Hi everyone! I’m Brandi, from Bran Appetit (www.branappetit.wordpress.com), and I’m so happy to be doing a guest post for Zesty!

If you’re anything like me, you love sweets. Who doesn’t, right? We may not all like the same sweets, but sometimes, you just have to have a decadent treat.

I recently made one of my husband’s favorite sweet treats: 7 – Layer Bars (or Hello Dollies or Magic Cookie Bars or whatever you call them)

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup nuts of your choice (we usually use pecans or walnuts)

Method

1. Mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs and press into greased 9×13 pan.
2. Pour condensed milk over crust.
3. Sprinkle toppings all over and
4. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

While these are delicious, I don’t eat them very often because they’re not the healthiest things for me. Once in a while, definitely. You just can’t beat the buttery, gooey crust topped with all that chocolate, butterscotch, and coconut.

Lately, I’ve been trying to find and/or make up my own healthier recipes for baked goods. I love to have desserts, but I also want to still feel good about what I’m eating most of the time. Don’t get me wrong – I eat onion rings probably every couple of weeks!  I just know that I feel best when I’m eating healthy and balanced the majority of the time, with fun treats thrown in, too.

One of the best “healthier” recipes I made up a few months ago were my Cookie Bars (http://branappetit.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/brandis-cookie-bars/)!

That’s right – healthy cookie bars! I didn’t think it could be done, either, but these turned out great. These are the perfect balance – sweet and chocolaty, but still pretty good for you.

Ingredients

• 2 cups oats (I used 1.5 cups quick oats, .5 cup old fashioned)
• 3/4 cup wheat bran
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butterscotch chips

Method

1. Mix oats, wheat bran, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Add in applesauce and eggs.
3. Fold in chips.
4. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

I liked these right out of the pan, room temperature the next day…and my favorite way? Heated up in a bowl and topped with some ice cream

Yum.

Whether it’s a total indulgence or a healthy alternative, I say – indulge your sweet tooth.  It knows what it needs, and most of the time, our bodies do a good job of balancing themselves – it’s our heads that get in the way.

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you try these recipes!

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