healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies bites

{healthy bites}

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

<< easily adaptable to be made gluten-free >>

I adapted this recipe from Edible Perspective. My favorite way to eat these, besides just popping them straight into my mouth, is crumbled over vitamix vanilla ice cream! (blend: 1 cup vanilla soy milk + sprinkle of cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract + ice cubes)

ingredients:

• 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coarsely ground rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond meal/flour
• 1/4 cup baking stevia
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted (not hot!)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

instructions:

1. preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl
3. whisk the egg, then whisk in the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla until well combined
4. pour wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a large spoon until combined (will be thick)
5. let dough sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes
6. press the dough into 1-inch balls and slightly flatten between both hands 
7. place balls on non-stick cookie sheet 1-inch apart and bake for 10 minutes
8. let cool for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack (cookies are fragile and very soft until set)

notes/subs:

• you can sub stevia our for white sugar, brown sugar, pure cane sugar, or coconut sugar.
• to make the coarsely ground outs: Place 1 cup of rolled oats in a food processor, mini food processor, or blender and pulse until about 1/2-way to a flour looking texture.
• you can purchase or make your almond meal: Grind whole, raw almonds in a high-speed blender or large food processor.  Blend no more than 1 cup at a time until flour-like in texture.  Do not over process.  Sift out any large pieces.

#1 Snickerdoodles

Fat & Fluffy Snickerdoodles

I made the most delicious Fat Fluffy Snickerdoodle cookies this week from How Sweet It Is Blog and they were a super easy happy valentine's gift for some of our friends and family. I love a good, soft cookie dipped in milk. These turned out EXACTLY like the recipe describes: FAT & FLUFFY! Straight from heaven.

Fat Fluffy Snickerdoodles

makes 16-20 cookies

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for dipping

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well until combine, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix until dough comes together. Add in milk. If dough is still crumbly, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Remove dough from fridge and roll into big 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on baking sheet. Lightly press down on dough to flatten it. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

HAPPY HEART DAY

love, natalie and spencer

lemon crinkles {soft and chewy}

This beautiful cookie is blue ribbon worthy in my personal recipe box. Although, the word chocolate is nowhere to be found (pretty sure my given middle name should have been cocoa), I still applaud this combination of fluffy sugar, tangy lemon, and creamy butter.

Lemon Crinkles {soft and chewy}

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheats oven to 350 degrees and spray baking sheet with non-stick spray {light colored is better for evenly baked cookies. If using dark sheet, reduce cooking time by 1-2 minutes}
1. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy in large mixing bowl.
2. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice
3. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and gradually add flour until completely combined
4. Pour powdered sugar onto plate or bowl, roll heaping teaspoon sized balls in powdered sugar and place onto cookie sheet about 2  inches apart.
5. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until tops of cookies appear matter and no longer look wet or shiny. You do not want to brown the tops.

Let me remind you that these are not only adorable, but amazing to every taste bud and you won't regret buying a fine grater to zest your lemon, even if this is the only reason you'll ever use it.

Happy Sunday