Mealworm recipes

You won’t find mealworms at your local grocery — try a pet supply store.

Mealworm Cookies

Ingredients:

550 ml (2 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
5 ml (1 tsp.) baking soda
5 ml (1 tsp.) salt
250 ml (1 cup) softened butter
175 ml (3/4 cup) white sugar
125 ml (1/2 cup) crumbled dried mealworms
175 ml (3/4 cup) firmly packed brown sugar
5 ml (1 tsp.) vanilla
2 eggs
360 grams (1 1/2 cups) chocolate chips

Place the cleaned and prepared insects on a cookie sheet and dry in the oven for 1-2 hours at 100 C (200 F). Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, cream butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir in eggs. Gradually add the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and mealworms. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, and bake 8-10 minutes.

Mealworm Canapés

Ingredients:

85 ml (1/3 cup) mealworm larvae, slightly thawed
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 ml (1 tsp.) tomato paste
15 ml (1 tbsp.) olive oil
5 ml (1 tsp.) lemon juice
5 ml (1 tsp.) red wine vinegar
Plus: red wine vinegar, freshly ground pepper, loaf of French bread (baguette), finely chopped fresh parsley

With a mortar and pestle or in a blender, mash the mealworms, garlic and tomato paste into a puree. Stirring constantly (or with the blender running), add the oil, a few drops at a time. Add the lemon juice, wine vinegar and pepper. Cut the baguette into 1.5 cm slices. Under the broiler, toast one side of the bread slices, and spread the untoasted side with the mixture. Place the canapés on a baking sheet and bake at 200 C (400 F) for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Mealworm Banana Bread

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 bananas, mashed
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 eggs
1/4 cup dry-roasted mealworms

Mix together all ingredients. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 F for about one hour.