Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

I'm pretty obsessed with cookies. When I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I decided to make my own version. Packed with protein, fiber, and omega-3's, these little cookies are a great choice for snacking or even for breakfast!

Peanut Butter Oat Cookies (makes about 34)

3 overripe bananas, mashed
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. honey
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. oat bran
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, combine bananas, peanut butter, honey and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients and mix well.

 Scoop onto a greased cookie sheet (I used parchment paper and cooking spray) and gently press down.

 Bake at 350 F for 10-15 minutes, depending on how firm you them.

 These were a fun breakfast for us this morning. I'll probably end up eating all of them today... Enjoy!

Soft Vegan Ginger Cookies

Hmmmm, cookies with no eggs, no wheat, no butter or oil, and no dairy... it can't be done! That was my first thought when I found this original recipe from Happy Herbivore. But as it turns out, you absolutely CAN! And let me just say that these little cookies are mighty delicious. With only 65 calories and 2 grams of fiber a piece, I think I'll go ahead and eat five or six of them thank you very much!Soft Vegan Ginger Cookies

2 c. oats (processed into flour using a blender)

2/3 c. ground flaxseed

2 T. cornstarch

2 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. ground cloves

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. refried beans (make sure the only ingredients are water, beans, and salt)

1/2 c. molasses
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. If batter seems too runny, add some more flaxseed.

Use a cookie scoop to drop onto a greased cookie sheet.Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes. Cookies might seem underbaked, but that's good! They tend to dry out as they cool.Well, maybe I'm weird, but I actually really like these cookies. It's always fun to try new things and if you're vegan or have a vegan friend, these would be the perfect little treat to share. Enjoy!

Flourless Almond Cookies

After making Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies, I wanted to use that same idea with almond butter. These cookies turned out wonderfully! They're chewy and very almond-y!Flourless Almond Cookies

1 c. unsalted almond butter (I used freshly ground almond butter from Winco)

1 c. packed brown sugar

1 egg

scant 1 t. salt

1 t. almond extract

20 sliced almonds

Mix all ingredients together except sliced almonds.

Roll into 20 balls. Place on a greased cookie sheet and top each with a sliced almond.Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before removing.If you use salted almond butter, reduce salt to 1/4 t. Enjoy!

Amazing Bean Brownies

Happy Valentine's Day! Here is a fun treat for your valentine. 'But, beans in brownies?' you may ask. Yes, indeed, and they're actually VERY good. This recipe is adapted from 101 Cookbooks. The texture reminds me of flourless chocolate cake. After I make a batch, I like to cut them up and store them in the freezer. I don't feel quite as guilty eating these brownies because they have some extra fiber...right? What the heck. I'll use any excuse to eat brownies!Amazing Bean Brownies

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 c. (2 sticks) butter

1 (14 oz.) can black or kidney beans, drained

1/2 c. walnuts

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. salt

4 eggs

1 c. agave (or sugar or honey)

Melt chocolate and butter together. Set aside.

In a food processor, puree beans and walnuts until mixture is somewhat smooth.Add chocolate mixture, vanilla, salt, eggs, and agave. Puree about 2 minutes more until it makes a smooth batter.Pour into a greased 9x13" pan.Bake at 325 F for 30-40 minutes.Cool completely and then refrigerate for a few hours until firm. Cut into squares.I am super excited about this recipe. It's fun and different and a little healthy. I used dark kidney beans but I plan on experimenting with other varieties. Enjoy!

Quinoa Cakes

Lately I've been very intrigued by quinoa but until recently, I only used it in place of rice. So when I came upon this recipe from Monica Bhide's website I was eager to try it. Now I have a new favorite! These little patties are so good and satisfying. They are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.Quinoa Cakes (adapted from Super Natural Every Day)

1 c. dry quinoa, cooked
4 eggs
1/2 t. salt
2 T. dried chives
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. grated extra sharp cheddar
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1/2 c. oats or oat bran
olive oil

Pour cooked quinoa into a bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Form into 12 patties. Heat about 2 T. olive oil and cook patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden.Even though this meal is meatless it's very satisfying.I love to cut them up and eat them in salads. Enjoy!

Brazilian Cheese Bread

Okay, so lately I've been trying to find the perfect recipe for brazilian cheese bread (pao de queijo) and it's been quite the adventure. I think I've probably tried at least 15 different recipes. Finally I found one that I love! Plus my husband approves (and he would know since he lived in Brazil for 2 years.) I found the original recipe on Globe Trotter Diaries, but I adapted it to my own taste.So cheesy...so good!

This cheese was the perfect addition to this recipe. You really can use any combination of cheese but this crumbly cheese combined with parmesan was really great!

Brazilian Cheese Bread

2 1/4 c. tapioca flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. oil

2 eggs

1/2 c. crumbled cotija cheese

1/2 c. grated parmesan

Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine water and oil and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into the flour mixture. Stir to mix. (It will be super stiff and lumpy.)Stir in eggs then stir in cheeses. (Mixture will still be a bit lumpy.)Roll into about 20 balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325 F and bake for 10-15 more minutes.I hope you like these little cheesy breads as much as we do. Enjoy!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

These are such simple cookies. Mine turned out really tender and fall-apart-in-your-mouth. Delicious! Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. natural peanut butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 egg

1 t. baking soda

Stir all ingredients together.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and press lightly with a fork.Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.Enjoy!

No Bake Cookies

I love these simple little cookies. I've added ground flaxseed to this recipe for some extra fiber and omega-3's! These are such a great snack for kids.No Bake Cookies

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter

1 c. sugar

3 T. cocoa

pinch of salt

1/4 c. milk

2 c. quick oats

1 c. ground flaxseed

In a medium saucepan, combine first 5 ingredients. Heat and stir over medium high until well combined. Bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in oats and flaxseed. Drop onto foil or wax paper and let cool. Enjoy!

Caramel Corn Puffs

I usually use this recipe to make regular caramel corn but I happened to have these little corn puffs on hand so I used them instead. They both work really well.

Caramel Corn Puffs

1 (15 oz.) bag butter flavored corn puffs

2 c. packed brown sugar

2 sticks butter

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1 t. baking soda

Pour corn puffs into a paper grocery bag. (You can use a bowl if you have one big enough, but I don't!)

In a heavy saucepan mix brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and vigorously stir in baking soda. It will foam up like this:

Pour caramel mixture over corn puffs and mix until evenly coated.

Spread into 2 cookie sheets. Bake at 200 F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Immediately dump corn puffs onto aluminum foil to cool completely, then transfer to a bowl.

This makes a TON so it's great for large groups or family events. Enjoy!