Tag Archives: healthy cookies

Best Ever Oatmeal Cookies (with chia seeds!)


Posted by ashleymichelle

 

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When I’m bored, things can get pretty dangerous.

Particularly if I’m anywhere in the vicinity of a kitchen…

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You see, I don’t do well with being “bored.” I’m the kind of person who feels the need to be in a constant state of motion–always doing, creating, and working on something.

 

The bonus?

 

Boredom is pretty much an open invitation for some serious recipe experimentation– no matter what the hour (and you can’t put a time cap on inspiration people!). When I’m bored, I will literally rummage through every one of my cupboards and every inch of my refrigerator and try to create a masterpiece out of whatever I can find. And believe me, when you stock the kitchen like I do, It’s a Christmas miracle if I can pull a decent dinner together! But what can I say…I love  a challenge. “Chopped” has nothing on me.

 

Thankfully, what often starts off looking like a dangerous experiment typically turns into a delightful surprise – I’ve actually come up with some of my best recipes during these random bouts of boredness. So it’s a good thing I got a little ancy last weekend…because inspiration struck around, oh, 11:00 on a Saturday night when I suddenly found myself hell-bent on creating this quick and easy vegan oatmeal cookie recipe…

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You see, the boyfriend and I had just gotten back from watching the Red Sox game at a bar down the street when I decided it has been far too long since I’ve put up a recipe post (I know, I know. Please forgive me :( ?). Originally I had the idea to whip up some overnight oatmeal (don’t worry, recipe to come!) so that breakfast would be all set and good to go pre-spin class the next morning…but I had a little hankering for a midnight snack ;) .

 

Cookies and milk anyone?

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So.

There I was. 

11:30 at night. 

Baking…

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I starting tossing together a whole bunch of ingredients (eyeballing rather than measuring them) and in about 10 minutes, a dozen soft and chewy oatmeal cookies emerged on a plate ready for the boyfriend to taste-test…

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After a moment of hesitation and the “look” — that “how on EARTH did you bake something in 10 minutes?” look– he took a bite and declared “These are the BEST oatmeal cookies… EVER!” And the best part of all? Aside from being 100% delicious and 100% whole grain… these vegan cookies are lower in sugar and lower in fat than your traditional oatmeal cookies. Plus, the added chia seeds provide a healthy dose of omega-3s for good measure!

 

Betcha wonder where I got the name, huh? :)

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Comfy pj’s, ice-cold almond milk, and warm and cozy cookies?

Go ahead.

Tell me that’s not heaven.

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Needless to say, the first batch of oatmeal cookies didn’t last very long. And to be honest, since I tossed the ingredients together without doing any measuring, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to replicate this amazing recipe again…

 

But don’t worry!

EVERYONE REMAIN CALM.

Here it is :)

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Cookie on.

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Best EVER Oatmeal Cookies

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole-grain oats
  • 1/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (regular flour will also work if you don’t have pastry flour. Looking to make these gluten-free? Sub extra oats for flour)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (for a lower-sugar version, feel free to cut back on the sugar and sub in a little stevia. Just be sure increase the applesauce by 2-3 tablespoons so the batter isn’t too dry)
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional, but are a healthy way to get your omega-3s!)
  • 1/2 (heaping) teaspoon cinnamon
  • slightly over 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 (heaping) cup of applesauce
  • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil (you can try to cut this out for fat-free cookies, but I cannot vouch for the taste/texture without it…plus, a little healthy fat is perfectly okay!)
  • 1-2 individual boxes of raisins
  • Optional: try adding in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut,a small handful of chocolate chips or a few drops of vanilla stevia (for extra sweetness)

 

Directions:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350°.
  • Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

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  • Mix all the wet ingredients in another bowl and add to the dry ingredients– mix well.
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  • Grease a cookie sheet with all-natural, non-stick spray or coconut oil.
  • Spoon batter into little balls (slightly smaller than a golf ball) and place them on the cookie sheet.
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  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (or until they start to brown around the edges).
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  • Note: The cookies will be very soft when you take them out of the oven and may not look done– don’t worry–they will firm up as they cool.
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  • Serve with an ice-cold glass of almond milk :)
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  • Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (if you don’t eat them right away that is!)
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Go on.

