This vegan pepita brittle is sweet and crunchy - a perfect snack or topping for ice cream. Bonus: it's made from seeds that can help balance your hormones.
If you have a menstrual cycle, you need to know about seed cycling. (And if you don't maybe just skip down to the "why I love this recipe" section and learn about how tasty this brittle is.)
Jump to:
What is seed cycling?
Seed Cycling is a practice of eating various seeds, in alignment with the phases of your menstrual cycle. The seeds contain nutrients to help regulate your hormones and can help to alleviate PMS symptoms like mood swings, acne, bloating, cramps, etc.
I'm not a doctor, so I recommend you learn more about the benefits of seed cycling here.
How to seed cycle
During the ovulatory and luteal phases of your cycle, it's recommended that you eat 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds each day.
Then during menses and the follicular phase, switch to 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds and 1 tablespoon of flax seeds each day.
That's where this pepita brittle comes in.
Why I love this Pepita Brittle
- Dietary needs - this pepita brittle is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and refined sugar free
- Hormone-balancing - the nutrients in pepitas and flax seeds like zinc and lignans that can help balance rising hormone levels
- Super simple - you likely have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now! If not, raw seeds are very easy to find in most grocery stores.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Raw Pepitas: be sure to buy raw pepitas, not roasted pepitas to avoid added oils and preservatives
- Ground Flaxseed: for the most optimal nutrition, buy whole flaxseeds and grind them with a spice grinder right before you use them
- Maple Syrup: you can use date syrup to keep this recipe completely fruit sweetened, though you'll need to let the brittle cook and cool longer for the date syrup to set
- Salt: a bit of salt enhances the sweetness of the brittle, so don't skip it
- Optional Add-Ins: cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cayenne. If you want to switch up the flavor of your brittle feel free to add a pinch of your favorite spice.
How to make Pepita Brittle
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, adding the cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cayenne as desired.
Step 3. Spread the mixture in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Step 4. Bake 35-40 minutes, until the brittle is starting to harden (it won't be completely hard at this point). Let the brittle cool completely on the pan. Serve, and enjoy!
FAQ
Pepitas have a high zinc content which can help your body as it increases progesterone production.
Flaxseeds have lignans, which bind to excess estrogen your body is producing during menses and the follicular phase.
Pepitas are a type of pumpkin seed, but they don't grow in all pumpkins. (Like, if you carve a pumpkin on Halloween, you won't find pepitas inside.)
Pumpkin seeds that you'd find inside of an average pumpkin are white. Pepitas are green. And they come from a special type of pumpkin.
You can find pepitas (already outside of the pumpkin) in the nut/seed section of the grocery store. They're often in the bulk section.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this brittle - thank you for giving us foods that work with our bodies to keep us healthy and happy. Amen.
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📖 Recipe
Hormone Balancing Pepita Brittle (Vegan & Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Raw Pepitas
- 1 Cup Ground Flaxseed
- ⅔ Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Pinch Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and/or Cayenne (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, adding the cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cayenne as desired.
- Spread the mixture in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake 35-40 minutes, until the brittle is starting to harden (it won't be completely hard at this point). Let the brittle cool completely on the pan. Serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Laurie
Initially, I made just half a recipe as a taste test to see if it all worked out the way I hoped it would. Well, it turned out amazing, and I have certainly sampled beyond my fair share today! Tomorrow, I will be making a full sized pan. This is a keeper and can’t wait to share it with family and friends. I did add a light sprinkle of white sesame seeds and rolled them in just for a color contrast. I might kick up the heat just a little more next time as I went a little light first go around. I loved to be able to use so much ground flax seed and reap the benefits of everything healthy. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Elizabeth
Thank you so much for the lovely review! I love the addition of white sesame seeds. I'll have to try this!
AWM
Simple ingredients, quick, and an absolutely delicious recipe.
Elizabeth
Glad to hear you liked it!