No-Bake Chewy Gooey Pecan Bars

I had come across recipes for no-bake peanut butter cookies and ended up making a batch for my family... the regular type with sugar.  I got to thinking that I could probably make something similar for myself without all of that sugar.  With all the nuts and the oats that are in the recipe, I don't think I can call them low-carb.  But I could certainly call them much-reduced carb!  In the end, they are nothing like the no-bake cookies that I was used to.  But they are definitely yummy.  If you are looking for sweet and sticky, these fit the bill.  I imagine that they would be extra delicious if rolled into balls and then dipped into some dark chocolate...  I cut mine into 24 bite-sized cubes (well, technically I get several bites out of each).


No-Bake Pecan Bars
(adapted from a plethora of no-bake cookie recipes)
1c oats
1/4c chia seeds
1/4c coconut flour
1/2c xylitol
1/4c stevia
6 packets Nectresse
1/2c pecan butter
1/4c half & half
2Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4c pecan pieces
1/4c unsweetened coconut flakes

Place butter, sweeteners and h&h in a pot and heat to boiling, stirring regularly.  Let boil for about one minute so sweeteners dissolve completely, continuing to stir.  Remove from heat.  Stir in pecan butter and vanilla and stir until pecan butter's melted.  Stir in oats, chia seeds and coconut flour.  Last, add pecan pieces and coconut flakes.  Pour and pat into a buttered bread baking pan.  Let cool, then cut.  Store in refrigerator. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies - low carb

Sunday, Sept.2
B> 1/2 coconut biscuit w/butter & sf jam, 1 egg on tomato w/mozzarella, coffee w/homemade coconut milk creamer  2/1
L>  1 bowl cabbage soup  4/2
S> Alexia's potato/Mediterranean style veggies, chicken thigh, few shrimp, 1 sf choc.  2/2
Snacks> sf hot chocolate  2/1
s/c=10/6

Monday, Sept.3
B> 1/2 coconut biscuit w/butter & jam, 2 eggs w/cheese, coffee w/creamer   2/1
L> KFC chicken & potatoes w/gravy, Dt. Dew  1/2
S> steak, cottage cheese, brocco salad, sweet potatoes
Snacks> angel cake w/raspberries sw. w/xylitol, whip cream 
s/c=?

Mom and Dad's anniversary today, 47th.  Hence the steak dinner and dessert.  I tried finding nutritional info for the angel cake online and got wildly conflicting numbers.  But I could taste that it was crazy sweet.  I'm sure I was over today.  Also, supper was eaten at brother's house and I know that brocco salad has sugar in the dressing.  While I didn't eat a lot of it, I could tell it was more sugar than I should have been having.

Tues., Sept.4
B> Spam, 2 fried eggs w/cheese, coffee w/creamer  2/1
L> wild rice soup, chicken fillet, cottage cheese, few bites watermelon  6/2
S> 1 bowl cabbage soup, sliced colby cheese  4/2
Snacks> sf root beer float, 2 (?) tsp pb  2/1
s/c=14/6

Wed., Sept.5
B> scrambled eggs w/Spam, coffee w/creamer  2/1
L> wild rice soup, cottage cheese, two orange segments, bell pepper strip  6/2
S> steak, red pepper, 1/4c mashed potatoes w/parmesan & garlic  2/2
s/c=10/5

Thurs., Sept.6
B> scrambled eggs w/Spam, sf hot chocolate  2/1
L> taco salad w/chicken, cottage cheese, 1 apple slice  3/2
S> Subway pulled pork on flatbread, Pringles  3/3
Snacks> tiny apple with pb  5/1
s/c=13/7

I am waiting to hear back from Subway about the nutritional info for the pulled pork.  I guessed it to be the same as the tuna for now.

Fri., Sept.7
B> 1 Ezekial toast with pb, coffee w/creamer  4/2
L> sloppy joe meat w/cheese, cottage cheese, few pineapple tidbits  6/2
S> oven roasted garden baby potatoes, red pepper chunks, broiled lake trout  3/2
Snacks> 4 little homemade low-sugar chocolate chip cookies
s/c= ? (13/6 without cookies)

I altered a recipe for the cookies, recipe below.  Not sure what the carb count would be really.  I obviously went over as I was already at the limit prior to eating the cookies.  But I've been craving a homemade goody for a couple of weeks.

Sat., Sept.8
B> scrambled eggs & spam, coffee w/creamer  2/1
L> tiny apple, cheese, pepperoni  5/1
S> 2 Ezekial toasts w/pb, ice water w/splash of SoBe 6/3
Snacks> 2 little homemade chocolate chip cookies, 1 Ezekial toast w/pb  3/1
s/c=16/6 without counting the little cookies

Worked for the evening and didn't get done until after 10pm.  I was feeling pretty darn hungry after seven hours of not eating, hence the two pieces of toast.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from Honeyville)

2 & 1/2c blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2c xylitol
1/2c stevia (I used just under 1/2c.)
1/4c butter, melted
1/4c coconut oil
10 drops liquid vanilla stevia
1 egg
3 Tbsp sugar-free chocolate chips
3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients into dry.
4. Form 1/2 inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes.
6. Cool and serve.

Follow the link for the original, as I changed this quite a bit.  I got approximately 26 little cookies out of this recipe.  They are a somewhat soft cookie, so if you want a crispy treat, this is not it.  Tastes great!  Of course, you can use all sugar-free chocolate chips to reduce the carbs even further.  I just had both on hand.

