peanut butter crunch brownies

So hey, hi, hello. Yes, I'm still alive, can you believe it! It's kinda surreal that I haven't posted since May, when I was sitting in my little room in 9,000 miles away, bored out of my poor little mind. Since coming home, I've thought so many times, "Do I really want to keep blogging? Maybe I should delete my spot in the blogosphere." I've been so busy all day, every single day, and it's like a constant cycle. Wake up. Do school. Run cross country. Do my respective activity for the night. Come home. Watch TV. Go to bed. Repeat. I was afraid I'd never get around to posting anymore. 

But as per usual, my way of relieving stress is baking and with my hectic schedule, I'll be honest. I have no shortage of stress. I'd begun missing messing around in the kitchen with my notepad, pen, and camera close by. So here I am. Back with a vengeance. (I'm looking at you, you sexy peanut butter crunchy brownies, you.) Making time to do what I love. And eating brownies for lunch. Just like the good 'ol days. 

Although I've baked a few times, usually on the weekends, it's typically something pretty boring and practical for the weekday mornings like granola or banana bread. But everyone needs brownies in their lives every once in awhile. Vegans included. 

I've tried SO many vegan brownie recipes it's absolutely ridiculous and none of them have ever been anything worth going nuts (PUUUUN.) over. They always have some weird substitutions and resultant textures. I don't care what you say, BANANA IS NOT BUTTER. 

I am happy to announce, the search is over! I made these brownies, with a couple changes of course, from the ever-talented Minimalist Baker. I followed the recipes somewhat closely and they were a little thin for my liking. Other than that, they were perfectly dense, chewy, and rich. The second I bit into one, I knew they were destined for greatness… i.e. peanut butter and sea salt. 

I'll warn you, the brownie batter will look more like cookie dough. But don't worry, guys. It's all g. Swirl in some peanut butter, sprinkle with sea salt, scatter with roasted peanuts and life is great. Don't bake them for too long or they'll end up dry and crumbly- they're vegan remember, so you don't have to worry about leaving the center a little raw! Let them cool completely before cutting or you'll have a mess on your hands. If you're impatient and having a serious chocolate craving, pop them in the freezer. You won't regret it, I promise.  

vegan peanut butter crunch brownies 

3/4 c. coconut oil, softened

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk

1/4 c. all purpose flour

2/3 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 c. creamy natural peanut butter, melted

1/4 c. unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped 

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line an 8x8 in. pan with parchment paper; set aside. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk coconut oil, milk, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. 

3. Add flour, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Stir until combined. Press into prepared pan. 

4. Spoon peanut butter onto brownies and swirl with a knife. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. 

5. Bake for 12-16 minutes- brownies should still be a little bit raw in the center. Let cool completely before slicing into squares. (For a speedy cooling process place pan in freezer for 5-10 minutes or until firm.) Recipe yields 9 small brownies or 12 large brownies. 

raw banana nut bars

I've said it before, but since becoming health-conscious, I crave really weird things which is satisfying and terrifying all at the same time only because I wasn't always like this. It's so cool how our tastebuds adjust after only a few weeks or even a few days of eating a certain way. This is the only explanation I have for nights I no longer crave ice cream and bread, but steamed spinach and homemade energy bars. For this reason, I always have the fridge and freezer stalked with homemade goodies (and bags of spinach.)

The other day I was perusing through the greatness that is Oh Lady Cakes and was immediately feeling inspired to experiment with some more raw desserts. I jotted down tons of ideas I had popping up left and right, but first up were these raw banana nut bars. I almost called this recipe raw banana bread because that's really what they taste like. I figured some people (namely my family who I had a conversation with about this earlier) would be out for my head though, considering these things are nowhere NEAR bread with the absence butter, sugar, flour, and baking. So raw banana nut bars it is. 

I'm secretly hoping that I'll forget these are stashed away in the freezer drawer when I go rummaging for something to satisfy my sweet tooth. But let's be real here. I'm not gonna stop thinking about these anytime soon and they'll most likely be gone within the next 24 hours. 

raw banana nut bars

1 c. chopped dates

1 c. raw nuts (I used pecans), finely chopped

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. pure honey or maple syrup

1/4 c. flax seeds

1 c. quick cooking oats

pinch of cinnamon

In a small bowl, soak dates in boiling water. let sit for 5-10 minutes or until soft then drain and chop finely. In a large bowl, mix dates, bananas, vanilla, and honey. Add in flax seeds and oats. (You can either leave the dough like this or place in a food processor for a more fine texture. I like them chunky though!) Press dough into a small pan lined with parchment paper and cut into six squares. 

honey coconut date bars

It's weird to think back on how my life has changed so much in the last two and a half years since moving to Africa. Words can hardly even convey what I want to say, but let's just say I'll be going back a completely different person. 

