Halloween Cookies

It is Halloween weekend, and you know what that means! Costumes and candy galore, of course! I want you to imagine the spooky holiday season from a different perspective for a minute…the candy’s perspective. Imagine being given to someone awash with excitement and wonder at the thought of you only to sit on a counter for months getting yuckier by the minute. Eventually you get thrown away and replaced by festive Christmas candy. What a sad life all our leftover candies live!

Well we can make these candies have a purpose again! After all the Halloween excitement has died down next week, these pumpkin cookies are a fantastic way to utilize leftover chocolate candies (I would not suggest mixing pumpkin spice with sour gummy worms…) and eliminate food waste. The cookies themselves are fantastic: thick and cakey with real pumpkin, the chewy texture of oat flour, all the fall spice flavors, and sweetened with maple syrup. Then you add some chocolate on top and wow! Halloween explosion in your mouth!

I tried three types of chocolate candies with these: plain dark chocolate, crushed up Heath bars, and Reese’s cups. I will say that the Reese’s ones did not look too attractive because the candy didn’t really hold its shape, but those were a family favorite based on taste alone. I kept thinking that Rolos would taste amazing with the caramel, peanut butter or plain M&Ms would be a fun pop of color, and probably almost any of the little snack-sized chocolates would go great on top. If you try these out with your kids’ leftover candy, please let me know which candies you used and how they turned out! If you’re like me, throwing out food makes you cringe, so I hope this recipe hits the spot while simultaneously creatively using leftovers. Happy Halloween!

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• Servings: 30
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Ingredients

• 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup of melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cups of oat flour (you can blend your own old-fashioned oats for this)
• 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed
• 3 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp of ground cloves
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 30 small chocolate candies/pieces of candies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
3. Combine all wet ingredients (pumpkin through eggs) in a medium mixing bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients (except candy) and stir to combine.
5. Using your hands or a cookie scoop (my favorite birthday gift from my husband!), place 1 tbsp balls of dough on baking sheet.
6. Press candies on top, slightly flattening the cookies – they are so cakey they don’t spread much.
7. Bake for 17-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
8. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for three days; after that, store covered in the fridge.

If you can’t get enough pumpkin this season, be sure to check out my Pumpkin Bread with Crumb Topping or Pumpkin Spice Cake, and for fall-inspired breakfasts, check out my Pumpkin Pecan Muffins and Pumpkin and Oat Blender Waffles. I hope that whatever you eat this weekend warms your tummy and your heart. Be safe, have a fun Halloween, enjoy family…and enjoy your Pinch of Crazy!

This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small commission for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

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Holiday Desserts

Sitting by a crackling fire, listening to classics like “The Christmas Song”, watching the tree lights twinkle, and enjoying my mom’s sweet, chocolatey fudge are some of my favorite Christmas traditions while growing up.

I’m not sure I can call myself “grown up” now, but I guess having two kids, a mortgage, and crow’s feet kind of qualifies me as so. Being a wife and mom myself (and, yeah, I guess a grown up) now, one of my greatest joys is creating a safe, cozy home for my family, and at this time of year, holiday traditions really add to the coziness of home.

I am sure throughout the years we will add in some more traditions, but right now our traditions are: picking out and decorating the tree together, having a Christmas scent on the stove filling the house with sweet and spicy aromas, Chinese food on Christmas Eve (which started as a young married couple after a busy evening at church, and I liked it so much we have kept it up), and of course, having ample goodies. Two goodies we have every year are peppermint bark and molasses cookies, but I am trying to add some more snacks and treats into the mix.

The holiday season always has its own level of Crazy, but add in a global pandemic, and having a new baby, and you have A [big] Pinch of Crazy! All of that to say, this year I didn’t really have the time or mental capacity to come up with a new holiday goodie, but I wanted to compile a list of some of my previous holiday treats for y’all to maybe make some traditions of your own!

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Our Favorites

• Marbled Peppermint Bark – This treat is both cool and refreshing and chocolatey and rich. While it is not refined sugar free, it is a breeze to whip up, and everyone is sure to love it!
• Molasses Cookies – These warmly spiced cookies are soft and chewy with just the right touch of unrefined sweetness. These are my husband’s favorite, and I love making them for him every year!

Fall Flavors

• Apple Pie Parfaits – These cute individual desserts are layered with warm apple pie filling, granola crumble, and whipped cream.
• Pumpkin Bread with Crumb Topping – Just because fall is over, doesn’t mean you can’t finish up your canned pumpkin in the pantry. Pumpkin bread is always a hit; add a cinnamon crumb topping and you’ve got a family favorite!
• No Bake Pumpkin Pie – Not just for Thanksgiving, this pie will be sure to please with its date and walnut crust filled with spiced pumpkin filling.

Candies and Confections

• Chocolate Nut Clusters – These crunchy chocolate covered nuts are topped with a touch of salt, and are perfectly poppable for this time of year.
• Two Layer Paleo Fudge – Fudge is a Christmas classic, and this refined sugar and dairy free version has a creamy almond butter layer beneath a salted dark chocolate layer.
• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups – Who doesn’t love a peanut butter cup at Christmas time? This healthier version of the classic candy is rich, gooey, and so simple to make!

