Healthy Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I seem to have an abundance of cookie recipes on here, but I like to make cookies & W likes to eat cookies, so I'm always trying new ideas. Cookie recipe testing is really just an excuse to eat the dough...and my love for cookie dough is the main reason I bake vegan cookies. No raw egg for me!

Another reason I keep making new variations is because I want to find a fairly healthy cookie recipe that doesn't taste that way. And since some people don't like banana or coconut or oats or need gluten free, etc., I keep baking. It's a real hardship. ;-)

They don't always turn out good enough to post about. I made a batch awhile ago that were kinda gummy & didn't keep well at all. I spared you from those.

This batch was my attempt at a seasonal chocolate chip cookie, hence the spices. We both really liked them. The peanut butter flavor is pretty subtle, as is the banana. They worked great together as a substitute for oil/butter (although I did use just a little) & sugar. Feel free to add more chocolate chips if you want, although I do tend to be heavy handed.

Enjoy!

Healthy Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 16 small cookies (vegan & gluten free, if using GF oats)

1 ripe banana, peeled & mashed
1.5 T coconut oil, softened
1/4 c natural peanut butter
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of ginger
3 T coconut flour
1 c rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
3 T unsweetened almond milk
1/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips (vegan if needed)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix mashed banana, coconut oil, and peanut butter. Add sea salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and coconut flour. Stir well. Add oats and almond milk, mixing just to combine. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Using a fork, gently flatten balls. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies no longer appear wet and are lightly browned on the edges. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Tropical Granola

I make a batch of granola just about weekly because it's W's favorite breakfast food. Sometimes when I'm in a rush, I just make a plain cinnamon granola, nothing fancy. Last week, though, I had some extra time, so I made a fun flavor: tropical! 

Having this to eat brings a little sunshine back into this chilly weather. :-)

I used a mashed banana to add flavor & sweetness, plus coconut oil for crunch. Then at the end of baking, I threw in raw sunflower seeds. I don't like to bake the seeds with the batch from the beginning because they often burn first, meaning either I have to take the granola out before it's done or the granola ends up with lots of burnt parts. Once it cooled, I added flaked coconut & dried pineapple pieces for lots of chew & flavor. Yum!   

Breakfast is served!

Tropical Granola
Yields about 5 cups

4 c rolled oats
3 T agave nectar
3 T coconut oil, softened
1 banana, peeled & mashed
1/4 c raw sunflower seeds
1/2 c flaked coconut
3-4 rings of dried pineapple, chopped (or about 1/4 c chopped dried pineapple)

Preheat oven to 350. Spread oats over baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together agave, coconut oil, and banana. Pour over oats and stir to coat oats evenly. Spread oats into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir, then bake another 10 minutes. Add sunflower seeds and stir again. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add coconut. Allow to cool, then stir in dried pineapple. Store in an airtight container.

Berry Boost Smoothie

Don't you just love a good smoothie? Thick & creamy with the bright flavor of berries? Yum!

Sometimes I get carried away with smoothies & add all kinds of stuff, but these are pretty plain & simple. The berries & banana add plenty of sweetness, so there's no need for added sugar. The chia seeds add healthy omega-3 fats, plus protein. They also make it super thick. I think it's much better with them added, but if you don't have any on hand, you can substitute ground flax seeds, or omit.

I love the super subtle coconut flavor the coconut milk adds, but any milk will work. Usually I would use almond milk, but I made a batch of coconut milk this weekend (recipe here, it's super simple!) & wanted to try it out.

Adding a handful of greens is just a nutritional bonus. You can't taste them, but you get all of the nutrient goodness. Too easy! 

As far as smoothies go, these are on the lighter side - no protein powders or nut butters - so they could be a light breakfast or a nice afternoon snack. Either way, they're delicious!

Enjoy!

Berry Boost Smoothie

Serves 2

1 bag of frozen mixed berries (12 oz.)

1 frozen banana

2 T chia seeds

2-3 c refrigerated coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1 handful of kale (or spinach)

Combine all ingredients, starting with 2 cups of milk, in a high speed blender and blend. Add more milk if needed, blending until smooth.

If you don't own a high speed blender, see my tips on blending the greens first here.



Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie + Green Ice Cubes

I have a little secret to share! I'm sure you have all heard about the green smoothie craze that's everywhere. Maybe you've thought they're gross, or maybe you've wanted to try them, but are overwhelmed by all the fresh greens you'd need to keep on hand.

