Chocolate Chip Granola Bar Bites

Peanut Butter Protein Packed Cold or Frozen Chocolate Chip Granola Bar Bites or could be called Healthy Frozen Cookie Dough Bites...My family just calls them Cold Granola Balls...whatever you want to call them...it all started during a hot Texas summer in Dallas in an apartment with very inefficient AC.  We lived on homemade granola bars but that one hot summer day I started to make my granola bars as usual and then before I could finish, just couldn't bring myself to turn on the oven.  I thought of the days I would sneak those Spunkmier cookie dough balls from my moms freezer (I think they were a fundraiser and you got a gallon size bucket with scoops of cookie dough you kept in the freezer and had cookies ready to bake at anytime.)  I used my cookie scoop and plopped the granola the bar dough onto a parchment lined cake pan and put it in the freezer...my husband and I were HOOKED!  Now I form them into smaller balls by hand so they are easier for the kids to manage and keep them in the fridge or freezer.  I love freezing them and then throwing in a ziplock bag or small container when we go on hikes because they are full of protein and keep everyone going.

These are so awesome to have year round but especially great in the summertime when we crave something cold yet filling to keep us going.  These make a great protein packed breakfast on the go instead of a bowl of hot oatmeal or when you're in a hurry. Throw them in a picnic cooler and bring to the pool or lake for a great snack to keep energized and feeling satisfied instead of snacking on chips and popsicles.

After 8 years since my first time making homemade granola bars and playing around with it, here is my Cold Granola Ball Recipe.

1 1/2 c creamy peanut butter

1/2 c brown sugar

1/3 c coconut oil

1/2 c honey

1 Tbsp vanilla (or at least 2 tsp min)

3 cups oats (I use bobs red mill gluten free quick oats or gluten free rolled oats I get through Amazon)

1 cup crushed crispy cereal (such as Rice Chex or Honey Nut Cheerios or GF Crispie Cereal)

1 cup Chocolate Chips (we are dairy free and use Enjoy Life, Kirkland Semi-Sweet or the gold bag by Ghiridelli)

Optional Add Ins

You can add 1/2-1 cup of any other add ins like

1/2 c flax seed

1 c puffed millet

1 c puffed brown rice

1/2-1 c dried fruit like craisins 

1/2-1 c nuts (u would recommend they be finely chopped though if you have barge pieces of things it will be harder to shaped into balls and hold together)

Line a 9x13 inch cake pan with parchment paper or a large plastic food storage container.  If you don't line it and freeze these they can freeze to the container and be hard to remove.

Mix first 5 ingredients together til smooth.

Add in oats, crispy cereal and chocolate chips (and any optional add in if desired) and mix thoroughly.

Scoop out spoonfuls into your hand and form into balls. 

Place into prepared container, cover with plastic wrap, tin foil or container lid and then refrigerate or freeze.  These are yummy to eat frozen or just cold.

Rich Creamy Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream

Dairy Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Gelato

It's so nice that there is now a selection of dairy free ice cream other than fruit sorbet, even TCBY carries SILK chocolate ice cream made with almond milk....but honestly, it's still somewhat disappointing.  The SILK dairy free ice cream is not thick and creamy like regular ice cream and it leaves something to be desired.  So here is a recipe for dairy free chocolate ice cream or dairy free chocolate gelato, made with almond milk but much richer and creamier than the story version.  I don't add a ton of peanut butter so the peanut butter flavor is pretty subtle, I just add it to give the ice cream a little extra thickness.

1 cup sugar

4 cups chocolate almond milk

1/4 cup cocoa powder

 6 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

2-4 TBsp peanut butter

In a saucepan, add sugar, milk, cocoa powder and egg yolks.  Stir over medium heat until it starts to thicken.  Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla.  

Cover and chill in fridge for a few hours until completely chilled.

Pour mixture into prepared Ice Cream Maker and proceed using your ice cream makers instructions.  Ours comes with a bowl that you freeze for 24 hours ahead of time then just pop it in the ice cream maker, add your ice cream mixture and turn on for about 25-30 minutes.  When Ice cream is done, and you've had enough, store in an airtight container, we also line the top of the ice cream with pastic wrap before putting the lid on the container, it prevents freezer burn.  

We like the Silk and Almond Breeze Chocolate milk both so either one would be yummy.  You could also make this with Original Almond Milk or Coconut Milk and leave out the Cocoa powder for vanilla ice cream and then add your own additions, I'm thinking some Glutino Oreo Cookies for some dairy free gluten free Cookies and Cream Ice Cream! Our last batch we made the Chocolate Gelato version and added in chopped up Glutino Sandwich cookies and we LOVED it...Chocolate Cookies N' Cream!  We went to TCBY a few days later and had the SILK chocolate ice cream and it was just so watery and bland compared to our ice cream.  The secret is making it like Gelato with the egg yolks.  

