Danielle Walker is the queen of grain-free cooking and, when we asked her for a fall snack recipe, she delivered big time! We’re swooning for these three fun snacks, all gluten and grain-free. 

The caramel snack packs are deliciously indulgent, the party mix is the perfect thing to have in your back pocket for hungry kids (or roommates), and these energy balls are our new go-to… 

Snacking can be difficult on a grain-free diet, for kids and adults alike. Of course, fruit and vegetables are always quick and nutritious snacks, but sometimes we all hanker for something that feels a little bit more indulgent. You might recognize the recipes that follow as being inspired by the snacks you knew and loved growing up. 

Melted Ghee Party Mix
(makes 4 cups)

Ingredients:
¼ cup ghee
5 ounces Plaintain chips
1cup whole unroasted almonds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup pepitas
1 ½ tablespoons coconut aminos
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 F. 

Melt the ghee in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the coconut aminos, maple syrup, fish sauce, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and chili powder. Turn off the heat, then add the plantain chips, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, and pepitas and stir until evenly coated. Spread the party mix in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. 

Bake for 90 minutes, stirring every 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the baking sheet cool on a wire rack. The nuts will look slightly wet when removed from the oven but will continue to dry out as they cool. 

Store the completely cooled mix in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 month. 

Butterscotch Snack Packs
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted grass-fed butter
½ cup coconut sugar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped out
½ cup full-fat coconut milk
3 egg yolks
2 ½ tablespoons arrowroot powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ cups cashew milk, warmed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream, for serving
Shaved dark chocolate, for serving

Directions:
Melt the ghee in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut sugar, maple syrup, and the vanilla bean pod and seeds and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking frequently, until bubbling. Don’t let the mixture smoke or burn. Whisk in the coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes more, until thickened slightly. Remove the pan from the heat. 

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, arrowroot, and salt into the warmed cashew milk, then whisk the egg mixture into the pan. Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and a path is left when a spoon is drawn through the pudding. 

Remove the pan from the heat, discard the vanilla bean pod, and stir in the vanilla extract. Divide the pudding among four 8-ounce jars and press plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding surfaces. Refrigerate for 2 hours, until set and fully chilled. 

Store the set pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. 

Serve topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. 

Seed Butter Energy Balls
(makes 12)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup golden flaxseeds
• 1 cup unsweetened sunflower seed butter
• ½ cup light-colored raw honey
• 15 small pitted dates
• 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons unflavored collagen peptides powder or protein powder of your choice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped dark chocolate (80% cacao)
• Fine sea salt
• Cocoa powder or finely shredded unsweetened coconut, for rolling

Directions:

Place the flaxseed in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the sunflower seed butter, honey, dates, cacao powder, coconut flour, collagen peptides, and vanilla and process until smooth. Stir in the chocolate and a pinch of salt. Remove the blade and chill the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Place the cocoa powder or shredded coconut on a plate. Roll the chilled mixture into 1-inch balls, and roll each ball in the topping until coated. 

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for 6 months. Eat straightaway; or, if you prefer, defrost at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.