I’ve been using hemp hearts ever since my discovery of hemp hearts at Costco back in the days when I actually lived within a reasonable driving distance from one.
They are wonderful on everything from my protein smoothies (e.g. Chocolate Raspberry Protein Smoothie) to baked goods (Rice Cake Bars), to toppings for burgers (Gochujang Turkey Mushroom Burgers) to no-bake treats (Coconut Cookie Dough Balls) to oatmeal (Chocolate Blueberry Banana Overnight Oats)…
Long story long, they’re super versatile, and the possibilities are endless! :O
- Hemp hearts are high in essential fatty acids, amino acids + protein.
- They contain 10g omegas, 10g protein, & 181mg magnesium per 30g serving
- Non-GMO Project Verified
- Complete vegetarian protein
- Easy to use, and as mentioned before, very versatile!
Find out more about Manitoba Harvest!:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Anddd…Manitoba Harvest is providing me with 1 bag of Hemp Hearts to give to one of my super-awesome readers in the US or Canada! :D Ends on March 1, 2015 at midnight EST!
I haven’t made any cakes in my rice cooker for a while (I’ve made my friend’s birthday cakes in it for the past two years!), so I decided to venture forth with…a flour-less healthified banana cake with no added sugar!
I think the bananas add enough sweetness to it, so if you want to make it even healthier, you can omit the chocolate chips and drizzle in some honey or maple syrup if you’re worried that it won’t be sweet enough. I had a bar of Lindt chocolate that I’d forgotten I owned, so I figured I’d throw it in. ‘Twas delicious! <3
Flour-less Protein Banana Cake
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp Manitoba Harvest hemp hearts
- dash of sea salt
- 1 cup vanilla protein powder (I used Designer Whey)
- 1 chocolate almond bar, diced (or 1/4 cup chocolate chips)
- 1/8-1/4 cup walnuts, diced
- 1/8-1/4 cup raisins
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mash bananas together with a fork and beat in the eggs.
- Stir in hemp hearts, baking powder, salt and protein powder.
- Add chocolate, walnuts & raisins. Mix until combined
- Pour into rice cooker* bowl, select “cake” function and press start! (~45 minutes) Set on “steam” function for 20 minutes, then overturn the cake onto a plate!
*If you don’t have a rice cooker, I’m fairly certain this will turn out okay if you make them in muffin form and bake for ~20 minutes on 350, or until it passes the toothpick test!
- Have you ever tried hemp hearts? What have you used it in?
- What kind of cake should I make next?
- What’s your favorite healthy smoothie recipe?
106 comments
Skip to comment form
I have never tried hemp hearts, but I’ve seen this Manitoba Harvest brand often and they seem fantastic! I’m always willing to try new *especially healthy* food products. I would try them either in that lovely banana cake you made or those turkey burgers. Both sound tasty!
Kaylin @ Enticing Healthy Eating recently posted…Favorite Wedding Planning Websites
Author
Me too! Food makes my world go round! :] Thanks for entering, and best of luck to you! :D!
I actually just bought a bag of these (on sale at the local grocery), and I threw some on my curry tonight. Blended right in! I would be delighted to win another bag! :-)
Bradley recently posted…First Half Half Marathon – Race Report
Author
Nice! I hadn’t thought of throwing it into curry–I’ll be doing that with the next curry dish I make! :] Thanks for entering, and good luck to you! :D
Cool! I’ve never actually tried hemp hearts! But I sure would love to try that recipe ;)
Katie recently posted…Book Nerd Problems
Author
Hope you can try it out! :D Thanks for entering, and good luck! <3
that looks great! I have some hemp hearts and would have never thought to bake them in a cake! I don’t own a rice cooker but that is pretty smart of use- has to be super moist!
Mary Beth Jackson recently posted…Thinking about my Manifesto….
