I especially love the maple dijon dressing on this butternut squash salad. Oftentimes, I’ll make a version of this dressing with lemon, but for this salad, I wanted to use a different citrus flavor that feels more wintery, so I went with mild, sweet orange juice. It’s perfect!

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
• Tips for Success
• More Fall & Winter Salad Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

Why You’ll Love This Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

This is one of those versatile salads that works equally well as a side for a family dinner, a hearty main dish for lunch, or a special occasion salad (I’m making this one for Thanksgiving!)

I set out to create a salad that had all of the elements you want: Some acidity and zip from the dressing, creamy saltiness from the feta, sweet roasted squash, and welcome crunch from the pepitas. Oh, and the chewy sweetness of dried cranberries is a win, too!

Not only does this butternut squash salad taste terrific, it’s really pretty to look at, too. Perfect fall colors!

Ingredients

• Butternut squash – I love this sweet, creamy, and prolific squash, but you could actually substitute another winter squash or pumpkin if you like.
• Olive oil – For roasting the squash.
• Salt & pepper – Also for roasting the squash.
• Pepitas – Also known as hulled pumpkin seeds, pepitas add a bit of color and crunch. I love to toast them first to enhance the flavors and crunch.
• Baby spring greens mix
• Spinach – I like to add spinach to the mix for the added nutrients and variety. You can use more spring greens, though, if you prefer.
• Apple – The crisp, crunchy sweetness provides the perfect seasonal counterpoint to the butternut squash. Fuji, Honeycrisp, or another sweet crisp apple are recommended.
• Feta cheese – Crumbled.
• Dried cranberries – For some added color and sweetness.
• Orange maple dijon vinaigrette – Olive oil, red wine vinegar, orange juice, pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, salt and pepper.

Adaptations/Variations

• Dairy-free/vegan butternut squash salad: Simply leave out the feta cheese or sub in a dairy-free/vegan alternative.
• Swap out the pumpkin seeds for toasted hazelnuts or pecans, if you prefer. Both are also delicious!

How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

First, you’ll roast the butternut squash. Toss the squash cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast until soft and golden brown on some of the sides.

Meanwhile, toast your pepitas in a dry skillet. Just add them to the skillet and cook on medium, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast and smell fragrant.

Next, whip up the salad dressing in a small bowl or mason jar.

It’s time to assemble your salad! Add the greens to a large bowl along with half of the butternut squash, half of the apple, and half of the feta. Add half the dressing and toss to distribute it well.

Top with remaining butternut squash, apple, and feta. Add the pepitas and dried cranberries, then drizzle the remaining dressing over the top. And serve!

Tips for Success

• Don’t burn your pepitas! Remove them from the heat before you think you need to, so they don’t over-toast. They’ll toast a bit more after you’ve removed them from the heat.
• If you’re not going to serve it right away, toss your apples in some fresh lemon juice. That will help keep them from browning.

I hope this roasted butternut squash salad is a huge winner for you! It’s easily my new favorite salad and it’s a definite must-have for our Thanksgiving menu this year.

More Fall & Winter Salad Recipes

• Simple Fall Salad
• Fall Fruit Salad
• Lemon Garlic Kale Salad
• Winter Kale Salad

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Roasted Butternut Squash Feta Salad Recipe

This easy butternut squash salad recipe hits all the right notes! With creamy caramelized butternut squash, crunchy pepitas, salty feta, tart cranberries, and crisp apples over mixed greens and drizzled with an orange maple vinaigrette. My new favorite salad!

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword butternut and feta salad, butternut squash feta salad, butternut squash salad, roasted butternut squash salad, salad with roasted butternut squash

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 574kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2 cups butternut squash, cubed cut into 1/2-inch chunks; from about 1/3 of a medium butternut squash
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons pepitas pumpkin seeds
• 4 cups baby spring greens mix washed and dried
• 2 cups baby spinach washed and dried; or you can use 2 additional cups of spring greens
• 1 cup diced apple about 1/2 of one medium apple; cut into 1/2-inch pieces; Fuji and Honeycrisp are great or another sweet crisp apple
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries

For the salad dressing:

• 5 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, minced about 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste

Instructions

Roast the butternut squash

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Add butternut squash to the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss to evenly coat the squash. Roast until soft and slightly golden in color, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit.

