Coconut Seed Clustered Granola (Grain Free)

 Hi, It has been a while since I took the time to put in a recipe. I still love creating recipes. Britney my daughter has been busy creating too. She is expecting her first daughter after 4 boys very soon. We are excited.  She is a busy Mama.  Our family gets three beautiful grandchildren this year. Great things are happening.

I found some coconut clusters at Costco a while ago. They had coconut, seeds and chia in them and I fell in love with them. Well I have a large bucket of shredded coconut, and so I thought it would be fun to try, and make some on my own. My belief is it is always a healthier option to make your own if you are able to.

Well I made this last week for some friends and it was a big hit with my friends and family so I thought it would be fun to share it with you. I love it!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil                  

1/4 Cup Honey

4 Cups of Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

1 Cups Raw Pumpkins Seeds

1 1/3 Cups Raw Sunflower Seeds

6 Tablespoons Chia Seeds

Directions

Stove top method 

In a large pot on the stove. Turn the heat to medium and pour in the oil and honey. Stir together and heat until warm. Then stir in the coconut and turn down the heat to medium low. Stir in the coconut in with the honey mixture until the coconut is all covered. The coconut flakes will start to turn golden. Stir in the seeds and continue to stir until the coconut is a light golden brown. 

Take pot off of the stove and pour the mixture on to a parchment paper or greased pan. Spread out and let cool. Store in an air tight container. 

In oven method Preheat oven to 325

Pour all of the Ingredients into a bowl. Stir it until all ingredients are combined. Pour ingredients on to greased cookie sheet. Spread out the ingredients evenly. Place pan in preheated oven. Bake for 13-20 min. Until the coconut turns light golden brown. You can stir the granola halfway through for even baking. 

Take out of the oven and cool. Store in an air tight container.  Enjoy!

Granola and Berries (Gluten Free option)

I think Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. I love when I add berries to what I am eating. It brings me so much joy to see all the beautiful colors plus I love berries and the added nutrition they add to the meal. Yum! Enjoy a great way to start your day.  It also makes a wonderful snack. 


It is wonderful to be enjoying Summer and all the fun that goes along with it. We had a wonderful family reunion with 90 of us. We love our family. It is so nice to have so many people that love you and are their to support you. I also can't get enough of this sunshine and blue sky. I love the warm nights with the slight breeze. I think that is what it will be like in heaven. 



Ingredients

Granola

2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil

3 cup  old fashioned oatmeal (gluten free)
1 cup almonds chopped up coarse
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tespoon fresh ground nutmeg

* dried fruit optional raisins, dates, craisins etc..

Directions: Heat oven to 250
1. Melt the honey and oil together in a small bowl. On the stove or in the microwave. Set it aside.

2. Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl together. Pour in the honey mixture. Stir till all combined. 

3. Put a parchment paper on 1 cookie sheet.  Pour the granola on to cookie sheet. It will be thick. 

4. Place in the oven. Bake 30 min. Stir a couple times during cooking time.  

5. Let cool on the counter and store in an airtight container. 

6, Pour granola into a bowl add fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries) and then pour on  almond milk or cashew milk poured on top.  Enjoy!

Clumpy Raw Granola with Chia

This is a fast and easy to make granola. No baking required. It feels like you are eating oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough. It is yummy. A great snack or a fun breakfast. 

Ingredients:

1/2 C honey
1/2 C coconut oil melted
1/2 tsp salt * optional
1 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1 C almonds chopped
1/2 C chia
4 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 tsp almond extract *optional 
1/2 C  Chopped dark chocolate chips (* or raisins)

Directions: 

1. Pour all the ingredients into a mixer except the chips. Mix until combined.
2. Pour in the chips and stir until just combined. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container to eat later.  
Enjoy!

Pomegranate Granola Breakfast Bowl (no added sugar)

This was a wonderful breakfast this morning. The pomegranates add nutrition, color and a natural sweetness. This is loaded with nutrition and will get you powered up for your day. You can also eat as a snack and have an extra power boost.