It seems like just yesterday my school day lasted until about eleven, we would go to swim class with all our homeschool muchachos, and go to Wendy's for chicken burgers and Frosty's afterward. I remember hanging out with my friends before youth group every weekend and talking about how hard it would be for me to move half way across the world. Since then, I've realized what true friendships are. I've lost so many and gained many more. 

It definitely does not seem like I've been away from the life, family, friends, and surroundings I've ever known for two and a half years. These last years have been a complete roller coaster ride. There were months of absolute highs and "OHMYGOSHIFREAKINGLOVEMYLIFE." and there were many months of lows where I was so depressed I could hardly motivate myself to do anything but stuff my face hole with chocolate. But I've learned so much, mostly about myself, and have emerged from it all a completely strong and totally changed person. 

As our time in Africa is winding down to a close, I'm trying to prepare myself for the months that so unclearly lie ahead. Although I don't have too many people or relationships to detach from, it's hard for me to remember a life outside of this with a much faster pace. I've become so accustomed to down time and I've learned to secretly love it. How will I go back to having school, extra classes, running track, church and youth group, friends, and finding time for peace and BAKING? 

I'm also trying to prepare myself for the people situation. Like I mentioned, since coming here, it's been really hard to keep up relationships with people 9,000 miles across the globe. I know that when I go back, the whole dynamic of my friend group will have changed and I most likely won't go back to relationships I had when we left. 

For so many months, I wanted nothing more than to leave. I had fallen into a habit of looking to the next thing instead of soaking up the present. 

And although I still look forward to going home, hugging my G'ma, squeezing all the juices out of my gorgeous best friend, ordering a Starbucks latte, kissing my sweet puppy and breathing in her many aromas, and shopping at actual shopping malls with actual stores and actual quality clothing, I know there are many things I'll miss here. The gorgeous sunsets on my runs every evening. The stars glowing up in the sky, untainted from man-made anything. The cute kids with such gorgeous colored skin, flashing their big white smiles. It was here that I fell in love with health and wellness and discovered the path I wanted to travel with my life. Good things always come from seemingly depressing situations; no matter how deep you fall, you'll come out so much higher than you ever were before. 

Anyways, I really do nawwwwwwwt know how to transition from all that to all this. But if you could taste rainbows and puffy hearts, they would be these bars. 

honey coconut date bars {vegan}

1 c. roughly chopped dates

2/3 c. finely shredded coconut

1 c. oats, divided

2/3 c. wholewheat flour

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. softened coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. honey

4 tbsp. nondairy milk

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a 4x9 in. pan with parchment paper. Place chopped dates in a mug or bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain and mash with a fork until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, coconut, cinnamon, and 3/4 c. oats. Add coconut oil, vanilla, honey, and milk. Mix until combined. Press 3/4 of the mixture into prepared pan and spread dates in an even layer. Add the rest of the oats to the remaining dough and crumble on top of date layer. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before slicing into squares. Yields about 12 bars. 

seed & date power bars

Typically, I thoroughly enjoy turning not-so-healthy desserts into healthy ones and do my best to make them taste like the real thing. But sometimes those escapades turn into chocolate cookies that are an odd shade of matte brown with a taste somewhat resembling play-doh. BLEHHH. It's really disheartening when I'm craving something rich, chocolatey, and satisfying and don't want to feel like a whale. But then there's other times where I actually CRAVE healthy food. I crave spinach and big bowls of roasted veggies allthetime and bananas pretty much every day. I crave things that taste like they've been birthed from the earth {sorry, too much?} and taste natural and wholesome. That's when I whip up batches of granola bars, energy bites, and things like that to have stored away in the freezer {if they make it that far} for when the craving strikes. 

