I love trying to figure out how to make recipes that would normally be considered “junk” food into nutritious snacks that you aren’t afraid to give your kids. I’m not big on totally depriving kids of junk food (I feel like that only leads to a slew of other problems in the long run) but if I can come up with a version of a cookie that doesn’t include all of the nasty fillers and preservatives found in store bought brands, I’m making it homemade for my kids.

These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies will have your little ones’ eyes popping wide open when they see them coming out of the oven. These cookies have a healthy carbohydrate from the oatmeal and a protein punch from the peanut butter — great for kids who have been active running around all day. All they’re going to care about though is that they are delicious!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Makes about 60 cookies)

1/2 Cup Butter (1 Stick)
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Oats
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the butter and agave in a bowl or a standing mixer and beat for 1 minute.
3. Add the egg, vanilla and peanut butter and beat another minute on medium speed or until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to incorporate.
6. Drop 1 tbsp of the cookie dough onto a Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Flatten down each ball of cookie dough with the back of your hand or with the back of a fork making a checkerboard pattern.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
8. Cool and serve.

As much as possible on weelicious, I enjoy coming up with recipes that are super easy, fun and fast. With each one I try and put myself in the shoes of parents that have never entered a kitchen before having kids. I think these Apple Butter Turnovers fit the easy, fun and fast criteria. They are really simple to make, especially if you’ve made pie crust before. But if you haven’t, that’s OK. Just buy a box of ready-made pie crust and no one will know the difference. You can make things even easier and buy a jar of apple butter, but I have to say that making your own is incredibly satisfying and requires nothing more than cooking a few apples until they’re chunky and tender.

When I was a kid, I had a major thing for McDonald’s apple pies. They were crispy, sweet and I loved getting to hold the little pie in my hand (I’m starting to worry that between yesterday’s Crispy Onion Rings recipe and today’s post, you guys are going to think I was raised in fast food joints!). These days, I avoid fast food, but when these came out of the oven and I took the first bite, I was elated that I would be able to let Kenya experience the great taste of one of my favorite childhood food memories, without exposing him to a whole host of ingredients I don’t want him eating.

Well, he loved them. No doubt these will be a huge hit with your kids too, and then you can consider them your own version of “fast” food.

Apple Butter Turnovers (Makes 8-10 Small Turnovers)

8 Tbsp Butter, chilled and cubed
8 Tbsp Shortening or Lard, chilled and cubed
2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Salt
5-6 Tbsp Ice Water
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Water
Apple Butter

*If you’re using pre-made pie crust, skip ahead to step #5.

1. Place the first 3 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
2. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the water in the food processor and pulse a few times until the dough starts to come together.
3. Place the dough on a piece of parchment or plastic wrap and gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.
4. Refrigerate the pie crust dough for 30 minutes or until chilled.
5. Roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick.
6. Using cookie cutters, cut out turnovers into desired shapes (If you are making 8 turnovers, you need 16 cut-outs, one for the top and one for the bottom).
7. Place one cut-out on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet, top with 2 tsp of apple butter (depending on the size of your shape) leaving a 1/4 inch border around the cut-out.
8. Combine the honey and water together in a separate bowl.
9. Brush the 1/4 inch border with the honey water, place matching pastry shape on top of the apple butter and using the tines of a fork, gently press down to seal the dough.
10. Brush the remaining honey water on top of each turnover.
11. Using the tip of a knife, cut several slits through the dough (to allow ventilation).
12. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
13. Cool and serve.

Valentine’s Day is only a couple of weeks away and I’ve been thinking about all the yummy recipes that I can make for the Valentines in my life. Someone on the Weelicious Facebook page suggested making fondue, which I thought was a perfect idea. What better way to get your little ones (and not so little ones) excited about eating than to give them a dessert that requires dipping!

