Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies from Making It Grow

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I had the honor of flying to South Carolina to film two cooking segments on the Public Television show Making It Grow.  I adore this show (they teach you all about plants!).  I LOVE to cook plants and help people Shed Pounds Sustainably by eating A LOT of them (without counting, weighing or measuring!).

On this segment, I show you how to make Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies.

Here’s why you want to watch…

  • These cookies are SO easy and simple. 

  • My favorite part – before these are cookies, it’s just oatmeal from the microwave!  So, it’s actually two recipes in one! 

  • Once the microwaved oatmeal is done, you can eat it as is or bake it as bars or cookies!

Click play below to watch the episode and keep scrolling for the recipe! My segment starts at 16:51 (if you don’t want to watch the whole hour show although I do recommend it — especially if you like gardening!).

Onto the recipe…

Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies  

By: Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN

Ingredients

  • 1 cup regular rolled oats

  • 1 cup banana sliced (about one large banana)

  • ¼-½ cup blueberries (frozen or fresh!)

  • 3 TB maple syrup OR date syrup

  • Cinnamon

  • Water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  2. Put 1 cup of rolled oats into shallow dish or bowl

  3. Add the sliced banana and blueberries to the bowl

  4. Coat up to the top of mixture with water so top of ingredients are covered and moistened

  5. Microwave mixture for 2-3 minutes to soften. Add more water if needed

  6. Use fork to smash up fruit to release juices to sweeten dish

  7. Add maple syrup and cinnamon on top

  8. Mix all ingredients together

  9. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

  10. Use a spoon full of ingredients to form cookies

  11. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes 

  12. Let cool before serving 

These are excellent as a mini-meal (a snack), for breakfast or a daily dessert.

Interested in seeing if/how Trisha can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably even if you can’t exercise or have additional health concerns? Schedule a time to chat with her here. She’d love to talk to see if she can help you Shed Pounds Sustainably just like her clients.

Take Control Now

Comment below and share… would you make these cookies!? 

How to Freeze Blueberries

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One of my favorite things about summer is the blueberries.  From July to September blueberries are freshly picked in Oregon and I eat them on everything.  I go into complete berry overload!

I put blueberries on my oatmeal in the morning, on salads for lunch and dinner, in my banana ice-cream for a summer cool-down treat, in my blueberry breakfast crisp or just plain as a snack.  

Blueberries are soo good for you too!  They've been shown to improve memory in humans (1), protect against the progression of cancer (2), atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases of aging (2).  

Blueberries are so wondrous for our health because there are so many health promoting compounds in blueberries.  Blueberries contain (3)...

  • fiber
  • calcium
  • magnesium
  • phosphorous
  • potassium
  • vitamin C
  • folate
  • choline
  • vitamin A
  • beta carotene
  • lutein + zeaxanthin (carotenoids)
  • vitamin K
  • a ton of flavonoids and proanthocyanidin (disease fighting compounds)

The list doesn't stop here.  Blueberries also contain many trace amounts of additional vitamins and minerals that are not included in this list (3). 

One way to get a lot of blueberries in your diet, is to always have them around.  However, they can be expensive, so the least expensive way to have blueberries year round is to freeze them.    

How to Freeze Blueberries

1.  Buy freshly picked blueberries.  You can buy them in the store, however, they will cost less if you buy them directly from a farmer, especially in large batches or even better, if you pick them yourself (find your local U-Pick blueberries).  I prefer organic blueberries but if you can't find or afford organic, non-organic is better than not eating blueberries at all!

2.  Spread the berries evenly as one layer onto a cookie sheet or pie pan.  Don't pile blueberries on-top of each other.  They'll freeze together in clumps this way.  Pick out any stems or leaves.  Don't rinse the berries before you freeze them.  This will make the skins tough and not as tasty.  

3.  Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours or until hard.   

4.  Remove blueberries from freezer, remove any additional stems and store in plastic sealed containers or zip lock bags.  Write the date you froze them on the bag or container (you can also use a piece of tape).  This way you'll know how old they are when you find them years later in the back of your freezer!

5.  When you're ready to eat your frozen blueberries, rinse them, and then cook!

Top left: packaged frozen berries, Top right: berries about to go in the freezer, Bottom left: picking stems off berries post freezing, Bottom right: berries on my oatmeal this morning

Take Control Now

How do you freeze blueberries?  Have a different method you'd like to share?  Or, what's your favorite way to eat blueberries?

Put your answer in the comments section below.  I'd love to hear from you.  And please like this article or pass it on if it was of any use to you!

How to Make Blueberry Breakfast Crisp

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It's berry season in Oregon which is the perfect time to make cobbler or crisps.  Crisps that are  so delicious and nutritious, you can even eat it for breakfast... or dinner!  I made this Berry Breakfast Crisp for meat lovers this 4th of July weekend and they loved it!  

Click the below video to learn how to make the crisp or just keep reading on!

Most crisps and cobblers contain white flour, butter and loads of sugar -- foods that will not help you lose weight (and keep it off) and will not help your family members struggling with diabetes or heart disease.  In order to stop the progression of chronic diseases and help you lose weight permanently, it's imperative you begin to incorporate whole, plant-based meals into your daily diet.

This includes desserts as well.  Just because plant-based desserts don't (or shouldn't) include a lot of fat; animal products like butter and eggs; and refined foods such as white flour, oil and sugar; this doesn't mean dessert won't taste amazing (or sweet!) as you'll find out with today's Blueberry Breakfast Crisp.    

I adapted this recipe from Cathy Fisher's Apple-Pineapple Crisp.  She's an amazing chef that makes plant-based meals without added salt, sugar or oil.  

Here's what you'll need for my Blueberry Breakfast Crisp.

Ingredients, Crisp Filling:

  • 3 cups blueberries (rinsed)
  • 1 cup blackberries (rinsed)
  • 9 dates, chopped
  • 3/4 cup water (or 100% juice of your liking)
  • 3 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients, Topping:

  • 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 dates, chopped
  • 2 TB water
  • 1/2 ripe banana, diced

Directions:

Turn the oven to 375 degrees.  Add all 'filling' ingredients into a bow and mix gently.  Pour into a pie pan or baking dish.  Place topping ingredients into a blender or a food processor and pulse only a few times just until the mixture is blended together (you don't want the oats to turn into flour).  Spread the topping mixture over the filling evenly and press down gently.  Cook for 30 minutes (when the topping is slightly brown).  Let the crisp sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe extras:

- I drizzled honey on top of the crisp fresh out of the oven.

- You can save and store the crisp for up to 5 days in the fridge.  

- This tastes delicious with my banana ice-cream on top!  

- Eat for breakfast, dinner or dessert.

I'd love to hear from you about this Breakfast Blueberry Crisp.  Type your feedback in the comments section below.

Take Control Now

Would you make this recipe?  Ever eaten a healthy plant-based dessert?  Does this crisp look yummy?  Even better -- make it and let me know what you think!

 
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