Easy Easter Recipes for Kids!

Easter is a time for family and friends to come together and make new memories.  Staying connected this year might look and feel different with only your immediate family, instead of your extended family and friends. 

With social distancing, our family gatherings will be smaller, but we can still make them very special.  

Some of my best memories of Easter are with my family.  Easter is sharing good food, good laughs, and most important the dessert.  Yes, dessert. The best part of Easter for me will always be the sweet treats. I remember as a young child baking with my nana and asking for every recipe to be chocolate. Years later baking with my daughter and making every recipe chocolate. The sugar highs and sugar lows will always be a part of Easter. Today I share two of my favorite and not so sweet Easter treats.

All of us will remember Easter 2020 and how we shared, cared and loved a little different.

1. Chewy Chocolate Nest

This recipe was created by our founder Janet Jacks and has been shared with many Lifewatchers graduates over the years.

 Discover the Power of Food,  has the most incredible dessert section with many sweet treats that are easy for you and your children to make.

 This Lifewatchers tasty treat known as “Chewy Chocolate Balls “can be transformed into small little nests to share over Easter.  This is a fun “No-Bake” treat for you and your kids to make and share over the Easter weekend.

No-bake? Yes, this one is for me to make with my family! This one is for all the chocolate lovers in the family! Easy to make with a fast prep time of 20 minutes, and refrigerate for one hour before serving.  If you like to make ahead of time, they will last for one week in the fridge. Be careful they are so delicious you will not be able to resist them staring you in your face every time you open that fridge door. The change from the chewy chocolate ball to the chewy nest is a mini muffin tray.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup brown sesame seeds
• ¼ cup hemp hearts
• ¼ cup ground chia seeds
• ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut, divided (¼ + ¼)
• ½ cup fair trade cocoa powder
• ½ cup almond butter
• ½ cup virgin coconut oil, softened
• 1/3 to ½ cup honey (if less honey is used balls are 5g net carbs; 7g net carbs for higher amount of honey)

Method:

1. Place sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, hemp hearts, chia seeds, ¼ cup coconut, and cocoa powder in the bowl of a food processor. Process for about 20 seconds to grind everything
2. Add in the almond butter, coconut oil, and honey. Process until mixture forms a ball and all the ingredients are blended well.
3. Form mixture into 1 inch balls and roll into the remaining coconut to coat.
4. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.
Tip = make smaller and yield is then 40- 50 balls with 2g or 2.5g net carbs each. Perfect for diabetics and keto diets alike.

2. Dark Chocolate Superfood Bars

This is a Joy McCarthy classic recipe from her cookbook “The Joyous Cookbook”.

Dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, vegetarian, and the best part is kid-friendly.  This easy recipe will need parent support, and some creativity from your kids.

Another chocolate lover's dream that is very much needed over the Easter holiday.

Visit  www.joyoushealth.com for this recipe and more.

Yes more! if you visit her site you will receive a FREE digital copy of “Little Food Lovers Raising Healthy Snackers”. Joy will share essential healthy snacks for your children, it might be a good time with kids home to check this out.

Everyone can use a new snack idea not just our kids! 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons (170mL) coconut oil
• 1 cup (250mL) raw cacao powder 
• 1/3 cup (75mL) real maple syrup 
• 2 tablespoons (30mL) of your favourite unsweetened nut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon (2mL) cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon (15mL) chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons (30mL) raw pumpkin seeds, divided 
• 2 tablespoons (30mL) raw sunflower seeds, divided
• 2 tablespoons (30mL) hemp seeds, divided 
• 2 tablespoons (30mL) dried cranberries, divided 
• 1 tablespoon (15mL) bee pollen 

Method:

In a medium saucepan, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Stir in the cacao powder and maple syrup. Once fully combined, add the nut milk and cinnamon and stir. Be careful not to burn the mixture. 

Add the chia seeds and 1 tablespoon each of the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, and cranberries. Stir well.

Line an 8 1/2 - 4 1/2 inch (1.5L) loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving the extra paper to overhang to make it easier to remove the bars once set. 

Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top, if necessary. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon each of the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, and cranberries, then sprinkle with bee pollen. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours or overnight. 

To serve, remove from the freezer and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan. Slice into 1-inch (2.5 cm) bars or 2-inch (5 cm) squares. Store wrapped individually and freeze in a resealable plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months.