Let's all let out a cumulative, "Yum!"

Oatmeal.  The word doesn't always conjure up great vibes.  If you had a mom (or dad) growing up that boiled the oatmeal and that was it, you may have sworn off oatmeal forever.  Until your cholesterol test came back high.  And the doctor said, "One way to help lower cholesterol is to eat oatmeal."  At which point, you gagged and threw up all over him.  

Or maybe not.  Maybe your mom made it (like mine did) with some cream or milk and a little brown sugar.  But even with the sweet creamy yumminess, it was sill just. . . . oatmeal.

I'm here to save your heart and your cholesterol and maybe even your doctor's outfit.  I was cruising Pinterest one day and found a woman's blog via a pin.  The pin offered the promise of not just oatmeal, but Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookie Dough Oatmeal.  And it was gluten free (for those that don't know, I've been put on some pretty heavy duty dietary restrictions by my doctor while we sort out some health stuff).  Gluten Free Cookie Dough (those were really the only words that registered with me at the time)?!  I'm in.  

So, I cruised on over to her site (http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com) where Katie claims to offer a healthy dessert blog.  Healthy dessert?  Who's ever heard of such a thing?  Not I.  And with that, I decided to try the CCCCDO (as I now refer to it) the next morning.  It's been four months and I eat this blissful yumminess two to three times a week. Time to share the bliss, I say.

Ok, let's get going.  Start off by turning your oven (I use my convection toaster oven) to 375 degrees to let it heat up.  Then get all of your ingredients together:

1/2 cup gluten free oats (they don't have to be GF, but if you're GF, know that not all oats are)

1/2 scoop of chia seeds (I added this to the recipe because chia seeds are the bomb and a superfood and they keep you from getting bound up.  No one likes to be bound up.  At least no one I know.).

1/4 cup apple sauce (I use the unsweetened, organic kind from Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup almond milk (you can use any kind of milk, but I can't have cow's milk dairy right now, so this works for me)

1 Tablespoon coconut butter (you can find this at Whole Foods too, or you can make your own.  Click here for a recipe/how to). 

Some chocolate chips (again, I buy a special kind at Whole Foods, but any kind will do)

A sprinkle of sea salt


Next, grease up an oven-safe bowl/baker (I found my cuties at an antique store by Lake Gaston, but you can use anything that's oven save and individual sized.  Custard dishes would work well.).  I use Coconut Oil spray from Trader Joe's because it can handle high temps.  You can use whatever pan spray you like.

In a mixing bowl, add your oats, chia seeds, the sea salt and the coconut butter.  The coconut butter will usually crumble if you moosh (yup, that's a word) it up a bit with the tablespoon you used to measure it.  Make sure that's all mixed well.  Next add the milk and the applesauce and mix everything together.  

Lastly, add in the chocolate chips (don't go overboard here - I never measure but I'm guessing 1/8 of a cup is good).

Pour the whole thing into your oven safe baker and stick it in your heated oven for 20 minutes.  Set a timer.  You don't want to screw that up.  Because once it's finished up it's 20, you're going to turn the oven to broil and crisp up the top for five minutes (no more - four might even do it, if your broiler runs super hot).  

And voila!  It's so easy even a kid can do it (are you listening bonus daughters?).  It's a (healthy) dessert for breakfast.  If you want to see prettier pictures or just read Chocolate Covered Katie's version, go here.

And as always, you're welcome.  :-)