Healthy Nutella! (Vegan, Sugar Free, Gluten Free)

Hi guys!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I'm hoping to make it up to you with this vegan, healthy nutella recipe! This honestly tastes exactly like normal nutella, only 100 times better for you! I love having mine on banana buckwheat pancakes for breakfast, or just dipping berries into it as a snack after school.

I use raw cacao to make my nutella, which is the unrefined version of cocoa powder. Cacao is one of the most powerful antioxidants, even more than berries! These antioxidants protect the body from ageing and disease. Cacao is also rich in magnesium, which is great for healthy skin, hair and nails as well as a healthy liver and pancreas. Cacao has also been found to regulate blood pressure and reduce cholesterol, whilst building the immune system.  Normal cocoa powder is stripped of all these nutrients in the production process, so although it tastes exactly the same raw cacao is definitely a healthier choice! However, if you don't have cacao, you can substitute it for normal cocoa powder, just bare in mind you may have to add a little more as cacao is more concentrated therefore stronger in flavour.

Hope you like the recipe!

Makes enough for 1 regular sized jam jar full.

You will need: 

• 250g hazelnuts 
• 4 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 4 tbsp brown rice syrup or any liquid sweetener of your choice
• 5 tbsp almond milk 
• A food processor - you could also use a blender or nutribullet, but the nutella won't be as smooth as the normal one!

Preheat your oven to 170C. 

Line a baking tray with baking paper, and spread out your hazelnuts. Bake for 20 mins until shells are dark brown and starting to flake off. 

Remove all of the shells by rubbing the nuts between your fingers, this is a really important step otherwise your nutella will be a bit grainy!

Soak the shelled nuts in water for at least 30 minutes, or longer preferably for easier blending!

Add the nuts to your food processor, and blitz until a smooth nut butter forms (the texture of smooth peanut butter), then add your cacao and sweetener. Blitz again, and add almond milk until you reach your desired consistency.

Spoon the nutella into a jar and store it in the fridge for up to a week, if it lasts that long!

Moo x

Chocolate Iced Oat Cookies! (Vegan, Gluten-free)

Hi everyone!

Today I'm going to be telling you how to make my chocolate chip oat cookies. These are a great quick and easy snack and really cheap to make! I love taking them in my lunch boxes to school or on a picnic. 

Due to the oats they are very high in fibre, so unlike bought cookies they will keep you full for longer and give you lots of energy throughout the day. As they have no refined sugar in, they will also keep your blood sugar levels stable so you won't get a sugar high and then sugar crash after eating them! Maple syrup also contains more minerals than honey, it is a good source of calcium, iron, potassium and manganese making it a really beneficial sugar substitute!

You will need:

• 100g self raising gluten free flour
• 100g melted coconut oil (plus a bit extra for icing)
• 75g maple syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice
• 75g rolled oats
• 1 chia egg (mix 1 tbsp chia seeds with 3 tbsp water and leave to form a gel)
• 100g dark chocolate (you can buy this, or sometimes I make my own to make it healthier using coconut oil, cacao and maple syrup)
• A splash of almond milk if necessary

Simply mix your wet ingredients, combine with the dry ingredients and add a little almond milk if the consistency is too crumbly. Form into balls and flatten on a baking sheet, then bake on 180C for around 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.

While the cookies are cooling begin to make your icing by melting your chocolate with a little coconut oil. Once melted, take off the heat and stir constantly until you get a thick icing (this way it won't drip off the sides of your cookies). Spread onto the cookies once they're cool, and decorate with toppings of your choice. I like almonds, goji berries and more chia seeds on mine!

Hope you liked the recipe, please tag me on instagram if you make any of my recipes so I can see your pictures!

Moo x