The following is part of an Organic Living Journey Guest Post Series now written by Mariana who has a mother’s heart and scientist’s brain.

The holiday season is officially here! With a slew of parties, cookie swaps, open houses, and family get-togethers on the calendar, there is lots of cooking to be done. We’ve spent the past few weeks discussing natural sugar alternatives and looking at a few of their benefits and drawbacks. Today, we’re going to try a few dessert recipes using these sugar substitutes. These recipes are not intended to be “healthy” (there are some great ones out there, though!), but they do omit all refined sugar, giving these recipes a lower glycemic load than their refined-sugar counterparts. I’ve tested these all in my little kitchen, and I hope you enjoy them!

Double Oat Crispy Cookies

These oatmeal cookies are light and crispy with a granola-type flavor. By using 100% oat flour and oats, omitting all wheat flour, these cookies also happen to be gluten free! For a dairy-free substitution, coconut oil works wonderfully!

2 cups rolled oats (for oat flour)
2 cups rolled oats (for cookie dough)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter, softened or slightly melty
1 cup coconut sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup mix-ins (raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut…your choice)

Preheat oven to 350º F. In a blender or food processor, turn 2 cups of oats into oat flour by processing for about 3 minutes. Add in the baking powder, salt, and spices. Blend a little bit more. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar for 3-5 minutes on medium speed until creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla. Mix to combine. Slowly add in the flour blend until incorporated. Stir in the mix-ins and the oats. Scoop 1.5 tablespoon mounds onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Remove and let cool about 3 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack.

Pumpkin Spice Natilla (Pudding)

The DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte post was so well received, I thought you might enjoy another pumpkin spice treat. Natilla is a traditional Spanish custard, and it holds a special place in my heart. My great aunt Isabel used to make it for every holiday get together. It’s rich and creamy and usually just spiced with cinnamon. This simple recipe takes a basic vanilla custard and gives it a hint of the holidays with a pumpkin spice addition! Never made a homemade pudding? Get ready to fall in love! Homemade pudding is easy to make and tastes a bazillion times better than the boxed mix. Enjoy!

3.5 cups whole milk
one large strip of lemon or lime zest
1 cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut sugar or sucanat (evaporated cane juice)
8 egg yolks
¼ cup non-gmo cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix (recipe below)
4 oz. pumpkin puree

In a saucepan, combine milk, zest, and cinnamon stick. Heat to a simmer. Remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, beat yolks until light yellow (it takes a few minutes). Dissolve cornstarch in 2-4 tablespoons warm water and mix until smooth to form a slurry. Mix the slurry into the yolks until fully incorporated. Mix in pumpkin puree and spices. Slowly add about 1 ½ cups of the warm milk and blend. This step tempers the eggs so they don’t cook. Now transfer everything back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and zest. Transfer custard to a large dish and refrigerate. When serving, garnish with extra spices. Keeps about 3 days. Read More→