Toast the pumpkin seeds

• Add the pumpkin seeds to a skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Make the salad dressing

• In a small bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, kosher salt and pepper. Whisk together until smooth. 

Assemble the salad

• Add the greens, half the roasted butternut squash, half the apple, and half of the feta cheese to a large salad bowl. Drizzle with half the dressing and toss until well-distributed.
• Top the salad with remaining butternut squash, apple, feta, toasted pepitas, and dried cranberries. Drizzle with the remaining salad dressing. Serve.

Notes

Meat option:

Add slices of grilled chicken or cooked crumbled bacon. Or both.

Dairy-free/vegan option:

Omit the feta or add crumbled vegan feta. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 574kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Cholesterol: 199mg | Sodium: 442mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 9609IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Roasted Butternut Squash Feta Salad Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

These 3-Seed Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies are extraordinary, and I am SO excited to be sharing this cookie recipe with you today!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Developing This Recipe for Tahini Seed Breakfast Cookies
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies
• Tips for Success
• How to Store
• Can I Freeze Tahini Breakfast Cookies?

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

Every August for the past 10 years, our family has headed up to Salt Spring Island in British Columbia for a week of relaxation and fun. It’s the most gorgeous place, tightly packed with tall evergreens along narrow winding roads that open up to blue water vistas.

My kid is there for pretty much solely for a week in the lake at the center of the island, and to catch up with friends who return to the same place every year, too. But for me, one of the best things about Salt Spring is that it’s a straight-up foodie paradise.

One of the reasons for that is that there are farm stands along the sides of the roads everywhere, and in August, these stands are usually overflowing with the locals’ garden abundance.

While some farm stands are what you’d expect – a cart and a roof with maybe some eggs in an ice chest, flowers, a few squash and other vegetables – some are a full-on experience.

Last year, we discovered a huge covered farm stand tucked up a hill on the side of the road. Once we’d parked, climbed up, and picked out homemade cupcakes, we turned around and were greeted by the stunning blue of the bay below us. A long, rustic slab of wood served as a bar facing the view, with stools lined up underneath. We sat down, enjoyed our cupcakes, sipped coffee, and enjoyed the quiet and the scenery.

This past August, I decided to head out by myself late one morning to see what types of squash and other goodies I could find at the local farm stands. After a few stops, I entered the gate of Stowel Lake Farm, crunched up the gravel drive, and parked, then wandered up the flagstone path surrounded by flowers that are always buzzing with butterflies and bees. As usual, this farm stand had gorgeous plants, lots of produce, and a few baked goods.

And it was here that their Tahini Seed Cookies stopped me in my tracks.

There was one left. It was huge, glorious-looking, and mine. Forgetting about everything else, I tucked my four dollars into the honor slot, grabbed the cookie, and carried it back to my car. I quickly decided I was going to wait to find the perfect oat milk latte before I ate it, so I ventured down the road and, as luck would have it, found a coffee stand pretty quickly. They made me the most excellent latte, and I sat down at one of their umbrella-covered tables and dug into the latte and the cookie.

Ohmygosh. This cookie.

It was a vanilla-and-sea-salt-laced cookie PACKED full of seeds, a hint of cardamom and tahini, and a glorious chocolate chunk now and then.

I immediately knew I wanted to recreate these cookies at home, but there is no recipe like that out there – all I had to go on was the list of ingredients on the side of the cookie jar. Stowel Farm’s website mentions their popular cookies, but no recipe.

Soooooo … I set out to recreate this incredible seed cookie that I just had to have in my life year-round. And that’s how these Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies came to be!

I have to note that it took me awhile to realize that these tahini cookies are actually what’s considered to be a breakfast cookie. Which makes perfect sense because I have found myself grabbing one or two for breakfast – and felt great about it because of all of those glorious fiber-and-protein-and-omega-packed seeds. They’re excellent for a satiating snack, too!

