Carrot Cake “Cookies”

Hello my little carrot cakes!

Thank you guys so much for all the positive feedback on yesterday’s

Carrot Cake Hummus!

As I was making another batch of it today (yeah, the last one only lasted about 2 days!), I thought about it for a minute and then decided…

Why not bake them?

Shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to you…not after my PB&J Hummus Ball shenanigans!

Carrot Cake Hummus Balls:
Inspired by Christin’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bean Balls

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped and steamed until tender
  • 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1/8-1/4 cup maple syrup (depending on your sweet tooth)*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 Tablespoons milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
  • 1/4 cup flour (I used brown rice flour so they are also gluten-free!)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened (finely ground) coconut*
  • 1/4 cup raisins**

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add chickpeas, carrots, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and spices to a food processor and process until combined.
3. Add flour and milk to hummus mixture and pulse until all the flour is incorporated.
4. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and stir in your raisins and coconut.
5. Form your balls with a cookie scoop, if you want, you can roll them around in your hands to smooth them out a bit before placing them on a foil lined baking sheet.
6. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 12 minutes. They will look about the same as they did when they went into the oven, but they’re little bottoms will be nice and brown!

*I used a finer ground coconut as opposed to the larger shredded variety I used in yesterday’s recipe just for fear that the coconut might burn in the oven. If you can’t find a finer ground coconut in the store, just throw whatever variety you have in your food processor and pulse it for a couple of seconds until it is a finely ground consistency (kind of like coarse sand).

**Or you could use chocolate/carob chips instead…Matt would be so proud!

Am I the only one who thinks bite-sized snacks are more fun to eat than regular sized ones?

Plus, I’m all about having the “portable” option!

And c’mon, look at ’em…they’re just sooooo cute! 😉

But seriously guys, I WISH you could have smelled the aroma that filled my kitchen while these babies were baking to perfection in the oven! There’s just something about the warm smell of cinnamon and spices coming from an oven that is just so comforting…

And of course, there’s nothing like having some “cookies” warm from the oven with a cold glass of [almond] milk!

Any exciting plans for this weekend?
I have a feeling this weekend is going to be a loungy weekend…and I’ve already gotten a good head start! I had the day off today and after running a few errands and making “cookies,” I actually took a nap (I never do that)! And it waaaaas glorious! 😉

What has been your favorite portable/on-the-go snack lately?
Since these haven’t actually made it outside my kitchen yet, I’m gonna go with my carrots and pretzels combo I’ve been loving on all week!



 

Posted in Desserts, Gluten-free, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , | 23 Comments

Carrot Cake Hummus

Hey boos!

Well, guess I ruined the surprise with that title, huh? A lot of you guys thought my dessert from the other night was a pumpkin hummus….good guess, but I can’t very well be busting out the pumpkin already now can I? What will I have for recipe ideas come fall?? 😉

After a conversation with Emilia the other day about the advantages of homemade hummus versus store-bought (oh the topics we foodies tla), I got the motivation that I’d been looking for to get in the kitchen and whip up a batch of the good stuff. But of course I couldn’t just make a regular plain Jane hummus…nope, not me…I had to get a little creative…because that’s what I do!

My kitchen is my studio…and my food is art…right, Jenn?

This was actually one of those recipes that just kinda comes to you all of a sudden. I’ve been chomping my way through my jumbo bag of sweet organic carrots for the last week or so and it just dawned on me…why not put carrots IN the hummus?!

And of course, carrot cake was the first flavor that came to mind…because I may not eat a lot of sweets, but in another life, I was a fat kid that survived on Twinkies and Oreos…so consider this my subconscious shining through! 🙂

Carrot Cake Hummus:

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid)
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped and steamed until tender
  • 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • 1/8-1/4 cup maple syrup (depending on your sweet tooth)*
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ~1/4 cup reserved liquid from chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1. Add chickpeas, steamed carrots, coconut oil, maple syrup, and spices to a food                     processor and pulse until combined.
2. Turn the food processor on and drizzle enough liquid from can of chickpeas down the         chute of the processor until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
3. Transfer hummus to a medium sized bowl and stir in raisins and coconut.

Serve with graham crackers, apple slices, or hey, why not more carrots?