I made some bars similar to these awhile ago, but it was one of those days where writing down measurements and snapping photos was just about the last thing I wanted to do. Of course, it's those days where my recipes always turn out the best, so I decided to remake them for the blog because they were just that good. This is one of those recipes that can be made from whatever you have around. I chose some oats, coconut, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. I threw in a dash of cinnamon for good measure and just a teensy bit of honey because the dates already bring a lot of natural sweetness. I bake these for a few minutes just to set them up, but you could just as easily leave them raw since there's nothing that requires cooking in the recipe. I have to say though, straight from the oven, they're pretty bomb. 

These bars are packed full of good-for-you ingredients that leave you satisfied without a drop in energy an hour later. They're jammed with tons of superfoods, healthy fats, protein, fiber, and antioxidants all needed for a healthy, happy body! The bars are so soft and chewy {I want to say like a candy bar, but let's be real here… Dates = candy bar? No.} and taste very sweet and caramely thanks to the dates. Of course, this recipe is so easily adaptable, you could sub in different kinds of nuts, sweeteners, seeds, grains, or dried fruit. No matter what you fill them with, you have a healthy, nourishing, and satisfying snack or quick brekkie.  

date & seed power bars {vegan & GF}

1 c. dates 

2 tbsp. softened coconut oil

1 tbsp. honey

1/4 c. desiccated coconut flakes

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

1/4 c. pumpkin seeds

3 tbsp. flax seeds

1 tbsp. poppyseeds

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1/4 c. quick cooking oats

vanilla {optional}

cinnamon {optional}

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line an 8x8 in. pan with parchment paper. Chop dates until fine and add a little bit of hot water to soften if needed. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and stir until evenly combined. Pour into prepared pan and press down firmly with the back of a spatula. Bake for 8-10 minutes and let cool before slicing into 8 even bars. 

no bake brownies with chocolate ganache

Oh man. I am coming at you today, full-force, fudgey brownies, chocolate smudges all over my face {and arms and legs}, yelling REALLYLOUD with all my chocolate-induced energy and jubilee. This is a good day, my dear friends. A good day indeed. 

We all know brownies are the lifeline for many. But when you live an emotional life *cough cough*, brownies probably shouldn't be on the menu every day if you still want to squeeze into those skinny jeans with out producing an impressive muffin top. HOWEVER. If we're eating raw brownies, then go at it. Eat them. They're amazing, satisfying, fudgey, and nourishing to your body. Chocolate for all!

At first, I was just planning on making plain raw brownies. But then I decided to take it to a whole new level with some chocolate ganache made from coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. Whisk it up until it thickens and at this point, it's probably you've died and gone to heaven. I drizzled the ganache over my brownies and had a little left over, so I decided to just smear it on there afterwards instead of putting it a "container" "to save" "for another time". Let's face it. It'd be in the fridge for about two minutes and then I'd be eating it with a spoon. Or better yet my fingaahhhhs. 

It honestly irritates me when people are like "EWW, I can't eat healthy because all you can eat is sticks and twigs and kale." But those people are doing something wrong! They're thinking about what they can't eat instead of making do with what they can. I'm not saying I'm just "making do" with these brownies though. They're more than satisfying, filling, and give the kind of energy that actually sticks around unlike the crashes that sugary sweets provide. 

These brownies can be whipped up in a flash, especially if you have a good food processor unlike me who has an average blender and has to grind the ingredients separately. They don't require too many ingredients and will definitely satisfy your chocolate cravings like no other. The ganache is optional, but… not really. After drizzling/drenching the brownies with the ganache and chilling, the ganache firms up only slightly producing the fudgiest, most rich brownie of my dreams without even turning on the oven. Huzzah. 

no bake brownies with chocolate ganache {vegan & GF}

brownies: 

1/3 c. raw almonds

2 tbsp. flax seeds

1/4 c. oats

1/2 c. chopped dates, tightly packed

1 tbsp. coconut oil

3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tbsp. maple syrup/honey

2 tbsp. non-dairy milk

ganache: 

2 tbsp. melted coconut oil

1 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Place all brownie ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until evenly combined. If it seems to dry, you can add more milk and if it seems to wet, you can add more nuts or oats until it reaches the consistency you want. Press into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the ganache until smooth and slightly thickened. Drizzle over brownies. Slice into 6 bars or squares. Store covered in a freezer until serving.

