Home Made Treats We’re Enjoying This Winter

The winter months are an excellent time to hone in on some favorite kitchen treats. Generally, I try to make my own snack foods—doing so saves a bit of money and cuts down on the processed foods that we consume.

These handful of snacks are on repeat this winter. I should mention that I have a never ending sweet tooth, which you’ll see reflected in the ingredients below, but using a bit of pure maple syrup is a whole food alternative to processed sugar.

Cocoa granola

The recipe is courtesy of one of my favorite food and cooking accounts, and can be found here, though I alter it depending on what we have in our pantry. Sometimes I’ll add a bit of almond butter, or forgo the coconut. It takes about 5 minutes to mix together, and an additional 15 to make.

One twist I’ve added: I substitute 100% organic cocoa powder for the nibs. This really sends it over the edge for me and turns it into almost a very healthy version of cocoa puffs.

Delicious on its own, served with milk, or sprinkled over Greek yogurt with some fresh or frozen berries.

Hand Popped Popcorn

Buying a bag of popcorn kernels is a huge money saver- I think a bag at Trader Joe’s costs around $2. Plus, making it yourself is a wonderful ritual that kids love to watch.

Heat some coconut oil in a pan, finish with some salt and melted butter and it’s a perfect afternoon salty snack. Or add a bit of maple syrup to the melted butter before mixing for a kettle corn flavor.

Hot Cocoa

I told you I had a sweet tooth! My four year old and I will enjoy these in the evening after dinner, at least once a week. It’s a ritual, it’s delicious, and they say it’s not bad for you (if you make them right).

For two people, I’ll mix 2 cups of whole milk with two or three tablespoons of 100% organic cocoa powder, a tablespoon of maple sugar, a dash of vanilla extract and maybe a pinch of cinnamon and salt. For myself, I’ll add some beef gelatin powder and maca powder to give it a healthful boost.

If you want to get really over the top, you’ll add a gelatin based home made marshmallow.