Fondue is simpler to make than it sounds and the only issue for me was the amount of sugar normally found in most chocolate fondue recipes. After a bit of trial and error, I came up with this recipe that is smooth, creamy and perfect for dipping fresh fruits into. Even better, your kids will get a boost of protein from the almond butter, so they’ll get strong muscles to give you loads of loving hugs!

Chocolate Almond Butter Sauce (Makes 3/4 Cup)

1/4 Cup Almond Butter (I use smooth)
1/4 Cup Agave
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Hot Water

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Serve with sliced fresh fruit.

Kenya could eat rice morning, noon and night, so I’m constantly trying to come up with new recipes using this great grain. I’m thankful that he loves rice so much because it’s inexpensive, easy to prepare and healthy. I usually make a big batch in the rice cooker once or twice a week, so I always have some on hand in the fridge to quickly heat up and serve with beans, stir fry, sushi rolls or Chicken and Rice Burritos. Although I love the Creamy Rice Pudding recipe that I make all the time, this quick Leftover Rice Pudding is a fantastic alternative to the real thing without sacrificing any of the flavor. Just plop all the ingredients in a pan, let the rice absorb most of the milk and, “ta-da”, rice pudding that everyone in your house will think took you hours to make.

Leftover Rice Pudding (Serves 4)

2 Cups White or Brown Rice
1 Cup Vanilla Rice Milk (you can also use cow’s, almond or soy milk)
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp - 1/4 Cup Agave Nectar

1. Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until it starts to thicken up.
2. Place in bowls and cool.
3. Refrigerate or serve at room temperature.

I worked on a holiday project with Good Bite for Betty Crocker, and this is one of the recipes I contributed to them based on a combination of my favorite desserts and flavors. I think it’s one of the most un-weelicious recipes I’ve ever created because it’s packed with sugar, but since it’s the holidays and I don’t believe in deprivation, I decided to post it here, too. I find this to be a super delicious dessert, not to mention a total show piece for your guests. With a rich chocolate brownie base; peppermint, mint chocolate chip and vanilla ice creams and peaks of meringue all over, Baked Alaska is a gorgeous and delicious dessert to serve for Christmas that will blow everyone away. The best part is that you can prepare it days or even a week in advance and keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to serve it.

You can’t imagine how big Kenya’s eyes were when he saw the final product. Of course being the sweet mom that I am (wink, wink), I never want Kenya to miss out on such a special treat. So, I cut into the Baked Alaska
and served us each a slice. He was totally intrigued by the layers of ice cream, and remarked, “it’s beautiful!” He loved eating it so much, I may switch up the flavors and make it for his birthday this year. But, no matter what time of year you decide to make it, everyone will fall in love with this incredible treat!

Holiday Baked Alaska (Serves 20-24)

1 Pint Peppermint Ice Cream, softened
1.5 Oz Gallon Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, softened
1.5 Oz Gallon Vanilla Ice Cream, softened
1 Cup Butter
8 oz Bittersweet Chocolate
4 Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
2 Tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
8 Eggs Whites, room temperature
1/4 Tsp Cream Of Tartar
1 Cup Sugar

1. Line a 3 quart metal bowl with plastic wrap and scoop out the softened ice cream in layers starting with the peppermint, then the mint chocolate chip and finally the vanilla.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours or more.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Grease a 9 inch cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment and grease again.
4. Place butter and chocolate in a glass bowl over a pot of hot water (or a double boiler) and stir the butter and chocolate until melted. This can also be done in a microwave for 1 minute.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla until combined.
6. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt until combined.
7. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine.
8. Add the flour to the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
9. Pour the brownie mixture into the cake pan and bake for 50 mins-1 hour.
10. When the cake is completely cool, unmold it on to a large flat, ovenproof plate.
11. Unmold the ice cream dome on top of the brownie layer and remove the plastic. Place back in the freezer.
12. Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar for 2 minutes on medium high speed.
13. Increase the speed to high and add the sugar in a slow stream until stiff, but not dry peaks form.
14. Cover the ice cream dome with the meringue covering completely and make swirly peaks with a spoon all over.
15. Freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
16. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
17. Bake the baked alaska for 3-5 minutes or until the peaks start to turn golden.
18. Slice and serve.
* Tip: Wetting your knife in hot water in between cuts makes the dessert easier to cut.
* You can place it back in the freezer after the meringue bakes until you’re still not ready to serve

