This is an “All-Bulk All Star” recipe, in honor of Plastic Free July. Every ingredient is available in our Bulk Section!
Bring your own jars when you buy the ingredients, no plastic required.
Ingredients
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup pecans
1 cup pepitas
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ cup melted cocoa butter
½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup dried cherries
½ cup chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine oats, pecans, pepitas, cinnamon and salt.
Melt cocoa butter and add maple syrup at the end to warm slightly. Pour mixture in bowl. Add vanilla to bowl and mix everything together well so all is lightly coated.
Spread granola in even layer on parchment-covered pan, pressing down gently.
Bake 10-12 minutes, then stir granola. Press down in even layer before returning to oven. Cook 10-12 minutes more, or until light golden brown.
Cool completely, about an hour or more. Add cherries and chocolate chips on top and break into chunks with your hands.
Here’s a recipe that highlights summer’s bounty of fresh fruit. It requires a minimum of oven time, you only need to bake the sweet and salty crust! Sub melted coconut oil for butter and use non-dairy yogurt to make this vegan.
Ingredients
8 oz whipped topping, such as So Delicious or TruWhip, thawed per instructions***
18 oz lemon or vanilla yogurt
Zest from 1 lemon
3 cups summer fruit – berries, peaches, nectarines
In a large bowl, whisk together whipped topping, yogurt and zest.
Spoon into fully cooled pretzel crust and freeze for 1 hour until filling starts to harden. Remove pie from freezer and decorate with fruit. Return pie to freezer for 1-2 more hours.
Allow about 35 minutes for pie to warm up a little before serving. Top with mint sprigs and sprinkles of maple sugar (if using).
Cover/refrigerate any leftover pie or freeze for later.
***Note: Thawing time for whipped topping in fridge is about 5 hours – overnight – or submerge tub in a bowl of cold water and let sit 30-40 minutes.
When it comes to being active on hot days, it’s not just about drinking plenty of water, it’s also about getting enough electrolytes to keep your energy even and balanced.
Pre-made sports drinks and electrolyte powders can play an important, restorative role, and so can freshly made DIY alternatives! Here’s a recipe for a sweet, refreshing and easy combo that’ll add flavor and freshness to your outdoor fun and help you stay hydrated.
Ingredients
2 bananas, ripe
1 cup strawberries, diced
2 cups watermelon, diced
4 cups water
2 cups ice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinches of salt
Directions
Blend everything except ice. Strain using a nut milk bag or other fine mesh strainer.
Here’s a recipe that’ll give you the sweet and simple taste of summer, Ginger-Lime -Watermelon Beer Cocktail.
For this recipe, you’ll want a lager like Dust Bowl Brewing Company’s Taco Truck or their namesake lager brew, or NA options like Athletic Brewing Company’s Mexican-Style Atlética or Golden.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups seedless watermelon, diced small
2 cup water, divided
½ – 1 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
32 oz Light or light-flavored beer
½ cup Ginger-Honey Syrup
Mint sprigs for garnish
Ginger-Honey Syrup
1 cup honey
1 cup water
4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled/chopped
Directions
Make Ginger-Honey Syrup: Combine honey, ginger and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil so honey fully dissolves. Remove pan from heat and allow to steep/cool at least 30 minutes and up to a day. Strain out ginger and transfer to a clean glass jar. Will keep in fridge for a month.
Blend watermelon and 1 cup water 10-20 seconds until puréed.
In a pitcher/large jar, mix watermelon juice, lime juice, ½ cup Ginger-Honey Syrup and beer.
Pour into serving glasses and garnish with mint sprigs.
Atole (“ah-toh-leh) is a popular beverage in Mexico, made with masa harina, cinnamon, brown sugar and milk or water. Folks enjoy it at breakfast, with an afternoon snack, lending a taste of tradition and comforting hominess to both every day and celebratory events like Day of the Dead and, with the Mascogos, Juneteenth.
It’s usually made with piloncillo, big brown cones of sugar. Here we use substitutes in case you don’t have an easy source for it.
Ingredients
5 cups combo of water/milk or unsweetened almond, oat, cashew milk
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
5 Tbsp sucanat panela, or combo of this and pitted medjool dates (sub 2 for each Tbsp panela)
½ cup masa harina
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Optional: 1 –2 Tbsp Spicy Cocoa – like Equal Exchange
Directions
If using dates as part/all of sweetener, pit then soak 4 hours – overnight.
Blend all ingredients except vanilla and salt in a blender until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Note: If using Spicy Cocoa, lower the amount of other sweetener by 1-2 tsp per Tbsp used.
Pour mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
When mixture reaches a boil, lower the temperature and whisk steadily for five minutes as masa harina thickens.
Remove atole from heat, stir in vanilla and pinch of salt. Adjust sweetness using reserved water from soaking dates, stirring well between each addition.
Best served immediately. Can be stored in fridge for up to two days; it’ll thicken so add a little water/milk before reheating.
Have you ever had this much fun in the kitchen without turning on the stove? Fresh berries come together with graham crackers, cinnamon-scented mascarpone and a hint of lemon in the blueberry filling.
Ingredients
3-4 cups fresh blueberries
13 oz blueberry jam
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 lemon – zested, then juiced
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream
8 oz mascarpone
½ cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
12-14 graham crackers – about 3 sleeves
Directions
Set aside ¾ – 1 cup blueberries and ¼ of lemon zest for decoration.
Mix together blueberry jam, remaining blueberries, lemon juice and remaining zest.
Using an electric stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip heavy cream for about 3 minutes, until medium-stiff peaks form. Remove and set aside in a separate bowl.
Add mascarpone, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt to mixing bowl. Whip about 2 minutes until smooth, scraping bowl down once halfway through.
Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone filling until completely combined.
Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream, making sure not to deflate it. Reserve about 1 cup of mascarpone filling in the refrigerator in an airtight container until cake is ready to serve.
Line 9” square baking dish with two pieces parchment paper to make a sling to remove finished cake, leaving some overhang to pull up on and release cake once chilled. Line the entire bottom of prepared baking dish with one layer graham crackers, cutting as needed to fit in snugly.
Spread half of remaining mascarpone filling evenly on top of graham crackers, followed by half of the blueberry mixture. Place another layer of graham crackers on top.
Repeat the process with one more layer mascarpone filling, then blueberry mixture and then another layer graham crackers.
Cover dish and refrigerator 8-12 hours. Transfer dish to freezer for 1 hour before serving.
When ready to serve, run a hot knife around cake edges to release it from the baking dish. Carefully lift cake from the pan and put on serving plate. Spread reserved mascarpone filling on top layer and decorate with reserved fresh blueberries and lemon zest.
Let cake sit about 10 minutes to soften before slicing/serving.