Author
It definitely is! :D I adore my rice cooker. :]! It essentially acts like a steamer of sorts, and I love that I don’t have to wait for the oven to heat up! :P
i am so excited to try this in my rice cooker! WHO KNEW!! I never use it and it just sits there. I think I have found a use!!! :)
Diana recently posted…Ten For Tuesday (In my head)
Author
I’m gonna throw in a disclaimer that I’m not entirely sure it works with every rice cooker ever, but they shoulddd function the same way! :D Hope you enjoy it! :]!
I love your cake recipe using protein powder and hemp hearts! How creative! I love hemp hearts as a nutty salad topping too!
Author
Thanks! I was kinda worried that it wouldn’t turn out well, but it was awesome! :D! You can’t even tell that there’s no flour! :]
This looks delicious- how creative to use a rice cooker. I love those hemp hearts! My Mom has been adding them to her oats for several years now :)
Lauren @ Eating with a Purpose recently posted…30 Minute Broccoli Cheese Soup
Author
hehehe, I started making rice cooker cakes for my friend at the start of med school because it was super convenient and I could hide it at school with me in my study room! :P I love adding it in oatmeal too! :]
Those look so good!
Bri recently posted…Unhappy with your body? Change your perception by thinking of it like this.
Author
Thank you! :D!
I’ve never heard of hemp hearts, what exactly are they?
Channing recently posted…Saying Yes To Everything
Author
They’re basically a type of seed and have a nutty taste to em’ and are a great vegetarian source of protein! I like throwing them into things (e.g. smoothies, crusts, oatmeal, etc.) for some added nutrition! :]
I have never tried them before. I would probably try them in a smoothie first! :)
Author
That’s how I first used em’ too! :]!
You had me at banana cake…
Author
Glad to hear that! ;]
I never thought or heard of baking a cake in the rice cooker! That recipe sounds yummy too :)
Krystal recently posted…Race Week – Glass Slipper Challenge.
Author
Thank you! :D I was pleasantly surprised at how cake-like it ended up! <3
I’d like to try hemp hearts in my breakfast omelet for added nutrition!
Author
Ooo, that’d be awesome! I haven’t made omelets in ages–I’m gonna have to change that!
I haven’t tried hemp hearts yet, but I have been wanting to for awhile now! I’d add them to my oatmeal!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted…A Summery Pasta Salad Lunch in Winter + Robert Irvine LIVE Giveaway
Author
I love it in oatmeal for that extra crunch! :D
Hmmm i’ve never heard of Hemp Hearts, nor have I tried them! Maybe I should add them to my list of things to try!
Angela recently posted…GIVEAWAY WINNER!
Author
They’re a fun addition to smoothies and the like! :]!
I still haven’t tried hemp hearts :( I am SO late to the party! Your recipe looks awesome and how clever of you to use a rice cooker!
Pragati // Simple Medicine recently posted…3 Spices You Should Eat Daily
Author
Aww, it’s okay! Better late than never! There are a tonn of things I haven’t tried yet either that I’ve been meaning to try! :o
Thank you! I adore my rice cooker! :D
Yummy banana cake! I love hemp seeds! Seriously….amazing! I have a recipe going up next week for them ;)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Celiac Disease Is Not An Allergy
Author
Yay! Looking forward to seeing your recipe! <3
I have heard of hemp hearts but I have never tried them . Your cake is pretty cool!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt recently posted…Roasted Sweet Potato Slices
Author
Thank you! :D I gotta make one for my friend when I go off to visit her! :]
im alwasy looking for new healthy snack! and i love your banana cake recipe
Author
Thank you! :D Healthy snacks make my life way more awesome; I love coming up with new ideas for em’! :]
I’ve never heard of Hemp Hearts before! They seem like an excellent source of protein! I will have to check them out!
Gina recently posted…An Inside Look: My Travel Diary (Part 1)
Author
They are indeed! I want to try doing a “breaded” chicken with hemp hearts next! :]
I’m doing this too through Sweat Pink but haven’t gotten around to posting yet. I’ve been a little afraid to try them to be honest with you so I’m glad to hear you think they’re delicious! Makes me less nervous! :)
Tricia @ A Couple of Dashes recently posted…Power through the bad to get to the good.
