Spicy Almond Sesame Clusters {vegan, grain-free, Paleo, keto)

Spicy almond sesame clusters, a perfect snack made with ease in a muffin tin! They are naturally vegan, grain-free, Paleo and keto.

Raise your hand if you, like me, long for a savory, DIY energy bar option.

The difficulty with their construction comes down to one factor: stickiness.

Sweet bars have it made. Any number of ingredients can transform into a bar with the sticky help of sugars, syrups, dried fruits, nut and seed butters. But savory and sticky? Without the help of Elmer’s glue, it’s hard to create savory, portable food that holds together in a singular shape. (If only pureed kale was sticky…no, ack, take that back…)

Eggs will work in some instances, but if you do not or cannot consume them, you’re out of luck again.

Unless (here I go again) you  turn to psyllium husk. Mix a small amount with liquid, let it a few minutes to gel, then use it to hold together all kinds of savory, nutritious bits and bobs, in handy, portable bars and pucks. For example, my Spicy Almond Sesame Clusters.

Delicious, and a breeze to prepare, these custers are also a fraction of the cost of prepared nut or seed snacks, especially if you buy raw nuts and seeds in bulk. Speaking of the nuts and seeds, use an equal amount of whatever you have on hand or prefer, but do be sure to give large pieces a coarse chop.

The sriracha flavor is optional, too. You can keep these plainly salted, or add the spices, herbs or other seasonings of your choice. I just happen to think that sriracha is magically delicious.

Happy snacking!

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5 from 2 votes

Spicy Almond Sessame Clusters {vegan, grain-free, Paleo, keto}

By: Camilla

Spicy almond sesame clusters, a perfect snack made with ease in a muffin tin! They are naturally vegan, grain-free, Paleo and keto.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 10 clusters

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2-1/4 teaspoons whole psyllium husk
• ▢ 3 tablespoons water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil, or oil of choice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sriracha
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, more or less to taste
• ▢ 1 cup whole raw almonds, coarsely chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease or spray 10 cups of a standard muffin tin.
• In a small bowl or cup, stir together the psyllium husk, water, oil, sriracha, and salt until blended. Let stand for 5 minutes to gel.
• In a medium bowl, place the almonds. Add the gelled psyllium mixture; using your hands, break up the psyllium mixture and thoroughly coated the almonds with it. Stir in the sesame seeds.
• Divide the mixture evenly among the cups (about 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons per cup), smoothing into an even round.
• Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes. Turn off oven and leave pucks in for 30 minutes longer (this helps dry out the psyllium). Remove from oven and cool completely in tin. Remove from tin.

Notes

Tip: It is easier to stir in the seeds AFTER coating the almonds with the psyllium mixture (otherwise, the seeds really stick to your hands).
Storage: Store the clusters in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or refrigerate for up to 1 month. These do not freeze well.
Variation: Use any combination of nuts and seeds that you like, as well as the seasonings of your choice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cluster | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.4g | Protein: 2.2g | Fat: 5.7g | Sodium: 51mg | Fiber: 1.3g

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