Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

I LOVE LOVE overnight oats otherwise known as swiss oatmeal. I first discovered swiss oatmeal in Switzerland on a study abroad trip, and then found that Corner Bakery had it on their breakfast menu. I could eat Corner Bakery’s swiss oatmeal for breakfast every morning if I had the chance, but since that’s a little unpractical, I discovered how to make my own recipe HERE.

Anyone can make swiss oatmeal/overnight oats, because it is so EASY and so versatile. You can change just 2-3 ingredients and create a whole new recipe.

This chocolate peanut butter overnight oats recipe is a spinoff of my original one. The basic ratio to use in overnight oats is equal parts milk: yogurt: oats (1:1:1). In this recipe I used unsweetened almond milk (you can use skim milk, whole milk, coconut milk, chocolate milk, etc.), greek yogurt (you can use plain yogurt, vanilla flavored, etc.), and rolled oats (this is the one ingredient I don’t ever change up).

I added PB2, which gives it a nice peanut butter/chocolate flavor without the added calories and fat. Just 1 tablespoon is 22.5 calories. 🙂 You can use regular PB2, but I like the chocolate version. I also added 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup to sweeten it up naturally. What goes better with peanut butter and chocolate than banana? I added banana and a little chopped peanuts for some crunch. Yum!!

Again, the flavors are unlimited for overnight oats. You can add dried fruits, any kind of nut (walnuts, pecans, pepitas, etc.), chia seeds, flaxseeds, fresh fruit, and honey. Have fun experimenting…. just remember the 1:1:1 ratio of milk: yogurt: oats.

Enjoy!!

chocolate peanut butter overnight oats

Can’t forget to post a baby picture!! This little one turned 6 months old this week. Time sure flies by!!! She’s still a petite thing… 3 percentile in weight and 2 percentile in height. Been in the less than 3 percentile since she was in the womb. Looks like we got a horse jockey or gymnast in our midst! lol 🙂

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 8 hours

Total time: 8 hours 5 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

8 ounce mason jar
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 Tbsp. chocolate PB2
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. chia seeds
pinch of cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp. mini chocolate chips
1 tsp. unsalted peanuts
1/4 chopped banana

Instructions

In a mason jar mix together almond milk, greek yogurt, chocolate PB2, and unsweetened cocoa. This takes about 30 seconds or a minute. Then whisk in maple syrup and chia seeds.
Stir in rolled oats until all ingredients are combined. Add a pinch of cinnamon, if desired.
Place lid securely on and store overnight in the refrigerator.
In the morning, give it a stir, and add a little more almond milk to loose it up and give it the consistency you want. Sprinkle chocolate chips, peanuts and bananas on top.

Baked Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

Anyone love blueberries at much as I do? If so, here’s a new baked oatmeal recipe that you must try!

My sister first made it for my mom when they visited each other about a month ago in Michigan. My sister is a major health nut and left out the brown sugar. I don’t recommend that, but supposedly it was still good according to my mom.

When my mom returned home to Texas, she decided to try the baked blueberry coconut oatmeal again… this time with brown sugar, and guess what? She was hooked!

For the past month, my mom has been making a batch of this oatmeal every week for her breakfast. She’s sent me picture after picture via email showing me how good it was!

So, being good daughter that I am, I finally made the oatmeal for myself to try. Guess what? I LOVE it just as much as she does!

Talk about easy. Simply combine the oats, coconut, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.

Then whisk together the milk, egg, coconut oil and vanilla.

Next, sprinkle two-thirds of the blueberries on the bottom of the pan.

Pour your oat mixture evenly over blueberries.

Then pour the milk mixture over oats. Gently shake the baking dish to make sure milk covers oat mixture.

Sprinkle remaining blueberries on top. (For a quicker prep time, you can mix your wet and dry ingredients plus your blueberries all together in a large bowl. Then pour the contents of the bowl into the prepared baking dish.)

Finally, place the baking dish in 350 degree F oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes and then dig in!

It’s healthy and pretty! If you’ve never tried the coconut and blueberry combination, put it on your things to-do-list because the flavors are outstanding!

Spoon into individual bowls and eat by itself, add a splash or milk or cream, or if you’re like me, add a touch of vanilla yogurt!

