Protein Packed Ginger Snaps

I adapted this recipe from my regular ginger snap recipe that I've been using for years. Make these switches that I have noted for a whole grain, protein packed, no refined sugar, healthy-fat cookie that tastes awesome (and not at all coconutty if you're worried about that)!

Protein Packed Ginger Snaps

• 1/3 c. coconut oil 
• 1/2 c. no salt pinto beans, blended with about 1 Tbs water (measure beans after blending/mashing)
• 2/3 c. coconut sugar 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 whole egg or 2 egg whites
• 1/4 c. dark molasses
• 1.5-2 c. whole wheat white flour 

• 1/4 c. coconut sugar 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Using a small food processor, blend the beans with water until there are no chunks remaining. You can hand mash them with a potato masher as well, but you need to keep working them till they are VERY smooth. Will have the consistency of soft PB. Measure 1/2 c into your mixing bowl.

Then combine the coconut oil with the coconut sugar, baking soda, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, egg and molasses. Blend until all is moist and mostly smooth, then add flour.  Start with just 1.5 cups of whole wheat white flour, then add more as needed to create a stiff dough (I used about 1 3/4 c total for mine). Stir until well combined then cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until you're ready to bake.

Combine the 1/4 coconut sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon on a plate or bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture, then place 2 inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet (use parchment paper, rubber mat, or non-stick foil). Press down lightly on the cookie with fork tongs. If there's dough that isn't being used during a baking cycle, cover it and return to fridge or freezer.  Bake cookies in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until set and tops are cracked. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a wire rack.

Wonder Bars

Wonder Bars, a classic treat from my childhood.  They are a wonder, because they are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – homemade style.  They are wonderfully tasty, but also wonderfully fattening, so proceed with caution.

Wonder Bars

• 3/4 c. margarine or butter
• 1 3/4 c. graham crackers, crushed (11 crackers)
• 1 c. peanut butter
• 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 16oz. milk chocolate chips

Melt margarine, add peanut butter and mix. Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar to butter mixture then blend well. Pad “dough” into a 13×9 in pan. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Spread on top of PB mixture. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to help the chocolate set.

Kim’s tips:  Doing half of this recipe in an 8×8 square pan is great for smaller families.  Also, if you choose to chill your wonder bars to help the chocolate set faster, let them come back up to room temp before cutting them so that the chocolate doesn’t crack.

Key Lime Pie

One of my father-in-law’s favorite desserts is Key Lime Pie, so when I heard he would be visiting over his birthday I set to work finding the perfect recipe for him.

I got this from the Pioneer Woman, but tweaked it to be a little easier and cut a few calories too. It turned out wonderful, and with a little cool whip on top we had authentic tang mingled with perfect sweetness.

Key Lime Pie

• 1 extra large store bought graham cracker crust (you could make yours yourself, but I’ve never been good at them and I didn’t want to botch my FIL’s dessert)
• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk (I used one regular and one fat free, and it was perfect)
• 2 heaping Tbs. key lime zest
• 1 c. lime juice
• 4 egg yolks

Combine all ingredients but crust in a large bowl and mix until blended and thick. Pour lime batter into crust and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Test for ‘doneness’ by pricking with a toothpick – if it feels solid throughout and comes out without looking wet, it is done. Refrigerate the pie at least 4 hours before serving.  Top with cool whip if desired.

*Kim’s notes: Key limes are little ping-pong sized limes. I bought 10 (only a dime each) and zested them using the smallest grate on my cheese grater. They gave a little juice, but then I added store bought juice to make up the difference. If no key limes are available in your area, then any lime will do or zest can sometimes be found in the spices isle.

Hot Fudge Slow Cooker Cake

I love using my crock pot for unexpected things.  Not the best cake I've ever eaten, but when paired with vanilla ice cream it is the essence of comfort food.

Hot Fudge Slow Cooker Cake (adapted from Betty Crocker)

• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 Tbs baking cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 Tbs canola oil
• 1 Tbs natural applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c. baking cocoa
• 1 1/2 c. hot water
• possible add-ins: 1/2 c. chopped nuts, or 1/4 c. chocolate chips, or nothing at all

Mix together first 8 ingredients.  Once combined add your chosen mix-in, or move on to the next step.  Spread batter evenly in the slow cooker (will be kind of thin, don’t worry).  Next mix the brown sugar, 1/4 c. cocoa in a small bowl, add the hot water stirring until dissolved and smooth. Pour sauce evenly over batter in the slow cooker.

Cook on high for 2 hours, or until cake passes the toothpick test.  Turn off the slow cooker and allow cake to rest 30-40 minutes.*  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Kim’s note:  When I opened my slow cooker I thought I’d burnt my cake!  But it turns out that the sauce settles to the bottom and the cake rises up to the top during the baking process.  The top will look dry, but the gooey sauce is just down under the surface.

