Pumpkin Oat Cakes

All Recipes, Dessert & Snack Recipes

And so it begins…the dreaded weeks from Halloween to New Year’s, when diets go out the window, replaced with excuses and fun-size packs of M&Ms. While most people estimate their holiday weight gain at around 3-5 pounds, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) says the average is actually one pound. But before you get too excited, they report that the typical Thanksgiving dinner contains about 3,000 calories and 229 grams of fat, not including appetizers, snacks, and leftovers munched on throughout the day, and all the leftovers. According to ACE, it would take a 160 pound person 30 miles of walking to burn off that one meal! While a one pound gain might not seem like much, it has an accumulative effect; typical holiday over-loaded meals contribute to a lifetime of obesity.

So you might wonder, then, why “cakes” would be a R.I.P.P.E.D. blog this week. Well, it’s because they’re quite healthy, made with gluten-free oats and the antioxidant powerhouse PUMPKIN, which contains vitamin A, a powerful natural anti-oxidant required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucus membranes. It is also an essential vitamin for good visual sight. Research suggests that natural foods rich in vitamin A help a body protects against lung and oral cavity cancers. So, the next time you’re faced with a belt-busting pecan pie, give this sweet little oat cake a try instead. Keep in mind that it contains carbs and fat, but no protein, so save for your cheat meal, or if you’d like it as a snack, pair it with some lean protein.

Pumpkin Oat Cake with Chocolate Pumpkin Frosting

(recipe slightly adapted from chocolatecoveredkatie.com)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats (look for G-free oats if you’re going gluten-free)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp agave
2 tsp Stevia
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon pumpkin butter (Trader Joe’s makes a great one)
1/4 cup milk (I like Almond Breeze Coconut Almond Milk)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter* (or peanut butter)
1 tbsp chocolate chips

(If you’re making this recipe G-free, you mustn’t use cookie butter. Stick with all-natural peanut, almond, or cashew butter)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 380 degrees. Combine raw oats, spices, pumpkin, and milk. Pour into or two 1/2-cup ramekins. Cook for 20 minutes. Set to broil for 3 more minutes to crisp up the top. Once cooled, top with frosting, if desired.

Frosting: