Chances are you or your mom may be one of the 12 million Americans who suffer from food allergies. It’s not clear whether more women than men experience food allergies but the incidence of food allergies has doubled in the last 10 years with a recent spike among females. One in every 25 Americans experience food allergies.

Here’s a recipe you can make for your mom for Mothers’ Day that will make her feel special and keep her safe from food allergens, including dairy, gluten, eggs, nuts and soy. Sunbutter/Sweet Potato Bars can be served for breakfast, brunch or as dessert.

Sunbutter/Sweet Potato Bars

Filling Ingredients:

1.2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and pureed
2.1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk
3.2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
4.Powdered stevia such as SweetLeaf
5.2 flax eggs (Usually made with 1 T. flax dissolved in 3 T. water.)
6.1/2 tsp. salt

Crust Ingredients:

1.1/2 cup each toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
2.1/2 cup amaranth flour
3.1/2 cup black, red or regular quinoa, ground in a coffee grinder to a coarse flour
4.2 T. olive oil
5.powdered stevia
6.2 T. + water

Directions:

Grind seeds into a coarse powder in the food processor. Grind black, red or regular quinoa in a coffee grinder. Add quinoa flour, amaranth flour and stevia to seeds and pulse to mix. Remove all but 1/4 cup to a large bowl and add oil and water until the dough clings together. Use your dampened fingers to press the dough into the bottom of a sprayed 8 X 8-inch pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

In the meantime, microwave sweet potatoes until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Cool and peel. Put sweet potatoes in food processor and puree. Add sunbutter, hemp milk, stevia, salt and flax eggs. Pulse until mixture is smooth and thickened.

Once crust is set, pour in filling mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved flour mixture on top.

Return to the oven and bake another 30 minutes until filling is set. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.