I woke up this morning and on a whim decided that I want to make an appetizer for Thanksgiving tomorrow. We are headed to my mom and dad’s house, so she is doing the vast majority of the cooking. I am making a pumpkin coffee cake for dessert (not healthy at all, but SO good and always a big hit), but I was in the mood to make something savory, too. I was trying to think and new and festive appetizer ideas and I thought of an amazing cheesy butternut squash pasta sauce I made a few years back. Using those same basic flavors, I concocted a filling for stuffed mushrooms and let me just say- I am THRILLED with how they turned out. 

The whole recipe makes about 24-30 Cheesy Butternut Squash Stuffed Mushrooms, depending on the size mushroom you are using. They take a little while to cook from start to finish, but you could absolutely make the filling ahead of time or the night before to save time. I ended up stuffing just twelve mushrooms today for the trial run and photos, and put the rest of the filling in the fridge to use tomorrow when stuffing the rest of the mushrooms for Thanksgiving. I also bought butternut squash already peeled and cubed in small pieces, so all I did to roast them was toss them onto a baking sheet. I would definitely recommend buying the squash this way because butternut squash is definitely not easy to cut up and would take you much longer.

These Cheesy Butternut Squash Stuffed Mushrooms are full of flavor from the fresh sage, sweet butternut squash, and savory parmesan cheese. Once you eat one, you will definitely be going back for a second and third! If you make these Cheesy Butternut Squash Stuffed Mushrooms, let me know by leaving a comment below! As always, follow me on Instagram for more recipe inspiration!

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 12-15 people as an appetizer

Ingredients:
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch cubes (I use pre-cut)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
24-30 white stuffing mushrooms
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot
2 gloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
extra sage, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place butternut squash cubes on foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until soft), flipping squash half way through.
Meanwhile, wash or wipe clean all of the mushrooms. Remove and discard stems. Set aside.
Finely chop the shallot and mince the garlic. Saute in a small pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil until softened and fragrant. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
During the last ten minutes the squash is roasting, place the mushroom caps on a baking sheet and bake along with the squash (this will let the mushrooms release a lot of their water).
Remove everything from the oven and turn the temperate down to 400 degrees F.
To the large mixing bowl with the shallot/garlic, add the butternut squash and sage. Lightly mash the squash with a spoon until creamy. Add the Parmesan and Panko breadcrumbs.
Drain the water off of the mushroom caps, then stuff with heaping spoonfuls of the filling.
Transfer the filled mushroom caps back to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

I’m shocked that it has been well over a month since I last posted a recipe. Life has been very busy! If you follow me on Instagram (@busygirlhealthyworld)—you already know that my husband and I are expecting! I am about 15 weeks pregnant right now and I’m due in the middle of April. We are very excited and can’t wait to welcome our new addition. I’m also still working towards a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language and working full time as a Speech-Language Pathologist, so life has been rather hectic. That being said, I’m trying to be better at posting recipes at least a few times a month—so hopefully I’ll be able to stick to that.

On to today’s recipe! There are two flavors that dominate Fall in my book- pumpkin and apple. I’ve been using these two ingredients a lot lately, so you can expect some recipes that use each of them. Today I’m sharing a recipe for Dairy-Free Pumpkin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies.

These Pumpkin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies use ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. And if by some chance you don’t, I offered a few substitute ingredients that I’M SURE you have. These cookies have a delicious warm and nutty flavor and soft texture. The texture of the cookie almost reminds me of a muffin because they are light and fluffy. They are not dry or crunchy by any means. They are quick to throw together and make a great little snack when you are craving something sweet. I made these over the weekend and brought them to dinner at my parents’ house and everyone loved them. They are a “healthier” cookie that doesn’t taste “too” healthy if you know what I mean!

If you try these Pumpkin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies, let me know what you think my leaving a comment! Follow me on Instagram for more healthy recipe inspiration.

Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 9 (2 cookies per serving)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegan butter, softened (or regular butter, if not dairy-free)
¾ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
½ cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the softened vegan butter, coconut sugar, and pumpkin puree. Mix in the vanilla and egg.
Add the pumpkin pie spice, whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
Drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. The recipe makes 16-18 cookies.
Bake in preheated oven 12-14 minutes until cookies look done and the bottom is beginning to brown.
Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days*.

Nutrition Information per serving (two cookies):
Calories: 213      Fat: 10g       Carbs: 29g         Protein: 4g     Sodium: 2296mg            Sugar: 17g

*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.

This weekend, I set out to create a muffin recipe that was good on its own, but also could be “dressed up” with a variety of toppings or mix-ins. Enter: Banana Oat Muffins. These muffins aren’t particularly fancy or inventive, but they are really delicious and the flavor pairs well with so many different things. They are dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free. If you’re not worried about them being gluten-free, you can sub the gluten-free flour for all-purpose or whole wheat. As always, if you ARE gluten-free, check to make sure you are using certified gluten-free oats (regular oats are naturally gluten-free, but there is always a risk of contamination unless they are listed as certified gluten-free)

These Banana Oat Muffins are made with simple ingredients like bananas, coconut oil, coconut sugar, oats, and cinnamon. I did not add in any mix-ins for this basic recipe, but these muffins would be great with chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips swirled into the batter. Once baked, the muffins also pair well with a variety of spreads: any nut butter (e.g. peanut, almond, cashew, or hazelnut), chocolate spread, coconut butter, or jam. I love switching up my toppings so that it feels like I’m eating something new and different each day. This is important to me because I crave variety when it comes to food. I’m all about meal prepping, but I am always careful to prep things that are customizable or I prep in smaller quantities so that half way through the week I can switch up my meals/snacks as needed. These muffins are great because you can change them up as you desire. Next time I make them, I am thinking I might sprinkle walnuts on 1/3 of the unbaked muffins, chocolate chips on 1/3, and leave the other 1/3 plain to eat with peanut butter. This gives me three “different” muffins using the same basic batter.

