by Ezra Cohen Montreal

Spring is here, and at Ezra Cohen Montreal, we’ve been on the hunt for light and tasty snacks that will keep us full without weighing us down.

Warmer weather means that it’s time to ditch your bulky parka and say hello to lighter clothes, brighter skies, and longer days. And while you adjust your schedule and your wardrobe, you’re probably adjusting how you snack, too. Take a break from winter’s comfort foods and change up your eating approach with a fluffy dip that’s packed with protein and healthy fats—and okay, just a little bit of indulgence, too.

This chocolate nut butter dip is easy to adapt to whatever nut butters you have on hand, and works especially well with our own innovative line of nut butters. Pair it with fresh fruit, unsalted pretzel sticks, or whole grain graham crackers for the perfect afternoon snack or picnic treat, or spread it on toast in the morning for a wholesome wake-up call.

Here’s how to make it.

Chocolate Nut Butter Dip

This dip goes great with a ton of different healthy dipping options, and can also be spread on toast or stirred into your morning oatmeal. Feel free to adapt the recipe and get creative with it!

What You Need:

• ½ cup whole fat plain yogurt (Greek or regular yogurt will work, or you could use a dairy-free variety such as soy or coconut yogurt)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, depending on how chocolate-y you want your dip to be
• 2 tablespoons of Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butter (our Cashew Butter, Almond Butter, and Brazil Nut Butter would all work great here!)
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt, unsweetened cocoa powder, nut butter, honey, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and stir until completely smooth.

2. Serve chocolate nut butter dip right away, or store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

If you’d like, you can top your finished dip with dark chocolate shavings, unsweetened shredded coconut, granola, or another sprinkling of cinnamon.

Some options for what to serve on the side for dipping include:

• Fresh cut fruit, such as apples, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, orange slices, blackberries
• Unsalted pretzel sticks
• Whole grain graham crackers
• One or two of your favorite cookies
• Waffle or French toast sticks

This dip travels well so long as you pack it in a cooler, so consider doubling up on the recipe and serving it at your next outdoor picnic or event—we guarantee your friends will love it!

Is Chocolate Nut Butter Dip Healthy?

You bet. Yogurt and nut butter provide you with tons of healthy vitamins and minerals, from protein and omega-3 fatty acids to fiber and calcium. And because we’ve stuck with unsweetened cocoa powder and just a small amount of natural sweetener, there’s also no need to worry about overloading on processed sugar (though do be sure to choose a yogurt that is low in added sugar, just to keep those levels down).

Looking For More Spring Recipe Inspiration?

You know we’ve got you covered. Our recipe blog is chock full of health nut butter inspired recipes, with plenty of choices for mixing it up at spring picnics, summer barbecues, and beyond. For more sweet options, check out our recipes for Salted Caramel Cashew “Nice Cream” Made With Ezra Cohen Montreal Nut Butter or Chocolate and Sea Salt Almond Butter Bars (which are paleo and vegan—score!). We’ve got lots of savory options too, from vegan mac and cheese to almond butter beet dip. We hope that you enjoy, and that you gets lots of inspiration for how to use nut butter in your favorite treats and meals. 

It is officially the season of love, and there are few things that we love more here at Ezra Cohen Montreal than using our nut butters to bring a touch of the unexpected to sweet treats.

These nut butter covered strawberries offer a new twist on a classic Valentine’s Day treat, and are perfect as a dessert, a gift to a loved one, or paired with wine and a rom-com if you’re spending the day solo. You can also combine them with our nut butter whipped cream and salted caramel cashew “nice cream” for a sundae fit for love birds. (And you know we won’t tell anyone if you eat them for breakfast, too.)

Opting for nut butter instead of chocolate with your dipped strawberries offers more than just a fancy new flavor combination. Nut butters are packed with health benefits, including protein, fiber, and a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, folate, and magnesium—a nutritional punch that does double duty when combined with juicy strawberries. They also provide some wholesome relief on a holiday that’s so often centered around unconscious indulgence, which, while fine in moderation, doesn’t necessarily need to be the norm.

Whether you’re planning on eating healthier this Valentine’s Day or you just want something new to mix up the traditional holiday fare, these nut butter covered strawberries are endlessly adaptable and undeniably delicious, and we’re pretty sure that you’ll be experiencing heart eyes after just one bite.

Here’s how to make them.

