Before settling on the Holly Diet (AKA eating what makes me feel good + not following any specific food rules), I tried just about every other diet and style of eating out there.
I spent years as a strict vegetarian and vegan, eating tons of grains, nuts and seeds. And, while this doesn't exactly work with where I'm at right now - I still have a ton of great recipes that include these ingredients!
These Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are a version of my favorite cookies from back then. They're inspired by Angela Liddon's (Oh She Glows) Trail Mix Cookies. They aren't vegan anymore - I switched it up to include an egg instead of a flax egg - but if you don't tolerate eggs, that might be a good substitute for you.
I pulled out this recipe for Nellie's birthday party last month, and the kids and mamas loved them! One of the kiddos even asked his mom to make them for his birthday too.
So, by the request of the mamas, here are the cookies! They're nut-free + gluten-free if you use gluten-free oats. And they make a mean ice-cream sandwich!
Ingredients
Dry:
1-1/2 cups rolled oats, ground into flour (I used a high-powered blender)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup finely shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup hemp hearts
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I like this brand)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
Wet:
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup tahini (or other nut/seed butter)
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Line baking trays with parchment paper. (I use 2 glass 9x13 baking dishes, putting 6 cookies on each - this makes 2 rounds of 2 pans.)
Combine and mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.
Heat coconut oil, tahini and honey together until melted (in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove).
Stir the coconut oil, tahini and honey mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until evenly mixed.
Add the egg and stir until evenly mixed.
Drop by packed spoonfuls (I use a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop) onto baking trays. Gently pat down and round each cookie, about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.
Let cool on trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Yield: 20 cookies
