Snacks

Calling all chia pudding lovers! If you enjoy a good chia pudding every now and then, you need to try this Cherry Chamomile Chia Pudding with Pistachios and Coconut Cream! It’s the perfect post-supper or pre-bedtime treat. Chia is a great way to fill up and ward off hunger, and this pudding is a delicious way to incorporate chia into your diet! It’s like eating dessert, but it’s totally clean eating! And the bonus? With ingredients like cherries, chamomile and pistachios it might even help you relax and sleep a little better!

So cherries are finally in season! And over the past week I’ve gone through two full bags! I had a list of cherry inspired recipes that I wanted to try, so it didn’t take long to go through my bulk purchase of cherries. This Cherry Chamomile Chia Pudding was the first recipe on my list, and it didn’t disappoint! (Well, it didn’t disappoint me. Hopefully, you will agree!).

If you are new to chia puddings – welcome! You’ve found a good place to start! Even though there might seem to be a lot going on with this pudding, it’s really easy to make. And not only does it make a great snack but it could also be enjoyed as a dessert or even breakfast. This recipe makes four large puddings, so if you make this recipe during your meal prep on Sunday, you can have healthy snacks and breakfasts readily available during the week.

The base of this Cherry Chamomile Chia Pudding is almond milk, ground white chia seeds, chamomile tea, honey and coconut. I prefer ground chia seeds in my chia pudding but if you prefer them whole, you can absolutely add whole chia seeds (black or white) to this recipe. Just add the milk, chia, tea, honey and coconut to a bowl and stir until well combined. I’m also not a fan of runny puddings, so I use a lot of chia seeds in my chia pudding. If you don’t like thick pudding, just use less chia! This recipe is totally adaptable to your pudding likes and dislikes! Once mixed together, store the pudding in the fridge for a few hours to let it set.

While the pudding is setting up, you can make the cherry chia jam, which is just cherries, water and chia seeds stewed together to make jam! When you are ready to assemble the Cherry Chamomile Chia Pudding, just add the pudding to the bottom of a glass or small mason jar, and then top with jam! Ordinarily, I would top a cherry recipe with chocolate. Because nothing pairs together better than cherries and dark chocolate (okay, maybe peanut butter and chocolate….or coconut and chocolate 🙂 Yum!). But since I’ve been eating this as a nighttime snack, I figured I would forgo the chocolate! But if you were eating this earlier in the day, you could totally add dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs!

But……you know I couldn’t just leave the pudding without some sort of topping! Right? So I added some pistachios, which are filling and colourful, and also, apparently, another food that is good for sleep 🙂 . (Is it totally obvious I’ve been googling better foods for sleep?!?).

And you might have noticed that there is some coconut cream on this Cherry Chamomile Chia Pudding too! I know, you are probably thinking, does this girl add coconut cream to everything? Yup. These days I pretty much do. There is always some whipped up in the fridge or a can of coconut milk in the fridge waiting to be whipped up! The coconut cream adds a nice taste and change in consistency to the pudding. The cream recipe is the same one I used for this Almond Butter Strawberry Shortcake Tart. The coconut cream is not necessary for this chia pudding recipe, but come on, it doesn’t really hurt! And if you want this pudding for dessert, then the cream is probably a must! Right?

You should definitely give this recipe a whirl before fresh cherries are out of season! Just sayin’ 😉

Cherry Chamomile Chia Pudding with Pistachios and Coconut Cream

If you are a chia pudding lover, you need to try this Cherry Chamomile Chia Pudding with Pistachios and Coconut Cream! Clean eating and loaded with fibre, this pudding makes a great make ahead snack, dessert or breakfast. And with cherries, chamomile and pistachios it might even help you sleep!

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 3 hours
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Snacks

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Chamomile chia pudding:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup chamomile tea (cooled)
• 6–8 tbsp. ground white chia seeds (see notes below)
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened coconut

Cherry chia jam:

• 2 cups cherries (pitted and chopped)
• 3 tbsp. black chia seeds
• 1/4 cup water

Coconut cream and pistachio topping:

• 1 can of full fat coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup pistachios

Instructions

1. Chamomile chia pudding: In a medium sized bowl, add the almond milk, tea, white ground chia, honey and coconut and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight, until the pudding has set.
2. Cherry chia jam: In a small sauce pan, add the cherries and water. Bring to a low boil. Cook until cherries start to soften (about 10 minutes). Mash the cherries slightly. It’s okay if there are some cherry chunks remaining. Stir in the black chia seeds and simmer on low for a few minutes. Stir the jam to ensure it does not burn on. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 20 minutes.
3. Coconut cream and pistachio topping: To prepare the coconut cream, refrigerate the can of coconut milk overnight. Scoop the solidified coconut milk off the top and add to a bowl along with the maple syrup, cinnamon and almond extract. Beat on high with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes, or until the coconut cream is smooth.
4. Assemble the Cherry Chamomile Chia Pudding: Divide the chamomile pudding evenly amongst 4 glasses or mason jars. Then, layer on the cherry chia jam, again dividing evenly amongst the 4 glasses. Top with coconut cream and pistachios. Eat immediately or refrigerate for later! The puddings are best if consumed within 2-3 days.

