The sweet side of healthy snacks: no bake graham cracker “cookies”

4 Aug 2011

20 Comments

Recipes
Alisa
by

organic graham crackers sandwiches with nut butter
My favorite snack as a kid was crackers, plain and simple. When I wanted savory, saltine bags were ripped open, and when I wanted something sweet, I headed straight for the honey graham crackers.

I still love grahams, but as an adult, my cravings have grown more complex on so many levels. Now I demand wholesome ingredients that I can actually pronounce, so I stick to New Morning graham crackers – the only organic brand on the market.

I also feel the need to constantly experiment with new ways of serving up old favorites. What started out as noshing on one square at a time, turned into savoring nut butter graham-wiches …

Which then turned into these no bake healthy snack “cookies” …

 

PB & J Thumbprint Graham Bites

 

PB & J Thumbprint Graham Bites

This is a mini-recipe, offering a generous little snack for two people. Feel free to double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe if you want some chillin’ in the fridge for future cravings. They should keep for a few days in the refrigerator or for several months in the freezer.

2 New Morning Organic Cinnamon or Honey Graham Cracker Sheets (4 squares in total)
2 Tablespoons Creamy, Unsalted Peanut Butter, Nut Butter, or Sunflower Seed Butter
1 Teaspoon Coconut or Palm Oil, melted
2 Teaspoons Maple Syrup, Honey, or Agave Nectar
1 to 2 Tablespoons of Jam, divided (I used raspberry organic all-fruit spread)

Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs or a powder. You can do this with the old ziploc and mallet method, or as I prefer, pop them in one of those cheap little spice grinders, and whiz away. You will get about 1/4 cup of fine crumbs/graham powder.

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon or honey graham cracker crumbs with the nut (or seed) butter, oil, and sweetener of your choice until a nice thick paste forms. Divide it into six portions and roll each into a ball. Using the back of a measuring teaspoon, press an indentation in the top of each ball, causing them to flatten on the bottom, and form your thumbprint shape on top. If the mixture is too sticky to handle, toss it in your fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up a bit.

Once shaped, place the cookie dough thumbprints in the refrigerator or freezer for 15 minutes or longer to firm up. Place a dollop of jam in the depression of each cookie bite (I used about 1/2 teaspoon per cookie) and serve.

Quick & Healthy Strawberry “Jam” Option: Place about 2/3 cup diced organic strawberries in a small saucepan with ½ teaspoon cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of honey. Whisk to get rid of any starch lumps. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking, until it thickens – just a few minutes. This isn’t exactly like jam, but works great in these thumbprints and is naturally delicious!

Chocolate Option: Who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter? Melt some dark or semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle it into your thumbprints instead of the jam. Chill. If you want a softer chocolate middle, whisk a little extra peanut butter or nut butter into the melted chocolate before pouring it into the thumbprints. I like to use the honey graham crackers for this version, but any of the sweeteners will work great.

-Yields 6 no bake treats

 

Are you a graham cracker fan? If so, which do you prefer, honey or cinnamon?

Alisa photo Be well!

Alisa signature

Alisa

Check out my latest posts here

Comments

Tags: , , , ,