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Why Tart Cherries Are The Perfect Superfruit Snack (Recipes Included!)
Snacking is something of an art form around here. While we love a nutritious snack, we're also big believers in the occasional indulgence. And we aren't the only ones: Surveys indicate that 78% of consumers enjoy small indulgences to boost their moods. Taking a mindful moment to enjoy something delectable is part of a healthy relationship with food…especially if it has as many health benefits as tart cherries.
The perfect mindful snack
Tart cherries are one of those luxurious treats you want to eat on repeat—Montmorency tart cherries, more specifically. With a bursting sweet-and-sour flavor, these ruby-red morsels will turn any average snack into a healthy obsession. Even better, these U.S.-grown delights are a superfruit, with over 110 scientific studies that prove it.
Montmorency tart cherries have earned their superfruit status thanks to their polyphenol content, which are organic plant compounds known for their antioxidant activity. With a nod to their next-level nutritional profile, studies have shown that tart cherries can help decrease inflammation1, increase sleep quality2, support metabolism3, and accelerate recovery post-exercise4. Like we said, the perfect snack.
Life's a bowl of (tart) cherries
When you find a snack that tastes like pure indulgence but comes without the guilt, you stock up. But make sure you look for Montmorency tart cherries—aka "the cherry with more." With these cherries, you're getting a superfruit that's grown right in the U.S. and often on small family farms. We might call this—the cherry on top.
Once you have this mindful snack on hand, there are endless ways to enjoy. A simple handful of dried tart cherries tastes like nature's sweet-sour candy. But they're also perfect mixed into trail mix, cookies, oatmeal, or granola bars. You can also find tart cherries frozen (for your smoothies), as a juice, or canned (for your favorite tart cherry desserts). In each and every form, tart cherries are the type of indulgence you can feel good about.
If you have to taste it to believe it—we highly encourage that you do, starting with these decadent tart cherry recipes:
- 10 Medjool dates, pitted
- ½ cup dried tart cherries
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon chia or hemp seeds (optional)
- 2 tablespoons peanut or almond butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons tart cherry juice
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- Optional toppings: cocoa powder, melted chocolate
- Add the dates, dried tart cherries, walnuts, rolled oats, cocoa powder, seeds (if using), salt, and almond butter to a food processor. Pulse for 30-60 seconds, until the ingredients are ground into tiny pieces.
- Add the tart cherry juice in 1-tablespoon additions, pulsing the mixture after each addition, until the ingredients come together in a crumbly dough.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Roll the dough into 12 balls. You can leave the balls plain or finish them off with a dusting of cocoa powder or a drizzle of melted chocolate.
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 cups tart cherry juice
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (whole, low-fat, and nonfat all work)
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup granola
- ¼ cup dried tart cherries
- ½ cup frozen tart cherries (thawed)
- Make the tart cherry chocolate sauce. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl. Add the tart cherry juice to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until reduced to ⅔ cup. Pour the reduced tart cherry juice into the bowl with the chocolate chips and mix until all of the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth sauce.
- Cut the bananas in half lengthwise and place on 2 plates. Spoon ½ cup of Greek yogurt on each banana, then drizzle on 2 tablespoons of almond butter and 2 tablespoons of tart cherry chocolate sauce.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granola, 2 tablespoons of dried tart cherries, and ¼ cup of thawed frozen tart cherries on top of each banana split. Serve and enjoy!
- Store any leftover tart cherry chocolate sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for later use.
4 Sources
How To Use Food To Recover From Autoimmunity: An MD's Top 4 Tips
Sara Szal Gottfried, M.D.
