Apricot Breakfast Bars

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Delicious gluten-free and dairy-free protein packed bar.
Delicious gluten-free and dairy-free protein packed bar.

 

Steve has been off on paternity leave since June taking care of our little Jillian but he’s heading back to work this week. This is going to make my life a little more chaotic especially for mornings. I needed a quick breakfast to eat because I won’t have him with me helping to get myself and her out the door on time.

I found this recipe in Elana’s Pantry and made it last night. The house smelled amazing as it was baking! It tastes like a nutty cake with apricot flavour. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly and delicious. This morning I had a pie-slice of it with half a banana and felt full until lunch.

  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 2 cups pecans
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup chocolate chips of your choice, or none whatsoever
  1. Place apricots and pecans in a food processor and pulse until the texture of coarse gravel
  2. Pulse in eggs, salt and vanilla, until mixture forms a ball
  3. Remove mixture from food processor and work in chocolate chips
  4. Place mixture in a greased 8×8 baking dish or pie plate
  5. Bake for 25 minutes at 350°
  6. Cool and serve

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Almond Flour Muffins

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I’ve been hearing so much about the Paleo diet lately and baking with almond flour that I decided to finally give it a shot. I went to the local Bulk Barn in Barrie and found ground almond flour. It was around $8 for about 3 or 4 cups. So, it’s more expensive than regular flour but really is packed with protein and delicious. Well worth it!

I found a recipe that I tried this weekend. I added chocolate chips so that makes them not purely paleo but good enough for me this time. Of the options below, I used applesauce, white vinegar, honey, coconut oil and chocolate chips.

Here’s the recipe and some pictures! Enjoy!

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  • 2-1/2 cups almond flour or almond meal
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened pumpkin puree, thawed winter squash puree, butternut squash puree, unsweetened apple sauce, or mashed very ripe banana
  • 2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar or maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted) or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar (white or cider)
  • Optional Flavorings: 1 teaspoon extract (e.g., vanilla, almond), citrus zest, dried herbs (e.g., basil, dill), or spice (e.g., cinnamon, cumin)
  • Optional Stir-Ins: 1 cup fresh fruit (e.g., blueberries, diced apple) or ½ cup dried fruit/cacao nibs/chopped nuts/seeds or
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 10 cups in a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
  2. In a large bowl whisk the almond flour, baking soda and salt (whisk in any dried spices or herbs at this point, if using).
  3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, honey, oil and vinegar (add any extracts or zest at this point, if using).
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until blended. Fold in any optional stir-ins, if using.
  5. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 18 minutes until set at the centers and golden brown at the edges. Move the tin to a cooling rack and let muffins cool in the tin 30 minutes. Remove muffins from tin.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 muffin Calories: 229 Fat: 17.5 g Carbohydrates: 10.2 g Fiber: 3.2 g Protein: 8 g

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