Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

By Jen, on October 27th, 2012%


Pumpkin meets chocolate in these chewy oatmeal cookies. This small batch recipe makes just 16 mini cookies- perfect when you crave a sweet treat but don’t want to be haunted by dozens of cookies in your kitchen.

To make the dough, simply stir together pumpkin puree (homemade or canned), virgin coconut oil, pure maple syrup and vanilla. Then mix in oats, almond meal, cinnamon and sea salt. Add chunks of chocolate and you’re ready to bake.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted (liquid)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup almond meal (almond flour)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In medium bowl stir together pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla until well blended.

Add oats, almond meal, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate.

Use small cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to drop mounds of cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking baking sheet. Flatten cookies with your fingers. (This helps the cookies bake more evenly.)

Bake 13 to 18 minutes until bottoms are browned. (Ovens vary, so adjust bake time as needed. It’s better to slightly overbake than underbake these cookies.) Cool completely on baking sheet.

Makes 16 small cookies

Tip: The dough isn’t as stiff as traditional wheat flour cookie dough, but it should hold together when you scoop and mound the dough on the baking sheet. If the dough appears too dry to hold together, try stirring in an additional tablespoon pumpkin.

For vegan cookies, make with vegan chocolate.

Recipe Links:
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

Product Links:
Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal, Almond Flour
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Fresh Peach Oatmeal Crisp Recipe

By Jen, on September 23rd, 2012%


Enjoy the lingering sweetness of summer with this simple recipe for peach crisp.

(OK. OK. If you’re full on ready for fall, try this easy apple crisp.)

Fresh Peach Almond Oatmeal Crisp Recipe
Peach Filling:
4 cups fresh sliced peaches, peeled
1 teaspoon sucanat or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crisp Topping:
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
3 tablespoons almond meal (almond flour)
2 tablespoons sucanat or dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon tapioca starch (tapioca flour)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch fine sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted (liquid)
1 tablespoon almond milk or water

First, prepare the filling. Place peaches in 9-inch round pie pan or 2-quart square baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sucanat and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; stir to coat.

For topping, in medium bowl combine oats, almond meal, 2 tablespoons sucanat, tapioca starch, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger and salt. Add coconut oil and almond milk; stir until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over fruit.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until topping is browned and peaches are tender and have released their juices. Serve slightly warm or completely cooled.

Makes 4 servings

Tip: The peach filling will be thin right out of the oven. The juices will thicken slightly once the crisp cools.

Recipe Link:
Blueberry Oatmeal Crisp

Product Links:
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The Best of Clean Eating: Over 200 Mouthwatering Recipes to Keep You Lean and Healthy

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Applesauce Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

By Jen, on August 5th, 2012%


I’m a big fan of small batch baking. A few months ago I posted a recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies made with mashed banana, almond meal and old fashioned oats. Since banana seems to be a love it or hate it ingredient in cookies, I promised an applesauce version of the recipe. Here’s the cookie recipe using applesauce in place of the banana and dried fruit in place of the chocolate.

The cookies are soft from the applesauce, and a bit chewy from the oats. They’re like apple cinnamon oatmeal in cookie form.

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
2 tablespoons virgin unrefined coconut oil, melted (liquid)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup almond meal (almond flour)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup chopped dried apple, dried cranberries or raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In medium bowl stir together applesauce, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla until well blended.

Add oats, almond meal, cinnamon, ginger and salt; mix well. Stir in dried apples.

Use small cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to drop mounds of cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking baking sheet. Flatten cookies with your fingers. (This helps the cookies bake more evenly.)

Bake 13 to 18 minutes until bottoms are browned. (Ovens vary, so adjust bake time as needed. It’s better to slightly overbake than underbake these cookies.) Cool completely on baking sheet.

Makes 16 small cookies

Tip: The dough isn’t as thick as traditional wheat flour cookie dough, but it should hold together when you scoop and mound the dough on the baking sheet. (You may need to push the mound together with your fingers.) If the dough appears too dry to hold together, try stirring in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons applesauce.

Product Links:
Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal, Almond Flour
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Jen, on March 18th, 2012%


Cookies are my favorite sweet treat. So why is this the first cookie recipe I’ve posted? Because I rarely make them. Really, I like them too much and don’t want the temptation of having dozens of cookies around. Afterall, even a healthier cookie is still an indulgence. No one should eat several dozen indulgences!

So why have I been baking batch after batch of cookies? Because I came across an inspiring recipe on 101 Cookbooks called Nikki’s Healthy Cookie Recipe. It’s an oatmeal cookie recipe made without eggs or wheat flour.

I adapted the recipe to suit my needs, like cutting down the recipe to make a small batch and decreasing the proportion of banana to make a chewier cookie. The result is a moist and chewy oatmeal cookie…more like a breakfast cookie than a traditional wheat flour cookie. The sweetness from the banana and chocolate make them a real treat. The best part is that they’re mini cookies- gone in just a bite or two.

One of the secrets to making these cookies is to bake them on parchment paper so that they don’t stick to the baking sheet. Another trick is to use a cookie scoop so that all of the cookies are the same size. Flattening the mounds of dough before baking helps the cookies to bake more evenly.


Cooling the cookies on the baking sheet allows them to set up before removing.

Let me know how you like the cookies and please share any tips or modifications. I’m working on an applesauce version of these cookies, and will share that recipe once I’m happy with it.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/3 cup well mashed ripe banana
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup almond meal (almond flour)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In medium bowl stir together mashed banana, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla until well blended.

Add oats, almond meal, cinnamon, ginger and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Use small cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to drop mounds of cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking baking sheet. Flatten cookies with your fingers. (This helps the cookies bake more evenly.)

Bake 13 to 18 minutes until bottoms are browned. (Ovens vary, so adjust bake time as needed. It’s better to slightly overbake than underbake these cookies.) Cool completely on baking sheet.

Makes 16 small cookies

Tip: The dough isn’t as thick as traditional wheat flour cookie dough, but it should hold together when you scoop and mound the dough on the baking sheet. (You may need to push the mound together with your fingers.) If the dough appears too dry to hold together, try stirring in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons mashed banana.

For vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, make with vegan chocolate chips.

Recipe Links:
Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Vegan Chocolate Brownie Bites

Product Links:
Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal, Almond Flour
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