Almond Butter “Boo” Bites (Paleo)

Trick-or-treat?!  How about a little of both?

My spooky Almond Butter “Boo” Bites have creeped their way onto the blog today!  While they take on a truffle appearance which might trick you into thinking they are a decadent dessert, these bites are actually healthy enough to eat as a snack or with breakfast!  Loaded with creamy almond butter, pumpkin, and coconut oil, these ghoulish bites are Paleo and packed with protein and healthy fats!

Almond Butter “Boo” Bites also make a great sweet treat in place of all the Halloween candy that will most likely be invading your home very soon!  AND, they’re fun to decorate, thanks to coconut butter bodies and chocolate chip faces!  Each one is unique and adorable, just like all the little trick-or-treaters we’ll be seeing!

Go get your hands on some almond butter and make a batch of these spooky snacks for Halloween this year!

Quick side note while we’re on the subject of Halloween!  I just have to share a photo of our resident black cat, Cosmo.  I wrote about my kitties over the summer, but this will be their first Halloween with us and I’m excited.  No, I’m not the type of person to dress my cats in clothes or costumes.  But I definitely AM the type of person to use them in a Halloween photo shoot.  I mean, come on, black cat, pumpkins – it works, right? 😉  I’m hoping Cosmo will sit in the window by our door and look spooky like this next to our glowing pumpkins for all the trick-or-treaters to see!

 And of course, I couldn’t leave Leo out, even though he’s not your typical Halloween cat.  They’re both looking at me like I’m a crazy cat lady or something… 😉  But let’s pretend they’re wishing you all a Happy Halloween instead!  Okay, back to the Almond Butter “Boo” Bites!  This recipe is super easy and you can make these well in advance of Halloween and they keep great in the freezer or fridge until you’re ready to indulge.  Did I mention they taste a little like a pumpkin spice donut?  So yummy!

Now, you may be wondering why I’m posting a non-AIP recipe right now.  Well, I’m on a modified autoimmune protocol, so I am allowed to eat almond butter sparingly.  And I was more than happy to indulge in an almond butter treat with these “Boo” Bites!  (I just made my ghosts without the chocolate chip faces!)

To begin, get out a large cauldron.  Just kidding.  You’ll want a stand mixer, like my KitchenAid, or something with a powerful whisk.  For the almond butter, I used Trader Joe’s Creamy Roasted Almond Butter.  It’s my absolute favorite because it’s unsweetened and has an amazing flavor!  Combine the almond butter and maple syrup together first and it’ll begin to firm up a bit.  Once this happens, add in the rest of the ingredients, except for the coconut flour.

  Once your mixture looks somewhat like the photo above, start adding your coconut flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.  Whisk after each addition, since you may need more or less coconut flour than I used.  Coconut flour absorbs moisture and the amounts may vary, depending on what brand you use.  (I used Trader Joe’s.)  In any case, you want to end up with a dough-like mixture that looks like this.  It should hold together even though it’ll still be a bit sticky.

  Now, scoop all the dough into a storage container and let it freeze for 30 minutes to an hour, or until it firms up and is able to be rolled into balls.

At this point, grab a parchment-lined tray and start rolling!  Mine were on the larger side, so I ended up with 2 dozen “Boo” Bites, but you might end up with more.  Once they’re rolled out, they’ll return to the freezer to chill while you make the ghostly glaze.

   The glaze is super simple.  It’s just melted coconut oil and coconut butter mixed together.  No need to sweeten it, since the Almond Butter “Boo” Bites are already sweetened.  Plus, you’ll get a little hint of chocolate from the eyes and mouth that you add.  I recommend the Enjoy Life brand mini chocolate chips, since they are allergy-friendly.

  Time to decorate your cute little ghosts!  Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over a chilled almond butter bite, following with a chocolate chip face.  (Do them one at a time, since the coconut butter will harden quickly and then you won’t be able to stick the chocolate chips on.)  They definitely don’t have to be perfect!  In fact, that’s what I loved about making these!  Even the messy ones look good!

  Once your ghosts have taken shape, pop the bites back into the freezer to set completely.  Then, either store them covered in the freezer or fridge until you’re ready to eat them.  Or, plate them up with some haunting Halloween decor like I did!

Hope you enjoy creating and sharing my Almond Butter “Boo” Bites this Halloween, whether you’re dressing up for a party or staying in to greet all the costumed kids!  Either way, make sure you snatch a few of these spooky sweets before they disappear!  

Happy Halloween from me, Mark, and the Fed and Fulfilled felines!

Almond Butter "Boo" Bites (Paleo)

 

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Created by: Joanna Smith

Serves: 12 (2 bites each)

Ingredients

• ½ cup creamy unsweetened almond butter
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ cup pumpkin
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon cloves
• pinch of sea salt
• 5 tablespoons coconut flour

For the Ghostly Glaze:

• ¼ cup coconut butter
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• mini chocolate chips for the faces (I used Enjoy Life brand)

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer, whisk almond butter and maple syrup for 30 seconds until it forms a paste. Add in the rest of the ingredients except for the coconut flour and mix together.
2. Add coconut flour 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until you have a sticky dough.
3. Spoon dough into a storage container and freeze for 30 minutes to and hour, or until dough is able to be rolled without sticking to your hands.
4. Roll dough into balls on a parchment-lined tray or baking sheet. Freeze for an additional 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the glaze by melted coconut butter and coconut oil in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
6. Spoon glaze over almond butter bite, then decorate with chocolate chip "eyes" and "mouth." Repeat the process for all the bites. My batch made about 24 bites.
7. Freeze for a final time for a few minutes, until set. Store in freezer or fridge.

Notes

~I used both honey and maple syrup, but you could probably use all of one or the other. I just liked the flavors of both.
~Depending on what brand of coconut flour you use, you may need to add more or less. I used Trader Joe's brand.

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