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Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars {Alida's Kitchen}

Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars #SundaySupper

Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars {Alida's Kitchen} Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars are easy, no-bake bars made nut-free with sunflower seed butter, and topped with a layer of semi-sweet chocolate. They are also gluten-free.  

With back-to-school just around the corner, we are starting to think about ideas for what to pack for school lunch.  Something nutritious, delicious and easy isn’t too much to ask, right?  A little variety might be nice too.  Fortunately, today I am joining the Sunday Supper Movement, and the theme is ‘lunch box.’  Several wonderful bloggers have come up with fantastic recipes and ideas to help solve the lunchbox dilemma.  These are recipes are helpful when packing your own lunch to bring to work!  You can find links to all of the wonderful recipes at the bottom of this post.  But first, let’s talk about these Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars!    

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sunflower seed butter buttermilk waffles

Sunbutter Waffles

Sunbutter Waffles - whole wheat, buttermilk waffles made nut-free with sunflower seed butter.  Kids LOVE these!

Sunbutter Waffles are whole wheat, buttermilk waffles made with sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter (or other nut butter), making them a nut-free alternative.  While perfect just as-is, we also enjoy them topped with additional sunbutter, berries or maple syrup.

We have had a waffles iron for years, but for whatever reason it hasn’t been used much…well, until recently.  If you’re a regular reader, you know how much my Adam loves pancakes.  At least once per week, I make his favorite kind(s) of pancakes to load up the freezer and/or just to have on hand.  Sometimes I would end up making a double (or triple!) batch.  On my small little griddle, this exercise could take hours.  A labor of love I guess.  These days, with a newborn in the house, it’s a bit tricky to devote that much time to cooking or baking anything.  On a whim, I decided to try my hand at waffles.  Due to Adam’s peanut allergy, I opted to transform my beloved peanut butter waffles into sunbutter waffles.  I was pleased to discover cooking waffles is much quicker than flipping pancakes.  And Adam had 5 waffles for breakfast that day.   Operation waffle was a success!

Sunbutter Waffles - healthy whole wheat, buttermilk waffles made nut-free with sunflower seed butter.  Kids LOVE these!

 

For another recipe using sunbutter, try these Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars.  They make a great snack!

Sunbutter Waffles
 
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 6 tablespoons sunflower seed butter
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  2. In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer, beat oil and sunflower seed butter until smooth. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and stir until incorporated.
  3. Add buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until combined. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat waffle iron. Cook waffles according to the manufacturer directions for your waffle iron.
Notes
Note: Store leftovers in the refrigerator and toast to reheat. These also freeze well.

Adapted from Everyday Food

 

Sunny Blossoms

Sunny Blossoms are a peanut-free twist on the classic cookie.  While Peanut Blossoms are always a favorite, the need for peanut-free treats are becoming more common.  So in an effort to make a peanut-free alternative, enter Sunny Blossoms, made with sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.  I used my grandma’s recipe as a base and went from there.  Being the peanut butter diehard that I am, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  While it is obviously not peanut butter, they still taste really good!  Mike loved them as well and noted the next day they tasted almost peanut-y.  Sunflower seed butter is mild enough to not overpower the cookie.  Frankly if you put chocolate with anything, it’s going to be good! 🙂

Time sure flies!  We are to Week 7 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats!  We all know that no holiday cookie platter is complete without some form of a ‘blossom’ cookie.  Not only are they tasty, but they are so darn cute with the Hershey’s Kiss in the middle!  Sunny Blossoms offer a delicious, peanut-free alternative.

Sunny Blossoms
 
Yields: approximately 36 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter (I used light butter)
  • ⅓ cup sunflower seed butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • granulated sugar, for rolling
  • 36 chocolate Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sunflower butter until blended.
  3. Gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar to sunflower butter mixture - cream well. Add egg and vanilla - beat well.
  4. Blend in dry ingredients gradually (Note: I do this step by hand using a wooden spoon) and mix thoroughly. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (Note: I typically chill overnight).
  5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Shape dough into balls using a rounded teaspoonful for each. Roll balls in granulated sugar and place on baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Top each cookie with a Hershey's Kiss candy, pressing down firmly so cookie cracks around edge. Return to oven and bake 2 to 5 minutes longer until golden brown. Move cookies to wire rack to cool completely.