Half the Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I love cookies. LOVE them!  Growing up with my parents, how could I not?  My mom is a cookie artist and my Dad is a Cookie Monster.  What I don’t love are the cookies that are SO buttered that they leave grease behind on your fingers or napkin.

Here’s a little secret – you can half the butter on LOTS of cookie recipes.

I even used low-cal butter.

That being said, the flavor was perfect.  Not too sweet, smooth inside and slightly crisp on the outside.  Fierce.

Half-the-Butter Oatmeal Cookies

• 1/4 c. butter/margarine, softened (I used light Blue Bonnet)
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c. white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 c. quick oats
• 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used the mini-chips and they were great)

Cream together the soft butter, brown sugar, white sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients all at once, then stir until well blended.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.  Bake at 325 for 13 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet, then transfer for racks.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

In my house, if I suggest that we have fruit as a side dish I usually get met with dull, bored stares.  But when I threw this little treat together I had both of my guys scraping the bowl for every last drop.  The thinner Oreo crackers really soak in the moisture from the cool whip and become a smooth chocolate – delicious!

Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

• 3-4 c. fresh fruit cut to bite size pieces
• Light Cool Whip
• 1 – 100 calorie package Oreo snacks (these are the Oreos that are more like crackers)

Put all fruit in large mixing bowl.  Add cool whip until everything is just coated.  Crush Oreo crackers into crumbs of all sizes and mix in to salad.  Chill until time to serve.

*Kim’s notes:  For my salad I used 1 apple, 2 bananas, and 1 mango, but you could use any fruit based on your family’s preferences.  Can be served as a dessert or side.  Also, if you aren’t trying to be calorie conscious, another fun way to make this salad is replacing the Oreo crackers with chopped Snicker’s bar.
Happy Cooking!

Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread

Very few people love banana bread as much as my hubster – I’d say in the history of Banana Bread Lovers he’s easily in the top 5.

Because of the crumble topping we make the “bread” brownie-style and cut it into squares. It’s moist, delicious, and if you chose to cut out the oil, it’s a healthier alternative to normal baked goods. My Banana Bread Monster gives it the Two-Helpings-in-One-Sitting approval.


Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread**

For the bread:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium bananas)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup natural applesauce, oil, or a combo of both
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water

For the topping:

• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease pan with cooking spray.


In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the banana, eggs, applesauce, honey, and water. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake bread about an hour, or until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

**  I've never understood why sweet banana recipes always call for so much sugar!  Today I healthified this recipe and I wanted to note what I did for future reference or for others that are looking for ways to cut out the excess.

I used VERY ripe bananas, and cut back my sugar to only 1/2 c + 1 Tbs
I used 1 c whole wheat white flour, and 1/2 c bread flour (all purpose would work just as well)
I used 1/4 c natural applesauce and 1/4 c canola oil 
I used 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites
For the topping I used 3 Tbs packed brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp white sugar (and I stopped sprinkling it on once the batter was well covered, I had a lot left over).

Chocolate Banana Biscotti

A different twist on classic dessert flavors. More steps involved than your average cookie, but more unique too.

Chocolate Banana Biscotti

• 1 package banana bread mix (I used Pillsbury)
• 3 Tbs water
• ½ banana, mashed
• 4 oz plain, fat free yogurt
• 2 Tbs natural applesauce or oil
• 2 servings of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until combined.  Add wet ingredients to banana bread mix and stir until mixed.  Chop half of the chocolate chip pieces until slivered, then add them and the rest of the chocolate chips to the batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.  Since I took all of the oil out of the recipe, I sprayed the foil with cooking spray until well coated for ease of removing logs.  Divide dough in half and form two rectangular logs (about 4.5 inches x 8 inches) – dough will be sticky, but touchable (use wet hands if needed).

Bake logs for 30 minutes, remove from oven and cookie sheet, and allow to cool on wire racks.  Once the logs are cooled cut them into ½  inch strips.  Put strips back on the cookie sheet, cut side down, and bake for another 10 minutes.  Flip strips to other side and bake another 10 minutes.

Kim’s note:  Mine were crisp on the outside with a chewy center using the method described above, but have softened even more as I’ve stored them.  If you want them to be truly crispy throughout like a coffee house biscotti, I’d suggest baking the strips longer, but still doing the 10-minute flip so that the edges don’t have the chance to burn.

Cake Batter Cookies

My hometown BFF introduced me to these gems while I was on bed rest for my first pregnancy. Take any flavor of cake mix, add a few simple ingredients, use some imagination for flair and BOOM, you’ve got delicious, super soft, homemade cookies.

I’ve done these cookies as triple chocolate, chocolate peanut butter chip, chocolate mint chip, cinnamon sugar, and even pumpkin chocolate chip! I think my favorite though would have to be lemon cookies with a powdered sugar dusting.


