snack Archives - Just J.Faye

Chocolate Cherry Almond Pistachio Date Bars

February 17, 2016 by Jenna

You know when you get hangry and it’s the absolute worst? Yeah, me too.

Let’s prevent future hangry episodes with these chocolate cherry almond pistachio date bars.

They are…

Easy to make – just a few minutes!
Very portable – take them with you anywhere!
Super healthy – full of whole, good-for-you ingredients!
Way delicious – chocolate chips, cherries, almonds, pistachios, dates, what’s not to love?!

So why wouldn’t you make them?!

Get the recipe on Minneapolis Running!

Share this:

Healthy Chocolate Chip Almond Coconut Bars

January 26, 2016 by Jenna

I’m really into these healthy chocolate chip almond coconut bars right now.

They are basically all of my favorite flavors combined into one delicious treat: chocolate, almonds, coconut. Then there’s the fact that these are healthy, so I love them even more. I’ve been eating them morning, noon, and night and I don’t feel bad about it at all.

There is no butter, flour, eggs, oil, or refined sugar in this recipe. They are gluten-free and vegan (if you use vegan chocolate chips). The surprise ingredient is chickpeas. I get that it sounds weird. It’s like that time I told you to put cannellini beans in your blondies. But hey! That worked and so does this.

Trust me.

In these healthy chocolate chip almond coconut bars we have the obvious ingredients: chocolate chips, roasted chopped almonds, and unsweetened coconut flakes. However, those are just the mix-ins. The base of the bars are built with chickpeas, almond butter, almond meal, and coconut sugar with a little vanilla extract, salt, and baking powder. The batter comes together in a food processor within minutes.

It’s ridiculously simple.

This was my first time using coconut sugar. I’ve read about it quite a bit, so when I saw it on sale at the grocery store I decided to finally buy some and try it out. Coconut sugar is basically boiled and dehydrated sap from coconut palm and has a caramel-y flavor like brown sugar. It is similar to granulated sugar, but offers a lower glycemic index, less fructose, more vitamins and minerals, and some prebiotics. I wouldn’t say it’s good for you, but is a worthy refined-sugar replacement, like honey.

With that said, if you don’t feel like splurging (because it is a tad more expensive) on coconut sugar, you can replace it with honey in this recipe.

Don’t worry, these healthy chocolate chip almond coconut bars don’t taste like chickpeas. And if they did, would that be so bad? Chickpeas are delicious! The chickpeas, however, do give these bars an almost butter-y texture. They are soft, not too sweet, and have hints of chocolate, almond, and coconut. I added a sprinkle of sea salt over the top for a nice contrasting flavor.

These are great for those moments you need a sweet treat and don’t want to feel guilty about it. I recommend baking up a batch and storing them in the freezer, so that you are prepared for when your sweet teeth wants control.

Try them out and let me know what you think!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Almond Coconut Bars

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

These healthy chocolate chip almond coconut bars are made with a secret ingredient - chickpeas! They are a delicious, guilt-free treat to help satisfy your sweet tooth.

Serves: 12 bars

Ingredients

15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
⅓ cup creamy almond butter
¼ cup almond meal
¼ cup coconut sugar*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup dark chocolate chips (vegan, if needed)
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking pan and line with parchment paper
Add the base ingredients (chickpeas -> baking powder) into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped almonds, dark chocolate chips, and coconut flakes and pulse a few times until everything is combined.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and sea salt, then bake for 25 minutes.
Let cool completely before slicing. These will last a few days in the refrigerator and a few months in the freezer.

Notes

*The coconut sugar can be replaced with brown sugar or honey.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Almond Coconut Bars

Share this:

almond tahini protein bites

January 5, 2016 by Jenna

Welcome to 2016. We are all about the healthy food and working out now, right?

I figured.

So let’s hit the gym and have these almond tahini protein bites as a delicious pre- or post-workout snack.

These little balls are made up of almonds, protein powder, dates, and tahini. That’s it.

Let’s review the benefits of each ingredient real quick, because there are a lot of good things to be said.

Almonds. Not only are these nuts are full of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, but they are also a great source of fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Oh, and they are delicious.
Protein Powder. This stuff is– you guessed it – a great source of protein. #surprise
Dates. These little things are rich in fiber, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants. They also serve as an awesome natural sweetener.
Tahini. This sesame butter is packed with fiber, protein, calcium, and B vitamins and adds such a unique flavor. This stuff isn’t just for hummus!

As you can see these almond tahini protein bites are full of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Plus they are super easy to make, delicious, vegan, gluten free, and paleo (depending on your protein powder and stance on tahini).

