Hop to it! Wholegrain Easter Crispies recipe

—

by

Credit: Catherine Jeans, DipION, functional nutritional therapist

 www.thefamilynutritionexpert.com      @catherine_jeans

Indulging in something a little naughty this Easter doesn’t have to mean abandoning all thoughts of nutrition. 

Finding the perfect balance between indulgence and goodness is the key, whether it’s swapping refined sugars for natural sweetness, sneaking in wholegrains, or adding a boost of protein and vitamins to your favourite treats, believes Catherine Jeans, nutritional therapist and ION graduate (pictured, below). 

“These are a firm favourite with children and adults in my house. These little treats are free of refined sugar and they’re packed with hidden nutritional value too,” she says. 

“Tahini (sesame seed paste) adds calcium and protein while the blackstrap molasses is another great source of iron and calcium. 

“I use brown rice puffs or Mesa Sunrise flakes instead of the Rice Krispies or cornflakes, as they’re packed with wholegrain value. By using wholegrains, you’re getting a whole lot more fibre and B vitamin plus they’re slower releasing and brilliant for keeping little ones more balanced and less hyper this Easter.”

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp light tahini (or peanut butter) 
  • 4 tbsp coconut oil or organic butter 
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup/brown rice syrup 
  • 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses (optional) 
  • 2 tbsp dark or raw cocoa powder 
  • 2 cups of cereal: I use Kallo brown rice puffs or Nature’s Path Mesa Sunrise flakes
  • A pinch of salt 

Method:

  1. Place the wet ingredients in a saucepan over a gentle heat and melt.
  2. Remove the mixture from the heat, add the cocoa powder and stir well.  If your kids like a milder taste, then just use one tablespoon of cocoa powder.  For a bit of extra sweetness and indulgence, you could also throw in a few squares of dark chocolate and melt this in too.  Add the pinch of salt.
  3. Stir in the cereal and mix gently until all the cereal is coated with the chocolate mixture. You can add more cereal if needed – but I like to leave it quite gooey!
  4. Put 1-2 generous tablespoons into muffin cases and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to set. I use my silicone muffin trays which don’t need any cases. Leave a well in the middle if you want to add any decoration such as Easter chicks or flowers. 

Once set these can be stored in a Tupperware container for about five days. I like to keep them in the fridge, so they stay extra crunchy. 

About Catherine

Catherine Jeans is a functional nutritional therapist, supporting children and adults of all ages with digestive health, hormone balance, weight management, stress relief and neurodiversity. She heads up a clinic team of nutritional therapists at The Family Nutrition Expert; their ethos is to empower clients towards a lifetime of good health, using simple, everyday food and lifestyle changes.

If you enjoyed the above, you might be interested in:

Five Minutes with Catherine Jeans