Developing This Recipe for Tahini Seed Breakfast Cookies

I knew straight away that this was not going to be a normal cookie recipe. For one, these cookies clearly didn’t have any flour (and were labeled at the farm stand as gluten-free, too). But thankfully, the cookie jar at the farm stand listed the ingredients in the cookies (just not the quantities), so I had somewhere to start.

I stirred together some rolled oats with a bunch of seeds (sunflower seeds, pepitas [pumpkin seeds], and sunflower seeds), along with some dark chocolate chunks, vanilla, salt, and cardamom. Then I added what seemed like a good amount of tahini along with some honey.

The “dough” was not dough-like at all, but I persevered, scooping balls onto my baking sheet, then pressing them gently flat.

I shrugged and baked them, figuring it was going to be an epic fail.

I pulled them out of the oven, and they had actually puffed up a little and held together! From there, I let them cool all of the way on the cookie sheet.

Then I lifted one up, and it miraculously held together! I knew that the tahini and honey would act as a binder, but I was still floored that it actually worked. Better yet, the cookie was delicious!

I went through many iterations of this cookie before I settled on the recipe I’m sharing here today. This, in my opinion, has the perfect amount of vanilla and cardamom, holds together well, and tastes amazing!

The inspiration cookies had coconut, by the way, but when I tried adding coconut, the cookies suddenly had a moist quality that had them falling apart by day two. I didn’t feel like it added much to the flavor, so I continued developing the recipe without coconut. I have a hunch that toasted coconut flakes might work, though, I just haven’t tried it yet.

Ingredients

Okay, so what do we have in these little gems?

• Tahini – You want a runny, creamy tahini that you can stir together well so that it is nice and homogenous when you add it to your cookies.
• Honey – Any honey will work, use your fave.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is what I use. I want to try these breakfast cookies with vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla bean but haven’t yet.
• Cardamom – Ground cardamom goes perfectly with the sesame taste of tahini and the mellow sweetness of the vanilla.
• Kosher salt & flaky sea salt – Kosher salt for in the cookies, flaky sea salt like Maldon for sprinkling over the top.
• Oats – I like to use thick rolled oats which I think stand up to the seeds well and add to the hearty quality of these breakfast cookies.
• Pepitas – Also known as pumpkin seeds, these green seeds are so good for you and just so good! I use raw, unsalted pepitas.
• Sunflower seeds – At the time I was testing this recipe, I had the hardest time finding raw sunflower seeds! So I used roasted, salted sunflower seeds. I’m sure raw sunflower seeds will work just as well.
• Sesame seeds – You’ll want raw sesame seeds. They’re found in the spice section of most grocery stores.
• Chocolate chunks – I like dark chocolate chunks for these tahini cookies, but you can use whatever chocolate chips or chunks you like.

Adaptations/Variations

• I plan to test this recipe with other nut butters and seeds/nuts, but haven’t yet. I suspect cashew butter/cashews will be lovely.
• Make ’em vegan: Honey is not vegan, but you can swap in pure maple syrup for a fully vegan version of these breakfast cookies.

How to Make Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies

I think you’re going to LOVE how easy these breakfast cookies are to make.

Preheat your oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and grab a medium-sized bowl. Add the tahini, honey, vanilla, cardamom, and kosher salt to the bowl and mix it together until well combined.

Now, pile in all the seeds and the chocolate chunks. Stir until completely combined. The mix will be somewhat loose and will require a bit of muscle to get everything combined.

From there, scoop balls onto your baking sheet. I like to use a two-tablespoon cookie scoop.

Space them about two inches apart, and flatten them gently with your fingers. They’ll be a little fragile, just press the sides back in as you go.

I like to add a couple of extra chocolate chunks to the top of each cookie for presentation, but that’s totally optional.

Then, bake them until the edges are golden. Pull them out of the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like, and let them sit until completely cool on the cookie sheet. They’ll adhere together as they cool.

Tips for Success

• Mix the wet ingredients together first. This helps to make sure all of the flavors of the vanilla, salt, and cardamom are evenly distributed.
• Let them cool completely on the baking sheet! This is where the magic happens – they bind together the rest of the way while cooling off.

How to Store

Store your tahini seed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I Freeze Tahini Breakfast Cookies?

