A Healthy “Little Debbie”-Recipe of the Week

Remember Little Debbie’s, with all that yummy cream centered between two chewy oatmeal cookies? Ah, yes, soooo delicious. I went through a Little Debbie phase back in grad school where I just couldn’t get enough of them.  At the time, I was weaning myself off Pop Tarts; my sugary, hydrogenated laden, cholesterol building, fat inducing toaster pastries.

After I came out of Pop Tart rehab, however, I was pulled right back into another addiction.  I guess I wasn’t strong enough to resist the lure.  No, I didn’t take up smoking, or even alcohol.  Instead, I became heavily addicted to….Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies.  On closer glance however, innocence is shattered because they are bad…really bad. Yes, such an innocent name for such a potent snack cake. 

The very first ingredient is Corn Syrup.  Shame on you cute Little Debbie!  Three different hydrogenated oils follow this.  At this point, your cholesterol is rising by just reading the ingredients. To think I ate these unscrupulous morsels by the box load!  I ate them during finals, research papers, boredom, and on the subway back and forth from school. In retrospect, no wonder I had so many headaches! Sugar was leaching itself into my body and coursing through my entire central nervous system!  I walked around with fallout Little Debbie crumbs clinging to my shirt, while white crème stained the corners of my mouth, making me look like a strung out Little Debbie addict, as opposed to the doe eyed innocent country girl on the box.  

 Little Debbie is the Devil.  

Whenever I see the Little Debbie box at the store, I feel a twitch, my pulse quickens, and I have to get out of the aisle.  I shove my cart fast and furious in an effort to flee.  I usually don’t go down the cookie aisle, but sometimes, they deviously place the Little Debbie’s on the end cap aisle, in a sneaky yet clever marketing effort to get you to buy them without even going down the cookie aisle.  Demons.

I get home and unload all of my produce, Quinoa, Greek yogurt, wheat germ, fruit, and the good stuff.  However, my mind keeps drifting to ….Little Debbie.  Damn her.  I must have her.  So, I get myself to the kitchen in an effort to make a healthier option. Something that won’t sabotage my efforts, yet, tastes good.  I mix, and measure, and come up with a healthy and tasty alternative.  You can give it to your kids for breakfast; use it as a post workout snack.  You can also just make them as cookies without the cream.      

I bring you, Little Debbie’s Nemesis…Healthy Little Debbie.  Enjoy  

Makes approximately 24 small cookies, you can increase their size however. 

Ingredients

1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

1/3 cup Sucanat (you may even lower this to 1/4 cup if your banana is ripe bordering on mush)

1 TBSP wheat germ

2 TBSP vanilla protein powder (optional, but it boosts protein and adds vanilla flavor)

2 cups oatmeal (whole oats are great)

¼ cup raisins (optional, or cranberries)

2 tsp. vanilla (the pure kind, not with corn syrup)

1 medium-large overripe banana mashed well

1/3- cup coconut oil (or regular canola oil is fine)

Preheat oven to 350

Line two cookie trays with parchment paper

In a large bowl, whisk banana, oil, sugar and vanilla together until oil is completely absorbed.

Sift dry ingredients (except the oatmeal and raisins)

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well.

Add the oatmeal and mix.  You will have to use your hands. 

Add the raisins and mix well into dough.

Use a scooper (mine is a small one) to scoop dough onto parchment paper.

Press down slightly to flatten cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden and bottoms are slightly brown.  You can keep them in longer if you want them crunchier, but they are best at 10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack

Place 1 TBSP of crème filling on the flat side of the cookie and cover with another cookie.

Cream Filling- A few options.

Plain Greek Yogurt

Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Soy Yogurt

Frozen yogurt