Quinoa-Coconut
Granola Bites
I had been looking for a cookie that combines all natural ingredients, is healthy and last, but not least, tastes great! I am part of the Vega community and was emailed a recipe that fit the bill. With a few changes, these delightful granola bites were born.
They closely resemble Quaker granola bars in texture (not a cookie), however pack much more flavour. These granola bites are soft, chewy, chocolatey and oh so yummy. They have no refined sugar or preservatives like a lot of store-bought brands do.
I used amber, viscous honey to sweeten, which has numerous healing properties and provides a quick boost of nourishing energy. These granola bites are loaded with protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals – a great way to start your day or have for an afternoon pick-me up.
Granola Bites
I had been looking for a cookie that combines all natural ingredients, is healthy and last, but not least, tastes great! I am part of the Vega community and was emailed a recipe that fit the bill. With a few changes, these delightful granola bites were born.
They closely resemble Quaker granola bars in texture (not a cookie), however pack much more flavour. These granola bites are soft, chewy, chocolatey and oh so yummy. They have no refined sugar or preservatives like a lot of store-bought brands do.
I used amber, viscous honey to sweeten, which has numerous healing properties and provides a quick boost of nourishing energy. These granola bites are loaded with protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals – a great way to start your day or have for an afternoon pick-me up.
Ready for low temp. oven.
Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 cup rolled large flake oats
½ cup coconut (shredded, unsweetened)
½ cup natural almond butter
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp chia OR flax, ground
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla bean
¼ cup miniature chocolate chips (I used vegan)
1. Wash ½ cup dry quinoa well in between your finger tips, then drain water. Add just about 1 cup of water to quinoa and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes (you want it to be on the drier side). Let the quinoa cool completely (I put it in the fridge until cool…10 minutes).
2. Preheat oven to 170 F. Combine the cooled, cooked quinoa with the oats, coconut, vanilla and cinnamon. Combine the almond butter, honey and ground flax or chia. Now combine both mixtures well with your clean hands. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop tablespoons onto it and flatten them with your fingers to make sure they are tightly formed. You can also press a Tbsp into cookie cutters which works nicely.
4. Bake at low temperature for an hour. Makes about 28 small granola bites.
Note: You can use peanut butter as well, or ¼ of each (they are delicious both ways). If you are using pure vanilla extract, then combine it with the wet ingredients.
You can make them your own by picking different ingredients to add in! Try using any combination of sunflower seeds, raisins, chopped dried fruits, candy-coated chocolate pieces, chopped nuts, etc.
2. Preheat oven to 170 F. Combine the cooled, cooked quinoa with the oats, coconut, vanilla and cinnamon. Combine the almond butter, honey and ground flax or chia. Now combine both mixtures well with your clean hands. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop tablespoons onto it and flatten them with your fingers to make sure they are tightly formed. You can also press a Tbsp into cookie cutters which works nicely.
4. Bake at low temperature for an hour. Makes about 28 small granola bites.
Note: You can use peanut butter as well, or ¼ of each (they are delicious both ways). If you are using pure vanilla extract, then combine it with the wet ingredients.
You can make them your own by picking different ingredients to add in! Try using any combination of sunflower seeds, raisins, chopped dried fruits, candy-coated chocolate pieces, chopped nuts, etc.
Whole Food Sneak Peak:
Honey
Honey is made by bees in an elegantly natural process, designed for their nourishment. Bee’s makes on average only 1/12 of a tsp of honey in its entire life time. The honeybee first travels several miles to collect nectar from local flowers into its mouth. When the nectar is in its mouth it turns into honey through a chemical reaction triggered by enzymes in the bee’s saliva, which is then deposited into the walls of the hive. The rapid movement of the bee’s wings aerates the honey and makes it thick and ready to eat.
Honey
Honey is made by bees in an elegantly natural process, designed for their nourishment. Bee’s makes on average only 1/12 of a tsp of honey in its entire life time. The honeybee first travels several miles to collect nectar from local flowers into its mouth. When the nectar is in its mouth it turns into honey through a chemical reaction triggered by enzymes in the bee’s saliva, which is then deposited into the walls of the hive. The rapid movement of the bee’s wings aerates the honey and makes it thick and ready to eat.
Textures and flavours are dependent on which flowers the honeybees choose. It can be amber in color or red, brown and even nearly black. Honey is a source of riboflavin, vitamin B6, C, D and E, iron, phytochemicals, antioxidants, flavonoids and manganese.
The health benefits of a particular honey depend on its processing as well as the quality of the flowers the bees utilize when collecting the pollen. Raw honey has not been pasteurized, clarified or filtered, which typically allows it to retain more of the healthful phytochemicals lost to the standard processing of honey. Look for pure, raw honey.
The health benefits of a particular honey depend on its processing as well as the quality of the flowers the bees utilize when collecting the pollen. Raw honey has not been pasteurized, clarified or filtered, which typically allows it to retain more of the healthful phytochemicals lost to the standard processing of honey. Look for pure, raw honey.
Honey, particularly darker honey (buckwheat honey), is a rich source of phenolic compounds that exert significant antioxidant activity. A recent human research study showed that daily consumption of honey actually improves blood antioxidant levels and helps prevent lipid peroxidation.
Honey is an excellent source of quick energy, thus the reason many athletes ingest it before, during and after training. It helps stabilize blood sugar levels, reduce metabolic stress and insulin resistance. Honey facilitates restorative sleep by contributing to the release of melatonin.
Honey is an excellent source of quick energy, thus the reason many athletes ingest it before, during and after training. It helps stabilize blood sugar levels, reduce metabolic stress and insulin resistance. Honey facilitates restorative sleep by contributing to the release of melatonin.
It also has wound-healing properties. Honey has been used topically as an antiseptic therapeutic agent for the treatment of ulcers, burns and wounds for centuries. Honey has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which help fight infections from viruses, bacteria and fungi. When it comes to coughs and colds, honey coats your throat and helps relieve irritation (Last year I had a nagging cough that was settled by a spoonful of honey).
Avoid giving honey to children under 1 year old. It can lead to infantile botulism (a condition in which the spores in honey germinate into bacteria in the bowel and become toxic).
Honey is a great replacement for sugar. ½-3/4 cup honey is equivalent to 1 cup of sugar. Honey is excellent drizzled over fruit, oats and granola; combines well with nut butters and bananas; honey-roasted nuts; add to sweet potatoes; and smoothies.
Avoid giving honey to children under 1 year old. It can lead to infantile botulism (a condition in which the spores in honey germinate into bacteria in the bowel and become toxic).
Honey is a great replacement for sugar. ½-3/4 cup honey is equivalent to 1 cup of sugar. Honey is excellent drizzled over fruit, oats and granola; combines well with nut butters and bananas; honey-roasted nuts; add to sweet potatoes; and smoothies.
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