If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, surely you don’t need me to tell you that I am certainly not the world’s most proficient writer;). Short and to the point tends to be my basic style, so while after eating these cookies I had a hundred of different ways to explain just how absolutely d’lishes they are, the only thing that I can think to say about them now is, “Holy Yum!”.
The “Clean Eating Magazine“ is hands down one of my favorite cooking magazines. It’s filled with very SIMPLE recipes that are based around whole natural foods. These cookies are adapted from a recipe that was in last months “Clean Eating” Newsletter (actually, it’s pretty much the same exact recipe except for the fact I added nuts to my cookie). If you find yourself constantly searching for for super simple and nutritious recipes all the time, I highly recommend picking up a copy of a Clean Eating Magazine!
Okay, back to the cookie! It’s kind of like a breakfast cookie… it’ chock full of oats, dried fruits, and nuts (dare I say, a bowl of oatmeal in cookie form?). Let’s put it this way… if I had a couple of these cookies alongside my morning latte for breakfast, I wouldn’t be feeling the least bit guilty. Rather, I would be smiling, satisfied, and content with a belly full whole grains, fruit, and nuts… what could be so bad about that?!
These cookies call for a cup of Sucanat (an ingredient I have just started experimenting with in the kitchen). In short, Sucanat is sugar in its most natural form. As a matter of fact, Sucanat stands for “Sugar Cane Natural”. When it comes to sweeteners derived from the sugar cane, Sucanat weighs in with the highest nutritional value.
Sucanat is much grainier than refined sugar, brown in color, and has a very distinct taste… it smells and tastes a bit like molasses. I don’t imagine Sucanat would work well in a more delicate cookie or baked good but mixed along with all of the flavors and spices of this cookie, the molasses-like flavor of the Sucanat was a welcomed partner! [You can click here or here if you are interested in learning some more about Sucanat.]
I’ve been slowly but surely changing my philosophy around sweet treats and baked goods! Rather than solely focusing on how to create a “lower-calorie” treat, I am shifting my focus to using more nutrient dense ingredients (you know my favorite line… real, whole, unprocessed foods as close to their natural state as possible) even if it is just some trace minerals from a more natural form of sugar!
After spending too many years as a yo-yo dieter, eating fake “diet” foods and constantly fighting calories, I sometimes have to remind myself of my own new guidelines (ie. Focus on the positive! – Rather than then fighting all of the foods we think we need to eliminate from our diets, let’s embrace all of the clean, simple, and d’lishes ingredients we get to add in!).
Hey, it can take some time to teach an old dog new tricks – but we’ll all get there one recipe at a time!!
Hope you get a chance to try these cookies before it gets too hot to turn the stove on!!
Fruit Nut & Oat Cookies
Ingredients
Olive oil cooking spray¾ cup of white whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 cup of Sucanat
6 tbsp canola oil
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large egg whites
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups of rolled oats
½ cup unsweetened dried fruit of your choice (think raisins, prunes, cherries, etc.)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 and lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray.In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine Sucanat, oil, applesauce, egg whites, and vanilla and mix with a hand blender combined. Add flour mixture and mix well until just combined. Stir in oats, fruit, and nuts.
Drop 2 tbsp-sized balls of dough onto the baking sheet. Bake for about twelve minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!
Makes 24 cookies.
Nutritional Analysis
Calories: 132; Total Fat: 5g; Saturated Fat: 0.5g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 140mg; Carbohydrate: 17.7g; Dietary Fiber: 1.8; Sugars: 8.9g; Protein: 2.4More from Clean & Delicious...
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They look great! As you know, I’m also a fan of Clean Eating
.
The only gripe I have with their recipes is canola oil–it’s most often genetically modified unless organic. . . I think organic sunflower oil is a better baking choice, or coconut oil. (But that’s just me).
Ricki -Thanks for the input:)!! I’ve been reading a lot about canola oils lately and can’t say that I disagree with you. With all of the conflicting nutritional data out there, it sometimes takes me a while to formulate where I stand with many ingredients. It was just recently that I opted to scratch all “healthy butter substitutes” from my diet… now a days, when I want a little butta’ I go for the real deal!
I know you are well informed in the field of nutritious eating & cooking so I really do appreciate your input:)
hi dani,
love your blog and info.
you might want to consider contacting costco and hooking up with them in a feature in their “Costco connection” magazine.
they are always featuring healthy eating with ingredients from costco…seems like that would fit for you and would bump you to a whole new level of notariety!
keep up the great work!
I just had an Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Clif bar this afternoon and this sounds like a close approximation – I want to try this recipe!
Love your website and your fun, upbeat style. I like the fact that you are never preachy about what is “right” and “wrong”, but more about better choices as we move through life. Keep up the good work!
How are you today, I must say I am a cookies monster. I eat very Organic both myself and the girls, but when it comes to a great looking cookie I’m done. I will be sure to cook these with Organic ingredients and both myself and the girls will be glad to take them down
. Everything in Moderation, one still must LIVE & BE HAPPY!
I use to have a cookie company in New York several yrs. back, so I am a very week person when it comes to home made cookies. They look great and I am sure me and the girls will enjoy making them. Thank you very much for the great tip.
Dr. Scott
http://www.drspines.com
Made these yesterday, taste amazing! Everyone who tried them were amazed with the sucanat and wanted the recipe!
Kim – Thanks for the tip… I think it’s a great idea. Once I pop this baby out, I’m gonna try and connect them:).
Cyndi – Thanks! I’m glad you are enjoying the blog… I know for myself, whenever I start thinking right and wrong (especially about food) it makes me crazy, so I try to stick to what feels good (everything in moderation, right?).
Dr. Scott – Hope everyone enjoys the cookies:).
Alissa – Aren’t they good?! I’m so glad everyone liked them!!
These do look good. And I’m glad to hear that you have that philosophy now. The latest I’ve read is it’s healthier to to be “overweight” than to have your weight go up and down with yo-yo dieting. I’d like to read Big Fat Lies: The Truth about Your Weight and Your Health by Glenn A. Gaesser and find out more. Have you heard of it?
Thank you for your wonderful site! I love the variety of recipes. I just wondered if you did use coconut oil, would you substitute equal amounts? I have a jar of it, but have never used it. Also, in the directions you mention to add in cinnamon but it is not listed in the ingredients. Just wondered how much you put in this recipe, thank you!
Lyndsay – I’ve head the same to be true… and it makes sense. I’ve never heard of the book but I am definitely going to check it out.
Anita – SO funny. I just bought my first jar of coconut oil too and haven’t used it yet. I’m pretty sure you can make an even swap as far as measurements go. As for the cinnamon, I looked up the original recipe that I have and didn’t write it down there either, so I’m not sure. My guess would be a b out a tsp. You may just have to add a half or one tsp to the batter and do a little taste test to see what you like! sorry about that!!
These are absolutely delicious…I added some shredded coconut and it mixed in perfectly with the other ingredients.
Hi Dani – I made these last night and they were a huge hit – yummy. Question, is the nutritional value per cookie?
Sarah – Shredded coconut! Great idea:)
Kalley – So glad you liked them:) and yes the nutritional info is per cookie.