What You Need:

– 4 tablespoons of your favorite Ezra Cohen Montreal Nut Butter (any variety will do, but Praline Pecan Butter and Maple Cashew Butter are our favorites to use with this recipe)

– 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted

– 1.5 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup

– A carton of fresh strawberries, rinsed and dried

– Optional toppings: sprinkles, coconut flakes, cocoa nibs, turbinado sugar, mini peanut butter chips, mini white chocolate chips, chocolate drizzle, dusting of powdered sugar, crushed pretzel pieces

Directions:

1. Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine your nut butter of choice with coconut oil and honey, maple syrup, or agave and stir until smooth. (Hint: you may want to microwave your nut butter for a few seconds before combining, especially if you store it in the fridge.)

3. One by one, dip your strawberries in the nut butter mixture, gently rotate to coat, and lay nut butter covered strawberry on a parchment paper baking sheet. If you want to apply one of the optional toppings, do so right away after placing a strawberry on the sheet, since if you wait too long the coating will start to set.

3. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, then move strawberries to the fridge. Keep cold until ready to serve.

Voila, you now have a totally scrumptious Valentine’s Day treat to fall in love with that only tastes like it should be a guilty pleasure. And if strawberries aren’t your thing—or if you just don’t have them on hand—this recipe works equally well as a coating for bananas or pineapple chunks, or you can use it to coat pretzel rods.

Want more secretly healthy dessert recipes? We’ve got you covered. Browse our recipe blog for tons of scrumptious ideas and keep checking back as we show off new and exciting ways to use nut butters in everyday desserts, snacks, and meals. Nut butters work as an excellent dairy replacement, and are a great way to turn indulgences into vegan, paleo, or keto friendly faves. 

La seule chose meilleure que la crème fouettée est censée être la crème fouettée à base de beurres de noix Ezra Cohen Montréal. Nos beurres de noisettes ajoutent plus qu’une simple dose de délice supplémentaire à cette gâterie essentielle des fêtes ; ils ajoutent également de la consistance, de la texture, puis un tas de fibres nutritives, de protéines, de vitamines et de minéraux. Comment se présentent-ils en tant qu’une garniture de dessert qui vous fera vous sentir bien ?

Faire de la crème fouettée est super facile. En fait, c’est si facile, qu’après l’avoir fait une fois, nous vous garantissons que vous abandonnerez les conserves une fois pour toutes. Mieux encore, elle est également adaptable à l’infini. Des extraits aux épices en passant par nos délicieux beurres de noix, le ciel est la limite quand il s’agit de transformer votre crème fouettée en un parfait complément de ce avec quoi vous aimez la déguster.

Sur quoi pouvez-vous mettre de la crème fouettée au beurre de noix?

On ne parle pas de fêtes sans crème fouettée (mais soyons réalistes, nous en mangeons toute l’année).

Parmi les choses préférées sur lesquelles nous utilisons la crème fouettée au beurre de noix, il y a :

–          Les tartes (citrouille, pomme, chocolat, crème de banane… nous ne sommes pas pointilleux)

–          Les Cupcakes

–          Le Chocolat chaud

–          Les Crêpes et gaufres

–          Les Biscuits au beurre

Étalez un peu de crème fouettée au beurre de noix entre deux biscuits chauds fraîchement cuits, pour un dessert de sandwich paradisiaque. Intégrez-la dans votre café le matin au lieu de la crème ou du lait. Ou, versez-la dans un bol et garnissez d’un arrangement de baies fraîches pour une collation saine à tout moment de la journée. Il n’y a vraiment aucun moyen de se tromper.

Comment faire de la crème fouettée au beurre de noix

Nous vous avons dit que c’était simple, et nous ne plaisantions pas. Préparer une portion de crème fouettée au beurre de noix Ezra Cohen Montréal ne prend que quatre ingrédients de base, et peut toujours être agrémenté d’autres aliments de base que vous pourriez avoir sous la main (comme la cannelle moulue ou les épices pour tarte à la citrouille).

Voici comment procéder.

