Maca Powder Is The Superfood Ingredient You Need In Your Pantry

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While there’s no real substitute for a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning, there is a more nutritious alternative. Some people want to wean themselves off of caffeine for health reasons, and this is where maca powder, a caffeine-free and plant-based energy enhancer, comes in.

Maca root has been used for centuries to help the body adapt to stress. The beige powder has been called the “Peruvian ginseng,” and it’s grown way up in the mountains of South America in regions with particularly high altitudes. It’s considered a superfood and a natural source of healing nutrition with an earthy and nutty flavor. And let’s not forget that the health benefits of maca powder are pretty impressive.

You can pick up a container of maca powder at health-conscious grocery stores or vitamin shops. We’re not saying you need to ditch coffee just yet, but maca powder is definitely worth a try. Plus, it’s easy to incorporate the superfood into your routine once you have it on hand. Here are a couple of maca-inspired recipes that’ll get you excited.

Maca, Cinnamon And Cacao Fat Bombs

Unsplash/The Little Red House

Fat bombs are bite-sized balls made with mostly healthy fats and very little carbs or sugar. Typical fat sources include coconut, nuts, nut butters and avocados. The idea is that when you need to increase your energy levels, just pop one of these babies and you’ll be good to go.

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut butter (or coconut oil, but it won’t be as rich)
• 1/2 cup cashew butter or almond butter
• 1/3 cup maca powder
• 2 teaspoon agave
• 2 scoops of protein powder
• 2 tablespoon cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

If you have a food processor, the fat bomb-making process is pretty fast and easy. If you don’t have a food processor — and let’s face it, they’re pricey — you can just melt all of the ingredients together. In a large skillet, melt together the coconut butter and the cashew butter. Once the texture of the cashew butter and coconut butter changes to a more liquidy consistency, add in the rest of the ingredients and remove the pan from the heat.

Pour the mixture into any kind of mold you have (it could be a candy mold or a small muffin tin) and put the mold into the refrigerator until it sets. Once the fat bombs are solid, you can take them out of the molds and snack on them as you go.

Maca, Coconut And Chia Seed Pancakes

Unsplash/Joanna Kosinska

Everyone loves a good short stack of pancakes, especially when they’re on the healthy side. You won’t have to worry about dairy or gluten here, and it’ll still feel like you’re getting your fix of fluffy pancakes.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon maca powder
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 4 tablespoons almond milk
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

In a small or medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the coconut flour, maca powder, cinnamon, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix all of the dry ingredients until there are no clumps.

In another small bowl, mix together the eggs, almond milk and chia seeds. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and give it a good stir until the batter becomes smooth. If you need to add more milk to make the batter less clumpy, do so.

Heat a non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat. Add a little bit of your cooking fat of choice and let it start to sizzle. Add in about two tablespoons of the batter at a time to make one pancake. You might need to flatten the batter out a tiny bit so that the pancake is an even shape.

Cook the pancakes on each side for about three minutes. When you start to see bubbles forming on the surface and the edges look like they’re cooked, you know it’s time to flip.

You’ll end up with about four or five pancakes, depending on how big you make them. It’s the perfect amount for one person, but if you’re cooking for two, you can double the recipe.

Raw Maca And Honey Fudge

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Since everyone loves fudge, you might as well come up with an addicting fudge recipe that’s good for you, too. This is a no-bake fudge so you won’t have to worry about oven temperature or baking times.

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut oil, melted
• 4 tablespoon raw cacao
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon organic raw maca powder
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan or a medium-sized skillet. Add in all of the other ingredients.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the mixture out onto the baking sheet. Use a spatula to move around the mixture until it looks like it’s an even layer all around.

At this point, you can sprinkle any extra ingredients you have on hand. Maybe it’s cacao nibs, chopped nuts or shredded coconut. Use a spatula again to incorporate any extra ingredients while maintaining that even layer.

Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for an hour or until the fudge becomes solid. Once it’s set, it’ll be easy to cut into convenient squares.

Chocolate Maca Smoothie

Unsplash/Chelsea Shapouri

For a go-to superfood smoothie that’ll boost your day, give this chocolate maca smoothie a try. (It’s a great idea to have maca powder and cacao powder on hand at all times.)

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 1 banana
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• 1 tablespoon maca powder
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• ice cubes
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cacao nibs (for garnish and texture)

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You can top the maca smoothie with cacao nibs for extra crunch and a photo-worthy presentation.

Peanut Butter Maca Cookies

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Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoon maca powder
• 2 tablespoon almond milk
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the maple syrup, peanut butter, milk and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the salt, maca powder and flour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form small, round balls of dough and arrange them on a cookie sheet, pressing down each cookie so that the shape is flat and even all around.

Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes. You’re ready for dunking!

Whether you go with a smoothie, fat bombs or no-bake fudge, you’ll see why coffee isn’t always the answer. And if you don’t have a health food store near you, Trader Joe’s sells organic maca powder for $6 a bag. 

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