Indulgence: S'more Cookies

Nothing says summer like s'mores. Am I right? Or am I right? We love s'mores, but we have one little problem... we don't have a fire pit. It's makes it a little hard to make them the traditional way, and I'm not brave enough to let my kids do it using our gas stove, so these are our next best alternative. :) And though we try to keep things healthy around here, an indulgence every now and again is just fine. Happy 4th of July!

Indulgence: S'more Cookies
24 SERVINGS 
PREP: 12 minutes           COOK: 12 minutes            READY IN: 24 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 heaping cup of mini marshmallows
• 1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares (I used 24 squares, but how many squares you use will ultimately depend how much dough you put on top of them)
• 3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into single squares

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Mix together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together until nice and creamy.
2. Add in the eggs, one a a time. 
3. Once mixed, add the vanilla. Mix.
4. Add the baking soda, sea salt, and flour. Mix together.
5. With a large spoon, or spatula, mix-in the chocolate chips and marshmallows.
6. Chill the dough for one hour in the refrigerator.
7. Preheat the oven to 375º.
8. One a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper, lay out the graham crackers, side by side. (For step by step pictures, click here).
9. On top of each graham cracker, place a tablespoon of dough on top. (I used my regular sized cookie scoop and it worked great).
10. Bake the cookies for 5-6 minutes, add the Hershey bar to each graham cracker cookie and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely (I threw them in the freezer for about 20 minutes) and cut them with a sharp knife.

Enjoy!
Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Skinny Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Every spring, my mother would whip up a rhubarb crisp so I'm somehow conditioned to want to do the same everytime I see rhubarb show up in the market. :) Fun fact on this crisp, though... my mom brought me rhubarb fresh from her garden all the way from Nebraska. I'm so spoiled and there's nothing better than garden fresh food. I really wish I would have the patience for my own garden, but I'm working on it. This year, we planted 8 plants (a mixture of tomatoes and zucchini). If they fair well, I'll consider growing my garden space next year. Until then, I'll support the local farmers. Someone has to do it, right? :) Anyways, this is a nice and sweet treat that tastes delicious and doesn't cost you too much in calories.

Skinny Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 25 minutes           COOK: 55-60 minutes            READY IN: 1 hour 25 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB FILLING

• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and cubed
• 1 pound rhubarb (about 5 stalks), cut into bit-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

CRISP TOPPING:

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup white-whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur's)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 3 tablespoons plain greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a 9x9 pan, mix together the ingredients for the strawberry-rhubarb filling (strawberries, rhubarb, honey, cornstarch and vanilla).
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the crisp topping ingredients (butter, oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and yogurt). 
3. Crumble the crisp topping mixture on top of the strawberry-rhubarb filling.
4. Bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until baked completely. Serve with a dollop of cool whip, or greek yogurt.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving    123 calories   .8g fat   28g carbs    2.5g protein    14.4g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe from COOKIE + kate

Banana Pistachio Smoothie

One of my husband's friends is famous for making pistachio smoothies. We have them at almost every friend gathering, which is almost weekly :) Well this last week was nothing different. As they were making it we were waiting for them to add in ice cream (how else would it get the silky smooth texture?). Well it never came. After all the times we've drank this we just realized there is NO ice cream in it. None at all. My husband and baby love these so I decided I had to share! Happy smoothie making!!!

Banana Pistachio Smoothie
4 SERVINGS 
PREP:2 minutes           COOK: 1 minutes            READY IN: 3 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 handful spinach (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 banana
• 2 tablespoons pistachio pudding mix 
• 8-10 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

   1/2 cup   130 calories  3g fat  24g carbs   2g protein   16g sugar   

Enjoy!

Peach Frozen Yogurt

The past few days in Utah have been so nice and warm that it got me in the mood for a nice, cool treat on the porch with my babe. This is my new favorite summer treat...and I don't even like peaches! It's so fast to make and only 3 ingredients that you will most likely find in your kitchen!

Next time you want to venture to the store for some creamies or go on an ice cream run with your kids, MAKE THIS!

