We are living in challenging times, and we all deserve a treat.

When people ask what my last meal would be, that’s hard, there are so many things. (Nobody has asked me recently, and that’s probably good.)

But for my favorite sweet treat, that’s easy! Always chocolate.

People also often ask me for a “kid friendly” recipe, and as the mother of two teens, I find that surprisingly hard, because to me all food is kid food.  (My firstborn’s first bite of grown-up food, which she illicitly grabbed herself at the age of 3 months, was penne al forno with a good sprinkling of crushed red chili flakes, and the younger one’s favorite food on our trip to Paris when she was 6 was garlicky escargot, so you can understand my difficulty with this concept.)

But I think I’ve come up with one that fits the bill.  It happens to be healthy, as well, and very, very easy and quick. I created this recipe for an upcoming talk I’m giving on Food and Mood (virtually, sigh), but you get to see it here first.  Watch the video to learn why the ingredients are good for your mood (and brain health), but if you want to skip to the recipe only, it starts at around 2:45.

Good Mood Dark Chocolate Almond-Oat Bites

Makes: 8-10 bites

Ingredients

2 T  natural peanut butter (made from only peanuts)

2  T oat milk or other plant-based milk

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (check for vegan labeling if important to you)

½ cup rolled oats (check for gluten-free labeling if important to you)

¼ cup slivered almonds

Technique

1. Heat peanut butter, milk, and chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat 1-3 minutes or until chips melt, stirring until smooth.
2. Stir in oats and almonds. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 seconds, or cool enough to handle.
3. Use a spoon and the palm of your hand (slightly moistening your palm helps prevent sticking) to form 8-10 balls. Place on a plate and let set in the refrigerator to cool for 5- 10 minutes. Keep extras wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to a week.  (But they will likely disappear well before then! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Inspired?

Cookbook coming March 2021! Spicebox Kitchen, Da Capo Press.

For information about my healthy cooking classes, please visit (and Like!) my Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/TheDoctorsSpicebox.  For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area, we hope to be back in action in the Thrive Kitchen in June.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram @spiceboxtravels.

And this is the third video of my new YouTube Channel.  Please subscribe to encourage me to make more!

Stay well!