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The Flourless, Sugar-Free Cookies This Yogi Brings To Every Holiday Party
Move over, Friday—it’s time to celebrate #TGIT. Simply Organic® and mbg are teaming up to encourage readers to put down their phones, step away from their desks, and celebrate going into the weekend a little early by hosting a get-together with friends and loved ones this Thursday night. Gather your closest friends and family to create your own low-stress #ThursdayMoments dinner party over easy, delicious, and organic food.
If there’s one thing I make very clear on my blog, it’s that the people in my life are incredibly important to me. I write about them, photograph them, interview them for my podcast, spend inordinate amounts of time telling them how much I love them...you get the picture!
To give back to my friends who support me unconditionally, I like to share the thing I am the most passionate about—wellness. One way I do that, other than dragging them to way too many yoga classes, is to cook healthy food—for them, and with them.
Use the holidays to get fully present with loved ones.
I really enjoy the holiday season because it encourages true togetherness and spending real time with your loved ones, away from our phone screens and daily lives. I think it’s so important to put down our phones and get connected with those around us, especially during this time of year, but honestly, as often as possible.
Every year since I've been in high school, I host a holiday party at my parents’ house for all of my closest childhood friends. It’s no exaggeration to say that I look forward to it all year long; that’s how much I love these people and this warm and happy time of year!
Host a holiday cookie swap.
For the last several years, I've cooked up a storm before that holiday party (and pretty much every holiday party I attend), making all sorts of healthy and festive dishes. But this year, I thought it would be fun for my friends and I to do a holiday cookie swap, so there's less pressure to spend hours in the kitchen. Plus, who doesn't love a party that's all about dessert?
A cookie swap is great because it ensures that there will be lots of yummy desserts—even for us health freaks, who get to whip up better-for-you versions of traditional holiday treats so that everyone is included in the fun.
Build a healthy baking pantry.
Whenever I'm doing healthy baking, I make sure to have all of my healthy baking staples on hand. This means that all of my ingredients are gluten-free, I swap refined sugar for natural sweeteners, and I use high-quality, organic dark chocolate in place of traditional baking chocolate.
I also love adding lots of spices to my desserts to give cookies and other holiday treats an extra nutritional kick and added deliciousness. I always use high-quality, organic spices like those from Simply Organic to amp up the flavor of basic holiday treats. This year, I'm working with lots of cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin spice, and turmeric!
Find a go-to cookie recipe.
My friends were stoked when I told them I was planning to make Pumpkin Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and Turmeric Chocolate Protein Cookie Balls, because it was something new they hadn't tried before. I used tons of spices in these cookies to pack a flavorful punch (it is a party after all!) and trust me, they did not disappoint.
I encourage you to get your friends together for some good old-fashioned time away from our screens. Whether you're planning to host your own cookie swap or are attending someone else's holiday soiree, make sure you're armed with one of my killer cookie recipes, below.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free. Recipe yields 12-14 cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free oats
- 2 large cage-free eggs
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup honey or agave
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon Simply Organic vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons Simply Organic cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup dairy-free chocolate chips or high-quality dark chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons Simply Organic pumpkin spice
- 2 teaspoons Simply Organic cardamom
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed, for texture + additional protein (optional)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until a smooth paste has been formed.
- Roll the cookies into balls (I like to make them about the size of a ping-pong ball) and place onto a well-greased baking sheet. Put them in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Turmeric Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls
Gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free. Recipe yields 12-14 cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut flour
- 2 large cage-free eggs
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon Simply Organic vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons Simply Organic turmeric
- 1-2 tablespoons organic ghee
- 1 dairy-free chocolate bar or high-quality dark chocolate bar, roughly chopped into chunks
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until a smooth paste has been formed.
- Roll the cookies into balls (I like to make them about the size of a ping-pong ball) and place onto a well-greased baking sheet. Put them in the oven and bake about 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown—watch closely, as these can burn easily.
Share your organic moments and enter to win the Ultimate #ThursdayMoments Giveaway by taking photos of your parties and recipe creations and uploading to Instagram using #ThursdayMoments. Visit Simply Organic to find more ways to plan your #ThursdayMoments.