Author
Don’t worry, they have a kinda nutty taste to em’ and are really good! If you’re worried about trying em’ out, maybe just try throwing it into a smoothie? :] You won’t even notice it! :O
I love hemp hearts, I actually have them all the time. I usually sprinkle them in my yogurt or oatmeal. However, I made a grain break once and put a lot of them in it, and it tasted great too:)
Kristy @Runaway Bridal Planner recently posted…How to improve your blog
Author
Ooo, yeah! I forgot about throwing it into yogurt–I do that too! :] I may do that for breakfast tomorrow!
I still can’t believe you made a banana cake in a rice cooker!! This looks delish :) I’m putting up my review of hemp hearts next week!
Jess @hellotofit recently posted…Try This Thursday 2/19 – pomelos
Author
hehehe, I had to dream up ways to make food for people while I was slaving away at med school! :P
Yay! Looking forward to reading! :D
I love hemp hearts and use them as much as possible. What’s nice is you can grind them and use the flour like you would other flour. Great nutrition boost and good for gluten free folks.
I’ll have to try that cake recipe!
Jenn @ Run with Sole recently posted…Mixing Up Some Trail Mix
Author
Ooo, I’ve never tried grinding it into flour, but that’s an awesome idea! :]! What did you use to grind it up? :O I need to try that out!
I’d mix it in my yogurt and also as an ice cream topping!
Author
I just got a bunch of yogurt for precisely this purpose! :]!!
looks like you transitioned nicely to your new site, congrats
christine gallagher recently posted…Irish Crème Cheesecake Brownies
Author
Thank you! :] I had a random unintentional vacation last year so I took a day to migrate everything over and get everything up and running again! :D!
Farrah, this looks so yummy. And I definitely used to have that plate. I never had a full set – just one of that plate that I bought at a thrift store when I thought I would be taking more food photos for the blog. How funny! I love making banana chocolate chip donuts, so I can only imagine how good this cake would be.
Bobbie recently posted…The Mississippi River is My Home
Author
hehehe, I got it at the dollar store about 2 weeks ago because I only really have just one other decorative plate and figured people might be getting tired of it (even though it is pretty <3 ).
I've never made donuts before! I've always wanted to try, but I'm terrible at frying things (or do you bake yours? :O )
That cake looks delicious, shame I cannot eat bananas :( On the note of chocolate: When I made my sons birthday cake I needed some for the topping, but we didn’t have any of those you can buy for that purpose specifically. So I just collected all the random chocolate I could find (left overs from Christmas) and melted it. I must say, the Lindt one was by far the best for this.
Alex – Funky Jungle
Alex recently posted…Zodiac Fashion – Fashion, Art and Curiousity
Author
Thank you! :D! I’m sorry that you can’t have bananas! :[ I wonder if there’s any other kind of mashed fruit that’d give the same consistency! I’ll have to experiment! :] (And yay for scrounging up leftovers in the house to use up! I do that all the time! :] )
I have tried some mini samples from this company and LOVE them. Haven’t cooked with them yet (such a great idea) but have poured them over granola and milk in the morning. Delicious!
Author
That’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy them too!
I’ve heard of them and would try them in oatmeal :) or on yogurt
Author
That’s one of my go-to post-workout snacks! :D!
I like these, I used them on top of fruit and yogurt bowls!
paige c recently posted…WIAW: Day in my Life
Author
That’s one of my favorite ways to use these! :]!
I want to try hemp hearts in no-bake energy bars. I’ve been experimenting with recipes and hemp hearts would be a healthy, fun and yummy addition!!!
Author
Oooo, that would be yummy! I’ve been meaning to make energy bars, but I need to finish all the packaged ones I have first! :P
That recipe sounds so interesting, I did’t know you could make cakes in a rice cooker!
