brown sugar – The Pajama Chef

Jump on the homemade nut butter train with this chocolately spread with a bit of cookie dough flair! This #Choctoberfest recipe is made with delicious Barlean's Butter Flavored Coconut Oil.

#Choctoberfest: Chocolate Cookie Dough Peanut Butter

October 16, 2018October 15, 2018 Sarah

Jump on the homemade nut butter train with this chocolately spread with a bit of cookie dough flair! This #Choctoberfest recipe is made with delicious Barlean’s Butter Flavored Coconut Oil.

Have you made homemade nut butter yet? It’s one of those recipes that people give you a doubletake when you say, “oh, I made peanut butter this weekend.” It does sound fancy, I’ll admit. But can I tell you a secret? It’s not as impressive as it sounds! As long as you have a good food processor or blender, making nut butter is e-a-s-y. And it tastes amazing, especially since you can customize it a whole bunch. And that’s EXACTLY what I did here!

I know almond, cashew, etc. butters are trendy, and they’re fun and good… but my personal favorite nut butter is the classic peanut butter! When I make it at home, I love throwing in some warm spices, chia seeds, and a little honey or maple syrup for sweetness. But since it’s #Choctoberfest, I had to go in the chocolate direction. Oh darn! But you know me… I didn’t want to JUST make chocolate peanut butter. I wanted to make it even more special. What to do?! Add some buttery goodness in the form of Barlean’s Butter Flavored Coconut Oil, along with some vanilla, brown sugar, and chocolate chips in a nod to cookie dough. Yes, please!

Thanks to our fabulous #Choctoberfest sponsor, Barlean’s, this chocolate peanut butter really tastes great. Though you can make nut butter without any added oils, for homemade nut butter, a little oil really does help everything come together. Normally I use canola or olive oil, but this coconut oil (and its buttery taste) was so welcome. Barlean’s makes superfood nutrition easy, and that’s true with my chocolatey recipe!

My family and I have been enjoying this Chocolate Cookie Dough Peanut Butter on the daily over the past week. I can’t decide on my favorite use. It’s great stirred into oatmeal or on a banana. But if I’m being TRULY honest… I’ve probably consumed half the jar by the spoonful. No joke. But it’s not just me! My two year old now says “spoon like Mama!” because he’s seen me sneaking spoonfuls of Chocolate Cookie Dough Peanut Butter a few too many times. Ooops! Guess that’s just an excuse to make a second batch. 🙂 I’ll have to experiment with different textures. I left this version a little chunky, but you can also smooth it out more if you prefer. I guess you’ll have to make a few batches too to see how it’s best! 🙂 Enjoy!

one year ago: Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup + Cold Brew Coffee Method
two year ago: Banana Espresso Chocolate Crumb Cake
three years ago: Coconut Oil Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
four years ago: Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice
five years ago: Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheese
six years ago: No Bake Tropical Energy Bites
seven years ago: Garlicky Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
eight years ago: Pillow Cookies

Please check out other delicious #Choctoberfest recipes here! And enter our giveaway this week here! 🙂

Chocolate Cookie Dough Peanut Butter

Servings: makes 2 cups
Time: 10 minutes
Print

Ingredients:

16 ounces dry roasted unsalted peanuts
3 tablespoons Barlean’s Butter Flavored Coconut Oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (or to taste)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions:

In a food processor, pulse together peanuts and coconut oil until the peanuts are pretty broken down, but aren’t completely smooth yet.

Add cocoa powder, brown sguar, chia seeds, vanilla, and salt. Pulse a few more times until everything starts to come together, scraping the sides with a spatula as necessary. Repeat until mixture is smooth.

Add mini chocolate chips and pulse once to incorporate.

Store in a jar or other air-tight container in the refrigerator, up to one month.

For easier spreading, allow to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, microwave for 15-20 seconds or until stirrable. This peanut butter is delicious on toast, with apples or bananas, on oatmeal, or just by the spoonful!

