Desserts

Whole Foodie Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, especially when they include oatmeal. Make them vegan with no oil or processed sugars and you’ve got a cookie I wont pass up. I love these so much, I only make them when I have a lot of friends to share them with because I will eat the whole batch!

Check out my YouTube “short” video here.

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1 cup rolled oats

1 cups walnuts

1 tsp baking soda

1 cups dates soaked in 1/2 cup water until soft

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 t vanilla

 

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

This is a healthy and delicious version of a Thanksgiving favorite.  I love the crust so much better than a traditional crust! It’s like an oatmeal cookie. There are no ingredients in the pie that have to be cooked so technically you could eat it without cooking it. It will set up a little as it cools. But cooking the pie firms it up and concentrates the sweetness and flavor and makes it so decadent!   Adjust the cooking time for a less dense or more dense pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 3/4 cups cooked pumpkin

1 1/4 cup almond, soy or oat milk

25 soft pitted deglet dates (1 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

 

Blend all ingredients until smooth.  Pour into a prepared pie crust and bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes.  Turn off oven and leave in for another 20 minutes.

 

Oat Date Crust 

1 2/3 cups rolled oats (not thick)

5 small pitted dates

1 medium banana

1 t vanilla

Soak dates in 1/4 cup water for at least 4 hours to soften. Using a food processor fitted with an “S” blade, process dates with soak water, banana and vanilla until smooth. Add oats and pulse until a sticky dough if formed. Be careful not to break down oats too much. Evenly press into a 9” pie pan. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes just to firm up and brown slightly.

For less banana flavor, use a banana that is not spotted. It’s mainly used for binding. 

 

Easy Apple Crisp

Fruit Filling

6 cups chopped apples, divided

3 dried figs or dates soaked* in ¼ cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

Chop apples with chop wizard (if available or use other chopper or by hand). Place 4 cups in a large mixing bowl. Place remaining 2 cups apples, soaked figs or dates, water, spices and vanilla in food processor or blender jar. Blend until smooth. Pour over bowl of chopped apples.  Mix well and transfer to an 8 X 8 cake pan.

Crust

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups chopped apples

4 dried figs or dates soaked in ¼ cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

 

Place oats in a mixing bowl.

Blend apples with figs or dates, water, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth. Pour over oats and mix well till all oats are moist. Carefully place crust over apple filling and spread to cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes.

No Sugar Peach Cobbler

When peaches are in season and there is an abundance, I love to make this No Sugar Peach Cobbler made with only a few whole-food ingredients and is simple to make. There’s no sugar, no oil or flour. Only whole food goodness!  Check out my YouTube video here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruit Filling

6 peaches, divided

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

3 dried figs or dates soaked* in ¼ cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Cut 3 peaches into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. (I buy local non-sprayed peaches and use the peel.) Add blueberries. Place 2 peaches (remove pit) and spices into blender jar. Drain water off soaked figs or dates. (I save this for smoothie or oatmeal.)  Blend until smooth. Pour over bowl of cut peaches and blueberries. Mix well and transfer to an 8 X 8 cake pan.

Crust

2 cups rolled oats

2 peaches

4 dried figs or dates soaked in ¼ cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

Place oats in a mixing bowl.

Blend peaches with figs or dates (include soak water) and cinnamon until smooth. Pour over oats and mix well till all oats are moist. Carefully place crust over peach filling and spread to cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 23 minutes. I like to slightly brown the crust. 

This is best eaten the day it is made. The crust will soften as it sits.

 

Vegan Fudge Truffles

These Vegan Fudge Truffles are mouthful of rich, chocolatey deliciousness! Make sure you have  a lot of friends to share them with! You wont be able to eat just one. 

Recipe is from my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 1 cup raw walnuts

1/4 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup raw almonds

3 T cocoa powder

2 T flax seeds, ground

35 small pitted dates

1 t vanilla

 

Grind all ingredients in a strong food processor until they stick together. Scoop out 1 tablespoon and roll into a ball. Refrigerate or freeze in a flat storage container. When they have firmed up, you can package them up for friends. Best to be kept cold. 

Cranberry Walnut Cookies

I’m not sure it’s possible for me to have a favorite cookie (I love them all!) but if I could, this Cranberry Walnut Cookie would be one of them. I love the tart from the cranberries, the “zest” from the orange and the richness from the walnuts and chewiness of the oats.  These Cranberry Walnut Cookies are gluten-free, vegan, have no oil or processed sugar, and are a wonderful addition to your holiday cookie plate.

