Fruity Oatmeal Breakfast Bites

Posted on by llbalanced
Fruity Oatmeal Breakfast Bites
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    [post_date] => 2016-08-24 07:05:50
    [post_date_gmt] => 2016-08-24 13:05:50
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    [post_title] => Fruity Oatmeal Breakfast Bites
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08.24

9 out of 10 times, when I investigate a so-called "healthy" product at the grocery, I am disappointed. Usually, said "healthy" packaged foods are laden with sugar (natural sugar is still sugar, peeps), or they use inflammatory vegetable oils, or they contain a laundry list of preservatives.

So, when I casually grabbed a box of Alyssa's Healthy Vegan Bites at my local Publix, I didn't really entertain approving of them, let alone buying them. That is, until their wholesome ingredient knocked my havianas off! Oats, dried fruit, chia seeds, coconut oil, cinnamon...I knew those foods! I use those foods in my own kitchen! I snagged a box, consoling myself that if/when they tasted yucky, they were on sale at least.

Healthy Oatmeal Bites wordpress 3 (1 of 1)Except, they didn't taste yucky. In fact, they taste whatever the opposite of yucky is—divine, delicious, scrum-diddlyumptious?! I couldn't stop at the recommending 2-cookie serving size, which rarely happens to me (I tend to be a moderator versus in abstainer). 48 hours later, the box was empty!

I had half a mind to hightail it back to Publix and greedily buy out their Alyssa's cookie stock, but I stopped myself for two reasons: 1) These cookies have one dubious ingredient, "natural flavors". Not sure what this refers to, but I know it's not something I can find at the supermarket or in my pantry. 2) I wanted to make my own, simpler and more cost-effective version for y'all!

Batter-hardened from four rigorous rounds of cookie testing, I've finally created an LL Balanced Bite that I crave as much as Alyssa's! These are soft, tender, perfectly spiced and lightly sweetened with pops of caramel-chew from dates and apricots. I purposefully kept them nut-free, so moms can pack them in school lunches for a quick snack or dessert. Two bites also makes for a light on-the-go breakfast, paired with a piece of fruit or yogurt.

I am seriously in love with these cookie-bites, and I am grateful to Alyssa for her delectable inspiration! I hope these become a staple in your home as well, making life just a little easier and tastier.

Healthy Oatmeal Bites wordpress 1 (1 of 1)Notes: If you don't have oat bran, feel free to substitute oat flour | If you want the cookies even less-sweet, use 1/4 cup coconut sugar instead of 6 tablespoons | Feel free to throw in 1/3 cup chopped nuts, or substitute the dried fruit for whatever you prefer--raisins, cranberries, even dried blueberries

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TOTAL TIME :12 minutes20minutes5minutes
18cookies
INGREDIENTS
  • DRY-MIX INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup oat bran .
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • WET-MIX INGREDIENTS
  • 6 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 large egg (*must be room temperature, not cold)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 + 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce *weird amount but trust me!
  • MIX-INS
  • 1/3 cup medjool dates, pitted & chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped into 1/4 inch piecs
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick parchment paper.
  2. Place 1 cup rolled oats and all of the oat bran in a food processor. Process until mixture forms a fine flour.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oat/oat bran flour that you just made in the food processor, as well as the remaining rolled oats, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients until smooth.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and gently fold with a spatula to mix evenly. Stir in chopped fruit. Keeping a bowl of room temperature water next to you, use a dampened 2 oz ice cream scoop to form blobs of dough. Place them on the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. If you don't have a scoop, use approximately 2 tablespoons dough/cookie. Continually dip the scoop in water and shake off excess to help prevent dough from sticking, as this is a wet batter.
  5. Lightly dampen fingertips and use to smooth the surface and edges of cookies. Bake for 12 minutes for softer cookies and 14 minutes for firmer, slightly more crumbly cookies. Allow to cool 5 minutes before enjoying.
  6. Store cookies tightly sealed on the counter for 48 hours, or in the fridge for 1 week. If enjoying out of the refrigerator, I suggest microwaving for 10-12 seconds, or allowing to sit on the counter for 20 minutes before enjoying.
  7. NOTE: my cookies are a little more than twice the size of Alyssa's cookies. They are not intended to have the same carb and nutritional stats as hers, I simply wanted to mimic the flavor using wholesome ingredients. If you want something similar to hers, make them half the size and decrease your coconut sugar to 1/4 c and dried fruit to 1/3 c total
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