Disclosure: I received free product from Barlean’s to use in this recipe for #Choctoberfest. I was not required to review them or provide positive feedback. All opinions are my own. You can learn more about Barlean’s and get great recipe ideas from them on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Breakfast, Oatmeal, Recipes

Fantastical Food Fight: Everyday Stovetop Oatmeal

January 17, 2018January 15, 2018 Sarah

Everyday stovetop oatmeal… don’t settle for a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast. If you have 10 minutes, you can have a delicious, hot bowl of oatmeal. And it’s practically hands free, so you can make it while you’re getting the rest of your day in order.

Everyday stovetop oatmeal... don't settle for a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast. If you have 10 minutes, you can have a delicious, hot bowl of oatmeal. And it's practically hands free, so you can make it while you're getting the rest of your day in order. #FantasticalFoodFight

When I saw that the Fantastical Food Fight theme for January was oatmeal, I may have squealed. You see, I love oatmeal SO much. I agonized over what I was going to make for this fun event. A new baked oatmeal recipe? A new overnight oat recipe? Finally try my hand at savory oats (that my husband thinks sound disgusting)? But then I talked some sense into myself. Don’t make it complicated! Many days I just make a bowl of oatmeal on the stovetop. And I’ve never shared my method on the blog! Perfecttt!

I know you can make oatmeal in the microwave, or you can use those instant oat packets, or even use those fancy single serving tubs. There’s a time and a place for all of those (I keep instant oats at work for emergencies, for instance). But most days? I make a quick batch of my everyday stovetop oats for breakfast. My son LOVES oatmeal mornings and so do I. What I love about these oats is how easy they are–literally dump, stir, cook, forget it (set a timer)! I let these oats cook on my stove when I’m running around the house getting ready in the morning… and they are so simple and pretty much foolproof. I also love how creamy they are! Half milk, half water is my preferred liquid ratio for taste and creaminess. I also add some chia seeds and the consistency is so great! I know it’s weird to say oatmeal is luxurious, but these oats are! Lastly, I love how these oats are the perfect vehicle for your favorite toppings. You can find an ultimate list of oatmeal toppings in the recipe notes below, but for starters… here are some of my favorite combos. Fresh blueberries, sliced almonds, and a touch of brown sugar. S’mores. Peanut butter and strawberry jam. Sliced bananas, sliced almonds, toasted coconut, and maple syrup. Fresh strawberries, almond butter, and honey. The possibilities are endless! The toppings in the pictures are diced Bosc pear, sliced almonds, and dark brown sugar. SO good. Enjoy, friends! Hope you hop on my oatmeal bandwagon. 🙂

one year ago: Annette’s Layered Chicken Enchiladas
two years ago: Amish Cheeseburger Soup
three years ago: Healthy Tropical Banana Muffins
four years ago: Cranberry Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Pears
five years ago: Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie
six years ago: Lasagna Soup
seven years ago: Whole-Wheat Corn Bread

Find more oatmeal recipes at the link below!

Everyday Stovetop Oatmeal

Servings: 1
Time: 10 minutes
Print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk*
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon chia seeds**
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
any desired toppings***

Directions:

Combine milk, water, oats, chia seeds, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Stir to combine.

Cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes. Do NOT stir… resist the urge! Stir only when the oatmeal starts bubbling, usually about 6-7 minutes on my stove. Allow to cook until oatmeal reaches desired consistency.

Remove from heat and immediately transfer oatmeal to a bowl. Add desired toppings and enjoy!

Notes:

Recipe as written serves one adult. You can scale it up to serve more, or scale it down if the serving size is too big for you. When I’m making some for my toddler as well, I add an extra 2 tablespoons oats, 2 tablespoons milk, and 2 tablespoons water. It doesn’t sound like much but makes enough for him (and he probably gets a little of my portion as well).

*MILK… I usually have both dairy milk and almond milk in my fridge, so this oatmeal works with either. I usually use skim or 2% milk OR unsweetened regular or vanilla almond milk. Any kind of milk should be fine.