Ingredients

1 C plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

3-4 T pomegranate seeds

1 T chia

1/4 C granola

2 T dark chocolate chips  chopped *optional

garnish with

pomegranate seeds

grated chocolate chips

chia

granola

Directions   serves 1

1. Put yogurt in a bowl and then stir in pomegranates, chia, granola, and *chips. Stir until all combined. 

2. Garnish with desired toppings. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bites

 This is a healthier snack when you are craving chocolate and peanut butter. You can enjoy a mouthful of yumminess. I found eating one was very satisfying. So Creamy and good.

Ingredients

2/3 C natural peanut butter
3 T cocoa powder
2 T coconut oil
1 T honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C granola 

Directions makes 9 bites

1. In a small bowl mix together peanut butter, cocoa, oil, honey, and vanilla. Stir until a nice smooth consistency. 
2. Place bowl in fridge or freezer until it hardens to a nice solid mass. It shouldn't take longer than an hour. 
3. Take out of freezer. Rub some coconut oil on your hands so the mixture won't stick as much. I used a small scooper I had you could use a spoon. Scoop out a ball. Roll in hands to form into a nice ball. 
4. Roll in the granola.
5. Eat right away or put back into fridge to harden. They should be stored in air tight container in the fridge. 
  
*These are yummy Chocolate oatmeal bars. 

Patriotic Parfaits

 So May is here. My son Derek's birthday is tomorrow. Derek thinks May is the best month of the year  because of the weather. When I think of May, I think of the end of the school year. I also think about Veteran's Day and the other holidays coming up.

I have been thinking about my feelings on patriotism this last week. Wherever you live, I hope that you are grateful for the place you are living. I loved the unity that came after 9/11. I would see signs of people saying things like, "I love America" etc.. The tragedy was horrific, but the unity was sweet. We can make a difference and one person can have an effect on others.

My parents are great examples of honoring their country. They have a flag pole with a flag waving in front of their house. My Mom always put up a flag for patriotic holidays even before she had a flag pole. I love seeing flags waving and will often mention to my children how pretty they look. I love the red, white, and blue colors. My Dad was a pilot in the Air Force and loved that experience. They both have always sung songs about our country with vigor. Their influence has had a great effect on me.

So I am going to give you a challenge this month and hopefully it will carry on throughout the year: find some way to show appreciation for your country and  those who work in our military. Encourage others to as well. We can make a difference. We need to pull together. I love America! Have a great weekend.

Granola recipe 

Jeanie's Granola

Mix together in large bowl:

12 c. rolled oats
3 c. chipped coconut, unsweetened

2 c. almonds chopped in food processor2 c. sunflower seeds1/2 c. flax seeds ground (they also could be whole, but you get more health benefits from ground)1/2 tsp. sea salt1 T. cinnamon

Mix well in seperate bowl:

1/2 c. coconut oil or 1/2 c. olive oil
3/4 c. honey or (The honey makes it clump together well.)

Add 2 tsp. vanilla or 1 tsp. maple syrup or 1 tsp. almond extract. Pour over top of oatmeal mixture and stir through. Pour on to cookie sheets. Spread out. Bake 25 min at 300. I stir it about every 10 min.

Turn off oven and leave 3 hours or leave overnight. (I have done both leaving it overnight and eating right after the cooking time. Both work! Both ways are yummy!)

 Ingredients

2 C Granola

2 C Plain Greek yogurt with honey added or vanilla

2 C Cut up strawberries 

2 C blueberries

Directions:

Layer The ingredients starting with the granola first and end with granola and blueberries on top for garnish. Enjoy a patriotic treat. :)

This is my Mom, (who is amazing) receiving a flag at my Dads graveside service. It is hard to not get choked up when I look at it. 

Granola Garden Dirt Cups

It's gardening time!

You know the super cute "dirt cups" that are so popular with little kids? They always look adorable, but my kids can never finish them. They are mostly just interested in the gummy worms anyway. And while they look awesome, is plain boxed pudding really that good? Or healthy?

But these Dirt Cups are good for you. And they are delicious. And they are a little more grown-up, so when you go digging into one of these, you won't look like you decided to join the kiddos. In fact, they would be adorable for an adult Easter Brunch or Breakfast.

