Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies are vegan, gluten free, and are so good they will blow your mind!

The name Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies doesn’t really do this recipe justice. Really, they should be called: The Easiest Ever Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies. Yes, I do think these get the award for the easiest cookie recipe ever.

There are three ingredients, plus the chocolate chips. THREE. And all you have to do? Stir those three ingredients together. No fancy mixers. No equipment besides your muscles and a wooden spoon. No chilling time. Guys, these are for sure the easiest cookie recipe you’ll come across.

Healthy cookies are kind of my jam. I love creating them and I love eating them. I love coming up with cookie recipes that you can feel good about serving your kids. If you’re into healthy cookie recipes, make sure to scroll way to the bottom of this post and I’ll have some great recipes linked for you.

Of course as moms we like the ingredients, but want to know what’s the absolute best? When the kids give them their stamp of approval. To be specific, Meghan said, “These cookies are heaven!” when she took her first bite of these Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I haven’t had my taste testers around as often when I’m doing my photo shoots to get pictures of them for my posts…but we’ve had a few snow days around here, so the kids have been home during the day.

I’ll pretend I’m not ready to pull my hair out and I’ve loved every minute of the extra time with the sweet things.

It’s actually fine when it’s warm enough to enjoy the snow, like we did on Monday. We went sledding and were outside for almost three hours. Here’s an iPhone pic of a pretty scene we admired while taking a break from sledding. 

Yesterday? Frigid. The only time I spent outside was sprinting to and from my car to a warm building. Most of the day, I avoided leaving the house.

Sounds like a perfect day for baking, no? I did appreciate having my taste testers for these Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Luke gave them a thumbs up.

I should mention that these Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies are vegan, gluten-free, and made without refined sugar. Seriously! AND they take less than ten minutes to prep. All you have to do is mix together almond flour, almond butter, and maple syrup. Then add your chocolate chips and scoop them onto the baking sheet.

If you don’t have these ingredients, GO SHOPPING!

I would describe these as soft batch cookies. They are SO soft and chewy.

You just have to make these! Let me know what you think!

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Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Made with three simple ingredients, these Healthy Chocolate Chip cookies are vegan, gluten-free, Paleo friendly, and made without refined sugar. A healthy cookie has NEVER tasted this good.

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 8 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely sifted almond flour
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips*

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, almond butter, and maple syrup. Stir until well combined and then stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Using a cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto to baking sheet. Use a spoon or your fingers to flatten the tops of the cookies. (They will not flatten or spread during the baking time.)
4. Bake in the preheated oven until just starting to brown, 12 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely. Enjoy!http://amzn.to/2riu6pu

Notes

*I prefer to use these stevia sweetened chocolate chips for these to cut back on the overall sugar. This is reflected in the nutritional information. (affiliate link)

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 176
• Sugar: 8 grams
• Fat: 11 grams
• Carbohydrates: 16 grams
• Protein: 5 grams

If you make this Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, I would LOVE to see it! Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @happyhealthymama 

Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!

If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board.

If you love my recipes and want inspiration for living a happy and healthy life, let’s keep in touch! Follow Happy Healthy Mama! Click on the links below to find me on:

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As promised, I won’t forget to link to some more fantastic healthy cookie recipes.

More Healthy Cookie Recipes

Low Carb Flaxseed Cinnamon Breakfast Cookies

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Applesauce Breakfast Cookies

No Added Sugar Banana Peanut Butter Cookies

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source https://happyhealthymama.com/healthy-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

Sweet Potato Nachos Recipe

This Sweet Potato Nachos recipe is a game-changer! Who knew nachos could be so healthy and delicious at the same time?!

I love taking traditionally un-healthy recipes and giving them a healthy spin. I want the world to know that healthy eating isn’t synonymous with boring eating or tasteless eating.

A few simple swaps and nachos can be a healthy, nutritious option or a snack, game-day appetizer, or even dinner!

That’s exactly what I did with this Sweet Potato Nachos recipe. A few simple changes to traditional nachos and we’ve got a more nutrient-dense, but still super tasty tray of healthy nachos!

The most obvious change is switching out the deep fried tortilla chips for sweet potato chips. We make these at home and even though they’re baked, they are still crispy.

Making the sweet potato chips is the longest part of this process because you have to make them in batches to get them crispy. It’s worth it, though. After all your batches are baked, you can put them all on one tray and they look like this:

It’s REALLY HARD to not eat up all of these chips before you even turn them into your Sweet Potato Nachos recipe. When I was making these, Luke kept coming over and stealing chips! I told him I’d make him another batch of sweet potato chips soon.

After your sweet potato chips are ready, we load them up with ground turkey, beans, a little cheese, and allll the toppings your heart desires. I use my homemade taco seasoning to season the ground turkey and I highly recommend it!

The sweet potato chips maintain some, but not all of their crispiness after they are loaded with toppings. It definitely becomes a fork nachos situation. Messy nachos are the best nachos, don’t you agree?

I also have a recipe for Mini Bell Pepper Nachos that is vegan, if you want a meat-free and cheese-free version of healthy nachos, check it out!