**CHIA…The chia seeds help thicken the oatmeal and give it a great consistency. A similar consistency can be achieved with flax or hemp seeds, but I wouldn’t substitute nuts in this step. But you can add them as a topping.

***TOPPINGS…

Fruit: I prefer fresh fruit instead of frozen in my oatmeal. Frozen blueberries or cranberries are the exception–just add them at the beginning of the cooking time. My favorite fruits for oatmeal include: any berries, sliced bananas, diced peaches, diced pears, and grated apples. Sauteed apples are good too, but usually too time consuming for busy mornings.
Dried fruit: Any kind! Soak them in the cooked oatmeal before eating. It’ll change your life!!
Jam: Any kind! Usually when I add jam I find I don’t need other sweetener.
Nuts: Any kind! Sliced almonds are my go-to.
Nut butter: Lots of people love nut butter in oatmeal… I personally am a little iffy on it because it feels too heavy. I can occasionally do a little peanut or almond butter with sliced bananas, or with jam for a pb&j twist.
Coconut: Bonus points if it’s toasted… sometimes I toast extra for a recipe so I can have some on hand for oatmeal.
Chocolate chips: A fun indulgence… usually means I don’t need any other sweetener, or just a tiny bit.
Sweetener: I like about 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup in my oatmeal. My husband uses more like a tablespoon, and I don’t give our toddler any most days. You do you!

Appetizers, Recipes

Sweet and Spicy Pretzel Snack Mix

December 19, 2017December 18, 2017 Sarah

Sweet and spicy snack mix–a delightful blend of pretzels, honey roasted peanuts, cheese crackers, cereal, and dried cranberries. Everyone will love this addictive snack!

Sweet and spicy snack mix--a delightful blend of pretzels, honey roasted peanuts, cheese crackers, cereal, and dried cranberries. Everyone will love this addictive snack!

As much as I would have liked to, this is just not the year to make alllll the Christmas treats. Traveling, sickness, having a toddler, working… spending hours and hours making a bunch of Christmas recipes just wasn’t going to happen this year. And while that IS a bummer, I’m trying to make the best of it and maybe even make some of my faves after Christmas or at other times of the year. One of the ways I decided to “make the best of it” was to use a couple gift-giving occasions to try new recipes! I chose super easy recipes to make this as low-stress as possible.

Sweet and spicy snack mix--a delightful blend of pretzels, honey roasted peanuts, cheese crackers, cereal, and dried cranberries. Everyone will love this addictive snack!

As some of you may know, I’m an academic librarian. We have great student workers in our library, and we like to celebrate them when we can. For their Christmas gift this year, I was tempted to buy some candy and call it a day, but instead I bought a few easy ingredients at Aldi (my new grocery love! Look for more about Aldi in a new meal planning series I’m starting on my blog in 2018!!) to whip up this easy snack mix. It’s similar to Chex Mix, but with a great sweet and spicy kick.

Sweet and spicy snack mix--a delightful blend of pretzels, honey roasted peanuts, cheese crackers, cereal, and dried cranberries. Everyone will love this addictive snack!

My son and I made this together on a rainy Sunday afternoon and it took maybe 10 minutes to mix and measure everything (and that’s with a toddler helping!!). The vast majority of the hour-long prep time is for baking. If you’re packaging this up in cute little treat bags like I did, you’ll need to allow extra time for cooling. But if not, this is a super quick snack that is fun to make and even better to eat. It’s a little weird but I love eating hot snack mix, fresh out of the oven. No idea why, because who eats hot cereal, pretzels, or crackers? Ha. Ben and I were so sad to give almost all of this away but at least it’s easy enough to make another batch. I might have to do that again soon! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Hassleback Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Cranberries, Pears, and Goat Cheese
two years ago: Cranberry Crumb Bars
three years ago: Art Smith’s Macaroni and Cheese
four years ago: Cranberry-Pistachio Citrus Butter Cookies
five years ago: Streuseled Cran-Apple Sweet Potato Casserole
six years ago: Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce
seven years ago: Peppermint Sugar Cookies