Raisin Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies (cheapskate Larabars)

BEST OF THE TASTY CHEAPSKATE

I love these so much that posting about them on a hungry stomach is just a terrible idea. I'm going to have to rush through this, then hurry into my kitchen and make some more. They are just fantastically good. They make for a quick grab-and-go breakfast if your kids sleep in (like one of mine did this morning). They make for a great post workout snack. They make for a great healthy dessert that doesn't really taste like a healthy dessert.

They are like Larabars in that they combine fruit and nuts (and chocolate) to make something divine. But they combine the cheapest dried fruit and the cheapest nut. The cost of the entire batch is about not more than $2.00. The last time I bought a box of Larabars on sale, it was $5.00.

And the truth is that they taste 500 times better than those expensive Larabras. So make them.

(P.S. Freeze them if you want to keep them around longer than 40 seconds. My kids descend upon them like locusts of Biblical fame--consuming all.)

You can find the recipe below and the original post HERE.

Want more Larabar knock-offs. Try THESE. Or THESE BROWNIE BITES.

Raisin Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies (aka Cheapskate Larabars)
adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie
Makes about 12 (um, a little foggy here on the amount; I must have been snitching too much dough)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cost: $1.70
peanut butter: .70, raisins: .70, peanuts: .30


Note: These are oily when you form them into balls--at least mine were. I just set them on a paper towel and all was well.

Another note: If you'd like, you can add any variety of dried fruits or nut butters. I did a batch with raisins, coconut, peanut butter, and almonds. It was also delicious, although this original recipe was still may favorite. Nevertheless, feel free to play around with the recipe a bit.

1 1/4-1 1/2 C raisins
3/4 C peanut butter
6 Tbsp peanuts (I used raw, but plain roasted will work too)
3/4 tsp vanilla
dash of salt if that's your thing (it's mine)
chocolate chips, optional (I added them sometimes and didn't other times--both were awesome)

Combine raisins, peanut butter, and peanuts in a food processor. (Note: In an attempt to save on dishes I tried this in my cheap blender. It didn't work; the raisins were just too sticky.) Process until smooth (you'll have a few bits of peanuts, but not big chunks) and coming together like a dough. Add vanilla and salt (if using) and process. (If using chocolate chips, you can add these at the very end and give them a whirl or two, but I like mine chunky so I didn't pulverize them.)

Take out, form into balls. Place balls on waxed paper or paper towels and press into cookie shapes using a fork or spoon.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Travelling Cookies (that you could eat for breakfast)

BEST OF THE TASTY CHEAPSKATE

I make these ALL the time. Not only when we're travelling, but also for a healthy snack. Or, heck, breakfast. They're a little sweeter than they should be for one of your day's three meals, but we do it anyway. 

But this week, I really am travelling, and I'm going to make them for that. I believe them to be the perfect travelling food. They hold up well, but even if they get smooshed, they're still amazing (maybe even more amazing). They need no refrigeration, no special love or extra care. They stay moist forever. Yes, yes, there is sugar in them (though not quite as much as a normal cookie). But, no, they are not carrot sticks, quite. Still, they do have a healthy dose of pumpkin. And there are lots of delicious oats and whole grains as well. Happy for the brain, good for the bowels. What more can you ask for? No airport lunch required, thank you very much.

And if you do eat them for breakfast, just remind yourself that It's kind of like pumpkin oatmeal in cookie form. Yeah, you're welcome.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
adapted from  All Recipes
makes 36
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Cost: $3.40 (that's about $.10/cookie; what!!!??? No bowl of cereal can compete with that)
butter: .90, brown sugar: .35, sugar: .15, pumpkin puree: .50, egg: .10, flour: .10, oats: .30, chocolate chips: .90, other stuff: .10

3/4 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 can pumpkin puree (so about 8 oz or a scant cup)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 C all-purpose flour
2 C oats, (blended into crumbles or flour; see below)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C dark chocolate chips (I like 60%), optional, but awesome

Preheat oven to 375.

First of all, you're going to give those oats a whiz in your blender or food processor. They don't have to be a completely smooth flour (though they can be), but these are best when they're at least crumbles instead of regular oats. Set that aside when you're done.

Beat butter and sugars together. Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to wet. Blend.

Then add the chocolate chips.

Drop onto baking sheet (my sister sprays hers; she also uses a cookie scoop, which makes these really pretty, but I didn't have one).

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Paleo Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Some posts you drool while you type, remembering how good that food was. This is one of those posts.

If you know me, you know that I am not exactly devoted to a paleo diet. No, I made these because they sounded heavenly. Now I'm posting them because they tasted heavenly. 

Sure, sure, they're great for your paleo diet should you be on such a thing. And if you're trying to eat more natural proteins and less processed sugar, they're great for that too. But they're also great if you just want a really delicious cookie (or breakfast cookie because that's when I ate these babies). 