PB&J crumb bars

These bars have been on my to-bake list for quite a long time. Isn't it the best feeling to check things off a list? Whether it be school assignments, miles to run, or things to make, it feels good to get things done. I'm definitely one of those people who gets high off of the a sense of productivity and accomplishment. 

Anyways, when we were out of town a few weeks ago, I found this cute, dinky little store that had a bunch of health food. I got some gluten-free flours I was excited {maybe a little tooooooo excited.} to try out. At first I was a little worried these flours would turn out gummy textures like some other GF flours. Um EW, you guys. In case you didn't know, gummy cookies and bars are not a good situation. 

Well those flours delivered! No gumminess and you'd never know they were gluten-free. I ended up making these bars both gluten-free AND vegan. I was feeling rather adventurous. Living on the edge. My family LOVED these bars and as we all know, they're the real stamp of approval. My brothers and my dad inhaled these and claimed they were the best bars I'd ever made. {I've kinda made a lot of bars in my day, so…} I said I'd keep my lips shut, but ended up blurting out that they were gluten-free and vegan. My dad's reply was "Oh don't tell me that bad stuff." It's not bad, it's good, believe it or not. But to each their own. 

These bars are simple, require only a few easy ingredients, are healthy, naturally sweetened, gluten-free, and vegan. They're chewy and crumbly {the good crumbly}, and taste like a peanut butter and jelly SANDWICH. It's been way too long since I've had one of those. But now I can have them in the form of these bars! They make great snacks or if we're being real here. BREAKFAST. Dewwwitttttt.

PB& J crumb bars {vegan & GF}

3/4 c. peanut butter

1/3 c. honey/maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. tapioca flour

1/3 c. sorghum flour

3/4 c. oats, divided

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. jam {I used cherry}

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease or line a 9x13 in. pan. In a large bowl, whisk peanut butter, vanilla, and sweetener. Add flours, baking powder, and 1/2 c. of the oats. Press about 3/4 of the dough evenly into prepared pan. Spread jam in an even layer, keeping about an inch away from the sides. Add the rest of the oats to the remaining dough. Crumble on top of the bars and bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cool before slicing. Yields about 12 squares.

mini almond snickers bars

boyohboyohboyohboyohboyyyyyyyyyy. SNICKERS FOR YOUR FACE. They're raw, healthy, vegan, gluten free, tiny, naturally sweetened, delicious, and really magical. Oh, my heart. BUT they're healthy you guys! So that means that when you have them all out of the freezer to take pictures of them like the weirdo that you are and they get all melty and messy, you just eat them. It makes cleaning up a whole lot easier, ya know? Oh man you guys. These are so good. I may have had like 5 already today, but its taking every ounce of self control {left} in me not to go ravaging through the freezer and shoving two at a time in to my pie hole. MMM. 

It's been ages since I had a legit Snickers bar. The last time I had one I was probably all looking like a toothpick, red, and pimply. Although I could easily have one since they have them at the grocery store here, I honestly won't. Too much sugar and gross things in there, it scares me! Oh how I've changed. When I gave these to my family to try, my dad asked if they were real. Hmmph. Well if "real" means full of processed sugar, chemicals, additives, and fake flavoring, then no. They're not real. But if by "real" you mean birthed from the earth {ew, sorry.}, then YES. They're real. So real. 

I'm not sure I have my family 100% convinced. My little brother is the pickiest eater and when I said there were dates in them, he spit it out. Not because he thought it tasted bad or he sensed something weird in there. Just because I mentioned there was fruit in his chocolate bar. My bad. I made these bars twice- first time around, I had no patience, cut them like 8 hours before I should have, and things got oozy and cracked. It was like a caramely murder scene. Second go-round, I had my method all thought out and things went way better. Until I realized we were clean out of peanuts. NOOO I NEED MEH NUTSSSSSSSSSSS. So I compromised with almonds. I was all freaking out like "WHAT! I CAN'T PUT ALMONDS IN THESE AND CALL THEM SNICKERS! THAT'S LYINGGGGGGG!" But my mom lovingly assured me that almond snickers are indeed a thing and all was well in the world. 

mini almond snickers bars {vegan & gf}

yields 14 small squares

date caramel

1/2 c. chopped dates, tightly packed

pinch of sea salt

splash of vanilla extract

1 tbsp. pure maple syrup

shortbread

1/3 c. chopped dates, tightly packed

3/4 c. oats

2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

chocolate coating

1/3 c. melted coconu oil

3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

1/3 c. raw almonds {or peanuts}

Prepare the date caramel: In a kettle or sauce pan, bring water to a boil {enough to submerge the dates.} Place dates in a small bowl and submerge in water, soaking for 5-10 minutes until soft. Once softened, drain the dates preserving the date water. Add dates to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Depending on the strength of your processor, you may need to add some of the reserved water to get things moving. 

