HAVE A HANDFUL OF HAPPY
Your new favorite SUPERFOOD has arrived!
EK: Besides What’s 4 Dinner?, Anthony and I work on a variety of projects and occasionally, we have the opportunity to help build something unique from scratch in the food space.
AU: It can be both challenging and rewarding, but always fun and tasty!
EK: For nearly a year, we have been working on creating a better-for-you snack brand and it officially launches this week!
The brand, Happiness Foods, leans into the connection between good food and good mood. The first product is a line of flavored sprouted organic—and kosher—pumpkin seeds. Our tagline, is "Activate Your Food, Elevate Your Mood!”
Pumpkin seeds are one of the healthiest superfoods around. They are full of fiber and plant-based protein, zinc, magnesium and all nine essential amino acids. Sprouting [a.k.a. activating them] makes them easier to digest and bioavailable meaning your body absorbs more of the nutrients.
I don’t know anyone who isn’t trying to eat more healthily. When I was researching all the health benefits of sprouted pumpkin seeds, I kept telling Anthony that everyone should keep a jar of these at their desk. They are so good for you and taste so good that there is no reason not to make them part of your daily routine!
AU: And I have! They’re the perfect crunchy snack that I can feel good about eating. Plus, Happiness Foods has both sweet AND savory flavors to suit your mood.
EK: But we—and everyone who has tasted them so far—love these sprouted pumpkin seeds, because they taste sooooo good. They are not roasted, but dehydrated at low temperature resulting in a super crunchy snack that is flavored with premium ingredients including raw Peruvian cacao, real vanilla beans, and Himalayan pink salt. (Don’t just take our word for it, check out the comments on the website)
We are launching with four flavors and a fifth that will be coming soon. The launch flavors are Unsalted, Himalayan Pink Salt, Zesty Garlic and Vanilla Cacao. Caribbean Coconut is our fifth flavor—stay tuned for its debut!
Below are the notes on each flavor and some gorgeous photography that Anthony styled and shot to show the ingredients that go into every batch.
You can see that these seeds are as natural and clean as a snack food can be!!
Unsalted a.k.a.The Original
Like your favorite pumpkin seeds, but better! Sprouted and dehydrated to activate and maximize naturally available nutrition, these rich and nutty pumpkin seeds are an addictive snack with a light and crunchy texture. Sugar Free, Salt Free, Good Source of Protein, Good Source of Iron
Himalayan Pink Salt
Like your favorite pumpkin seeds, but better! Sprouted and dehydrated to activate and maximize naturally available nutrition, these rich and nutty pumpkin seeds are an addictive snack with a light, crunchy texture, and just the right amount of Himalayan pink salt. Sugar Free, Good Source of Protein, Good Source of Iron
Zesty Garlic
How much garlicky flavor can we pack into our seeds? With Himalayan pink salt, garlic, black pepper, and white pepper, we’d say a lot! Our light and crunchy sprouted pumpkin seeds are brimming with zesty garlic flavor. They’re a rich, nutty, and addictive savory snack to serve with drinks, or an excellent topping for soups, salads, or other dishes that could use a zesty zing! Sugar Free, Good Source of Protein, Good Source of Iron
Vanilla Cacao
Gotta sweet tooth? We’ve coated our nutty, almost-buttery sprouted pumpkin seeds in a mixture of raw, unsweetened cacao, maple syrup, maple sugar, ground vanilla beans, pure vanilla extract, and pink Himalayan sea salt to make a treat that tastes luxurious and rich. If you love dark chocolate, you’ll love this light and crunchy not-too-sweet, guilt-free treat! Good Source of Protein.
Caribbean Coconut—COMING SOON!!!
Snack on a taste of the tropics with our Caribbean Coconut sprouted pumpkin seeds! Tossed with shredded coconut, robust dark maple syrup, pure vanilla, and a touch of Himalayan pink salt, each bite is a mouthful of flavor! Mix these sweet clusters into baked goods, top ice cream, or eat them by the handful as a nutritious sweet treat. Try topping your morning yogurt with these light, crunchy, coconutty seeds instead of granola. Good Source of Protein
EK: I love all the flavors but I think that Zesty Garlic and Vanilla Cacao are my favorites to eat out of the bag, but I love cooking and baking with the Unsalted and the Himalayan Pink Salt.
AU: I think the Zesty Garlic is my fav, too, and my best pal Lexy can’t get enough of the Vanilla Cacao! But they’ve all been so fun to develop and they’ve been incredible additions to all of our favorite recipes!
EK: With any luck, we will be launching our Caribbean Coconut flavor in time for Christmas. Not only is it a taste of the tropics, but it gives granola vibes and is an easy substitute for granola if you are looking for something crunchy, slightly sweet and full of protein and fiber. You can sign up to get notified here
They are a great snack and we frequently eat them out of the bag by the handful, but they also add nutrients, flavor and crunch to lots of dishes, both sweet and savory!
AU: We’ve been busy creating all sorts of recipes, so be sure to follow Happiness Foods on Instagram and check out the Happiness Foods website to purchase some for yourself!
EK: These recipes go way beyond garnishing!
AU: Yes, and we’ll be cranking out more!
EK: We will be adding recipes every week to the recipe section of the website and one of our collective favorites is this new Caramel Apple & Pear Crisp with Pumpkin Seed Crumble. This recipe won’t go up on the site for a couple of weeks, so you are getting the exclusive first-look here!
AU: This was a labor of love and went through many iterations to arrive at the perfect crisp!
EK: This is now my go-to master recipe for a crisp. A crisp is a fruit dessert—think apples, pears, peaches, blueberries, rhubarb, strawberries, etc.—with a “crisp” crunchy topping made with oats, flour, brown sugar and butter. I’ve always added nuts and a touch of spice to my topping, and the Happiness Foods pumpkin seeds are a delicious addition!
I’ve always made my crisp topping with coolish room temperature butter, but I made the crisp a few weeks ago with butter that was very soft and I loved the way that it made the crisp topping clump together more like a New York coffee-cake crumb topping. If you like the texture of a crumb topping, I suggest you let your butter soften to the max before making the topping.
