Fruit & Nut Breakfast Treats
It’s week five of A Gluten-Free Holiday and we’re all about breakfast and brunch! Head over to Diet, Dessert, and Dogs for Ricki’s delicious recipe for Oatmeal Poppyseed Scones and the chance to win some incredible cookbooks. (Details below!)
I’ll be honest. Breakfast and brunch recipes are not my strong points. I eat some variation of the same thing for breakfast pretty much every day of the year, even throughout the holidays, and I’m perfectly happy that way. I feel the best when I start my day with exercise and a nutritious—albeit predictable—morning meal. Usually I eat something like eggs with kale or a piece of fruit, stir-fried chicken or fish with veggies, or occasionally just a big salad.
Since I began eating fewer carbs earlier this fall, I’ve found myself craving protein and vegetables at the start of the day. I used to gag at the thought of eating meat or collards right away in the morning (I was a smoothie-guzzler all the way!), but over time my body has adapted to the new way of eating and now I wake up eager to eat my greens!
Lately, though, I’ve wanted to switch my morning meals up a bit and incorporate alternate sources of protein than meat and eggs alone. Nuts and seeds not only offer a good source of plant-based protein, but they also pack heart-healthy fats and fiber—meaning they help you feel fuller and more satisfied longer.
I whipped up these breakfast treats a few days ago and found them to be just the thing to help change up my breakfast routine. Even though they’re small, they are surprisingly satisfying. I ate one with a big plate of sauteed vegetables and didn’t get hungry for three or four hours. I’ve kept them close-by to nibble on in the afternoon as a snack, too. Naturally sweetened with fruit and just a hint of maple syrup, they won’t spike your blood sugar or send your mood on a roller coaster.
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This Week’s Giveaways
Head on over to Ricki’s for the giveaway of these fantastic cookbooks: Gluten-Free & Vegan Holidays by Jennifer Katzinger and Sweet Freedom by Ricki Heller herself!
The winner of last week’s giveaway of The Pure Kitchen is Julie. Congrats!
Heads up: next week is the sixth and final week of A Gluten-Free Holiday at She Let Them Eat Cake. Come hungry. It’s Gluten-Free Holiday Desserts week! Be prepared to link up your favorite recipes or just browse what is sure to be an incredible array of healthy gluten-free sweets and treats.
Fruit & Nut Breakfast Treats
Makes 12
½ cup raw walnuts, chopped
½ cup raw pecans, chopped
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 medium very ripe banana, mashed well
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon dark maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 cups of a standard muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut flour, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the mashed banana, applesauce, flaxseed, oil, and maple syrup. Stir the wet ingredients into the nut mixture to combine thoroughly.
Divide the mixture evenly among the lined muffin cups. Using your fingers, press the mixture firmly into the bottom of each cup. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and just firm to the touch. Cool completely. Remove paper liners and serve. (Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
Yum! These look great!
I’ve been meaning to tell you that I talked to a friend that went to your class at the Coop and she said it was great and that she’s making your kale salad all the time now. :)
Deanna – Thanks! That’s so neat about your friend. I love hearing that people are eating more kale. :)
I too tend to keep my carbs kind of low – I find I’m less hungry if I start the day with protein and veggies. That said, I could really go for some of these treats. :)
I am also eating very few carbs these days and it is so true that you just start to crave the protein. These really do like an awesome way to start the day with a good dose of protein. My boys would love these!!
These look so good to me right now and I have everything to make them, too. I’m about egged-out this week and these would be a nice change of pace. You always seem to have recipes I can go right to my pantry and make right away. Thanks!
Hey Hallie these look awesome! I always love your creations. Do you ever soak your nuts before baking with them? I’ve read about the benefits of soaking, but never about soaking and then baking. I’d love to do it with a granola recipe. Thanks!
Maggie – I don’t usually soak my nuts before baking with them. I know you can soak, rinse, and then dehydrate them to dry them out to their original texture. Kind of a lot of steps for me, but definitely do-able if you’ve got a dehydrator! :)
I’ve also been trying to cut back on carbs, and these sound absolutely heavenly to me. I can’t have bananas, but I’ll see what I can do–would love to try them! :)
Oh, yum! What a nice change of pace for breakfast (brunch, snacks, or desserts too).
I’m definitely going to have to make this along with sugar plums.
oh! these look amazing!
I can’t wait to try these! I’m always looking for healthy, allergy-free snacks.
My 3-year-old son had severe eczema until he was diagnosed with food allergies a few months back. I have a blog that shares our family’s battles with eczema, allergies, and asthma (yes, lucky guy has that too).
I think the key is to learn from one another, so the more information out there to the masses, the better. With this in mind I’ve started a blog hop for anyone dealing with food allergies, eczema, or asthma, either for themselves or as a caregiver. If you’re interested in joining, please add a comment. I’d love to welcome you to the group. http://itchylittleworld.wordpress.com/blog-hop/
Thanks.
Jennifer
Just made these tonight. I used dried cherries and added some nutmeg. They are good! They will be great this week for a quick snack before my workouts. Thanks for posting!
Hi Hallie,
Love your newsletters and recipes. May I haver permission to copy two recipes for my newsletter? I’m a health coach and raw fooder and would love to share the Fruit & Nut Breakfast Treats, and the 2-Bite Orange Walnut Crumble Cakes if I may.
Thanks!
Dot DeCesare
IIN grad 2011
Dot: Sure thing! Feel free to provide a link back to Daily Bites or the actual recipes themselves if you want. Thanks! :)
Do you have nutritional content on these? I am looking specifically for carbohydrate counts for a diabetic. Thanks!
Beth: Thanks for your question. I don’t provide nutritional content/breakdown for my recipes, but you can enter recipes for estimated calculations using free websites like MyFitnessPal.com or NutritionData.com.