeed,about2minutes.Makesuretobreakupthegreensthoroughlytoavoidbigchunksinyourdrink.

2. Addtheremainingingredientsandblendforanother1to2minutes,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.

3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothiemixtureintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,just

putsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.

NOTE

Inplaceof thealmondbutteryoucan substitute anothernutbutterorSunflower SeedButterifyouprefer.


MixedBerryandKaleSmoothieKALESEEMSTO be the superfood everyone’s talking about thesedays.However,thetastecantakeabitofgettingusedto.Smoothiesareagreat way to get some of this nutritious green into your diet without reallytastingitatall.Anyofthemanyvarietiesofkaleworkinthisrecipe;Ilikeredkalethebest,butfeelfreetosubstituteyourownpersonalfavorite.Ifyou’resensitivetothetaste,Isuggestusingbabykale,whichismuchmilder.

MAKES1 CUP (240 ML)


2cups(20g)looselypackedfreshkale,stalksremoved

2cups(460g)frozenmixedberries

1. Mixthealmondmilkandthekaleinahigh-poweredblender,startingonalowspeedandworkinguptohigh,untilwellblended,about2minutes.Youcandothisinaregularblender,butahigh-poweredblenderdoesabetterjobofbreakingupthegreens.

2. Addtheberriesandblendforanotherminuteorso,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.

3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justputsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.

NOTES

Ifyoudon’tcareforkale,2cups(20g)ofspinachorSwisschard,looselypacked,withstalksremoved,makesagreatreplacement.

Ifyoujuiceathome,savethestalksforjuicinglater,sincetheyholdmostoftheliquidfromtheleaf.


SuperfoodChocolateSmoothieAVOCADOSMAKEEVERYTHINGalittlebetter.Thisdeliciousandsuperhealthysmoothieisnoexception.Avocadolendsanextra-specialcreaminess, and the chia seeds expand to help keep you full.With cacaopowder you get the added health benefits of using chocolate in one of itspurestforms.


2½cups(600ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

2frozenbananas(seeNoteunderStrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie)

1ripeavocado(skinandseedremoved)

2tablespoonscacaopowderorunsweetenedcocoapowder

1tablespoonchiaseeds


1. Addthealmondmilk,banana,andavocadotoahigh-poweredblender.Blendonhighspeedforabout2minutes,untilcreamyandwellmixed.

2. Addthecacaopowder,chiaseeds,anddatesandblendfor1to2minutes,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.

3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justthrow

someofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.

NOTE

Togivethissmoothieanextraboost,add2tablespoonsofdriedgojiberries.


TropicalProteinSmoothieTHISSMOOTHIE IS quite the breakfast treat.Who needs proteinpowderwhenalmondpulp cangive youa natural protein boost?Andwhyreachforrefinedsugartosweetenyourbreakfastwhentherefreshingflavorsof pineapple, banana, andmangowill satisfy any sweet tooth?With all ofthesebenefits,plusthehighfiberfromthealmondpulp,youshouldbekeptfullandcontentuntillunchtimewiththistropicalsmoothie.



¼cup(25g)almondpulp(seeHowtoUseNutPulp,andNotebelow)


1cup(245g)frozenpineapple

½cup(75g)frozenmango

1. Combinethealmondmilkandpulpinahigh-poweredblenderandblendfor2minutes.Ifyouhaveavariable-speedblender,Isuggeststartingatalowspeedandworkingyourwayuptohigh.Makesuretoblendtheingredientswell.

2. Addtheremainingingredientsandcontinuetoblenduntilthemixtureissmooth,aboutanother2minutes.

3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthe

smoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Tomakeaquickbreakfastonbusymornings,justthrowsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.

NOTE

If you don’t have any almond pulp, substitute almondmeal or even 2 tablespoons ofgroundrawalmonds.

VARIATION

If youwant tomix somegreens inwith this, I suggest adding1 cup (20g)of greens(spinach,kale,oranyotherkind),looselypacked,atthesametimeyouaddthemilkandalmondpulp.


PeanutButterandJellySmoothiePEANUTBUTTERANDjellyisastapleinmostchildren’sdiets,sowhy not turn it into a smoothie?This recipemakes the perfect kid-friendlybreakfast for on-the-go mornings. Filled with fiber, protein, and a littlesweetness, this will keep your kids full until lunchtime, then have themcomingbackformore.Inourhouse,evenmyhusbandcomesbackformore!—maybebecausehe’sakidatheart!

MAKES1 CUP (240 ML)



1cup(150g)frozenblueberriesorstrawberries

2tablespoonsClassicPeanutButter

1. Combinealltheingredientsinahigh-poweredblender.Blendonhighspeeduntilsmooth,1to2minutes.

2. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justthrowsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.

NOTE

Ifyouwanttoaddanextrakickofproteinandfibertothisdrink,add1tablespoonof

chiaseeds.


OrangesandCreamSmoothieASALITTLEgirl,oneofmyfavoritedessertswasaCreamsicle.Thattangy orange outside with a creamy vanilla center—what kid doesn’t lovethem?Itriedtorecreatethoseflavorshereinahealthierway.IchoseBrazilnutmilktouseinthissmoothiebecauseofitsincrediblycreamytexture.



1cup(140g)ice

2largecarrots,peeledandchoppedintosmallcircles


1½largeoranges,suchasnavel,or3smalloranges,suchasmandarin,peeledandcutintosegments

1. Addalltheingredientstoablenderandblendfor2to3minutes,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.


VARIATION

If you want to make this even more fun for kids to eat, you can pour the smoothiemixtureintoicepopmoldsandfreezethem.Theyshouldtakeabout6hourstoset,and

thenyourkidscanenjoyyummyicepopswithahiddenservingofveggiesinside.


ApplePieSmoothieIFYOUWANTtoenjoyapplepieforbreakfastwithouttheguilt,trythissmoothie.Ithasthetasteofapplepiebutwithfarfewercalories!Manyapplevarietieswillworkinthisrecipe;IlikeHoneycrispsbecausethey’resosweetandfullofflavor.CortlandorGalaapplesalsoworkbeautifully.Ifyoulikealittlemoretartness,tryMcIntoshorGrannySmith.

MAKES3½CUPS (840 ML)

1½cups(360ml)cashewmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

1½cups(210g)ice

2largeapples,coredandcutintoquarters


1½teaspoonscinnamon

¼teaspoongroundnutmeg,optional

1. Mixalltheingredientsinahigh-poweredblenderonhighspeedfor1to2minutes,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.



Did you know thatmost fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts aremorenutritious in their rawstate?Cookingorprocessingwholefoodsoftendepletessomeofthepreciousnutrientsweneedforgoodhealth.Whenitcomestorawdesserts,nutsandseedsarethestars,andtheyusuallyformthemainbaseforcookies,fudge,tarts, and truffles. In this chapter you’ll see how much varietythese few simple ingredients can provide. Once you becomeusedtonotbakingyourdesserts,it’llbea“pieceofcake”towhipupsweettreatsthateveryonewilllove.Ifthere’sonerecipeinthissectionyoushouldn’tmiss,it’sfortheChocolateAlmondBananaCups,whichwerefeaturedontheTodayshow.

