These cookies are really chewy and mildly sweet… and a great way to keep the afternoon munchies at bay. Yes, they are not super sweet but they are filling and packed with power to keep your blood sugar levels balanced and your energy up until your next meal.
All the sugar is unrefined – just some banana, a little dried fruit and a few tablespoons of maple syrup or honey.
They also have a secret ingredient that makes them chewy and more calcium rich… as well as packed with plant protein and fibre. Which means they are so healthy you could eat them for breakfast or pack them up for lunch! That secret ingredient is chickpeas!
Why use chickpeas in baking?
I’m a huge fan of chickpeas, because they are packed with vitamins, minerals and also fibre… which is great for feeding your gut microbiome, all those trillions of organisms in your digestive system which help to keep us healthy. Plus chickpeas are a cheap and plant based form of protein, to help support your metabolism and keep your blood sugar levels nice and balanced. They help to give this biscuit a delicious nutty flavour, and also replace the need to use eggs if you’re a vegan.
My kids love these cookies… I hope you and your family do too!
Making them nut free…
If you want a nut free alternative to this biscuit, then just swap the ground almonds for desiccated coconut or a heaped tablespoon of spelt flour instead.
Oaty Power Cookies
Equipment
- Food processor (if you have one)
Ingredients
- 1 can Chickpeas, Drained and rinsed
- 110 grams Rolled oats, About 1 cup
- 3 tbspn Maple Syrup, Or Honey
- 1 tspn Vanilla extract
- 2 tbspn Ground Almonds
- 1 tspn Baking Powder
- 1 Banana , Large - Mashed
- 1 tbspn Coconut Oil, Or Butter
- 6 to 8 Dried Apricots, Unsulphured
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
- Put everything except the apricots into a food processor, mix until chopped and smooth, for about 2 to 3 mins. Then drop in the apricots and keep processing as this helps to finely chop them and distribute their sweetness.
- Using 2 teaspoons, drop heaped teaspoons of the cookie mixture onto lined baking sheets, and push down gently with the back of a spoon. There's no need to leave a lot of space between them as they don't expand much.
- Bake for around 16 to 20 minutes. You want them still a little soft in the middle. Leave to cool... and enjoy!