Ce dont vous aurez besoin:

–          1 tasse de crème à fouetter épaisse froide

–          ¼ tasse de beurre de noix Ezra Cohen Montréal de votre choix

–          ¼ tasse de sucre en poudre

–          1 cuillère à café d’extrait de vanille

Les étapes de préparation:

1. Ajoutez votre crème à fouetter épaisse et le beurre de noix Ezra Cohen Montréal dans le bol d’un batteur sur socle équipé d’un fouet, et battez à vitesse moyenne jusqu’à ce que le mélange commence à épaissir. Si vous n’avez pas de batteur sur socle, vous pouvez utiliser un bol en acier inoxydable froid et un batteur à main, ou même la fouetter à la main avec un fouet métallique.
2. Ajoutez votre extrait de vanille puis progressivement, votre sucre en poudre. Continuez à battre à vitesse moyenne jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit bien combiné et que des pics fermes se forment. Vous saurez que vous avez la bonne texture lorsqu’après avoir soulevé le fouet ou le mélangeur, vous voyez un pic avec une petite boucle en haut. Veillez à ne pas mélanger trop longtemps, car vous ne voulez pas que votre crème se transforme en beurre.
3. Servez immédiatement ou versez-la dans un contenant, et conservez au réfrigérateur. Cette crème fouettée restera fraîche au réfrigérateur jusqu’à trois jours, ou peut être congelée jusqu’à deux mois. Si vous décidez de la congeler, faites-la décongeler au réfrigérateur pendant 15 à 20 minutes avant de la manger, afin d’obtenir la bonne consistance pour une garniture (ou simplement la déguster congelée directement à la cuillère – nous ne le dirons pas!).

Cette crème fouettée au beurre de noix est la touche savoureuse que vous ne saviez pas qu’elle manquait à vos vacances. Consultez notre blogue pour d’autres idées de friandises de fêtes à base de beurres de noix Ezra Cohen Montréal, y compris ces trois recettes exceptionnelles à base de beurre de praline aux noix de pécan et ces muffins détachables au beurre de noix , le petit-déjeuner idéal après une soirée de fête intense.

The only thing better than whipped cream has got to be whipped cream made with Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butters. Our nutty butters add more than just a dose of added deliciousness to this essential holiday treat—they also add body, texture, and a bunch of nutritious fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. How’s that for a dessert topper you can really feel good about?

Making whipped cream is super easy. So easy, in fact, that after making it once we guarantee that you’ll ditch the canned stuff once and for all. Better yet, it’s also endlessly adaptable. From extracts to spices to our scrumptious nut butters, the sky’s the limit when it comes to turning your whipped cream into the perfect complement to whatever you’re enjoying it with.

What Can You Put Nut Butter Whipped Cream On?

It wouldn’t be the holidays without whipped cream (though let’s be real, we eat it all year round).

Some of our favorite things to use nut butter whipped cream on include:

• Pies (pumpkin, apple, chocolate, banana cream… we’re not picky)
• Cupcakes
• Hot chocolate
• Pancakes and waffles
• Buttermilk biscuits

Spread some nut butter whipped cream in between two warm, freshly baked cookies for a heavenly dessert sandwich. Stir it into your coffee in the morning instead of cream or milk. Heck, spoon it into a bowl and top with an arrangement of fresh berries for a healthy snack at any time of day. There truly is no way to go wrong.

How to Make Nut Butter Whipped Cream

We told you that it was simple, and we weren’t kidding. Whipping up a batch of Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butter whipped cream takes just four basic ingredients, and can always be enhanced with other pantry staples that you might have on hand (such as ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice).

Here’s how to do it.

What you’ll need:

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
¼ cup Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butter of your choice
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Add your heavy whipping cream and Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until mixture starts to thicken. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a cold stainless steel bowl and a hand mixer, or even whip it up by hand with a wire whisk.
2. Add in your vanilla extract and then gradually add in your powdered sugar. Continue to beat on medium speed until mixture is well combined and stiff peaks form. You’ll know you’ve got the right texture when you lift the whisk or mixer attachment and leave behind a peak with a little curl at the top. Be careful not to over-mix, since you don’t want it to turn into butter.
3. Serve immediately, or redistribute into a container and store in the fridge. This whipped cream will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days, or can be frozen for up to two months. If you decide to freeze it, thaw in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before eating to get to the right consistency as a topping (or just enjoy frozen right off the spoon—we won’t tell!).

This nut butter whipped cream is the tasty twist that you didn’t know your holidays were missing. Check out our blog for more great holiday treat ideas made with Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butters, including these three exceptional praline pecan butter recipes and these pull-apart nut butter muffin—the ideal breakfast after an evening of heavy feasting.