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snacks

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30 Minutes or Less

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with a bite taken out.

These gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will actually change your life. Crispy on the outside, perfectly soft on the inside, and loaded with melty chocolate. One bowl, simple ingredients, and roughly 20 minutes is all you’ll need to bake up a batch of these healthier melt-in-your-mouth cookies!

a stack of gluten-free oatmeal cookies on an upside down cookie sheet.

What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • ONE Bowl – Don’t we just love a one bowl cookie recipe? The one bowl is to baking what the one pan is to cooking. It simply doesn’t get any quicker and easier than these one bowl oatmeal cookies.

  • Oat Flour – We swap regular flour for gluten-free oat flour in this healthier cookie recipe. I especially love baking with oat flour because it’s so cheap and easy to make! You can also of course buy a bag of already made oat flour from the store, but I always recommend saving your money and quickly making your own. To make oat flour, simply blend rolled oats in a blender or food processor until ground into a flour. Then …that’s it! It actually couldn’t get any easier.

  • Rolled Oats – Most, but not all oats are gluten-free, so make sure the ones you buy definitely are! I used these Nature’s Path Gluten-Free Oats in my cookies, but really any brand of rolled oats will work. Old-fashioned, quick cooking, or instant rolled oats will all bake up the same here. However, steel cut or Irish oats are entirely different and won’t work in these gluten-free oatmeal cookies.

  • Chocolate Chips – I used the Enjoy Life Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips in my cookies, but any chocolate chips would taste delicious. I like Enjoy Life because they’re guaranteed gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan, making them a super safe option when baking for a crowd. Though if you can’t get your hands on any chocolate chips, one cup of a chopped chocolate bar would work just as great!

Tips and Tricks

  • Leave these cookies to rest on their baking sheet once baked. They have a tendency to be super soft and delicate straight out of the oven. Therefore, leave them be for at least 5 minutes before attempting to move them.

  • Swap out the chocolate chips for raisins and you’ve got yourself gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies! Also, if taking this option, I recommend adding in one teaspoon of cinnamon to your cookie dough for a hint of spice.

  • Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperate for up to seven days! Also, if after your cookies have cooled you’re still yearning for that fresh-out-of-the-oven cookie experience, simply pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. This’ll give you that irresistibly warm, soft, and gooey-ness you crave!
close-up image of a gluten-free oatmeal cookie with a bite taken out

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Dairy-Free: If you know me, you know I always take the dairy-free option! So I made my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies dairy-free by simply replacing the butter in this recipe with non-dairy butter. I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery sticks for all my dairy-free baking/cooking needs.

  • Make it Vegan: To make these cookies vegan, take the dairy-free option above and use your favorite egg substitute in place of the egg in this easy cookie recipe. While I haven’t tested this version myself just yet, a flax egg might work. Also, this Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer may also do the trick!

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

24

cookies
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

These gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will actually change your life. Crispy on the outside, perfectly soft on the inside, and loaded with melty chocolate. One bowl, simple ingredients, and roughly 20 minutes is all you’ll need to bake up a batch of these healthier melt-in-your-mouth cookies!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (I used non-dairy butter)

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 egg, at room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup oat flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

  • 1 cup chocolate chips, optional (but recommended!)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar in a large bowl with either a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, beat to combine.
  • Add oat flour, baking soda, and salt into butter mixture and beat until a dough forms. Then, fold in rolled oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout.
  • Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Roasted Beet Hummus

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close-up image of beet hummus in a bowl.

A stunningly vibrant, simple, and healthy beet hummus recipe, made in under 5 minutes! The perfect plant-based snack, appetizer, or side dish. This roasted beet recipe will quickly become one of your favorite ways to sneak more veggies into your diet.

overhead image of roasted beet hummus in a bowl with crackers on the side

I had the BEST roasted beet hummus a few weeks ago while visiting Salt Lake City, Utah. It was perfectly smooth, tangy, and all-around delicious. We ordered it as an appetizer ahead of our meal, but I quickly (…like ate the whole bowl in under a minute) filled up on it. So as I was sitting there, belly fuller than full on the most incredible beet hummus, I took out my phone and made a note to recreate that out-of-this-world appetizer recipe as soon as I got home!