Yes! Not only can you freeze these tahini seed cookies, they’re absolutely delicious straight out of the freezer. Just keep them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to one month.

I hope you love this unique cookie recipe as much as we do! It’s been so fun to discover a new way to make delicious cookies that are so chockfull of good stuff that we feel good about eating them. AND after talking about them, I’m off to my freezer to snatch one up and eat it with my coconut creamer coffee! 🍪✌️

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Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies Recipe

Densely packed with seeds, dotted with chocolate, held together with tahini and honey and flavored with vanilla and cardamom. I LOVE these slightly sweet, full of flavor, seedy-in-the-best-way, healthy cookies!

Keyword breakfast cookies, flourless seed cookies, seed cookies, sunflower seed cookies, tahini cookies

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 14 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Calories 146kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tahini mixed well
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted pepitas
• 1/2 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds raw will work too
• 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips; plus a few more for topping if desired
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes for sprinkling on top; optional

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the tahini, honey, vanilla, cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to a medium bowl. Stir together until completely combined.
• Add the dry ingredients except for the flaky sea salt, which you'll sprinkle on after they bake. Mix with a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined.
• Scoop rounds of the cookies onto your baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. I like to use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, and as I'm scooping, I really try to push the cookie dough together to help it stick together.
• With your fingers, gently press the edges of the cookie together while pressing down to flatten it. You might have a few errant seeds fall out; this is okay and normal! Just do your best to push it back into the side of the cookie.
• If desired, top each cookie with two or three more chocolate chunks.
• Bake for 10-13 minutes, until ever so slightly puffed and the edges of the cookie are turning golden.
• IMPORTANT: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet until completely hardened and cool, about one hour. They harden and stick together as they cool.
• Remove the cookies from the parchment and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.

Notes

Total time does not include one hour cooling time. 

Storage & freezing notes

Store your tahini seed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Not only can you freeze these tahini seed cookies, they’re absolutely delicious straight out of the freezer. Just keep them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to one month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I can’t stop eating them.

They are just … yum. Perfect right out of the fridge. Sort of chewy, but not crazy chewy. A little sweet, a little salty.

But they’re chock full of good, good stuff. Oats, pumpkin seeds, even some chia seeds thrown into the mix. I could be wolfing down a lot worse, right?!

I am pretty much obsessed as evidenced not only by how much I love to eat these things (my guy has a hard time keeping his hands off of them, too), but I am also obsessed with:

1. How easy they are to make. Five minutes to whip up!
2. How handy they are to have around. Homemade grab-and-go food – the best kind of grab-and-go food!
3. How delicious they are. Oh wait; I’ve covered that, haven’t I?

I first came across the recipe for these granola bars in my brand-spankin’ new Food 52 Vegan cookbook by Gena Hamshaw. This version of the recipe, No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars with Dried Cranberries & Pepitas, is a slight spin on the original. I’ve swapped the raisins for cranberries, added chia seeds, and chosen salted pepitas. Yum.

These no-bake granola bars are a tasty, tasty problem indeed.

If you try this recipe, please leave a rating! And, if you find it share-worthy – which I hope you do – please share. Tag #kitchentreaty on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, and don’t forget to check out my other recipes!

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars with Dried Cranberries & Pepitas

These refrigerator granola bars take mere minutes to assemble. Our favorite homemade grab-and-go snack!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup toasted salted pepitas unsalted/untoasted work too
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds optional
• 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter I use the natural stuff
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup brown rice syrup can sub agave nectar

Instructions

• Line an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. I like to use a long piece with the sides sticking out so I can use them as "handles" to lift out the bars later on.
• In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pepitas, cranberries, and chia seeds.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and 1/2 cup brown rice syrup.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix well with a wooden spoon. If the ingredients aren't quite sticking together, add a little more brown rice syrup, stirring after each addition, until they do.
• Pour into the baking dish and press flat with your hands. The more firmly you can press, the less likely they are to be crumbly!
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm. Lift from baking dish and cut with a sharp chef's knife. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Notes

Gluten-free note:

This recipe is already gluten-free; just be sure to use certified gluten-free oats to be safe.

Adapted from Food52

The post No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars with Dried Cranberries & Pepitas appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.