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Sweet Potato Nachos Recipe

Crispy baked sweet potato chips, ground turkey with homemade taco seasoning, beans, and fresh vegetable toppings come together to make the most delicious AND nutritious tray of nachos!

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, very thinly sliced, preferably with a mandoline slicer *
• cooking oil spray
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Additional toppings, as desired: diced tomato, diced avocado, sliced jalapeño pepper, salsa, green onion, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If two baking sheets will fit in your oven, spray two baking sheets with cooking oil. Place the thinly sliced sweet potato rounds onto the trays, making sure they aren’t overlapping.** Spray the tops with additional cooking oil.
2. Bake the sweet potato rounds in the oven until they are starting to brown slightly, 10-15 minutes. The time will depend on how thin they are sliced and how large the rounds are. Watch them carefully so as not to burn them. Remove them from the oven. They will not be crispy immediately, but will crisp up within two minutes. If they do not, they need a minute or more in the oven. Remove your baked sweet potato chips from the sheet so you can bake another batch. Continue this process until all of your sweet potatoes are baked. (You’ll need to do about 4 tray fulls to bake one sweet potato.)
3. Meanwhile, in a skillet pan, break up the ground turkey over medium heat. Add the seasoning and water and sauté until the turkey is cooked through. Set aside.
4. Transfer all of your baked sweet potato chips to one tray. Top with the cheese, beans, and cooked turkey. Broil in the oven a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
5. Remove from the oven and add any additional toppings you desire and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

*affiliate link

**If you overcrowd the tray, your sweet potato chips won’t get as crispy, which is why I do this in batches.

***Nutritional information includes the following toppings: 1 roma tomato, 1/2 large avocado, and 1 jalapeño pepper

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
• Calories: 160
• Sugar: 2.1 grams
• Fat: 8 grams
• Carbohydrates: 11.2 grams
• Protein: 11.4 grams

 

If you love my recipes and want inspiration for living a happy and healthy life, let’s keep in touch! Follow Happy Healthy Mama! Find me on:

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If you make this Sweet Potato Nachos recipe, I would LOVE to see it! Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @happyhealthymama 

Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!

If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board.

The post Sweet Potato Nachos Recipe appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/sweet-potato-nachos-recipe.html

Minestrone Soup Recipe

This Minestrone Soup recipe is quick, easy, healthy, and is perfect any time of year!

Soup.

That’s my answer to the question, “What do you feel like eating?” about 95% of the time, especially this time of year. Give me a warm bowl of soup, and I’m going to be a happy girl. 

I think I was meant to be Italian because all of my favorite foods originate in Italy. When it comes to soup, Minestrone Soup is probably my all-time favorite. Throw whatever vegetables and beans you have on hand into a pot? YES, this is my kind of soup.

This Minestrone Soup recipe also includes pasta because, well, I think just about everything is better with pasta. For the vegetables I use onion, carrot, and celery (essential) and parsnip and zucchini (totally negotiable). And tomatoes, of course. The beans are kidney beans, but use cannellini or navy beans if you prefer. 

What I’m saying is that this Minestrone Soup recipe is flexible. Use what you have on hand or what’s in season or what you love. If you really want to make it sing, throw a parmesan rind in there. You will be really happy you did because of the flavor it imparts. Really, really happy. 

Whether you’re making this with grocery store vegetables in the winter or garden fresh vegetables in the spring or summer, this Minestrone Soup recipe is quick and easy to make. It’ll keep you warm in the winter and eating all of your fresh vegetables in the summer. Go make it!

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Minestrone Soup Recipe

Use whatever vegetables and beans you have on hand to make this quick and easy Minestrone Soup recipe!

• Author: Maryea
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 37 minutes
• Total Time: 47 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 cup chopped parsnip or other hard vegetable
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups stock, vegetable or chicken
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes with basil
• 1 bay leave
• rind from parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped zucchini or other soft vegetable
• 1/2 cup small pasta, such as tubetti
• 2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the parsnip and season everything well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the parsnip with the onion, carrot, and celery for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, and the parmesan rind if you are using it and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the zucchini and pasta and bring to a simmer again, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the beans, garlic, and pasta and simmer another 5 minutes.
6. Remove the bay leaf and parmesan rind and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Hard vegetable substitution ideas: potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, turnips

Soft vegetable substitution ideas: green beans, summer squash, baby spinach, kale

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
• Calories: 241
• Sugar: 10.5 grams
• Fat: 8.3 grams
• Carbohydrates: 36.8 grams
• Protein: 7.4 grams

If you make this Minestrone Soup recipe, I would LOVE to see it!

Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @happyhealthymama 

Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!

If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board. 

If you love soup as much as I do, check out some of my other favorite soup recipes!

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup with Zucchini and Corn

Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

Cauliflower Soup with Coconut, Turmeric, and Lime

The post Minestrone Soup Recipe appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/minestrone-soup-recipe.html

Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

These healthy Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins have incredible orange flavor spiked with chocolate chips and are made with wholesome ingredients!

