Have you had the chance to try our Sunflower Cinnamon Rise Bar? Well, if you love this vegan flavor as much as we do you will enjoy what we have come up with for you.
Our Sunflower Cinnamon Rise Bar is made with 5 simple ingredients: Sunflower seeds, Coconut nectar, Pea protein, Cinnamon, and Vanilla extract. We wanted to create a recipe incorporating the sunflower cinnamon Rise Bar that would enhance some of the flavors already present while also adding additional ingredients for nutritional benefits. Continue reading below to learn how to make our Sweet Potato Energy Bites incorporating our sunflower cinnamon Rise Bar.
Sunflower Cinnamon Sweet Potato Energy Bites (Vegan, Gluten free)
Serves: 20
Ingredients:
- ½ large sweet potato, baked
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 tbsp. maca powder
- ½ cup sunflower seed butter
- 2 tbsp. flax seeds
- 1 Sunflower cinnamon Rise Bar
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp coconut nectar
Directions:
- Slice one large sweet potato into small cubes, toss with cinnamon and coconut nectar. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes on each side at 375° F. Let cool for 15 minutes.
- In a food processor or blender, combine cooked quinoa, sunflower butter, crumbled sunflower cinnamon Rise Bar, vanilla extract, flax seeds and almond milk.
- Process or blend all ingredients. Once smooth, add in cooled sweet potato until mixture is a cookie dough consistency.
- Roll dough into ~20 balls and freeze for 1 hour (Once firm, best kept in the refrigerator).
- Enjoy!
This recipe is a great small snack or healthy dessert alternative with about 80 calories per serving, low sodium with <50 mg, cholesterol-free, and high in vitamin A, meeting 23% of the daily value requirement for the general, healthy population. Getting enough vitamin A in your diet will help to maintain healthy skin, support healthy cell growth, vision, and immune functioning. In this recipe, sweet potatoes provide the majority of vitamin A; other foods high in vitamin A that you could eat throughout the day include: spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, fish, dairy products, and liver.
Ingredient highlight: Maca powder
Maca powder comes from the root of a vegetable native to the Andes region of Peru. Maca is now consumed by people in the powder form and most often added to recipes like smoothies or salads. Maca powder has come to be known as a superfood for its rich content of amino acids, fiber, free fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and iron. Therefore, maca powder may help to regulate nervous and circulatory system functioning, synthesize protein, and support healthy muscle growth. There is also scientific evidence stating that maca can help to regulate healthy hormonal functioning in both males and females. Additionally, maca powder contains plant compounds, glucosinolates which are sulfur-containing phytochemicals present in many cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, kale, and Brussel sprouts seen to be associated with a decreased risk of developing cancer and other chronic diseases. Along with the many health benefits, we also chose to incorporate maca powder into our recipe for the earthy, nutty, and delicious flavor it provides!
Featured Rise Bar Product
Author: Karli McCarthy
Cal Poly, SLO Nutrition Student
@kale_n_it_karli
