We love the great nutritional benefits that chia seeds can add to your diet. They’re a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, they increase hydration and they’ve been shown to help lower blood pressure and control blood sugar. To top it all off, they’re also gluten free.

Our whole chia seeds are among our bestselling products, but did you know that we also offer chia flour, which can be used to give baked goods a boost? You can also make your own chia flour from seeds you already have on hand, and include them in all kinds of yummy homemade treats.

To make chia flour, all you need to do is pour the seeds into a coffee grinder, powerful blender or food processor. Pulse the seeds until they’re finely ground and store the chia flour in an airtight container until you’re ready to use it. It should last a few weeks in a cool, dark spot in your kitchen.

Substituting chia flour for regular flour in a recipe is relatively simple. Some people just replace all of the flour with chia flour, and others use a combination of chia flour and regular or gluten-free flour. Using all chia flour is OK for doughs that tend to be a bit thick or gummy anyway, but for more solid mixtures like cookie dough, it’s best to use a combination of 1 part chia flour to 3 parts regular or gluten-free flour. Some solid gluten-free flour options include gluten-free all-purpose baking flour, almond flour and sweet rice flour, though we do offer a wide selection in our gluten-free baking section on NutsOnline.com.

Chia flour also makes a great egg substitute in vegan and vegetarian recipes. To make chia egg substitute, mix 2 tbsp. of chia flour with ½ cup of cold water and let it stand for about 30 minutes. That makes about ¼ cup of egg substitute, which can stand in for one egg in a recipe. Make sure you mix up enough substitute to replace all the eggs in your baked good, then add it at the appointed time in the recipe.

Have you ever worked with chia flour? What are some of your favorite ways to use it?

Now that it’s mid-September, we’re getting excited about fall treats. Spiced cider, caramel apples, candy corn…we love them all! However, our favorite treat is homemade apple crisp, made with fresh-picked autumn apples. It’s simple and delicious!

To start, get about five to eight of your favorite tart apples. Peel the apples, then thinly slice them. You’ll need about 6 cups of apples to make a heaping dish of apple crisp. Mix 1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice and about ¼ cup of granulated sugar with the apples, and shake on some cinnamon and nutmeg. If desired, you can add about ½ cup of jumbo golden raisins or chopped pitted dates to the mixture as well. Spread the apples in the bottom of a greased glass baking dish or Dutch oven.

Fit your food processor with the mixing blade and add about 1 cup of white or whole-wheat flour, 1 cup of brown sugar, 2/3 cup of old-fashioned oats, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 ½ sticks of cold unsalted butter, a pinch of salt and 1 cup of chopped nuts. (such as pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds) Pulse the ingredients until the mixture is slightly crumbly and layer it on top of the apples.

Bake the apple crisp at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, or until it’s golden brown on top. Transfer the dish to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing it.

The best thing about this apple crisp recipe is that it also works well with other fall fruits, such as pears. It’s a bit heavy on the topping, and you can cut those ingredients in half if you’d rather sprinkle a single layer on top of the filling.

What’s your favorite autumn treat? Got any recipes that we just have to try?

Hi there, all! We know that we often cater to folks with special diets, and this week we get to celebrate an awesome bunch. It’s Vegetarian Awareness Week!

NutsOnline offers bunches of products that help vegetarians keep a well-rounded, healthy diet that’s packed with vitamins and nutrients. The best thing about vegetarian superfoods is that you don’t have to be a vegetarian to reap their benefits. They really ramp up the nutritional content of any diet. Here are three of our favorites!

1) Quinoa: Quinoa is an amazing superfood. It offers up all nine essential amino acids, is high in fiber, is gluten-free and is a fantastic source of source of phosphorous, magnesium and iron. One serving of quinoa also includes 7 grams of protein. We offer organic white quinoa, organic red quinoa and organic black quinoa, and all of our premium varieties come pre-rinsed and ready to cook.

2)  Walnuts: Walnuts are one of the most nutrient-dense sources of alpha-linolenic acid, which is an essential omega-3 fatty acid that can help reduce your risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and clinical depression. Our raw, shelled English walnuts are tasty enough to pop in your mouth on the go if you need a quick snack.

3)  Lentils: Lentils are nutritional powerhouses. These little legumes pack tons of protein, folate, magnesium and B-vitamins. They also have a rich, flavorful texture that makes them great for soups, stews, casseroles and side dishes. Our colorful organic red lentils and organic green lentils will lend a bit of pop to any meal.

Want to learn more about vegetarian superfoods? We found this list at GoVeg.com to be incredibly helpful. What are some of your favorite superfoods? Do you have any bang-up vegetarian recipes you’d like to share?

Who’s up for a tropical treat? Saturday is National Macadamia Nut Day, and we’re getting a jump on the celebration! We just love our crisp, rich macadamia nuts, and we think you will, too.

Macadamia nuts were first discovered by European explorers in southeast Queensland, Australia. They became a commercial crop in Hawaii in the 1920s. Today, those Hawaiian-grown macadamia nuts are sold all over the world!

