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Quarantine Cookies

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Since we are all inside at home (except those amazing people who are out there keeping us safe. I’m talking about you nurses, doctors, police officers, firefighters, etc etc etc), let’s bake! These cookies are oatmeal chocolate chip, however the dough is so versatile that you can add whatever you have on hand! No need to make an extra trip to the grocery store because let’s face it, that’s a scary place to be right now. I mean, it’s like the only place open, everyone is all masked up just getting food and other essentials trying to survive!

I can’t wait for life to get back to normal even though I know it’s going to be a while so…. I bake. I’ve already made about 5 batches of banana bread and banana muffins and my family is OVER that. So, cookies it is! Go ahead and start your ovens and let’s bake.

The recipe below is what I used. However, you can add walnuts, pecans, cranberries, raisins, different kinds of chocolate. The list goes on and on so just add what you like. Also, you can easily double it if you are sharing with family and friends 🙂

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate large bowl, beat together butter and both sugars until soft and creamy. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add in flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and other add-ins. 

Scoop onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool a bit on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temperature. 

Chewy Oatmeal Banana Cookies

My sister just had a baby!! Ah! I now have 3 nephews, that makes a total of 4 boys in our family. Holy cow. I made these cookies to bring to her as she is laid up in a hospital room. Ugh, definitely not fun. But these will give her energy and is the perfect pick me up snack. I wish I had chocolate chips because those would have been a tasty addition, but I didn’t so here we are! Delicious oatmeal banana cookies! Let’s get to baking…

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, corn starch, baking soda and oats. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the butter, both sugars, mashed bananas, vanilla and egg until combined. Slowly add in oatmeal/flour mixture and mix until combined. If needed, place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up the dough.

Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

My oh my… these cookies are GOOD! They are so perfect I don’t even know where to begin! They are thick and chewy and gooey and give you energy! What more can you ask for from a cookie? These definitely won’t last long in my house 😉 The perfect after school treat or a pre workout boost. Either way, get in my belly, right now, all of you 🙂

Ok, ok I’ll calm down. Go get your aprons on and start your ovens. This dough does not need any chill time!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet but you can use whatever you like)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the flour, oats and baking soda and set aside. In another large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until creamy. Add peanut butter, eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Slowly beat in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Place on cookie sheet by rounded tablespoons and bake for about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Flourless Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Breakfast Muffins is what I called these on Instagram and what they really should be called. But holy mouth full! These are really good and great for a fast, healthy breakfast on the go for the whole family. However, I typically do not enjoy baking without flour. Or eating baked goods without flour. I like my gluten! BUT, to please my husband I made these… now I just have to see if my son will eat them!

The recipe below can easily be doubled to make 24 muffins. But a dozen is perfect for my little family of 3 🙂 Go start your ovens and lets bake!

What you will need:

Muffin tin lined or sprayed with non-stick spray

2 ripe bananas
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Note: I used regular sized chocolate chips but if I make these again will use mini. It’s a pretty thin batter so some chocolate chips fell to the bottom and got stuck to the pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Add egg, milk and brown sugar and whisk until combined. Add baking powder, vanilla and cinnamon and whisk until combined. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Pour batter evenly into prepared cupcake tin. Bake for 22-26 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before taking out of pan. Store covered for a couple days. Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins

Rhubarb Crunch

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I LOVE rhubarb! I know it’s one of those foods where you either love it or hate it. I do love not only the taste, but also love the memories I get when I eat it. This recipe is my grandmas. She had a huge garden in her backyard and my sister and I would eat rhubarb dipped in sugar in the summer when we would visit. My grandma passed away when I was in kindergarten so it’s nice to be able to bake how she did and remember her. So, get your aprons on, cut up some rhubarb and let’s get to baking!

What you will need:

8 x 8 inch square pan sprayed with nonstick spray

1 cup flour
3/4 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the filling:

3 cups rhubarb cut small
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note: This recipe can easily be doubled to fit a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, melted butter an cinnamon until crumbly. Press half onto the bottom of your prepared pan.

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Evenly spread the rhubarb on top. Set aside.

In a pot over medium heat, combine granulated sugar, water, cornstarch, and vanilla. Stir frequently until mixture is thick. Pour over the rhubarb.

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Evenly sprinkle the remaining oatmeal crumble over that.

