My last few blogs have been on some weightier issues, and I’d like to lighten the mood here for a bit! So, I’m planning to spend a quick minute on my fav “KiDZ Snacks”! Because, no matter what your plan looks like heading into the school year, we’re all looking for those on-the-go, at least semi-HEALTHY options to give the never endingly, unceasingly hungry kiddos!

[As I head into the “food blog” realm, there are two things about me that you should know ahead of time: 1.) My goal is to offer recipes for anyone just getting their feet wet and experimenting with slightly healthier options, all the way to the full-throttle, no preservatives, all things organic, crunchy mama 2.) I personally DESPISE long food blogs. I’m the person who skips the blog part and heads straight for the recipe… every. single. time. So, I’ll not bore you with the details of how this recipe has been passed down from my great-grandma (Cause it wasn’t, I simply found a basic recipe one day and then worked and tweaked it into a flexible perfection). And I won’t fill you in on every reason I want a healthy snack option for my kiddos (that should be obvious). And I’m not going to show you tons of pictures of the baking process (I’ve never honestly seen the point). I will do my utmost to keep my food blogs quick and simple so you can get to making or baking without having to skip a ton of boring and unnecessary information.]

So, I’m starting with the tops on my list:

MONSTER COOKIES!!!

I know, I know, cookies aren’t generally the healthiest snack. BUT add in a protein punch and skip the preservatives and refined sugars (if you skip the M&Ms) and you might be surprised what you come up with. Regardless, you should keep in mind that snacks you make from scratch in your own kitchen are generally always better and more affordable than what you’ll buy in the store. Don’t be overwhelmed by the options, it’s actually helpful that the ingredients for these cookies are so crazy flexible.

For these cookies you’ll need:

1. Flour (all purpose, gf all purpose, coconut, almond, oat, etc.)
2. A Protein source (protein powder, nut butter, flax meal, chia meal, etc.)
3. Oats (any kind will work)
4. Cocoa Powder
5. Sweetener (Org. cane/brown sugar, coconut sugar, sucanat, stevia blends, honey, maple syrup, etc Mix and Combine as many of these as you want to get that perfect sweetness!.)
6. Eggs
7. Baking soda
8. Salt
9. Vanilla (It’s stupid expensive lately, so I use a vanilla flavored protein powder, or just skip it)
10. Fat (butter and coconut oil are my favs)
11. Yummy add-ins (semi sweet choc-chips, white choc-chips, pb chips, nuts, coconut, M&Ms, etc.)

Now, I know some of y’all are judging my ingredients. You might be the mama who just passed out the moment you saw the word SUGAR or the mention of those deadly, dye filled M&Ms. Or you might be the mama saying, “This girl needs to get over her crunchy self!” Seriously, the beauty is making these your own and working with what you have!

Here’s what I had today…although a jar are two are actually empty so I had to improvise! It’s pretty easy to make this doable with whatever you have around!

Alrighty! I’m giving you guys the basic recipe I…um…sorta follow. But remember to reference the list above for replacements or substitutes for anything you don’t have or would prefer an alternative! Tweak it until they are perfect for YOU!

Chocolate Monster Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup softened coconut oil or butter (sometimes I mix them)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup Coconut Sugar (or other)
• 1/4 cup Truvia or THM Super Sweet Blend
• 1 TBSP Vanilla
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 cups any flour
• 1/4 cup protein powder/flax meal
• 3 Cups Oats
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• M&M’s, chips, nuts, etc. (As much as you want!)

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 350°. In large mixing bowl blend butter/coconut oil, peanut butter and sweeteners. Add vanilla and eggs and mix. In separate medium size bowl, combine flours, protein powder/flax meal, oats, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Lastly, add the fun stuff! Spoon cookies of desired size onto a greased baking sheet and bake for approx. 8-10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before moving to cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen medium size cookies. Enjoy!

Hope you love em’!

(Feel free to comment with any questions or suggestions!)