We offer quite a few different items that’ll fit right in this Saturday. Of course, our classic roasted unsalted macadamia nuts and roasted salted macadamia nuts are both customer favorites. Our raw organic macadamia nuts really showcase the natural sweetness and tender texture of the nuts. Our macadamia nut pieces are amazing additions to cookies, candy, muffins and cakes.

If you crave something a bit more luscious, we definitely recommend our chocolate covered macadamia nuts and our dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts. These decadent, chocolate-drenched treats are addictively amazing. We also include macadamia nuts in our supreme roasted mixed nuts, which is a premium assortment of our best offerings, roasted and salted to perfection.

Even pets can get in on the party this Saturday! We sell in-shell macadamia nuts that are perfect for pet tropical birds looking for a treat. They can be tough to crack, though, and humans will have a tough time breaking into them without a special nut cracker.

What’s your favorite macadamia nut treat?

Ever since we took our company online, we’ve gotten to know hundreds of our customers from across the United States (and Canada, too)! Over the years, we’ve come to realize that you guys sure are an amazing bunch. In fact, many of our most enthusiastic customers feel like they’re part of the family.

We’ve decided to feature some of our best customers in an ongoing series of blog posts called “The Nuttiest Nuts.” A couple times a month, we’d like to introduce you to someone who’s just crazy for NutsOnline.

Do you know someone whose pantry is overflowing with those shiny blue bags? Are they ALWAYS expecting an order from NutsOnline? Do they give NutsOnline products as gifts for every occasion? Have people suggested that maybe, just maybe, this person has a hopeless addiction to our dried strawberries or roasted cashews?

Well, we just might feature them in an upcoming blog post!

To nominate the nuttiest nut you know, simply e-mail us at Kathleen [at] nutsonline [dot] com. Tell us the name and e-mail address of your loved one, along with why you feel they deserve to join the ranks of The Nuttiest Nuts. If selected, your nominee will receive a $10 gift certificate to NutsOnline. (And maybe they’ll share it with you!)

There’s no limit to the number of people we’ll feature, so get your nomination in. Who knows, you might just make your friend a star!

Ah, back-to-school time! It seems like summer began yesterday, and already it’s time to hit the books again. The past few months just flew!

Here at NutsOnline, we know that transitioning back to class can be difficult. We’d like to make the start of a fresh school year a bit sweeter for one lucky person, so we’re hosting a Back-To-School Giveaway!

Everyone, from preschoolers to college students, needs energy to keep moving throughout those long school days. We think trail mix is just the thing to get your brain running at full speed. That’s why the winner of this very special giveaway will receive a custom trail mix of their choice, with up to four ingredients!

Know someone who’s headed back to school and deserves a treat? We’d love to hear about them! Leave a message on our Facebook wall or contact us via Twitter. Tell us who you would give the custom trail mix to, why they deserve it and what ingredients you’d include.

We’ll draw the name of the lucky winner on Aug. 31 at noon. The winner’s favorite scholar will receive a 5 lb. bag of the custom trail mix described in their entry, compliments of NutsOnline!

Our custom trail mix is a super-special treat, and the combinations seem endless. Choose from a wide selection of our premium nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, sweets, seeds and snacks to create the perfect mix that your loved one will adore!

Get your entries in for a chance to win! Please, to keep things fair, limit it to one entry per person. The contest is only open to residents of the United States and Canada.

Good luck everyone, and we hope that all the special students in your life have a fantastic school year!

The Celiac Diva reviewed NutsOnline’s gluten-free products and gave us her highest score: five hair tosses! Watch it for yourself below or at her website.

Welcome to The Nutty Scoop’s newest feature, the Nutty Business Spotlight! From time-to-time, we’d like to introduce you to a business that uses NutsOnline’s awesome products to make their creations. Humans aren’t the only creatures who enjoy NutsOnline’s premium products! Cat Jepsen uses our dried fruits to create a special treat for her equine friends.

Deco's Monster Mash is made with NutsOnline's premium dried fruit.

Cat started making her product, Deco’s Monster Mash, as a holiday gift for the horses in her barn, and the idea really took off. The mashes, which Cat describes as “super oatmeal for your horse,” contain a combination of nutritious grains and are topped with a sweet surprise: dried fruit from NutsOnline!

The gourmet bran mash comes in a variety of flavors, including Applepaloosa, Buckin’ Bananaberry, Tropical Trot and Peppermint Piaffe. Cat worked with a classically trained chef to develop the gourmet bran mash, which contains no preservatives, fillers or extra sugar. The product helps aid in hydration and can be used to get finicky eaters to take supplements or medications.

All of the ingredients in Deco’s Monster Mash are natural, for good reason: Customers want to make sure they’re giving their animals the best-quality food. “The equestrian set is very sensitive to natural and healthy products,” Cat said.

Cat said that a big part of the reason Deco’s Monster Mash is so appealing is the bright appearance that NutsOnline’s dried fruit gives the mixes. “I love the quality and color of your products,” she said. “That’s why my little product has flourished. Nothing sells if it is not also quite pretty and your fruits are beautiful!”