Classic Desserts

• Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies – These are classic cookies with a healthy twist; a treat everyone will love!
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – For when you need a little break from all the chocolate, these chewy cookies will do the trick.
• No Bake Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust – Sure to be a stunner on your dessert table, this dairy free cheesecake has a cool coconut cream filling atop a chocolate, date, and nut crust.

Holiday Beverages

• Dairy Free Eggnog – Eggnog is one of my favorite holiday drinks, and being strictly dairy free this year doesn’t mean I have to miss out! This thick, creamy, and sweet drink is made with coconut and almond milk, sweetened with coconut sugar, and can be made “adult” with some bourbon.
• Slow Cooker Apple Cider – Warm, spiced apple cider is simple to make in your slow cooker, and your home will be filled with all the spicy scents.
• Death by Hot Chocolate – Another treat we have often this time of year, this dairy free, refined sugar free hot chocolate is not missing out on flavor. It is so rich, it tastes just like drinking melted chocolate!

This year has been tough on so many in different ways; I hope these treats can fill your home with love and Christmas cheer. Maybe you can even add a new tradition to your usual ones. Stay safe and healthy, hug your loved ones, soak in the magic of the season… and enjoy your Pinch of Crazy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I am sure you know by now that I’m a die hard chocolate fan. Or some may say chocoholic, addict, but whatever. The point is, I love chocolate! And if I were going to pick a cookie, it would 100% be my Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies, but sometimes people just need a little space…even from good things. So even though these cookies may not be chocolate, they are light, sweet, chewy, and tasty! They are gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and make the perfect companion to your afternoon cup of coffee or can keep you company during your late night binge of reality TV. I hope you don’t discriminate against non-chocolate desserts – give these a try!

Makes 18 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of coconut flour
• 1/2 cup of coconut sugar
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup of coconut milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of old fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup of raisins

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Line a baking sheet with a baking mat
• Combine all dry ingredients (coconut flour through salt) in a mixing bowl
• Add the wet ingredients (coconut oil through egg)
• Stir until well combined
• Add in the oats and raisins
• Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on prepared baking sheet
• Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the top springs back when touched and the bottom is lightly browned
• Store leftovers covered at room temperature

For more cookie recipes, check out my favorite Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies or my Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars. I also have brownies, cheesecake, and mug cake if you want something in a different direction. I am here to be open minded to all kinds of delicious desserts! When I bake with healthier ingredients, I can truly enjoy my dessert without any stomach aches, blood sugar spikes, or mental guilt – and let’s be honest, dessert feeds the soul. Find something on my site to enjoy for yourself, or share if you want 😉 Either way, feed your soul…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

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Molasses Cookies

This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small pantry fund for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s that time of year for Christmas cookies! Cookie exchanges, cookie decorating, full cookie jars almost daily; it’s certainly the most wonderful time of the year! If you’ve kept up with my blog thus far then you know how detrimental my sugar *monster* can be; if I eat too much refined sugar, I get headaches, my anxiety shoots up, and my ability to sleep goes out the window right along with my racing heart. You can read more about my journey with anxiety and trigger foods in this post, but, basically, I can’t be eating Christmas cookies every day. Sigh.

However, with this recipe, I can still enjoy a Christmas cookie…or two…or three, without all the side effects that come from refined sugar. These Molasses Cookies are refined sugar free, made with hearty whole wheat flour, sweet but not too sweet, and have all the warm Christmas-time spices; the texture is great, too: crunchy edges, slightly chewy, with a soft center. My friends and family, 22-month old included, loved these; my husband and dad could hardly stop eating them! I promise you won’t be disappointed in these cookies, but you may be disappointed by how quickly they’ll disappear.

Molasses Cookies

Makes 33 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1.5 tsp of cinnamon, plus 1/2 tsp set aside
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup coconut sugar, plus 1/4 cup set aside
• 1/2 cup room temperature coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup of molasses (that is my favorite brand; dark, but not too strong tasting)
• 1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:

• Combine first 7 ingredients (flour through cloves) in a small mixing bowl
• Whisk until combined
• In a separate large bowl, beat together the coconut oil and coconut sugar until fluffy
• Add in eggs one at a time, combing well after each egg
• Add the molasses and vanilla, mix until combined
• Add the flour mixture in three parts, mixing well after each addition
• Place bowl with dough in the freezer for about 15 minutes, until dough is firm enough to handle
• While dough is freezing, heat oven to 350 F
• Prepare three baking sheets with non-stick spray or, my favorite baking tool, these silicone mats (which would make a great stocking stuffer 😉 )
• On parchment paper, combine 1/4 cup coconut sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• Once dough is firm, roll into tbsp sized balls, roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture, and place on baking sheet 1 inch apart
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are dark brown
• Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to let cool completely
• Store in covered container for up to a week

If you need a decadent hot coco to go along with your molasses cookies, check out my Death by Hot Chocolate for the ultimate chocolate fix, and for more cookies to stuff your cookie jar with, bake up a batch of my Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies, or bar cookies like Dark Chocolate Paleo Brownies or Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars. Let me know what your favorite seasonal cookie is! Keep those cookie jars full this season…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

 

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links it is of no extra cost to you, just a little pantry fund for me!