Added bonus: my Banana Oat Muffins are made in one bowl, so the clean-up is minimal. They also freeze well, so you may want to make a double batch and throw half of the baked muffins in the freezer to thaw for later. I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I do!

Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 12

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup oats

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line your muffin pan with paper liners. Mash the bananas in a large bowl and add the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Wisk in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Fold in the oats, reserving about 1 tablespoon for the tops of the muffins.
Scoop the batter into the muffin pan, filling each liner 3/4 of the way to the top. Sprinkle the reserved oats over the muffins.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Allow to cool, then store in an air-tight container for up to four days.

Nutrition Information per serving (1 muffin):
Calories: 153  Fat: 6g       Carbs: 25g         Protein: 2g     Sodium: 249mg            Sugar: 11g

*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I am coming down with a cold, but I’m still doing my best to stick to the Tone it Up Look for Love challenge schedule. I’m making some adjustments so that I give my body a little bit of rest–like skipping the heavy cardio and incorporating lots of walking and toning workouts instead. As far as the meal plan goes, I’m sticking to it. You guys already know that I like to make little sweet treats in order to set myself up for success, and I wanted to share a new one with you that I made over the weekend.

These White Chocolate Cashew Cookie Energy Bites (that’s a long name!) are perfect when you’re craving something a little sweet. They are made with just five ingredients and come together in less than five minutes in a food processor. I used Perfect Fit protein powder in these bites, but feel free to use whatever vanilla protein powder you have on hand.

These bites taste just like cookie dough, but are packed with healthy ingredients like oats, raw cashews, and plant-based protein powder. Pure maple syrup helps them stick together and adds sweetness while the white chocolate chips add more depth to the flavor. They contain a decent amount of protein and healthy fats that will help keep you fuller, longer.

White Chocolate Cashew Cookie Energy Bites are naturally gluten free. They can be made vegan by omitting the white chocolate chips, using a vegan white chocolate alternative, or subbing the white chocolate for dark chocolate (which is also delicious).

Active Time: 5 minutes          Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 12

Ingredients:
1 cup raw unsalted cashews
½ cup oats (use gluten free, if desired)
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup Perfect Fit protein (or your favorite vanilla protein powder)
¼ cup white chocolate chips
optional: unsweetened flaked coconut

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except the white chocolate chips in a food processor. Process until the mixture looks crumbly, but sticks together easily when squeezed (this could take a little while, be patient!).

Add in the white chocolate chips and pulse 3 or 4 times until the chips are distributed throughout the mixture.
Roll heaping tablespoons into 12 balls. Roll in unsweetened flaked coconut, if desired (you will have to press the flakes in with your fingers to get them to stick). Store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 132  Fat: 7g       Carbs: 14g           Protein: 4g     Sodium: 6mg  Sugar: 8g

*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.

If you’re scrambling to think of a last minute appetizer for your holiday party- look no further! These Cranberry Brie Bites are SO simple and quick, and they use just a handful of ingredients. I made a ton of my Cranberry-Orange Sauce for Thanksgiving and ended up with some left over, which inspired me to make this appetizer. It’s made very simply with toasted slices of French baguette, a little bit of Brie, a scoop of cranberry sauce, and a sprinkle of chopped fresh rosemary.

You make the fresh cranberry sauce ahead of time and allow it to cool and thicken in the refrigerator, then to assemble the Bites takes only five minutes. The red cranberry sauce and green rosemary look festive and taste delicious. These bites are a dream. The texture is both crunchy and creamy, and the flavor is both sweet and savory. I included a link for my cranberry sauce in the ingredients, but if you have a family favorite recipe you can really use any fresh cranberry sauce as long as it’s relatively thick and not runny.

The recipe includes all the ingredients, but it’s so easy and customizable that I didn’t list any amounts. It’s completely up to you how many you want to make. For reference, I used ½ of a container of triple crème brie and it made between 20 and 25 Cranberry Brie Bites.

On an unrelated note, on Tuesday evening Kevin and I went to the Kimmel Center to see the Philadelphia Orchestra. They show the movie Home Alone and the orchestra plays all of the music. It was absolutely AMAZING and I would go back to see it next year without question. If anyone lives in the Philadelphia area, this is an absolute must-do, family-friendly holiday activity and I very highly recommend it!

Active Time: 5 minutes          Total Time: 5 minutes*
Servings: N/A

Ingredients:
1 recipe fresh Cranberry Sauce
French Baguette
Triple Crème Brie cheese
Fresh rosemary

Directions:
Start by making the cranberry sauce and letting it chill in the refrigerator (I usually do this the night before).
Cut the baguette into thin slices and lightly toast the bread rounds. Spread a little brie on each piece and top with a tablespoon of fresh cranberry sauce. Sprinkle with a pinch of rosemary.

Make as many as you need and serve immediately!

*Time does not include prep time for the cranberry sauce. If you’re making it all at one time, you should give yourself about 45 minutes from start to finish.