I’m always on the lookout for delicious, yet healthy cookie recipes. You can never have enough, right?

And these are just that. No butter. No eggs. No sugar. Just peanut butter. Chocolate (okay, maybe a little bit of sugar). Maple Syrup. And some other basic ingredients.

These satisfy my sweet tooth. Which is important, especially because lately it’s been out of control. After every meal I feel the need for a small piece of something sweet. Usually chocolate.

The awesome thing about these cookies? I don’t feel guilty when I eat one. Or two. And, as always, my kids loved them. They’re kid-approved!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

recipe slightly adapted from The Fauxmartha

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more for sprinkling, if wanted)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (I bet coconut oil would be good as well)
• 1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In a larger bowl, whisk together your peanut butter, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla until all mixed together. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour until ingredients are combined.
4. Stir in dark chocolate.
5. Refrigerate dough for 15-30 minutes.
6. Using a tablespoon, scoop dough onto lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Using a fork, make a criss-cross pattern on each cookie and sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt if desired.
7. Bake 10-13 minutes or until the bottoms are starting to brown. Mine were perfect at 10 minutes. Let cool, and then move to a wire rack.
8. Enjoy!

– Jill

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I’m really lazy when it comes to breakfast. We generally have cereal or smoothies for breakfast. As I’ve been trying to cut out cereal because most of it is so bad for you, I’ve been looking for healthy, yet yummy alternatives.

I’ve found my go-to breakfast: Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies! Reinman ate one and said, “Wow! These are great! They just like banana bread.” Win, win, win!

I was going to just call them “Breakfast Cookies” but adding in the banana bread part seemed perfect.

These are super filling, super healthy, and very, very tasty. I added raisins and a handful of chocolate chips which gives these cookies their sweetness. This recipe is also very versatile, which means you can add in whatever you want. Different nuts, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, seeds, whatever you want!

Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies

recipe slightly adapted from The Pulp Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1/2 cup nuts, chopped (I used walnuts)
• 1 cup mixed fruit, seeds, or other add-ins (I did 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup raisins)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix all the ingredients except the bananas, applesauce, and vanilla in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mash up your bananas. Then add applesauce and vanilla.
4. Mix your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients. If the mixture seems to dry, you could add in a little bit of milk or water to bring it together. I didn’t have to do that this time.
5. Place heaping tablespoon-fulls of dough onto the lined cookie sheet. Mold into circles and press down a bit. Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
6. Enjoy!

– Jill

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So, yesterday on Facebook, someone asked me for a granola bar recipe. Apparently, I don’t have one. I do, however, have these awesome Crunchy Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Squares. Wow, I forgot about those. They are so awesome!

So, I went on a quest. I wanted granola bars that were made with honey, instead of white sugar. I wanted them somewhat “healthy.” What I found were a lot of recipes with butter (which I was out of), and Rice Krispies (which we rarely have), so I continued to look. And then I found a recipe from Smitten Kitchen (love her!) that was perfect.

I tweaked her recipe a bit, using the ingredients I had on hand (and I bet you have these ingredients on hand, too!). What came out was wonderful chocolatel-y, crispy, healthy goodness.

The mini chocolate chips and craisins make these granola bars slightly sweet, but not overly sweet. These are much better than the store bought bars and my kids loved them. They ate them up, and I had no problem with that.

Make these and you will love them!

Crunchy Granola Bars

recipe slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 & 1/2 cups oats (quick-cooking or instant work best)
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup flaxseed meal or wheat germ
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mix-ins (I did mini chocolate chips and craisins, but you can use whatever you want.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir the oats and almonds together in a 8×11″ baking dish and bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown and smelling good.
2. While still warm, put the oats and almonds in a large bowl. Mix in the flaxseed. Then stir in the honey, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is coated in honey goodness.
3. Stir in your chocolate chips and craisins, or whatever mix-ins you want. Press the mixture back into the 8×11″ baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper. You want to press it down really hard to pack it in as tightly as possible. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly brown.
4. Let cool in baking dish for 1-2 hours and then cut into squares using a serrated knife. (Hmmm… I probably should have used a serrated knife. I forgot. Oops!).
5. If you want to keep your granola bars crunchy, keep them in the freezer. If you keep them at room temp., they’ll soften.
6. Enjoy!

– Jill

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Here’s a yummy, good-looking cookie for you all!

What I really like about this recipe is that you bake the cookie log, and then you freeze them and cut them into cookies whenever you want one. Or two..