Show those late night munchies who’s boss!

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Healthfully yours,

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Ashley Michelle

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Healthy No-Bake Oatmeal Cookie Bites


Posted by ashleymichelle

 

 

 

 

“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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Disaronno-Spiked Love Potion Cookies


Posted by ashleymichelle

 

 

Love.

 

At.

 

First.

 

Bite.

 

Ahem. I mean…SIGHT.

 

WARNING: Just one little bite of these cookies may cause feelings of love, lust, and adoration and can bring on an insatiable appetite for heart-shaped food items. Ingesting these cookies may result in revelations of true love, the desire for long walks on the beach, make-out sessions on a bearskin rug, and candlelit dinners for two. Please seek medical attention if you do not enjoy these valentine treats, as this could be the result of a serious health problem.  

 

Valentine’s Day is tricky– you either have a significant other and you love it, or you’re single and you hate it. I find the same things goes for snow in New England– you absolutely adore it, or you absolutely, positively, 110% DESPISE it.

 

Now, I’m one of those New Englanders who absolutely, positively 110% loves the snow, so you can imagine my delight when I heard about the crazy blizzard named “Nemo” that was headed for Boston last weekend.

 

The forecast?

TWO FEET OF SNOW!

 

The severe weather risk was bad enough that my office let us out of work at 2:30 on Friday and the entire state of Massachusetts was under order by the Governor to be off the roads by 4:00 pm or risk facing a $500 fine and jail time! That meant the boyfriend and I (and pretty much the rest of the state) were confined to our homes for a couple of days. While some people might have gone stir crazy being stuck inside with nothing to do (I mean, how many reruns of PLL, The Biggest Loser, Grey’s Anatomy and Boy Meets World can you watch without dying of total boredom? Okay never mind. Bad example. You can’t), I found plenty of ways to keep myself occupied– namely because I confined myself to the kitchen for oh… around 48 hours straight. My latest revelation? Natural disasters are a blogger’s dream come true.

 

All the time in the world to test recipes and blog? YES PLEASE!

I was happier than a kid on a snow day.

 

Sorry. I just couldn't resist!

 

Stick me in a kitchen when I have wayyy too much time on my hands and you’re just asking..no…begging for trouble– especially after one (okay,  two or three…) glasses of wine ;) .

 

Let’s just say I got a littttttle crazy with ingredients…

 

After all, when you don’t see the light of day for over 24 hours…alcohol consumption is inevitable. In fact, you may even find yourself beginning to think that everything could actually be 100x better with a little bit of booze…

Red wine frosting? Sure why not! A Guinness milkshake? Sign me up! Blue Moon and bran flakes? Lemme at em’!

Yep. Things were on the verge of getting OUT OF CONTROL until I remembered a dear old friend of mine…and with that, I struck gold.

 

Heart-shaped, frosted, cookie GOLD.

 

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The dear old friend?

Disaronno.

The experiment of choice?

Valentine’s Day cookies.


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Love Potion Cookies to be exact ;) .

 

So while you might be one of those people who hates Valentine’s Day and despises the snow…you had better be thanking your lucky stars my dears. If it wasn’t for my weekend of cocktail-induced kitchen craziness (thank you Nemo), these little love magnets may never have had the chance to spice things up just in time for Valentine’s Day.

 

 

Disaronno-Spiked Love Potion Cookies

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or spelt flour)
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
  • 4 teaspoons Disaronno (or another amaretto liquor)
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • Stevia (to taste– I used liquid stevia, but if you use powder stevia you should increase the milk by 1-2 teaspoons)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil (NOTE: you can increase this by a teaspoon or two if you want a more decadent, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. For a fat -free cookies, you can omit the coconut oil and sub applesauce, but be warned–without a healthy fat, the cookies will come out a bit dry compared to a regular cookie)
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Directions: 

  • Mix the first five ingredients in one bowl and mix the remaining ingredients (minus the coconut oil) in another bowl.
  • Combine the contents of both bowls together, and fold in the coconut oil.
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  • Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes (I rolled the dough into a “Toll House cookie dough log” shape using wax paper)
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  • Once firm, you can slice and bake the dough just like the store-bought cookie dough, or roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to make fun and festive shapes–like these Valentine’s Day shapes :)
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  • Pre-heat the oven to 340º and cook for 13-14 minutes (or until the tops start to turn golden brown).
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  • Let the cookies cool and decorate with my berry-infused icing and sugar sparkles (This icing is all-natural and doesn’t use any food coloring! See recipe below).
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All-Natural Berry-Infused Icing

