I bet you’re thinking how can these be “cream” when they’re dairy free?
I’ve used a little trick which I think is pretty clever, which is to soak some cashews in water for a few hours to soften them, then I blend them with water or plant milk until smooth. It makes the best creamy sauce which pairs really well with the strawberries and some vanilla, plus you get more fibre too, you have to try it!
I’ve also kept these quite low sugar with most of the flavour coming from the fresh berries and only 1 tablespoon of added sweetness so that they still taste good but without a ton of sugar, retraining your taste buds to adjust to natural sweetness from fruit will really benefit you in the long run and you’ll appreciate flavours so much more, just give yourself time.
You’re also getting good nutrition all while using the normal ingredients you’d use for porridge, totally means they’re okay to have for breakfast as it’s like having porridge in bun form!
Getting the most from your berry bites
I had a little think while developing the recipe for these and tried my best to come up with a combination of ingredients that really provided benefits and complemented the other ingredients.
For example, did you know that although most berries are packed full of antioxidants, some components in dairy products actually bind to them and prevent their absorption, therefore by using a dairy free recipe you are getting the max antioxidants. Furthermore, the vitamin C in the berries can help absorption of iron from the cashews and oats. You also get a source of copper and magnesium from the cashews plus healthy soluble fibre from the oats which your gut loves!
Recipe (makes 10)
-70g cashews, soaked overnight or 4 hours
-225g strawberries, chopped small
-100g oats (not jumbo oats)
-1/4 tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
-180ml milk of choice or water
-1 generous Tbsp honey (or maple/date syrup if vegan)
-25g wholemeal flour or hemp protein powder
can sub flour for hemp protein
Directions
1- Pre-heat the oven to 160c fan
2- Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl then drain the cashews and blend with the water, honey & vanilla until smooth
3- Stir the chopped berries into the oats then add the wet mix into the dry and thoroughly mix together until combined
4- Line a baking tray with some buns cases and spoon about 1 heaped tablespoon into each one until the mix is all used up
5- Bake for 22-25mins then remove and allow to cool slightly before eating. Store leftovers once cooled in an air tight container in the fridge and consume within 3 days.
Sometimes I serve mine with some coconut yogurt for a creamy topping <3