StrawberryTartswithCashewCreamSPRING ISMY favorite time of year, especially since all the bestseasonal fruits start to become available then. One of the absolute bestthingsaboutspringtimehastobethestrawberries.SinceItrytobuyproduceonly inseason,whenstrawberriesbegin topopup, I take fulladvantage. Iincludedthisrecipetodemonstratetwothings:tartsareprettyeasytomake,andcashewcreamisdeliciousandversatile.Ihopeyouenjoytheseasmuchasmyfamilydoes.

MAKESFOUR4 - INCH (10 CM) MIN I -TARTS

FORTHECRUST:

1cup(125g)raw,unsaltedalmonds

1cup(100g)raw,unsaltedwalnuts

½teaspoonseasalt


2tablespoonswater

Oil,togreasethetartpan(Iusecoconutoil,butanykindwilldo)

FORTHEFILLING:

2cups(260g)raw,unsaltedcashews,soakedovernight


2to3tablespoonspuremaplesyrup


1½cups(180g)slicedstrawberries(seeNotesbelow)

1. Tomakethecrust,putthealmonds,walnuts,andseasaltinafoodprocessor.Pulseuntilthemixturehasacoarseconsistency,about1to2minutes.Addthedatesandwaterandpulseuntiladoughstartstoform.Thiswilltakeanotherminuteorso.

2. Greasethetartpanswithalittleoil.Iusepanswithdetachablebottoms,whichmakesthetartsmucheasiertoremovewhenyou’rereadytoservethem.

3. Gentlypressthedoughmixtureintothegreasedtartshells,toabout¼-inch(.6cm)thickness.Onceallofthedoughhasbeenevenlydistributedandpressedintothepans,stickthemintothefridgetofirmup.

4. Whilethetartshellsset,makethefilling:Drainandrinsethecashews.Placetheminahigh-poweredblenderwiththealmondmilk,maplesyrup,andvanilla.Blendonhighspeeduntilsmooth,2to3minutes.

5. Spoonthecashewcreammixtureintoeachtartshell,thentopwithslicedstrawberries.Serveimmediately,orstoreintherefrigeratorforuptoaweek(seeNotesbelow).

NOTES

Youcanuseeitherfreshorfrozenstrawberriesinthisrecipe.Ifyou’reusingfrozenberries,you’llneedtoletthemthawfirst.Isetmineoutonthecounterandletthemgentlydefrostforaboutanhour.

Thesetartsarebestwhenthecashewcreamisfresh.Oncethecreamsitsinthefridgeforawhile,itstartstohardenabit.It’sstillverygoodlikethis,butthe“cream”willbethickerandstarttoresembleanutbutterconsistency.Ifyouplanonfeaturingthetartsataparty,maketheshellsaheadoftime,andthenblendthecashewcreamrightbeforeservingthem.

Ifyoucan’tfindgroundvanillabeans,use1teaspoonofvanillaextractinstead.Youcanalsouseawholevanillabean;justslitthepodopenandscrapetheseedsintothemixture,thenincorporatethemfully.Don’tthrowawaythepod,sinceitcanbeusedtoaddflavortosaucesandmilks.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:20minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoakforthecashews)

ChocolateHazelnutCoconutTartTARTS,ASTAPLEdessert in the raw foodworld,canbe filledwithfruit,chocolate,nutspread,orwhateverelsecomestomind.Theymightlookfancy,butthey’reactuallyeasytoputtogether.Makingthemismainlyabouthavingthepropertools.Istronglysuggestusingatartpanwitharemovablebottomsothatwhenyou’rereadytoserve,youcanjustliftoutthetartwithalittlecare,andvoilà!Youhaveabeautifultartthattookminutestomake,withanevenquickerpresentation.

MAKESONE9 - INCH (23 CM) TART

FORTHECRUST:

1cup(140g)raw,unsaltedBrazilnuts

1cup(100g)raw,unsaltedwalnuts

½cup(65g)flaxmeal

½teaspoonseasalt



FORTHEFILLING:

1cup(240g)ChocolateHazelnutSpread

1cup(200g)coconutbutter(seeshreddedcoconut)


FORTHEWHIPPEDCREAMTOPPING:

One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk,refrigeratedovernight(seeCoconutWhippedCream)

1tablespoonpuremaplesyrup

1teaspoongroundvanillabeanorvanillaextract

1. Tomakethecrust,combinetheBrazilnuts,walnuts,flaxmeal,andseasaltinafoodprocessor.Pulseuntilthemixturehasacoarseconsistency,about2minutes.Addthedatesandpulseanother2minutes,thenaddthewaterandpulseuntiladoughforms,anotherminuteorso.

2. Carefullypressthedoughintoagreased9-inch(23cm)tartshell.Onceithasbeenpressedevenlyintothetartshell,placeitinthefridge.Itdoesn’ttakelongforthecrusttoset,about10minutes.Bythetimeyou’refinishedmakingthefilling,thecrustshouldbeready.

3. Whilethecrustissettinginthefridge,makethefilling:Combineallthefillingingredientsinablenderandmixuntilsmooth,about3to5minutes.

4. Oncethefillingiscompletelymixed,spreaditevenlyintothetartcrust,usingasiliconespatula.Themixturewillbeslightlythickbutspreadable.Ifitseemsalittletoosticky,wetthespatulaabit.Placethetartbackinthefridgewhileyoumakethewhippedcreamtopping.

5. Tocreatethewhippedcreamtopping,maketheCoconutWhippedCreamaccordingtothedirections,addingthemaplesyrupandvanillatothebowlwiththecoconutmilkfatbeforewhippingeverythingtogether.

6. Topipethewhippedcreamintothetart,simplytransferittoaziplockbag,thencutasmallholeinoneofthecorners.Slowlysqueezethecreamoutalittleatatimetodecoratethetartanywayyouwish.

7. Serveimmediately,orstoreintherefrigeratorforuptoaweek(seeNotebelow).

NOTE

Ifyou’re topping this tartwith the coconutwhippedcream, Ihighly suggest adding itright before serving. Once the coconut whipped cream is stored in the fridge, it willbegintoharden.

VARIATION

Thistartalsolooksbeautifultoppedwithraspberriesorstrawberries.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About20minutes(notincludingtheovernightrefrigerationofthecoconutmilk)

SaltedHoneyCashewTrufflesWHENITHINKoftruffles,Iimaginehigh-endchocolateshops.Trufflesseem so decadent, like something only a well-trained professional couldmake.Thetruth is, though, it’ssupereasytocreateamazingtruffleswithacrunchy,chocolatyshellandasweetsurprise inside.Thisrecipefeaturesabuttery, velvety-smooth filling that will literallymelt right in yourmouth. It’spurebliss,Ipromise.