Fast forward a few days, I’m home and stocked up on everything I’ll need for this recipe. Roasted beets, cans upon cans of chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, plenty of garlic, lemons, and of course salt. I quickly began experimenting and I can’t lie, it took a few tries, but I eventually achieved that same flawless, stunningly pink beet hummus as I had in SLC!

What You’ll Need

Roasted Beets – Use as many or as few roasted beets in this recipe as you’d like! I bought pre-roasted beets to save myself a bit of time, but you can definitely roast the beets yourself instead. For instructions on how to cook beets, check out this post I wrote for 40 Aprons.

Chickpeas – Chickpeas are the base to every single hummus recipe out there! They’re high in protein, and blend up super smooth, creamy, and delicious. You can of course cook your own chickpeas for this recipe, but I almost always opt for the pre-cooked canned chickpeas in my recipes. They’re easier, just as good, and will save you a bunch of time. Regardless of what kind of chickpeas you’re using for this recipe (canned or homemade), be sure to drain and rinse them well ahead of placing them in a food processor or blender.

Tahini – Here’s another ingredient you’ll find in all hummus recipes. Tahini is ground sesame seeds, it has a nutty flavor with a slightly bitter finish. This nut-free spread is delicious on its own, slathered on toast, and of course, in this easy beet hummus recipe.

roasted beet hummus being scooped out of a bowl with a cracker

Top Tips

  • Use either a food processor or high-speed blender to blend all ingredients together! I’ve tested both appliances for this recipe, and they honestly both work great. The food processor achieved an ever-so-slightly smoother beet hummus, but the difference was negligible.
  • Homemade hummus can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Yes, the store-bought kind lasts longer, but doesn’t even come close in flavor and freshness to this homemade recipe!
  • Serve this easy snack or appetizer however you’d like! I went with gluten-free crackers, but pita bread, or even a sliced baguette would pair beautifully with this recipe. Also, for an even healthier option, serve your beet hummus with fresh cut veggies such as cucumber, carrots, and bell peppers!

This Roasted Beet Hummus Is…

  • Plant-Based
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-Free
  • Nut-Free
  • Super Healthy
  • & Delicious!

Roasted Beet Hummus

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: Appetizers, SnacksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

A stunningly vibrant, simple, and healthy beet hummus recipe, made in under 5 minutes! The perfect plant-based snack, appetizer, or side dish. This roasted beet recipe will quickly become one of your favorite ways to sneak more veggies into your diet.

Ingredients

  • 1-2 roasted beets

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 1/3 cup tahini

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1-2 garlic cloves

  • juice and zest from 1/2 lemon

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.

Recipe Video

Notes

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30 Minutes or Less

3-Ingredient Healthy Vegan Caramel Sauce

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3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce in a small jar with a spoon

This homemade vegan caramel sauce is perfectly sweet and super easy to make! It comes together in one saucepan, with just 3 ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This vegan caramel is delicious drizzled over ice cream, apples, cake, or cookies! Try it over my no-churn vegan vanilla ice cream recipe, or even on top of my healthy apple crisp. YUM!

3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce being poured over a green apple.

What You’ll Need

Coconut Cream – Coconut cream is the thick, white cream found at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. It’s important to note that coconut cream can only be obtained by a can of full-fat coconut milk, not low-fat or boxed coconut milk. Native Organics also sells a great canned coconut cream, which is what I used in this recipe. Also, remember to only use the coconut cream and not any of the liquid found at the bottom of the can. To do this, open your can of full-fat coconut milk or cream, then scrape and remove the cream from the top. Fill a one-cup measurer with this coconut cream, then save the liquid for use in smoothies later on!

Maple Syrup – This natural sweetener is the only sweetener in this vegan dessert recipe! Our vegan caramel is so much healthier than your standard caramel because it contains only natural ingredients, and has a lot less sugar. However, healthier doesn’t mean any less delicious. Maple syrup gives this sauce an irresistibly rich flavor.

Peanut Butter – Peanut butter is the finishing touch to this recipe, adding the perfect texture and flavor. Though if you’re not a fan of peanut butter, you can use almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or sunflower seed butter in its place!

vegan caramel sauce being whisked in a saucepan

This Vegan Caramel Is….

  • Healthy
  • Plant-Based
  • Gluten-Free
  • Refined Sugar-Free
  • Paleo
  • & Delicious!