Peach Frozen Yogurt
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 2 minutes           COOK: 1 minutes            READY IN: 3 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 16 oz bag frozen peaches
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey)
• 1/2 cup low fat or fat free vanilla yogurt 

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until combined and creamy! 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

   1 serving   171 calories  1g fat  41g carbs   2g protein   39g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Eating Well

Fresh Banana Ice Cream

My kids and I have a new favorite afternoon treat! It's a great way to use those brown bananas and with Spring right around the corner, this will be nice on those warmer days. It's super easy and only takes about 2 minutes to make if you already have frozen bananas. You can be creative with the toppings you pair with the bananas too. Just about anything works.

Fresh Banana Ice Cream
2 SERVINGS 
PREP: 60 minutes           BLEND: 1 minutes            READY IN: 61 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 very ripe banana
• Mix-in(s): We used 2 tablespoons of 60% cacao chips. Other ideas would be peanut butter, strawberries, honey, raspberries, blueberries, coconut. Really just about anything you would like.

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Cut the banana into 1/2 inch pieces. Separate and put on a plate. Cover with foil and put it in the freezer. I usually do this the night before so we don't have to wait for them to freeze. If you haven't done that, let them freeze for about an hour.
2. In a food processor or heavy-duty blender, pulse the bananas with the topping(s) for about a minute, or until the bananas start to come together. 
3. Enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1/2 cup serving    93 calories   3.2g fat   17.5g carbs    1.1g protein    10.2g sugar   

Enjoy!

Sugar-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Happy Friday and Happy Last Day of February!

Thanks for joining me this month in my Healthy Habits Challenge to Eat Less Sugar! I've technically made it to the end of my own sugar-free challenge that started January 1. While you might be thinking that I should totally celebrate this weekend and go out and eat tons of the treats I've been staying away from since January, I honestly have felt so good about the changes I've been making I plan to keep it up longer. I'll probably give myself a bit more leniency, but I definitely plan to stay 100% away from super-sugary foods like candy. Mostly because I know I have such a weakness that it is a slippery slope for me - but also because I figure there is so little good in them, if I'm going to indulge I might as well look for high-quality indulgences! But, though I won't be spending the weekend eating the bag of cinnamon bears that my mom sent me for Valentine's Day, it's entirely likely that I'll make up another batch of these lovelies! These scrumptious darlings are fantastic not only because you can make them as sugar-free (read: guilt-free) as you like, but they have the healthy bonuses of real peanut butter - not that faux-whatever that is inside packaged PB cups. Not that I can denigrate Reese's too much, because I won't deny that they are a favorite of mine.  No longer, though - I am committed to bigger and better things!

So, let's raise our "cups" to making a healthy habit out of eating less sugar! And, as they say in Spanish ... "Salud! To your health!"

*I should explain that when I say you can make them as sugar-free as you like, I mean that you can sweeten up or down both the chocolate and the peanut butter filling depending on your preferences. The chocolate cup is definitely intended to be a dark chocolate so that the sugar content is lower. I try to stick with 72% or darker, and ideally 85% or darker. If you want to sweeten the chocolate a little more without added sugar, you can add Stevia. Same goes for the peanut butter filling: you can put it in au natural with no added sweetener, or you can sweeten it up a bit with either a touch of Stevia (don't overdo it or you get the aftertaste) or even a bit of honey. 

Sugar-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           REFRIGERATE: 20-30 minutes            READY IN: 45 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 6-8 ounces dark chocolate pieces (72% or higher, unsweetened baking chocolate can be used but will need some type of sweetener)
• 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons natural peanut butter (with a drop or two of liquid stevia or 1/2 tablespoon honey, if desired)

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate pieces and butter/coconut oil. Melt by cooking in the microwave for 1 minute, then stir, followed by 30-second intervals of cooking with stirring in between until the chocolate is smooth. 
2. Using paper candy wrappers or a miniature muffin tin (greased beforehand), spoon in a thin layer of chocolate to each spot and spread slightly up the sides. Place the tin in the refrigerator or freezer to allow the layer to harden. 
3. Once you have a layer of chocolate in the bottom of each container, place approximately 1 teaspoon of peanut butter in each, followed by another layer of chocolate over the top. (You can also sprinkle the top with coarse salt for salted peanut butter cups.) Again, place the tray in the fridge or freezer to allow the chocolate to harden.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 piece    119 calories   8.8 g fat   7.4 g carbs    2.5 g protein    4.2 g sugar   

Enjoy!