MAKESE IGHT1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) TRUFFLES

1cup(240g)cashewbutter(seeBasicNutButter)

2tablespoonsrawhoneyorpuremaplesyrup


½teaspoonseasalt

One3-ounce(85g)darkchocolatebaror1cup(160g)darkchocolatechips


1. Combinethecashewbutter,honey,vanilla,andseasaltinafoodprocessor.Pulseuntiltheingredientsarewellmixed,2to3minutes.

2. Rollthemixtureintobite-sizeballsbyhand,oruseacookiescooptomakethem.I’vetriedbothmethodsandcomeoutwitheighttruffleseachway.Idofindthatthecookiescoopkeepsthingsneater,though.

3. Placetheballsonaparchment-linedbakingsheet,andstickthemintothefreezerforatleastanhourtoharden.

4. Whilethecashewballsarefreezing,heatthechocolateandthemilkinadoubleboiler(seeNotesinthenextcolumn)overmedium-highheat.Stirconstantlyuntilallthechocolateismelted,about5minutes.

5. Usingtwoforks,rollthefrozencashewballsinthechocolate,workingquicklysothatthecashewbutterdoesn’tmelt,thenplacethembackontheparchment-linedbakingsheet.Oncealltheballsarecoatedinchocolate,transferthemtothefreezerfor3hourssothatthechocolatecoatingcanfirmup.

6. Storethetrufflesinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto2weeks.

NOTES

Thecashewbuttermightseemasifitdoesn’twanttosticktogetherasyourollit,butitwillfirmupwhilechillinginthefreezer.

Tocreateadoubleboiler,fillamediumsaucepanwithwaterandbringittoaboil.Oncethewaterisboiling,placeaheatproofglassbowlontopoftheboilingpotofwater.Addthechocolateandalmondmilktotheglassbowltogentlymeltthechocolatewithoutburningit.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About30minutes,plus4hoursforchillingthetruffles

WhiteChocolateCoconutFudgeALTHOUGHIDON’T talk about being a vegan all that often, I dofollowthatlifestyle.OnethingIthoughtIwouldhavetogiveupwhenIwentveganwaswhitechocolate.ForalmosttwoyearsIdidn’ttouchthestuff.OnedayIsimplycouldn’ttakeitanymore.Ihadtohavesome.SoIdevelopedmyownalternative.I’mheretotellyouthat,yes,youcanenjoythetasteofwhitechocolate on a vegan, whole-food diet without feeling guilty—just try thisrecipe.

MAKESS IX 2½- INCH (6 .4 CM) ORTWELVE1¼- INCH (4 CM) P IECES

1cup(130g)rawcashewsor½cup(120ml)cashewbutter(seeBasicNutButter,andNotebelow)

1cup(200g)coconutbutter(seeshreddedcoconut)

½cup(220g)cocoabutter


¼teaspoonseasalt

2teaspoonsgroundvanillabeanor1teaspoonvanillaextract

1. Chopthecashewsinablenderorfoodprocessoruntiltheyareveryfine.Itshouldtake2to3minutes.

2. Mixthecoconutbutter,cocoabutter,maplesyrup,cashews,seasalt,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined

andthecocoabutterhasmelted,3to5minutes.

3. Spoonthemixtureintothecupsofalinedorgreasedmuffinpanuntileachcupisaboutthree-quartersfull.Iliketouseastandardmuffinpanwithsiliconeliners,althoughpaperlinerswork,too.Ifyouusestandardmuffinpans,you’llget6largepiecesoffudge;mini-muffinpanswillgiveyou12smallpieces.Anotheroptionistousechocolatemolds.Ifyougothisroute,besuretogreasethemoldsfirsttoensurethefudgecomesouteasily.

4. Stickthefudgeintothefreezerforabout40minutesorintothefridgeforabout3hourstofirmup.Oncefirm,storethepiecesoffudgeinthefridgeforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto3months.Ifyoufreezethefudge,you’llneedtoletitthawforabout5minutesbeforeeating.

NOTE

Ifyou’dliketousecashewbutterinsteadofrawcashews,cuttheamountbyhalf,to½cup(120g)ofcashewbutter.

Ifyoudon’thavemuffinpansorchocolatemolds,linean8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)bakingpanwithparchmentpaperandspreadthefudgemixtureintoitevenly.Cutitintobarsorsquaresoncethefudgehasset.

VARIATION

Tomakecoconutalmondfudge,omitthecocoabutter,substitutealmondbutterforthecashews,add2tablespoonsofcoconutoil,and½teaspoonofalmondextract.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About40minutesifchillingfudgeinthefreezer;upto3hoursifchillingfudgeintherefrigerator.

ChocolatePeanutButterFudgeIT’S AMAZINGHOW much these little gems taste like traditionaldairy fudge.Coconutbutter is theperfectchoicetogivethisveganfudgeavelvetytexture.Ifyou’renotafanofcoconut,don’tworry—theflavorsofthechocolateandpeanutbutteralmostcompletelymaskthecoconut.Infact,thefirst time my family tried this recipe, they didn’t even know it includedcoconut.Theonlyroleitplaysinthisfudgeisgivingitanappropriatetexture.Weallknowpeanutbutterandchocolateweremade foreachother,sogoaheadanddivein!

MAKESTWELVE2½- INCH (6 .4 CM) P IECES

One3.5ounce(100g)darkchocolatebar,roughlychopped,or1cup(160g)darkchocolatechips


½cup(100g)coconutbutter(seeshreddedcoconut)


¼cuppuremaplesyrup

1. Mixalltheingredientsinamediumsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheyarewellcombined,about2minutes.

2. Spoonthemixtureinto12linedorgreasedmuffincups.Iusestandardsize-muffinpanswithsiliconeliners,althoughpaperlinerswillalsowork.Ifyouwanttomake24smallerpieces,useamini-muffinpaninstead.Ifyoudon’thavemuffinpans,

makethisfudgeinan8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)glassbakingdishlinedwithparchmentpaper.

3. Stickthefudgeintothefridgetoset.Itshouldtakeabout30minutesto1hour.

4. Storethefudgeintherefrigeratorforupto3weeks,orinthefreezerforupto3months.Ifyoukeepitinthefreezer,you’llneedtoletitthawslightly,about5minutes,beforeeating.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:30minutesto1hour

AlmondButterMousseMY HUSBAND AND I were on vacation in Austin, Texas, onesummer, sampling the local fare and talkingabout recipes tomake for theblog.Wehad thegood fortuneofeatingaveganmousseon that trip,andfromthatdelightfultreatthisrecipewasborn.It’safancydessertthattakesverylittleefforttomake,soyoucanwowyourguestswitharichmousseinminutes.


One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk,refrigeratedovernight





1. Stickanunopenedcanofcoconutmilkintothefridgethenightbeforeyouplantomakethisrecipe.Whenyouopenitthenextmorning,thefattypartofthecoconutmilkwillhaveseparatedfromthewater.

2. Spoonoutthefattypartofthecoconutmilkintoalargemixingbowl.Freezetheleftovercoconutwaterinicecubetraystoaddtosmoothiesinthefuture.

3. Mixthealmondbutter,almondmilk,maplesyrup,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.

Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarejustcombined,about2minutes.Removeitfromtheheat.

4. Usingthewhippingattachmentonyourmixer,whipthecoconutfatintoacream.Thiswilltake2to3minutesonhighspeed.Itshouldresembleawhippedcreammadefromheavydairycream.

