Approximately five years ago, when I founded Go Dairy Free, the blogging world had yet to take off. But I quickly discovered one comrad out in the field, Sarah of No Whey, Mama. It was hard not to fall in love with her mom-friendly (aka, quick and easy) and kid-friendly (aka, really yummy) recipes, but beyond the food, she quickly evolved into a very good, dairy-free friend. Sarah has since served as a recipe tester and editor for the book, Go Dairy Free, and is a regular reviewer and editor for this website. But I just realized the other day, I haven't featured any of her wonderful recipes in quite some time.

Well past due for a No Whey, Mama feature, I thought two of her fantastic, oat-based, dessert recipes would surely be well received. Not to mention, warm apple crisp and hearty oatmeal cookies seem quite seasonal, don't you think? Enjoy ...

Both of the following recipes are dairy-free (milk-, lactose-, casein-free), nut-free, optionally soy-free, and optionally gluten-free. The crisp is also vegan and egg-free. Though we haven't tested it, an egg replacer (store bought or flaxseeds) may work in the oatmeal cookies. 

Overnight Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe from No Whey, Mama

Order up some gluten-free oats to make this cookie wheat and gluten-free.

The night before you bake, mix together and refrigerate:

• 4 cups quick oats
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup canola oil

The next morning, mix in:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes and remove promptly from the oven. Let cool just 1-2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack.

If you want to be extra fancy, melt some dairy-free chocolate chips and dip the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate. Let harden on wax paper.

Sarah's Crisp Topping

Recipe from No Whey, Mama

The picture shows a berry-based crisp, but Sarah assured me that this crisp topping goes wonderfully with sweetened, seasonal apples. In a pinch, you could use pie filling for the base, but freshly sliced apples sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, and topped with this crisp will certainly earn you a great deal of gratitude.

1/3 cup dairy-free, salted margarine [Earth Balance works beautifully]
1/2 cup flour [all-purpose, whole wheat pastry, or your favorite gluten-free flour blend]
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar

Cut ingredients together with a pastry cutter. Sprinkle on top of sweetened fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes.

Want to know how dads enjoy their oats? See the Banana-Oat Bars recipe my dad loves on One Frugal Foodie.