by Ezra Cohen Montreal

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that allows you to eat many of the foods you love while still losing weight, including delicious treats like these keto almond butter cups. We love these almond butter cups because they’re incredibly simple to make (just 5 ingredients!) and take care of our sweet tooth without setting us off our diet goals. After just one bite we know that you’ll love them, too.

Key to making these almond butter cups keto-friendly is to follow a few simple rules:

• Use coconut oil. Coconut oil contains certain fats called medium-chain triglycerides, which are rapidly absorbed in the liver where they’re either burned for energy or converted into ketones.
• Leave out any refined sugar. Refined sugar is a big no-no for the keto diet since it can inhibit your body’s ability to enter into ketosis. Stick to sugar alternatives instead, like Stevia or monk fruit sweetener.
• Be wise in your chocolate choice. To the point above, you’ll want to only use sugar-free chocolate, which includes chocolates that are sweetened with artificial sweeteners. Or you can just go plain sugar-free, which is what we opt for in our recipe since it gives you more control over overall sweetness.

Okay, ready to get cooking? Here is our recipe for super simple—and simply delicious—keto almond butter cups.

Ingredients

½ cup + 2tbsp coconut oil
½ cup Natural Almond Butter from Ezra Cohen Montreal
1 tsp Liquid Stevia or alternative sweetener of your choice (play around with this amount if you prefer your food more or less sweet)
½ cup sugar-free dark chocolate
Sea salt

Directions

1. Line an 18 cup mini-muffin tin with liners and spray each liner with a light mist of coconut oil spray. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan set over low heat, combine ½ cup coconut oil with ½ cup Natural Almond Butter from Ezra Cohen Montreal. Once combined, add sweetener and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt together sugar-free dark chocolate with remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Make sure to only use low-heat and to check progress in 15 second intervals. Once chocolate is almost fully melted, stir to combine until smooth.
4. Drop a spoonful of chocolate mixture onto the bottom of each muffin liner and spread it so it covers the bottom. Then put a teaspoon or so of the almond butter mixture on top and press down to flatten. Cover with remaining chocolate. Sprinkle each cup with sea salt.
5. Place in the freezer until set. Then enjoy!

Ezra Cohen Montreal was founded by Ezra Cohen, McGill graduate and nut butter enthusiast. Check out our recipe gallery for more healthy treats, and in the meantime, happy snacking!

5 Major Macadamia Nut Butter Benefits

Wondering about macadamia nut butter benefits? We already know that there is a ton to love about macadamia nuts, including the fact that they’re loaded with good-for-you vitamins and minerals and the perfect addition to chocolate chip cookies. But blend ‘em up and you get a creamy snack that provides all of the same benefits and then some—including the ability to take a chocolate chip cookie to the next level, of course.

We’re passionate about our nut butters here at Ezra Cohen Montreal, and macadamia nut butter is no exception. So what are some of the benefits of eating it? Here are five of the biggest ones.

1. It’s chockful of nutrients. You’ll find a wide range of healthy fats in macadamia nut butter, including monounsaturated fats, which help lower levels of bad cholesterol and keep your heart healthy. You also get fiber, manganese, iron, vitamin B6, and thiamin, all in a nut that’s naturally low in carbohydrates and sugar.

2. It’s great for weight loss. Macadamia nuts, like most nuts, are a calorie dense food. However, macadamia nut butter is packed with fiber and protein, both of which help you get full faster and stay full for longer. And those monounsaturated fats we mentioned? Research suggest that these healthy fats—particularly palmitoleic acid, an omega-7 monounsaturated fat—can protect your body from unwanted weight gain.

3. It’s got lots of antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals in your body, in turn allowing cells to function more efficiently and lowering your risk of certain diseases. And you’ll find plenty of them in macadamia nut butter, in particular flavonoids (which lower cholesterol and help fight inflammation) and tocotrienols (which also lower cholesterol and may provide key protection for your brain).

4. It’s heart healthy. Hearts love macadamia nut butter almost as much as taste buds. That’s because tree nuts like macadamia nuts have been found to have a marked effect on cholesterol levels, including introducing healthy fats in place of problematic ones. That means fewer risk factors for heart problems, even the big ones like coronary artery disease.

5. It reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome refers to a range of diseases that include diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Some studies show that the nutrients found in plenty in macadamia nuts reduce the risk of these diseases by helping level out blood sugar, reduce body fat, and lower bad cholesterol. Not bad for such a simple snack

Ezra Cohen, Mcgill graduate and founder of Ezra Cohen Montreal, wants to share his love of nut butters (and all their benefits) with the world. Shop our product line today and find your new favorite nut butter!

