So you know I’m all about getting in the kitchen, getting my hands dirty and recipe testing all kinds of things! Well, the other day while flipping through the PALEO magazine, I saw a great recipe for Almond Clusters and decided to take it up a notch and make my own version.
What ended up was 12 delicious, protein rich, fat rich (you know, the good fats!) clusters that were gone in 2 days!
My boyfriend took some to his athletes at work, I ate a few, he ate a few and well, before you know it, they were all gone!
I actually love it when food goes fast. It means it was that good!
These perfect energy fuelling bites are great pre workout, for a quick out-the-door breakfast (although, you might need some extra protein in there), or an afternoon snack.
I’ve been super busy over here working on some top secret projects (one is a 7 day intensive detox program with amazing supplements included and the other project is all around beauty care). That’s all I can share for now! Keep your eyes peeled for more details coming soon.
Anyhow, these delicious clusters were perfect for fuelling my brain and energy while I was busy working away on my projects.
I loaded them up with pumpkin seeds which is rich in zinc, an important mineral for immunity, skin health (it’s great for acne) and for sex hormones!
Along with zinc, you’ll also get a dose of vitamin E, magnesium, B6 and calcium. Not to mention blood sugar stabilizing protein and fat (key in keeping your moods in check and hormones happy!).
Oh! And best part, these take 10 minutes to make and are free of junk. Meaning, no need for you to buy store bought bars when you can make your own. Swap out the nuts and nut butter for seeds/seed butter and they’re safe for school.
Hope you enjoy these Almond Vanilla Protein Clusters as much as I do!
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup thompson raisins
- 1/2 cup raw almond butter
- 2 scoops Progressive Organic Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
- 3 heaping tbsps raw honey
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a food processor fitted with the S blade, process the almonds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, ginger and sea salt until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
- Stir in the coconut and raisins.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt together the almond butter, protein powder, honey and applesauce. When mixture is smooth and combined, pour over nut mix.
- Stir together until all nuts are evenly coated and thoroughly mixed.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cups. You may need to slightly wet your hands in order to press the mixture down into the cups and keep your fingers from sticking.
- Eat as is or store in the fridge to cool. Clusters can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
- *Get creative! Feel free to swap out the raisins for dried blueberries or cherries. For some extra sweetness, you can add in some chocolate chips. You can also try using brown rice syrup or maple syrup in replace of raw honey. As for the nuts and seeds, try using cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds or even hemp seeds.
Why are these bars a powerhouse? They contain antioxidant rich pumpkin! Pumpkin is loaded carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, all of which help to protect your eyes and prevent the formation of cataracts. Pumpkin also contains high amounts of vitamin A and C, both of which help keep your skin supple and improve immunity. You’ll notice this recipe also contains pumpkin seeds. These little green gems contains 7 grams of protein per 1 ounce serving, plus they are high in zinc which keeps your immunity strong! Let’s not forget the essential fatty acid content of these little seeds – great for inflammatory issues, cancer prevention and heart health.
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