Chocolate Chip Oat Bars and a Review of SuperSeedz

If you are a reader of my blog, you know that I love pumpkin seeds.

You can use shelled pumpkin seeds, pepitas, almost anywhere that you can use nuts.  Because they are seeds, though, they are safe for people with a tree-nut or peanut allergy. They also taste great, have a great crunch and solid nutrition profile.  

According to the Self Nutrition Data website, pepitas are a good source of protein, vitamin K, iron and copper and a very good source of magnesium, phosphorus and manganese.

This week, a new company called Kathie's Kitchen SuperSeedz, sent me their gourmet pumpkin seeds to try and review for you.  Their seeds come in several flavors, plus a Really Naked (unsalted) variety.  The flavors include: Super Spicy, Original Curry, Tomato Italiano, Somewhat Spicy, Sea Salt, Sugar and Cinnamon and Coco Joe.

With all those flavors, I needed some help trying them. Young and not-so-young family and friends took these seeds out for a test drive, and they were a hit! Everyone had their personal favorite, but each one of these flavors found a fan, and all were enjoyed.

To be fair to the flavored seeds, we tried them just out of the bag. I can't wait to cook with them, though, because I think the opportunities are pretty exciting about how these crunchy, flavorful seeds can spruce up salads, soups, baked goods, and on and on.

All of the seeds are free of gluten, tree nuts, peanuts, dairy and MSG.  They are vegan, and most are soy free.

Need a pepita recipe to try theses SuperSeedz in a treat?

Here ya go!

I shared this with Gluten-free Fridays and Wellness Weekend.

Chocolate Chip Oat Bars
Makes 16 squares

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup flaxseed meal
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Lightly oil a 9x9-inch baking pan.
3. In a dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast pepitas one to two minutes, or until you hear the first popping sound.  Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together oat flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl, combine applesauce with baking powder.
6. Mix coconut oil, flaxseed meal, syrup and vanilla into applesauce mixture.
7. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet.  Thoroughly combine.
8. Mix in pepitas and chocolate chips.
9. Spread batter into prepared pan.
10. Bake for 20 minutes.
11. Cool on cooling rack, and then transfer pan to refrigerator until cold.  (At least one hour.)
12. Cut into squares.



Happy Cooking! 
Kim

My new book Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.