5. Slowlyandgentlyfoldthealmondbuttermixtureintothewhippedcream.

6. Scoopthemousseintoindividualservingbowlsandrefrigerateuntilyou’rereadytoserveit.Themousseshouldkeepforaboutaweekinthefridge.

VARIATIONS

Foranextraboostofalmondflavor,add½teaspoonofalmondextract.

ChocolateloverscanuseChocolateHazelnutSpreadinplaceofalmondbutter.

ForagreatThanksgivingtreat,substitutepumpkinpureeforthealmondbutter,andadd1teaspoonofcinnamon,¼teaspoonofnutmeg,and¼teaspoonofginger.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About30minutes(notincludingtheovernightrefrigerationofthecoconutmilk)

BrownieBarsIFYOU’REAseriouschocolatelover,looknofurther.Thecreamytasteofthemacadamianutbutter inthisrecipepairssowellwiththerichnessofthechocolatechips,it’samatchmadeinheaven,recreatedinyourkitchen.Beware—youmightwanttoeatallofthebrowniesinonesitting,soit’sbesttohaveabuddywithyou!Ifthereareanyleftaftertwenty-fourhours,you’rebetteratself-controlthanIam.

MAKESN INE2 - INCH ( 5 CM) SQUARES

1cup(100g)gluten-freerolledoats

1cup(240g)macadamianutbutter(seeBasicNutButter)


¾cup(120g)darkchocolatechips

2tablespoonsunsweetenedcocoapowder

½teaspoonseasalt


1. Combinetheoatsandthemacadamianutbutterinafoodprocessor.Pulseuntilthemixturehasacoarseconsistency,about2minutes.

2. Addtherestoftheingredientsexceptthewater.

3. Grindforaminute,thenslowlyaddthewater1tablespoonatatime.You’llseethe

mixturebegintocometogethertoformathickbatter.

4. Linean8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)glassdishwithparchmentpaper.Makesurethereisenoughpaperhangingoffthesidessothatyoucaneasilypullthebrowniesoutoncethey’refirm.

5. Spoonthebatterintothedishevenly.Thebatterwillbeextremelysticky,soithelpstowetthespatulafirst.Afterthebatterisspreadinthedish,placeitinthefridgetoset,about1hour.

6. Whenthebrowniesarefirm,grabthesidesoftheparchmentpaperandpullthebrowniesout.Cutthemintonineevensquaresusingapizzacutterorasharpknife.

7. Thesebarsmustbestoredintherefrigerator,wheretheywilllastforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About65minutes

CookieDoughBallsONEMAJORRITE of passage in childhood is eating raw cookiedoughstraightoutofthemixingbowl.It’sbecomesoingrainedinAmericanculture that you can even buy cookie dough candy and ice cream now.There’sacatchtoeatingthehomemadestuff,ofcourse:asalmosteveryoneknows, eating raw egg can be harmful. That’s what makes this recipe sogreat—there’snoegginit!Eatthesetreatstoyourheart’scontent.Theonlythingthat’severunsatisfyingaboutthisdishisthatitrunsoutsoquickly!

MAKESF IFTEEN1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) BALLS

1cup(100g)gluten-freeoats


1cup(240g)macadamianutbutter(seeBasicNutButter)


2tablespoonswater

½cup(80g)darkchocolatechips

1. Blendtheoatsinafoodprocessoruntiltheyarecoarselyground.Thistakesabout2minutes.

2. Addthedates,macadamianutbutter,vanilla,andwater.Pulseuntiladoughstartstoform,2to3minutes.

3. Foldthechocolatechipsintothedough,orusetheminthenextsteptocoatthe

outsideoftheballs.

4. Rollthedoughintobite-sizeballs.Ifyou’recoveringthemwithchocolatechips,rolltheballsaroundonaplateofchocolatechipsandthengentlypressthechipsin.

5. Placetheballsonaparchment-linedbakingsheet.Stickthebakingsheetintothefridgesothattheballscanfirmup,about30minutes.

6. Storethecookiedoughballsintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.

NOTE

Ifyouwanttobumpuptheproteininthisrecipe,add2tablespoonsofchiaseeds,hempseeds,orleftovernutmilkpulp(seeHowtoUseNutPulp).

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About40minutes

ChocolateAlmondBananaCupsTHETODAYSHOWonNBCfeaturedthisrecipeasa“TooGoodtoBeHealthy”contestwinner inFebruary2014.Onceyoumake it,you’llseewhy.It’sperfectforwhenyouwantalittlebiteofsomethingsweetbutdon’twanttoindulgetothepointofguilt.Thesecupsaresodeliciousthatoneofthe Today show’s hosts even served them at her Super Bowl party—andfromwhat Iwas told, theywerequite thehit.Withaccolades like that, youcanbesureyouwon’tbedisappointed.

MAKESTWELVE2½- INCH (6 .4 CM) P IECES

1veryripebanana,mashed

⅓cup(80g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)

½teaspoongroundvanillabeansorvanillaextract

4.5-ounces(125g)darkchocolateor½cup(80g)chocolatechips


1. Mixtogetherthebanana,almondbutter,andvanillainasmallbowl.

2. Mixthechocolateandthemilkinadoubleboiler(seeNotesbelow).Heatandkeepstirringuntilthechocolateismeltedandverysmooth,about5minutes.

3. Pourasmallamountofchocolateintothebottomofalinedmuffincup.Onceyouhavealittlechocolateinthebottomofeachcup,placethemuffinpaninthefreezertoset,5to10minutes.

4. Whenthechocolateisfirm,spoonalittledollopofthebananamixtureintoeachcup,ontopofthechocolate.Onceallthecupshaveanevenamountofbananamixture,fillthemwiththeremainingchocolateandplacetheminthefreezertoset.Thisshouldtakeafewhours.

5. Serveimmediatelyafterremovingthemfromthefreezer(seeNotesbelow).Thesewilllastforupto6monthsfrozen.

NOTES

Tocreateadoubleboiler,fillamediumsaucepanwithwater.Bringthewatertoaboil,thenplaceaheatproofglassbowlontopofthepot.Addthechocolatechipsandnutmilktotheglassbowl.Thiswillallowyoutogentlymeltthechocolatewithoutburningit.

Therearetwothingstonoteaboutstoringthesecups:First,theymustbekeptinthefreezer,orelsethebananagetstoomushy.Second,theymeltveryquicklyonceoutofthefreezer,soonlypullthemoutrightbeforeyouintendtoeatthem.

VARIATION

Youcangothesimpleroutewiththisrecipeandfill thecupswiththebanana,almondbutter, andvanillamixture only. Itmakes a delightfully healthy snack that is lower incaloriesandfat.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About3hours

I love to bake. In fact, I’ve enjoyed baking since I was a kid,mainly because I love sweets. Over the years I’ve refined mycraft,andthelittlegirl insidemestillenjoyseatingthegoodiesIcreate. The following recipes represent some of my favoritethings not only to bake, but also to devour. None of them aredifficult tomake,andnutbuttersalwayssatisfymysweet tooth.Allofthedelectabletreatsinthischapterwillfillyourkitchenwithgreat aromas and will taste even better than they smell. Don’tforgettowashthemdownwithaglassofnutmilk!

