After a long day of school and homework, I am always in need of a tasty treat. But it can be challenging to find desserts that are fast, easy to make and not going to give you an insane sugar rush at the end of the day. After some research, I found a website called the minimalist baker: http://minimalistbaker.com/recipes/, which contains a plethora of healthy, tasty treats. Here are some of my favorites:

Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan)

•   1 cup dates, packed and pitted (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, then drained)
•   1 medium ripe banana, about ½ cup when smashed
•   2 Tbsp salted creamy peanut butter
•   1 cup almond meal
•   1 cup rolled oats
•   1/4 cup peanut butter chips
•   1/4 cup dairy free semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Add dates to a food processor until small bits remain.
2. Then add banana and peanut butter and mix until completely combined.
3. Then add the almond meal and rolled oats until a dough is formed (it will be sticky).
4. Add the chocolate and peanut butter chips
5. Let dough sit for 10 minutes and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Take 1 Tbsp scoops of dough and put them on a parchment-lined pan.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes

Chocolate Hazelnut No-Bake Cookies (vegan and gluten free)

•   1 cup hazelnut meal
•   1 cup medjool or deglet nour dates
•   1 Tbsp cocoa powder (or sub cacao powder)
•   1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Add dates to a food processor until small bits remain.
2. Add chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and hazelnut meal and mix well.
3. Add more dates while mixing
4. Form 1-inch discs for eating, or store in the refrigerator