(no bake) peanut butter + cacao nib cereal bars (gf + v) / March 15, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

(no bake) peanut butter + cacao nib cereal bars | dolly and oatmeal #glutenfree #vegan

i'm pretty sure i've spoken about my affinity for peanut butter, but when i looked in my blog archive and found only a single recipe highlighting one of my favorite things to enjoy, i knew i needed to fix that! my fondness for peanut butter is somewhat well-known to those who are around me often, i've even received a jar of peanut butter and a copy of E.T. as a birthday present one year because my friend knew how much i loved those 2 together. and when i'm hungry for a quick snack i'll grab a spoonful of peanut butter. then there are the days when i'm super lazy and needing that nut buttery fix and an apple and peanut butter is my lunch, or even my dinner. so when i saw these cereal bars on pinterest a few weeks ago, i had the biggest Oprah, aha (!!!) moment. i could combine my fave cereal and my fave nut butter to make the bars of my dreams!

these bars are the simplest and most rewarding snacks that come together and can be enjoyed in about 30 minutes (freezing the bars makes the set faster, which i'm a huge fan of!). there's no baking, or setting, and they're kind of on the healthy side. i used puffed varieties of brown rice and millet, which happen to be gluten free whole grains, plus, they have a super crunchy texture which gives them a rice crispy treat quality. there's also cacao nibs for crunch and some chocolate undertones, and chopped peanuts because that peanut flavor is so necessary ;) they're easy to store, portable, and somewhat filling - all wins in my book! i hope you enjoy them as much as i do :)

xo!

peanut butter + cacao nib cereal bars | v + gf

as i said above, i love peanut butter and really wanted a peanut buttery snack. but feel free to incorporate your preferred choice of nut butter and nuts here. you could also use another crunchy cereal of choice, or replace the brown rice syrup with honey. and if you're wanting more chocolatey flavor replace the cacao nibs with chocolate chips, or melt chocolate and drizzle on top of the bars.

| makes 16 square bars |

coconut oil, for the pan
1 1/2 cups puffed brown rice
1 1/2 cups puffed millet
3/4 cup unsalted roughly chopped roasted peanuts
1/2 cup cacao nibs
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup unsalted peanut butter

method

lightly grease an 8x8-inch square pan with coconut oil. line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper and set aside.
in a large bowl, mix together the brown rice puffs, millet puffs, chopped peanuts, cacao nibs, and salt.
in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat, use a rubber spatula to combine the brown rice syrup and peanut butter. heat and stir the mixture until it's fluid and smooth, about 5 minutes. pour the syrup and peanut butter mixture over the puffed cereal mix and use the spatula to combine. mix for a few minutes, until each piece of the mixture is evenly coated.
transfer the mixture to your prepared pan and use the back of the spatula (or, if the mixture isn't too hot, use your fingers) to press the bards firmly and evenly into the pan.
let the bars sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or freeze for 20 minutes until firm. slice the bars into 16 squares with a sharp knife. bars can be kept in an air tight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.

similar recipes:

ginger + lemon zest granola w/ puffed quinoa

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca (and a giveaway, too!) / January 13, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca | dolly and oatmeal

around this time each year i dream up of some sort of tropical vacation that never seems to pan out. i fantasize about adventures through balmy rainforests, white sand beaches, tan lines - maybe an overly sweetened tropical drink with one of those paper umbrellas. it seems like forever ago when we honeymooned in costa rica. we visited during the wet season, and on top of that we stayed in a tree house in a rain forest canopy- which was super dope - but our host explained that the humidity was at about 110%. so wet it truly was! at least once a day we would try to get down to the beach to relieve ourselves of the oppressive humidity and moisture. down we laid our incessantly wet towels on the sand and ran down the shore to the cool, refreshing waves. once we were back on our towels a man with a humble juice cart fitted with a machete would ask if we wanted a fresh drink. frank would get fresh coconut water, while i would usually get mango batido (made from fresh fruit, water, and ice). it was the most heavenly and enlivening thing to touch my parched mouth that i can still taste it if i think about it hard enough :)

so, whenever the doldrums of winter hit, you can usually find me summoning tropical vibes in some sort of fancy beverage. this year with so many friends and family going dry for january, wanting to keep their diets clean, or giving their digestive system a bit of a break, i thought there was no better thing than to fuse 2 of my favorite things to drink: tropical batidos + kombucha! KeVita's kombucha is one of those super power beverages i love to slurp on its own, the thought of all those beneficial probiotics aiding my digestion and my wonky immune system leaves me feeling invigorated and comforted. while this is a loose interpretation of a batido, the fresh fruit juice mixed with KeVita's Sparkling Probiotic lemon-ginger drink (my flavor of choice) is a new favorite! the lemon and ginger whole plant extracts that KeVita uses, mixed with fresh passion fruit juice and a bit of passion fruit seeds make this my non-alcoholic go-to that is awesome for a late afternoon sipper or a more luxurious evening beverage.