Beth @Boltingbutterfly recently posted…Top 5 Quinoa Recipes
Author
I didn’t either until I got mine and started experimenting with it! (It has a cake function, and essentially acts like a steamer! <3)
i’ve used hemp hearts. i love them sprinkled on my leafy greens
Author
Ooo, great idea! I haven’t done that in a while and completely forgot that that could be a thing! :P Thanks for the reminder!
I have only tried them once (a sample pack from a run expo). I like them. I just put them in my cereal but I’d like to bake with them. That’s cool that you added the recipe!
Diane @runninrocker recently posted…MealEnders…really, that’s what they do! Review & Giveaway
Author
It’s fun to bake with, but I also love adding it to cereal too for that extra crunch (+ nutrition)! :]
I really need to try this. I haven’t had banana bread in a long time but I’m sure a banana cake is just as delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Author
Hopefully it’ll hit the spot! :P Thanks for entering, and good luck to you! :]
I have heard of them. I’d love to try mixing them into my oatmeal. And maybe just eat them as a snack.
Author
They’re definitely awesome to mix in oatmeal! :] Thanks for entering, and good luck!
I’ve never tried Hemp Hearts, but have seen them at my Publix! Definitely sounds like something I would like! :)
Lora recently posted…Triple Chocolate Gluten-Free Cookies (+Giveaway)
Author
It is good stuff! :D I gotta find more recipes to throw em’ into! :]!
I love hemp hearts! So great in yogurt
Ben recently posted…Favorite Things Part 3: Janji Running Apparel
Author
Agreed! :D Thanks for entering, and good luck to you! :]
I would try it in a smoothie!
Ally recently posted…Lick it: Work out to bass music
Author
They are indeed awesome in smoothies! :D
I haven’t tried hemp hearts before but I heard they are really good in raw brownies!
Shannon recently posted…Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce
Author
Ooo, raw brownies sound great! Do you have a particular recipe in mind? *-*
I love adding them to my greek yogurt!
Author
They make a great addition to yogurt! :D
Have not heard of them until this week. Would use them in my green drinks
Author
They’d definitely be a great addition to that!
I love hemp hearts in my smoothies.
tara pittman recently posted…Vegetarian Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe’s Made With Jiva USDA Organic Whole Moong (Mung) Beans
Author
That’s one of my favorite ways to use them! :]
I have never try them so I am curious. I would probably add them to my Greek yogurt.
Author
Great choice! I just ran out of greek yogurt, so I gotta restock!
I feel like these would be great on top of yogurt for breakfast
Author
Indeed they would! :D!
I’ve heard of them but I’ve never tried them. I think they would be good in yogurt and oatmeal :)
Author
Indeed they would be! :D Thanks for entering, and best of luck to you!
Yes, I’ve used hemp hearts for a few years now and I eat them in yogurt, oatmeal, and smoothies.
Author
Awesome! :D Thanks for entering, and good luck!
I keep a bag of Hemp Hearts at work and I add them to my yogurt, oatmeal, salads and more. I saw someone commented that they are good in brownies and I think that would also be good!
Author
That’s awesome! :D I’m probably gonna keep a stash in my future office once I’m finally done with school/have a job! :P I’m intrigued by the brownies too! Gonna have to dig up a recipe somewhere, haha.
Thank you for entering, and best of luck to you! :]
I have never heard of this
Author
They’re a great addition to all sorts of foods! :]
Not Yet but would like to try them
Author
Maybe you’ll get to! :] Thanks for entering, and good luck!
I’ve never tried hemp hearts, but I would like to try them with yogurt and oatmeal.
Author
They would be awesome in both of those! :D! Thanks for entering, and good luck!
I just read a blog post today about using hemp hearts in a salad for crunch but I have never tried them.
Author
They’re very good in salads! :D Thanks for entering, and good luck to you!