Paleo Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 12 cookies

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 10-12 minutes

Cost: $4.50

pecans: 2.50, dates: .75, coconut: .25, egg: .10, chocolate chips: .80, other stuff: .10

1 1/2 C partly crushed pecans (walnuts work too)

12-14 medjool dates, pitted

1/4 C shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened are both fine)

1 egg

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 C chocolate chips (if you're really going paleo, you'll need an appropriately paleo chip, but I just used Ghiradelli, and did not regret my choice)

Using a food processor, blend the pecans, coconut, baking soda, and salt until they are a fine, sandy texture. 

Add dates and blend fully. It might clump a bit. Don't stress. Just keep pulsing (and maybe scraping the processor) until it's blended nicely. 

Add the egg. Blend. 

Add the chocolate chips. Pulse a time or two. 

Scoop onto a baking sheet and press flat (they won't spread like cookies with butter do, so they need to be pressed down.) 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

Cool. And eat. 

(Note: These are good warm, but I stored these in the refrigerator and thought that cold they were the most divine things on earth--the sweet, nutty cookie with that cold crunch of chocolate chip. Oops. There I go drooling again.)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

For holy goodness. We didn't originally eat these as breakfast cookies, per se. My sister-in-law brought them to our house. She had used them on the plane. So truly, they're travelling cookies. And the perfect ones at that. There's lots of delicious oat, some pumpkin. Happy for the brain, good for the bowels. What more can you ask for? No airport lunch required, thank you very much.

But we've been eating them for breakfast. And they're good for that too. Truthfully, they'r a tiny bit on the sweeter end, although after all the sweets we've been eating they seem downright virtuous in comparison. And they really are pretty virtuous. I mean, it's kind of like pumpkin oatmeal in cookie form. Yeah, you're welcome.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
adapted from  All Recipes
makes 36
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Cost: $3.40 (that's about $.10/cookie; what!!!??? No bowl of cereal can compete with that)
butter: .90, brown sugar: .35, sugar: .15, pumpkin puree: .50, egg: .10, flour: .10, oats: .30, chocolate chips: .90, other stuff: .10

3/4 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 can pumpkin puree (so about 8 oz or a scant cup)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 C all-purpose flour
2 C oats, (blended into crumbles or flour; see below)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C dark chocolate chips (I like 60%), optional, but awesome

Preheat oven to 375.

First of all, you're going to give those oats a whiz in your blender or food processor. They don't have to be a completely smooth flour (though they can be), but these are best when they're at least crumbles instead of regular oats. Set that aside when you're done.

Beat butter and sugars together. Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to wet. Blend.

Then add the chocolate chips.

Drop onto baking sheet (my sister sprays hers; she also uses a cookie scoop, which makes these really pretty, but I didn't have one).

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Peanut Butter (and Almond) Cookies--Raw and Vegan and Gluten-Free and Awesome

I could have called these sugar free as well. Because they use dates instead of sugar. But I'm tired of going to all those recipes that say "SUGAR FREE!!!" only to find that the recipe uses 1 1/2 C of maple syrup or something (I'm sorry, but I do not count maple syrup/honey/agave as sugar free; maybe refined-sugar free, but seriously people--maple syrup is not sugar free). So anyway, I thought I'd spare you the hype. Still, come on, a cup of dates is totally better than a cup of maple syrup or honey or agave or, yes, sugar.

These were delicious. They could be eaten for breakfast. But guess what? I didn't tell my kids that and I didn't make them for breakfast. I made them for dessert. And then fed them to my kids for dessert. And my kids ate them as a dessert. And never even questioned whether or not they were really dessert material (because they totally rocked). And if there's something in the food world that really makes me happy, it's a cookie that can pass for breakfast AND dessert.

These are raw, though if you use toasted nuts, they'll turn out fine too. They're gluten free. They're vegan, but I'm not vegan so I don't post a vegan recipe unless I find it pretty incredible. They're fabulously satisfying. They're not crispy on the edges or low-cal because you read the parts about them being raw and containing peanut butter right. So we won't fault them too much.

These are also easy to make. Although you do need a good food processor to make them--one capable of processing nuts and handling the sticky dates. (It's possible that a nice blender could also work, but I don't have one so I can't promise anything.)

Note for those who want their brains to twist in a knot with overmuch detail: I made these by combining everything but the dates and then adding the dates in and processing. However, the dates made it clump up in a motor-threatening sticky ball where the dates were still big and clumpy. So I ended up taking out half the dough and processing, then putting the other half in and processing. Then combining the two. If I did it again, I'd process the nut parts, then take them out and process the dates. Then add the nuttish-butter back in. I think this would work better for getting the dates all chop-mashed up and then incorporating the other ingredients into the smooth texture you want. However, below I'm going to give instructions for how I actually did it since I know it works, even if you do have to do things in batches.

