This is a true seed cake. It has a spicey, sweet, cake texture with a ‘nutty’ crunch. It combines the amazing nutritional value of a number of ‘super seeds’ with the sweetness of dates and a fragrant mixture of spices and applesauce.
Directions:
Add the following to your food processor . . .
- 2 oz Raw Pumpkin Seeds, hulled
- 2 0z Roasted Sunflower Seeds
- 2 0z Shelled Hemp Seed
- 1 oz Golden Flax Seed
. . . and process until the seed mixture is almost a butter. Add . . .
- 6 oz Deglet Noor Dates
. . . and continue to process until the dates are evenly distributed in the seed mixture. Add . . .
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 tsp Real Salt
- 2 tsp Ginger
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 2 T Poppy Seed
- 2 T Chia Seed
- 1 large Egg
- 1/2 C Apple Sauce
. . . and process until well mixed. Place in a 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cut into 9 squares.
9 Servings. Each square has:
- 232 calories
- 23 Carbs (6g Fiber)
- 9g Protein
- 12g Fat
Notes:
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds will probably work as well. Whichever you use, be sure to buy them hulled.
- Hemp seeds offer a complete protein, which is why I incorporated them in this recipe.
- There is some debate over the glycemic index of Dates, with some estimates being in the 40-103 range. Even if it is on the high-end, high-fiber of this recipe along with the high protein and healthy fat from nuts should counter it. Besides, Dates are packed with nutrition.
- Creating this recipe took me through four versions to get the proportions and moisture level correct.
What inspired this recipe?
This recipe started out as an attempt to create a more nutritionally-balanced baked good that tasted really good. I wanted to get the protein ratio up pretty high in relation to the carbs while keeping the fat ratio manageable. That goal spiked the decision to use seeds instead of nuts.
Pumpkin, sunflower and hemp are amazing when you compare them nutritionally to the very best of nuts. I later added flax and chia for thier nutritional profiles. I added poppy seed for the fun, nutty crunch, but found them to be greatly nutritious as well. Pumpkin, hemp, chia and poppy each offer a complete protein.
I didn’t acheive the ‘perfect’ balance of carbs to protein to fat that I hoped for, but I got pretty close for a baked good. Besides tasting amazing, they are amazingly good for you.
