nut alternatives

Nuts are healthy sources of energy. They contain valuable vitamins, mineral nutrients, trace elements, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are said to have a positive influence on the heart, blood vessels, and concentration.

As healthy as nuts may be, many people do not tolerate peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and other nuts. However: if you do not tolerate a certain type of nut, it does not mean that all nuts are problematic. Coconut and nutmeg, for example, are usually well tolerated by most people with nut allergies. Look at our alternatives and try them to see what tastes good and what you can tolerate.

Nut alternatives:

  • Sesame
  • Amaranth
  • Quinoa
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Apricot kernels (sweet)

If you do not tolerate nuts and do not have an allergy (IgE) in the conventional sense, the cause could also be a delayed food allergy (IgG). Test yourself now using the ImuPro blood test and find out whether you have a delayed food allergy to nuts.

Recipe idea – Chocolate chili terrace cookies (makes 15)

Ingredients:

  • 40 g sunflower margarine
  • 50 g raw cane sugar
  • 45 g rice flower
  • 45 g potato starch
  • ½ tsp. cream of tartar baking powder
  • 10 g cocoa for baking
  • 1 pinch chili powder (or more, to taste, or substitute with cinnamon)
  • 1–2 Tbsp water
  • Sour cherry jam for filling
  • Cookie cutters for terrace cookies (approx. 5 cm diameter)

Preparation:

Combine together sugar, rice flower, potato starch, cream of tartar baking powder, sifted cocoa, and chili powder. Add margarine and a small amount of water. Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

Roll out dough between two layers of plastic wrap (sprinkle with a little rice flour if needed) to approx. 3–4 mm thick. Cut out 30 hearts, and cut out an additional smaller heart in the middle of half of the big hearts. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper (the cookies can be close together since they will not rise very much). Bake in preheated oven (160 °C) for about 6 minutes.

After the cookies have cooled, spread sour cherry jam on bottom halves and place cookies with center cut-out on top, pressing down gently. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.