OATNOG! (AKA, OAT MILK EGGNOG) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

this post was created in partnership with Planet Oat. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own.

the holidays, but christmas in particular, is taking on a bit more of a magical vibe this year. with amesy at 3, he gets the idea of santa clause, the north pole, decorating, stockings, etc., etc. we got our tree the other day, and for the first year he was actually interested in decorating it. he carefully picked out which ornament he wanted to put on the tree, then jotted over, climbed up the ladder, and carefully (and without wanting any help), placed it on a branch of the tree, ending with a very proud: TA-DA! i did it! when he woke up the next morning to find the tree all lit up, he exclaimed: it’s beautiful! so all the things i swore i would never do as parent are coming back to bite in me the butt, because honestly, it’s just the sweetest thing. and if a few decorations, and festive lights make his face beam, then i’m all in 100 million percent!

i’m finding myself getting into the holiday spirit even more just because i know it makes ames so happy. i think it’s true what they say, that holiday cheer is kinda contagious. i’m finding myself doing things that i would'n’t typically do. like making eggnog! while i’ve never had any issue with eggs, and actually love them (when cooked). i don’t love the idea of downing raw egg yolks. as such, i wanted a version that quick, and thick and creamy just like a traditional eggnog. enter: oatnog! if you’ve ever tried oat milk you know that it’s creamier than many other plant-based milks. that’s why it’s my go-to here. especially Planet Oat’s extra creamy oat milk. it’s rich, creamy, and full-bodied. and it also has a delicious, yet neutral flavor which i find important since we really want that eggnog flavor to shine here. it’s a great milk alternative for any recipe, really.

i love making eggnog, mostly because it’s so diverse. while you can certainly drink it there are so many other ways of utilizing it! my personal favorite is heating a bit up and adding it to a tea or coffee latte for a holiday twist. you could add it to overnight oats, cook your oatmeal in it. it could also be used in the batter for french toast. the list goes on and on! i hope you get the chance to make this one!

big holiday hugs!

oatnog | gf (vegan option)

-this recipe can easily be doubled, especially if you’re serving a crowd, or if you want a big batch to last throughout the week.

-i also love using it in a tea or coffee latte. simply heat up a serving, froth with an electrical frother, and pour over your brewed tea/coffee.

-for a nut-free version, simply swap the cashews for 1 cup coconut cream, and you’ll be good to go!

print the recipe

| makes roughly 3 cups |

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours, rinsed

  • 2 cups Planet Oat Oatmilk (extra creamy)

  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • pinch of salt

to garnish (optional):

  • fresh nutmeg, grated on a microplane

  • cinnamon sticks

  • pomegranate seeds

  • chocolate shavings

method

  1. place all the ingredients in the cup of an upright (preferably high-speed) blender. whiz on high for 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. pour oatnog into a large lidded jar and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. place a large ice cube in each glass, pour in oatnog, garnish as desired. oatnog stays best in a lidded jar for up to 5 days.

  2. if serving warm, pour oatnog into a small pot over medium-low. stir, and heat until steaming. serve it in a big cozy mug, and garnish as desired.

VANILLA-GLAZED GINGERBREAD DOUGHNUTS (GLUTEN-FREE) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

holiday baking has commenced! it’s always a fine line of when to actually start. if i had it my way, i would be baking all month long. but for the sake of nutrition and my sanity, i’m keeping it simple (especially this year). while we’re not huge on sweets in our house, at least as a norm. we all love the occasional baked good, and amesy is an equal opportunity cookie-lover. but i wanted to switch it up a little and make these delicious and festive gingerbread-spiced doughnuts. the first time i made them, amesy was astonished that his “cake” was in a different shape than what he was used to. aside from saying the doughnuts were delicious, he said: “mommy, i’m eating a circle!”. so if nothing else, dessert can become a lesson in shapes as well ;)

in all seriousness though, i do endeavor to make baked goods as wholesome as i can. these doughnuts take a blend of whole grain gluten-free flours, providing some nutrients. a blend of coconut sugar and monkfruit sweetener, lowering the overall amount of sugar. and Thrive algae oil, a better-for-you, flavorless cooking oil that’s super versatile so i love using it when i’m baking and cooking. my favorite reason for using it in baked goods is that unlike coconut oil, it doesn’t interfere with the flavor of your treat. unlike most other flavorless oils though, algae oil is high in healthy monounsaturated fat, and lower in saturated fat, making it my ultimate go-to. plus, i love that it’s so widely available at grocery stores nationwide, and also online making it available to everyone.

wishing you a lovely holiday season! xo

this post was created in partnership with Thrive Algae OIl. all thoughts and opinion, as always, are my own. thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal running.

vanilla-glazed gingerbread doughnuts | gf & df

-these are best the day of. if you’re making them in advance, bake the doughnuts, store them at room temp covered with parchment. before serving, dip them in the glaze, then serve.