Notes

1. If you don’t have ground white chia seeds, you can use whole white or black chia seeds. If you prefer ground chia seeds in your pudding but don’t have any, just add all the pudding ingredients to a blender instead of stirring them together.
2. If you prefer your chia pudding a little runnier (8 tbsp. in this recipe will make the pudding super thick), just use less chia.

Are you in the mood for some healthy, wholesome Oat and Quinoa Date Squares? This recipe has lots of fiber, protein and clean eating ingredients like oats, quinoa, almond butter, dates and honey. These date squares make the perfect on-the-go breakfast, mid-morning snack, and, of course, dessert. I’m pretty excited to share this recipe!

So, you already know that I love carrot cake, and it is usually my go-to birthday cake. (I’ll definitely be requesting this Coconut Carrot Bundt Cake for my birthday this year 🙂 . Well, I also enjoy a good date square, and have been known to request these for my birthday too! Actually, truth be told, I enjoy any kind of crumb topped square/cookie (hence, the name of my blog!). But there is something about the crumbly texture of sweet, baked oats paired with softened dates that is just so delicious. So, no surprise, but when I started clean eating, I made it my mission to create a clean date square recipe. And that’s when I came up with the ingredients for these Oat and Quinoa Date Squares.

Once I decided to cut out a lot of processed foods (or at least try to!), I made my way to Costco and purchased steel-cut oats, quinoa, almond butter, dates and a number of other items, all in bulk sizes! Needless to say, these items are now staples in my house. (Okay, so I bought so much I had no choice but to make them staples!). And now with all the ingredients on hand, I usually whip up a batch of these Oat and Quinoa Date Squares every few weeks. That also means I’ve had lots of time to perfect the recipe before sharing. And by perfect, I mean, finding the perfect ratio of oat/quinoa crumbs to ooey, gooey date filling!

So now that you know this recipe has been thoroughly tested, let’s get to the ingredients! For the crumbly oat/quinoa base and topping, I used steel-cut oats, large flaked oats, and quinoa flakes. Side note: I found quinoa flakes at Bulk Barn. And I will admit I didn’t know they existed and only found them because I enjoy strolling up and down the aisles at Bulk Barn looking for inspiration and unique ingredients. Most of the time I have no real plan for what I purchase, but I always have a plan to experiment in some way! If you don’t have quinoa flakes, no worries, you can use additional oats. But I would definitely use the two different types of oats in this recipe. The large oat flakes and the smaller (nuttier looking) steel-cut oats, provide a nice contrast in look and flavor.

I decided to sweeten up the dry ingredients with a little bit of coconut sugar and cinnamon and then stuck the dry ingredients together with a honey/almond butter mixture. To bring this combination to a crumbly texture, the easiest thing to do is just throw your hands into it. This can obviously be messy, so you can also use an electric mixer. I first tried stirring the mixture together with a spoon, but using your hands or a mixer is much easier!

The date mixture, or date paste, is simply made from dates, maple syrup and almond milk, stewed together over low heat for 15-20 minutes. As the dates absorb the liquid they start to soften, which makes them really easy to mash up. To get a really smooth date paste, however, instead of mashing, I throw the mixture into my blender and blend on high for a few minutes. I’m not going to lie, this creates even more of a mess. And, at this point, you’ve already dirtied a few bowls, a sauce pan, possibly a mixer, and if you are anything like me, a gazillion spoons! (I’m a constant taste tester!). So, my apologies, but this is not a one bowl and done date square recipe 🙂

Once the oat/quinoa mixture and date paste are ready, just press half the crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased pan, layer with the date paste and then press the remaining crumb mixture on top. I know with traditional date squares, the crumb mixture is usually left a little looser and crumbly on top, but I’ve learned that to keep these Oat and Quinoa Date Squares together, it is best to press the squares firmly into the pan before baking. (Don’t worry, they will still be awesomely crumbly once baked!)

Another thing I’ve learned after making these Oat and Quinoa Date Squares multiple times is not to leave the date paste at room temperature for too long. As I was taking photos while making this recipe, the date paste cooled before I had a chance to add it to the crumb base. This made the paste extra sticky and a bit difficult to spread. Don’t get me wrong. The squares still turned out well, but it did require a bit of patience. So, I’m just saying, don’t dilly dally while making these! I’m not sure why you would want to though! The sooner these Oat and Quinoa Date Squares get in the oven, the sooner they can get in your belly 😉 .

Enjoy! 🙂

Oat and Quinoa Date Squares

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

These Oat and Quinoa Date Squares are full of fiber, protein and clean eating ingredients like almond butter, dates and honey. They also have two different types of oats as well as quinoa flakes. They are super delicious and make a great on-the-go breakfast, mid-morning snack, or dessert!