Months ago I bought some unsweetened shredded coconut at our neighborhood health food store in order to make weelicious Date Nut Bites. To say the least, I was shocked when I discovered that Kenya had eaten over HALF of the bag while I was organizing the kitchen, so I couldn’t even make the recipe. When I looked at him with a shocked expression on my face, he said “mommy, I love coco-noot!”

We all know that when kids get their hands on a food they love, they will gobble it up in no time. While thinking of holiday cookie ideas that feature Kenya’s beloved “coco-noot” but DON’T use refined sugar, the idea for making macaroons came to mind. I love macaroons, but most of the ones I find in stores are LOADED with sugar and other nasty ingredients. Just for kicks, I decided to replace the cup (or more) of white sugar found in most macaroon recipes with agave nectar and I’m happy to report it was a total success! In order to make the macaroons even more appropriate for the holidays, weelicious test number two was to place some of the cookie mixture in cookie cutters, pat them down to keep them flat and remove the mold before baking — they turned out looking amazing! Finally, so I could have variety without much more effort, weelicious test number three was to see if I could make a delicious chocolate version without major changes to the original recipe. To my surprise, the new macaroons came out perfectly by adding just a tablespoon of cocoa powder. I love it when I’m testing a new recipe and all my little experiments actually work out so well!

I think you’ll find this recipe to be versatile without added effort and a real treat for anyone that loves coconut as much as my little guy. Happy holidays!

Macaroons

2 Cups Unsweetened Coconut, shredded
1/4 Tsp Salt (I used kosher)
4 Egg Whites
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1 Tsp Vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl (preferably a metal bowl) beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes or until they have stiff peaks.
3. Fold in the remaining ingredients until incorporated (the egg whites will deflate quite a bit).
4. Place 2 tbsps of the batter on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet (you can also place cookie cutters on the baking sheet and place the batter inside patting it down with a soon to even it out. Remove the cookie cutter before baking).
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
6. Serve.

*If you want to make 1/2 the batter chocolate macaroons, add 1 tbsp cocoa powder. If you want to make all of the macaroons chocolate, use 2 tbsps.

Yes, you read it right, sugar cookies! At weelicious we try to create and promote recipes without refined sugar, but when the holidays and other special occasions roll around, I ease off some of my restrictions and pull out this favorite. After all, decorating sugar cookies with kids is just about as much fun as you can have in the kitchen and this version is really easy to make and even yummier to eat.

Last week I whipped out this recipe for Kenya and I and we had a blast cutting out the sugar cookies into all kinds of festive shapes. But it wasn’t until after they finished baking and had cooled that the real fun began. You should have seen Kenya’s eyes when I pulled out all the different colored sprinkles and other decorations. He’s not even 3 years old yet, but watching the precision and dedication with which he applied himself to adorning the cookies with icing and sprinkles was precious. After we were finished decorating, the family sat around and munched on Kenya’s gorgeous creation (even the ones covered with pounds of icing and sprinkles). He was so proud and we had a great time spreading our own sweet holiday cheer.

Now, no more sugar till next year (fingers crossed)!

Sugar Cookies (Makes about 1 Dozen Large Cookies)

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl using electric beaters or in a standing mixer,
cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes on medium to high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
4. Turn the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until the dough comes together.
5. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, parchment paper or wax paper and flatten into a round shaped disk.
6. Wrap the dough disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least one hour or overnight.
7. Once chilled, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
8. Let dough sit for about 10 minutes or until soft enough to roll out.
9. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until 1/4 thick and even.
10. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes (I like to start at one end of the dough placing the cookie cutters close together).
11. Using a spatula, transfer the cut-outs onto a cookie sheet (preferably a lined-silpat cookie sheet).
12. Bake for 10-15 minutes rotating halfway through until edges turn golden.
13. Cool cookies on a rack.
14. Ice and serve.