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal

 Cookie Bars

Gluten Free & Dairy Free

So My aunt posted a healthy paleo recipe for chocolate chip cookie squares on facebook the other day and I really wanted to make them, but when I went to the recipe I didn't have the right ingredients, but at that point I was already craving cookie bars so badly so I made up my own version, they aren't a healthy recipe but they ARE gluten and dairy free :)

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars
1/2 cup gluten free oats
1/2-1 cup gluten free flour (add more til you are happy with consistency)
(I used a premixed gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan gum if your flour blend doesn't have it)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup shortening or palm oil (or butter if you aren't dairy free)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli, the ones I buy don't have milk in them)

In mixer blend peanut butter,shortening, sugar, egg and vanilla.  Add gluten free oats, gluten free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.  Press into a 8x8 inch baking dish and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. (baking time may vary as I used the convection setting)

So no these aren't paleo or sugar free or anything awesome like that, but I did add the peanut butter and oatmeal to make them a little more hearty and satisfying :)

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Easy Gluten Free Breakfast

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Eating Gluten Free and Dairy Free can be a big chore most of the time, it involves a lot of baking and cooking from scratch so it's nice to be able to have short cuts once in a while!  That's why I love the GF DF pancakes at Trader Joes!  They are inexpensive and you just pop them in the toaster and you've got pancakes!  I do have a great pancake recipe that I make often as well that is great but for those mornings I don't feel like making pancakes all morning or before bed and I need a little sweet snack...this is a good fix!

The frozen Trader Joes gluten free pancakes come in packages of 3 so what I like to do is just pop all 3 in the toaster and when they pop up, I spread the first one with peanut butter and sprinkle on some mini chocolate chips, add the 2nd pancake and add another layer of peanut butter and chocolate chips and then add the 3rd pancake with a little more peanut butter and real maple syrup.  It is soooooo yummy!

The mini chocolate chips melt between the pancake layers and mix with the peanut butter and syrup in the best possible way!

Yes.....I have an obsession with chocolate and peanut butter.......

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chocolate Easter Eggs

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Eggs

gluten free and dairy free

For Easter this year, we had to make our own chocolate treats to avoid gluten and dairy.  I saw multiple blogs that had made peanut butter chocolate eggs but I've made peanut butter balls before and wasn't interested in the 1 cup peanut butter to 3 cups powdered sugar recipe.  I then looked up "chocolate chip peanut butter balls" and found this video on youtube for raw vegan peanut butter balls and that kind of inspired me to create these.

Chocolate Covered Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Balls (Eggs)

Peanut Butter (I use Natural Jif or Skippy)

Raw Almonds

Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips

honey

vanilla

a little powdered sugar (optional)

There are no exact measurements, you just add dry ingredients until you get the dough the to right consistency for being able to roll into balls.

In a food processor (this is a mini one) grind up your almonds to make almond meal, leaving some small bits intact as in the photo below.

 In a large bowl (or kitchenaid mixer if you have one) add a bunch of peanut butter.  This is probably around 1 1/2 cups or so...doesn't really matter.

 Add a tsp of vanilla and a tablespoon or so of honey, then add in all your almond meal and mix together.

After adding all the almond meal, it wasn't quite thick enough and since I didn't feel like grinding up more almonds (my cheap processor is going to make me go deaf!) I just turned to mixer on low speed and slowly added a little powdered sugar until it formed into a ball, it didn't take very much at all....maybe a 1/4 cup?  And you could leave out the powdered sugar and just add more almond meal for a healthy snack.

Roll into small balls (or ovals to make easter eggs) and place on a tray or plate, cover with plastic wrap and set in freezer.  You can enjoy these just like this, they are not too sweet but still a super yummy treat.  You'll satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling sick after because the peanut butter is decently sweet and that little bit of honey adds some sweetness as well.

 To take these a step further...and it's worth it...add a cup of your chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave at 30 second intervals stirring each time until smooth.  Using a fork, roll your chocolate chip peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate and then set back in the tray.

Once they are all covered, set in the freezer again to harden the chocolate.  We just kept ours in the freezer and ate them cold because they were so yummy like that, kind of like eating frozen cookie dough but better, and they were still soft, not too hard from being frozen.

My husband is not big into sweets but he was totally into these and my daughter was obsessed with them as well, so I was pretty excited with how yummy they turned out without having to use anywhere near as much sugar as traditional peanut butter balls.

Peanut Butter Chex Treats

Scotchachex

Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Peanut Butter Chex Treats

These peanut butter crispy rice treats are one of my all time favorite indulgences!  They are quick and easy to make and soooo delicious to eat!  And best part? It's a super quick and easy gluten free and dairy free treat you can whip up whenever a craving strikes....or...you know...you just need a treat for the kids.  

Ingredients

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tsp butter 

(or dairy free butter like earth balance vegan buttery sticks or Best Life Buttery Sticks)

3 cups rice Chex

Heat the peanut butter, corn syrup, sugar and "butter" over low heat in med-large pot and stir.  Bring to a boil and then quickly remove from heat.  Add the Rice Chex (or other crispy rice cereal) and stir with a spatula till cereal is coated and then press into an 8x8 inch pan.  For topping, In the same pot while it is still warm, I like to add a rounded tablespoon of peanut butter and about 1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips such as ghirardelli semi-sweet or 60% chocolate chips and stir till smooth and pour and spread over the peanut butter crispy treat.

 I like to line my pan with parchment paper so it's easy to remove and cut.  

ENJOY!