Healthy Vegetarian Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Ah, jam thumbprint cookies. They're truly a holiday staple, but if you've recently come into this healthy lifestyle and are wondering how you can possibly still eat your favorite recipe, then you're in luck. Made with ingredients that are staples in almost every household, there's no doubt that even if you're snowed in, you can make these! There's hardly any prep or bake time. Trust us when we say that if you make these for your guests or family, they're sure to be a huge hit.

BLUEBERRY JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Yields: 24 cookies
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 10-12 minutes

INGREDIENTS
For the cookie base:
-3 cups gluten free oats
-2 tbs flax meal
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-1/4 tsp baking powder
-3 heaped tsp coconut sugar (can be omitted-simply makes the cookie sweeter)
-3 mashed bananas
-2 splashes vanilla extract
-2 splashes butter extract
-1/3 cup agave
-1 egg
-3 splashes of almond milk

For the jam filling:
-2 cups washed blueberries
-2 tbs agave
-4 tbs chia seeds

STEPS
1.) Turn your oven on 350 F. Then process the rolled oats in a food processor until they resemble the photo below

2.) add processed oats into a large mixing bowl along with the other dry ingredients (flax meal, sea salt, baking powder, coconut sugar) and mix thoroughly
3.) In a medium mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients (mashed bananas, vanilla and butter extracts, agave, egg, almond milk) and mix thoroughly
4.) After mixing both bowl, pour the wet ingredients into the larger bowl containing the dry ingredients. Mix well until the dough begins to stick together. Set to the side and allow to set while you make the filling

5.) For the filling, pour the blueberries into a saucepan on medium heat with the agave. Give it five or so minutes of stirring until the blueberries begin to soften. At this point, begin mashing them into a jam and add the chia seeds
6.) Continue stirring for five or so more minutes, until the contents of the pot resemble a thick jelly. If it is too much of a liquid (which is unlikely), then add more chia seeds and continue to stir on a lower heat. If you're unsure what it should look like at this point, this photo should help:

7.) Take the jam off of heat and allow to sit. Return to the dough
8.) Now it's time to make your cookies! Preferably using an ice cream scooper for even cookies, dish out small, mounded cookies onto parchment paper
9.) Then, using your thumb or any finger, make small indents in the center of each cookie. These indents shouldn't poke a hole through the cookie, but should rather make a small hole to be filled with the jam
10.) Using the slightly cooled jam and a teaspoon, carefully dish enough jam into each indent. Remember: the jam should fill the indent until full, but it shouldn't be spilling over the side. If this is happening, either make the indent larger or put in less jam. Right before putting in the oven, they should look like this:

11.) Finally, time to bake! Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. 11 minutes work best for me, but every oven varies! Keep an eye on these beauties and be wary of burning! After baking, the sweetness of the banana cookie base should contrast nicely with the bitter-sweet taste of the blueberry jam. These can be eaten both warm out of the oven and cooled hours later! Enjoy!

Vegan No Bake Cacao Almond Butter "Cookies"

Today was a do-nothing, relaxing day which consisted of sleeping in, cooking warm banana cinnamon oatmeal for my friend, mom, and I, and basically just enjoying the beautiful snow day in my pajamas. Practice was cancelled tonight, so I had a lot of time on my hands this evening.
All of this snow really got me in the spirit of making something festive! The result, No Bake Cacao Almond “Cookies!" The best part? They are vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free!

NO BAKE CACAO ALMOND “COOKIES”

Yields: 10 “cookies”

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes

Freeze Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

-4 medjool dates (pitted)
-1/4 cup raisins
-1/4 cup raw buckwheat groats
-2 tablespoons almond butter
-1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 ½ tablespoons almond milk
-You also need oat flour (process oats in a food processor until fine)

STEPS

1.)    Add dates, raisins, and almond butter into a food processor until fully combined.

2.)    Pour the ¼ cup of buckwheat groats into the mixture and continue processing.

 3.)    Leaving the food processor running, add in the cacao powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and almond milk until the ingredients form a sticky cookie dough ball.

 4.)    On a cutting board, or the counter, lay out a large piece of parchment paper and sprinkle your oat flour on the paper before placing your dough down.