Looking for other blueberry recipes? Here’s a few of my favorites:

Banana Blueberry Bread

Blueberry Muffins with Doughnut Topping

Cornmeal Blueberry Cookies

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal (sans the coconut)

Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

Baked Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 6

Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups skim milk
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pint fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch square baking dish and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, brown sugar ,baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, coconut oil and vanilla. The coconut oil might get a little lumpy/congealed, but that’s okay. It will melt when baking.
Arrange two-thirds of the blueberries on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the oat mixture evenly over the berries. Pour the milk mixture over the oats. Gently shake the baking dish to make sure the milk covers the oats evenly. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top of the oats.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden and oatmeal is set. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Notes

*Note: Alternatively, when preparing this dish, you can combine the dry mixture with the wet mixture along with the blueberries. Then take that entire mixture and pour it into the prepared baking dish all at once.

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars and a GIVEAWAY

Has anyone ever tried Truvia natural sweetener or baking blend before? Well, now is your chance! (SPOILER ALERT: Scroll down to the bottom of this post for details on the GIVEAWAY!!)

If you haven’t heard, Truvia sweetener is a zero calorie sweetener made from the stevia plant. Their newest product, Truvia Baking Blend is a mix of Truvia sweetener and sugar, and is specifically used in baking and has 75% less calories per serving than sugar.

Since many of my readers are from Dallas, Truvia reached out to me so that I could help them spread the word about their “Turning the Town Truvia” campaign that is coming to Dallas, TX this week!

From now until May, you can nominate your favorite food establishment via Truvia’s Facebook Page for a chance to win $5,000! Because of your nomination, Truvia sweetener may end up on the tables of your favorite cafes and restaurants.

Plus, beginning THIS WEEK, Society Bakery (on March 26 and April 23) and Tu-Lu’s Gluten Free Bakery (on March 27 and April 26) will be offering customers special reduced-calorie, reduced-sugar versions of their favorite desserts. As Dallasites, you’ll be able to buy guilt-reduced Chocolate Crostatas from Society Bakery or a gluten-free Lemon Pies from Tu-Lu’s, both of which are made from Truvia Baking Blend.

With that said, if you live too far from Dallas to check out these two bakeries or you just don’t have time, I’ve included the recipe for lightened-up raspberry oatmeal bars using Truvia Baking Blend.

For these bars, you’ll want to have a bag of Truvia Baking Blend on hand… that is if you want a healthier bar with only 4 grams of sugar. 🙂

Measure out 4 cups of freshly washed raspberries.

Put the berries in a blender with Truvia, corn starch and lemon juice. Blend until its uniform. (I wanted the berries all nice and pureed. You could probably mix the berries by hand, which would yield a thicker filling with chunks of raspberries.

Meanwhile, mix the oats, flour butter, cinnamon, Truvia, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl to form your crust and topping. Place 2/3 of the crust in the bottom of a greased baking pan. Pour raspberry filling on top.

Sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into bars and enjoy for breakfast, dessert or as a spring-time snack. Did I mention these bars have 35% fewer calories and 80% less sugar than the full-sugar version? Not a bad way to enjoy your dessert!

Ready for the GIVEAWAY??? Keep reading… its at the very bottom of this post… after the recipe part. 🙂

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars with Truvia Baking Blend

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

CRUST/TOPPING
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend
FILLING
4 cups raspberries
1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup corn starch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Place oats, flour, cinnamon, butter, salt, vanilla and Truvia Baking Blend in mixing bowl, mix at low speed for 1 minute.
Scrape sides of bowl, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Portion 2/3 of oat mixture into greased 13″x9″ baking pan; set aside remaining 1/3 of mixture for topping.
Press oat mixture into bottom of pan to form crust.
For filling: Blend raspberries, Truvia Baking Blend, lemon juice, and corn starch until uniform. Spread over pressed oat mixture.
For topping, add remaining oatmeal mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 150 Fat: 6g Saturated fat: 3.5g Trans fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 22g Sugar: 4g Sodium: 40mg Fiber: 2g Protein: 3g Cholesterol: 15mg

Notes

Note: 1 cup sugar = 1/2 cup Truvia Baking Blend

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

For a chance to win a bag of Truvia Baking Blend, please leave a comment below telling me what recipe (banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, pudding, etc.) you would make with Truvia.

