We have been traveling a lot lately and just flat out busy! In an attempt to keep some sort of balance, I always try to keep healthy food on hand. Whether that means healthy snacks for road trips, or healthy food in the fridge when we return. Recently, I was looking for a healthy snack idea to have during the week and something we could take on the go. I love nut butter, but sometimes it can have a lot of additives and cost quite a bit. I came across the idea to make homemade walnut butter and decided to give it a try. The best part about it is that it only has 3 ingredients, it's easy to make and it's incredibly delicious!

I always buy nuts in bulk and keep them in my freezer so they stay fresh. For this recipe you can just leave them frozen and put them directly in the food processor.

To the food processor, I added 1 tsp. of honey and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt. After you blend it, test it for saltiness and sweetness. I added more honey since I tend to like things on the sweeter side. You can add up to another teaspoon of honey and half a teaspoon of salt, if needed.

I wasn't expecting these three simple ingredients blended together to be so delicious! It has the perfect nutty flavor yet it almost takes on the flavor of a cookie dough. It's that good!

I had a bunch of apples on hand, which made for the perfect healthy snack. It is also delicious with celery sticks, and I even put a some of it in my morning smoothie. It is so versatile.

I also decided to put some in my favorite jars to give as a gift. You could package it up with some fresh apples and it would make for a great hostess or Mother's Day gift.

The next time you're looking for a healthy snack or gift idea, I hope you give this homemade walnut butter a try. I would love to hear what you think, so be sure to leave a comment here or on my Instagram!

Homemade Walnut Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups unsalted walnuts (or any nuts)
1-2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp.- 1 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Place the walnuts in the food processor and pulse for 2 minutes, or until it forms a butter-like consistency. Add 1 tsp. of honey and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt. Blend until smooth.
Remove the walnut butter and place into a bowl. By hand, mix in an additional teaspoon of honey or half a teaspoon of salt, according to personal taste.
Serve with your favorite fruit or veggies and enjoy!

*This recipe was adapted from this original recipe.

Before I hop on the all things pumpkin train for the next couple of months, I wanted to ease into the Fall season by trying out a new spice bread recipe. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that I recently took a trip to Seattle. It felt amazing to be in Fall weather weaving in and out of coffee shops and browsing a handful of farmers markets. It was so fun to see all of the produce and flowers that were in season there. Rows upon rows of fresh vegetables and squash, dahlia flowers and barrels of apples. When I returned home (to the heat), I browsed my own farmers market and was inspired by these freshly picked carrots and crisp apples. Put the two together, add some spice, and you have the most amazing apple and carrot spice bread!

What I love about this bread is that it instantly gets you in the spirit of the Fall season and the house smells absolutely amazing when you're baking it! In fact, if you're having guests over, pop a loaf of this bread in before they come and it will smell better than any scented candle.

Whenever I am baking with spices, whether sweet or savory, I like to measure them out on a piece of natural parchment paper, and then just roll it up and add it directly to the mixing bowl. It makes for easy cleanup and prevents the spices from getting everywhere when you're measuring them.

I baked my bread in a 9x5 loaf pan and the bread does not rise very much, so it is a shorter loaf but very dense. If you're looking to make a taller loaf, I would suggest using an 8x4 loaf pan and increasing the bake time slightly.

I not only wanted to enjoy a loaf of this spice bread at home, but I also wanted to send my husband to work with one. I doubled the recipe and packed it up with some simple baking supplies. I wrapped a piece of natural parchment paper and some baker's twine around it. This would also make for a great hostess gift during the holidays.

While my husband took it to work and it was gone in seconds, I enjoyed having a (few) slices and also had some for breakfast with some butter smeared on it. Because afterall, everything is better with butter right? I'll let you be the judge.

I hope your Fall season is off to a wonderful start and that you enjoy this apple and carrot spice bread as much as I did!

Apple and Carrot Spice Bread

Ingredients:

1 large egg
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup liquid-state coconut oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cup full fat sour cream (Greek yogurt may be substituted)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
3/4 cup grated carrots (about 1 large or 2-3 medium peeled and trimmed carrot(s))
3/4 cup grated apples (I used 1 medium unpeeled Fuji)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan (or 8x4, as noted above); set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the the first eight ingredients, through the nutmeg. Whisk the ingredients to combine (you do not have to use a mixer, you can use a whisk).
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the ingredients and fold with spatula until just combined; don't over mix.
Add the grated carrots and apples, and fold gently to combine.
Turn the batter (it's very thick, this is what you want) out into the prepared pan. Smooth the top lightly with a spatula.
Bake for about 35-45 minutes (I baked mine for 35 minutes) or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs. Baking times will vary based on moisture content of the carrots and apples, and oven variances.
Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

This recipe was adapted from this original recipe.