Hello September! It’s a new month and the first day of school! This time of year feels as though I’m starting over or looking forward to creating something new. I still get those back to school feelings of excitement and anticipation. While getting school supplies, new clothes and shoes, I was also planning for lunches and decided to do some back to school baking.
Over the years I’ve made a variety of different (gluten and dairy free) desserts and treats which were not always winners, but I didn’t let that stop me from trying new recipes or making up my own. Fortunately, I have my very own taste testing team who are why I keep trying. They are brutally honest which can sometimes suck but it is mostly helpful.
This week I made chocolate chip cookies, granola bars and blueberry muffins. My challenge was to bake allergy-friendly and school safe versions of these treats, so I modified my original chocolate chip cookie recipe. I included oat flour instead of almond meal, which turned out better than expected. I’ve made MANY granola bars over the years but none stood out. This time I decided to make my own granola bar with just a few preferred ingredients and flavours. The muffins were made with wild Ontario blueberries which are so sweet and may end up being a grab and go breakfast option.
I’ve included my Chocolate Chip Cookie and Granola Bar recipes for you. Please let me know how they turn out and if you’ve put your own spin on them. I’m always interested in hearing new ideas or trying new flavours. If you’re interested in the muffin recipe feel free to email me at info@feedforlove.com. xo
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups oat flour
¼ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup chocolate chips*
¼ cup butter or coconut oil (softened)
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp baking soda (gluten, corn & aluminum free)
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl (except chocolate chips). Then fold in chocolate chips. Scoop 1 tablespoon cookie dough and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Keep about 2 inches of space between each cookie. Press down slightly to flatten. Bake for approximately 10 minutes until a little golden brown on the bottom. Careful not to over bake.
* Use enjoy life brand of chocolate chips to ensure they are allergy friendly (gluten, dairy, nut and sugar free.
Granola Bar: Ingredients:
7-10 pitted dates (soaked)
1 ¼ cup oat flour (gluten free)
½ cup raw sesame seeds
½ cup chocolate chips*
1 tbsp seed butter (I prefer sunflower seed butter)
2 tbsp honey
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then line small cookie sheet with parchment paper. Soak dates in a bowl with water for a minimum of 15 minutes. For the oat flour I measure out the 1 ¼ cup of gluten free oat meal and pour it into the food processor. Blend it until it’s the consistency of flour. In a medium sized mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and whisk until incorporated. For the dough – drain and rinse the dates, add to the food processor and blend until smooth. Add the honey and vanilla to the dates and blend until incorporated. Add dry ingredients into the processor and pulse 5 to 10 times. Pour the dough into the medium bowl and keep folding ingredients together until combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the dough onto the baking sheet and flatten until about 1 inch thick. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.
* Use enjoy life brand of chocolate chips to ensure they are allergy friendly (gluten, dairy, nut and sugar free.
Hope you and or your kids enjoy these treats. Wishing everyone a safe and happy school year! xo
feedforlove 
These granola bars sound amazing!!!
Thank you!