Recipe: Baked Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Squares

Happy Labor Day! Here’s hoping all of you are enjoying some time away from real life and indulging or participating in something that makes you very, very happy.

Now onto the recipe.

Oatmeal chocolate chip squares. 50% breakfast, 50% dessert, 100% wonderful.

I know, I know – another oat-based recipe? Really, Vanessa? Yes, really. But! These squares are really tasty and so easy to throw together, I just had to share.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are my kryptonite. Never have I ever been able to turn down their chewy and chocolatey goodness. This is my take on my favorite cookie, which just happens to be cruelty-free and a smidge healthier than the traditional recipe we all know so well.

While the flavor of flaked coconut is delicious , I used it more for the chewy quality it adds to the recipe. You can skip it if you want, but the texture is that much better when you don’t. Just sayin’.

Baked Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Squares

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

*Flax Egg Prep: mix 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 2 tablespoons water and set aside

Dry ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup oat or spelt flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pink himalayan salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Wet ingredients

1/2 cup almond milk

3 tablespoons coconut sugar

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add-ins

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup coconut flakes

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

In a medium bowl, add wet ingredients and stir. Add in the flax egg you made at the beginning of this recipe.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until together until they are completely mixed.

Fold in chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate and flaked coconut.

Pour batter into baking dish, spreading out evenly.

Bake for 20-23 minutes. To make sure squares are completely done, poke with a toothpick – the toothpick will come out dry.

Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack for an additional 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Protein Packed Parmesan

Craving something cheesy? Looking to sprinkle some goodness onto avocado toast, a lacking pasta dish or the best heirloom tomatoes you’ve ever had?

So. Good.

Fear not. I have a super easy and incredibly nutritious spin on an old favorite for you today.

Hemp seeds.
Nutritional yeast.
Pink Himalayan Salt.

That’s it. No joke.

So what makes this recipe so protein packed and nutritious? Here’s a quick rundown of all the benefits these 3 ingredients provide:

First up? Hemp seeds. I put hemp seeds on just about everything these days. The texture is great and they give any dish a nice and subtle nutty flavor. Hemp seeds also happen to be full of omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Full of essential amino acids, hemp seeds are considered a complete source of protein, adding roughly 10 grams of protein per serving to your meals. So sprinkle that stuff on all the food!

Oh, nutritional yeast – it’s kind of the holy grail for all of us former cheese-loving vegans out there. On top of being perfect as a cheese substitute, nutritional yeast also happens to be full of B vitamins and amino acids. Oh, and another complete protein! Nutritional yeast is winning at life, guys.

And lastly, pink himalayan salt. Not only is it super pretty, but pink salt contains all of those wonderful minerals that are stripped out of basic table salt. If you feel like totally nerding out, feel free to check out this in-depth chart listing all of the minerals packed into these tiny crystals. Flavor-wise, it adds just the right amount of bite without being too overpowering.

3-Ingredient Protein Packed Parmesan

1/4 cup hemp seeds

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon pink himalayan salt crystals or 1/4 teaspoon if it’s pre-ground

Combine all ingredients into a food processor. Blend until fully combined. 

Enjoy!

The Full Bowl: Deconstructed

As I’m sure you already know, I’m a lady who loves to switch things up. In my daily activities, in style, and certainly in food – it’s the spice of life.

One of my favorite meals is something I’m loosely calling the full bowl – full of all the good stuff your body needs and loves. Because this is a meal that can vary so much, I thought it’d make more sense to share my tips and guidelines than to post an actual recipe. You can easily adapt this bowl for any meal. For example, a breakfast-based full bowl would go something like this: rolled oats, fresh berries, almond butter, sliced almonds, cinnamon, fresh vanilla bean, and hemp milk. Pretty balanced, right?

Here’s what every balanced Full Bowl needs:

• Protein

• Veggies/Produce

• Starches/Carbs

• Sauce, Fresh Herbs or Seasoning.

This is one of my favorite bowls – it’s basically a healthier twist on southern comfort food. You can’t tell from the photo, but I always fill my bowl with a ton of greens. The steamed kale actually takes up half the bowl.

My ratios usually look something like this:

• Greens – 2 cups

• Protein 1/2-1 cup

• Carbohydrates- 1/3 to 1/2 cup

• Vegetables – 1-3 cups, depending on what vegetables I’m using.

• Healthy Fats or Sauce: 1-2 tablespoons

One last tip:  Don’t skimp on the spices, sauces or fresh herbs. These add-ins make all the difference and will play the biggest part in giving you variety in your meals.

So that’s it! The Full Bowl is a great way to make a meal that is tasty, satisfying and offers a lot of different textures and flavors. Let me know if you have your own take on this – I’m always trying to think of new ways to make my favorite go-to meal. Leave any suggestions in the comments below!