These wonderful Cacao Ashwagandha Almonds are not only good for you, they are also seriously addicting. They have a subtle sweetness compliments of the maple syrup and coconut sugar. The cacao powder creates a rich luscious flavor and texture. The Ashwagandha is unnoticeable in the flavor sense, however; it delivers a plethora of nutrition. These little morsels are sure to delight!
Last week my dear friend Maggie came for a short but sweet visit. Maggie and I were inseparable as teenagers. We met on Halloween night through our mutual friend Liana. I was at Liana’s while she was putting on her costume when Maggie arrived. We instantly hit it off! We went to an incredible Halloween party with our friends from the band called The Untouchables who played at the party. Maggie and I had been drinking Seagram’s 7 and seven up, which was a really bad idea. Poor Maggie got sick in the Untouchables equipment tour van. However, Maggie was a trooper and didn’t let it stop her. We ended up having the best night. I asked her to spend the night, which she did and we became instant best friends and never looked back!
Robby, Maggie and I went out for Mexican food shortly after she arrived which was really nice. That night, we stayed up enthusiastically chatting about everything. It has been quite a while since we had a one on one girl time together and it was awesome!
I asked Maggie what she wanted to do while she was here and she said that she wanted to go to Monterey and have breakfast at our favorite place in Pacific Grove called Red House Cafe. We were determined to go for a bike ride so we huffed and we puffed and we heaved two bikes into the back of her rental SUV. Monterey is known for being overcast and cold but the weather was absolutely perfect. After breakfast, we dragged the bikes out of the rental car and rode to the bike path. It was a gorgeous sunny day with sea lions lounging on the rocks. We went for a fairly long ride and chatted the whole way. What a fun day!
When we got back to the house, we did a photo shoot with some of her handmade jewelry pieces. I had two different backdrops on the ground. I sat in between going back and forth shooting from one backdrop to the other. It was an incredibly fun collaboration! The rest of our night consisted of soup, garlic bread, wine, cookies, chatting and Netflix!
Have you heard of adaptogens? They are herbs that help the body manage stress. Ashwagandha is one of the most beneficial adaptogens. It has been scientifically proven to help reduce inflammation, fatigue, cholesterol, cortisol levels that help with aging, stress and anxiety. It helps to increase memory, energy and oxygenation while it helps to balance hormones and mood. It’s basically great for the whole entire system.
I enjoyed these cacao ashwagandha almonds with hibiscus tea. They are wonderful with coffee or tea.
Cacao Ashwagandha Almonds Recipe:
3 Cups
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Raw Almonds
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Coating
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Raw Cacao Powder - divided
- 2 Teaspoons Ashwagandha Powder
Instructions
Coating
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In a food processor, pulse the sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa and the ashwagandha together.
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Set aside, along with a small bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cacao powder.
Almonds
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Spread almonds in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
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In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, maple syrup and salt.
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When the almonds have baked for ten minutes add to the bowl of liquid and toss until thoroughly coated. Spread almonds evenly on the baking sheet.
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Put back into the oven for 4 more minutes, stir and then put back in for 4 minutes.
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Pour the almonds along with any caramelized syrup that remains into the bowl.
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Stir in the cacao mix really well.
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Evenly spread the almonds out on the baking sheet with a new sheet of parchment paper. Let cool.
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With a small fine-mesh handheld strainer or mesh tea strainer, dust the almonds with the reserved cacao powder or shake in a jar.
Health benefits:
Raw Cacao Powder contains about four times the antioxidants than dark chocolate and 20 times the antioxidants of blueberries. Raw cacao is unlike regular chocolate and cocoa powder which is chemically processed and roasted, destroying most of the antioxidants and flavanols.
Ashwagandha is one of the most beneficial adaptogens. It has been scientifically proven to help reduce inflammation, fatigue, cholesterol, cortisol levels that help with aging, stress and anxiety. It helps to increase memory, energy and oxygenation while it helps to balance hormones and mood. It’s basically great for the whole entire system.
