You know you’ve all been there. You’re sitting at your desk, scrolling through Facebook, putting together a draft memo, emailing your colleague or client, editing photos, whatever it is you do at your desk… and without even realizing it, you reach over to some vague corner of your workspace and begin pawing for something…
Something tasty.
Something sweet.
Something crunchy.
I have to say, working at the home office is the biggest nemesis for keeping fit. Somehow, the mundane task of typing away at my computer at home–where I am fully aware of all the little nooks and crannies chock full of delicious snacks and sweets–transforms my otherwise ordinary stomach into a gaping maw, an abyss with depths that would lay waste to the most profound philosopher. I could literally eat non-stop and not get full–especially if it’s something with some bite.
As it were, my friend Teri over at NoCrumbsLeft posted a delightful recipe for her Peach and Cloudberry Crunchies. What caught my eye, of course, were the beautiful caramelized morsels of what looked like granola on the side of her plate. Now that I could snack away on to my heart’s content without a fork, knife, or even a napkin. It turns out that these were actually pieces of a cookie–a beautifully crispy crunchy cookie.
And, lo and behold, Teri challenged me to veganize it.
Challenge Accepted.
Need I say more?
No, but I will.
Not only would I veganize this dreamy little dessert, I would “healthify” it too, in order to facilitate the endless snacking I envisioned as part of its destiny. I decided, at once, that I would make it gluten free, refined sugar free, refined oil free–as well as dairy and egg free.
And it came out perfect.
Baked to a crisp on the edges, but retaining a little ooey-gooey-chewiness at the very center, these little discs of heaven will knock your socks off right into God’s own parlor while keeping those pesky calories in check.
So that you an eat not one, but two (or even three) a day…!
And the best part about this cookie is that it doesn’t have to stay a cookie. Crumble it up over some nice cream or a smoothie bowl. Take a leaf out of Teri’s book and add some to your yogurt parfait. Or, if you’re like my boyfriend, crumble it up into a bowl and pour chocolate milk over it.
Yup.
The sky is truly the limit here.
OR,
You can be like me and just eat ’em plain as God intended.
Healthy Crunchies for the Manic Munchies. [Gluten Free]
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 cup GF rolled oats
- 1 1/2 tbsp GF oat flour
- 1 tsp xanthum gum
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp crushed pink peppercorn
- 1 tbsp flax seeds
- 1 1/2 tbsp non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Add flax seeds to non-dairy milk and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt coconut oil and add coconut sugar. Stir until a thick paste forms. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients. Then add flax+milk, vanilla extract, and sugar mixture to dry ingredients. Stir with wooden spoon until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Using your hands, spoon out dough to form a ball and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. The dough will be very loose, but once you place them on the baking sheet, you can shape them into pretty little circles, roughly 2 inches in diameter. Make sure to place at least 2 inches of space between the cookies, as they will spread in the oven.
- Place baking sheet in oven preheated to 350° F for approximately 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool for approximately 1 minute. Then, with your spatula or the back of a spoon, reshape the cookies into discs if they've spread into shapeless blobs. Let them cool for a few minutes longer until they've started to harden. Remove them from the baking sheet with a spatula and place them gently onto a cooling rack. Let them cool for ~15 minutes and enjoy.