Working in an office filled with Canadian boys, Tim Horton’s Timbits show up on my desk on an almost daily basis. Last week I cried (on Twitter) “When will they launch the vegan, gluten-free, quinoa Timbit at Tim Hortons already!?” But instead of waiting for it, I decided to take things into my own hands this weekend and create my very healthy version. The result? Raw and gluten-free Vegan Timbits!

This recipe was adapted from Kimberley Snyder‘s Endurance Protein Bars, which she gives to her actor clients when they have physically demanding roles or when they are working out a lot and want a sweet treat. They are a great source of energy if you are highly active, and they’re a delicious treat that can be enjoyed in moderation by non-athletes too. I turned these ‘bars’ into balls and rolled them in coconut flakes to create my Vegan Timbits. Please note that these are a raw treat, and a baked dough-like consistency should not be expected. Here’s what you need to make your own:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almonds (soaked overnight, then rinsed)

2 cups pecans

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 dried figs destemmed

2 dates, pitted

3/4 cup high quality maple syrup

1 cup (approx) coconut flakes (ideally unsweetened)

Directions:

- Pulse the nuts in a food processor and process just until they are slightly chunky, careful not to over process or yo’ll end up with nut butter.

- Add the spices and vanilla extract, then the figs, dates and maple syrup, and process until the mixture becomes evenly moist. To avoid over processing, you can combine the ingredients in a bowl once the figs and dates have been broken down.

- Pour the mixture into an 8×8 inch glass baking dish and press in with the back of a spoon or with slightly moist hands to compress.

- At this point Kimberly Snyder suggests dehydrating at 105F overnight for about 18 hours to harden, or you can place in the oven at the lowest setting with the door cracked open a bit for about 5-6 hours. Personally I don’t have a dehydrator and didn’t like the idea of using my oven with the door open for such a long period of time. Her time-saving alternative is to keep the mixture in the fridge, and serve it slightly moist, which is the route I took that lead me to create the vegan Timbits.

- Once the mixture has been in the fridge for a few hours, remove and grab a teaspoon as well as the coconut shreds. Use a flat surface or plate and spread a layer of coconut on top. Scoop out a spoonful of the mixture and use your hands to form a ball shape. These are soft so be gentle! Lightly roll the ball in coconut and then place on a sheet or glass container to store them back in your fridge conveniently.

- Repeat until all of the mixture has been used up, store in the fridge.

- This recipe should make a couple dozen Vegan Timbits, I cut the recipe by half and made approximately a dozen.

Enjoy!

xo

The post {Recipe} Gracie’s Raw and Gluten-Free Vegan Timbits appeared first on Gracie Carroll.