Heads up! This recipe was first published in 2014. Photos updated 2018. I can’t count how many times I’ve made these since I first published it and they are a household favorite. Enjoy!

Muffins can be funny little things.  They walk a tight line between being something nourishing we eat for breakfast and being, well, a dessert.  That’s probably why my two little ones request them for breakfast so often.

These muffins actually were inspired by a dessert.  Ina Garten’s orange chocolate chunk cake is one of Tim’s favorite desserts, and his dad makes it every time we visit.  (Here is smitten kitchen’s version of Ina’s iconic dessert)

 

I thought I would be a good wife by giving Tim a portable, acceptable-to-eat-for-breakfast version of one of his favorite desserts.  Turns out I was being a good wife and mother, as these have become my kids’ favorite muffins to date.  Couldn’t have anything to do with the chocolate chips, could it?

The thing is, while these are perfectly satisfying enough to be called dessert, these muffins are much less sinful than the cake version.  First, they are made with whole wheat flour instead of the processed white stuff.  They have half the fat and more than 100 percent less sugar.  I also used low-calorie, unsweetened almond milk, making them dairy-free.  (You can use any milk you choose in this recipe.)

Yet.  They have that intense orange flavor, paired with chocolate chips that is fabulous.  The essence of Ina’s dessert is here.  These healthy orange chocolate chip muffins are light, moist, and everything you want a muffin to be.

 

You really can’t go wrong with this healthy muffin recipe.  Feel free to make a double batch and throw some in the freezer.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

These Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins taste sinful, but they are made with whole wheat flour and unrefined sugar!

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar or organic sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (let sit a few minutes) or buttermilk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted, or grape seed oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon wild orange essential oil OR 1-2 tablespoons orange zest

Extra

• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I use EnjoyLife’s dairy and soy-free chips)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Oil a muffin pan, or line with paper liners and spray them with oil.  Set it aside while you prepare your ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Do not over mix or you’ll end up with dense muffins.
4. Fill each cup of the muffin pan almost to the top.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the muffins are just turning golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
5.  Allow to cool on a rack before removing the muffins from the tin.  Enjoy!

 

If you make this Orange Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe, or any Happy Healthy Mama recipe, I would LOVE to see it! Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @happyhealthymama 

Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!

If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board.

Want more healthy muffin recipes? Here you go!

Healthy Muffin Recipes

Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Blender Muffins

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Muffins

Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/orange-chocolate-chip-muffins.html

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Chicken

This Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Chicken makes a filling, satisfying, and healthy meal!

Hi there! Do things look a little different around here for you? You might want to clear your cache if they do not, because Happy Healthy Mama got a little makeover! What do you think?

I’m sorry if things look a little wonky for a day or two while I work out the kinks of transferring things over. This was a fairly straight forward change (not a custom website design or anything) but I still feel pretty lost making simple changes, so my tech guy is helping me with the wrinkles. My ultimate goal is to have the most user-friendly site, so hopefully that’s what the end result will be! I’d love your feedback if there’s anything that can make it better for you.

Onto today’s recipe for Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Chicken. Whew. That’s a mouthful! It’s a delicious mouthful, too.

To me, stuffed spaghetti squash is the ultimate healthy comfort food. I find it so filling and satisfying, yet it’s light and healthy! This version is like your favorite spinach artichoke dip stuffed into a squash boat. Does it get any better?? There’s not an overwhelming amount of cheese, but just enough to make you crave this. The first time I made this I didn’t use cream cheese, the second time I added a tablespoon. I list it as optional because it’s great both ways, but the cream cheese just adds a bit more creaminess that makes it pretty dreamy. But don’t sweat it if you don’t have any on hand. 

Finally, the chicken in this dish makes it more husband-friendly in my house (he thinks everything with chicken is more filling and hearty than almost any vegetarian dish I make) but you could easily leave it out. Your choice!

I think you’re going to LOVE this easy weeknight dinner! I suggest cooking the spaghetti squash ahead of time to make this super speedy. Let me know if you try it?

 

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Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Chicken

This Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Chicken makes an easy, healthy, satisfying meal.

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 small-medium spaghetti squash
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 1 jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place it shell side up on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, heat your oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Season your chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet.
3. Sauté until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and artichokes and sauté another 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.
5. Transfer the chicken mixture to a large bowl. Scrape out the spaghetti squash strands and add them to the bowl with the chicken. Mix well and add the parmesan cheese and cream cheese. Transfer this mixture back to the spaghetti squash shells on the baking sheet.
6. Top each spaghetti squash with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted, using your oven’s broiler for the last two minutes to brown the cheese. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 of spaghetti squash
• Calories: 397
• Sugar: 3.3 grams
• Fat: 17.9 grams
• Carbohydrates: 37.4 grams
• Protein: 22.3 grams

 

If you make this Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Chicken recipe, or any Happy Healthy Mama recipe, I would LOVE to see it! Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or the Happy Healthy Mama Facebook page and tag me @happyhealthymama 

Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!

If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board!

The post Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Chicken appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source https://happyhealthymama.com/spinach-artichoke-stuffed-spaghetti-squash-chicken.html