Peanut Butter Cookies--Raw, Vegan, Gluten-free
adapted from A House in the Hills
makes 12-15 cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cost: $2.65 (about $.22/cookie)
almonds: 1.00, peanut butter: .50, dates: .75, chocolate chips: .40

1 C raw almonds (I used regular non-raw almonds)
1/2 C peanut butter
1 C pitted dates (be sure there are NO pits)
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 handful chocolate chips if you want to throw raw, veganism to the wind (preferably dark--yum)

Put almonds in food processor. Pulse and pulse and pulse until they're chopped enough to process. It's loud at first, so brace yourself. Eventually the nuts will be not quite a nut butter, but getting there--incredibly chopped and starting to stick together and release a few oils. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and pulse then process until it's combined and pretty smooth.

At this point, I added my dates and they just seemed to clog up the food processor (made a big sticky ball) without ever getting sufficiently chopped up. So I took out half the batter and then was able to process what I had until it was a smooth, dough-like concoction. I took that half out and did the other half of the dough. Then I combined the two. (Note: As stated above, I think that if you processed your nuts and dates separately, then combined them you wouldn't have this problem, but I haven't tried it yet, so I'm going with what I did do.)

Take dough out and add chocolate chips. Or skip them (because this is raw and vegan, right). You can add a sprinkle of sea salt on each cookie, which I think would be amazing, but I wasn't sure how well the minions would react, so I took the low road and added dark chocolate chips.

Roll into balls and press with a fork. Or just eat as clumps like some type of paleo monster.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

No Bake Breakfast Cookies--Photo Redo

So when I did my post earlier this week about oat chocolate chip cookies, I realized while linking to other breakfast cookies that a picture of one of my most popular breakfast cookies looked like crap (um, kind of almost literally). I make these cookies at least once a week. It was time for a photo redo.

These cookies have only 1/4 the sugar of a regular no bake. They are whole grain, yet potentially gluten-free (if you use oats that haven't been mixed with gluteny stuff). They're also nice and quick since there's no baking time and they set up very quickly. At this point, I think I actually prefer them to typical no bake cookies and that's the honest truth.

Make them, eat them, and be glad my picture no longer looks like this:

Oat Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

For a long time I've been after a chocolate chip breakfast cookie that I really love. I've got this one, which is good (though I always knew wasn't perfect), but still usually gets trumped out of the breakfast scene by these or these or these(worst pic ever and I make these at least once a week--time to fix that picture) or even these. So I was looking for something that could really compete. And I found it.

The oat flour in these takes a good breakfast cookie to a great one. And if you like macadamia nuts, then these will be better to you than some dessert cookies. (Note: I love macadamia nuts; my family doesn't like "chunkies"--unless those chunkies are comprised of chocolate of course--so I usually just put a handful of nuts in the last bit of batter and make myself some with nuts.)

The taste alone is enough to sell me on this cookie, but it gets even better because if you're worried about allergies, gluten, or need an easily veganned breakfast cookie, this cookie is:

-Potentially gluten-free (use all oat flour--a type that hasn't been processed with gluten stuff)
-low sugar
-whole grain
-egg free
-potentially vegan (sub that milk out with almond or soy or whatever and sub the chocolate chips out with whatever vegans usually use for chocolate--or skip the chocolate chips all together and use raisins or nuts; this is still a great) cookie

Oat Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie
makes 12 smallish cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Cost: $.85
oats: .30, sugar: .10, chocolate chips: .30, milk: .05, oil: .10

Note: You can use all oat flour. I think this is my favorite. I've also tried it with 2/3 C whole wheat flour and 1/2 C oat, which is also good. And I'm betting you could use a lot of different grains for that 2/3 C if you wanted to experiment or do a cookie with different grains/textures.

2/3 + 1/2 C oat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 Tbsp brown sugar (or 2 Tbsp brown, 2 Tbsp white)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp coconut oil in liquid state (or another vegetable oil)
1/4-1/2 C chocolate chips
5-6 Tbsp milk (can sub out vegan types of milk if needed)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Now, form this into a big ball and then make little balls from the big one. I know that sounds weird, but it works the best for these cookies (unless you've been generous with the milk, in which case, you can just drop them). Then flatted the balls with your hand or a spatula.

Bake for 6-8 minutes. Let cool.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chocolate Oat Breakfast Cookies

It's time for some picture updates. The great thing about picture updates is that they only happen on foods we really love and make regularly. These still aren't the most gorgeous cookies in the world and they never will be. But they taste amazing, and now they are blessed with a picture that at least doesn't look quite so much like deer droppings, eh?

Click here for the link to the breakfast cookie that is the majority favorite in our family.

And, just for giggles, have a look here for the original picture.