If you think they're gross, I promise you they're not! Start small, with just a handful of spinach, and I guarantee that you won't even notice it's in there. Even if you never add any more than that, at least you're still getting in some greens & all the nutrients that they hold!

If you're in the second group & overwhelmed by the vast quantity of greens you'd need to keep on hand, this tip is for you!

Whether you're a gardener or shop at farmer's markets, there's no question that greens are fresher, tastier, & cheaper when they are in season. I grow kale, Swiss chard, spinach & mixed lettuces each year. They're easy to maintain & they produce quite a lot! Toward the end of the season, I always have an abundance of kale & Swiss chard that I hate to see go to waste when the first frost comes. I take an hour one day in the fall to pick as much as possible, clean it, and make green ice cubes for our winter smoothies. It's easy & I'm always so grateful to have them when greens aren't so abundant.

Taking the time out to make the green ice cubes encourages me to make more green smoothies in the winter. I never have to worry about whether I bought fresh greens or how expensive they might be. I just reach in the freezer, pull out a handful of green cubes, & my smoothie is suddenly full of extra nutrients! I love knowing that these greens were freshly picked & frozen right away, straight from my garden.

 I know that now isn't the best time to be making green ice cubes, but I hope that you'll remember this & try it in the fall. If you start now, you could even try growing some kale yourself! Plant the seeds, water them occasionally, & watch them grow. You can dine well this summer/fall + have green ice cubes during the winter. In the meantime, if you want to try this smoothie, just use a couple handfuls of whatever greens you have on hand.

I thought this smoothie tasted like mint chocolate chip ice cream, so I just had to share. I think that if the Bup wasn't eagerly awaiting his half, I might have drank the whole thing! :-)

 
Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie
Serves 2

2 frozen bananas
6 green ice cubes (or 3-4 handfuls of spinach/other greens)
1 tsp. chia seeds
1/4 tsp. mint extract
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used vegan, non-GMO Pure Matters Chocolate Pea Protein)
2-3 c unsweetened almond milk

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender & process until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses and serve immediately. Smoothie can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. Shake/stir before serving.

Green Ice Cubes

3 bunches of kale, washed
3 bunches of Swiss chard or collard greens, washed
water

Remove the tough bottom part of the stems (about 1/3 up the stalk - the rest should blend just fine). Working in batches, tear leaves into pieces and blend in a high speed blender* with just enough water to allow the greens to move around. Once the first batch is blended, pour 2/3 of the greens into ice cube trays. Add more torn leaves into the 1/3 remaining mixture and blend again. By leaving some of the mixture in the blender, it allows the greens to blend more easily so that you don't need to add as much water. Continue this process until all greens are blended. Place filled ice cube trays in freezer. Once frozen (to be safe, allow at least 10 hours), remove cubes and store in zip lock freezer bags in the freezer. Remove cubes as needed, making sure to reseal the bag. Frozen green cubes should last about 6 months.

*If you don't have a high speed blender, I think you could use a food processor or a regular blender. You may need to completely remove the stems & add more water to get the greens properly blended.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

 I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day!

Don't let the blah colors of the picture fool you. I'm not very good at taking pictures of crisp... It just looks kinda mushy & brown. But trust me - it was delicious!!

If you read my garden post, you might remember that I'm growing rhubarb & strawberries. Both have taken off & are ready to be eaten in abundance! I'm especially excited about the strawberries. Last year, I didn't do much with them because we were so busy eating them by themselves. I have a few recipes that I'd like to try this year, but I'm starting with the usuals - crisp & shortcake.

It was SO hot over the weekend, so I tried to keep this light. The flavor of rhubarb is so often overpowered by sugar, but I wanted to showcase it's tart flavor here. The strawberries add sweetness, but not a lot.

We topped ours with a version of banana soft serve. I make this a lot, but this time I tried freezing a big batch of it & we were able to scoop it out like hard ice cream. The sweetness & cold from the bananas complimented the crisp really well. I'm sure a vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt would be good as well.

Summer is officially here. Woohoo! 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Serves 6

For filling:
6-7 stalks of rhubarb, chopped
1 qt. strawberries, quartered
2 T honey
1/4 c white whole wheat flour

For topping:
1 c old-fashioned oats
3 T honey
2 T coconut oil, softened
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray a 8"x10" baking pan (or similar size) with cooking spray. Combine filling ingredients and add to baking pan. In a small bowl, use a fork to blend the topping ingredients until combined. Topping should be sticky. Spread evenly over filling. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top. Enjoy warm!