Bake for about 40 minutes (or 1 hour if you doubled it). Allow to cool for 1 hour before cutting and enjoying! Cover and store in the fridge.

Cowboy Cookies

I call these Everything Cookies, but since most people know these as Cowboys, there ya go! These are chocolate chip cookies that have decided to eat everything else in the pantry 🙂 Super delicious. What’s good about this recipe is you can add or not add anything you want. Don’t like coconut? Fine, leave it out. Want to add raisins? Sure, go ahead! So, come on! Start your ovens…

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick oats (or old fashioned rolled oats)
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and oats. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together oil and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk well. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Add nuts, coconut and chocolate chips and stir until everything is incorporated. Place dough in fridge for about 10-15 minutes.

I like my cookies on the bigger side, so with a 1/4 cup, drop cookie dough on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes depending on size. Let cool on cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Healthy Apple Oatmeal Cookies

I love baking with apples! And I’m starting to run again after taking over a month off so I thought, I need a good, heathy, tasty snack/breakfast to get me in the spirit. Apples, cinnamon and oatmeal come together in these soft and chewy cookies. A perfect snack or post run bite. I run in the mornings and these hit the spot! So, go workout  and then start your ovens…

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Dash of salt
1 egg
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 apple peeled and chopped

Note: These were not sweet enough for me so when I make them again I will add a tablespoon or 2 of brown sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together egg, coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup. Stir in apples. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. The batter is thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet and press each cookie slightly. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

 

 

Vegan Banana Oat Breakfast Cake

Everyday I open my freezer and see bananas and think to myself, “oh yeah, got to use those up. What should I make?” So, I apologize for yet another breakfast, banana, oatmeal post/recipe. However, this one is a winner and probably my favorite so far! Plus, it’s vegan for all you non-animal eating folk. It has no eggs or butter. I never made anything like this before and it was so fun experimenting! For the egg, you use ground flaxseed and water. It’s what binds all the ingredients together. So, if you need a healthy, easy breakfast, here ya go! And it’s cake! Can’t get any better than that 😉

What you will need:

Square baking dish, greased (I used an 8 x 8 inch)

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (+ 3 tablespoons water)
5 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour

Preheat oven to 360 degrees fahrenheit (I know, weird temp). In a small bowl, stir together the flaxseed and water. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add the maple syrup, oil, sugar, vanilla, vinegar, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Stir the flaxseed mixture and add to the banana mixture. Whisk until everything is combined.

In another large bowl, whisk together oats, baking soda and flour. Add to the banana mixture and fold in with a spatula until everything is incorporated. Let sit for a minute or 2 to thicken before pouring into pan.

Pour into prepared pan. Smooth out top with back of a spoon. Bake for 35-40 minutes and let cool on wire rack before serving.

Enjoy!

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Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

I love always having a fresh, baked good in the house. And when I decided to bake something today, I didn’t want anything sweet. Surprise! These muffins are a perfect snack or breakfast, especially if you have picky toddlers in your house (like I do). It’s cold here in Chicago and I did’t want to go to the store, so, I went with what I had in my pantry. Oatmeal and raisins came to my rescue! These muffins even have a little cinnamon crunch topping that you don’t HAVE to make, but it gives these guys some extra flavor. So, here we go! Let’s go bake some muffins…

What you will need:

Muffin pan, greased or lined with paper cups

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup old-fashioned oats (quick oats can also be used)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk

For the cinnamon topping:

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon melted butter

Tip: This recipe is so versatile! Feel free to add or substitute any of the ingredients. Example: Use dried cranberries in place of the raisins, or add chocolate chips 🙂

Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in oats and raisins.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, beaten egg and milk. Pour into dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fill the prepared muffin pan about 2/3 full of batter.

In another small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the cinnamon topping. Sprinkle evenly over the muffins.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove muffins from pan and cool on wire rack. Enjoy warm with butter!

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2 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies

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The title says it all. We always have leftover bananas so instead of making bread or muffins, I tried cookies. These are a healthy, easy snack for all ages. Perfect! You can also add whatever else you want, like cinnamon, chocolate chips, nuts, etc. But here’s what you need…

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
1 1/2 cups quick oats
3 ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, mix together oatmeal and bananas until combined. Add whatever else you would like. I added cinnamon to my second batch and they were much better. Drop by spoonfulls onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!