        5.)    With your hands, roll the dough in the flour until it stops sticking to your hands, then begin to flatten the dough. Make sure you don’t make it too thin.

 6.)    Using cookie cutters, you should be able to get about 10 “cookies” out of this dough!

 If you happen to run out of oat flour like I did, cacao powder will work perfectly fine!

 7.) When all of your “cookies” have been cut out, transfer them with a spatula to a small cutting board or plate lined with parchment paper and cover with another sheet of parchment paper and freeze for 20 minutes.

8.) After the 20 minutes are up, feel free to place the “cookies” into a Tupperware or leave them on the plate.

Store in the freezer for up to one week and enjoy!

Raw Pomegranate Cookie Crumble Tarts For the Holidays

As the hectic winter holidays approach, I'm sure we're all scrambling around looking for recipes that will not only satisfy our guests' bellies, but also our dietary needs. From two clean eaters to you all, we understand how hard this can be.

Today we bring you a slightly more complex, yet still manageable, recipe that will blow your company away while still being easy on the wallet and your valuable holiday time! These vegetarian tarts (can easily be made vegan with one substitution) will be your savior this winter season. 

RAW POMEGRANATE COOKIE CRUMBLE TARTS

Yields: 24 bite size tarts

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Freeze Time: 1 hour

MATERIALS

-Food processor 

-Mini cupcake pans

-Mini cupcake cups

-Mixing bowls

INGREDIENTS

For the bottom layer:

-2/3 cup gluten free rolled oats

-1/2 cup cacao nibs

-1/2 cup cacao chips (if you add non-dairy chips, this will make the recipe vegan)

-7 medjool dates

-3 tbs soaked goji berries

-2 tbs coconut oil

-3 tbs agave 

For the tart (filling):

-1 cup of fresh pomegranate seeds 

-4 heaped tbs coyo or any other yogurt substitute 

-splash vanilla extract

-1/4 avocado

-2 sprinkles cinnamon

-2 tbs chia seeds

For the chocolate mousse (to garnish):

-1/4 avocado 

-1 heaped tbs raw cacao powder 

-2 tsp agave

-2 splashes vanilla extract

STEPS

1.) Process oats, then move to a separate mixing bowl. Process cacao nibs, then move to the same bowl. Process cacao chips, then move to the same bowl. Once done, individually they should each resemble this:

2.) Put the contents of the mixing bowl back into the food processor and add coconut oil, agave, dates and goji berries. Process until it forms in a sticky mixture.

3.) In your mini cupcake pan, place 24 of the mini cupcake cups in. Then press the bottom layer dough into the mini cups, making the sides thick and the bottom deep for the filling to sit in. 

4.) Now, place these mini cups in the freezer (uncovered) and allow to sit while you make the filling. 

5.) Clean out the food processor, and for the filling add in the pomegranate seeds (whole seeds), coyo, vanilla extract, avocado, cinnamon and chia seeds. Process until the mixture is well-blended. (Will be watery...do not fret! Once frozen, these little babies will harden up nicely.)

6.) Pour contents of the food processor into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. The bottom layer (cups) should still be freezing. 

7.) Now, for the mousse! As with before, clean out the processor and dry. Now add in the avocado, agave, raw cacao powder and vanilla extract. Process until light and fluffy. 

8.) Move to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. 

9.) After an additional 30 minutes, take out the cups and be sure they are hard enough to hold filling. Unwrap them from their paper and place on a new plate. 

10.) Take out the filling and whip it (by quickly stirring). Place a generous scoop in each cup. (Be sure not to overfill the cups, even to the top...it may cause the cup to break and be an unnecessary mess! Honestly, we couldn't even transfer the mixture to the freezer without it spilling everywhere...)

(Don't be like us!)

11.) Place the filled cups back in the freezer, uncovered, for an hour. 

12.) Finally, take out the frozen cups and garnish with the chocolate mousse! You only need a little on top of each cup for it to fit. Feel free to garnish with the remaining pomegranate seeds and some shredded coconut, which is what we did. It looks like fallen snow, which will surely astound your holiday guests!Serve immediately or keep frozen for the next day.