Mood-Boosting Chocolate Walnut Spread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raw walnuts
- 3 Tablespoons ground flax seed
- 2 Tablespoon maple syrup (or preferred sweetener)
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa/cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on desired heat)
- ¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan/sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 11 – 13 minutes, or until the walnuts become fragrant and the oil begins to release.
- Add roasted walnuts to a food processor and process until a walnut butter consistency forms (anywhere from 3-6 minutes), scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add in the additional ingredients and process again until well combined. For a thinner consistency, add a little bit of filtered water.
- Scoop into a jar or covered container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Use as a spread or dip, and enjoy!
Notes
Serves about 1 cup. Per tablespoon:
Calories: 89
Total Fat: 8g
Total Carbohydrate: 11g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Protein: 2g
Ingredients Highlights
Ceylon Cinnamon is also known as Cinnamomum verum or true cinnamon. It has a lighter, sweeter flavor and more health benefits than the more common Cassia cinnamon found in most grocery stores.
Cocoa powder – the closer chocolate is to its original raw state, the more nutrients it retains and the better it is for you. When possible, use raw cacao powder (with two “A”s) instead of cocoa powder in your baking.
Flaxseeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that promote the reduction of cholesterol levels, which helps prevent cardiovascular diseases. They are a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, vitamin B1, copper, selenium, and zinc.
Maple syrup contains a number of minerals including manganese, zinc, calcium, and potassium. It also contains amino acids, antioxidants, and even some anti-inflammatory compounds.
Walnuts are neuroprotective and support heart health. They are loaded with antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, molybdenum, and biotin.
Thank you - that makes sense! I love avocado oil. I will try it!
Hi Hillary!
Thanks for reaching out. If you're wanting to thin out the spread, I would recommend adding in a little bit of your preferred oil, like avocado or olive oil instead of water. This way, you can add as little or as much as you want without it possibly being too much. The oil that separated in your spread was the oil from the walnuts. I don't think you can really fix it once it separates. Hope this helps!
Hi - I made this recipe the first time and added a tiny bit of water and it was perfect and delish! The second time however, I added a little more water - not more than 2 Tablespoons - and the mixture separated and became what seemed oily, though no oil in it obviously, and crumbly and just yuck. It is tough and gross. So water doesn't seem to work well if more than literally a tiny amount. What happened or why and can it be fixed?
Thank you!
Hi Debbie!
Sure, you can absolutely soak the walnuts before roasting them. Yes, it will take longer in the oven to roast them. You may want to set your oven to a lower temperature as not to burn them with the longer roasting time. Hope this helps!
Hi Tilly! Pecans would be delicious. To make it Keto simply use an approved sweetener. Powdered Lakanto or Stevia would be great in that there wouldn't be granules in the spread. Let us know how it works out for you.