An almond butter parfait might just be the perfect way to start your morning. There’s so much to love about it: creamy yogurt, fresh fruit, irresistible almond butter. Plus, it’s totally customizable depending on your taste and how much time you have!

There’s a lot of things that we love to do with the All Natural Almond Butter from Ezra Cohen Montreal, but this is definitely at the top of the list. Below, we’ll go over everything that you need to build a showstopping parfait that’s full of almond butter goodness. 

Recipe

Step One: Choose Your Base

The sky is the limit when it comes to what yogurt you use in your parfait. We like simple, whole milk Greek yogurt, but non-Greek yogurt, low-fat yogurt, or flavored yogurt all work just as well. To keep your parfait extra healthy, be sure to pick a yogurt that is low in added sugar. 

Step Two: Go Nutty

Take a cup of your yogurt choice and stir in 3 tablespoons of creamy almond butter. Then add 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon. Stir until smooth. 

Step Three: Freshen Up With Fruit

Fruit is an important component of any good breakfast parfait. And since so many fruits go well with almond butter, you should have no trouble picking out the right ones. Our favorites? Bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and peaches, but grapes, apples, pineapple, and orange will all work well too! If you just can’t choose, mix it up by opting for multiple kinds of fruit. 

Step Four: Pick a Crunch Factor

A good parfait is all about texture. Chopped almonds are a natural choice for your almond butter parfait, but shredded coconut, chia seeds, or dry cereal also make great crunchy additions. 

Step Five: Build Your Parfait

Sure you can just stir all of your separate parfait components together, but for a true parfait you’re going to need layers. Start with a layer of your yogurt and almond butter mixture, then top with a thin layer of your crunch element followed by fruit. Repeat these layers until you run out of ingredients, ideally ending with a layer of yogurt topped with crunch. If you really want to up the ante, melt 1 tablespoon of almond butter and drizzle it on top. 

Now that you know what’s for breakfast, what about the rest of the day? Check out all of the recipes on our blog for more great ideas from Ezra Cohen, McGill graduate and founder of Ezra Cohen Montreal! 

Looking for some inventive pistachio butter uses? We’ve got you covered!

We’re big fans of pistachio butter at Ezra Cohen Montreal. Maybe it’s the creamy texture or the subtle saltiness or the versatility… or maybe it’s just the fact that you get all of that amazing pistachio flavor without having to unshell a single nut.

There’s no denying the deliciousness of pistachio nut butter, nor can you overlook the fact that it boasts a ton of good-for-you health benefits. These include:

• High nutrient content
• High protein content
• Antioxidants
• Potassium (as much as one small banana in every serving!)
• Fiber

Pistachio butter is also naturally low in cholesterol, and supports both the health of your heart and your digestive system. It makes sense then that you’d want to add it into your diet however you can.

If you could use more pistachio butter in your life, try out these three innovative ways to use it, courtesy of Ezra Cohen, McGill graduate and founder of Ezra Cohen Montreal.

3 Uses:

1. Pistachio Dressing

Whip up a simple pistachio dressing by combining ½ cup of high quality extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup of pistachio butter, and a tablespoon of honey, plus salt and pepper as needed (you can also bulk it up a bit further with a squeeze of lemon, some minced shallot, or a ½ tablespoon or red wine vinegar). Toss with fresh greens topped with chopped scallions, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese, or drizzle onto your favorite veggies.

2. Pistachio Chocolate Fudge

For an effortlessly tasty (and effortlessly easy) treat, combine 2 cups of powdered sugar with 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 cup milk (dairy or plant-based will work), 1 tsp vanilla, and ¼ cup pistachio butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until smooth, stirring often — about 1 and a half minutes on high. Spread into an 8×8 pan, top with mini chocolate chips or shredded sweetened coconut (or both!), and chill for at least one hour.

3. Pistachio Butter Granola

Take breakfast to the next level. Combine 2 cup quick-cooking oats with 2 tablespoons shelled and chopped pistachios, ¼ tablespoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon salt; set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, combine 3 tablespoon pistachio butter, 2 tablespoons of honey, and a dash of vanilla; microwave until smooth. Pour melted mixture over dry mixture and stir to combine. Spread out onto baking sheet and bake in oven at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes (check for doneness — if the granola is still too wet, bake it longer).

Happy eating! Check out the Ezra Cohen Montreal blog for more nut and nut butter recipes.