PRINT THE RECIPE

| makes 12 doughnuts |

dry

  • 3/4 cup brown rice flour

  • 1/2 cup (gluten-free) oat flour

  • 1/4 cup arrowroot flour

  • 1/3 cup monkfruit sweetener

  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • pinch allspice

  • pinch ground cloves

wet

  • 2 large pasture-raised eggs, at room temp

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, at room temp

  • 1/4 cup Thrive algae oil

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • 2 (plus more, if needed) tablespoons unsweetened almond milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • chopped pistachios, for garnish

method

  1. preheat oven to 350°F and oil a doughnut pan.

  2. in a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. in a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. add the dry ingredients to the wet using a whisk, a little at a time until everything is thoroughly combined.

  3. pour batter into a batter bowl, liquid measuring cup with a spout, or a large plastic ziplock bag with one edge snipped off. carefully fill each doughnut cavity 3/4 of the way with the batter. bake doughnuts until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a doughnut comes out clean, 12-15 minutes.

  4. while doughnuts are cooling, make the glaze. sift the powdered sugar into a large shallow bowl. whisk in 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla until you have a fluid glaze (add more almond milk if needed). once the doughnuts have cooled completely, remove them from the pan; then dip the tops into the glaze (for a thicker glaze, dip them again), and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

  5. serve immediately.

similar recipes:

double chocolate gingersnaps

double chocolate gingersnaps

cranberry, lemon & poppy seed breakfast slice

cranberry, lemon & poppy seed breakfast slice

gingerbread-spiced vegan french toast

gingerbread-spiced vegan french toast

AVOCADO-BLUEBERRY FLAX JARS & CINNAMON SWEET POTATO PUREE /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

joey’s nearly 4 months old, so i’ve already begun to think about introducing solids in another 2 months. it’s hard to believe he’ll be sprouting little teeth soon, and be chomping down on actual food as well. his preferred position is to sit up, and not in a reclined position - this guy likes to be at a 90-degree angle at all times, which can be quite the challenge (especially when i need to get things done and he’s just not having it in his little play-gym). but he’s really just the most happy little boy - always smiling, and talking, and noticing just about everyone and anyone who walks in the room. he adores his big brother, his face beams just looking at amesy. we think joey just wants to big like him and do all the cool things.

when it comes to baby food though, i really started super basic with amesy. taking things frank and i eat and just making them baby-friendly. take sweet potatoes for example. frank and i eat them throughout the week, so when it comes to food prep, i just roast a few extra to puree into baby food. and since i wanted to introduce some subtle spices, i flavored them with a bit of ground cinnamon. amesy loved them so much that we gradually moved to roasted sweet potatoes wedges with cinnamon as got older. side note: he still eats sweet potatoes almost every night ;)

for the blueberry-avocado flax jars i really wanted to incorporate some healthy fats and fiber with the blueberries. it’s almost like a little smoothie for your babe. using avocado instead of banana is my favorite way to keep it a low-glycemic food, while maintaining a super creamy and velvety texture. (plus, for a more toddler-friendly version, i add unsweetened almond milk yogurt to fill it out a bit more for breakfast or a snack.) .

but baby food is only as good as what contains it, really. with so many toxins and chemicals in modern day plastic containers, i am particularly careful what i use to store my baby food in. while i’ve always relied on le parfait glass canisters and jars for pantry goods and flours, i also use them to store my baby food, as they’re a brand i know and trust. not only that, but i can make a big batch of baby food ahead of time, preserve it, and use it later without wasting any food (if you’re curious on le parfait’s technique, you can find it here). even if you choose to preserve your baby food a different way, le parfait containers make it easy by making so many various shapes and sizes to fit your needs. they’re a wonderful resource, here’s a link to hop over to their site - you can check out a wealth of knowledge, as well as some wonderful recipes.

thank you Le Parfait for sponsoring this post! all thought and opinions, as always, are my own.

cinnamon sweet potato puree | gf & v

| makes roughly 2 cups |

  • 2 organic sweet potatoes

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

AVOCADO-BLUEBERRY FLAX JARS | gf & v

| makes roughly 2 cups |

  • 2 cups organic blueberries, washed and patted dry

  • 1 1/2 ripe organic avocados

  • 2 tablespoons ground flax

method

  1. preheat oven to 400°F.

  2. sterilize your jars and containers. fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil. submerge jars in the water for 45 minutes. use tongs to remove them. let them dry and cool. keep your pot on the stove with the water inside, we’re going to use it again later.

  3. while jars are drying, make the cinnamon sweet potato puree. poke the potatoes all over with a fork. place potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 45 minutes-1 hour. remove from oven and slice open, let cool completely.

  4. scrape potato flesh from the skin and place in the container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade. add the cinnamon and blend on high, scraping down the sides of the container until no lumps remain, and the mixture is smooth. fill your containers 3/4 of the way. wipe containers rim, and fasten lids tightly on top.

  5. place a rack or tea towel on the bottom of your pot; bring water back to a boil (212°F). lower jars into the water, making sure the tops are covered (if they’re not, simply pour more water in). boil for 45 minutes, then let cool. store preserved baby food in a cool dark place, preferably a closed pantry.

  6. make the blueberry-avocado flax jars. combine the blueberries, avocado, and flax in the container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade. process on high, scraping down the sides as needed until everything is combined and creamy. immediately fill your jars 3/4 of the way, and proceed to preserve the jars as outlined above.