Why is it that all my desserts involve chocolate of some sort?? But I guess there’s no need to apologise for that…
These trail mix cookies came into being from my strivings to make a “not-unhealthy” cookie that my kids wouldn’t realise was not unhealthy! Ha! It was somewhat of a challenge, and took several tries. My final attempt (this recipe) was one I thought would be a complete failure, because the dough was so oily after I mixed all the ingredients.
But no! It baked up beautifully! These little babies are crispy on the outside and soft inside. My own analysis told me I had a winner. But I knew the real test would be when the kids came home from school and tried one. Would the cookies pass, or would I be accused of “putting weird stuff inside”??
I waited… They arrived… They ate…
Success!!! Not one sound except “mmm!” escaped the kids’ lips as they plowed through as many cookies as possible with dinner looming. Chocolatey, peanut buttery, crispy, chewy… these are everything a cookie should be. And “not unhealthy”?? Amazing!
It’s truly hard to believe these cookies are vegan, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, and with a nut-free option. Spoiler: I used “flax eggs” (flax meal + water) instead of eggs, coconut oil instead of butter, coconut sugar instead of refined white sugar, and oat & coconut flour instead of wheat flour (use certified GF oat flour if you need to be sure it is gluten-free). For the nut-free option, you can use sunflower seed butter (or tahini) to replace the peanut butter, and obviously, omit the chopped nuts. So while they are clearly not low in calories or fat, these little treats won’t send your blood sugar through the roof, and they have a decent amount of fiber as well.
I wouldn’t eat them for breakfast or anything… but I suppose with a glass of fresh almond milk, it wouldn’t be the worst thing you could do! Enjoy!
Notes
1. For nut-free option: substitute sunflower butter or tahini for the peanut butter, and omit the chopped nuts.
2. Try to use runny rather than stiff peanut butter for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 T. coconut oil
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 t. vanilla
- 2 flax eggs (2 T. flaxmeal + 5 T. water, let stand 5 min)
- 2 T. chia seeds
- 2 T. cocoa powder
- 1 cup quick oats
- 2-4 T. coconut flour
- ¼ cup oat flour
- ½ t. baking soda
- ¼ t. salt
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup peanuts, pecans, or a mixture of the two
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180 C.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together coconut oil, peanut butter, coconut sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add flax eggs, chia seeds, and cocoa powder and stir well.
- Stir in quick oats, oat flour, baking soda, & salt. At this point your dough will be quite wet and oily, that’s normal. Add coconut flour one tablespoon at a time until dough has dried out enough to stick together when you press it. (Depending on how runny your peanut butter is, you may not need all 4 tablespoons of coconut flour.) The dough will still be oily even when it presses together, that’s normal.
- Add dried cranberries, peanuts, & chocolate chips, mixing well to combine.
- Roll into small balls, place on a baking tray and flatten into a cookie shape. Cookies will not rise or spread much.
- Bake about 10 minutes or until lightly browned & set. Remove from baking sheet to cool thoroughly. Makes about 20 cookies.
Nutrition Facts
Trail Mix Cookies
Serves: about 20 cookies
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 cookie
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 135 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 7 grams | 10.8% | |
| Saturated Fat | 0 | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium | 0 | |
| Total Carbohydrate 15 grams | 5% | |
| Dietary Fiber 2 grams | 8% | |
| Sugars | ||
| Protein 3 grams | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Expat Dietitian