Decadent Chocolate Protein Smoothie Bowl

Hey Guys! Here’s the recipe to my Decadent Chocolate Protein Smoothie Bowl that I shared via my Instagram story not too long ago. It’s a delicious treat especially in the summer time post workout!

Ingredients:

• Half a cup of unsweetened Coconut Milk (you can use any milk alternative like almond or cashew milk)
• 1 Very large frozen banana
• 2 Tablespoons of avocado
• 1 Scoop of neutral flavoured protein powder (I used a plant-based chocolate protein powder)
• 2 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 to 3 pitted Medjool Dates, Stevia or any liquid sweetener to taste

1. Add all the ingredients in the blender starting with the coconut milk. Blend until fully combined into a thick, creamy consistency.
2. Pour into a bowl and add any toppings you desire! In the photo below I topped my smoothie bowl with some fresh banana and my  Fruit and Nut Granola Clusters 

Fruit and Nut Granola Clusters

This past Mother’s Day I made my mom some Homemade Gluten-Free Fruit and Nut Granola Clusters. This is probably the best granola recipe I’ve made so far! It was also inspired by the Oh She Glows Cookbook. My mom is constantly buying Gluten-Free Granola from the store because her favourite thing to have for breakfast is Greek Yogurt and Granola, so I thought, why not make her some from scratch? Not only do I think this tastes better than store-bought, it will save you money in the long run, and who doesn’t love that?

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of whole raw almonds
• 1/2 cup of raw pecans
• 1 1/4 cup of Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
• 1 cup of mixed dried fruit (I used half cranberries (unsweetened) and half chopped apricots)
• 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds or pepitas
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of fine-grain sea salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or other liquid sweetener (first batch I made I used raw honey, and the second batch I made I used maple syrup, both are amazing)
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil melted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 275ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Put a 1/2 cup of the almonds into a food processor and grind them down into a fine meal (similar to the texture of sand). Then transfer to a large bowl.
3. Place the rest of the almonds, along with the pecans into the food processor and finely chop the nuts. The nuts should be chopped into various sizes, you will even have some powdery meal, it’s all good. Add the nuts to the large bowl with the almond meal.
4. Add the oats, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, cinnamon, and salt to the large bowl with the nuts. Stir to combine.
5. Add the syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice, melted oil, and vanilla to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until thoroughly combined.
6. With a spatula spread the granola out onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure that you spread the mixture out evenly into a single layer. Press down the granola as you spread it along so that it is slightly compact. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 18-20 minutes more, or until the granola is lightly golden and firm to the touch.
7. Cool the granola on the pan for at least 1 hour before breaking it apart into clusters.
8. Store the granola in a glass jar in the fridge for 2-3 weeks or freeze it for 4-5 weeks.

Enjoy!!