COZY BANANA BREAD GRANOLA / October 2, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

COZY BANANA BREAD GRANOLA | dolly and oatmeal

early fall will forever be granola season in my house, i’m never able to really deep-dive into autumn right away (especially when daytime temps are still pretty warm), and granola is the perfect touch of cozy that shifts everything towards a more snug vibe, plus it’s a cinch to make, and lasts for breakfast and snacks throughout the week! but the kicker here is that the banana and spices give your home the coziest fragrance that immediately puts you in the mood for all things fall.

weekday breakfasts tend to be an eat-and-go situation where frank and i are independently huddled in some corner of the house trying to get food in our mouth while we feed amesy, and in between nursing joey. almost 2 months of juggling 2 children, and we still haven’t really gotten our groove, but having prepared breakfasts are key to starting our day out nourished and feeling our best. i love granola just for this reason: it has the ability to be the cornerstone of wholesome breakfasts and snacks.

this granola is grain free, and made from chopped nuts and seeds. we add a good bit of spice here to help with the banana bread flavor we’re going for. but the glue that holds it all together is my new favorite oil, thrive algae oil! it’s a wonderful oil to cook, bake, and make sauces and dressings with, especially when you don’t want any unwanted added flavor in what you’re cooking or baking. take this granola for example. we really want the banana to shine here, and thanks to this flavorless, odorless oil, it very much does! unlike most other flavorless oils, algae oil is high in the kinds of healthy monounsaturated fats our bodies love, and low in saturated fat. it’s really been a game changer in my kitchen. i also love that it’s widely available and isn’t a niche product. i get it at my local whole foods, but it’s available on amazon, and at grocery stores nationwide.

i hope you all are enjoying the first weeks of fall so far. our mornings in southern california are cool, but the afternoon temps are still in the 80s. but nevertheless, we’re planning on getting out and living up all those fun autumn activities - i’ve been looking into where L:A picks apple and pumpkins (it’s harder to find patches here than i thought), i’m also trying to get ahead of the game when it comes to halloween costumes for both the boys (!!), while also decking out our entrance for all things fall/halloween (amesy, who’s now 3, is alllll about it!).

big cozy hugs! xo

*this post was created in partnership with Thrive Algae Oil. all thoughts and opinions are, as always, my own. thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep dolly and oatmeal going!

cozy banana bread granola | v & gf

feel free to swap out any of the nuts and seeds for what you prefer or have on hand. if you don’t want this to be grain-free, by all means swap out some nuts for rolled oats or even puffed quinoa or rice. this is the kind of recipe that begs for customization.

print the recipe!

| makes roughly 3 cups |

1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped almonds and cashews
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ripe banana, peeled
1/4 cup Thrive Algae Oil
2 tablespoons good maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

method

preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
in a large bowl, mix together the chopped nuts, seeds, spices, and salt. set aside.
add the banana, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla to the container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade. pulse until the mixture is completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides, as needed.
pour the banana mixture over the nut and seed mixture. use a rubber spatula to thoroughly stir everything together. turn the granola out into the prepared baking sheet; use a spatula to evenly spread the granola out.
baked for 15 minutes, then add the coconut and toss it together with the granola. bake for another 10-15 minutes, until lightly toasted and fragrant.
let granola cool completely, then store in a lidded container. granola can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.

FROZEN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BALLS / June 12, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

FROZEN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BALLS | dolly and oatmeal

i know temps will cool soon, but it’s been hovering around the 100°F height mark in socal, and this very pregnant lady needed chocolate chip cookies without turning the oven on (because even with AC on the feet swell, and the dizziness sets in). this super easy, super quick recipe came about because i was constantly snacking on amesy’s stash of cookie dough in the freezer. he liiiiiives for chocolate chip cookies so i usually make about a batch of chocolate chip cookies that i cook off one by one. but i had found myself plucking a frozen chocolate chip cookie dough ball almost nightly. that’s when i decided i needed a stash all my own (because mom guilt), and i also wanted to make them a little more freezer friendly.

