Made with cacao nibs, oats, chia seeds, almonds and cashew butter, these cookies are naturally sweetened with bananas, chopped Medjool dates and a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup. Packed with raw plant-based ingredients, they are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and high in fibre, antioxidants and healthy fats. I call them “Healthy breakfast cookies” because that is what they are — wholesome enough to enjoy at breakfast.

If you are wondering what cacao nibs are, they are pure chocolate bits extracted from dried and fermented cacao beans. The nibs contain no added sweeteners, but when combined with sweet food alternatives, as in this recipe, you get that delicious chocolate taste without offsetting the health benefits of the nibs. Of all types of chocolate, cacao nibs are the least processed and the best source of antioxidants, fibre, iron and magnesium. You can buy cacao nibs in some supermarkets or natural food stores.

Enjoy!

Healthy breakfast cookies

INGREDIENTS

Dry

• 1 cup small-size rolled oats, no sugar or additives added
• ½ cup oat flour *
• ¼ cup cacao nibs (grué de cacao)
• ¼ cup almond slivers
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) cinnamon
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

Wet

• 1 cup mashed banana (2 big ripe & spotted bananas)
• 2 tablespoons (tbsp) pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsps almond milk, unsweetened & unflavoured
• 2 tbsps chia seeds
• ¼ cup 100% cashew butter, unsweetened
• ½ cup tightly packed fresh pitted medjool dates, torn or chopped small (4-6 dates; double if dates are small)

* You can make fresh oat flour by processing rolled oats in a small blender or NutriBullet. Simply blend for 10 seconds or until powdery. Store leftover flour in a glass jar.

PROCEDURE

1 or 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment.

Oven:  175°C or 350°F.

Makes 16 cookies.

In a medium-size bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and mix well with a fork or whisk until combined. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, mash the bananas with a hand masher or fork. Add the maple syrup and almond milk. Mix with a fork until incorporated. Add the chia seeds and mix well.  Let stand for 10-15 minutes to thicken.

Add the cashew butter to the mashed banana mixture and hand whisk. Add the chopped dates and hand whisk or mix well with fork until blended. Make sure that the date pieces are spread out in the batter.

Pour the wet into the dry and hand mix and turn really well until thick and incorporated.

Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop the dough in balls on the lined cookie sheet. If using an ice cream scoop, make sure to level off the dough with the back of a spoon or knife.

Press down each dough ball with fingers to flatten and make them 1 cm thick (just under 1/2 inch). Leave a bit of space in between them, although they will barely spread out with baking.

Bake in preheated oven on middle-lower rack for 15-20 minutes, or a few minutes longer until bottoms are golden. Start checking them at 15 minutes (thicker cookies take longer).

Place on a rack to cool completely. Store in covered container at room temp. or in fridge (I store them in fridge or in the garage in winter! 🙂 ). They will keep for several days and you can also freeze them.