Ingredients

Granola
2 cups old-fashioned oats
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 1/2 Tbsp honey

Yogurt
2 cups vanilla yogurt
1 cup mixed frozen berries
1 frozen banana

Supplies
3 food grade terra cotta pots (these might be available at a local cooking store) or regular terra cotta pots with muffin liners and parchment paper
3 straws
fake flowers
ribbon


Directions

1. If you didn't get food grade pots, line your terra cotta pots (wash pots ahead of time) by putting a deep muffin liner in the bottom of the pot, and then, using a long rectangle of parchment paper, wrap it around the inside of the pot, inside of the muffin tin, to prevent your "dirt" from touching the pot. Tie ribbon around the

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the oatmeal in the blender and pulse until the oatmeal is slightly broken up but still chunky. (It should make about 1 3/4 cups by the time you are done, so it shouldn't be too broken up.)

3. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut oil, peanut butter, cocoa, and honey. Break it apart and place it on a cookie sheet, leaving it in small clumps. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

4. Blend together the yogurt and frozen fruit in blender until smooth. Pour the yogurt into the pot. It should be a little thicker than typical yogurt because of the frozen fruit. Place the granola on top of the yogurt. You might need to break it up a little more.

5. Cut the straws in half. Place one half of a straw in each pot, upright. The granola should hold it up. Cut a fake flower so the stem is short. Place it in the straw. The straw should prevent the flower from touching your food as well. Serve immediately.

Note: We found you could even drink the yogurt as you would a smoothie. My boys loved it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa Granola

So I had this great idea today to make chocolate peanut butter quinoa granola. It was a great way to incorporate a lot of great flavors into one dish. I was happy with the end result. This is a great way to add quinoa to your food. It is hard to go wrong when you put peanut butter and chocolate together.  

Ingredients

1/4 C honey

1 T cocoa

1/2 C natural peanut butter

2 T coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C toasted quinoa * optional

1 1/2 C old fashioned oatmeal

1/2 C chopped cashews or nuts of your choice *optional

1/2 C dark chocolate chips * optional

Directions

1. In a small saucepan on low heat combine honey, cocoa, peanut butter, oil and vanilla. Stir and let just barely come to a boil. Take off the heat.

2. In a medium size bowl pour in the quinoa and oatmeal. Pour the warm chocolate mixture on top. Stir into the dry ingredients until all combined. 

3. Toss in the nuts and chips and eat without out cooking, or bake at 350 for about 15 min till it is crunchy. Enjoy!

Check out these delicious chocolate oatmeal bars.

Banana Splits for Breakfast!

So you really can have a healthy version of banana splits that is yummy. Think of the surprise on your families faces when you say we are having banana splits for breakfast. This is loaded with fruit, yogurt, granola and a little bit of chocolate. A fun healthy way to start out your day. 

Ingredients

1 ripe banana
1 C sliced  fresh strawberries or any fresh berry or your other favorite fruit
1 C greek yogurt (your favorite flavor)
1 C granola
1/4 C dark chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil
*Optional chopped nuts and cherry for on top garnish 

Directions  makes 4

1. Slice bananas lengthwise and then cut in half again. Distribute evenly laying on the bottom of the dish kind of letting them go up the sides.
2. Place sliced strawberries or your other choice of fruit evenly distribute amongst the dished on top of the bananas.
3. Then scoop 2 spoonfuls of yogurt in each dish.
4. Pour about 1/4 C of granola into each dish on top of the yogurt.
5. Then place the chips into a small dish with the coconut oil and melt in the microwave or on the stove. Drizzle over the top of the granola. Top with Nuts and a cherry if desired. Enjoy!          

Healthier options for Hostess or Holidays Giving for friends, family, and neighbors

Canned foods

 I heard a sweet story of someone bringing a bottle of canned cherries. (which I love) To a family after their mother died. It has been years since this event happened, but it still is a very clear memory for him. It was a very thoughtful gesture that reminded him of sweet family times. Every time I hear him tell the story it gives me a warm feeling

 If you have canned goods  you want to share this is a very thoughtful gift. That would mean a lot to those who receive them.

Apple Topping

Here is where you can find a recipe for cooked apples. That would be a great gift to give away. It is wonderful to eat plain. Would be great on pancakes or waffles or in muffins. There are lots of options. You could can them or just put them in containers that go in the fridge. 

Candied Nuts

Here is a fun idea. Giving your neighbor some candied or smoked nuts. You could also just give them plain nuts with nothing done to them. Nuts are always a treat in my book. They are a great thing to eat and to share.    