These protein bites are great as a running-between-errands-and/or-meetings type snack, but are absolutely perfect as a pre- or post-workout boost – before the workout to supply your body with the energy it needs to perform and after the workout to help repair the muscles you just wore out.

Sooo…uh… why wouldn’t you whip up a batch?

Before you go break out your food processor, I want to give a quick word on protein powders.

If you don’t have/use protein powder, you can totally leave it out of this recipe. However, if you work out and lift weights on a regular basis I would strongly recommend purchasing a one. General guidelines recommend only 10-35% of your daily calories to come from protein, but it is shocking to see how many people simply do not get enough. The amount you need varies person-to-person depending on your age, weight, sex, activity level, and goals, but having a protein powder to supplement your diet is a good idea.

There are a bunch of different types out there – milk, whey, egg, casein, soy, rice, etc. Try out different options to find the one you like best. Lately I’ve been leaning towards the plant-based powders like Vega and Sunwarrior.

I’m not recommending that you down a protein shake morning, noon, and night, but rather to use one as a supplement if you don’t fulfill your protein needs through whole foods. I’m not a registered dietician. That’s just my opinion.

Was that a rant? Idk.

Anwaysssssssss these are good, make them!!

almond tahini protein bites

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

These almond tahini protein bites full of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them perfect for a pre- or post-workout snack.

Serves: 8 bites

Ingredients

⅔ cup almonds
½ cup vanilla protein powder
7 dates, soaked in water
¼ cup tahini

Instructions

Process almonds for 3-4 minutes until it looks like a coarse powder. Add in the protein powder and pulse for a few times. Put in a separate bowl.
Add dates and 2 tablespoons water to the processor. Process for a minute, then add the tahini and process for 2 more minutes, stopping to scrap down as needed. It will form a thick paste.
Add back in the almond and protein powder mix, process until well combined.
Form into balls and store in an airtight container in the freezer.

Notes

If you don't use a protein powder you can omit it from the recipe; however, you may want to add honey, maple syrup, or vanilla extract to sweeten them up a bit.

Share this:

Almond Butter Trail Mix Cookies

June 6, 2015 by Jenna

Almond butter and trail mix got married. Then they had two dozen children. These are their children:

Almond butter trail mix cookies.

Aren’t they beautiful?

All they had to was combine with an egg and some brown sugar. Then BAM! these cookies were born.

And then this blog post got a little awkward so I’m ditching this analogy right… meow.

So these cookies! They are so easy to make. I made them the hard way and they were still easy.

The “hard” way = make your own almond butter and mix your own trail mix.

The “easy” way = buy almond butter and trail mix at the store.

No matter which path you tread you’ll end up with delicious cookies and that’s the most important part. Gotta love that salty-sweet combo.

And you know what? As far as cookies go, these aren’t so bad for you. They are primarily made up of healthy, whole ingredients (nuts, seeds, egg), but we throw in some brown sugar to make them a little more of an indulgence.

Live a little.

They are naturally gluten-free, so if your body hates gluten it will love these!

These almond butter trail mix cookies would be great companions for when you go camping. They seem like very outdoorsy-type cookies to me. Maybe because they have the word “trail” in them? IDK.

I did bring them along to a picnic and they were good. I ate them inside and they were still good. I recommend trying both out!

Almond Butter Trail Mix Cookies

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

33 mins

These almond butter trail mix cookies are basically just almond butter and trail mix with a few other ingredients. They are super simple to make! You can make your own almond butter and trail mix or buy your favorite at the store.

Serves: 2 dozen

Ingredients

2 cups almonds
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
⅓ cup salted sunflower seeds
⅓ cup roasted, salted peanuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Toast almonds in the oven for 7-10 minutes (oven doesn’t have to be fully pre-heated at this point) until toasted and fragrant. Let cool for a few minutes.
Place almonds in a food process and process for 5-10 minutes until it becomes smooth almond butter. You may have to stop it every so often to scrap down the sides. Once almonds have reached the desired consistency transfer to a bowl. Make sure this is about to room temperature before mixing with the other ingredients. It will make the dough easier to handle.
Add the egg, brown sugar, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Stir until completely combined.
Stir in the raisins, dark chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, and peanuts.
Roll dough into balls.
Optional step: refrigerate dough for 10-15 minutes before baking. This will result in denser cookies. If you don’t refrigerate they will spread a bit and will be thinner and crispier. They will be delicious either way!
and place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

You can use store bought almond butter rather than making your own. Use 1 cup.
You can replace the raisins, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, and peanuts with 1⅓ cups of your favorite trail mix.

