Healthy No-Bake Oatmeal Cookie Bites

 

 

 

 

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.

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The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas A. Edison

 

 

This week is weird.

I don’t know if it’s due to the fact that I only had 4 days of work because of the Monday holiday or what but I am just SO not on top of my game. I slept through my alarm not once, but twice, I brought two different sneakers to the gym, and in the past 2 days I’ve tested out 4 new recipes—NONE of which I was happy with (the cake wouldn’t rise, the cookies were too dense, the bars burned, and the cupcakes were a catastrophe)… #FAIL.

 

Clearly it was time for me to step away from the oven.

I was just about to throw in the towel and say “Forget it! There will be no recipe post this week!” when it hit me.

 

No bake cookie bites.

 

 

No baking involved? It’s practically fool-proof! SIGN ME UP.

 

And you know what? That’s exactly what they are. Foolproof. In fact, these babies are SO easy, even on your clumsiest (or laziest) of days it’s pretty impossible to mess them up. Just throw the ingredients in a food processor or blender, roll the dough into balls and eat your face off stick em’ in the fridge :) . Sounds like the perfect breakfast, pre/post-workout snack, or dessert  to nosh on while lazily lounging in your pj’s this Sunday.

 

The best part of all?

You don’t even have to feel guilty about stuffing your face because this cookie dough is HEALTHY!

Yup. It’s true.

 

My cookie dough bites are sugar-free (instead of sugar I use dates and stevia), low-fat (a little bit of peanut butter goes a long way!), gluten-free (no flour, oats only), and they even have some protein (garbanzo beans please!).  So…since I’m feeling especially clumsy and lazy today, I’m gonna keep this post short, sweet, and simple :) .

 

Easy as pie.

I mean, cookies.

Healthy cookies.

 

 

Healthy No-Bake Oatmeal Cookie Bites

 

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of garbanzo beans (drained)
  • 13-16 whole pitted dates (feel free to toss in a few more if you want the cookie dough to have a caramel-y taste)
  • 1/2 small, ripe banana
  • 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (or another nut butter– feel free to add more if you want a more indulgent-tasting cookie dough)
  • 4 droppers full of liquid vanilla-crème stevia (Please note: This amount will vary for everyone depending upon how sweet you’d like your cookie dough. You could also use powder stevia–just reduce the blended oats by 1/2 tablespoon– or you could use maple syrup, molasses, or any other liquid sweeteners you like.)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of blended oats (add more if the batter is too sticky to roll into balls)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • dash of salt
  • 1/3 cup of raisins
  • 3 tablespoons whole grain oats (not blended)
  • Optional: Chocolate chips

 

Directions:

  • Blend the first 10 ingredients (not the raisins and oats) in a food processor or blender until you achieve a cookie dough-like consistency (5 or 6 minutes).

(You can't see it but there's blended oats in there somewhere!)

 

 

 

  • Mix in raisins and a few tablespoons of whole oats if you’d like them to look a little more “oatmeal-y” (this is when you can also add chocolate chips if you’d like).
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  • Roll the dough into balls and refrigerate for an hour (if you aren’t patient enough to do this, like me, feel free to eat the cookie dough balls right away :) ).
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  • Decorate the cookie dough balls with my cinnamon pumpkin-pie glaze, roll in coconut, or dip in chocolate!
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  • Store extra cookie dough balls in the freezer for an easy, on the run snack you can throw in your purse or gym bag (just be sure to give them 15 minutes or so so thaw!).

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Hey, being lazy tastes pretty darn good  :)

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Healthfully Yours,

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Ashley Michelle

 

 

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Healthy Gingerbread Cookie Squares (Gluten-Free!)

 

Hey all you gingerbread men out there!

 

Hang on to your gumdrop buttons…

 

There’s a new kind of gingerbread in town 

 

(and you ain’t got nothin’ on these guys ;) ).

 

From gingerbread cookies and coffees to my latest obsession, gingerbread spice tea, this festive holiday flavor has invaded kitchens and coffee shops everywhere…not that I’m complaining! I pretty much adore gingerbread anything and everything–and I’ve been on quite a roll this week (gingerbread oatmeal, gingerbread smoothies, gingerbread spread…). But don’t worry! I have plenty more recipes to come.

 

Something about gingerbread is just so warm and cozy–pretty perfect for the warm and cozy holiday season, don’t you think? Unfortunately, I do have a teeny tiny bone to pick with this cute little Christmas treat…

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I only look cute... (Photo Credit: www.browneyedbaker.com)

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Why oh WHY are gingerbread cookies always so gosh darn hard and crunchy??

 

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m more of a soft-and-chewy-cookie kind of girl. So, naturally, I set out to create a recipe that achieved just this.  And lo and behold…after a few test runs, I finally ended up with a batch of batter that was the perfect consistency for cookie bars, cookie pies, or cookie squares.

 

An added bonus? Not only is this festive dessert vegan, but it’s high in fiber and gluten-free too. Success!

 

Woah, woah…wait. Healthy cookie squares?

 

Don’t mind if I do! ;)

 

Healthy Gingerbread Squares (Gluten-Free!)

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of garbanzo beans
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup of blended oats (pulse in a food processor or blender until oats turn to flour)
  • 1/4  teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon (feel free to add more if you’d like them extra cinnamon-y like me).
  • 1/8 teaspoon of powdered ginger (feel free to add more if you’re a ginger fan–also like me).
  • 2 tablespoons of all-natural applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon of molasses

 

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350º.
  • Blend the garbanzo beans, applesauce, vanilla, coconut oil, and molasses in a blender or food processor until very smooth.
  • Next, add in the brown sugar followed by the rest of the ingredients.
  • Blend everything again until very smooth.
 
 
 
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  • Pour into a brownie pan, or pie pan (depending upon whether you want bars, squares, or a cookie pie).
  • Cook for 45 minutes, or until the top browns and begins to crack (it will look gooey, but that’s okay–the gingerbread will firm up a bit as it cools).
 
 
 
 
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  • Cut into squares, bars, or slices and eat as it, or drizzle with chocolate, add a mountain of whipped cream, or spread a big ol’ smear of my pumpkin pie frosting on top!
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Chewy. Gooey. DELICIOUS.

 

And that’s NOT the way the cookie crumbles ;)  

 

 

Healthfully Yours,

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Ashley Michelle

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