Homemade Fruit Topping or Jam

Here is a recipe for a healthier fruit topping or jam.You could use any kind of fruit. You could also can it if you don't want to make it a freezer jam. I used to love to go to my aunts she always had yummy freezer jams for breakfast. Foods can bring back so many fond memories.     

Homemade Granola

Here is a  yummy granola recipe. It would be a fun treat to package up and give away. A lot of people never make it. It could be eaten plain or in yummy parfaits. Some other granola options: raw granola   maple almond whole grain granola       
 and soaked granola.

Also mulling spices is fun too.

It is fun to think of fun healthy options to give to friends, family and neighbors. There are so many unhealthy options during the holidays it is nice to finds some healthy ones to share.  We can make the world a healthier place. Happy giving.

Chocolate Banana Parfaits

May's Recipe Redux Theme is all about May's Showers. Not the rain kind, but the wedding and baby kind. I (Britney) recently threw a baby shower for a friend and we had all sorts of sweet goodies for people to eat, and a couple of healthy ones too. Sometimes I'm nervous about giving all my healthy goodies to my friends, you know? What if they think that you need sugary cookies/cake/candy buffets to make a party a party? I must admit that I sometimes worry about what they would think. But there really are plenty of delicious, healthy options out there.

Today's treat is definitely a treat, but it is a healthy treat. (I promise!) Chocolate doesn't have to be high in fat. The chocolate granola helps you eat some whole grains, the chocolate yogurt is flavored with cocoa and honey and has the tangy taste of wholesome yogurt, and then you add bananas. And aren't chocolate and bananas just made for each other?

All of your friends should love this treat.

As usual, check out some of the other delicious shower foods shared by our other Recipe Redux partners. They always come up with some great ideas!

Ingredients

Granola

1 C unsweetened flaked coconut

3 C old-fashioned oats

4 T cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C honey

1/2 C coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla

* Optional you could add 1 T. peanut butter for a chocolate peanut butter variation.The granola would be great to eat alone too. :)

Yogurt

2 C plain yogurt or greek (you could also use vanilla and leave out honey and vanilla extract)

2 T honey

1 T cocoa

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

and sliced bananas (fresh berries would be a delicious substitution!)

*You could garnish with chopped almonds, whipping cream, and or chocolate chips

 
Directions

1. Start with the granola. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together coconut and oats in a bowl.

2. Add cocoa, salt, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla to a sauce pan. Heat, stirring, until just combined. Take off heat and pour over oat mixture. Stir until all combined.

3. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Pour over granola in a thin layer. Bake for 30 minutes. You could stir once during the baking.

4. Mix together yogurt ingredients.

5. Layer the ingredients in a glass just before serving.

Raw Granola

Thank you Ashlee for sharing this with me. This is a great way to satisfy your craving for an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie in a healthier way. It has the wonderful texture of cookie dough. It can be eaten with milk or plain. I would put this in the treat category, but it is a healthier treat. :) It is a great way to get your family to eat oatmeal. It got gobbled up by my family.

Ingredients:
1/2 C honey
1/2 C coconut oil melted
1/2 tsp salt * optional
1 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1 C almonds chopped
4 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 tsp almond extract *optional
1 C dark chocolate chips (* or raisins)

Directions:
1. Pour all the ingredients into a mixer except the chips. Mix until combined.
2. Pour in the chips and stir until just combined. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container to eat later. 
Enjoy!

*If you want a version with fewer calories you can cut the honey and oil down to 1/3 C for each. It tried it. It tastes good just a drier version, and it doesn't clump as much.  If you are are adding milk to it for cereal, the the drier version will work great..   

Granola that Clumps together

I hope that you are enjoying this season of giving Thanks! It is a nice time of the year to think of all the things I am grateful for.

I made this granola and was really happy with it. I love how it clumped together. I know it was a winner when my son eats it. He has already had 2 bowl fulls.My husband and son both love eating cold cereal. I love when they eat a healthy version. It is nice to make food that we all enjoy. :) Success! I tried something new and added some fresh nutmeg. Delicious!