Prepare the shortbread: Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until combined. Press into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Top with date caramel, spreading evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with raw almonds. Place in freezer for 6+ hours or overnight. 

Slice into 14 squares. And place back in the freezer while you prepare the chocolate coating by whisking all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth, letting sit for a few minutes and allowing to thicken slightly. Remove bars from freezer and dip in the chocolate individually, placing onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place back in freezer for 2+ hours or until set. Store in freezer. 

peanut butter oatmeal brownies

OHHHHH, YOU GUYSSSSSSSSS. These brownies are so good that I posted them today instead of my other recipe I had chilling in my drafts folder. The other recipe is chocolate and peanut butter too. I've got problems. Ok so, first things first. I think it is my duty to tell you that I edited that first picture about 6 different times. {and my brain is obviously all the places at the moment. Bear with me.} The lighting wasn't right. It needed to be cropped. OH LOOK, I was saving it as the wrong file the last five times. So that was annoying. But I'm OCD and I really liked that picture so gosh dang it, I'll find the right exposure. Stubbornness really pays off sometimes. {Ask my gym buddies. Heh.} 

Now onto more important things. CHOCOLAWWWWWT. It was really weird, the other day I was seriously like a chocolate freak- even more so than usual- and I began questioning my sanity. How does one eat chocolate in 4 different forms in just 24 hours? I'LL TELL YOU. A mini vegan crunch bar {or two.}, a square of 70% dark chocolate, a chocolate smoothie, and an energy bite. That's how it's done, yo. I thought that after my chocolate-filled day, I'd be good for awhile, right? Wrong. About an hour before I went to the gym, I needed a brownie. Let me make this clear- I did not want a brownie. I needed one like my freaking life depended on it. Woman problems. Of course, I wanted to make them healthy {SURPRISE} because I wanted to eat one before the gym and not feel all gross and weighed down. Running with butter and sugar and flour in your belly is not a fun thing, I speak from experience. Oomph. 

Well, I'm happy to report, I have come up with a fan-flipping-tastic healthy brownie recipe that doesn't suck. Like at all. I've made countless healthy brownie recipes and have loved them all, but something is always a little off. You know what I'm talking about? They're always a little too spongey and weird. Last time I checked, brownies aren't supposed to be spongey and weird! Well these ones are seriously perfection! They're a little crumbly, but not like you can't pick them up crumbly. A good crumbly and quite fudgey. My favorite part is they even have the crackly top like legit brownies! Some healthy brownies out there use mashed bananas, which from my experience, makes them spongey and totally banana-y. No weird flavors here, just pure brownie GREATNESS. I can't even relate to you how normal these brownies were so methinks you should get your buns in the kitchen and whip up a batch. And eat it for dinner. OR BREAKFAST. These brownies are destined for even more greatness. But I'll get to that another time. MUAHA. 

peanut butter oatmeal brownies {healthy, gluten free, dairy free}

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1/4 c. liquid coconut oil

1/3 c. soy milk {or other non-dairy milk.}

1/2 c. pure maple syrup

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. oat flour

1/3 c. quick cooking oats

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease an 8x8 pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk peanut butter, coconut oil, milk, egg, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares.

almond coconut crunch bars

The past few weeks, our life has been so crazy and school has definitely taken the backseat. It seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day for me, even though I feel like I have absolutely no life. Weeeeeeird. After two weeks of doing only a science or math lesson here and there, I'm back to school this week. UGH. I always tell myself if I keep putting it off, I'll pay for it later. And I am. I'm paying alright. After my morning run, I was literally plopped in front of the computer, sitting on my exercise ball for like 6 hours straight studying and catching up on the schoolwork I'd been putting off. The worst part was that I didn't have time to eat a good lunch {I'm so high maintenance.} and ended up eating a bowl of steamed veggies at 2 while studying science. Whenever I have such long days, I always ALWAYS end up in the kitchen. It's approximately 1909998º outside and still quite steamy in the house even though the curtains are closed and we have a million fans blowing in our house that looks more or less like some sort of dark dungeon. The only way to stay cool is by sitting in front of a fan ON HIGH, not moving an inch, with minimal clothing, and some ice on yerrrrr neck. What I'm trying to say is… Turning on the oven was tooooodes out of the equation unless I had a death wish. And I really hate summers in Africa. Yuck.