and the best part is that KeVita was generous enough to give 1 lucky reader a 6 month supply of KeVita! to enter:

follow KeVita on instagram
visit Kevita'a facebook page and give them a like
visit the KeVita site and sign up for their newsletter

this post was created in partnership with KeVita, all opinions are my own, thank you for supporting dolly and oatmeal's sponsors! see the store locator here to see where you can purchase KeVita in your neck of the woods ;)

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca

i use passion fruit here because i love its flavor and the texture its seeds lend to the drink. however, passion fruit can be hard to locate in some places around the globe, so another tropical fruit juice like that from mango, dragonfruit, papaya, or pineapple would work beautifully here as well!

| serves 1 |

ice
1 tablespoon fresh passion fruit juice*
4 ounces KeVita lemon ginger Sparkling Probiotic Drink
1-2 tablespoons mineral water or sparkling water
fresh thyme springs, for serving
passion fruit pulp, for serving

*passion fruit juice

1 ripe passion fruit
2 tablespoons water

method

in a lowball glass or a glass equivalent in size, add a couple pieces of ice, the passion fruit juice, lemon ginger sparkling probiotic, and 1-2 tablespoons sparkling water (depending on the size of your glass). garnish with a sprig or two of fresh thyme and a good spoonful of passion fruit pulp and seeds.

enjoy!

*to make the passion fruit juice, cut the passion fruit in half. use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds; add to a blender along with the 2 tablespoons of water. blend on high for 1 minute. strain the juice over a bowl with a fine mesh sieve. transfer juice to a lidded jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

similar recipes:

grapefruit + lime-grape cooler w/ crushed mint

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk loaf w/ pears (gf + df) / October 28, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk loaf w/ pears | dolly and oatmeal

so i'm back from a quick trip to oakland, ca to visit the california olive ranch! it was a day and a half worth of meals, events, talking to some amazing chefs and people, and visiting the ranch and mill where my favorite olive oil is made! i feel like i need another whole other post to recap what an awesome experience it was to learn about the olive oil process from so many passionate and dedicated workers. it's such a beautiful thing to not only see, but feel the love and pride that people take in their job and for those they work beside each day. plus, i got to hang with this lovely lady the entire trip, and to meet the beautiful people behind some of my favorite blogs: michelle, nik, phi, phyllis, and todd!

while i'm sure we all love cooking with olive oil - using it dressings, and for drizzling - i love using it in all sorts of desserts - cookies, cakes, breads, and muffins. i'm a sucker for anything cake-y but what i'm sometimes put off by is that hit-you-over-the-head sweetness that some can have. but when i bake with olive oil it offers just the perfect amount of earthiness while also providing the fat content which gives baked goods that moist and delicious texture we know and love. the ranchers at the olive oil ranch explained to us that because olives are a fruit, their oil is essentially fruit juice, and because there is no chemical processing, nor any high temperatures involved in the oil developing process, it retains much of its natural nutrients even when in oil form. after seeing the how california olive ranch's oil was made that notion of olive juice still stands out as one of the most interesting things i learned those couple of days.

hope you all are having wonderful weeks! xo

*this post was sponsored by california olive ranch, all opinions are totally my own.

olive oil + dark chocolate chunk bread w/ pears (gf + df)

this is a dense, but not overly rich quick bread. i often have a slice as a treat after breakfast, or an afternoon snack. it could also be great as a dessert with maybe some coconut cream, or a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

| makes 1 loaf |

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour/powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup california olive ranch extra virgin olive oil (for baking i like using their everyday oil)
2/3 cup coconut sugar
2 large pasture raised eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pear, diced small
1/2 cup chocolate chunks, extra for topping
handful of chopped walnuts

method

preheat oven to 350°F. oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper letting sides of paper hang over like wings; set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, psyllium husk, spices, and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside. in another large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar until the mixture appears sandy, then add the eggs and whisk until combined. whisk in the applesauce and the vanilla until combined. using a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients into the wet in 3 applications until mixture is smooth. fold in the diced pears and chocolate chunks.
evenly pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, top with extra chocolate and the chopped walnuts.
bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. remove bread and place on a rack to cool for roughly 30 minutes. then use the parchment wings to lift the bread from the pan; let it cool completely before slicing.

enjoy!