Share this:

Beef Jerky & Cherry Trail Mix

April 11, 2015 by Jenna

Yeah, you read the title right: beef jerky and cherry trail mix.

The other day I was walking around the grocery store absent-mindedly wandering up and down the aisles looking at stuff. This happens when I don’t have a list and am not in a hurry. It’s actually quite enjoyable and I end up discovering brands and products I have never heard of.

So anywayssss I walking, stopping, staring, wandering, looking, touching, reading and then I spied this epic hunt and gather mix. And by epic, I mean EPIC. It’s beef jerky combined with trail mix. Brilliant. I was so intrigued that I wanted to try to mix up my own.

So I did. And I’m in love.

Let me talk about why.

NUMERO UNO: It is so easy to make.

Simply gather beef jerky, dried cherries, almonds, cashews, and pepitas, shake them up in a jar, and you are all set!

NUMMER ZWEI: It is a super healthy snack.

Each of these simple ingredients pack in a ton of health benefits to make this one powerhouse snack that will keep you energized throughout the day. It’s perfect for all you paleo eaters out there.

Almonds, cashews, and pepitas are high in healthy fats and minerals like magnesium, copper, zinc, and potassium.
Cherries are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
Beef jerky is full of protein.

NUMÉRO TROIS: It is delicious.

The trail mix is both sweet and savory. The tart cherries perfectly compliment the mesquite flavor of the beef jerky. The nuts and seeds add crunch and texture. Basically, it’s a mouthful of amazing.

This beef jerky and cherry trail mix is a snack trifecta: simple, healthy, and delicious.

OH, as an extra bonus, it is also super portable and is a great on-the-go snack. Bring some with to work for when those 2:30 hunger pangs hit. Put some in your gym bag for a high protein post-workout snack. Throw them in your purse for when you go on a brewery crawl and don’t want to eat a lot of bar food/food truck food.

Which is what I’m going to do later today… happy Saturday!

Beef Jerky & Cherry Trail Mix

Prep time

2 mins

Total time

2 mins

This healthy snack is a combination of beef jerky, dried cherries, almonds, cashews, and pepitas. It's delicious and packed full of protein to keep you energized throughout the day.

Serves: 3⅓ cups

Ingredients

3.5 ounces beef jerky
¾ cup dried cherries
¾ cup raw almonds
¾ cup raw cashews
⅓ cup pepitas

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an air-tight container.

Gimme.

Share this:

Harissa Hummus

January 31, 2015 by Jenna

Did you know that harissa is the new sriracha?! And that hummus is… well, still amazing and delicious as usual? So I present you with harissa hummus.

Harissa is a hot chili pepper paste used in a lot of North African cuisine. I first heard about it after stumbling upon this post a few months back and decided that harissa needed to be in my life ASAP. I whipped up a batch and fell in love. This stuff is so delicious.

Don’t get me wrong I still do (and always will) love sriracha, but there is room for two hot sauces in my life.

Last week after noticing a surplus of garbanzo beans in my cupboard I decided it was time to make some hummus. It had been forever since I’ve made any and I already had all the ingredients on hand. Plus, I’m obsessed with my Vitamix (I use it every day, sometimes twice a day), so really any excuse to pull it out.

When I went to grab my jar of tahini out of the fridge I noticed the harissa next to it and grabbed that too. It was a good idea. The creaminess of the garbanzo beans cuts the heat from the harissa, so that it’s not overpowering, but leaves you with that perfect amount of kick.

Have you ever made hummus before? Sometimes I forget how sooo super simple it is to make! Just throw everything in a blender or food processor and BAM. Hummus. Even my little magic bullet could handle processing a batch (it just took some extra patience).

This harissa hummus is smooth and creamy. It’s healthy. It’s delicious. And it has just the right amount of heat. Serve it with a bunch of veggies and pretzels. It’s good with pita chips too. Or spread on a piece of toast with a fried egg. People, there are so many possibilities here.

I suggest that you add it to your Super Bowl spread. At some point in the day you may want a break from chicken wings and cheese and decide that it could be a good idea to consume some veggies and hummus. Maybe you won’t, but I am just sayin, maybe you will.

Harissa Hummus

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

This harissa hummus is quick & simple to make, healthy, just a little bit spicy, and super delicious. Serve it with a bunch of veggies and pretzels.

Ingredients

15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained, ¼ cup of reserved liquid
½ lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons tahini paste
2 tablespoons harissa
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Place the hummus in a bowl, drizzle some additional harissa on top, and serve with veggies and pretzels.

Also, please go make these cookies. I baked them and brought them into work last week and they are so, so, so, so good. I really think you’ll like them.

Share this:

jenna.faye.ivey