Days 96-100 and The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever! (Not low-carb.)

Cardamom Sugar Stars
(adapted from ? magazine issue dec'07/jan'08) 
3-3/4c flour
1tsp baking powder
2c sugar
1c butter, room temp
1tsp ground cardamom
2 eggs
1Tbsp homemade vanilla extract


Whisk flour and baking powder together in a bowl, set aside.  Beat butter, sugar and cardamom in large bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  At low speed, beat in flour mixture just until blended.  Place dough on counter, knead just until smooth.  Divide dough into 4 pieces, shape each into flat round.  Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, preferably overnight.

Take only one piece of dough out of the refrigerator and let stand until able to roll, though still firm.  Either roll between two pieces of parchment paper, or dust with a small amount of flour, until about 1/8" thickness.  Cover and place back in fridge as the dough will have become too soft to do cut-outs yet.  Do the same for the remaining three pieces.  After dough has chilled again, cut out desired shapes.  Place on ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 8-10mns at 350.  Using a 3" cutter, you are supposed to get 6 dozen.  (We don't ever get as many cookies as recipes suggest...)


While we iced ours, it is suggested that you mix 1/4c sparkling sugar and 1/4tsp cardamom to sprinkle on cut cookies prior to baking.  


Saturday, Dec.17
Breakfast> 2 fried eggs
Lunch> Subway 6" tuna on flatbread (3/2)
Snacks> several deli chicken strips (1/2)
Supper> 1/4c rice, gravy, chicken legs, 2Tbsp corn, diet orange soda (2/2)
Total s/c = 6/6


Friday, Dec.16
Breakfast> coffee
Lunch> turkey soup (1/1)
Snacks> coffee, cookie dough likely equal to 1 cookie 
Supper> 1/4-1/2c mashed potatoes, meatloaf, 1/4c carrots/cauliflower/broccoli (3/2)
Total s/c = 4/3
Count doesn't include the cookie dough, of course.  Not sure where that would've put me.  Above and beyond, even though I had sugar/carbs to spare otherwise.


Thursday, Dec.15
Breakfast> eggs w/mozzarella, 1/4c raspberries, coffee (3/1) 
Lunch> chicken fillet, cottage cheese, few bites salad (1/1)
Snacks> 1 Ezekial toast w/pb&j, few pecans, few raspberries (5/2) 
Supper> 1/2c hamburger & rice dish w/few peas mixed in (2/2)
Total s/c=11/6



Wednesday, Dec.14

We ate at someone else's house tonight.  So today, rather than tomorrow, ended up being my cheat day.  I made a coffee cake for dessert.  I think the highlights of my day though were the bowl of pineapple tidbits at work and the tall glass of milk I had this morning.

Tuesday, Dec.13
Breakfast> 1 fried egg w/ham bits & cheese, coffee, blackberries (4/1)
Lunch> 1/4c rice, 3oz shredded pork, cheese, cottage cheese (0/1)
Snacks> blackberries, coffee, 1 Ezekial toast w/butter & jam (4/2)
Supper> <1/2serving leftover chicken alfredo, 1 slice margarita pizza, 1/4c carrots, 2 roma tomato slices, mozzarella (3/2)
Total s/c = 11/6

Awesome Cookie!

I came across this recipe in a Taste of Home cookbook that my son brought home from school. How cute is it that he thought I'd like to make cookies for Christmas using it? I didn't follow the recipe to a "T" and will put any of those changes at the end of the recipe.

Toffee Almond Sandies
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
4 & 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
2 c. sliced almonds
1 pkg. (7.5-10 oz) toffee bits

Cream butter, oil and sugars. Then beat in eggs and almond extract. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in almonds and toffee bits. Drop by spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mns.

*Changes I made - I don't add salt to cookie recipes, so it was omitted. I also only used about a quarter tsp. of cream of tartar as I ran out. So I then made up the difference with baking powder and baking soda mixed, roughly 50/50. I had two packages of sliced almonds that were less than what the recipe called for, which was 1 & 1/3 cups. It was plenty. For the toffee bits I used a bag of Heath bits (don't know the size) that was sold in the chocolate chips section at the grocery store. Regardless of those changes, these turned out awesome! Shared with co-workers and will be bringing the recipe as they all requested. Yummo!

What to do with that little smidgen of sweet potatoes?

Just three ingredients! One box sugar cookie mix, enough mashed cooked sweet potatoes to equal amount of oil called for in recipe, one egg (as called for on box). Follow baking directions on box. I added a half teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to my sweet potatoes for extra flavor.


These turned out light, soft and cake-like. Yummo! My son, who doesn't like sweet potatoes, asked for a second one even.

Easy Cookie!

I made some easy drop no-bake cookies. You'll just need 3-4 ingredients! Optional butter not shown.



Not Too Sweet PB Stacks
4 c chow mein noodles
2c peanut butter flavored baking chips
1c natural chunky peanut butter
2tsp butter (may be optional)

Place peanut butter chips and peanut butter in double boiler and melt over medium-high heat. (I added about 2tsp butter as I used natural peanut butter that was a bit dry.) Place chow mein noodles in large bowl. Once peanut butter mixture has melted, add and stir gently with chow mein noodles until well mixed. Drop by desired spoon size, I used a tablespoon. I ended up with 24 large cookies. Place in fridge to cool and firm up. Then transfer to an air-tight container and store in fridge.