Hemp – A Powerhouse Ingredient

Following her food ethos, Maximum of Flavour, Minimum of Fuss, resident latitude chef Samantha Parish is in the kitchen this issue with locally owned new hemisphere hemp products and making our mouths water! .

Hemp seed products are relatively new to the supermarket shelf but I’m sure you’ve wondered how you can be using them at home. For this feature I’ve written some baked goods recipes using New Zealand-owned new hemisphere hemp products. These guys are one of the biggest producers of hemp seed products in the southern hemisphere and are the pioneers of making it available for us here in New Zealand and globally.

High in fibre, protein and healthy omegas 3 and 6, this superfood is a powerhouse in terms of nutrition and a great way of adding a new layer of goodness into the foods we cook at home. For me, I can’t sustain the extreme end of healthy baking that lacks the goodness of whole fats and uses alternatives to refined sugar, so instead have created these recipes that don’t necessarily sit exclusively in the healthy camp but incorporate a range of ingredients and cater to a range of dietary needs like vegan and gluten-free.



Using the hemp seed products makes for some wholesome and tasty recipes I can see myself eating for years to come! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did cooking and eating them. The garlic oil used in the muffins is such a great product, I’m obsessed with using it to finish pastas and salad dressings.

Recipes, words, styling & images Samantha Parish

Vegan Maple Banana Bread

Serves 8 (Pictured above)

Prep 15 mins

Cooking 1 hour

3 medium ripe bananas (approx. 325 g mashed)

2/3 cup (150 g) coconut sugar, plus 2 tsp extra

½ cup (125 ml) hemp oil, plus 2 tsp extra

1/3 cup (80 ml) soy milk

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

½ cup (50 g) hemp seed flour

1½ cups (225 g) self-raising flour

½ tsp cinnamon

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt flakes

1 extra small banana, halved (optional)

2 tbsp hemp seeds

Preheat oven to 160°C fan forced. Grease and line the base and sides of a 25 x 14 x 12 cm tall loaf pan with baking paper.

Mash banana in bowl and combine with sugar, oil, milk and vanilla. Add flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. Transfer to prepared loaf pan. Arrange extra sliced banana on top (optional) and drizzle with extra oil and sugar. Scatter with hemp seeds and bake for 50 minutes – 1 hour or until a skewer, when pierced through the centre, comes out clean.

Cool in cake pan for 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack.

Slice and serve.

Cheesy Courgette and Garlic Savoury Muffins

Serves 12

Prep 15 mins

Cooking 25 mins

½ small cauliflower

1 cup (150 g) chickpea flour (besan)

2 courgettes, coarsely grated

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup hemp seed flour

11/3 cups (200 g) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

250 g ricotta, plus extra for dolloping (optional)

2 eggs

1/3 cup (80 ml) garlic-infused hemp seed oil

½ cup (125 ml) milk

50 g grated tasty cheese

1/3 cup tomato relish, plus extra to serve

60 g baby spinach, plus extra to serve

1 tsp caraway seeds

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with large muffin cases. Toss courgette and salt together and place in a sieve over a bowl or sink to drain for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine flours and baking powder. Make a well in the centre and add ricotta, eggs, oil, milk, cheese and tomato relish. Squeeze courgette to remove excess liquid and add to mixture along with spinach and mix everything well to combine. Divide between muffin cases. Top batter with spoonfuls of ricotta (if using) and scatter with caraway seeds. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Cool in pan and serve with extra spinach leaves and tomato relish.

Ginger Oat Bars with Tahini Drizzle

Makes 12

Prep 10 mins

Cooking 20 mins

 1 cup (100 g) rolled quick oats

1 cup (150 g) plain flour

1 cup (50 g) coconut chips or shredded coconut

½ cup (75 g) hulled hemp seeds

2 tbsp linseeds or flaxseeds

½ cup (75 g) dried cranberries

¼ cup (60 g) firmly packed brown sugar

1 pinch salt

125 g butter, chopped

½ cup (125 ml) runny honey

2 tsp ground ginger, finely grated

½ tsp baking soda

Tahini Drizzle

¼ cup (60 ml) honey

¼ cup (60 g) hulled tahini

1 tbsp egg white

Grease a 24 x 32 cm shallow baking tray with baking paper. Preheat oven to 180°C fan forced.

Combine oats, flour, coconut, seeds, cranberries, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Place butter, honey and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for 2–3 minutes or until melted and combined. Combine baking soda and ¼ cup (60 ml) just boiled water to dissolve then carefully add to melted butter mixture – careful as the mixture will bubble and froth. Mix to combine then add to flour mixture and stir. Transfer to the prepared tray and press out to edges. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden. Stand to cool in tray, then cut with a serrated knife into 12 bars.

For the tahini drizzle combine all ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to a piping bag or drizzle with a spoon over bars and chill to set.