Raisin Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies (aka Cheapskate Larabars)--Vegan, Raw, Gluten Free, Divine

Told you we were snacky around here lately. I saw these on Pinterest and pinned them only because my son was sitting next to me and insisted (from the picture) that I must. Even though the Katie of Chocolate-Covered Katie was positively gushing about these, I didn't really believe that peanut butter and raisins could come together into something that amazing. Which is why we of little faith must sometimes learn to exercise what bits we have. Because now it's time for me to do a little gushing of my own.

These are way better than good. They are breakfast worthy, but I have to tell you that when I craved them, I craved them as I would a regular cookie--they might as well have been full of granulated sugar and white flour and M & M's for the way I felt about them. In fact, for that reason--because they seemed so tasty and indulgent, I found myself feeling a little guilty eating them at any old hay-hum time of day I wished. And along that line, I should say this: these are very filling and they do have plenty of natural sugars and natural fats, so if you're Atkins/Weight Watchers dieting it up or something, these might not be for you. However, if you're into raw food or gluten free food or vegan food or just really tasty food, then you should definitely give these a whirl.


As for cheaperliness, these share the spirit of a Larabar, but they use the cheapest possible dried fruit and nut source, which I really appreciate about them. These are also the perfect way to salvage that box of raisins you opened five months ago and then lost in your, er, completely orderly pantry, and which has, all those months later,dried out a bit. Not that that ever happens to me.

Raisin Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies (aka Cheapskate Larabars)
adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie
Makes about 12 (um, a little foggy here on the amount; I must have been snitching too much dough)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cost: $1.70
peanut butter: .70, raisins: .70, peanuts: .30


Note: These are oily when you form them into balls--at least mine were. I just set them on a paper towel and all was well.

Another note: If you'd like, you can add any variety of dried fruits or nut butters. I did a batch with raisins, coconut, peanut butter, and almonds. It was also delicious, although this original recipe was still may favorite. Nevertheless, feel free to play around with the recipe a bit.

1 1/4-1 1/2 C raisins
3/4 C peanut butter
6 Tbsp peanuts (I used raw, but plain roasted will work too)
3/4 tsp vanilla
dash of salt if that's your thing (I skipped it)
chocolate chips, optional (I added them sometimes and didn't other times--both were awesome)

Combine raisins, peanut butter, and peanuts in a food processor. (Note: In an attempt to save on dishes I tried this in my cheap blender. It didn't work; the raisins were just too sticky.) Process until smooth (you'll have a few bits of peanuts, but not big chunks) and coming together like a dough. Add vanilla and salt (if using) and process. (If using chocolate chips, you can add these at the very end and give them a whirl or two, but I like mine chunky so I didn't pulverize them.)

Take out, form into balls. Place balls on waxed paper or paper towels and press into cookie shapes using a fork or spoon.

Then, if necessary, hide some of them from yourself. They freeze well. I could keep mine a couple days at room temperature, but preferred storing them in the fridge or freezer.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Little Balls of Nutty Energy (Raw, Potentially Vegan, Gluten Free)

My life is currently full of little balls of nutty energy. In more ways than one. I have to confess that I'd choose that any day over Large Gangly Balls of Moody Angst. We'll get to those snacks in a few years (um, chocolate anyone). For the time being, it's been all about high energy foods around here. In fact, I even considered doing a week of snacks. But before I do I should say this: People have different opinions on snacks. Some people (we'll call them Americans) seem to think that snacks are a necessary part of every two hour interval in the day. To the tune of goldfish, fruit snacks and granola bars. Some people (we'll call them French) consider snacks a necessity for the under-two crowd only and consider them a danger for everyone else. To the tune of providing a warning along with their snack commercials. I admit that I, though not really so French in most ways (cute shoes; huh?), stand decidedly a little more on the French side of the line in this instance. Which means I should be issuing a warning with this post. So I will. These little balls contain a lot of energy. Another word for energy when we speak of food is calories. Oh sure, they're natural, good-for-you calories, but they're still calories. If you happen to be a 30-something adult woman, you might want to be a little careful around these things. If it's an hour before dinner, you might want to hide them from your kids. Know this: You can pop them into your mouth quicker than you can register that you're full. And that can be a little dangerous.