Ingredients:

2/3 C honey
1/2 C coconut oil

3 C old fashioned oatmeal
1 C almonds chopped up coarse
1/4 C sesame seeds
1 C sunflower seeds
1 C unsweetened coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

* dried fruit optional raisins, dates, craisins etc..

Directions: Heat oven to 250
1. Melt the honey and oil together in a small bowl. On the stove or in the microwave. Set it aside.

2. Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl together. Pour in the honey mixture. Stir till all combined. 

3. Put a parchment paper on 1 cookie sheet.  Pour the granola on to cookie sheet. It will be thick. 

4. Place in the oven. Bake 30 min. Stir a couple times during cooking time.  

5. Let cool on the counter and store in an airtight container. 

Maple Almond Whole Grain Granola

We just celebrated my oldest grandsons birthday yesterday. As I watched him enjoy his party last night. it was a delight. It reminded me again why we are suppose to be like little children. He was so enthusiastic and appreciative of everything he received. That is something I could improve on. I love his smile that was captured in this picture. It is a joy to be a parent as well as a grandparent. My amazing husband and I are enjoying this time of our lives. 

It seemed liked it was that time of year to make granola. It is fun to make granola all year. I had not made it for a while. I always like to try new versions. I added some extra grains to increase the nutrition. It added some new textures.

Ingredients:
4 C old fashioned oatmeal
*1/2 C whole grains Optional (I added 1/4 c of teff and 1/4 C amaranth)
1/2 C unsweetened coconut
1 C chopped almonds
3 T coconut oil
4 T honey
4 T maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 pinch of salt
3/4 C raisins or other dried fruit

Directions:
1. Mix first 4 ingredients together in a bowl and pour on to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 275 for 10 min to toast.
2. In the meantime stir on low heat oil, honey, syrup, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Take off heat when combined.
3. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven drizzle the honey mixture over the oatmeal. Stir until all covered.  Place back in oven and bake 25 to 30 min. Stir often. Bake till slightly golden.
4. Stir in raisins and let cool. Store in airtight container.

Almond Butter Oatmeal Puffs (Raw)

This month for Recipe Redux we are doing recipes that feature either honey or maple syrup. I decided to use honey.

When I was young we used to make some yummy treats called "peanut butter puffs." They had peanut butter, special K cereal, sugar, and corn syrup. It brings back many happy memories. :) I would guess you have had something similar. Well I wanted to make a healthier version of them, and I was very happy with the end result. I caught my son eating some as well, so that must mean they were good. :) It is nice to have them for a yummy snack. They are quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1/2 C almond butter
1 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 C honey
1 tsp vanilla
granola (to roll them in)
*You could also add raisins, chocolate chips, coconut, etc..)

Directions:
1. In a bowl mix the almond butter, honey, and oatmeal together until it is all combined. Then stir in the vanilla. (You could add chips, coconut, seeds, or raisins.)

2. Form the batter into small balls. Then roll in granola. (Or coconut!) Eat them or save them for later in an air tight container or bag in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy! I already need to make another batch of them.

* Here is an update a new variation to this recipe.

Soaked Granola

Sorry for the lack of posts. I have been on vacation. We had a nice family trip to Lake Powell. I love swimming in warm water, it is a pretty place. It is one of our favorite places to go on vacation. :) Family times are such a treat.

I made this granola and was happy how it turned out. I have been reading more about soaking grains. Here was one site that had a lot of information. I also mixed in the soaked trail mix that I had made.
I poured on some almond milk and it was a tasty meal.

Ingredients:
8 C oatmeal
1 C coconut oil
1 C honey
3 T lemon juice
1 C water or  1 C coconut milk

2 T Vanilla
2 C Shredded coconut
1 C almonds chopped fine

Directions:

1. Soak Oatmeal, oil, lemon juice, water or milk, in a bowl. Covered with plastic. Soak it 6-8 hours or over night.

2. Then pour in the vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Stir until just mixed.

3. Then heat oven to 350. Pour on to 2 greased cookie sheets. Spread it out. Bake 30 min and then let cool. Store in an airtight container. Another great breakfast for your family. I have been putting it in their lunches too. :)

Macadamia Nut Granola

Sorry I have been out of town. :) So that is why there has been limited posts. I appreciate Britney doing one. :) I brought back some Macadamia Nuts, and was interested to learn more about them.