Oh Baby, Baby

Oops, I did it again! *Sing it with me ’90s babies!* I played with your heart, made another dessert! Okay, those aren’t Britney’s original lyrics, but it’s still a factual, fun song about ANOTHER DESSERT!!!

I’ll cool it with the exclamation points, now. But you have to admit, the thought of eating a warm peanut butter cookie studded with gooey chocolate chips fresh out of the oven is pretty exciting. What’s even more exciting is that these are gluten free, refined sugar free, could easily be paleo using almond butter, and could be vegan with a flax egg substitute (read how on this post). Another exciting fact is that these are super quick and easy to bake, and only dirties one bowl and spoon! Less dish washing needs an exclamation point, but I’m done now for real. Let’s get to the serious stuff. The recipe.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Makes 16 cookie bars, or one 8×8 pan you can eat throughout the week 😉 

Ingredients:

• One cup almond flour
• One cup coconut flour
• One cup coconut sugar
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup of no sugar added peanut butter
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Grease an 8×8 pan and set aside
• Combine dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a large bowl
• Make a well in the dry ingredients
• Add wet ingredients
• Stir until well combined
• Fold in chocolate chips
• Spread batter into prepared pan
• Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the edges are starting to brown
• Let cool for about 20 minutes before slicing
• Store covered at room temperature for a week

If you like cookies (and if you don’t, we probably can’t be friends), you should also check out my Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies recipe and give them a try. Both of these cookie recipes are quick, simple, decadent, and guilt free! I hope you make some; tag me on Instagram (@mrsmollymills) and let me know how you like them. Good luck getting Britney Spears out of your head, have a dance party, bake some cookies…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Comfort Food with a Wholesome Twist

This is my ninth post on A Pinch of Crazy, and my second dessert post. So considering that nearly 25% of my blog so far is desserts, I guess you could say I have a sweet tooth. If I’m being honest, it’s more like a sugar monster that tackles me every evening, force feeding me candy and cakes. After trying to starve the sugar monster, I realized that a life without chocolate is really no life at all. So what do you do when the sugar monster comes knocking and brings you a craving for chocolate chip cookies? You bake chocolate chip cookies, but with wholesome, real ingredients!

These cookies are scrumptious, but you don’t have to feel guilty about eating one (or two…or three) because there is no dairy, no refined sugar, and no flour. However, they are still treats, not exactly “low carb” or “low fat”, but the carbs come from oats and almonds, and the fats come from coconut oil and natural peanut butter. These healthy, wholesome ingredients are so much better for you than eating a cookie filled with white flour, butter, and white sugar.

Here is a comparison of the nutrition facts in one of my cookies and a Mrs. Fields’ cookie.

Molly’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies:

Calories- 88

Sugar- 6g

Fat- 7g

Carbs- 4g

Protein- 2g

Mrs. Fields Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Calories- 280

Sugar- 25g

Fat- 13g

Carbs- 39

Protein- 3g

Not ragging on Mrs. Fields; those are some delicious packaged cookies, but homemade is always better, and in this case, healthier!

 

One of the downsides of homemade cookies is, of course, the dishes. I hate doing dishes, and usually give that lovely chore to my wonderfully helpful husband, but I generally try to create as few dirty dishes as possible. So when making these, all you will need is one mixing bowl and a spoon! Woo!

The flour in my cookies is not traditional all purpose flour, or even whole wheat; it is a mix of almond flour (ground almonds) and oat flour (ground oats), which you can either buy or grind up your own. The chocolate I used was dark baking chocolate; the first time I baked them I used 100% cacao which was a little too bitter. The second time I used 66%, which added more sugar, but was delicious. I think up to 85% cacao would be dark chocolatey deliciousness! I adore these vegan dark chocolate chips from Enjoy Life in cookies, too!

I hope these Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies make their way into your cookie jar, satisfying your sugar monster without setting you off track in your healthy lifestyle.

Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Makes 18 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice, this is my favorite cheap, clean peanut butter)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 oz chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Prepare baking sheet with cooking spray
• Combine first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl
• Create a large hole in your dry ingredients (instead of getting out a second bowl for wet ingredients)
• Combine the next five ingredients in your created “bowl”, trying not to mix with the dry ingredients
• Once the wet ingredients are mostly combined, widen your stirring strokes to slowly incorporate the dry ingredients
• Once well combined, fold in chocolate chunks
• Roll about a tablespoon and a half of dough into a ball
• Place dough balls about two inches apart on prepared baking sheet
• Bake for 9-11 minutes until starting to brown
• Let cool on sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Next time your sugar monster comes around, bake these Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies! If you do, tag me on Instagram (@mrsmollymills) or Facebook (Molly Mills). Incorporate some healthier treats into your lifestyle so you can enjoy life more. Eat your treats…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!