Icing

1 Cup Confectioners (Powdered) Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Milk

1. Combine the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Use to decorate the cookies.

Not enough time (or too lazy) to make homemade crust for a pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving? Want a really fast
and easy dessert that your family will think you spent hours preparing?

After roasting a turkey and making homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, and more, I’m exhausted! The thought of having to make a dessert that lives up to that meal is too nerve racking and time consuming for me to try doing, but I still need my pumpkin fix for the holiday!

These individual pumpkin cheesecakes are sweet, creamy and delicious and take no time to whip up.

Kenya loved watching them bake and then was totally bummed that he had to wait until they cooled before he got his little mitts on them. I’m pretty sure it was worth the wait though, since he scarfed his up in no time flat!

Individual Pumpkin Cheesecakes (Makes 8 Individual Ramekins)

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened (I softened mine on a plate for 20 seconds in the microwave)
1 15 oz Can Pumpkin Puree
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Cup Agave

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a mixer or in a bowl with beaters, beat the cream cheese until creamy and smooth.
3. Add the pumpkin and mix until smooth and combined.
3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and combine.
5. Pour into 8 ramekins and fill 3/4 full.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.
7. Serve.

We eat a lot of bananas in our house. I would say between the four of us we easily go through six bananas a day (yes, even baby Chloe eats one a day now). Sometimes, I think I live in the monkey house.

When I want to spice things up a little and do something beyond the standard banana cut up on oatmeal, blended in the smoothie or just eaten on it’s own, I make this quick, sweet dish. It seems very fancy and difficult to prepare, but it couldn’t be easier to do. Whether you’re making this for breakfast or dessert, it will excite you toddler and impress the adults. For the little ones, I like to serve the bananas with plain yogurt, but for a party you could add a scoop of Yogurt, Honey and Cinammon “Ice Cream” to make it a little more elegant.

Baked Maple Bananas

1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
4 Bananas, peeled and cut into pieces or sliced lengthwise
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In an 8×8 inch pyrex dish combine the butter and maple syrup.
3. Melt the butter and maple syrup in the microwave or oven.
4. Add the lemon juice and cinnamon and stir to combine.
5. Gently toss the bananas in the liquid mixture to coat.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
7. Serve.

One of my favorite snacks growing up was Dannon Fruit on the Bottom yogurt. I loved sliding my spoon through the top layer of plain yogurt and down into the sweet fruit puree at the bottom. When I say “sweet,” I mean SWEET! Until recently, I had no idea how much bad sugar was in the Fruit at the Bottom (sugar, fructose syrup and high fructose corn syrup are among the very first ingredients).

Tons of varieties of apples are all over farmers’ markets and groceries this time of year, so I decided to make my own fruit on the bottom yogurt using what I can find. If you decide to make this treat at another time of year, you can also use other types of seasonal fruits. This particular recipe works best with pears, peaches or bananas.

Whether I make this for breakfast, school lunch, a snack or even as a healthy dessert, it’s a fast, fresh and easy success.

Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp Butter
2 Apples, cored, peeled and cut into chunks (Gala, Fuji’s or any crisp eating apple)
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup, divided
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Cup Greek Yogurt

1. Heat butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat.
2. Add the apples, cinnamon, 1 tbsp maple syrup and lemon juice and stir to combine.
3. Cover and cook the apples for 8 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool.
4. In a separate bowl combine the greek yogurt and 1 tbsp of maple syrup.
5. Place 1 tbsp of apple mixture in a glass, then 2 tbsp of the yogurt and repeat.
6. Serve.