So, why, why you are asking, am I posting such evil to this blog? I have my reasons. The biggest one is named Kip. Let me tell you something about Kip. If a meal is not easy, he'll skip it. This is pretty foreign to me. I have to be pretty much unconscious to skip a meal. But not Kip. If he gets busy or focused or whatever, he just won't eat. Lately he has been very busy and very focused. And he hasn't been eating. There are days when he'll skip breakfast and lunch and come home exhausted and starving at dinner, only to head off to his real job at night and be hungry and snacky all night long. Kip never asks that I make him anything. He takes his meal skipping in stride. But it worries me. However, I'm not always around either to fuss over him and make him a sandwich. Truth be told, he wouldn't want me to even if I was. Which is where little balls of nutty energy come in. He can grab one or two or four and be gone about his crazy day (or night) and have plenty of healthy energy to keep him going. See, it's like one of those old Snickers commercials where they showed people dancing or whatever and then they had a handful of nuts in their hand. They closed their hand around it and blam there was a Snickers bar. Boy, I loved those commercials. They didn't come with warnings either. And I'm pretty sure I considered Snickers a health food for many years. But that's not the point. The point is that these are much much (and did I say much) healthier than Snickers bars. They're raw, whole food, high in fiber and non-meat iron. They're gluten free and could be vegan if you sub agave nectar for the honey. But they do pack a similar caloric punch that can be good for any crazy busy meal skippers you happen to know.

They can also be good for mornings when you're running late and you or your kids need something quick for breakfast. Or lunches where you're stuck out doing errands and your kids are about to melt down. They're good for school lunch "desserts" and I expect that they're really good for those human vacuums known as teenagers.

So go ahead and make a few. Just know that if you have the metabolic curse of being a 30-something-year-old woman, you should take yours in dainty French nibbles.

Little Balls of Nutty Energy
Makes about 16-18
adapted from Raw Cookie Dough Bites
Prep time: 7 minutes
Cost: $1.62
(Okay--I'm guessing here: I'll fix if I figure it and it's way off: almonds: .50, walnuts: .75, oats: .07, chocolate chips: .20, honey: .05, coconut oil: 05)

Note: Naturally your nuts and oats must be raw if you want this to be a raw food. Also, be sure that your oats haven't been exposed to foods with gluten if you're observing a strictly gluten-free diet.

Note on coconut oil: Originally this recipe had double the honey (4 Tbsp). I didn't think it needed the sweetness, but it did need something that would help hold the balls together. I add the coconut oil for this purpose (as I prefer fat to sugar in my recipes). You could probably use a splash of milk or more honey if you'd rather.

2/3 C almonds
2/3 C walnuts
2/3 C oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
2 Tbsp honey (or agave nectar if vegan)
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 Tbsp dark chocolate chips (optional)

In food processor (I used a small blender, which also worked), combine almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Process until it's about the consistency of cream of wheat.

Add honey, coconut oil, and vanilla and process.

Add chocolate if using. You can process it a bit or leave it in chip form.

You can probably store at room temperature for a couple days, but I just kept them in the refrigerator.

Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet or plate.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies: An old friend with new pictures

These are my family's favorite breakfast cookie. They're 100% whole grain, low sugar, and most of the fat comes from peanut butter.

They make good breakfasts and I'm not afraid to say so, but they're also good for snacks or a healthy dessert. (Why breakfast cookies, you may ask? Well, first of all, who are you to be asking such a question. When someone tells you you can eat a cookie for breakfast, you just take that one on blind and hopeful faith. Secondly (if you must), you can have a look here at the original post for why I started making them.)

Since my original post, I've learned that one does not use a flash or take a picture under lovely florescent light or both. So here are some new photos for you. Also, the recipe could has undergone a few small tweaks as well, which make them even healthier. Enjoy.

Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies
Makes 15-18
Prep time: 5 minutes (without little helpers)
Bake time: 7-8 minutes
Cost: $1.65 without chocolate, 2.00 with chocolate. That's about $.12/serving. So cheap, so good.
(butter: .15, peanut butter: 1.00, sugars: .06, whole wheat flour: .24, eggs: .20, chocolate chips: .35)


2 Tbsp butter, melted (it really must be melted or you'll have to use more of it)
1 C peanut butter, melted

2 T brown sugar

2 T white sugar

2-4 T sweet potato puree (totally optional, but it makes me feel like a better person)

1 ¼ C whole wheat flour

¾ t baking soda

½ t baking powder

2 eggs

1 T milk

1 t vanilla

½ C chocolate chips, or a combo of chocolate chips and PB chips, or--heck--throw some M & M's in if you must (optional--Because this is health food, darn it)

Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add sweet potato puree (if using), eggs, milk, and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and add to wet. (The dough will be a bit drier than what you're probably used to in cookies. That's okay.) 

Mix in chocolate chips if using.  

Roll into balls (or plop them down if lazy like me), then flatten and criss-cross with a fork (or don't). Bake 7-8 minutes at 350. Might not look done. Take them out anyway. Seriously, take the cookies out already.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Linked to Sweets for a Saturday and Fusion Fridays

Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

I've toyed with the idea of a chocolate chip breakfast cookie for a long time, but I haven't done it. Around here you don't mess with a good chocolate chip cookie. I knew that any kind of healthier version just wouldn't compare to a good old fashioned fully figured buttery sugary chocolatey chipetty cookie. I knew they wouldn't even look as pretty--that they wouldn't be as golden with less butter/sugar and that they wouldn't spread as well and might even have to be flattened with a spatula. So I left our breakfast cookies to oatmeal and peanut butter and even cocoa--things that stand on their own so well, they can stand to have their butter cut way back.