Want to increase your chances of winning? You can comment up to 4 separate times! GOOD LUCK!! The winner will be announced Monday, April 1, 2013.

LIKE Dallas Duo Bakes on Facebook, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.
FOLLOW Dallas Duo Bakes on Twitter, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.
FOLLOW Dallas Duo Bakes on Pinterest, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.

*This post and giveaway is sponsored by Truvia. All opinions are my own.

Oatmeal Cookie Dough Overnight Oats

My favorite meal of the day is by far – breakfast! I think it’s because I LOVE fruit and oatmeal. Plus, I’m nice and hungry when I wake up in the morning.

With that said, you’ve got to try these oatmeal cookie dough overnight oats from a healthy lifestyle blog called Peanut Butter Fingers. With only 300 calories, this breakfast is jam packed with goodness…. whole grains from the oats, calcium from the milk, omega-3s from the ground flaxseed, and a serving of fruit, if you choose.

The name “cookie dough” also seemed to draw me in. The cinnamon, honey, and vanilla-flavored milk give you the illusion of eating something sinful like cookie dough. I think you could add raisins to make this breakfast taste more like a cookie.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookie Dough Overnight Oats
Ingredients
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 Tbsp. chia seeds (I used wheat germ)
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice), plus a bit more if necessary
1/2 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients together, stirring to mix well.
2. Let sit overnight (or at least an hour) in an airtight container.
3. Stir oats and add another splash of milk if they’re a little too thick.
4. Top with nuts, fresh fruit, granola or desired toppings.

Yield: 1 serving
Recipe from: Peanut Butter Fingers

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries, Banana and White Chocolate

I am a huge fan of oatmeal! I eat oats for breakfast every morning, and depending on my mood, I’ll eat it cold or warm. My favorite cold version of oatmeal, perfect for a warm summer morning in Texas, includes swiss oatmeal or overnight chocolatey oats. When I want pipping hot oatmeal, I opt for original baked oatmeal or a sweeter version: baked blueberry oatmeal.

I found this baked oatmeal with strawberries, bananas, and chocolate on one of the newest and most addicting websites, Pinterest. The picture of the breakfast casserole was so divine-looking, and I couldn’t wait until the weekend so I could make this recipe for brunch! There are a few changes I made to the recipe as seen below:

I substituted white chocolate chips for semi-sweet because I am not much of a chocolate fan for breakfast, thus I thought white chocolate would be less intense.
Please use ground cinnamon for your spice. I used Chinese five spice, as the original recipe called for, but would recommend you use ground cinnamon instead. The Chinese five-spice blend was a little over-powering and too “spicy” for me.
I substituted chopped pecans for walnuts. Either is fine…use whatever you have in your pantry.

Overall, I thought this baked oatmeal was very good. I recommend sprinkling brown sugar on top, and returning the casserole to the oven to broil it and create that extra crunch! You can also drizzle maple syrup over the top for an added sweetness, but I didn’t feel it was necessary.

My husband also really liked this. It’s always nice when he enjoys new recipes, especially “girly” and fruit-centered recipes that don’t involve red meat! Haha.

Enjoy!

Combine oats, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon, half the strawberries, half the nuts, and half the chocolate chips.

Whisk together the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla extract.

Add the oat mixture to the prepared pan.

Top with remaining strawberries, bananas, and nuts.

Pour the milk mixture over fruit and oat mixture.

Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Sprinkle with brown sugar. Return to oven and broil for 20-30 seconds.

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries, Banana and White Chocolate
Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (I used Chinese five-spice…as the original recipe called for, but I don’t recommend it)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces, chopped
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and generously spray the inside of a 10-1/2 by 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, half the strawberries, half the pecans and half the chocolate. (Save the other half of strawberries, walnuts and chocolate for the top of oatmeal).
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.
4. Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, nuts and chocolate on top. Add the banana slices to the top then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shimmy/shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar on top then place back in the oven under the broiler and broil for 20-30 seconds. Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of sugar or drizzle in maple syrup.

Yield: 6 servings
Recipe adapted from: Inspired Taste

Overnight Chocolatey Oats

I know oats aren’t the most appetizing dish, but in my opinion, they are the most tasty breakfast item. Ever since I discovered Corner Bakery‘s Swiss Oatmeal (about 5 years ago), I’ve been making my version for breakfast at least 5 times a week. I love the smooth, sweet, chilled texture of swiss oatmeal with my favorite fruits….blueberries, apples, bananas, dried blueberries, craisins, pecans, Colorado honey, skim milk, and vanilla yogurt. Swiss oatmeal is usually my Sunday dinner as well.