Ok, so these bars? Ugly, I know. They're definitely not the most photogenic things I've ever made. I absolutely hate when pictures don't turn out the way I'd like {or… Anything for that matter.} BUT. They're so unbelievably quick and easy to make, I'd be some kind of foodie criminal to not share them with you. I've seen recipes for homemade crunch bars popping up on Pinterest and food blogs like some sort of forest fire spreading. I was skeptical when I saw that the base was coconut oil and cocoa powder. GROSS? Nope. It literally tastes like you just melted a whole bunch of chocolate chips. I'm so excited to experiment with that base recipe and see what else I can come up with. But for now, these bars are pretty dang amazing. I feel like I say this every single post {I do, in fact say this every post.}, but these bars are surprisingly healthy, raw, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. My family, who usually totally rips on all my healthy desserts actually loved these and they were gone in about 24 hours. You know they're good, you knooooow ittttttt.

P.S. If you're wondering, no. These are not three of the same picture.

almond coconut crunch bars 

3/4 c. melted coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. liquid sweetener {I used maple syrup, but you could use honey.}

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 c. raw almonds

2 c. puffed brown rice

1/3 c. shredded coconut

line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper. in a large bowl, combine melted coconut oil, vanilla, sweetener, and cocoa powder. Add in puffed brown rice and almonds. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with coconut. Place in freezer for at least an hour before cutting into squares. Store in freezer. 

healthy brownies

Phewwwwww. These last few weeks have been quite the doozy. Our American visitors were here and our teammates who live in Otji just left for the States for *gaaaaasp* 6 months. Yah, that happened. Ooph. I almost {aaaalmost} feel like saying goodbye to two of my BESTFRIENDSINTHEENTIREUNIVERSE for 6 months was harder than saying goodbye to my friends in the states for two years. And I knew those peoples my whole life, saywhat? This confirms that sneaky suspicion of mine that says we're seriously secretly related. Good gracious, I may be like a foot taller, but seriously. We can't go longer than a day without talking to each other. See now why I'm not happy they're gone for 6 months? Which seriously feels like decades… I need chocolate. No seriously. My other friend and I have been dreading this day for months. We knew it'd come, but at the same time we never thought it'd actually happen, ya know? Sure it's not going to be fun {at. all.}, but we'll get through it. BARELY, but it'll happen. Thank GOOOOD we have each other's shoulders to cry on, chocolate to eat, and movies to watch. Yup, that's happening tonight. Mere hours after they left town and we're already whipping out the coping mechanisms of choice. Enter >>> brownies. I figured since we'd probably polish off the whole pan {I made the kid cookies last week because he stayed home from school with a sprained ankle. He ate 9. Don't question his abilities.}, I'd make them somewhat nutritious. I mean, he couldn't care less- he's a teenage boy with the metabolism of a 6 year old human child- but I like knowing that what I eat isn't jam packed of sugar, fat, and empty calories. IIIIIIIIIN fact, I did the math, and if your pan makes 12 decent sized brownies, they're about 110 calories each! Which means it's totally acceptable to eat half the pan. Dewwwwittttt. 

healthy brownies {gluten-free}

1 c. plain yogurt

2 small eggs 

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. gluten free all purpose flour

1 c. quick cooking oats 

Preheat oven to 375ºF and grease a 6x8 baking pan. Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing. 