AlmondJoyCookiesIFYOU’REA fan of Almond Joys, you’ll love these cookies. They’reevenmuchbetter than thecandybar,because theywon’tspikeyourbloodsugar and cause you to come crashing down, cravingmore sugar. ThesecookiesincludealltheflavorsofanAlmondJoy—withouttheguilt.Naturallysweetenedandgluten-free,they’rewortheverybite.Trythemoutandseeforyourself.

MAKESTWELVE2 - INCH (5 CM) COOKIES

1tablespoonflaxmeal


1½cups(135g)gluten-freeoatflour



1teaspoonseasalt



¼cup(60ml)coconutoil


½teaspoonalmondextract

1.75ounces(50g)darkchocolate,roughlychopped,or½cup(80g)

darkchocolatechips



3. Mixtheoatflour,coconut,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.Setitaside.

4. Mixthealmondbutter,maplesyrup,coconutoil,vanilla,andalmondextractinasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntilsmooth,aboutaminuteorso.

5. Whenthealmondbuttermixtureissmooth,addittothebowlofdryingredients.Mixwell,1to2minutes,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandstirtheingredientsuntiltheyarewellcombined.Foldinthechocolate.

7. Usingasmallcookiescooporrollingthedoughintobite-sizeballs,placethedoughonaparchment-linedbakingsheetatleast1inch(2.5cm)apartfromoneanother.Bakefor12minutes,oruntilthecookiesstarttobrownaroundtheedges.

8. Letthecookiescompletelycoolonthebakingsheetbeforestoringtheminanairtightcontainer.Storeintherefrigeratorforupto3weeksorinthefreezerforupto6months.Iffrozen,letthemthawatroomtemperatureforabout5minutesbeforeeating.


AlmondButterSandwichCookiesSANDWICHCOOKIESCOMEinmanyshapesandforms.Whenyoumakeyourown,youcancreatewhateverflavorcomboscometomind.Inthiscase,Icombinedmybelovedalmondbutterwithadecadentchocolatespread.Theoutcomeispureheaveninyourmouth.Onceyouseehoweasythisis,you’llwanttomakeevenmorenewflavorfusions.

MAKESS IXTEEN1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) COOKIES

1tablespoonflaxmeal



½cup(115g)coconutsugar


½teaspoonseasalt

1cupplus2tablespoons(270g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)


½cup(125g)ChocolatePeanutButterSpread


2. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigerator

foraminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.

3. Mixtogethertheoatflour,coconutsugar,vanilla,andseasaltinalargebowl.Setitaside.

4. Mixthealmondbutterandmilkinasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,1to2minutes.Removefromtheheat.

5. Addthealmondbuttermixturetothebowlofdryingredientsandmixfor1to2minutes,untiltheingredientsarewellcombined,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandcontinuetomixforanotherminute.

7. Formthecookiesintobite-sizeballs,usingeitheryourhandsoracookiescoop,andplacethemonaparchment-linedorgreasedbakingsheet,about½inch(1.3cm)apart.Youshouldhave32balls.Flatteneachcookiewithyourpalm.

8. Bakefor10to11minutes.It’shardtovisuallytellwhenthesearedone,soIlightlypressmyfingerintoacookietofeelifit’sfirmenough.Letthecookiescompletelycoolbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheet.

9. Oncethecookiesarecool,spreadsomeChocolatePeanutButterSpreadontoone,andthenmakeasandwichbyputtinganothercookieontop.Repeatthesestepsuntilallthesandwichcookiesaremade.

10. Setthecookiesinthefridgetofirmup,about30minutes.

11. Storethemintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.

NOTES

Youcansubstitutevanillaextractforthegroundvanillabeans.Ijusthappentolovethestrong,freshflavorofthevanillabeans.

Youcanusearegularlargeegginplaceoftheflaxmealandwaterifyoulike.

VARIATIONS

AfunflavorcombinationistouseyourfavoriteHomemadeJaminsteadofthechocolatespread.

Coconutbutter(seeshreddedcoconut)workswellinthemiddle,too.


PeanutButterandChocolateBrowniesTHESETHICK,FUDGYbrowniesaretheultimateindulgence.Icallfor dark chocolate as well as unsweetened cocoa powder to make themextra-rich.Whenyouaddcashewbuttertothemix,ittakesthesebrowniestothenextlevel.

MAKESN INE2 - INCH (5 CM) BROWNIES

1tablespoonflaxmeal



½cup(60g)unsweetenedcocoapowder

1½teaspoonsbakingpowder

½teaspoonseasalt


1.75ounces(50g)darkchocolateor½cup(80g)darkchocolatechips

½cup(120ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)


½cup(120ml)coconutoil

¼cup(60ml)unsweetenedapplesauce



2. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwarmwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.

3. Mixtheoatflour,cocoapowder,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowlandsetitaside.

4. Mixtheremainingingredientsinasmallsaucepan.Stirconstantlywithasiliconespatulaovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about5minutes.

5. Addthemixturefromthesaucepantothebowlofdryingredientsandmixuntilwellcombined,1to2minutes,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandmixuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about1minute.

7. Linean8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)glassbakingdishwithparchmentpaper.Makesurethereisenoughpaperhangingoffthesidessothatyoucaneasilyremovethebrowniesafterbaking.

8. Spoonthebatterevenlyintothebakingdish,pressingitdownfirmly.Bakefor15minutes,oruntilatoothpickinsertedintothemiddlecomesoutclean.Ilikemineextra-moistsothatthey’realittlegooeyinthemiddle,butifyoupreferamorecake-likebrownie,youcanbakethemforanadditional5minutes.

9. Waituntilthebrowniesarecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingdish.Toremovethebrownies,simplygrabtheextraparchmentpaperatthesidesandliftthemoutofthebakingdish.Cutthebrowniesintonineevensquaresusingapizzacutterorasharpknife.

10. Storethebrowniesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeksorinthefreezerforupto6months.WhenI’mreadytoeatoneoutofthefreezer,Iletitthawatroomtemperatureforanhourortwo.Youcanalsothawtheminamicrowaveusingthedefrostsetting.

NOTE

Ifthisrecipecallsformoreoilthanyoucaretouse,youcancutitdownto¼cup(60ml)andaddanextra¼cup(60ml)ofapplesauceornondairyplainyogurt.


ChocolateChipMacadamiaCookiesWHEN ISWITCHED to a healthier diet, I thought chocolate chipcookieswereoutofmyreach.Well,myfriends,I’mheretotellyouthat’snottrue.Macadamia butter is so naturally buttery that it does a superb job ofmimickingthetasteandtextureofdairy inamoretraditionalchocolatechipcookie recipe. There’s very little oil in this recipe, but it’ll never taste dry,thankstothemacadamias.

