Zoe’s Superfood Pistachio “Fudge”

Pistachio Superfood “Fudge,” ready to enjoy!

I’ve been experimenting with snack foods for my little one. She is almost 13 months, now. And, she’s beginning to be picky, all of a sudden. She’s always up for meat…not so much for veggies.

So, I’ve been exploring ways to be a sneaky chef. Lately, I’ve been wanting to increase iron, protein, and Vit A, in particular. I created a pistachio “fudge” that fits the bill. And, it’s easy to make (you just need a good quality food processor).

If you don’t have one, it’s worth trotting over to your friend’s house and borrowing theirs (you can treat them to some extra fudge as a thank you).

Both my husband and my little one love the fudge (I do, too). And, I can always give her bits of this fudge when she is resisting other food items. It’s a great snack, too!

Let’s talk ingredients.

Pistachios are a powerhouse of nutrients and they are gentle on your digestive system. They are healthy fat high in B1 and B6.

Pistachio nutrition panel

Then, there’s hemp seeds, a nutrition powerhouse. Also, with a good bit of B1, hemp seeds also have loads of magnesium and zinc. There’s a decent amount of iron, as well.

Hemp hearts nutrition panel

I also used spirulina, a superfood high in all the B vitamins (except B12), iron, carotenoids, and protein (among other things). A long-time traditional food among the Aztecs, the explorer Cortez in his book “The Conquest of Mexico” (apparently, a shameless title for a nasty history) said that, “…they eat this as we eat cheese, and it has rather a salty taste.” It was the Aztecs main protein source, actually.

Based on my research, spirulina is safe for children over a year old. However, be your own researcher and see what you discover.

While I was in India, at an intentional community called Auroville, I remember that spirulina was served in 1/4 cup servings on each of our trays of food in the cafeteria. We each had a heaping, moist mound of spirulina to eat like the great Aztecs, I suppose.

Oh yes, spirulina is known for contamination. Be sure to get it from a reliable source. I get mine from Mountain Rose Herbs.

THEN, there’s powdered gelatin. I used Great Lakes powdered gelatin which is a kosher, grass-fed beef gelatin. Packed with easy-to-digest amino acids, powdered gelatin is a nutrient-dense protein source.

Powdered gelatin nutrition panel

Toss in some ghee, coconut oil, and coconut butter…rich in fat-soluble vitamins…then, you’ve got a great show for your mouth.

Here’s the recipe… And, scroll down further for a stevia sweetened version of the recipe…

This is what you want to happen in your food processor; ready to place in the dish

Zoe’s Pistachio Superfood “Fudge”

Line a 7″ x 9″ deep dish with parchment paper.

Toss the following ingredients into a food processor:

1 1/2 cup raw pistachio pieces
1/2 cup hemp hearts
3 tbsp spirulina powder
2 tbsp ghee
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut butter (packed into the measuring cup)
2 tbsp powdered gelatin
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raw honey

Turn the processor on and mix the ingredients for 7-8 minutes or until the pistachios are well broken down and a ball begins to form and roll around the processor. I normally turn off the processor multiple times to push the ingredients down again and let the processor rest.

Press the “fudge” into the parchment lined dish using a wooden spoon.

Place in fridge to harden for about 3-4 hours.

Cut into chunks and enjoy!

*** STEVIA sweetened version — You can sub stevia for honey. I use 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered whole leaf stevia (the green stuff). Then, I increase ghee & coconut oil, 1 tablespoon each. And, I use another 1/2 cup of seeds/nuts. I’ve used pine nuts or sprouted pumpkin seeds for this (you can just increase hemp seeds or pistachios, though). I don’t know why but I actually like it better than the honey sweetened fudge!