And then one day when I was making whole wheat pancakes I noticed a recipe on the bag of the bag of the wheat for whole wheat chocolate chip cookies and I thought, "Ah, what the heck."

The next morning I whipped up a batch of my low-sugar, low-butter adaptation of those whole wheat cookies, and I waited for my children--eternally grateful and gracious children of high manners and exquisite adaptableness--to cheer. Mark took a bite and pushed his away. Then he went to get the box of corn squares (really? corn squares? over a chocolate chip--however imperfect--cookie?). Elizabeth took three little bites. And by 'little' I do mean little. So little, in fact, that I could not see them. She had to point them out to me one by one: "See, Mommy, I tried here and here and here." Oh, well, now I do see that a crumb or two has been removed. Glad you gave them the old college try, dear. But Mark had already led the way and it was corn squares for Elizabeth too. Seeing her older brother and sister, Savannah declared that she also did not like them. But she wouldn't let me take hers away and ate it. Emma also approved of cookies above corn squares. Thank goodness. If the 2-year-old had voted for corn squares above cookies, I really might have had to throw in the towel.

Spoiled children aside, however, I did have to admit that my first try (not this recipe, which is re-done and much improved if I do say so myself) weren't my best. Don't get me wrong. They were better, to my mind at least, than corn squares. But they were a little bland. And a wee bit dry. And too...too wheat-y and earnest and boring.

Though truth be told, I sometimes even feel that normal chocolate chip cookies err on that side. Which is why I sometimes like to throw in a bit of oat flour. Which I thought would be just the thing for these.

And they were. These still aren't a perfect cookie. They're a bit too pale and lack buttery crispiness for obvious reasons. They're still a bit earnest, though not so much you wouldn't consider a second date. In fact their earnestness is what kind of makes them interesting. The wheat and oats allow them a lot of flavor without all the glamour of a buttery chocolatey chippety caramelized-sugar-at-the-edges-y cookie. It's a solid recipe with a bit of sweet. Sometimes we can really use that in our lives.

And how do my older kids feel about all that sturdy character and what not? Well, I haven't had a chance to ask them. After their corn squares experience yesterday, I didn't bother myself to get up ten minutes early today to whip up some gooey-chipped cookies before they had to catch the bus. They got more corn squares and then I made these cookies. The little girls and I thought they were grand.

Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies--Whole grain, low sugar, low fat
Makes 12
Prep time: 5 minutes
Bake time: 10 minutes
Cost: $1.22
(butter: .30, sugars: .12, egg: .10, whole wheat flour: .10, oats: .10, chocolate chips: .50)

1/4 C butter, melted
3 Tbsp white sugar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 C white whole wheat flour (brown would probably work too)
1/2 C oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt if using unsalted butter
1/4-1/2 C chocolate chips

Note: If you don't have oat flour (I never do), then you can blend oats in a blender to make it; it's got a bit more texture than a store-bought flour, but I kind of like it that way.

Melt butter. Add sugars and stir. Add egg and vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined. Add whole wheat flour, oat flour, baking soda, and dash of salt. Add chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased pan.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until just turning a bit golden.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Very Banana Breakfast Cookies

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on less than $10/day.

You don't get a breakfast cookie or pretty much any breakfast much more healthy than this. Though I must warn you that these are very very banana-y. If you don't like bananas, you won't like these. If you do like bananas, but don't like concoctions that taste like banana, you won't like these. My oldest 2 kids don't like these. I like them, but I don't much like them warm. Now, cold, cold is another matter--not room temperature, but nice and chilled.

The chocolate chips are optional, but not in this joint.

Very Banana Breakfast Cookies
adapted from allrecipes
Makes 24 cookies (I think)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12-15 minutes
Cost: $.95
(bananas: .40, oats: .20, sugar: .05, oil: .05, chocolate chips: .25)

Note: The original recipe calls for 1 cup of dates in lieu of the chocolate chips. I think this would be just awesome and would serve to naturally sweeten the recipe, but know it wouldn't go over with anyone else in this family. If you are better people than us, go for it. Otherwise, there's always chocolate.

3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
2 C oats (I use quick)
1/4 C honey or sugar
1/3 C vegetable oil (I usually reduce this a smidge)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/2 C chocolate chips, optional

Combine all ingredients. If you've got 10 minutes, let this sit for 10 minutes, which will make it easier to put these on a baking sheet. If you haven't got 10 minutes, that's okay too, but the batter will be looser.