MAKESTWENTY-TWO1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) COOKIES


¼cupplus2tablespoonswarmwater

2¾cups(248g)gluten-freeoatflour




1teaspoonbakingsoda

½teaspoonseasalt

¾cup(180g)macadamiabutter(seeBasicNutButter)



½cup(80g)chocolatechips



3. Mixtheflour,coconut,vanilla,bakingpowder,bakingsoda,andseasaltinalargebowlandsetitaside.

4. Mixthemacadamiabutter,maplesyrup,andcoconutoilinasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatwithasiliconespatulauntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about5minutes.Addthemixturetothebowlofdryingredients.

5. Addtheflaxmeal/watermixtureandmixuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about1minute,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

6. Foldinthechocolatechipsusingaspatula,thenplacethebowlofdoughinthefridgefor20minutestofirmup.

7. Droptablespoonsofthedoughontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetabout1inch(2.5cm)apartfromoneanother.Bakefor10to12minutes,oruntiltheedgeslookslightlygolden.Makesurethecookiesarecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheet.

8. Storethecookiesintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.


ChocolateCashewButterThumbprintCookies

WHENITHINKofthumbprintcookies,Ipictureabutterycookiewithacrispoutsideandachewycenter.Cashewbutterisveryrichandcreamyintexture,makingittheperfectingredienttouseinthesethumbprintcookies.Ifilledthemwithchocolatehere,butyoucanalsousehomemadejamorevenadifferentnutbutter.

MAKESE IGHTEEN1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) COOKIES

1cup(135g)cashewbutter(seeBasicNutButter)




2teaspoonsgroundvanillabeansorvanillaextract

1½cups(135g)gluten-freeoatflour

½teaspoonbakingpowder

½teaspoonseasalt

½cup(80g)darkchocolatechips(seeNotebelow)


2. Mixthecashewbutter,maplesyrup,almondmilk,coconutoil,andvanillaina

smallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsaresmoothandwellcombined,2to3minutes.Removethemixturefromtheheatandletitcooltoroomtemperature.

3. Whilethemixtureinthesaucepancools,mixtogethertheoatflour,bakingpowder,andseasaltinamediumbowl.

4. Oncethecashewbuttermixtureiscooled,addittothebowlofdryingredients.Usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer,mixuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about2minutes,Youmightneedtoscrapedownthesidesofthebowlafewtimes.

5. Dropbite-sizedollopsofbatterontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetabout1inch(2.5cm)apart,usingeithertwospoonsoracookiescoop.Sincethisbatteristhickandsticky,Ipreferthecookiescoop.

6. Pressyourthumbintothecenterofeachcookie,thenaddthechocolatechipsintotheindentation.Iput5to6chocolatechipsintoeachthumbprint.Thisstepprovidesagreatopportunityforsmallchildrentohelp—mykidslovetodothis.Theyalsolovetosneakchocolatechips!

7. Bakethecookiesfor10to12minutes,untilslightlygoldenaroundtheedges.Letthemcoolcompletelybeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheets.

8. Storethecookiesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigerator,wheretheyshouldlast7to10days,orinthefreezerforupto6months.

NOTE

Forthedarkchocolateinthisrecipe,Iuse63percentcacaoasopposedtomynormal72percent(seecacaopowder),sinceIthinktheslightlysweetertasteworksbetterhere,butyoucanuseanykindyoulike.

VARIATION

Toswitchup this recipe,youcan substitute¼cup (85g)ofyour favorite jam for thechocolate.HomemadeJamisperfecttouseinthesethumbprintcookies.


FlourlessAlmondButterBlondiesMUCH LIKE THE Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies, theseblondieshavearichandbutterytastewithoutanyoil,flour,ordairyproducts.They also have a surprise element: chickpeas, which work really well insweet dishes.My kidswere totally fooled—they had no idea that a secrethealthy ingredient was hiding in these treats. Neither did my husband. Iactuallyusechickpeasquiteoften in thekitchen, sometimes roasting themwithatouchofmaplesyrupandcinnamonforaquicksweettreat.

MAKESN INE2 - INCH (5 CM) SQUARES

1cup(200g)driedorone14-ounce(480ml)canchickpeas

1tablespoonflaxmeal


1cup(100g)gluten-freerolledoats

½teaspoonseasalt

1cup(250g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)






2. Ifyou’reusingdriedchickpeas,soakthemovernight,rinsethem,andthenboilthemuntiltheyaresoft.Ifyouareusingcannedchickpeas,drainthem,thenrinsewellandpatthemdry.


4. Combinethechickpeas,oats,andseasaltinafoodprocessor.Mixthemslightly,about1minute.

5. Addthealmondbutter,maplesyrup,coconut,vanilla,andflax/watermixture.Continuetopulsethefoodprocessoruntiltheingredientsarewellmixed,2to3minutes.Youmighthavetostopandscrapedownthesidesofthecanisterafewtimes.

6. Linean8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)glassbakingdishwithparchmentpaper.Makesurethereisenoughpaperhangingoffthesidessothatyoucaneasilyremovetheblondiesafterbaking.

7. Carefullyspoonthebatterintothebakingdish.Youmightneedtowetthespatula,becausethedoughwillbeverysticky.Makesurethebatterispresseddownevenly.

8. Sprinklethechocolatechipsontopandgentlypressthemintotheblondies.Bakethemforabout20minutes.Totellwhenthesearedone,carefullytouchyourfingertothetoptoseeifthey’refirm,whichmeansthey’rereadytocomeoutoftheoven.

9. Lettheblondiescoolcompletelybeforeremovingthemfromthebakingdish.Toremovethem,grabtheparchmentpaperthat’sstickingoutandcarefullyliftthewholethingoutofthepan.Cuttheblondiesintonineevensquaresusingapizzacutterorasharpknife.

10. Storetheminanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorfor7to10days,orinthefreezerforupto6months.Whenyouwanttoenjoysomeblondiesthathavebeenfrozen,it’sbesttothawthematroomtemperature.Becauseofthechocolatechipsonthetop,reheatingtheminthemicrowavemightmakeamess.

NOTE

Youcanusewhitebeansinplaceofchickpeasifyoupreferthetaste;bothworkwellinthisrecipe.

PREPANDBAKETIME:About30minutes,notincludingtheovernightsoakifusing

driedchickpeas

SlowCookerPeanutButterGranolaBarsTHESLOWCOOKERshouldn’tbereservedjustforsoupsandchili;you canactually use it formanyother things, suchas thesegranolabars.Cooking foodslowlyallows for fargreater flavor todevelop. In thesummerthe slowcooker can come in quite handywhen youdon’twant to heat upyourwholekitchenwiththeoven.Thebestpart?Youdon’tevenneedtobehometomakethesesoftandchewygranolabars!

MAKESTEN3 X 1 - INCH (7 .5 X 2 .5 CM) BARS




2teaspoonsvanillaextract


¼cup(35g)flaxmeal

¼cup(25g)unsweetenedshreddedcoconut

2tablespoonschiaseeds

½teaspoonseasalt


1. Mixthepeanutbutter,maplesyrup,almondmilk,andvanillainasaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about5minutes.

Removefromtheheatandletthemixturecooltoroomtemperature.