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: Replace the peanut butter in this recipe with 1/4 cup of sunflower seed butter!

Make it Paleo: Use almond butter instead of peanut butter for a delicious paleo caramel recipe.

3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce in a small jar with a spoon
5 from 1 vote

3-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce

This homemade vegan caramel sauce is perfectly sweet and super easy to make! It comes together in one saucepan, with just 3 ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This vegan caramel is delicious drizzled over ice cream, apples, cake, or cookies!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut cream, see Notes
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter

Instructions

  • Add coconut cream and maple syrup to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until bubbling, then reduce to low heat and continue stirring for 3 minutes.
  • Remove pan from heat and stir in almond or peanut butter. Let cool, it’ll continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes

  • Coconut Cream: Coconut cream is the thick, white creamy part at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. You can only obtain coconut cream from either a can of full-fat coconut milk, or a can of coconut cream.
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    Breakfast

    5 Healthy and DELICIOUS Smoothie Recipes

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    all 5 smoothies in cups with ice, blueberries, and almond milk on the side

    Here are the 5 smoothie recipes I make constantly! They’re SUPER healthy, incredibly delicious, and come together in only a few minutes. These healthy smoothies are the perfect quick, easy, and portable breakfast or snack!

    all 5 smoothies lined up in glasses with toppings on each

    How to Make a (Delicious) Smoothie

    • Pick your frozen fruits. Every smoothie recipe starts with a curated selection of frozen fruit. The frozen fruit is what you’ll taste the most of in your smoothie, so make sure it’s a combination you’ll love!
    • Add in some healthy fats. Now that you have your fruit, it’s time to round the nutrition out with a bit of healthy fats. Healthy fats will slow the digestion of the naturally occurring sugar in fruit, which will stabilize your blood sugar and provide you with a long-term source of energy to get you through the morning! My favorite healthy fats for smoothies are unsweetened almond butter, avocado, or hemp seeds.
    • Consider adding fresh or frozen vegetables. Depending on which vegetable you choose to add to your smoothie, you most likely won’t be able to taste it at all! Spinach is always a great addition, yielding very little flavor yet TONS of nutrients. Or, steamed then frozen cauliflower is a perfect way to not only add nutrients to a smoothie, but helps to thicken it up as well.
    • Give it a boost with protein and/or powdered superfoods. I prefer unsweetened, unflavored, and plant-based protein in my smoothie recipes. However, feel free to use whichever protein powder is your favorite! Though in my chocolate peanut butter protein smoothie recipe, I highly recommend the Aloha Chocolate Protein Powder – it’s so darn good.
    • Select a liquid to blend. Any liquid will work! Water or milk will yield the least flavor, allowing the fruit to shine. Or, you can use juice for an even sweeter and fruitier smoothie if you’d like.
    all 5 smoothies in cups with ice, blueberries, and almond milk on the side

    Blenders 101

    I’ve owned many blenders in my day, though these two have stood out the most:

    • Vitamix: I know …she’s expensive, but boy is she incredible! I purchase a refurbished Vitamix a few years ago after saving up for one. And let me tell ya, it was worth EVERY penny. There’s nothing the Vitamix can’t blend, it’s truly the most powerful blender on the market. So if you’re looking to splurge, the Vitamix is definitely the blender for you!
    • Nutribullet: The nutribullet is great for everyday use! It takes up very little counter space, and is super easy to clean. I had my first nutribullet for almost 10 years before it eventually died on me. And that was after daily use in a four-person household! Also, the larger cup is enough to blend up to two serving sizes. I really can’t recommend the nutribullet enough, it’s fairly priced and comes with a one year warranty.

    Turn Any Smoothie Into a Smoothie Bowl

    Turn any of the below smoothie recipes into a smoothie bowl! It’s seriously so easy, all you’ll need to do is start with half the amount of liquid listed in the recipe. Then, continue to add more liquid as needed or until it’s perfectly thick and smooth. Once smooth, transfer your smoothie to a bowl and top with some fresh fruit, a handful of granola, and maybe even a scoop of almond or peanut butter!