That is IF you can stop eating it by the spoonful!

*The flavors meld really well in this after it sets in the fridge for a few hours. I actually made this before work on Monday morning and when I got home that night, it tasted about 2 x as sweet as it did when it first came out of the processor so use your own discretion when adding sweetener!

I know there are quite a few of you out there who have never tried dessert hummus before, but trust me on this one…

It tastes JUST like carrot cake…NOTHING like beans!

C’mon, try it!
(Foodie peer pressure at its worst best!) 😉

If you could be reincarnated after your time on Earth is through, what or who would you want to be and why?
I would love to be reincarnated as a big beautiful bird…I know it sounds cliche’ but how great would it be to just spend the days flying high in the sky without a care in the world?…well, except for the occasional airplane that is! 😉

Posted in Desserts, Snacks | Tagged , , , , , | 23 Comments

What DID I Eat Wednesday??

Hey guys!

Thank you all so much for your comments on my rockin’ new banana bowl protein sundae the other day! Yeah, not quite sure which one I’m more excited about! Haha!

Well, here we are again, at the mid point of the week with maaaaaaa-uch more to celebrate than banana bowls…

Oh yeah, it’s time to get our WIAW party started!
Big thanks to Jenn of Peas & Crayons for hosting the best blogger party out there!

When photographing the days eats yesterday, it didn’t take me long to notice a theme…

Misssssss-ter-eeeeeeey
(yes, you have to say it like you’re telling a scary story around a campfire)

I’ve gotten a bit bored in the kitchen lately…and I don’t have the patience required to figure out if I throw “some of this” and “all of that together,” will it taste ok?
So I’ve just been winging it!

Eh, sometimes you just have to fly by the seat of your pants! Live on the wild side! Invite a little mystery into your life!

Ahh, such is my life of reckless abandon as a dedicated foodie!

Below you have some of my mysterious meals mixed with a bit of the predictable…because you know, life’s all about balance…and I don’t need you guys looking at me TOO weirdly…

Breakfast:

Peanut flour omelet thingy stuffed with:
banana slices, raspberries, and carob chips
and topped with:
Flax Sprinkles and pure maple syrup

It started out innocent enough…

A two egg omelet with a little almond milk and cinnamon…

but then I saw the peanut flour when I reached into the cabinet for the cooking spray…

and THEN I took a bite…Mmmm!

It made my kitchen smell like a peanut butter cookie!
Well, an unsweetened peanut butter cookie…that’s where the maple syrup came in!

And then there was my new fave mug full of warm energy-inducing elixir annnnnnnnnnnnnnd grown-up vitamins!
(don’t worry, I’m not getting rid of the candy just yet…just experimenting!)

Lunch:

Cold tri-color shells, cubed zucchini, cottage cheese, and……salsa?

Hey, who says you can’t have a little Italian-Mexican fusion?

Right before devouring eating this like a lady, I topped it with some sliced avocado and a good dump dash of nutritional yeast for some cheezy action!

Hit.the.spot!

Very Boring Snack:

Carrots and pretzels in my WasteNot Saks I found on Etsy
Love these bags…reusable…washable…and super cute!

Dinner

Leftovers from my hibachi date with my mom and sis!
(Fried rice, onions, zucchini, shitake mushrooms, and shredded cabbage topped with fresh green onions so it looked a little better than a big bowl of brown mush)

Oh, and I’ve been meaning to tell you guys…if you haven’t already noticed by now…

I am a habitual “stirrer”

I’ve tried to stop, really I have…especially when I see other bloggers enjoying that last bite of oatmeal with a huge lump of peanut butter in it, but I just can’t help it!

Oats, yogurt messes, leftover fried rice and veggies…nothing stands a chance when the spoon hits my hand!

Dessert

A few spoonfuls of something you guys are just gonna have to wait for… 😉

Recipe coming soon!

Any guesses?

Water:

My Rad Tech water bottle x 3

How many ounces?

Well, that’s a
misssssssssss-ter-eeeeeey!

😉

What’s a weird combo you’ve tried recently? Did it fly or flop?

Do you like to mix all of your food together or keep it separate?

Posted in Breakfast, Entree, Snacks, What I Ate Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , , | 44 Comments