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Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup of organic powdered sugar
  • A couple spoonfuls of frozen berries (I used a mix of blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries from Trader Joe’s).
  • 3 teaspoons of ice-cold water

 

Directions:

  • Put powdered sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
  • Microwave frozen berries for 45 seconds. DO NOT STIR OR SMUSH BERRIES!
  • Pour a teaspoon of juice and 3 teaspoons of water into the powder sugar. Mix well
  • NOTE: Add more berry juice for a darker icing, more powder sugar for  thicker icing, and add more water for  thinner icing.
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And there you have it! Trust me. You will absolutely, positively  fall in LOVE with these cookies. And no. I’m not being dramatic. It’s just the truth!

 

So make them for your hunni. Make them for your BFF. Make them for your secret crush. Heck, make a batch all for yourself (my valentine gobbled up the whole tray in one sitting!). After all, Valentine’s Day is all about spreading the love and eating it up too ;) .

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Cupid who? 

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Healthfully Yours,

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Ashley Michelle

 

 


Naughty Biscotti (Gluten-Free!)


Posted by ashleymichelle

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Being ordinary is so boring.

After all…

Sometimes it’s fun to break the rules ;)

 

I hope you’re ready. Because things are about to get naughty in the kitchen.

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And when it comes to rules…this next recipe BREAKS. THEM. ALL.

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It all started when I was hit with a doozy of a cold earlier this week. All I wanted to do was throw on pj’s and curl up on the couch with my fuzzy leopard blanket and a hot mug of tea.

 

Lots and LOTS of tea. (I can’t even begin to tell you how many  different variations of tea I have going on in my cupboard right now).

 

And you know what goes great with a cup of tea? Or coffee, if that’s how you roll…

 

BISCOTTI!

 

Okay, okay. Before you think I’m crazy… just hear me out. I already know what you’re thinking.

 

“Biscotti?! That hard-as-a-rock excuse for a cookie?” And yes. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Except the biscotti I’m referring to isn’t the least bit crunchy, dry, or hard to chew. In fact, MY biscotti recipe is just the opposite.

 

Soft and chewy like a cookie, but with that distinct biscotti flavor?

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IMPOSSIBLE!

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Or is it…

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You just may never, EVER want traditional biscotti again. Plus… this biscotti is gluten-free and full of fiber and protein!

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Guilt-free and delicious?

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If eating naughty biscotti is wrong…baby, I don’t want to be right.

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Ingredients:

  •  2 cans of organic garbanzo beans (preferably low sodium)
  • 1/4 cup of pureed pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup of brown sugar (you can definitely get away with less sugar if you are used to eating low-sugar desserts, however, this amount satisfies even the non-vegan sweet tooth).
  • 1 heaping cup of blended oats
  • Slightly under 1/4 cup of almond milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • Slivered almonds (for sprinkling)
  • Chocolate chips (for sprinkling and melting as a drizzle).
  • Optional: Sweet Leaf Vanilla Creme stevia drops
Directions:
  • Preheat the oven to 350º
  • Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until VERY smooth.
  • Spray a baking dish (8×8 or 9×9 should do) with all natural canola oil cooking spray or coconut oil cooking spray.
  • Pour batter into a baking dish and bake for 45-50 minutes (top should begin to crack but inside should be chewy).
  • Drizzle with melted chocolate/chocolate chips (using vegan chocolate chips) and almonds slivers.
  • Slice into bars and EAT!

 

This is definitely one cookie that WON’T disappoint ;)

 

I have to admit. The inspiration for this week’s recipe came from another source as well. You see, biscotti is traditionally an Italian dessert originating from the city of Prato (the name comes from the latin word biscoctus, which means “twice-baked/cooked”). Well, I just happen to be traveling to Italy for the next 10 days! My plane leaves in a couple of hours so I HAD to get one last post in before I take a short break from the blogging.