Macadamia Nuts: (Some Interesting Information)

1. Helps lower cholesterol and decreases risk of stoke and heart disease.

2. 78 to 86 % of the fat is monounsaturated (Heart healthy good for you fat.

3. Only food source that contains palmitoleric acid. It is a type of monounsaturated fatty acid that can speed up your metabolism that could reduce your bodies ability to store fat.

4. The oil is healthier than olive oil. (I have not tried the oil yet.) It can be heated to higher temperatures than olive oil, without losing its flavor and breaking down.

5. They have falvanoids in them. Flavanoids turn into antioxidants in our body. Antioxidants can help destroy particles in the body that could cause diseases and other conditions. As a result to that it can lower your blood pressure.

6. They have Vitamin A, Iron, protein, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Small amounts of selenium (an antioxidant) calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.

7. Plain roasted are the healthiest and unsalted. (keeps down the sodium)

8. They still are high in calories and fat, ( one of the highest in fat of the nuts) so don't go too crazy. Just replace them for other fats you eat, and enjoy the health benefits.

9. They are harvested after they fall to the ground.

10. Serving size 11-12 nuts

It was fun to have them to put them into this granola. It gave it a great flavor. I hope that you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

3 C old fashioned oatmeal

1 C Macadamia nuts chopped (pulsed them in the blender)

1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 C coconut oil

6 T honey

1 C dried tropical mix (pineapple, mango,papaya, cranberries, blueberries)

Directions:

1. Mix oats, nuts, cinnamon and coconut in a bowl. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan add oil, and honey. Bring to a boil, and let boil 1 to 2 min.

3. Stir honey mixture into oatmeal mixture.

4. Pour on to a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it. Bake at 275 in oven for about l5 min. Then stir in dried fruit and stir it. Let cook another 10 min. I decided I liked it less golden this time.

You can cook till your desired preference. Let cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Berries Yogurt and Granola Dessert

How about having a fruit yogurt, and granola for dessert. It tastes so good. I just had mine for lunch. =) Everyone could make their own, to their own liking. It could make a fun breakfast or brunch. I love the satisfying feeling after eating it.

Ingredients:
raspberries
blueberries
blackberries
strawberries
kiwi (They didn't have them at the store I went to. )
bananas
granola
plain yogurt (I used Dannon)
Whip cream for top

Directions:

1. I put the strawberries on the bottom, then layered it with yogurt and different berries. I did a layer of whip cream on top. Then I poured on the granola and the blueberries on top. There are lots of variations. It is a nice light dessert that looks great, and tastes even better. Yum!

* The granola and small dab of whip cream added the sweetness. =)
Happy Valentines! It is my daughter's Birthday today! We get to celebrate tonight! ;)

Peanut Butter Granola Cookies ( low Gluten )

You have a new thing to use your Homemade Granola for cookies. I had this idea a couple days ago and adapted a recipe. It was fun to have my son come home and love eating the cookie dough. He was scraping the bowl. He is one of my picker eaters. He liked the cookies as well. I was pleased how moist they were. :) They would make a great breakfast on the run.
1/2 C Coconut Oil (Or Canola Oil
1/2 C Sucanat or sweetener of your choice
1/2 C Water
1/2 C Dates
2/3 C Peanut butter
4 T Ground Flax seed *optional
2 T Chia *Optional
1/3 C Water
1 1/2 C Spelt Flour Mix*
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 T Pumpkin Spice
3 C Granola (I used homemade)
1/2 C Dried Fruit* (If you want more)

1. Put Dates and 1/2 C Water in the blender. I let it soak about 15 min. Then I pulsed it till it was liquid. Then pour into mixing bowl.

2. Then add Sucanat, oil, peanut butter,to date mixture. Beat a couple minutes till smooth.

3. Then mix Flax, Chia and 1/3 C water In separate bowl and soak for 1 min. Mix in with the date mixture, until all combined. Then add all the dry ingredients. (You could put in a separate bowl first) Add the granola and *Optional dried fruit.

4. Drop on to cookie Sheet. Bake at 350. Bake 8-10 min. I liked them being a little soft, when I took them out. Don't over bake. :) Healthy too! Made 41 cookies

* I had them for breakfast they were great! :)