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 16 1x
• Category: Dessert

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
• 1 cup large flaked oats (quick cooking)
• 1 cup quinoa flakes (or use a mix of additional oats)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup natural almond butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 1/2 cups of dates
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8″ square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the steel-cut oats, large flaked oats, quinoa flakes, coconut sugar and cinnamon.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the almond butter and honey.
4. Add the almond butter/honey mixture to the oat/quinoa mixture and stir until well combined. (Use your hands or an electric mixer).
5. In the meantime, add the dates, maple syrup and almond milk to a medium-sized sauce pan and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. If the mixture comes to a boil, that’s okay. Just reduce the heat and keep stirring so it doesn’t burn on.
6. Once the dates have absorbed the liquid and softened, remove from heat and mash with a fork or a potato masher. For a smoother texture, use a blender (be careful as the mixture will be hot). Blend on high until mixture becomes a smooth paste.
7. Pour half of the oat/quinoa mixture into the greased pan and press firmly to cover the bottom of the pan. Next, spread the date paste over the crumb mixture. Then add the remaining oat/quinoa mixture on top of the dates and press firmly to cover the top.
8. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
10. Once cooled completely, gently lift the date squares out of the pan with a knife and cut into 16 pieces.
11. The date squares can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days. You can also freeze them to enjoy later.

Notes

1. I suggest using an 8″ square plan, but if you want a thinner date square, you could use a 9″ square pan. I did this once and it was fine. Just note that the date paste will need to be spread out much thinner in order to cover the crumb base.
2. When mixing together the almond butter and honey, if your almond butter is a bit firm and doesn’t easily combine with the honey, just pop the mixture (both the honey and almond butter) in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to soften it.
3. I used whole pitted dried dates in this recipe. But I’ve also used chopped medjool dates. Both work well in this recipe. If you chop your dates, the stewing time may decrease and they may be easier to mash. Also, medjool dates are a bit softer than dried dates.
4. It is best to spread the date paste on the crumb base when it is still warm. Once it cools it becomes stickier and more difficult to spread.

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Dipped Cookies, what’s not to like? They make a great dessert or snack, but you can also eat them for breakfast. Yes, breakfast! Seriously, with ingredients such as quinoa flakes, flax meal and almond butter, even a chocolate dipped cookie can be appropriate for breakfast!

I’ve made these Fruit and Nut Chocolate Dipped Cookies a few times, and tried different combinations of dried fruits and nuts – cherries, cranberries, blueberries, walnuts, almonds, and pistachios.  While every batch has been tasty, my latest batch, which includes dried goji berries, strawberries, pineapple, cashews and pecans, is my favorite! These cookies are still hearty, but the selection of dried fruit, along with the coconut topping, balances out the heartiness and gives them a sweet, spring-like taste.

One batch makes 12 cookies and they freeze really well. So you can make these on a Sunday afternoon and store them in your freezer for a quick and easy breakfast or snack during the week.  And a bonus – they don’t take long to assemble and only take 10-12 minutes to bake (plus some time for chocolate dipping!).

A lot of times, dipping cookies in chocolate can be messy and time consuming. But since this recipe only makes a small batch, and you are only dipping half the cookie in chocolate, it really doesn’t get too messy.  If I can do this with minimal mess, anyone can!

You could eat these cookies without the chocolate coating, especially if you are looking for a really healthy version,  but I’m going to be honest, the dark chocolate makes these cookies.  It adds a little decadent touch, both in how the cookies taste and how they look!  Besides, dark chocolate is clean eating, right? 😉

Notice that there are only 11 cookies in the picture above, and I said this recipe makes a dozen…….

What can I say? Taking photos is hungry work. YUM 🙂

If you make this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Dipped Cookies

These cookies are made mostly with clean ingredients, so go ahead and make them as a “healthier” dessert or filling snack. With ingredients such as quinoa flakes, flax meal and almond butter, they are loaded with fibre and protein.

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x
• Category: Dessert; Snack; Breakfast

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. egg whites
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup almond milk
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1/8 cup almond butter
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup quinoa flakes
• 1 tbsp. flax meal
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 3/4 dried fruit and nut mixture (I used dried goji berries, strawberries, pineapple, cashews and pecans)
• 3oz. dark chocolate baking squares
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil (solid)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (could also use sweetened coconut)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12×16 cookie sheet.
2. Mix together the egg whites, olive oil, almond butter, honey and almond milk. I use an electric mixer and beat on high for 2-3 minutes to ensure the ingredients are well combined. The honey and almond butter require a bit of work to blend into the other ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, quinoa flakes, flax meal, salt, baking soda and pumpkin spice.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until well combined. Add in fruit and nut mixture and stir until combined. The mixture may be a bit crumbly but should be doughy enough to stick together.
5. Roll mixture into 2 inch balls and lay on the baking sheet. Use a fork or spoon to flatten out balls slightly. They will not flatten or spread out much while baking.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool another 20 minutes.
7. Place parchment paper or wax paper on a large plate or baking sheet. Melt chocolate and coconut oil over low heat (stirring often). Dip half the cookie in the chocolate mixture. Let the excess chocolate drip off before placing the cookie on the parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle the chocolate side with coconut before the chocolate dries. Repeat with each cookie.
8. Place the cookies in the fridge for 2 hours, or until the chocolate has set. Makes 12 cookies.
9. Store cookies in airtight container and consume within 3 days. Cookies do not need to be refrigerated. Cookies will also keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.