oatmeal chocolate chunk bars

My family is sometimes, uhh… Not very understanding when it comes to my baking and blogging. I love my family and thought they deserved something sweet that wasn't gluten, dairy, and sugar free. Because they've had their fair share of muffins, granola bars, and homemade muesli. As I was baking these bars today, literally all 4 of my family members were either yelling at me for not using a recipe, saying they were gonna turn out weird, or asking a million questions a second. I think that I've made enough cookie recipes to know what kind of ratios make what kinds of cookies. Sometimes, people don't get it. At least that's how I feel. As I was in the living room taking pictures {these bars are dang ugly}, adjusting the bars, switching the ISO, and all those blogger-like things, my family was laughing and saying how dumb it was. Umm, ok. My mom freaks out if I don't use a recipe and come up with one by myself. I told her no high class pastry chef goes to allrecipes.com for their recipes. Sure, I love classic desserts, but I think in order to give yourself a name, you have to step out of the "normal" and try new things others maybe wouldn't think of. I guess I'm kind of on my own as far as being a baking blogger goes. They don't get it, but ya know what? They don't need to. I love my food, I love my pictures, and I love my blog. I'll keep on doing it for as long as I live, regardless of what other people think. I'm gonna be honest, I was close to just dumping out the creamed butter and sugar and walking away because I felt so unappreciated and ignored. Guys, I was making you BARS! With sugar! And butter! And flour! No need to go all le freak on moi. Lo and behold, they all loved these bars after sitting there drooling and asking me when they could try a bite as I was taking the pictures. 

While I was watching my Food Network and drinking my cup of coffee this morning, I texted my mom and asked if they could pick up some oats and chocolate at the grocery store because I wanted to make some cookies. She texted back "Yes!!" exclamation points and all, which… is kind of a big deal. It's rare that I suggest a recipe that doesn't have some sort of fruit in it and a "with" or "and" in the title. One of our favorite cookies around here are oatmeal chocolate chip. I was originally planning on making these into cookies, but I have a case of what I'm calling summer-break-ultra-laziness and just pressed the dough into a bar pan. Oh and by the way. This recipe? I made it up. :) These bars are really chewy, soft, and buttery. If you're texture-crazy like me, I think you'll love these. The oats give them a really great texture and the chocolate forms little pockets of melty joy throughout the bars. Seriously, your taste buds are gonna do the harlem shake, electric slide, gangnam style, party rock shuffle all at the same time.  

oatmeal chocolate chunk bars

3/4 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. dark brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 c. wholewheat flour

2 1/2 c. quick-cooking oats

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt 

1 1/2 c. chocolate chunks {or chocolate chips}

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease or line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chunks. Press dough into prepared pan and bake for 15-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool before slicing into squares. 

peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough bars

Let us sing for joy. I made something packed with peanut butter, chocolate, sugar, butter, and calories. 

Good gracious, things such as this make my heart go pitter-patter. Yah, it's been awhile since I baked something not healthy. I mean, hey, healthy sweets are good every once in awhile. But everything in moderation, amiright? 

Of course, since my tastebuds haven't felt the presence of sugar in awhile due to the diet, I'm gonna be honest. I OD'd it on these. 

Totally, full-on, stuffed my face, couldn't stop, over did it. 

It's funny because I haven't cheated with dairy or gluten at all {I haven't had BREAD in weeks. Truth.}, but I have allowed sugar which is the thing I need to cut out the most. That probably made no sense, but just act like you understand, ok? 

Anyways. I ate a lot of these last night. They made me happy. And hyper. And I think you should make them. I'm happy we had company over that I was able to send them home with. Ooooootherwise, I would have eaten the whole dang pan by myself. Seriously, there might be something illegal in there. 

These bars literally taste like straight up peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough. HEA.VEN.LY. For shizzle. 

The good thing is, you can eat it all straight from the bowl if that's what your little heart desires. It's safe to eat- no flour {because raw flour tastes icky} or egg. Press into a pan, cover it in chocolate, roll it into balls, eat it with a spoon, do what you wish.

peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough bars

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. peanut butter

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. chocolate chips + 1 more cup for topping if desired

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar. Add powdered sugar and mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and press into a greased pan {mine was small- like 5x6, but you could use a bigger pan for thinner bars} If desired, melt 1 c. chocolate chips and pour on top. Chill in refrigerator for 2+ hours and cut into squares.

peanut butter banana energy bars

{Note: I hesitated to post these because THE PICTURES ARE HORRIBLE. However, They're some of my favorite energy bars I've ever made and I think if you make them, you'll love them!}

I really super hope you're not sick of all these "energy bars" or "energy bite" concoctions I've been feeding you 3 times a week. 