For those that live in Texas, you know it can be hot, and we had the hottest and driest summer on record since 1980! Therefore, when I make breakfast, especially after a long run, I really enjoy a nice chilled bowl of swiss oatmeal. I am one of those people that cannot skip breakfast…I don’t think I have EVER missed it in my entire life! I really don’t understand how some people skip this most essential meal of the day! My question for those that skip breakfast is: You just went 9-12 hours without eating, how are you not starving?

This week, I discovered Peanut Butter Finger’s recipe for Overnight Chocolatey Oats. I love PB Finger’s blog because she is like me…loves running, smoothies, and oatmeal… and has oats for breakfast nearly every morning.

Her overnight chocolatey oats are super easy, healthy, and good. With only 5 ingredients, you can make it in minutes. If you are impatient like me, you can make the oats and eat them immediately rather than letting them sit overnight. The only difference is the texture…the oats thicken as they refrigerate. Instead of my Swiss Oatmeal, I made this chocolate version of chilled oats every morning for breakfast this week. It is perfect after a run, and extremely filling, especially if you use Greek yogurt as opposed to plain (it packs twice the amount of protein).

Enjoy!

Overnight Chocolatey Oats
Ingredients
1 cup Greek yogurt (I used non-fat vanilla)
1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup almond milk (I used skim milk)
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp brown sugar
bananas, optional

Directions
Combine all ingredients together and let sit overnight in the refrigerator. Enjoy the next morning, with sliced bananas (optional).

Yield: 1 serving
Peanut Butter Fingers

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

Looking for a new breakfast dish? Well, I found the perfect one in Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen called Baked Oatmeal! I bookmarked this recipe back in April when I visited my sister at Oklahoma State University to run a 10k, and I’ve been meaning to make it ever since… I don’t know why I waited for so long!

I’ve made this baked oatmeal twice, once using blueberries, natural cane sugar and pecans. The second time I made it with raspberries, maple syrup, and walnuts. Both were amazing; it’s probably the best baked oatmeal I’ve had in my entire life! It tastes like a cross between a berry crisp/crumble and blueberry/berry pie!

You can use maple or natural cane sugar. Both add a subtle sweetness to the baked The sweetness from the natural cane sugar adds a subtle flavor, while the combination of blueberries and/or raspberries and bananas cannot be beat. I think what really gives this oatmeal its flavor, is the 1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. The cinnamon is warm and reminds me of fall, but is not overly powerful. The pecans or walnut finish off the oatmeal and gives it the “crunch” you’d be looking for.

Drizzle your oatmeal with extra maple syrup for an even sweeter taste…but I think the juicy blueberries and/or raspberries add enough moisture and sweetness that you may not even want syrup.

*Note…You can make this over the weekend and enjoy it for breakfast for the next few mornings. Yum!

Mix together the oats, half of the nuts, cinnamon, natural cane sugar, salt, and baking powder.

Meanwhile, combine the egg, milk, half of the melted butter, and vanilla.

Slice bananas and layer onto the bottom of a greased baking dish.

Top with two-thirds of the berries.

Sprinkle the oat mixture on top.

Next, pour the milk mixture over the oats.

Finally, top with the remaining blueberries and nuts.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 375 degrees F or until top is nicely golden and set.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup walnut pieces, chopped (can substitute pecans)
1/3 cup natural cane sugar or maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
scant 1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 large egg
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups blueberries, raspberries or mixed berries

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the sugar, if using, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, if using, the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.
4. Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.
5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar or drizzle with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter.

Yield: 6 generously, or 12 as part of a larger brunch spread
Recipe from: Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson

Oatmeal Dreams

These Oatmeal “Dream” cookies are another recipe out of Linda J. Amendt’s wonderful cookbook, “400 Sensational Cookies”. I made her Chocolate Chip Dream cookies, which were amazing, and these Oatmeal Dreams are just as delicious. They are called “Dream” cookies, because of the instant pudding mix, which gives these cookies their chewy, extremely soft and perfect texture. You’ll never make another cookie again that is not a “Dream” cookie, trust me! Enjoy!!!