    5 Healthy and DELICIOUS Smoothie Recipes
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    5 Healthy and DELICIOUS Smoothie Recipes

    5 from 1 vote
    Recipe by Samantha Course: Breakfast, Snacks, DrinksDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    1

    serving
    Total time

    5

    minutes

    Here are the 5 smoothie recipes I make constantly! They’re SUPER healthy, incredibly delicious, and come together in only a few minutes. These healthy smoothies are the perfect quick, easy, and portable breakfast or snack!

    Ingredients

    • Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie

    • 1 1/2 frozen bananas

    • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder or 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

    • 1 tablespoon peanut butter

    • 1 cup almond milk, or regular milk

    • Strawberry Banana Smoothie

    • 1 frozen banana

    • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries

    • 1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter, optional

    • 1 cup milk, I used almond milk

    • Glowing Green Smoothie

    • 1 cup frozen mango

    • 1/2 cup frozen peaches

    • 1 cup fresh spinach

    • 1/2 avocado

    • 1 cup water or milk

    • Tropical Smoothie

    • 1 cup frozen mango

    • 1/2 cup frozen pineapple

    • 1/2 cup plain yogurt, unsweetened

    • 1 cup coconut milk

    • Very Berry Smoothie

    • 1/2 cup frozen cherries

    • 1 cup frozen mixed berries

    • 1/2 cup plain yogurt, unsweetened

    • 1 cup water or milk

    Directions

    • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

    Recipe Video

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Perfect Paleo Brownies

    By
    close up image of the inside of paleo brownies

    These paleo brownies are total perfection! Extra chocolatey and extremely indulgent, yet are entirely gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.

    overhead image of paleo brownies with milk and cocoa powder on the side

    What You’ll Need

    Almond Flour – Be sure to use almond flour, and not almond meal in these paleo brownies! Almond flour is ground much finer than meal, resulting in a lighter and overall better brownie. I’ve tried many different brands of almond flour and truly loved them all. Trader Joe’s makes a great almond flour, as does Costco. Almond flour was once hard to come by, but thankfully, it’s sold in most grocery stores these days!

    Almond Butter – Almond butter makes these brownies exceptionally rich and delicious! Don’t worry though, your brownies won’t at all taste like almonds. Almond butter also gives these brownies structure, in the absence of gluten or grains.

    Coconut Sugar – This unrefined sugar is a paleo-friendly alternative to regular white sugar. Also, unflike white sugar, coconut sugar contains vitamins, minerals, and even fiber. The fiber in particular aids in slowing down the absorption of sugar in our body, placing it lower on the glycemic index. Basically, what this means is you’re less likely to experience that sugar spike and crash with coconut sugar, than with refined white sugar.

    three paleo brownies stacked on top of each other

    Top Tips

    • Let the brownies cool slightly before cutting! Trust me, I understand the temptation of wanting to dive straight into a pan of brownies as soon as they’re out of the oven. But try your best to fight those urges and let the paleo brownies cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This’ll help them hold their shape!
    • Bring any chilled ingredients to room temperature before getting started. If the eggs, for example, are too cold, they’ll cause the melted coconut oil to seize up and harden in the batter. Therefore, place all ingredients out on the counter about an hour before diving into this recipe!

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan: Simply swap out the eggs for 2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water) for vegan paleo brownies!

    Make it Nut-Free: I haven’t tested this version myself yet, but you can try using sunflower seed butter in place of the almond butter and 1/4 cup of coconut flour in place of the almond flour. If you give this nut-free version a try, please let me know how it is!

    Perfect Paleo Brownies
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    Perfect Paleo Brownies

    5 from 1 vote
    Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    16

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    20

    minutes
    Total time

    25

    minutes

    These paleo brownies are total perfection! Extra chocolatey and extremely indulgent, yet are entirely gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.

    Ingredients

    • 2 eggs, at room temperature

    • 1/2 cup almond butter

    • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

    • 1/4 cup maple syrup

    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    • 1/2 cup almond flour

    • 3/4 cup cocoa powder

    • 1 teaspoon baking soda

    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    • 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

    Directions

    • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line or grease a 9×9-inch baking dish.
    • Add eggs, almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and beat together either by hand or with an electric mixer.
    • Add in almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until completely smooth and combined. Fold chocolate chips into brownie batter.
    • Transfer batter to your prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

    Recipe Video

    Notes

    • Leftover paleo brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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