These taste really good, like a sweet chocolate sugar cookie and look awesome on a cookie plate. I’ll definitely be making these again!

Bake and Slice Chocolate Swirls

recipe from Recipegirl.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 T coconut oil (or shortening)
• 3/4 cup butter, at room temp
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional– I did one of the cookie logs with the nuts.)
• powdered sugar mixed with red and green sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt your chocolate chips with the condensed milk and coconut oil.
3. In a large bowl, cream your butter, salt, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Add in flour and mix well. If you need to add a few drops of milk to hold the dough together, go ahead and do that.
4. Divide the dough into thirds. Roll each one on a floured surface into a 10×6-inch rectangle. Spread chocolate filling on each rectangle and sprinkle with nuts, if desired.
5. Roll up dough starting with the long side. Transfer log to lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining doughs.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light brown. Let sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle the tops of the cookie logs with the powdered sugar mix. You can either freeze the logs like this or cut into slices.
7. Enjoy!

– Jill

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I apparently have a thing for turning my favorite cake into everything and anything. See here and here.

These are no exception. These Hanky Panky Truffles do not disappoint. They are wonderfully chocolate, have a bit of a crunch from the heath bits, and are sweet because of the caramel and condensed milk drizzle.

These are decadent. One is enough. (Or two if you’re my husband.) His first question was, “Can I eat these?” Why, yes, please do. His response after eating a couple, “These were so good!” Awww, I love that kind of feedback!

Hanky Panky Truffles

a Reini Days original!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/8 cup caramel sauce
• 1/8 cup sweetened-condensed milk
• 1-8 oz bag of heath bits (found in the baking aisle by the chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Pour your heavy cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then add your vanilla extract.
2. Put your chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl and add the heavy cream. Let sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the chocolate chips should be melted. If not, put back in saucepan on low for a few minutes until melted and mixed together.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread chocolate chip mixture on it. Refrigerate for an hour.
4. Mix caramel sauce and milk in a small bowl, and set aside.
5. Crush up heath bits to make them even smaller. I did this in a mini food processor. Put in a small bowl, and set aside.
6. Take the chocolate chip/heavy cream mixture out of the fridge. Using a teaspoon roll chocolate into a ball. Drizzle caramel/milk mixture on top and then roll in crushed heath bits. You will make a bit of a mess, but that’s okay! It’s fun! Repeat with the rest of the chocolate.
7. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
8. Enjoy!

I am entering this Hanky Panky Truffle recipe into Creative Holiday Recipe Contest hosted by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen and Cookies and Cups. Go to either of their sites to check out the fun recipes!

– Jill

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Every time I eat one of these cookies I think, “Wow. Can this really taste that good?!” Yes. Yes, it can.

There’s a little bit of effort into making these cookies, but it’s so worth it! They’re sweet, but not overly sweet. And, honestly, they really taste like a cinnamon roll but in cookie form. Adding these to your cookie baking list would please everyone!

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

recipe from Bakers Royale

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour plus 2 T (I did half white, half whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 tsp cinnamon, plus 1 T, divided
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter plus 3 T, softened and divided
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, divided
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 T milk

Directions:

1. Stir together flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat 1/2 cup butter, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar until light in color. Add in egg yolk, applesauce, and vanilla, and beat to mix.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Divide dough in half, wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place remaining cinnamon and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a bowl and mix.
4. Remove one wrapped dough and since the dough will be sticky place between 2 large pieces of wax paper and roll out to 1/4-inch thick. Spread 1 & 1/2 T butter on dough and half the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Roll up dough, starting with the long side. Place dough seam side down on plastic wrap and cover. Repeat with remaining dough, butter, and cinnamon/sugar mixture. Refrigerate doughs for another 30-45 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
6. Remove dough from fridge and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, and then move to wire rack to cool completely.
7. Whisk powdered sugar and milk together. Add more milk if needed. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
8. Enjoy!

– Jill

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Oh, cookies. I have a love/hate relationship with you. I love baking you, and eating you, but you are horrible to my waist line.

I probably should start working out more. Or at all. Maybe even going for a walk would be good.

Anyways, these cookies are to die for. They’re really tasty, and they have a cornflake crunch to them which gives these cookies a really fun texture.

To find this delicious recipe, visit me over at My Healthy O’Hana (Not so healthy today thanks to me…Haha!)

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