Oatmeal Dreams
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 package (3.4 oz or 102 g) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, pudding mix, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl. On low speed or using a wooden spoon, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just blended. Gradually stir in oats.
4. Using a cookie scoop or spoons, drop tablespoonfuls (15 mL) of dough about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to turn lightly golden.
5. Immediately slide parchment paper onto a wire cooling rack. Cool cookies for 5 minutes, then transfer from parchment paper to cooling rack and cool completely.

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies
“400 Sensational Cookies”by Linda J. Amendt

Banana Oatmeal with Various Fruit Toppings

I usually eat Swiss Oatmeal or Kashi cereal for breakfast, so regular oatmeal was a nice change. It is super easy to make and I added a mashed banana to give it a bit of a kick. Topped with fresh blueberries, sliced bananas, and slivered almonds made this a complete and healthy breakfast. Enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal with Fresh Blueberries and Almonds
Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water
1 banana, 1/2 mashed in the oatmeal and 1/2 sliced on top
Fresh Blueberries
Slivered Almonds

Directions
1. Cook the oats, milk, and water together on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the mashed banana for the last minute and stir constantly.
3. Top with fresh blueberries, slivered almonds, and sliced bananas.

Banana Oatmeal with Cinnamon Apples, Raspberries, Strawberries, and Sliced Almonds
This time I made Banana Oatmeal and topped it with warm cinnamon apples, raspberries, strawberries, and sliced almonds.

Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 banana, mashed
Fresh Raspberries
Fresh Strawberries
1/4 Apple, sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
Slivered Almonds

Directions
1. Cook the oats, milk, and water together on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the mashed banana for the last minute and stir constantly.
3. Slice apples and sprinkle with cinnamon. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then chop into bite-size pieces.
3. Top oatmeal with fresh raspberries, strawberries, chopped cinnamon apples, and sliced almonds.

Paula’s Chocolate Oatmeal Dawg Cookies

My husband, Matt, grew up eating these chocolate oatmeal cookies almost everyday. My mother-in-law, Paula, would make these cookies for Matt as an after-school snack and before every sports game he played. Paula was famous for her cookies! All the neighborhood kids knew it, and would come over to her house, begging her to make them. They’re nicknamed “dawg” cookies… but I don’t know why!

By the time Matt was in 7th grade, he had mastered his mom’s chocolate oatmeal cookies. He even won a cooking contest for them, as seen here in this early 1990s article from The Longview Times. Wasn’t he cute??? Haha.

Even though Matt is all grown-up, he still can’t get enough of his mom’s cookies. Okay, maybe not everyday as an afternoon snack, but it’s probably every time we go over to visit Paula that she whips up a batch for us.

It took me about 5 tries to finally get these cookies “they way mom makes them”, according to Matt. I think my problem was that I used rolled oats instead of instant oats…it sure makes a difference!

Finally, did I mention that Matt eats these from the pan itself? Nope, he doesn’t wait for them to cook; he eats them like chocolate pudding. Crazy, right? Talk about lots of cookie batter!

What’s the only thing Matt wants from his parents when they’re gone? (Which is hopefully not for a super long time.) Nope, not money. Not stocks. Not fine jewelry… just his mom’s chocolate oatmeal cookie “pan”.

Enjoy!

The ingredients.

Bring to a boil sugar, water, and cocoa powder on stovetop until soft ball stage.

Paula and Matt know when they reach the soft ball stage by dropping bit of the mixture into water to see if a tiny ball forms.

Off the heat and stir in the butter.

Then add the oatmeal,and vanilla. Stir until melted and combined.

Eat from the pan like my husband does…

…or drop onto wax paper and let cool (the way I like them).

Paula’s Chocolate Oatmeal “Dawg” Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 stick butter
1/4-1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups oatmeal, quick-cooking
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions
1. Boil sugar, water, and cocoa until the mixture reaches a soft ball stage.
2. Remove pan from heat and add butter, peanut butter, oatmeal, and vanilla.
3. Stir together until melted and combined.
4. Eat from pan or drop onto wax paper.
5. Let cool and serve.

Yield: 1 full serving for a 7th grader…or about 2-3 dozen cookies.
Recipe from: My mother-in-law, Paula