I few months ago I started playing around with the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan. (I might have come up with this recipe for Apple Fig Oatmeal Bites anyway, the recipe would’ve read a bit differently.) I can’t call this a diet because after reading the book you clearly understand that this is a lifestyle, not a fad diet. Within the plan there are convenience concessions for people who need things quickly and/or don’t love to cook, the basic premise is whole, natural foods that are gluten-free and made from scratch. (Yup, my kind of food!) I have dabbled with it because of the idea that you can help to heal autoimmune issues and support thyroid health through diet, something that I am most certainly attracted to. At some point I will commit, it’s just that for now I’ve had enough of complicated cooking and eating.
You can find the book here if you’re curious. You’ll want the cookbook too because this way of cooking is definitely a twist on homemade meals.
I needed something to take to work for breakfast so I came up with these little bites. They’re quick and easy to make and they store in the refrigerator for at least a week. Warm them up slightly and it’s like they just came out of the oven. I’m pretty sure they qualify as an E meal (someone who does math better than me can confirm that), which means they are “energizing” with little to no fat but with slow-burning carbs.
I baked these little treats in my Wolf Gourmet countertop convection oven. If you’ve never tried this little powerhouse, let me just tell you it’s amazing. Not gonna lie, it’s not cheap but I got this as a Christmas gift last year and we use it every day. It bakes so evenly without having to do the even-browning turn half way through baking. In fact, this Chicago Metallic mini-muffin tin slips right in the rails of the oven. I already had this pan so that was convenient!
This is one of those recipe where you can mix it all together, willy nilly. Dump it all in the pan and mix away. Yeah, I love when those recipes happen too.
- 1 cup whole oats, whirred in a blender until they're a little chopped up
- ½ cup oat fiber
- ½ cup ground golden flax
- 5 Tbls. sugar replacement like Swerve or Lacanto (erythritol/monkfruit)
- ½ apple, diced
- 6 dried figs, finely diced
- ½ cup applesauce, unsweetened
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup egg whites
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp. cloves, ground
- Mix all ingredients together and use a cookie scoop to fill the muffin tins as much as you would like them. They will not expand during baking.
- Bake at 350˚ for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and solid.