Walnut Butter Cran-Raspberry Chia Seed Jam Cookies

Maria and I are heading down to Miami tomorrow for the Rock’n’Roll Miami Beach Half Marathon on Sunday, and since we are going to be spending 8 hours in the car over the weekend, I wanted to make bake some healthier snacks to deter me from buying a bunch of gas station junk food to munch on en route. I’ve been craving nut butters lately like no one’s business, and I have had this packet of Artisana Raw Walnut Butter in my pantry for a few weeks now just begging to be used, so I decided to bake up a clean version of Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprints.

Walnut Butter Cran-Raspberry Chia Seed Jam Cookies

Makes 16 small cookies
Adapted from here

2 tbsp natural walnut butter (I used Artisana Raw)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup fat free ricotta cheese (I used Calabro brand)
5 packets (or to taste) Stevia
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp Cran-Raspberry Chia Seed Jam (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Mix everything all ingredients other than the chia seed jam together, stirring until the ricotta and walnut butter are thoroughly incorporated. The cookie dough will be on the wet side.

Using a small cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared pan. Smooth the dough into a round cookie shape using the back of a teaspoon. Make a small indentation in the middle of each cookie and spoon about 1/2 - 3/4 tsp of raspberry cranberry chia seed jam into the center of the cookie.

Bake for 13 - 15 minutes or until tops of cookies start to brown.

 

Raspberry Cranberry Chia Seed Jam

Makes 16 One Tablespoon Servings

1 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
8 packets of Truvia (or to taste)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add raspberries, cranberries, Truvia, and water to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the raspberries and cranberries have broken down and become a slightly watery jam-like consistency, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes. Add the chia seeds and vanilla and stir. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.



The cookies turned out soft and chewy, with a nice nuttiness from the walnut butter and a slight tart tanginess from the chia seed jam. These are small (think 2 – 3 bites), not overly sweet cookies, and they taste like the healthier version of cookies that I wanted to make. Speaking of the health aspects of these cookies, the nutrition stats aren’t bad for a treat. As an added bonus, you’re getting clean carbs from the oats and fruit, a dose of omega-3 fatty acids from both the walnut butter and the chia seeds, and a bit of protein from the nut butter, chia seeds, and ricotta cheese. I’ve become a fan of using chia seeds before long runs to help keep me hydrated, so I can feel good about eating these all the way down to Miami Beach tomorrow!

Nutrition Information per cookie
Calories: 32
Fat: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 2.6g
Protein: 1.9g
Calculated on Sparkrecipes.com

Upper Body Workout and Baked Fresh Fig & Ricotta Oatmeal

I had a wonderfully relaxing vacation in Minnesota with my friends and family. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone and bid farewell to sleeping in as late as I wanted and to eating all the things I can’t get here in Florida, but one thing that made it a little easier was knowing I would be able to get back to one of my happy places – the gym! I decided it was probably wise to ease myself back into training mode, so I came up with this simple workout that allowed me to get in the 5 miles called for on my marathon training plan as well as hit my upper body a little bit.


While completing this workout, I ended up running 5.25 miles in just under 40 minutes, and I used an 8lb medicine ball for the situps to make them a bit more challenging. The first few rounds were pretty tough, but I liked knowing that each subsequent round was going to be slightly easier. By the time I got to the last round, it felt like a cake walk!

When I got home, I helped myself to a serving of this tasty baked oatmeal.

Fresh Fig Baked Oatmeal with Ricotta

Makes 6 Servings

130 grams fresh figs, chopped
1 ¾ cups rolled oats
¼ cup buckwheat
¼ cup pepitas, toasted
¼ cup shelled pistachios, chopped & toasted
¼ cup walnuts, chopped & toasted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves, ground
1/8 tsp salt
12 packets of Truvia Natural Sweetener
2 tbsp Ideal Brown No Calorie Sweetener
¼ cup egg whites
¼ cup fat free ricotta cheese (I used Calabro)
1 ½ cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 11x7 baking dish with non-stick spray.

Place the rolled oats, buckwheat, nuts, baking powder, spices, Truvia, Ideal Brown Sweetener, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine.

In another bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, almond milk, and egg whites. Whisk until the ricotta is incorporated into the liquid.

Scatter the chopped figs in the prepared pan. Spread the oat mixture over the top. Slowly pour the wet ingredients over the oats, ensuring that all the oats are evenly soaked. Bake for 30 -35 minutes until the oatmeal appears set.

Calories: 238
Fat: 10g
Carbohydrates: 37g
Protein: 10g
Calculated on Sparkrecipes.com

The oatmeal is sturdy enough to be cut into squares and eaten out of your hand, however, when I was shopping at Trader Joe’s in Minnesota, I came across this jar of awesome deliciousness.



So this morning I warmed up a portion of oatmeal in the microwave and combined it with a sauce comprised of fig butter, fat free ricotta, and unsweetened almond milk. The result may not look all that appealing, but it tasted fantastic!



I love baked oatmeal. It is relatively simple to make, it can be customized based on the fruits and nuts that are on hand, and I can make it over the weekend and have breakfast ready to go all week. I'm going to be sad tomorrow when I finish up the last bit of this combo!