Attune Foods' LinksDigestive health may not be a hot topic around the holidays, but in my house, it is something we talk about almost daily. My husband went through a long-course of antibiotics, and replenishing his healthy flora is foremost on our minds. Our doctor has recommended that he look into high fiber foods. That said, this cookie recipe, though it is high fiber, isn’t for him. He is also on a strict gluten-free diet right now, and my gluten-free cookie experiments, while completely edible, have not quite been blog-worthy. I’m working on low-sugar, egg-free, almond-free Ranger Cookies for him (yes, he is a handful), using this Gluten-Free Crispy Brown Rice Cereal. If you have any gluten-free, high fiber flour blends that you recommend for cookies, I’m all ears! Please comment and share.
But back to THIS cookie recipe. My husband’s parents are also dealing with digestive health issues (but they still like dessert!) and my parents LOVE “healthy” cookies. So, in line with the theme of Attune’s December Recipe Contest, “Homemade Gifts,” I decided to come up with a recipe that was whole grain and at least a little lower in sugars than your average cookie. I mean, just because it is the holidays, doesn’t mean you have to throw all health out the window! When possible, I like to gift healthier foods to loved ones.
I went the extra mile in the high fiber arena, using whole wheat pastry flour AND whole grain raisin bran cereal. If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour, or want a cookie that is a little more indulgent, all-purpose flour will yield tasty results. I also used coconut sugar and honey as the sweeteners. I have to admit, the two flavors were amazing together. But I know that coconut sugar can be pricey, so feel free to use regular white and brown sugars if desired. They will make the end result a bit sweeter. Coconut sugar tends to be mellower and have almost caramel-like notes.
I found the use of cereal in cookies to be very intriguing. It offers both crunchy and chewy textures, and the flavor blends really well. I used Erewhon Organic brand of Raisin Bran Cereal, but I think Skinner’s would work well too.
Recipe: Peanut Butter ‘n Honey Raisin Bran Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour or All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt (can omit if using salted peanut butter)
- 3/4 Cup Coconut / Palm Sugar or 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar + 1/4 Cup White Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1/4 Cup Oil (I used grapeseed, but your favorite baking oil will do)
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted, Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs
- 3 cups Erewhon Raisin Bran Cereal
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
- If using coconut sugar, I recommend whizzing it in your spice grinder for 15 to 20 seconds. It can stay rather coarse otherwise.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar(s), honey, oil, peanut butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Beat in the eggs, followed by the flour mixture.
- Stir in the cereal with a big spoon. It may be thick, but think of it like stirring rice crispies into rice crispy treats – be somewhat gentle.
- Shape the dough into ping pong sized balls and gently flatten them on your baking sheets to the desired shape – they don’t spread much.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. I like my cookies just a touch underdone, so I pull them at 10 minutes.
- Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before carefully moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 10 minute(s)
Diet type: Dairy free, Nut free, Peanut free, Soy free
Number of servings (yield): 30
Copyright © Alisa Fleming.
Be well!
Alisa
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