Everyone has a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe but not many have a go-to oatmeal cookie recipe.

As soon as I pulled these out of the oven and tasted them these became mine.

Chex is launching this month a line of oatmeal including flavored oatmeal packets and sent me some to try. I’m glad gluten-free oats aren’t a “specialty” food anymore and it’s easier to get classics like packaged oatmeal. The maple brown sugar flavor was by far the best breakfast I’ve had in a while.

Instead of loose oatmeal this recipe uses quick-cooking packaged oatmeal. It’s an easy way to add a lot of flavor. When you’re baking it’s better to use quick-cooking oats than rolled oats because they’ll bake faster and softer. 

I made mine with chocolate chips, but if you wanted to make these healthier you could add chopped walnuts, pecans, or even dried blueberries! Basically, if you’d have it with a bowl of oatmeal, it’s going to go great with these cookies. 

Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 14 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 24 cookies):

• 3 packets Chex gluten-free maple brown sugar oatmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free or regular flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oatmeal packets, flour, sugar, chocolate chips, and baking powder.
3. Add in the vanilla extract, butter, and eggs and mix thoroughly until it makes a soft dough.
4. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and flatten them out just a bit before putting them on a nonstick baking tray. 
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the bottoms begin to brown. 
6. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

Bananas get a worse rap than any other fruit. You never hear of people who refuse to eat blueberries or mangoes; what makes the banana so loathable?

If you do love bananas then this is the right cookie recipe. They aren’t overly cakey or fruity–they’re just right.

The flour I used was Betty Crocker’s gluten free baking flour. It’s mostly rice based which keeps the cookies light and airy. If you use wheat flour I’d suggest all-purpose or cake flour.

I made mine with coconut oil and the flavor was even better. If you don’t have coconut oil, try adding shredded coconut.

Banana White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 18 cookies):

• 1 banana, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil(coconut oil works well here)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips 

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together the banana, eggs, oil, and vanilla. 
3. Add in the baking powder, sugar, flour, and salt and mix well until it makes a soft dough.
4. Fold in the white chocolate chips evenly. 
5. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and flatten them to about 1/2 inch thickness before putting them on a nonstick baking tray. 
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the bottoms begin to brown and the top is crispy. 
7. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

If there’s any way to make peace after 2 weeks of not posting it’s this recipe.

Spending the weekend with friends or family is great but usually leads to a week without recipes. Last weekend was the exception. My friend Eury visited and stayed with me and insisted(she’s going to hate that word–“suggested”) we make the raw fudge pie recipe she’s been working on.

Whether you’re gluten-free or gluten-full, vegan or a meat lover, there’s no denying raw desserts are just better than regular ones. They’re always fudgier, creamier, more flavorful, and easy to convince yourself they’re healthy so you can go back for seconds.

With permission I’m sharing Eury’s recipe which’ll easily win over the staunchest crowd. The cashew filling has the same taste and texture as any milk chocolate fudge.  If you do not care about the health benefits of eating raw and only make this because raw desserts have amazing flavors and textures, feel free to substitute the maple syrup for honey, corn syrup, or simple syrup. 

Raw Chocolate Fudge Pie

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 16 servings):

For the crust:

• 3/4 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 2 cups cashews
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Method:

1. Pulse the almonds and walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped.
2. Add in the syrup, cocoa powder, and vanilla for the crust and continue processing until it forms a mixed dough.
3. Press the dough into a 9-inch pan until the bottom’s about 1/4-inch thick.
4. For the filling, process the cashews into a fine powder. Make sure not to over blend them into cashew butter.
5. Add in the maple syrup and water and continue blending until smooth.
6. Add in the rest of the ingredients and process until it forms a smooth liquid filling.
7. Pour the filling over the crust and spread into an even layer.
8. Refrigerate for ~4 hours until the center has set. Cut with a sharp knife into servings. Refrigerate when not enjoying.

These are not the best cupcakes I had for my birthday. In fact, the cake part didn’t come out all that well since I made them on the fly without measuring anything(only to be surprised Saturday night with a batch of homemade banana cupcakes with Nutella frosting). But they were entirely edible if only because of the frosting.

This frosting though was just right. It’s sweet and vanilla at first with a nutty peanut butter finish. It’d be great on just about any cake or cupcake, and it’s easy to decorate with chocolate chips or Reese’s Puffs.

For this recipe, look for natural peanut butter without any added oils or stabilizers. It’ll mix in with the other ingredients the easiest and have a better, stronger flavor.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 Tablespoons all natural no oil peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 Tablespoons cream or whole milk

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla with an electric beater.
2. Slowly add just enough milk until the ingredients make a thick but smooth buttercream.
3. Scoop into a pastry bag and use immediately.