Recipe is from my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites.

 

 

 

 

 1 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups raw walnuts

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup dried cranberries (preferably fruit juice sweetened)

Zest of 1 small orange

1 t vanilla

Soak raisins in 1/2 cup water for at least 2 hours. Grind walnuts, oats, and raisins with soak water in food processor until dough-like consistency. Add cranberries, zest, and vanilla, and process just to incorporate. Scoop out dough, place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and flatten with a fork. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

 

Vegan Peanut Better Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is adapted from a recipe someone brought to the Vegetarian Society of Utah potluck. (Not sure of the source) The recipe called for coconut sugar and almond milk. I’ve replace the coconut sugar with dates, a whole food sweetener, and since I rarely have almond milk on hand, I just used water. I knew that small amount wouldn’t make any difference. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 small pitted dates  (deglet noor is the type I use)

1/4 cup water

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup natural peanut butter

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Soak dates in the 1/4 cup of water for a few hours to soften them.* The water will not cover the dates but moisten all the dates the best that you can. 

In a food processor fitted with an S blade, add oats and baking soda and grind to flour. 

Add peanut butter, softened dates, vinegar, and vanilla. Grind to a thick dough.  Carefully mix in chocolate chips.

 

*If you don’t want to take the time to soften the dates, grind the dates with the oats until crumbly then add other ingredients, including the 1/4 cup water. 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

The original recipe in my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites calls for 1 cup of cashews instead of 1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts and does not include beans. This makes the cookie more flat like a sugar cookie. The recipe here has a cake-like texture. Still delicious and less fat. If you have a nut allergy, use hemp seeds in place of the pecans or walnuts. 

Check out my YouTube video on how to make these here.

 

 

 

 

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

1/4 cup cooked garbanzo beans

2 T molasses 

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 t baking soda

3/4 t ground ginger

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

1/2 t vanilla

 

Grind oats, dates, and nuts in a food processor work bowl until crumbly. Add remaining ingredients and process to a dough. Scoop dough with a cookie scoop or spoon and place on a cookie sheet lines with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 

 

Apple Oatmeal Crumble

Oat groats are the whole oat kernel when it comes off the plant. Eating grains in their whole intact form is the most nutritious way to eat them.  And oats, in particular, are one of the best foods for restoring a healthy gut. (This is a great interview with Dr. Richard Matthews about this.)  And Dr. Tom O’Bryan, who specializes in gut health, says that the pectin in cooked apple skins is more biovailable then raw and is really good to heal the gut. (Video interview with Dr. Tom O’Bryan)  He recommends eating a tablespoon of cooked apple 3 times a day. I figure I’ll get it done in one shot with breakfast. It’s a great way to sweeten up the oats.  Feel free to add a tablespoon or two of chopped nuts or sprinkle on some flax meal.

Watch my video on how to make this here.

 

 

1/3 cup oat groats that have been soaked over night (Sprout them another day and they are even better!)

1 cup water

1 large apple chopped

1/2 cup cranberries (optional)

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t cardmom

2 T rolled oats (optional for creaminess) 

1 t honey (optional)

 

Soak oat groats over night for quicker cooking.  In the morning, rinse the groats and place them in a sauce pan, add a cup of water, cover, turn on burner to high and bring to a boil.  When it comes to a boil, lower heat to simmer, add cranberries and apple. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Stir in  spices and rolled oats if using and let it set for 15 or 20 minutes.  Add a little honey for sweetness.

Figgy Oat Bars

After being on an elimination diet for a year I learned to be totally satisfied with fruit for dessert. However, when my fig tree produced an over abundance I wanted to try making some kind of dessert. I took a Banana Oat Bar recipe that I have and used figs instead of bananas, left out the nuts and dates and it worked great! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 figs, trimmed (leave on skin)

1/4 cup of red flame grapes (For extra moisture and sweet. I had an abundance of them as well.)

2 cups rolled oats

1 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1 T apple cider vinegar

 

Blend figs, grapes, and vinegar in a high-powered blender until smooth. The seeds in the figs make this very thick. Place oats, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix well. Pour pureed fruit over oats and mix so that all the oats are moistened. Transfer batter to an 8 X 8 cake pan and bake at 350 for 15 – 17 minutes. Cool before cutting. 

 

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