Plop onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges have browned a bit.

Allow to cool before eating. If you're me, give them some time in the refrigerator.

If everyone in the family doesn't love these, but a few do, these keep very well in the freezer, but not so well sitting out.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Cheater No Bake Breakfast Cookies

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on less than $10/day.

Yesterday morning Mark stumbled into the kitchen dressed and ready to go to school, looked in the pantry, then turned to me and said, "I'm hungry." Oops. About those breakfast cookies I was planning to make the night before. I'd completely spaced it and we had no breakfast. It was 7:00. We need to leave to catch the bus no later than 7:20. Yeah, um, we're not one of those families that gives themselves a lot of time to get ready. I was standing there in my bathrobe and still had lunches to make. I consigned myself to the idea of having to take the kids to school. And then I remembered these. You mix it all up in the microwave. It takes maybe one minute. And then you add the oats. Yeah, you feel a little guilty throwing chocolate chips into your children's breakfast, but we were in a pinch (besides what do I think all the butter and cocoa is in my normal No Bake Breakfast Cookies--it's not broccoli'd sainthood, I tell you that).

It worked. My bars became blobs. The kids scarfed them down and we made the bus. Not only did we make the bus, but we made it at our stop. That might not sound like much of a feat to you morning-ready people, but we fairly routinely miss the bus at our own stop and have to hurry to the last stop in the neighborhood.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars/Cheater No Bake Breakfast Blobs, er, Cookies
Makes 9x13 pan or 8 long bars or 12 store-bought sized bars
Prep and cook time: 5 minutes (though to be fair, these do have to set up for about 10 minutes in the fridge)
Cost: $1.35 for 12 bars (that's .11 per bar)
(choc. chips: .45, PB: .45, milk: .08, oats: .27, and a few more Tbsp chocolate chips: .10)

Melt in microwave, stirring or whisking at 20 second intervals:

1/2 C chocolate chips
1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C milk (can be dairy or a non-dairy variety)

To this add and stir in :

1 splash of vanilla if you remember it (let's say 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp sugar (or agave or raw sugar or honey). You can skip the sugar if you wish. You can also add more if you want a sweeter bar.

To this add and stir in:

3 C oats (I use quick) or 2 C oats and 1 C coconut, flax seed, nuts, berries, etc)

You're going to have a thick "dough" that looks like no bake cookie "dough." It should start to ball together as you mix.

Blob it onto a plate or into an open mouth if one happens to come near you begging for food. They firm up really fast, but can be eaten easily even when they're not quite firm (that's how we had them).

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Peanut Oat Granola Bars

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on less than $10/day.

I believe I've mentioned our snack crisis. As a result, I've been making a lot of granola bars. Today's are compliments of Julie (and Jenn) at Living Life with Less. I did nothing to alter the heart of the recipe, although I did leave out the craisins and add in chocolate chips. Why, you may ask? Because if I've learned one thing from the food industry, it's this: Make the top of it look really good and people will try it. Amen and amen.

I really like pressing the chips in because, well, have you ever watched a child (or a husband) choose a chocolate chip cookie. They don't say, "Hmm, that one looks to be perfectly golden at the edges" or "Hmm, that one seems thick and chewy in the center" and certainly not, "Hmm, that one looks like it could have a bunch of chocolate chips lurking in the middle even though I can't see them on top." No, children and husbands choose their cookie strictly by the amount of chocolate chips visible on the top. If you have a particularly bright child or husband in your family, this individual may even flip the cookie over to assess the number of chocolate chips visible on the bottom as well. But generally it's all about the top and I think it's safe to say that it's never ever about the potential middles. In chocolate chip land, potentialities are simply too big of a risk. No, best to go for what you can see.

Because of this, I figure it's best not to waste chocolate chips in the midst of my granola bars. If I stick a few on top, then I can get away with adding less because I've created the illusion of more. Get it. Well, the food industry does, so I guess I sort of learned that from them too. Sigh. I suppose I should thank them.

P.S. I bet these would totally work as a breakfast cookie, though I haven't tried it. Additionally, they're egg free. We all know what that means: that's right, worry-free dough snitching. It also means that I bet if you were into raw things, you could totally just harden these up in the fridge over night.

Peanut Oat Granola Bars
From Living Life With Less
Makes 8 large or 12 medium
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12-15 minutes
Cost: $1.25
(oats: .20, whole wheat flour: .10, sugar: .10, apple sauce: .10, peanut butter: .50, chocolate chips: .25)

2 C oats (I used quick)
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C sugar (I used white, but brown or honey or raw or whatever would work)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 C applesauce (I was skeptical about this, but it totally worked and didn't create that gummy 'healthy cookie' texture)
1/2 C peanut butter
1/4 C chocolate chips (or as few as you can get away with to create the illusion of many)
Of course you could also add raisins, Craisins, nuts, seeds, or whatever the heck else you wanted

Stir together dry ingredients.

