February 5, 2011

Seedy Choco Cookies

Hello friends!

I love it when I discover a recipe that is delicious as well as healthy!  I know when I'm making food for my family, I'm always looking for ways to incorporate a little something extra healthy in there.  Since we have to fill up our tummies with something, why not make it worth it?

For a couple of years now, I've been making cookies similar to the ones I'm about to share.  But just recently I took apart the recipe and created my own version that I think trumps all cookie recipes I've tried!

The reason they are the best (in my opinion) goes beyond just the taste.  And I'm going to bet you'll want to make them over and over again!

- no flour!
- no eggs!
- no dairy!
- no refined sugar!
- no baking!
- deliciously addictive!
- super healthy!

Please try them and let me know what you think!!

Seedy Choco Cookies
by Estelle

1/2 Cup sunflower seeds (if you are using raw, lightly toast them for added flavour)
1 Cup medium unsweetened coconut flakes (reserve 1/2 Cup for rolling cookies in afterwards)
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp black sesame seeds
1 Tbsp shelled hemp seed
1/2 Cup ground almond
1/4 Cup ground flax seed
2 Tbsp cocoa (add an extra Tbsp to bump up the chocolate flavour!)
1/2 Cup almond hazelnut butter (you can sub plain almond butter, or natural peanut butter)
1/2 Cup raw liquid honey

Set aside 1/2 Cup coconut flakes in a small bowl.  This will be used later to roll the cookies in.  Throw the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together using a whisk.  Add the almond butter and honey to the dry ingredients and stir until very well mixed.  Shape and roll the cookie "dough" into walnut-sized balls and roll gently in the coconut flakes.  Place the cookies directly in the container you'll be storing them in, but make sure you don't squeeze them in until they have had time to set.  Feel free to enjoy them right away, but if you let them rest in the fridge for at least an hour before serving they will end up being a bit more firm.  You can store these in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, but if you like them as much as we do, they won't last that long.  :)  This recipe yields more than 3 dozen bite-size cookies!


Just in case you didn't know...

Chia seeds are considered a highly nutritious superfood, full of antioxidants, full of fibre and are 20% protein!  These little cuties can be added to SO many different things from cookies and breads to smoothies and salads.  They will benefit you without you even knowing they're there!  Read more about Chia here, here and here

Black sesame seeds are also a highly nutritious food you should learn to love!  They pack 85 milligrams of calcium in a mere gram of the seeds!  They are also full of protein, phosphorus, iron and magnesium!  This food is definitely not for the birds.  :)  Read more about black sesame here.

Hemp seeds are actually nuts and they are worth mentioning here as well.  They are one of the most nutritious foods on earth.  They have a slight pine nut/sunflower seed flavour and can be added to many different dishes.  The shelled hemp seed is actually significantly more nutritious than the whole seed, so try to use that whenever possible.  Read more here.

All these seeds are highly digestible with a low glycemic index - which means, if you're a diabetic, you should be incorporating these into your diet!  They are all full of nutrients that help regulate blood sugar.

So, I hope you try these cookies.  They're a bit crunchy...a bit sweet and every ingredient has some nutritional benefit for your body!  :)

Go ahead and fill that sweet craving!

♥ Estelle



5 comments:

Lisa said...

What adorable little bites. They sound healthy while still being delicious. I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog right now called "Sweets for a Saturday" and I'd like to invite you to stop by and link your treat up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

I am on a new diet due to a special workout program I have for my back and it requires no dairy, no red meat, and no gluten. Is there a lot of gluten within these cookies? Or is it safe to say it would be alright to have them?

Estelle said...

Well, Chantal, there is no wheat or barley in these cookies...so it would be safe to say they're gluten free! :) You can enjoy them!

Katie said...

MMM I am making these!! Thanks for sharing :)

Wanda said...

I found you through Moni and I just love these little cookies! My kids want more, my husband wants more, and they're so healthy! Thanks for the great recipe. :-)