these are completely almond-based and made from almond flour and almond butter. both give the smooth velvety consistency of cookie dough, all you have to do is let the ball sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before you take a bite. aside from those ingredients, we add some super basic pantry staples: almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, chocolate chunks, and salt! that’s it. these literally could not be easier to make. from there, we mix the dough together, and form them into balls. then into the freezer for about an hour. you could top with with a chocolate drizzle and some flaky salt, or just keep them as is. they’re stored in an airtight container in your freezer and keep for months (if you can make them last that long).

they’re the perfect little pop of chocolate chip cookie dough on these hot summer days, and i hope you love them as much as i do!

xo!

frozen chocolate chip cookie dough balls | gf & v

before eating, let the balls sit out at room temp for about 5 minutes, just to soften slightly.

print the recipe

| makes about a dozen |

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
heaping 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably grade b)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chunks (60-70% cacao)

optional toppings:

chocolate drizzle
flaky sea salt
cacao nibs
chopped nuts
hemp seeds

method

line a baking sheet with parchment paper. set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour and salt. using a rubber spatula, add the coconut oil, maple syrup, almond butter, and vanilla until combined. then add the chocolate chunks (the dough will be quite thick, this is what we want).
using a tablespoon cookie scoop (or an equivalent), scoop the dough out into the palm of your hands. moving quickly (especially if you hands are warm), roll the dough between your palms making even-sized balls. place on the parchment and repeat with the remaining dough. pop the tray in the freezer and freeze for 1 hour. top with chocolate drizzle and other toppings if desired. freeze once again. then store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

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(DRY ROASTED) TAMARI PARTY MIX! 🎉 / February 28, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

(DRY ROASTED) TAMARI PARTY MIX! | dolly and oatmeal

i made this party muix the other day on a whim. all i really wanted to do was attempt dry-roasting nuts. for whatever reason, i had it stuck in my head that a dry roast required some sort of fancy machinery. when in fact is really just involves an oven, or a hot skillet and a flame.

there are these little bags of dry roasted tamari almonds that i buy at the store that cost way too much for the teeny portion you pay for. so for curiosity’s sake, and to save a few dollars, i decided to dry-roast my own almonds at home. and i actually liked them better. the store-bought variety lacks consistency. the tamari doesn’t seem to cover each and every almond (first world problems, i know). i then thought how delicious this would be in party mix form. it took a couple of iterations to find which nuts to use and whether to roast the preztels or not. and what i discovered was: don’t use walnuts. maybe it’s a personal preference, but walnuts and tamari isn’t my thing. and roasting the pretzels isn’t necessary at all.

but really, the best part about this party mix? each and every nut and pretzel is coated with an even amount of tamari. that wonderful umami flavor shines through with every bite, as well as the lovely flavor that roasting nuts offers. it’s really the perfect little snack to bring along wherever you’re going, full of healthy fats that keep you full and thriving. plus, who doesn’t love a party mix!? ;)

happy end of february, loves! xo

(dry roasted) tamari party mix | gf & v

you could use any nuts you prefer here, but as i noted above, i tried a mix that involved walnuts and really didn’t like how the walnuts and tamari tasted together. i think next time i’ll try a version that add cereal too, i think it would just add to the “party” vibe, and be perhaps be more kid-friendly ;)

| makes roughly 5 cups |

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw peanuts
1 cup gluten-free pretzels (or pretzels of choice)
5 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish

method

preheat oven to 300°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
spread the almonds, cashews, peanuts and pecans evenly into 1 of the baking sheets. toast in the oven for 10 minutes. remove the nuts from the oven and use a spatula to turn them over. place them back in the oven for another 7-8 minutes, until lightly toasted and fragrant (if you’re using a convection oven the cook time will likely be shorter; check the nuts after about 4-5 minutes on the second go round).
remove the nuts from the oven, and turn oven off.
place the nuts in a large bowl. add the pretzels and pour in the tamari sauce. use a rubber spatula to mix evenly, until everything is lightly coated, and only a small amount of tamari remains at the bottom of the bowl.
divide the party mix evenly between the two baking sheets and place back in the warm oven to dry for 10 minutes. remove and flip party mix over; place back in the oven to dry for another 8-10 minutes.
once completely dry, remove from the oven and let cool completely before storing, about 1 hour.
store the party mix in air tight containers at room temperature for up to 1 week.