Don’t worry! I promise I will have LOTS of fun stories and recipes and pictures to share. Plus, it should be pretty interesting being vegan in a country known for it’s not-so-vegan cuisine :)

 

Have any of you ever traveled to Italy? What was your favorite part? I’d love to hear so I can compare comments when I get back!

 

 

Ciao Bellas!

 

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Healthfully yours,

Ashley Michelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Soft & Chewy Cinnamon Spice Cookies (Gluten-Free!)


Posted by ashleymichelle

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Put away those beachy flip-flops and bring on the boots!

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It’s time for apple picking and winery tours and scarves and blazers…

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After all, it’s almost FALL :)

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Okay, okay. I know it’s technically still summer (and you can most certainly get in a few more beach weekends before it’s all said and done) but you have to admit… September snuck up on us  just a tad quicker than usual this year.

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And I’m going to be very honest.

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I still don’t know quite how to handle the changing of the seasons without expecting some sort of major life transition to go right along with it. I mean, this will be my third fall not going back to college…

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My third.

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Holy smokes I am OLD.

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And yet, three years later, I still feel like I should be making those infamous trips to Target, packing up the car with oversized storage bins, and buying fluffy pink decor to pretty-fy my generic, empty apartment shared by four 20-something year old girls.

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Now, instead, I’m making weekly trips to the grocery store, packing a well-balanced lunch for work everyday, and running to Homegoods and Bed Bath and Beyond in an attempt to purchase sophisticated decor and grown-up-ify my simple, one bedroom apartment–which I now share with a boy.

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Oh how the times have changed…(even though I do still miss those pink fluffy pillows :) )

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Still, there’s something pretty darn nice about not having to spend the weekend in the library or pulling all-nighters studying for exams. That leaves me plenty of time for vegan recipe testing, tasting, and blogging.

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Oh yeah…

And working full-time means I can now afford wine that comes in a bottle instead of a box ;)

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Bonus!

 

Other fall traditions to look forward to?

  1. Football (GO PATS!)
  2. Cinnamon-inspired baking
  3. Nashoba Valley Blueberry wine (Seriously. This stuff is heavenly)
  4. A very hungry, football-watching boyfriend (aka professional taste-tester)

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But the BEST part of all about the impending fall season…?

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I can get a litttttle recipe crazy :)

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And thank goodness I do.

Or I wouldn’t have whipped up these little buggers!

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(Ahem. I mean…healthy, fiber-rich, protein-filled, and gluten-free little buggers at that!)

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Soft & Chewy Cinnamon Spice Cookies

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Ingredients:

  • 1 can garbanzo beans
  • 1 cup of whole grain oats (blended to a powder)
  • 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling…100% pumpkin!)
  • 3 packets of stevia
  • 2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk
  • 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup of brown sugar (you could try to cut this amount in half and increase amount of stevia, or,  omit altogether– just be sure to add 1-2 more tablespoons of almond milk or the batter will be too thick. You could probably use dates instead of sugar to make this 100% sugar-free, however, the consistency may be a bit chewy).
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • Slightly under 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • Dash of salt

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Directions: 

(Makes roughly 15-20 cookies depending upon whether you want baby cookies or bigger cookies…or eat half the batter like me ;) )

**Be sure to use a VERY good food processor or a blender like a Magic Bullet or Nutribullet–you may have to split into batches if you choose the blender option, however**

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  • Preheat the oven to 350º
  • Blend the garbanzo beans, pumpkin, milk, vanilla, and oil until smooth.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients to the bean mixture and blend VERY well (the mixture will be sticky)
  • Spray a cookie sheet with all-natural, non-stick cooking spray and form the dough into balls.
  • Cook for 16-18 minutes (or until tops start to brown).
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I know you are obviously running off to the kitchen to make these yummy cookies right about, well,  NOW…so don’t worry–I won’t bore you with all the dirty details about the health benefits of these cookies’ ingredients. However, you can read all about the health benefits of cinnamon and pumpkin here while your waiting for your treats to come out of the oven ;)

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And when they do…

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they’ll look like THIS.

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So soft and chewy on the inside…

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I DARE you to not take a bite… ;)

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Healthfully yours,

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Ashley Michelle