Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Packed with natural sugars and healthy fats, these little cookies are my new favorite after- lunch sweet treat. I keep a batch in the freezer and have noticed that they dry out a bit when stored like this, but I think that makes them taste even more like a baked cookie (versus your typical raw energy ball).  Seriously, these cookies taste so much like the baked, less wholesome version that I'm surprised (in a good way) every time I bite into one.

Like many raw treats, this one has limited ingredients (PB, dates, almonds, salt) and comes together in a snap.  Head over to A House in the Hills for the recipe!

Note:  I added a bit more peanut butter than the recipe calls for.  Taste and adjust as you go.

UPDATE: I also made these with almond pulp instead of almonds and they turned out just fine! I'm always happy to find a recipe to use up the mountains of pulp I have in my freezer (from making homemade nut milk).  SCORE.

Kitchen Sink Trail Mix Cookies

Snow days were made for baking.  Cold afternoons when you are stuck inside just call for a warm oven and the smell of cookies.  Earlier this week we had a snow day here in DC.  It wasn't really that snowy, but the government shut down and most people stayed home from work, so it felt like a genuine snow day.  And I decided it was the perfect opportunity to make cookies.

I had saved this recipe for trail mix cookies a while back so it served as an inspiration for these cookies.  I used what I had in my kitchen (a whole assortment of nuts, seeds, and fruits) and thus I coined these cookies "Kitchen Sink Trail Mix Cookies."  Slightly sweet with chunks of nuts and chocolate, they make the perfect healthy dessert and afternoon pick-me-up.  

Kitchen Sink Trail Mix Cookies - Vegan and Gluten Free

Wet ingredients:

1 large ripe banana (mashed)
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup nut butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cup GF flour

1/2 cup GF rolled oats

1/4 cup raw cashews, chopped

1/4 cup raw walnuts, chopped

2 TBSP sunflower seeds

2 TBSP pumpkin seeds

4 TBSP hemp seeds

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 (scant) brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir wet ingredients until well combined.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add the wet to the dry, and mix until just combined.  Scoop tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet (you may have to roll the dough into balls and then flatten slightly).  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

A few notes:
- My cookies were a bit on the dry side (I like an underdone cookie).  This may be attributed to the GF flour that I used (Trader Joe's brand, which is a combination of rice flours).  Next time I will probably try with oat flour, as I have had better luck with it in the past.  I would also bake for less time (12-13 minutes).
- The consistency of the wet mixture will depend on two things: the size of your banana and the thickness of your nut butter.  I suggest using a type of natural nut butter, which is generally more liquidy than conventional.  If your dough feels too dry (there are still big patches of flour even after mixing), add a bit more nut butter and applesauce.
- Feel free to mix it up - I used the nuts and seeds listed above because that is what I had in my pantry!  Check out the original recipe here for more ideas for add-ins.

Superfood Energy Bites

While traveling in Thailand, I discovered a few different places selling raw energy balls with spirulina, which were absolutely delicious.  I have made my own energy bars with spirulina in the past, but was never happy with the taste.  Upon tasting versions that I loved during my travels, I knew I had to try making my own again.  Back in my kitchen and reunited with my food processor, I set out to replicate these tasty treats and the following deliciousness was born:

Super Food Energy Bites - Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Raw
Inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life

1/2 cup raw nuts (I used half walnuts and half cashews)
3/4 cup raw seeds (I used equal parts chia, hemp, and sesame seeds)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

2/3 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup raisins
1 heaping cup dates
2-3 T spirulina
1 t turmeric
1/4 cup cacao nibs or chopped dark chocolate
Dash sea salt
1-3 T melted coconut oil
Additional sesame seeds for coating (optional)


Throw all ingredients except coconut oil in your food processor and process until well ground and combined.  Add coconut oil, as needed, until mixture begins to stick together.  Form into bite sized balls and roll in sesame seeds (if desired). Store in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze to keep longer. 

These don't taste exactly like my favorite ones from Thailand, but boy are they delicious - sweet gooey bites of chocolatey goodness.  I gave some to my mom who is not always a fan of my healthy desserts and she agreed that they taste like candy, and she could not believe that they were healthy. Chock full of super foods and healthy fats, a few of these bites make the perfect snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you full for hours.

For nutrition nerds like me, here's some fun facts on a few of the superfoods that make these bites so healthy:


- Chia seeds: An excellent source of fiber (which helps you feel full longer). Full of protein, packed with antioxidants, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are the richest known plant source of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Raw cacao: Raw cacao is the number one source of magnesium of any food on the planet, contains 314% of the US RDA of iron per serving, and contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil is a raw saturated fat containing mostly medium-chain fatty acids that the body can metabolize efficiently and convert to energy quickly, which helps ease digestion and the absorption of vitamins. Coconut oil is also considered to be anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial.
-Spirulina: Spirulina consists of 65-71% protein, the highest concentration of protein found in any food. Each gram of spirulina protein is four times more absorbable than the same gram of protein in beef.  It is considered a complete protein source - contains all eight essential amino acids, and eighteen amino acids in total, as well as lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  
- Turmeric - In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric was considered a whole body cleansing herb and has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation. 
- Flax seeds - An excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, flax seed also contains Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. 
- Hemp seeds - Also known as hemp hearts, hemp seeds are another complete protein source, and are easily digestible.

 Source of nutritional info (besides what I have collected in my brain over the years): David Wolfe's Longevity Warehouse.