2. Whilethepeanutbuttermixturecools,mixtogethertheoats,flaxmeal,coconut,chiaseeds,andseasaltinalargebowl.

3. Addthemixturefromthesaucepantothedryingredientsandstiruntilwellcombined,about1minute,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).

4. Foldinthechocolatechipsusingaspatulaorwoodenspoon.

5. Linetheslowcookerwithparchmentpaper,makingsurethereisenoughpapertohangoffthesidessothatyoucaneasilyliftoutthebarsoncethey’recooked.Brushtheparchmentpaperwithalittlecoconutoil.

6. Spoonthemixtureintothebottomoftheslowcooker,pressingitdownevenly.It’simportanttopackthemixturedownfirmlytomakesurethebarsholdtogether.

7. Settheslowcookeronlowandcookfor1½to2½hours.Everyone’sslowcookerseemstorunatadifferenttemperature,andolderonesareknowntorunhotter.You’llknowthatthegranolabarsaredonewhenthemiddlenolongerseemsmushy.Whenthey’redone,liftthemoutbygrabbingtheparchmentpaperthat’shangingoffthesides.Setthemasidetocoolforabout25minutes.Ifyoucutthebarsbeforethey’vefullycooled,theymightcrumble.

8. Oncethemixtureiscompletelycooled,useapizzacutterorasharpknifetomake3x1-inch(7.5cmx2.5cm)bars.

9. Storetheseinacontainerwithasheetofparchmentpaperinbetweeneachbar.Ifyouwanttobethrifty,youcanusethesameparchmentthatyoucookedthemin.Theywilllastatroomtemperatureforupto4days,intherefrigeratorforupto3weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.

VARIATIONS

Thereare lotsofvariations for this recipe.Youcanaddanykindofdried fruit, seeds,choppednuts,orevencacaonibs.Isuggest¼cupofanyofthoseitemsforachangeoftaste.

PREPANDCOOKTIME:About3½hours

If you have certain dietary limitations (such as being gluten- ordairy-free), findinganaffordable store-bought ice creamcanbealmost impossible—and very expensive. Here’s a goodalternative:makescrumptiousfrozentreatsinthecomfortofyourownhome.Mostoftheserecipesrequireanicecreammachine,whichwillpayforitselfafteronlyafewbatches,plusyou’llhavethe power to control the ingredients and createwhatever flavoryour heart desires.Once you beginmaking ice creamand seehow fun it is, you’ll find yourself constantly thinking of newvariationstotry.Thiswasbyfaroneofmyfavoritesectionstoputtogether,especiallywhenitcametosamplingtheresults!

Three-IngredientPeanutButterIceCreamTHISRECIPEPROVIDES a great intro tomaking your own icecream.It’ssimple,withveryfewingredients,yetcomesouttastingsuperb.

MAKESFOUR½-CUP (120 ML) SERVINGS

One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk(seeNotebelow)



Optionaladd-ins:2tablespoonschocolatechips,nuts,ordriedfruit

1. Chillyouricecreammachine’sbowlinthefreezerforatleast18hoursbeforemakingthisrecipe.

2. Combinealltheingredientsinablenderandblendfor1to2minutes.

3. Pourthemixtureintoyouricecreammachineandfollowthemanufacturer’sinstructions.Itshouldtakeabout20minutesuntiltheicecreamisready.Whentheicecreamhasabout5minutesleft,addtheoptionaladd-insofyourchoiceifdesired.Thisicecreamwillhaveasoft-serveconsistency.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickthemixtureintothefreezerforanotherhourortwobeforeyoueatit.

4. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceitdoesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringitinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.

NOTES

Makesuretousecannedcoconutmilk,notthecoconutmilkthatcomesinacarton.Themilkincartonshasafarlowerfatcontent,sotheicecreamwillcomeoutrathericy(seecoconutmilk).

SunflowerSeedButteroranyothernutbuttercanbesubstitutedforpeanutbutterinthisrecipe.

Ifyoudon’thaveanicecreammachine,youcanmixeverythinginablender,pouritintoicecubetrays,andthenblenditagainoncethemixtureisfrozen.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About25minutes,orupto2hoursforahardericecream(notcountingthe18hourstheicecreammachine’sbowlneedstochillbeforehand)

ChocolateHazelnutIceCreamCHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUTS are always a winningcombination. As soon as I mention those two words together, I’ll bet yourmind instantly conjures up an image of that famous chocolate hazelnutspread.Whatifyoucouldhavethattastewithoutalltheadditives,intheformofadecadenticecream?Well,hereyougo!You’llneverbelievethere’sonly2tablespoonsofaddedsugarinthisentirebatch.


One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk(Notebelow)

1cup(240g)ChocolateHazelnutSpread


½teaspoonseasalt


2. Mixalltheingredientstogetherinahigh-poweredblenderfor2to3minutes.

3. Pourthemixtureintoyouricecreammachineandfollowthemanufacturer’sinstructions.Itshouldtakeabout20minutesuntiltheicecreamisready.Thisicecreamwillhaveasoft-serveconsistency.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickthemixtureintothefreezerforanextrahourortwobeforeyoueatit.

4. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceit

doesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringitinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.

NOTE

Makesuretousecannedcoconutmilk,notthecoconutmilkthatcomesinacarton(seecoconutmilk).


PistachioIceCreamNOMATTERTHEweather,sometimesagirljustneedsabowloficecream,andpistachioisanexcellentflavortochoose.Eatingthelittlenutsallbythemselvescanbelikeagameofhide-and-seek—ifyoucangetthatdarnshelloff,you’vewon.Soforthisrecipe,eventhoughtheycostabitmore,Isuggestbuyingpistachios thathavealreadybeenshelled. Itwill drasticallyreduce your preparation time and save your fingers for spooning up thisdeliciousicecream.


One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk

1½cups(190g)raw,unsaltedpistachios,plus2tablespoonsformixingintotheicecreamforcrunch

2to3tablespoonspuremaplesyrup

½teaspoonseasalt


2. Mixtogetherthecoconutmilk,1½cups(190g)ofpistachios,maplesyrup,andseasaltinahigh-poweredblenderfor2to3minutes.

3. Pourthecontentsintoyouricecreammachineandfollowthemanufacturer’sinstructions.Itshouldtakeabout20minutesuntiltheicecreamisready.

4. Whentheicecreamhasabout5minutesleft,sprinklethe2tablespoonsofextrapistachiosintotheicecreamtoaddsomecrunch.Youmightneedtogentlyguidetheicecreamasitspinsinthemachinetomakesurethepistachiosarethoroughlymixedin.Iuseasiliconespatulaforthis.Thisicecreamwillhaveasoft-serveconsistency.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickthemixintothefreezerforanotherhourortwobeforeyoueatit.

5. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceitdoesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringitinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.

NOTE

Ifyoudon’thavean icecreammachine, tryblendingeverything together inablenderand then pouring themixture into ice cube trays.Once the ice cube trays are frozen,blendthemintheblenderforatreatsimilartosoft-serveicecream.


