Healthy Samoas Cookie Bars

I have often seen people make a homemade version of these, but I thought It would be fun to make a healthier version of them. I made these today. I was pleased with how they turned out. Yum! Healthy is always better. :)

Ingredients

for cookie base:
2 C whole grain flour (I used spelt)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C honey
1/2 coconut oil
for the topping:
4 C shredded coconut unsweetened
1 can of coconut milk full fat
5 T honey
1 T coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
chocolate drizzle:
1/3 C dark chocolate chips
1 T coconut oil

Directions   Heat oven to 325

1. In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir and set aside.
2. Melt honey in microwave for 30 seconds and then stir in oil. Stir into dry ingredients. Until all moistened.
3. Line a 9x9 Square pan with parchment paper. Leave it over hanging on 2 sides.
4. Press in cookie dough into pan. Bake until light golden for about 15 min.
5. Take out and let cool.
6. While it is baking. Put a large skillet on the stove. Pour in the coconut and let toast on medium heat. Be careful to stir often so it won't burn. You want it turn golden.
7. In a medium saucepan pour in the milk, honey, and oil cook on medium heat to soft ball stage stirring regularly. It will burn if you don't . Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
8. Put chocolate and oil in the microwave stirring often until it is all melted. Place in fridge.
9. Stir the coconut into caramel until the coconut until it all moistened.
10. Pour coconut topping on top of cookie base and press down evenly with a spatula.
11. Lift out of pan on to a hard surface. I used a cookie sheet. Cut into bars.
12. Separate the bars and drizzle on the chocolate.
13. Place in fridge to harden. Serve once chocolate hardens.
14. Store in air tight container in the fridge.

* You could dip the bottom of the cookie into the chocolate too.

Caramel Apple Quinoa (Clean Eating)

This is a fun idea for a fun healthy Fall Breakfast. It tastes wonderful. You can make the caramel while the quinoa is cooking. You could do this with oatmeal too. This tastes so good you could even have it for dessert. 


Caramel
1 C canned coconut milk (full fat)
5 T honey
2 T coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. In a small sauce pan on medium heat. Pour in milk, honey, and oil.
2. I turned up my setting on my stove up to 6. I stayed stirring it the whole time. Not wanting it to burn. Keep stirring. It took mine about 15 min to thicken.3. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla. It will thicken as it cools. 

Quinoa

1 C washed quinoa
2 T coconut oil
1 C almond milk
1 C water
2 chopped up apples

Directions  Serves 4

1. Pour washed quinoa and oil into a sauce pan. Turn on to medium heat and stir and toast the quinoa until a light golden. 
2. Pour in the milk, water and honey and cinnamon. Stir until all combined. Bring mixture to a low boil. Turn down the heat and cook on low about 20-30 min. The mixture will be thick and the quinoa will be cooked. 
3. Take off the heat and serve. Top with some caramel and apples on each bowl. Add some additional almond milk on top if desired. 

Clean Eating Caramel Dip (Low Sugar and Dairy Free)

I love this clean eating version of caramel. I was looking up a caramel recipe that had corn syrup, sugar, butter and whipping cream in it. My guess is this one tastes just as good and is so much healthier for you. This cooked up in 15 min. so fast and easy. You can enjoy this on apples or anything that you enjoy dipping caramel into. Great treat for a gathering. You could also dip whole apples into it for caramel apples. I added a little to my oatmeal this morning. Yum! Here is a recipe for Caramel Apple Quinoa. 

Ingredients

1 C canned coconut milk (full fat)
5 T honey or sweetener of your choice.
2 T coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. In a small sauce pan on medium heat. Pour in milk, honey, and oil.
2. I turned up my setting on my stove up to 6. I stayed stirring it the whole time. Not wanting it to burn. Keep stirring. It took mine about 15 min to thicken.
3. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla. It will thicken as it cools. Enjoy a wonderful treat!
4. Store leftovers in the fridge in air tight container. When ready to eat warm up on stove or in microwave. It will harden in the fridge.


*I loved the idea of dipping the apples in lemon water to keep them from turning brown. I also leaned this week you can put a little honey in water and put the apples in it for a few minutes and they won't turn brown when you take them out.

Cherry Chocolate Caramel Granola Bars

This is a healthy snack. That is full of protein, antioxidants, low is sugar. My daughter says she doesn't like cherries and she really liked these. She even packed some for work. These are healthy enough to eat for breakfast too.  

Caramel

Ingredients

1 C canned coconut milk (full fat)
1/4 C honey
2 T coconut oil
1/2 C chia seeds
1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut
2 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 C dried cherries chopped up small
1/2 C dark chocolate chips chopped in small pieces

Directions   makes 16

1. Pour into small saucepan milk, honey, and oil . Stir on medium heat. You may want to have on medium low part of the time. Be careful to not let it burn.  Cook and stir often. It should be cooked down until it becomes very thick. Like the picture above. It is soft ball stage.
2. In a medium sized bowl pour in chia, coconut, oatmeal, and cherries. Stir together until all combined.
3. Pour hot caramel over the oatmeal mixture. Stir until completely mixed together.
4. Fold in the chips.
5. Pour into square parchment lined pan or greased. Press mixture down with the spatula.
6. Place in fridge to harden. Cut into 16 squares. Store in air tight container in the fridge.

German Chocolate Caramel Bites (Protein)

Before chocolate. They would taste great like this too. 

I love this combination of carmel, coconut, nuts and chocolate. They are loaded with protein and low in sugar you can't beat that.  They are a wonderful healthy little snack when you need one. My family loved these. Healthy enough to eat for breakfast which I did today. :)

Ingredients

1 C full fat coconut milk
3 T honey
2 T coconut oil
1/4 C quinoa ground up * optional (excellent source of protein)
1 C almonds chopped up fine
1 C cashews unsalted chopped up fine
1/2 C dark chocolate chips
1 T coconut oil

Directions  Made 17 bites

1. Pour milk into saucepan on the stove that is on medium heat. Stir in honey and oil. Stir about 4-5 minutes until it starts to thicken.

2. Stir in the quinoa and nuts into the milk mixture. Cook on medium heat until mixture is nice and thick.

3. Scoop (I use a cookie scoop that works fantastic) on to greased surface or parchment paper. Place in the fridge to harden.

4. Melt chips and oil together in a bowl in the microwave. It should take about 1 min or less. Stir and place in fridge for about 10 min to let it cool a little and thicken.

5. Dip the bites into the chocolate and place back in the fridge or freezer to let the chocolate harden.

6. Then store in the fridge of freezer in airtight container for easy and convenient  snacking. Yum!