I’m switching things up this Friday and sharing one of my new favorite recipes!
Here’s the thing about me – I’m pretty much always craving something sweet. All of my closest friends know me as a dessert fiend, which probably isn’t great since most of the desserts I love (cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, donuts, etc.) are filled with not-so-great-for-you ingredients. That being said, I’ve been trying to lower the sugar in my everyday eating (save for natural sugars from fruit), especially during breakfast! As much as I love the sound of starting my day with a huge stack of pancakes (unless they’re these),or sugar-filled smoothie bowl, it’s probably not going to give me the sustained energy I need to get through my busy morning.
Enter: the breakfast cookie. Now this recipe isn’t just some imposter parading around as “healthy” when really it’s filled with sugar and chocolate. These carrot-apple spice cookies legitimately are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and healthy fats, aka the nutrients your body needs to function. That being said, they don’t even taste that healthy…like, you know that weird taste when baked goods have too much greek yogurt instead of oil? Yeah.
What I love about these cookies is that they’re moist (ugh, sorry I know everyone hates that word) from the carrots and apple, and genuinely substantial. You can think of them as oatmeal really, just baked and in tiny servings 🙂 The best part about cookies, too, is that you can take them on the go, which is essential for us busy babes. I keep them in the fridge and take 2-3 to snack on during the workday. That’s probably too many, but whatever, it’s way better than eating on processed food or snacks, and you know exactly what’s in them.
I based my carrot-apple cookies on this recipe and used only coconut oil (no butter). These are 100% gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free oats, and if you wanted to make them vegan, you could use a chia or flax egg! Don’t be scared by all the ingredients below, this is one of the easiest recipes for a baked good I’ve ever seen. If you want to make your life even easier, use a food processor and pulse your carrots and apples in there a couple of times. Then you pretty much throw everything in a couple bowls and call it a day. You know me, I like to keep things efficient!
Carrot-Apple Spiced Breakfast Cookies
2 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (or oat flour if you’re gluten-free!)
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated or finely diced apple (I used a Fuji!)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and spray or coat a baking sheet with coconut oil.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients – oats, flour, flaxseed, spices and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the wet ingredients – applesauce, egg, maple syrup or honey, vanilla, and coconut oil.
4. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients in the large bowl and stir well. Add in the carrot and apple, and mix to combine completely.
5. Spoon the batter onto the baking sheet in about 1 1/2 in size balls. Flatten with your finger or the spoon, as these cookies won’t spread or rise! You can put them very close together on the baking sheet because of this, as well.
6. Bake for 15 minutes and then let cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Have a beautiful Friday, friends!!
xo Jordan