Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

cookies

Eat Your Cookies…Outside!

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The last day of August caught up with me. September creeps around the corner. Before you know it, kids will be at my doorstep trick or treating in Ghost, Vampire, and Princess costumes. For now, let’s enjoy this last day of August by eating outside.

Enjoy the view, whip up a quick batch of cookies, and relax.

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Fluffy Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Fluffy Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies

~These fluffy cookies have great flavor with minimal ingredients. The bananas make them naturally sweet. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, soy-free, nut-free, and, of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 cups oats ground into oat flour (Simply process in blender until smooth)
  • 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*.
  2. Mix together the bananas, vanilla, and salt until well-combined.
  3. Add in baking powder, baking soda, and oat flour and combine until mixed.
  4. Add water to help stir.
  5. Fold in chocolate chunks.
  6. Spoon by tablespoonfuls on a baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden on top and bottom.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/08/31/eat-your-cookies-outside/

Serve hot or cold. Plain or sandwiched with Peanut Butter Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream.

The fluffy cookie sandwiched with the creamy filling tasted like a chocolate banana whoopie-pie. Only better. And healthier.
Health Benefits: 
  • Bananas: Rich in potassium, bananas help the body’s circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain. This also helps maintain a regular heartbeat and a proper balance of water in the body. It also contains tryptophan to help relax you and lift your spirits!
  • Chocolate: Read a post about the benefits of chocolate HERE.
  • Oats: Click HERE for a post I wrote on al the benefits of Oats.
THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Are you going to join me in eating outside today?

P.S Today is the last day to enter the Blissful Bites Giveaway, so sign up if you haven’t already!

I am Cookie Monster!

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Give me Cookies!

I am going to be out of town for a tennis tournament again this weekend, so I made a huge batch of High Protein Cookies.

Ginormous.  Huge. Like a triple batch of my original recipe.

They will probably be all gone by this weekend.

Why shouldn’t I eat cookies for all my meals?

They are High in Protein.

They have Vegetables in them.

And they’re full of Healthy Fats!

Not to mention super yummy!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

 

If you were to eat one type of food all day long what would it be?

Perhaps eat pounds of nuts and nutbutters? Vegetables all day long? Eat an entire Chocolate Cake?

I would probably choose various types of oatmeal because I could change it up to create savory or sweet oatmeal.

 

High Protein Sweet Potato Spice Cookies

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Another High Protein Cookie recipe?

Oh yes!

While eating my usual snack of Sweet Potato with Almond Butter and Cinnamon, I thought, “Why can’t I make this snack more portable?” Thus the cookie was born!

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High Protein Sweet Potato Spice Cookies

High Protein Sweet Potato Spice Cookies

~These cookies are high in protein because of the beans. Feel free to substitute garbanzo beans for the white beans if you wish. Grain-free, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, and, of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 medium baked sweet potato-skin removed
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, well-rinsed
  • 1/2 cup milk substitute (I used almond milk)
  • 1/4 cup ground flax
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400*.
  2. Make sure the beans are well-rinsed. Puree in a strong blender or food processor until smooth. Mash sweet potato and mix with beans.
  3. Add milk, cinnamon, baking powder, flax, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
  4. Spoon by tablespoonfuls on a un-greased baking sheet. Top each cookie with chopped pecans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
  5. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/07/01/high-protein-sweet-potato-spice-cookies/

Health Benefits
  • Sweet Potatoes: Click HERE for a post I wrote about the benefits of Sweet Potatoes.
  • White Beans: 
  • Flax: Full of healthy Omega-3′s to help your heart stay strong. It is also a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber to keep your gut healthy and help you stay full. Flax also contains lignans which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. These lignans help protect against cancer by blocking enzymes that are involved in hormone metabolism and interfering with the growth and spread of tumor cells.
  • Pecans: They help boost your immune system, reduce LDL cholesterol, and protect against Breast Cancer because of the high levels of oleic acid. It contains vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and fiber, as well as antioxidants.
  • Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.

I think they would also taste fabulous with some ginger mixed in. Sweet potato gingersnaps!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you ever cook things in bulk to save over time?

I cook huge batches of sweet potatoes so that  can eat them for snacks during the week. I think they taste better cold with almond butter and cinnamon!

On-the-Go Bitter Chocolate Cakes

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Warning: The following is for hard-core chocolate lovers.

My Grain-Free Bitter Chocolate for One was a hit. Who knew that so many people enjoyed bitter chocolate?

The only problem is, how can I make and eat a cake when I am in hurry or need a snack traveling?

Solution: make mini cakes (aka cookies) ahead of time!

Grain-Free Bitter Chocolate Cookies

~These pillowy clouds of chocolate are grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, oil-free, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Serves 1, but feel free to double, triple or quadruple the recipe as needed.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 Tablespoons of squash puree, like pumpkin, sweet potato, or butternut squash
  • splash of vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • water
  • Optional: unsweetened chocolate chunks, nuts, coconut, mint extract, fruit pieces
Preheat oven to 375*. Mix all of the above ingredients together. Then add a splash of water until it reaches the consistency of a thick pudding. Place batter on cookie sheet by tablespoons full. Top with optional ingredients, if using.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cookie’s bottoms are nice and brown.
Makes a lot of cookies for only 120 calories. You also get the added health benefits of the antioxidant-loaded chocolate and the vitamin-loaded squash!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you ever get intense chocolate cravings?

I find that I always crave straight-up unsweetened chocolate when I am out of town. These cookies would be a great thing to pack for trips!

 

High Protein Cookies

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I’ve made High Protein Cookie Dough…

So the logical thing to do is make High Protein Cookies! Duh!

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High Protein Cookies

High Protein Cookies

~These cookies are high in protein because of the garbanzo beans. Don’t shy away from it, though, because it tastes fantastic! Dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and, of course, sugar-free

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, well-rinsed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup nutbutter (I prefer making it a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough by using peanut butter)
  • 1/4 cup nondairy milk (I used almond milk. Water will probably work, too)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  1. First, drain and wash chickpeas well. Make sure they are well-washed so that the cookie dough doesn’t taste like beans.
  2. Add all the ingredients except chocolate into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Adjust liquid as needed. Stir in chocolate chunks.
  3. Drop dough by Tablespoonfuls on an un-greased cookie sheet.
  4. Bake at 400* for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are nice and brown.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/06/15/high-protein-cookies/

These cookies make fabulous “protein bars.” I eat them before and after I work out. For my taste buds, they are perfect because I love bitter chocolate and non-sweet peanut butter. However, those who do not like unsweetened things may not like the flavor. I suggest adding a mashed banana to the batter. Not only would it taste fabulous, but it would add a bit of sweetness.

 

Health Benefits
  • Chocolate: Click HERE for a post I did about all the benefits of chocolate.
  • Chickpeas: Click HERE for a post I did about all the benefits of chickpeas.
  • Peanuts: These legumes are full of protein with 7g per ounce. They also have a great monounsaturated fat content that helps your heart and brain. Peanut is a good source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during the period of lack of oxygen example high altitudes and clogged arteries. It also has a high antioxidant and high niacin content that helps in the recovery of cell damage and provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive problem.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day: 

After you work out do you crave carbs, fat, or protein? Do you crave sweet or savory?

I am always hot and sweaty after I work out, so I crave cold drinks like smoothies or a V8.