I mean SERIOUSLY. Can you blame me? What's a girl to do when she can't have gluten {I cheated.}, dairy, or sugar? This is the closest thing I can have to a giant ice cream sundae covered in homemade chocolate fudge sauce, brownies, peanuts, peanut BUTTER {in my Buddy The Elf voice}, and bananas. 

Wait. I might have done that Friday night. Whoops? I'm a bad dieter. 

Anyways, please don't worry. I'm probably just going through a phase or something… But if this sticks, who knows! Maybe I'll have a homemade energy bar business when I grow up! 

Seriously, I'm kinda not even kidding. 

Today, I bring you bananas and peanut butter all wrapped up into a chewy, addicting, bar that can be made in a matter of minutes. 

Yah, yah, I know, I know. 

EVERYTHING in the recent weeks has either contained chocolate, peanut butter, bananas, oats, was no bake, or even BETTER- all of the above. You can't get sick of that? Can you? 

Please assure me the answer is no. 

peanut butter banana energy bars

1 c. chopped dates

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp. honey

2 1/2 c. crispy rice cereal, crushed

1 small banana

In a large bowl, combine the chopped dates, honey, and banana. Add in peanut butter and crushed cereal. Stir until combined. Press into a 9x9 pan lined with parchment paper. {My bars didn't take up the entire pan. I just pressed them into a square because I wanted them to be thick.} Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Cut into squares and store wrapped in plastic wrap or in a plastic container.

oats 'n honey granola bars {Nature Valley copycat}

I'm excited right now! For multiple reasons actually… because a) it's the weekend. and I have done absotootly nothing. b) I hear thunder. c) 2 of todays' meals consisted of avocado. and Deeeeeeeeee) This is my last post. Wait, that came out wrong. If this was my last post, I'd be bawling my eyes out and shoving my face with brownies. No. You see, I somehow, over the last month(s), have accumulated posts. I'm talking like… 6 drafts all written up at once. And this is the last one! Other than some weird randomness that I made back in January. But I'll save those for when I need something last minute. For emergencies or something… Look at me, thinking ahead! Anyways, it feels good to be on track again. From now on, my posts shall go like this… Bake. Eat. Photograph. Eat more. Write. Post. Boom. 

… So. Granola bars. 

I always have, always will, and still do adore granola bars. If you've followed MHP for awhile, I think I've made that more than apparent. The Oats 'N Honey ones from Nature Valley were seriously my absolute favorite. I used to eat those things like it was my j-o-b! The only way it would have been better is if I actually got paid for shoving my face with Happy Bars. I ate them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snack, after swimming lessons, before karate, during break at dance class… As you can tell, they were my jelly.

I think copycat is the wrong adjective to describe these bars... Identical is more like it. Seriously, I need to find some green aluminum wrappers to wrap them in, and BOOM! Exact. I almost feel bad that I'm sharing this recipe because I'm pretty sure once you try it, you'll never ever buy a box of those things again and then the company will run out of money because HEY nobody's buying their stuff anymore. Their ex-customers are all at home whipping up a homemade batch that tastes identical or maybe even… better. GASP.

I have to say, at first, I was a bit skeptical of this recipe. It looked a little too dry when I pressed it into the pan and there weren't many ingredients in there. How does that work? Oh, it works. And it works well. I think I've found my new favorite granola bar recipe! I'll definitely be making these again super soon. Like yesterday. The only thing I'm going to do differently next time is double the batch because 6 small bars isn't going to last long in this household. I know it. 

What's your favorite granola bar? Storebought or homemade? Links are welcome :) 

oats 'n honey granola bars {Nature Valley Copycat} 

recipe from Half Baked Harvest

1 1/2 cup rolled oats (use gluten free oats for a gluten free version)

1/2 cup rice crispies cereal

3 tablespoons cornmeal

Pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons canola oil 

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 9x9 inch square pyrex dish with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, rice crispies, cornmeal, salt and baking soda in a medium size mixing bowl. In a glass measuring cup or microwave safe bowl mix the honey and canola oil. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then add the vanilla and brown sugar. Whisk to combine and then mix the wet with the dry ingredients. Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared pyrex dish that is lined with parchment paper, and press down hard. 

Place in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The bars will be golden on top. Let the bars cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and let sit another 20 minutes or so before cutting. Store in a sealed container or wrapped in plastic wrap.