Tag Archives: oats

Surprisingly Good Tahini Oat Cookies

Tahini Oat CookiesThis recipe comes from dubious beginnings – I was just looking for a way to use up extra oats I had ground. I was skeptical about these cookies because although I have been trying to bake healthier, these seemed too healthy. What emerged from my oven was a pleasant surprise. They taste a bit like peanut butter cookies but are more complex and with a hint of caramel. Even my chocoholic husband went back for more.

The cookies were already vegan, so the high altitude changes I made were adding flour and reducing baking powder. I also added milk for a moisture boost. They can easily be made nut-free depending on the type of non-dairy milk chosen.

Surprisingly Good Tahini Oat Cookies adapted from the Whole Foods blog
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup + 1 TBS whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
2 tsp arrowroot
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 TBS sesame seeds
1/2 tsp non-dairy milk
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Grind oats in a blender until coarsely ground. Place in a bowl and whisk together with flour, baking powder and salt. Combine maple syrup, tahini, sesame oil, arrowroot and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir tahini mixture into oat mixture.
Spread sesame seeds onto a large plate. Form small balls of dough with your hands and roll the balls on the plate to coat with seeds. Tap to release excess seeds. Arrange dough on prepared baking sheets 2” apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown on bottom and puffed, 13-14 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Makes 24 cookies.

Until next time, happy baking!

Custom Granola Bars

granola barsI know granola bars aren’t a decadent baked treat, but now that I have made them I can say I won’t be buying them in the store. They are like rice krispy treats – you melt some stuff, add some stuff to it, and put it in a pan. You do have to actually bake granola bars, but the oven really does that work. And once you’ve made rice treats you would (probably) never buy them. You know yours are better. Same with granola bars.

Admittedly, my first attempt was more granola than granola bar, but it tasted great over yogurt. Then I realized that I needed more of a ‘spackle’ so I tweaked a few things and got a bar that held together. There are no tips for baking at altitude because it wasn’t a factor; the only consideration was the lack of humidity requiring spackle because the mix was a bit dry. But the best part – I used ingredients I had on hand. I chose the nuts and fruit I like, with added chocolate, and I didn’t include yucky things like high fructose corn syrup. Here comes breakfast.

Until next time, happy baking!

custom granola bars
Print Recipe

Custom Granola Bars

I know granola bars aren't a decadent baked treat, but now that I've made them I can say I won't be buying them again. They are like rice krispy treats, and once you've made rice treats you would (probably) never buy them. You know yours are better. Same with granola bars.
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Bar Cookies, Granola, High Altitude, Recipe
Servings: 8
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 8 x 8-inch baking pan

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons agave syrup
  • 4 tablespoons refined coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons almond butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 3 tablespoons flax seeds ground
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dried cherries
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dates
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8 x 8" pan and set aside.
  • Melt agave syrup, coconut oil, almond butter and cinnamon together over gentle heat in a pan. Remove from heat and add flax seeds.
  • Combine oats, pumpkin seeds, cherries, dates, and chocolate chips in a bowl. Pour almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to form a sticky mixture. Press mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Will keep for up to a week when stored in an airtight container.

Notes

Adapted from The Medicinal Chef by Dale Pinnock

Fruit and Oat Bars

fruit and oat barsThis recipe was inspired by a trip to the farmer’s market. I purchased several jars of unusual flavored jams but couldn’t figure out what to do with them. Then I decided that I could incorporate all of them as a distinct filling for oat bars.

I found a recipe that was already vegan, so I only had to add a few modifications. To increase flour for high altitude and give more protein for structure, I swapped out a small amount of flour for almond flour. For health benefits, I used coconut sugar instead of some brown sugar.

Now the fun began – playing with flavor combinations. I used 2 oz each of seedless marionberry, elderberry, wild cactus, and rose petal jams. When I added the marionberry and elderberry jams, I sprinkled only those flavors with chocolate chips. With the wild cactus and rose petal jams, I sprinkled them with cardamom before adding the topping. So grab all of those partially eaten jars of jam from the fridge and get started.

Fruit and Oat Bars adapted from Earth Balance Raspberry Lemon Bars
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 less 2 TBS cup all-purpose flour
2 TBS almond flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed down
11 TBS vegan margarine, cold
8 oz jam, one or several flavors
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 TBS coconut sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 TBS chocolate chips
Toast oats and almonds on separate pans in 350F oven for 8 minutes. Remove from trays to cool. In a food processor, pulse together cooled oats, flours, flax seed, brown sugar and margarine until just mixed and crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup of crust mixture and press remainder firmly into the bottom of an 8 x 8″ pan that has been lined with non-stick foil. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
While the crust is baking, warm jam in a hot water bath made by heating a small amount of water in a large pan and gently warming the jars of jam. When the crust is out of the oven, spread sections of jam across the crust. To make the topping, pulse the toasted almonds in a food processor along with the reserved crust mixture, coconut sugar, and salt. Sprinkle topping and chocolate chips over jam and press to adhere. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is browned. Place on a rack and cool completely. Use foil to remove from pan and slice into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Until next time, happy baking!