Sugar-Free Apple Crisp

As you all know, I've been on something of a sugar detox for the past two months. It has been awesome, and I've really noticed that my sugar cravings have significantly decreased and become super-manageable. (If you want to hear more about it, check out my other posts here, here, and here.) That being said, however, I won't deny that I still have moments where I just want to enjoy a special treat. This recipe is perfect, because it is 100% free of added sugar, but it still totally feels like a treat! The apples and cinnamon are plenty sweet, and the almond meal crumb topping has a perfect crunchy texture. I personally don't miss the sugar at all when I eat this! (Okay, full confession I will admit that the first time I made this I was going to be sharing it with friends, so I cheated and added a tablespoon of honey to both the apples and the topping. I've become a little paranoid that my tastes have adjusted so well that others will find the lack of sugar too noticeable. Honestly, though, they seemed to enjoy it just fine, and when I made it again without any added sweetener I (and my husband too as my impartial judge) didn't notice a difference.)

Sugar-Free Apple Crisp
4-6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 45 minutes            READY IN: 1 hour

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

 For the filling:

• 4 tart apples (I used Granny Smith)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon  

 For the topping:

• 1 cup almond meal/flour (or 1 1/2 cups and omit the oats if you want it grain-free)
• 1/2 cup oats 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter (softened) or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2 tablespoons pecan pieces (optional)

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Cut the apples into thin slices. Combine with lemon juice and cinnamon.
3. Combine the almond meal, oats, cinnamon, butter, water, and pecan pieces in a mixing bowl. Mix until they form a slightly crumbly dough. It should be wet enough that it will just hold together if you form balls (you can add a few more drops of water as needed).
4. In a round or square baking tin (e.g. 8x8 pan or pie tin), spread the apple mixture. Sprinkle the crumb topping as evenly as possible over the apples (you can form small balls and place them "strategically" to cover the top the way you want).
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then bake uncovered for another 20-25 minutes, until the apples are bubbly and top is golden.
6. Serve plain or topped with coconut milk whipped cream (if you want to be 100% sugar-free - and dairy-free too) or some other ice cream or whipped topping.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1/6th of recipe    267 calories   17.6 g fat   26.1 g carbs    4.6 g protein    13.5 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The 21-Day Sugar Detox.

Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know if I've admitted this yet - but I'm addicted to sugar. My family knows it, my friends know it, my work knows it... okay, and I'm pretty sure all our readers know it too! I'm pretty much  known as the "sugar queen." And I realize this isn't the healthiest addiction - so I try my best to find sweet things that can pass for semi-healthy too.

Well, these banana chocolate chip cookies satisfy my sugar craving - but don't do me in on the sugar content. They are easy to make and super yummy - and only have 4.4 g of sugar per serving!! This is my kind of cookie people.

Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
30 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 1/3 cups quick oats (If using whole oats, put them in a food processor or blender for a few seconds to finely chop them up)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. 
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix either with a spatula or hand mixer. Make sure all ingredients are thoroughly combined. It will be sticky.
3. On a greased cookie sheet, drop about 3 tablespoons worth of cookie dough for each cookie. The dough will not spread or rise, so flatten the cookies to your desired shape. 
4. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until slightly brown. You don't want to overcook the cookies because they will dry out. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 cookie    99 calories   5.3 g fat   10.7 g carbs    3.2 g protein    4.4 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Sallys Baking Addiction

Skinny Strawberry Trifle

I'll let you in on a little secret... My husband hates Valentine's Day. He is convinced it was a holiday created by Hallmark. And I've never been one to disagree with him. I think I'd rather have random acts of kindness (or love) shown to one another over a forced holiday that says we have to do something for each other. We are both pretty great at being rebels so when everyone is doing something, we tend to walk away for the sake of creating our own mold. :)

So rather than going out to eat with half the town on February 14, we'd rather snuggle up on the couch together after the kids go to bed and indulge in a yummy dessert. This dessert is perfect just for that, and good news... it's a skinny dessert! Feel free to indulge without the dessert!

