I know what you are thinking – cookies, really Nora? It’s the start of a new year and you are going to throw some cookies my way? Oh yes, my fabulous readers I sure am!

Let me clarify though, these oatmeal breakfast cookies are not ones laden with sugar, copious amounts of oil or butter and empty carbs. These cookies are basically portable oatmeal – lightly sweetened with a nice dose of healthy fats, superfoods and fiber.

I adapted these oatmeal cookies from Sonia’s version at The Healthy Foodie, who continually inspires me, my creativity and my eats here on Natural Noshing. I took one look at those cookies and said – “Yep, no question – I am making these this week” and I proceeded to make them…not once, not twice but THREE times with different variations since she has posted them last month. Ridiculous, no? I think not since these no sugar added cookies are the perfect way to start your day!

I keep these refrigerated and grab a few on the way out the door to the gym for a quick post-workout snack or for a speedy breakfast or a light treat after a meal. These aren’t crispy cookies but I’ve found that you can put them in the toaster oven on “light/low” for a few minutes and they have a lightly crispy exterior with the chewy texture I love so much.

Superfood Breakfast Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from The Healthy Foodie)

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup cottage cheese or canned coconut milk for vegan or dairy-free (blended tofu might work but I haven’t tried it)
2 eggs, whisked (for vegan, 1 mashed banana or blended tofu or 2 flax eggs)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil (or other oil, butter, ghee or Earth Balance)

Dry Ingredients:
1/4 cup amaranth flour (or buckwheat, oat, brown rice, sorghum or other gluten free flour)
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 Tbsp chia meal (or more flax meal or almond flour)
2 Tbsp almond flour (or your favorite gluten free flour – buckwheat, oat, teff, etc)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 to 2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger, optional
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cup rolled oats

Add-ins 
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or your favorite nut or seed)*
1/2 cup goji berries (or your favorite dried fruit – blueberries, apricots, cherries, raisins, dates, figs, mango, cranberries etc)
1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds (sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds or more fruit or nuts could be subbed if desired)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a blender or a food processor, mix all the wet ingredients together until smooth and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together.
4. Add blended wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix delicately to combine. Fold in hemp seeds, goji and walnuts.
5. Drop by tablepoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. *You can leave the cookies as is if you want them looking like little mounds, or you can flatten them down some with the back of your spoon.
6. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, depending on how flat (or unflat) you made your cookies, or until they look just slightly undercooked. Cool completely on a cooling rack then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator, where the cookies will keep for up to a week and enjoy!

*You can easily make these nut-free if necessary, just omit and replace with your favorite seeds or dried fruit
Recipe Notes: For a sweeter cookie, feel free to add 2-4 Tbsp of coconut sugar or use honey/agave/maple syrup and decrease the cottage cheese/coconut milk by 2 Tbsp.

Makes 12-15 cookies