Coconut Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

After finishing up the first week of school on Thursday, I was up and ready to let out some creative energy and stress with a mini bake-a-thon on Friday morning (very mini in that I only made two items, the second of which will be on the blog soon enough). Earlier in the week I saw a post over on Ambitious Kitchen for these amazing cookies that contained one of my favourite ingredients - did you guess it? - coconut. I love how the texture and taste of a simple chocolate chip cookie can change by swapping in and out a few different ingredients. These cookies are made dense with oats and shredded coconut, slightly sweet with brown sugar and ever so chocolatey with chocolate chips. The best part? No butter. Coconut oil comes to the rescue as a healthier fat and I'm now finding myself needing multiple jars for the many things I use it for - face wash, hair mask, baking, I can't believe I haven't mentioned my love for this oil yet. Anyways, I'm just blabbering on now so here's the recipe:

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup quick oats

1 1/4 cup all purpose white flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup melted coconut oil

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons milk (preferably dairy)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut oil and brown sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add in the egg, milk and vanilla, mixing on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add in the flour mixture until combined. Mix in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips. Spoon the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until they just begin to brown along the edges. 

I'll be facing the battle of the books once again this week but will be much happier doing so with a cookie in hand! How could you seriously say no to a coconut chocolate chip cookie?

Blueberry Banana Oat Muffins

I realize my last food post was muffins, but these muffins are different I promise - and there is no coconut in them so a pat-on-the-back goes to me for leaving the coconut behind (though I was very tempted to sprinkle a bit in). I love muffins because they are quick, cupcake-disguised breakfasts. These muffins, though aren't a whole lot like cupcakes except for their shape, are protein packed and sugar and butter-less but still oh so yummy. I've been on this healthy baking kick for a little while now and every time I try a new recipe I am excited about how delicious they still are. So far there has been a serious lack in cardboard taste and I am very grateful to say so!

I followed this recipe from Ambitious Kitchen but traded in some frozen blueberries instead and they came out great. They are dense, sweet and moist and make for a perfect breakfast on the run.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats 

1 tbsp ground flax

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 egg white

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

2/3 cup frozen blueberries, heaping

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 12 cup muffin pan. Whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Toss the blueberries with 1 heaping tablespoon of the flour mixture and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the banana, olive oil, honey and vanilla on medium speed with an electric mixer. Beat in the egg and egg white until well combined. Add in the greek yogurt and almond milk and beat on low speed until smooth. Add the banana mixture into the flour and combine just until it is mixed. Gently fold in the blueberries until distributed throughout. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I ate a pair of these muffins with a little bit of butter and a side of fruit. It made for a great and filling start to my day. I would also try adding in walnuts, pecans or white chocolate chips for some extra texture and taste!

Tip: Try measuring the olive oil before the honey - this way when you measure the honey (with the same tablespoon) it will slip right off without any stickiness.

Coconut Banana Bread

You would think that with the name of this blog featuring a well-loved baked good, I would have started with a post on making banana bread. During my last couple years of high school, I became known among my friends for my banana bread. It was the one recipe I had perfected and had even given as a gift on numerous occasions. Though I have shared that recipe with a few close friends, I am not ready to share it with the internet just yet, so instead I am turning to Ambitious Kitchen for a healthier banana bread option. Looking at my Pinterest boards, you'll notice that I have recently developed an obsession with all things coconut and this recipe for Coconut Banana Bread couldn't be more appealing!

Ingredients

1 cup white flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 ripe medium bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine the flours, baking powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, combine the bananas, vanilla and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg whites and olive oil. Gradually add in the flour mixture until it is well combined. On low speed, mix in the greek yogurt and orange juice - if the batter is too heavy, add a couple tablespoons of milk. Finally, fold in the 1/2 cup of coconut until it is evenly distributed. Pour the batter into a non-stick loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Great for breakfast or a snack, the hint of coconut and the classic banana flavour brings the tropics to your taste buds on these (still) chilly first days of spring!

Note: The whole wheat flour makes for a heavier bread, so if you prefer for something lighter you can use entirely white flour. Also, why not try mixing in some dark chocolate chips for something more decadent or your favourite nut for an added crunch!