Skinny Strawberry Trifle
15 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 angel food cake (I used store bought, but you can make your own if you want)
• 1 pint of strawberries, sliced
• 3.3 ounce white chocolate pudding box
• 16 ounce Lite Cool Whip

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Slice the angel food cake into 15 even pieces. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the white chocolate pudding mix with the cool whip. (OPTIONAL: you can add a little milk to make the mixture a little more creamy. I opted to go without).
3. In a bowl or cup, tear 1/4 of the angel food slice into one inch pieces, add a dollop of the pudding mixture, then a few strawberries. Repeat until you have multiple layers in the dish. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving    179 calories   3.6g fat   31.6g carbs    1.5g protein    9.9g sugar   

Enjoy!

Dairy-Free Rice Pudding

Around the holidays, our family has a favorite traditional dessert. My dad started making it several years ago when he learned about the Danish tradition of eating rice pudding for Christmas. Apparently the tradition is to hide an almond inside the pudding, and then whoever finds the almond in their serving gets a special surprise gift. We haven't adopted the tradition to include the almond surprise, but we have all gotten hooked on this creamy, rich dessert. Every year, we continually ask our dad in the weeks leading up to our holiday visits when he's going to make his famous rice pudding so that we are sure not to miss out.

The original recipe is made by boiling the rice in whole milk, and then folding in with whipped cream. Unfortunately, in recent years my sister, mom, and I have developed an intolerance for dairy (insert sad face). But, instead of missing out on this favorite dessert, I decided this year that we needed to come up with a dairy-free alternative that we could enjoy along with everybody else. I figured that substituting any non-dairy milk to cook the rice in was an easy fix, but the challenge was what to do about the whipped cream. Then I discovered this awesome trick of making whipped cream using coconut milk, and knew that we were in business! The coconut cream is very similar to real whipped cream, and in this recipe it adds in a perfect kiss of coconut flavor. I'm looking forward to adding to our holiday tradition, and making this alongside my dad's version from now on!

Dairy-Free Rice Pudding
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 1 1/2 - 2 hours            READY IN: 2 1/2 - 3 hours

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 3/4 cup short or medium-grain white rice (such as Jasmine or Calrose)
• 3 cups non-dairy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk (to make whipped cream, see directions below)
•  2 cups frozen berries (thawed)

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Combine the rice, milk, and white sugar in the top of a double boiler, with water in a saucepan underneath. Heat over medium-low heat on the stove top for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, keeping the rice and milk covered. Stir occasionally, and remove from heat once the rice is soft and the milk is mostly absorbed.
2. When the rice is cooked, stir in the almond extract and set aside to cool. In the meantime, prepare the whipped coconut cream (directions below). When the rice has cooled, fold in the whipped cream. Serve in individual bowls topped with berries.

To make whipped cream with coconut milk:

• Refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight. (The coconut milk should be very cold in order to whip it.)
• Open the chilled can, and drain off the liquid (you can save this to make smoothies, etc.). Put the more solid part of the coconut milk can in a small mixing bowl. Using a hand blender, whip the coconut cream for 3-5 minutes, until it starts to become fluffy (like whipped cream) and peaks form when you lift the beaters out.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 cup serving    297 calories   11.6 g fat   43.4 g carbs    6.4 g protein    20.7 g sugar   

Enjoy!

Indulgence: Oreo Truffles

My husband's favorite treat to make over the holidays are Oreo Truffles (aka Oreo Balls). They are super simple to make and if you can hold yourself back from eating them all to share them with your friends and neighbors (which will be no small feat!), they will most definitely ask for the recipe. Just trust me on this one. These are definitely an indulgence, but before we kick in with our New Year's resolutions, let's keep this our little secret. Okay?

Oreo Truffles
25 SERVINGS 
PREP: 30 minutes           COOL: 30 minutes            READY IN: 60 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 14.3 ounce package of Oreos (do NOT use double stuf, it won't work as well)
• 8-ounce package of low-fat cream cheese, softened
• 16-ounce vanilla CandiQuik Candy Coating (vanilla almond bark also works)
• Optional: chocolate chips for drizzling over the tops

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a food processor, finely grind all the Oreos. (They should look like coffee grounds when you're done. No large pieces should be found. If so, I usually let the kids sample those. :)
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oreos and cream cheese until it's all mixed together.
3. Form balls bout 3/4"-1" in diameter using your hands. Put on a plate and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
4. Melt the CandiQuik when you're almost done with the 15 minutes of freezing. Dip the oreo balls in the chocolate and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 
5. Optional: Drizzle with melted chocolate.
6. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow everything to set.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 oreo truffle    192 calories   9.8g fat   25.7g carbs    1.5g protein    18.1g sugar   

Enjoy!