Cat’s horse Decoupage was the inspiration for Deco’s Monster Mash, and he serves as the product’s spokeshorse today. On her

Decoupage, the spokeshorse for Deco's Monster Mash.

website, Cat says: “As a high-performance dressage horse, he’s the kind of guy who must stay hydrated and could never be happy with those other ‘puny’ mashes that are on the market.” The hearty mash was created just for him, and it sure does keep his energy up!

Cat said that NutsOnline’s products have truly made a difference in Deco’s Monster Mash. “This started as a fun, nutritious holiday gift to the horses in our barn and has blossomed into a company all its own, and you have been there with me every step of the way.”

If you have an equine buddy in your life, Deco’s Monster Mash may be just the thing for him!

Though we offer quite a few mainstream snack options at NutsOnline, we’re always on the lookout for yummy treats that our raw foodies can enjoy. Well, we sure have found some! Our raw, sprouted nut and seed mixes are bursting with flavor that just about anyone can appreciate. And, for a limited time, these mixes are 15 percent off. It’s the perfect time to give ‘em a try!

Our raw, sprouted mixes start off as premium nuts and seeds. They’re germinated by soaking in water overnight. This process activates dormant enzymes and nutrients and transforms fats into healthful amino acids. The live enzymes help our bodies more easily digest the nuts and seeds, and reap the benefits of their spectacular nutrition.

After the germination process is complete, the mix is air-dried at low temperatures and seasoned. The resulting product is a delicious mix that can be enjoyed as a sweet or savory treat!

The savory varieties of this raw, sprouted snack are sure to make your taste buds tingle. Cilantro lime pistachios and pepitas are seasoned with just a hint of jalapeno spice. Rosemary garlic pistachios and almonds have the smooth, rich flavor of olive oil. Sesame teriyaki almonds and cashews are spicy and sweet, with hints of wheat-free tamari, ginger and maple. Sun-dried marinara almonds and pistachios offer a fantastic Italian flair that’s awesome on salads.

We also offer sweet blends that are perfect for dessert or a mid-afternoon snack attack. Our raw cacao almonds and raisins, as well as our raw cacao Brazil nuts and mulberries, have a smooth chocolate flavor. Maple mesquite pod walnuts are glazed with pure maple, Peruvian mesquite flour and warming spices. White chocolate chip almonds, cashews and cacao nibs are a truly decadent treat tossed with cacao butter and agave.

Have you tried the raw, spouted nuts mixes yet? What do you think? We’d love any feedback you’d like to offer about these awesome snacks!

Mad Maggie's, all decked out for the Fourth.

Welcome to The Nutty Scoop’s newest feature, the Nutty Business Spotlight! From time-to-time, we’d like to introduce you to a business that uses NutsOnline’s awesome products to make their creations. Today, let’s take a little trip to North Andover, MA, to visit a sweet ice cream shop called Mad Maggie’s.

This nutty business sells homemade ice cream, and owner Steve Reppucci says that they pride themselves on offering unique flavors that are made with the highest-quality ingredients. It’s this drive for quality that led Steve to NutsOnline in the first place. Unhappy with the nuts he was getting from his suppliers, Steve sought out a company that could keep him flush with fresh ice cream toppings and mix-ins.

“I use NutsOnline for a couple of reasons,” Steve said. “First, the nuts are fantastic, always fresh and crisp and customers notice the difference. Secondly, your shipping is so quick that I tell friends that you’re our ‘offsite warehouse’ — I can place an order Monday through Thursday and know that they’ll show up with the UPS delivery the following day, so I don’t need to order weeks ahead of time. “

A young customer enjoys her sweet treat.

Mad Maggie’s goes through a variety of NutsOnline nuts each week, including walnuts, pistachios, pecans and almonds. The ice cream artists at the shop are regularly mixing up specialty flavors and old favorites that require the nuts. They add about two quarts of lightly crushed nuts to each five-gallon container of rich homemade ice cream.

Steve said he also likes trying other products when he’s experimenting with new flavors. His Cappuccino Espresso Bean ice cream, which is a customer favorite, includes a generous sprinkling of NutsOnline’s dark chocolate-covered espresso beans.

However, some experiments work out better than others. “I tried using your buffalo peanuts awhile back, but just couldn’t come up with a flavor that worked for ice cream,” Steve admitted.

Though Mad Maggie’s offers a plethora of wacky flavors such as “Candy Store Floor” (a confection-laden creation invented by Steve’s 11-year-old son, David), it’s really the basic, pure flavors that make the shop’s offerings so sweet. In fact, Steve says that one of the most special varieties is their North Andover Maple Walnut, made with NutsOnline’s walnuts and locally harvested maple syrup.

North Andover Maple Walnut ice cream is a local favorite at Mad Maggie's.

“I humbly feel that we make the best Maple Walnut of anyone in the area (and we have a LOT of homemade ice cream makers here in Massachusetts),” Steve said.

Mmmm, we can just taste that sweet mapley goodness now!

The next time you’re near North Andover, we highly recommend that you take a little trip to Mad Maggie’s. This nutty business offers quality premium ice cream that’s sure to tickle your sweet tooth!

All photos courtesy of Mad Maggie’s Ice Cream. To see more, visit their Facebook page.