ChocolatePeanutButterChunkIceCream

ITYPICALLYMAKEallofmyicecreamsusingfull-fatcoconutmilkasabase,butthisrecipeisabitdifferent.SincehomemadeBrazilnutmilkisso creamy, I decided to try it inan ice cream recipe.The texture isa littledifferent from ice cream made with coconut milk; it’s rather similar to asorbet. The flavor definitely isn’t lacking, with a big chocolate punch andpeanutbutterchunksscatteredaroundlikelittlebitesofheaven.


2cups(480ml)Brazilnutmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

1cup(160g)darkchocolatechips

2to3tablespoonsunsweetenedcocoapowderorcacaopowder





2. CombinetheBrazilnutmilk,chocolatechips,cocoapowder,maplesyrup,andvanillainahigh-poweredblender.Blendfor1to2minutesonhigh,untilwellmixed.

3. Pourthemixtureintoyouricecreammachineandfollowthemanufacturer’sinstructions.Itshouldtakeabout20minutesuntiltheicecreamisready.Whentheicecreamhasabout5minutesleft,startdroppingchunksofpeanutbutterintothemachineasitruns.There’sreallynomeasurementforthis;itjustdependsonhowbigorsmallyoulikeyourchunkstobe.Youmightneedtohelpguidetheicecreamasitspinsinthemachinetomakesurethatallthechunksofpeanutbutteraredistributedevenly;Iuseasiliconespatulaforthis.Whentheicecreamisready,itwillhaveasoft-serveconsistency.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickthemixtureintothefreezerforanotherhourortwobeforeyou’regoingtoeatit.

4. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceitdoesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.

NOTE

Feelfreetosubstituteanothernutbutterforthepeanutbutterifyouwish.YoucanalsotrySunflowerSeedButter.


BananaMacadamiaIceCreamILOVEMAKING icecreamwithbananas,especiallysince thereareseveralbenefits: less fatandsugar,andno icecreammaker isnecessary.Forthosewhohaveallergies,restassuredthatthisrecipeisalsodairy-free.Whenyoufreezeabanana,itbecomesincrediblyrichandsilkyintexture.It’sactuallyquiteamazing. Ibuytwobunchesofbananaseachweek,andonegoesdirectlyintothefreezerforsmoothiesandicecream.

MAKESTHREE½-CUP (75 G) SERVINGS

3frozenbananas(seeNotebelow)

2tablespoonsmacadamianutbutter(seeBasicNutButter)

1to2tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)

1. Slicethefrozenbananasintothinslices.Puttheminahigh-poweredblenderwiththeotheringredients.Blendfor1to2minutes,scrapingdownthesidesafewtimes.Youmightneedtoaddabitmorealmondmilktoachievetheconsistencyyoudesire.

2. Onceyouseethemixturebecomeasoft-serveconsistency,it’sready.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickitintothefreezerforaboutanhourortwobeforeserving.

3. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceitdoesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.

VARIATIONS

Feelfreetoaddwhatevertoppingsyoulike:choppednuts,cacaonibs,driedfruit,chocolatechips.Thepossibilitiesareendless.

Afunthingtodowiththekidsiscreateyourownsundaebar.Spoonascoopoficecreamintoeachbowlandsetoutsometoppingsforthemtochoose.

PREPANDCHILLTIME:About5minutes,oruptoanhourforahardertexture

ResourcesIngredientRetailersBob’sRedMillNaturalFoodsbobsredmill.com

Gluten-freeoatflour,rolledoats,coconutflour,flaxseedsandflaxmeal;nutsandseeds;unsweetenedshreddedcoconut

CocoaSupplycocoasupply.com

Cacaonibs,cocoabutter,chiaseeds,vanillabeans

EatRaweatraw.com

Bulknutsandseeds,cacaonibsandpowder,cocoabutter,coconutbutter,gojiberries

Nuts.comnuts.com

Bulknutsandseeds;cacaobutter,nibs,andpowder;carobchips;cocoabutter;coconutmilk,oil,andsugar;chiaseeds;dates;flaxseedsandflaxmeal;gluten-freecoconutflourandrolledoats;gojiberries;rawhoney;unsweetenedshreddedcoconut;vanillabeans

SunfoodSuperfoodssunfood.com

Bulknutsandseeds;cacaobutter,nibs,andpowder;coconutoilandsugar;dates;gojiberries;rawhoney;vanillapowder

TrueFoodsMarkettruefoodsmarket.com

Bulknutsandseeds;cacaonibsandpowder;chiaseeds;coconutflour,oil,andsugar;dates;Ener-GEggReplacer;flaxseedsandflaxmeal;gluten-freerolledoatsandcoconutflour;gojiberries;puremaplesyrup;rawhoney;vanillapowder

Vitacostvitacost.com

Cacaonibsandpowder;carobchips;cocoabutter;coconutbutter,flour,milk,oil,andsugar;dates;EndangeredSpeciesChocolatebars;Ener-GEggReplacer;EnjoyLifechocolatechips;flaxseedsandflaxmeal;gluten-freerolledoats,oatflour,andcoconutflour;gojiberries;nutsandseeds;puremaplesyrup;rawhoney;unsweetenedapplesauceandshreddedcoconut;vanillabeans

http://bobsredmill.com

http://cocoasupply.com

http://eatraw.com

http://www.nuts.com

http://www.sunfood.com

http://www.truefoodsmarket.com

http://vitacost.com

KindredSpiritsIhavebeeninspiredbymanytalentedbloggers,including:

AngelaLiddon,creatorofOhSheGlows(ohsheglows.com)

EmilyvonEuw,creatorofThisRawsomeVeganLife(thisrawsomeveganlife.com)

KatieHiggins,creatorofChocolateCoveredKatie(chocolatecoveredkatie.com)

KierstenFrase,creatorofOhMyVeggies(ohmyveggies.com)

http://ohsheglows.com

http://thisrawsomeveganlife.com

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com

http://ohmyveggies.com

AcknowledgmentsFirstandforemost,Iwouldliketothankmyhusband,Marcus,forhissupport.He has been there from day one, helping me with the edits and also taste-testing therecipes.

Thankyoutomyin-laws,SteveandHeidi,forwatchingthegirlsforcountlesshoursasIwrotethisbook.

Thankyoutoeveryonewhotestedtheserecipesforme.Yourfeedbackwasveryhelpful.

Thank you tomy editors at The Experiment,MollyCavanaugh and Sasha Tropp, forhelpingme every step of theway. Thanks also to PaulineNeuwirth for her wonderfulbookdesign.

Lastly,thankyoutomyloyalreaders.Iappreciateeachandeveryoneofyou.Withoutyoursupport,thisbookandmyblog,MyWholeFoodLife,wouldnotbepossible.

AbouttheAuthorMelissaKingisthewriter,photographer,andrecipedeveloperforthepopularblogMyWholeFoodLife,atwww.mywholefoodlife.com.Her recipes havebeen featuredontheToday show, iVillage,Greatist, andPopsugarMoms.Melissa lives inDallas,Texas,withherhusbandandtwogirls.

http://www.mywholefoodlife.com

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DIY Nut Milks, Nut Butters, and More - Melissa King

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Transcript of DIY Nut Milks, Nut Butters, and More - Melissa King