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Nut Truffles

Okay, so sometimes I sit down to write my little intro to a recipe, and I get a little bit of writers' block. I'm sure that's no surprise, because really, who doesn't get writers' block when they have to write something? But I'm just putting it out there that I do.

Often, my writers' block is followed by a series of not-so-interesting ideas about what I could say about my recipe -- many of which include cheesy stories about my children, too-much-information memories from my childhood, or stupidly academic facts about the food I'm about to share. Today was one of the latter, and I have to admit I had written at least two (complete … but not diagrammed … I'm not that nerdy!) sentences of dry textbook talk about hot amazingly nutritious walnuts are before I had to give myself a little reality check pep-talk that went something like, "Wow! I sound really enthusiastic about nutrition facts there. That's really nerdy of me … (backspace, backspace, backspace)" This, of course, brought me back to a blank screen and my original writers' block, which has now led me to the probably equally nerdy narrative that I have just given you about how my brain works when writing.

Anywho, back to the recipe … Here's the deal in a nutshell (pun intended, of course!): walnuts are good for you, pumpkin spice is yummy, and these truffles are amazingly delicious ... Try them! (Oh, and don't hesitate to hide them in the freezer so that you get them all to yourself!)

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Nut Truffles
15 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 15 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 cup walnuts
• 8 dates, diced (and soaked if very dry)
• 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin spice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2-1 teaspoon water
• 1/4 cup white chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Place walnuts in a food processor, and pulse until nearly smooth.
2. Add in dates and pumpkin pie spice. Continue pulsing food processor until the dates are combined with the nuts, making a mostly smooth mash. (You may need to add in water, a small amount at a time, to help keep things mixing.)
3. Roll the mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter, and place on a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. (If the mixture is too warm and/or mushy, you can chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to help make it easier to manage.) Place the balls in the freezer for 2-3 hours. 
4. Once the nut balls have hardened in the freezer, you can then roll them in a light coating of melted chocolate. Replace them in the fridge or freezer to allow the chocolate to set.
5. Once the chocolate is set, these can be stored (i.e. hidden) in a plastic bag in the freezer to enjoy as a small snack, or served to (very grateful) friends.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 truffle   79 calories   5.8 g fat   5.8 g carbs    2.6 g protein    4.6 g sugar   

Enjoy! (And don't forget to enter this week's giveaway … just one day left!)

Gluten Free Almond Sugar Cookies

In my effort to cut down on processed sugar in our baking at home, it's a little hard to make the traditional sugar cookies that the kid's crave this time of year. I found this great alternative to sugar cookies on Detoxinista and modified it to use what I have in my pantry. The result was fabulous-- though I'm not sure my children were impressed by the lack of color in the frosting. We may have to work on that! The coconut flavor combined with the almonds is perfect. These almost reminded me of the Samoa Girl Scout cookies. Sounds strange, because there's no chocolate or caramel, but that's immediately what my mind went to when I first tried them. If you'd like, you can use raw honey instead... it would help the frosting "set up" a little more.

Gluten Free Almond Sugar Cookies
18 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 8-10 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

FOR THE COOKIES:

• 2 cups almond meal (I used Trader Joe's)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened (or use butter instead, but the coconut gives these a wonderful flavor!)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
 

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of fine sea salt

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together cookie ingredients until well combined. 
3. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper and form cookie dough into 15 equal round balls. Place on the parchment paper and press down with your hand. 
4. Place in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. They will not look done, but they probably are. If you cook them for much longer, the bottoms will burn.
5. Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes.
6. While they're cooling, make the frosting. This doesn't seem like much frosting, but it's the perfect amount for these cookies. :)

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving    122 calories   9.8g fat   8.1g carbs    2.3g protein    6.2g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Detoxinista.