Cake Batter Cookies

• 1 box cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup oil, natural applesauce, or a combination of the two

Mix all ingredients together, add whatever your heart desires, then bake at 350 until done (about 11 minutes in my oven).

*Some tips – when not using oil, you should lightly grease your cookie sheet or use parchment paper to avoid sticking. I  make sure I have a very hard, thin plastic spatula and I remove the cookies promptly.  I’m usually not a stickler for brands, but they do turn out best with Super Moist cake mix and not the generics.

An example of possible variations: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip [Cake Batter] Cookies

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 1 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, they are typically sold side by side)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 c. canola oil, applesauce, or a combo of both (I’ll fill my measuring cup most of the way up with natural applesauce, then just top it off with the oil – you can cut the oil completely, but I find that it adds a little extra weight and moisture to the cookies.)
• 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a big bowl – I find that a hand mixer works well for this, but by hand gets the job done too.  Once blended and lumps are out of batter, fold in chocolate chips.  If not using oil, spray your cookie sheets before scooping dough to prevent sticking.  Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes.
Happy Cooking!

Banana Bread Trifle

This quick, throw-together and you’re done, dessert is simply creamy heaven!  I’ve always loved trifle, and when I tried a similar trifle at a party, I just knew that I had to make this for my hubby (my Banana Bread Monster). I made individual trifles in glass goblets.  Making individual dishes is great for making desirable portions (healthy living) for you and your kids, but by using glass cups or goblets, the trifle layering still comes through.

I particularly love how the pudding takes on the flavor of banana in this dish, and that the number of possible add ins are endless.  Here’s what to do:

Banana Bread Trifle

• Cubed banana bread
• sugar-free vanilla pudding (trust me on the sugar free part, I was a little skeptical myself, but the sweetness of the bread really works well with it)
• 2 c. skim milk
• Light whipped topping
• Your choice of add-in for layering (The lady at the party used pomegranates, I used chocolate chips, but I think that Reese’s PB cups or any kind of berry would be divine.)

Have all ingredients prepared and at hand except for pudding.  You have to move quickly so that the pudding doesn’t set while you work.  First put in your glass dishes a few bite-sized cubes of banana bread (I’d say that the smaller the better).  Prepare pudding with milk, then pour over bread until just covered.  Top first with the add in of your choice then with whipped topping. Repeat layers as many times as you want, or stop there for a smaller serving.  Allow trifles to set in the refrigerator – the pudding really only needs 5 minutes, but giving it more time will let the flavors blend even better.

*With one box of pudding and about half of the whipped topping I made three of the large goblets pictured.

Cinnamon Rolls (from my Naan recipe)

When making my Naan recipe for a side dish or pizza, I often had a chunk left over that I didn't really need.  I'd eaten them with cinnamon topping before, so I thought they might lend themselves well to cinnamon rolls:

And I was right, yum!

To try this: Make Naan as directed (recipe found HERE), but break it only into three pieces. Roll pieces out into as even a rectangle as possible.  Cover dough with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Roll the dough until you have formed a long ‘log’ and pinch the edges to seal it up.  It’s okay if some of the cinnamon slime squeezes out, I spooned the extra over the tops when they were all placed.

Slide a thread (or dental floss could work) just under one end of the log until you reach about an inch and a half, then cross the thread over the log and pull ends until you make a slice through the dough.  Remove the now cut roll and place cut side down in a lightly sprayed cake pan.  Repeat this for the entire log.  Allow rolls to rise the second time.  Bake rolls at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned like in the picture.  Top with a simple glaze and serve warm.

Mini Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)

I'm about to show you a cookie that is flour-less, butter-less, and that boasts only 4 ingredients in its batter. Brace yourself:

Huh. I was a little surprised myself.  This is a normal looking little cookie - not what I've come to expect from gluten-free baking.  

These cookies do best with some time. They are incredibly soft so they aren't a straight-out-of-the-oven cookie. Make them, and leave them. The texture improves and the flavor holds brilliantly too.

Mini Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
(Slightly Modified from Spark Recipes)

• 1 c Peanut Butter* (works best with natural PB, reduced-fat, low sodium, that kind)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Milk chocolate chips, if desired

Combine first 4 ingredients and stir until well combined.  Use a rounded teaspoon to scoop dough onto a cookie sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper for easy removal).  Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes, remove from oven, stick one or two chips into the cookie tops, then return cookies to oven one final minute of baking.  Let cookie sit on baking sheet to cool then remove them to a rack.

*Kim's notes: I'd love to try this recipe again with natural Almond Butter.  Also, if you aren't a fan of chocolate, skip the chips and criss-cross the dough balls with fork tongs for a more classic PB cookie look.