10 Ways to Use Baobab Powder (Recipes and Ideas)
Not only does baobab powder offer numerous health benefits, it is also a versatile ingredient that can be used in a wide range of recipes. From healthy breakfast dishes to delectable desserts, here are 10 great ways to use baobab powder in the kitchen and beyond:
1. Upgrade Your Breakfast Porridge with Baobab Powder
Who says porridge has to be boring? Adding a spoonful of baobab powder to a bowl of porridge can take this mundane breakfast dish to a whole new level. To make your porridge even more exiciting, try combining baobab powder with some other ingredients with tropical flair such as chopped mango, fresh passion fruit, or acai or maqui powder.
2. Consider Incorporating Baobab into Other Breakfast Dishes, Too
No question about it, eating a bowl of steaming porridge enriched with baobab powder for breakfast is a great way to start a day. But there are also tons of other breakfast dishes that can benefit from a bit of baobab powder. In fact, you can add baobab powder to almost any breakfast dish: stir it into a smoothie bowl, sprinkle it on overnight oats, mix it into yogurt, or add it to your breakfast cereal.
3. Add Baobab Powder to Energy Bar Recipes
Made with ingredients like nuts, seeds and dried fruit, homemade energy bars deliver protein and energy, and they are the perfect healthy pick-me-up for when you need a snack in a hurry. If you add a bit of baobab powder to your favorite energy bar recipe, your power bars will also be loaded with vitamin C. In a pinch, you can of course also resort to store-bought baobab bars such as Aduna's baobab bars which contain dates, apple juice, dried pineapple, raisins, almonds and two full teaspoons of baobab powder per bar. These power bars contain 13.5 milligrams of vitamin C per bar, which corresponds to a whopping 23% of the Daily Value for vitamin C (or 17% of the EU's Nutrient Reference Value), and you can buy them here through Amazon).
4. Use Baobab Powder to Add an Exotic Twist to Smoothies
Sneaking baobab powder into a smoothie is a great way to use baobab powder and to add nutrients and an exotic twist to your smoothies. For tried-and-true recipes, try this banana and baobab smoothie or this apricot, raspberry and baobab smoothie.
5. Boost the Nutritional Value of Popsicles with Baobab Powder
If you are craving for a sweet, cool treat that won't ruin your health goals, try homemade fruit popsicles that contain no added sugar. Here's an easy mango and yoghurt popsicle recipe that gets a vitamin boost from baobab fruit:
- Peel and core a ripe mango, and cut it into large chunks.
- Put the mango chunks into a blender, along with 3 cups of plain yoghurt and 1 tablespoon of baobab powder. Blend until smooth.
- Fill your favorite popsicle molds with the mixture (these non-plastic popsicle molds are great if you are trying to reduce your exposure to BPA). Freeze until solid.
6. Consider Incorporating Baobab Powder into Other Frozen Desserts, Too
Popsicles aside, baobab powder makes a great addition to almost any frozen dessert recipe that calls for blending the ingredients. So, if you get bored of using baobab powder for popsicles, try adding it to recipes for frozen yoghurt, ice cream or sorbet. Or, if you prefer something healthier, make mock ice cream by pureeing frozen fruit in a blender, food processor, or a Yonanas maker, and then jazz up your faux ice cream with a spoonful of baobab powder.
7. Use Boabab Powder in Baking
Did you know that you can boost the texture of homemade breads by adding a small amount of vitamin C rich powder such as baobab or camu camu powder to the dough? This is because vitamin C helps boost the action of yeast by providing a slightly acidic environment in which yeast thrives. Especially wholemeal breads, which typically do not rise as well as white bread, can benefit from a bit of baobab powder.
8. Mix Baobab Powder into Salad Dressings
Yet another great way to add some baobab powder into your diet is to mix it into salad dressings. Here's an easy recipe for an oil and vinegar-based salad dressing featuring baobab powder:
- Pour 6 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar into an empty glass jar.
- Add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of baobab powder, a pinch of salt, and a pinch freshly-ground black pepper
- Put the lid on the jar and shake well.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and shake well again before serving.
9. Add it to Sauces at the End of the Cooking Process
One of the easiest ways to incorporate baobab into your diet is to add a small amount of baobab powder to sauces. Like most other superfood powders, baobab powder dissolves better in thick liquids, such as sauces, than in thin liquids like juices or water. The best way to add baobab powder to sauces is to stir it into the sauce at the end of the cooking process, so you won't destroy too much of the heat-sensitive vitamin C it contains.
10. Add Baobab Powder to DIY Face Masks
If you get bored using baobab in your recipes, here's an alternative use for baobab powder: add it to DIY face masks to give them a boost of vitamin C and antioxidants! Here's a simple recipe for a skin-clearing face mask that uses baobab powder, yoghurt, turmeric powder and honey:
- Place 1/2 teaspoon of baobab powder, 1/2 teaspoon of pure turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon of honey and 2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt in a bowl and mix well.
- Apply a thin layer of the mask evenly over your clean, dry skin, avoiding the eye area.
- Leave the mask on for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse it off. As a note of caution, this mask may temporarily stain your skin because of the turmeric it contains.
