Everything-but-the-flour Cookies

I am always on the lookout for meal cookies. You know, the ones that don't have added sugar and have lots of healthy ingredients so they can be eaten for breakfast on those mornings when your alarm clock goes on strike and you wake up 3 minutes before the school bus shows up. Or they can tide your kids over when they are starving and dinner isn't quite ready yet. Or they can keep you going on those days when you're so busy you forget to eat. 

So I was super excited when I came across this recipe over at My Whole Food Life. A few tweaks later and we were in cookie heaven. The base of the cookie itself is soft and chewy, with bits of sweetness from the raisins and chocolate chips. Healthy and satisfying, these cookies are a win-win! 


P.S. Don't let the long (and strange) ingredient list scare you away - you will be shocked how much you enjoy the final product and I wouldn't be surprised if they became one of your family's favorites.

Everything-but-the-flour Cookies
Adapted from Quinoa, Pine Nut, and Chocolate Chip Cookies at My Whole Food Life
Makes 2 dozen small or 1 dozen medium cookies

What I use:

• 1/2 c. cooked and cooled quinoa (1/4 c. dry quinoa cooked in 1/2 c. water)
• 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted (you could use butter)
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. milk (I used my homemade almond milk)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 c. almond meal
• 3/4 c. quick oats
• 1 tsp. pie spice (pumpkin or apple - I used pumpkin)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 3 Tbsp. sesame seeds (you can use any seeds or nuts you like/have - sunflower, pumpkin, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
• 3 Tbsp. raisins
• 3 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips (I couldn't find dairy-free mini chips, so I chopped up some regular-sized chips)

How I do it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, applesauce, coconut oil, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla.

2. In another medium bowl, combine the almond meal, oats, pie spice, salt, and baking soda.

3. In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds, raisins, and chocolate chips.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stir, then add the seeds, raisins, and chocolate chips and mix well.

5. Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, transfer the dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. (My cookie scoop is a size 50 and hold 1.25 tablespoons. This makes perfect small cookies. I also have a 1/4 c. scoop which would make medium cookies, but I prefer the smaller ones.) The cookies will not spread, so you can pack them pretty close on the pan.

6. Using a fork, (or the bottom of a glass sprayed with non-stick spray or damp hands) flatten the cookies to about 1/4-inch thick. 

7. Bake for 15 minutes., until the bottoms are golden brown and the cookies hold their shape when picked up.

They don't look much different after they're baked.

8. Cool on the pan for one minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Because there is no added sugar and they are full of healthy stuff like quinoa, almond meal, oats, seeds, and raisins, these are perfect for breakfast, after-school snacks, or even dessert before bed. Your kids will be excited about chocolate chips cookies; only you and I will know about all the goodness packed inside. 

The family says:

• K said these were amazing, and he's pretty picky when it comes to his cookies. He didn't want to stop eating them and I was ok with that.
• Andrew said they were awesome and he's a die hard straight-up chocolate chip fan. He hates quinoa and was really surprised when I told him the ingredients.
• I don't really love quinoa on it's own (it was a primary food when I spent 4 months on an elimination diet for nursing, so I can barely stand the sight of it now), but you'd never even know it was there - the other ingredients come together so well - I had to hide them from myself just so there were some left for K's lunch!
• My mom said they were really good, and was also surprised to learn what was inside.