66 Calorie Chocolate Explosion Cookies

A cold, wet Saturday morning is the perfect excuse for some baking. One of my high school friends was having a few friends from back home at her apartment to celebrate her birthday so I knew it was yet another reason to test out another recipe I'd cooked up. 

I must confess I love to bake, and I love to bake sinfully bad treats, but I won't eat them. Ironic I know considering I'm a health food blogger, but we all have our pitfalls right? I wanted to create a recipe that was secretly healthy for my friends, yet was still totally delicious so they'd never suspect it was healthy. Thus Chocolate Explosion Cookies were born. I tested them out on one of my roommates and she said they tasted like Oreos, and boy was she surprised to learn that these babies weren't even bad for her! 

You will need:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons safflower oil (can substitute vegetable oil)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon PLUS 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• OPTIONAL: 1/3 cup chocolate chips- you can exclude this but it does make the cookies extra rich!!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a cookie sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper, lining the cookie sheet makes it easier to get the cookies off once cooled.

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend together. 

Add in the chocolate chips, if you're including them, while mixing the batter together so they will be fully combined in the batter.

For a stiffer dough that is easier to scoop onto a baking sheet, and the cookies won't fall apart as easily, place dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You don't have to place the dough in the refrigerator. 


If you don't want to put the dough in the fridge scoop 1 tablespoon of dough onto the lined cookie sheet. You should get between 15 and 17 one tablespoon sized cookies. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 11 minutes. The cookies will not looked fully cooked when you pull them out but they are, so take them out (no one likes burnt cookies!!).

Allow the cookies to cool for 20 minutes before picking them up or they might crumble. 

Store in an airtight container to keep the cookies fresh.

Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 66
Carbs: 7 grams
Fat: 5 grams
Protein: 1 gram
Sodium: 60 mg
Sugar: 4 grams

PB2 and Apple Snack Wrap

I love to tinker in the kitchen and invent new snacks, especially snacks for my post workout. Luckily this snack turned out to be delicious so of course I have to share!!

I heated up one La Tortilla Factory Low Carb High Fiber Tortilla in a skillet over medium heat, browning both sides. 

Once both sides were browned I removed the wrap from the skillet, turned off the burner and smeared two tablespoons of PB2 Peanut Butter on the wrap. 

Next I piled on 3/4 cup of apple chunks, I used a Honeycrisp apple. 

Finally I sprinkled cinnamon, about 1.25 teaspoons, on top of the apple chunks and warmed the entire wrap up in the microwave for 25 seconds, just enough to get the apple chunks slightly warm. 

It was the perfect combination of protein, fiber, and sweetness for my post workout snack!!

Slender Pumpkin Muffins

'Tis the season for pumpkin everything!! What better way to get in the fall spirit and the mood for Halloween than to make pumpkin muffins? Want to know the best part!?! These sinfully delicious muffins only contain 143 calories a muffin and are gluten free, grain free, and low in sugar. You don't even have to feel guilty about indulging in one of these bad boys!! 

You will need:

• 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/4 cup Organic Agave Nectar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Cups Almond Flour
• 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 
• 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• OPTIONAL 1/3 cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a twelve tin muffin pan with muffin liners.

In a mixing bowl combine pumpkin puree, eggs, and agave nectar. Make sure they are completely mixed together. 

In a separate mixing bowl mix together almond flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and baking soda. Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients are totally combined.

Next, pour the liquid pumpkin batter into the dry ingredients. You can mix together all the ingredients with a spoon and a little muscle or you can use a mixer to blend the ingredients together. 

Once all the ingredients are combined you can add in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. If you do add chocolate chips in fold them into the batter so you don't over mix the batter. 

Take the batter and fill muffins tins 1/2 to 3/4 full. 

After filling the muffins tins bake the muffins at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Check to see if the muffins are done. Insert a toothpick and it should come out clean. If it does the muffins are done, if it doesn't bake the muffins for another three minutes and check again. 

Allow the muffins to cool for an hour before storing in the refrigerator or the freezer. For optimal freshness do keep the muffins in the fridge, they will keep for about a week in the fridge or for six months in the freezer. 

Nutrition per serving (1 muffin):

Calories: 143, 152 with chocolate chips

Carbs: 11 grams

Fat: 10 grams

Protein: 5 grams

Sodium: 98 mg

Sugar: 6 grams, 7 grams with chocolate chips