Mix in applesauce and peanut butter.

Press mixture into a 9x13 inch pan or a cookie sheet (I used a cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy removal and cutting, but you could just grease the pan if you wished). Press in chocolate chips or other toppings.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Allow to cool before cutting.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on less than $10/day.

I try not to post too many recipes that are adaptations of things recently posted on the internet, but I'm making an exception today. Because I'm really loving these bars from Loves Veggies and Yoga (I'm really loving this blog in general truth be told.)

These bars are very good. We've made them many times since I discovered them (which wasn't very long ago). They're also incredibly cheap compared to their store-bought counterparts (more on that in a minute), and much healthier. But the main reason I'm in love with them is that we're in a bit of a snack food crisis around here. School began last month, meaning my kids need transportable foods. And Kip, who often works nights, needs quick easy foods to snack on or he will eat quick easy candy bars and whatever junk they have hanging around at various ER's (cupcakes, ding dongs, that sort of thing). I need some stuff in the freezer that I can toss at people as the need arises.

And, yes, I could fill my pantry with the granola bars from Walmart if I wished, but let's talk about that for a minute or two:

The last time I bought granola bars from Walmart was this summer. We were going swimming. I had to go shopping. It was a desperate moment. And in those bars I got myself the sort of thing a desperate moment usually delivers (no, not another baby): 5 bars in a package designed to fit 6 bars (a pet peeve of mine) for $2.00, about 2 tsp (or 8 grams) of sugar per bar, and lots and lots of ingredients I didn't understand. Since I got the high fiber bars (an accident) they did have tons of fiber (about 9 grams), but the very first ingredient was chicory root extract. Yummy. And also, or so I hear from the comments on this site, extremely gassy (we didn't have issues for the record).

The chocolate peanut butter granola bars I made:

*Cost $1.25 for more than double the number (and weight) of the store-bought bars.
*About 6 grams (or just over a teaspoon) sugar per serving (yes, I know chocolate chips aren't a whole food or the best thing in the world, but I think it can compete with shellac, high fructose corn syrup, barley flakes, and hydrogenated coconut oil--to name just 4 of the approximately 18 non-pantry ingredients contained in the store-bought bar)
*Prep time: 4 minutes. I bet the check out line at your Walmart can't compete with that. (Or the ingredient reading thing that happens in the aisle for that matter.)
*3 grams fiber per serving (none of it from chicory root, thank you very much). And of course if you add some nuts and dried berries, this number will go up quickly.

Which reminds me that one of the other great things about these bars is that you can make them more or less virtuous to suit your tastes. You can add in flax seed and nuts and dried berries. Or you can throw in a few more teaspoons of sugar and chocolate chips.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Makes 9x13 pan or 8 long bars or 12 store-bought sized bars
Prep and cook time: 5 minutes (though to be fair, these do have to set up for about 10 minutes in the fridge)
Cost: $1.35 for 12 bars (that's .11 per bar)
(choc. chips: .45, PB: .45, milk: .08, oats: .27, and a few more Tbsp chocolate chips: .10)

Melt in microwave, stirring or whisking at 20 second intervals:

1/2 C chocolate chips
1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C milk (can be dairy or a non-dairy variety)

To this add and stir in :

1 splash of vanilla if you remember it (let's say 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp sugar (or agave or raw sugar or honey). You can skip the sugar if you wish. You can also add more if you want a sweeter bar.

To this add and stir in:

2 C oats (I use quick)

To this add and stir in:

1 C dry ingredients (more oats if you're not daring; otherwise you can try dry fruit, coconut, flax seed, protein powder, nuts, whatever). We used more oats since I didn't think anything else would go over with the masses.

You're going to have a thick "dough" that looks like no bake cookie "dough." It should start to ball together as you mix.

At that point, press it into a 9x13 inch pan (I put parchment paper in mine to make removing and cutting easy, but you don't have to). Your hands will get a little messy; wet them with a bit of water if the stuff is sticking to them too badly.

Once you've got your "dough" all pressed in, you can press some toppings into your bars--more chocolate chips, nuts, dates, cherries--the sky's the limit. We used chocolate chips (tell me you just fainted from the shock). And one of the really really great things about the end press method is that if you like things your family members don't, you can press some nuts, seeds, or dried fruit into a portion just for you. Ha. I do like me some personalized granola bars.

Refrigerate bars until hard. I leave mine overnight. If you want them quickly, throw them in the freezer for 10 minutes.

To store these, I cut them and then layer them between parchment paper (I use the same parchment paper that I lined the pan with--cheap and lazy, yup). I store them in the refrigerator or freezer and when one is needed I toss it in a Ziploc bag.

PRINTABLE RECIPE