In the last few months I have become obsessed with finding healthy muffin recipes so that I can always have wholesome snacks around. But muffins can't be the only kind of wholesome snack, right? On my lookout for other ideas, and I came across this recipe for "Super-Charge Me! Cookies" on a vegan blog. I am by no means vegan, but the intro for this recipe talked about how the author was looking for a replacement for traditional cookies loaded with sugar, hydrogenated fats, and refined flour, so she developed this recipe as a nutrient-packed alternative for her daughter. Sounded right up my alley, so I decided to give it a closer look.
This being a vegan recipe means that on top of no refined sugar or flour, there is also no egg or butter - pretty impressive for a cookie. Instead, it is more like a healthy take on monster cookies (hence my name for them!) with ingredients like oats, whole wheat flour, flax, and almond butter. You can also include dried fruit, but I decided to make these a little more indulgent and use chocolate chips. The result is a soft, chewy cookie that is mildly sweet but really satisfying. I probably wouldn't bring these to a dinner party if I were in charge of dessert, but I would certainly bring them as a tasty snack to a playgroup, and they are something I am happy to have around my home. They are also a great option if you like baking with your kids but want a healthier option than traditional cookies :)
Wholesome Monster Cookies
adapted from Dreena's Vegan Recipes
1 cup oats (original recipe calls for quick, but I used rolled and they were great)
1/2 cup (rounded) whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup flax meal (a.k.a. ground flax, but not the same as flax seed)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp almond butter (or any other nut butter you prefer)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup chocolate chips (or dried fruit, or a combination of both...if you are using fruit feel free to also add up to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with the dry ingredients)
Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
In a bowl, whisk together oats, flour, salt, coconut, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together flax meal, maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla, and oil. Add wet ingredients and chocolate chips (and/or dried fruit) to dry ingredients, and stir until just well combined (do not overmix).
Drop spoonfulls of batter onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly. Bake for 13 minutes (no longer, or they will dry out). Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute (no longer), then transfer to a cooling rack.
Makes 9 very large cookies using my 3 tablespoon scoop
Could I use anything in place of the flax meal? That's the only ingredient I don't have and don't usually buy. What about chia seeds? But I don't know how to grind them. I can't imagine that a small food processor would work, and that's the closest thing I have to a "grinder".
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous! I haven't tried to sub out the flax seeds, but I think they might work with wheat germ or ground nuts or seeds instead (you could use your food processor to grind nuts and seeds, just be sure to stop processing before you have butter!). Not sure about chia seeds, though - I haven't experimented with them yet, but from what I've read they have a gelatinous quality that might really change the cookie. Let me know if you experiment and how they come out!
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