Homemade Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip "Lara Bars"

My oldest has been loving the peanut butter chocolate chip Lara Bars. Which, I am ok with, but they get pricey. I've seen a few good recipes floating around Pinterest, so figured I would combine a couple recipes.

Homemade Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip "Lara Bars"

I modified this recipe from Against All Grain

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1/2 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (or any nut butter)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (without the white outer shell)
• 5 medjool dates (pitted)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Combine the vanilla, honey, peanut butter, and coconut oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. While the mixture is heating, place all of the nuts and dates in a food processor and chop until the mixture resembles course sand.
3.  Add the shredded coconut and sunflower seeds and pulse a few times until the sunflower seeds are roughly chopped.
4. Remove the coconut oil mixture from the stove once it has melted, then stir in the nut mixture, along with the chocolate chips. 
5. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, then pour the granola bar mixture into the pan.
   
6. Place another piece of parchment on top, and use your palms to press the mixture into the pan evenly. Make sure to pack it down as tightly as possible. This will help the bars bind and not crumble. 
7. Place in the freezer to set for 2 hours. Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into rectangles.
   
8. You can store these in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or the freezer for a few months. If storing in the freezer, remove the bars for about 20 minutes prior to serving.
   

Super Protein Packed Pancakes

I love a good healthy pancake recipe for the littles. It's such a fast, easy, nutritious, and delicious breakfast for them.

This recipe is packed with protein from **pastured eggs, sprouted chia seeds, and banana!  No sugar, just a touch of organic maple syrup to finish!

Super Protein Packed Pancakes

*yeilds 8 silver dollar size pancakes

1 banana mashed

2 pastured eggs

1 tsp sprouted chia seeds

I love This One 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp coconut flour

1 tsp almond flour

2 pinches of pink sea salt

 Instructions:

-Mash the banana

-Add eggs and whisk well until combined

-Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk again well

-Let mixture sit for 5 min, so that the coconut flour and chia seeds have time to absorb the liquid

-Heat skillet to medium heat and grease pan well with clarified butter (ghee) or grapeseed oil

-Add batter to the pre heated skillet. I find silver dollar size are perfect for the kids and are easier to flip

-Cook until golden on each side. About 2 min per side or less

-Enjoy!!

** If you can get your hands on pastured eggs...do so. They are a bit more expensive, but so much healthier. I can attest to the fact, that pastured eggs taste WAY better than any other. Their yolks are typically orange to deep yellow in color. The Free range I buy on occasion are light yellow. You can tell just by the color that pastured eggs are much more nutrient dense.

Pastured chickens eat what they are supposed to...bugs!  Free range are ok, and Cage free are the least desirable. Cage free may simply mean they get out of their cages for an hour a day. It really means nothing, in my opinion. Still better than conventional eggs though. 

Paleo Grain Free Pancakes -two different recipes

My little guy, has a super sensitive stomach. He really can't eat any grains, not even gluten free ones at this point. His older brother eats gluten free pancakes on occasion, and the poor little guy wants pancakes like big brother.  I started making these for my youngest, but both boys eat these almost every morning. I typically make a double batch.  I just made these up one day, and they surprisingly taste pretty good. I've been experimenting with a few different recipes. The first on (one using eggs). I think tastes the best. Saying that, if you need an egg free recipe, the second one is pretty dang good considering what's in it...or should I say what's missing from it. My little one gobbles both of them up.

Paleo-ish Apple Banana Pancakes -egg version 

*these have more of a classic pancake feel to them

(Yeilds about 8 silver dollar size pancakes)

- 1 banana mashed

- 2 eggs

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp coconut flour

1 tsp almond flour (you can omit this and they will turn out fine)

Pinch of sea salt

Ghee or butter for cooking

Instructions:

- Mash the banana

- Mix together all ingredients

- Heat a skillet to medium heat. Put a good amount of ghee or butter in a pan. Drop by Tablespoonfuls and cook until nice and brown on each side.   Be gentle with them, I find making them on the smaller side helps. 

- Serve with organic real maple syrup. 

Enjoy!

Here is the egg, dairy, nut, and gluten free recipe:

Paleo Apple Banana "Pancakes" -egg, nut, dairy, gluten free recipe

1 medium apple peeled and shredded with a large shred cheese grater

*Optional* shred one small carrot on a fine shred cheese grater

1/2 banana mashed

1 TBS of sunflower seed butter.  Any nut butter would do. The sunflower butter does have a mild flavor. 

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp vanilla

Pinch of sea salt

Ghee or butter for cooking

-Shred the apple and carrot

-Squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the shredded apple and carrot. I used a nut milk bag. You can also use cheesecloth, or gently squeeze between some heavy duty good quality paper towels. Then set in a bowl. 

- Mash the banana and cream together the banana and nut butter until smooth. 

- Mix in the remaining ingredients, and combine the apples and carrots with the banana mixture. 

- Try not to get weirded out by the color. The bananas tend to turn really brown, and make the batter a very dark color ;)

- Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Put a good amount of ghee or butter in a pan. Drop by Tablespoonfuls and flatten out in the pan until nice and brown on each side. 

- Serve with organic real maple syrup. 

Enjoy!