Cricket Protein Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

It had been a long time since I posted anything on here when I received a wonderful surprise of an email from the owner of Bite Snacks, asking if I’d like to try their products. Bite Snacks is a Canadian-owned company that specializes in nutritious and organic snacks made with crickets! I’ve had crickets before (once), in the form of a fried, chocolate-covered snack, but never grounded into a powder and packed into a healthy snack bar. And I’ve heard of crickets being one of the most – if not THE most – sustainably-sourced and purest source of protein out there. This knowledge and the fact that I was starting spring strong with improving my fitness and diet made all the more reason for me to say “Heck yeah, I’ll try them!”

The bars are delicious yet simple in their ingredient lists, with no funny business to be worried about. Their protein powders are complex in flavour but suitable for many types of applications (more recipes to come that incorporate Bite Snacks’ protein powders!).

Now I’ve had this craze with making my own nut butters, and I’m sure some of you have seen that protein-filled nut butters are the new thing in some fitness supplement stores. So I thought, why not make my own?

In comes the cricket chocolate-hazelnut spread. Y’all know Nutella is the bee’s knees, but it’s not exactly healthy for you. You can create something so similar and better for you in the comfort of your own home, with all the benefits of a nutritious chocolate protein powder.

Roast ’em nuts…
The first step in making nut and seed butters is to roast the nuts/seeds. The heat renders them a lot more frail, making the blending process much easier and shorter, and it allows for the release of the fragrance and natural oils. Also, if you’re using nuts/seeds that have a skin (like our loving hazelnuts), the roasting will help in shedding that skin. Let them cool off then throw them into your food processor or high-speed blender.

Blend ’em like Beckham…
With heavily roasted nuts, the blending only takes a few minutes. Once your nuts have transformed into this magical, oily liquid, throw in the rest of your ingredients for added flavour.

At the end of it all, your nut butter is ready for storage or immediate use!

Total time: 30-40 minutes
Makes 12-15 bites

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw hazelnuts
• 3 tbsps. Bite Snack Chocolate Protein Powder
• 2 tbsps. raw honey (I used Cocoa Luxe Raw Honey from Drizzle Honey for added chocolate flavour) or to taste
• 1/2 tbsp. avocado (or any vegetable) oil – add as needed
• 1 tsp. maca powder (optional)
• 1 tsp. ashwagandha powder (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

1. Roast hazelnuts for 8-10 minutes at 400°F.
2. Rub hazelnuts between palms or in paper towel to shed the loose skin.
3. Discard skin and blend the nuts in food processor or high-speed blender (Vita-mix recommended) until the result is a lava-like substance.
4. Add remaining ingredients apart from avocado oil and blend until well incorporated.
5. If consistency is too dense for your liking, add oil as needed.
6. Use immediately, or store in fridge in air-tight container up to 6 months.