By popular demand, I present to you another healthy recipe! These little cookies have big personality; packed with almonds, sunflower seeds, coconut, oats, wholemeal flour, dates and a little honey for sweetness, each bite crumbles in your mouth and is irresistibly moreish. Because they lack any refined sugar, the texture of the cookies is on the slightly cakey side, but they still have a lovely crunch. Perfect for a morning snack, kids’ lunchboxes, or an after dinner treat.
I packed a tin of these into my backpack (along with some Almond and Date Protein Bliss Balls) on a recent trip to the APY lands with some fellow students, where we spent a week working and playing with the youth and children of a small but vibrant Indigenous community. It was blissful to be back in central Australia, an oasis of ancient culture, deep red earth and infinite blue skies. Dipped in a steaming mug of tea, these cookies were the perfect end to our busy days, as we watched the sun slip beneath the vast horizon each evening. I hope you give this one-bowl recipe a try, and see for yourself just how delicious a bit of healthy baking can be! Keep scrolling down for the recipe 🙂
Healthy Muesli Cookies (Sugar Free)
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 35 g raw almonds
- 100 g wholemeal plain flour
- 50 g almond meal
- 100 g rolled oats
- 60 g desiccated coconut
- 35 g sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
- 8 whole dried dates
- 1/2 tablespoon rice malt syrup
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 45 g butter
- 75 g coconut oil (or more butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
METHOD
- Soak the dates in a bowl of boiling water covered in foil for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Drain the excess water, then puree the dates in a food processor until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F fan-forced. Roast the almonds on a lined baking tray for 7 minutes until just golden and aromatic. Set aside to cool, then roughly chop. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Combine the almonds, flour, almond meal, coconut, oats, ginger and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
- Melt the butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Dissolve the bicarb soda in 1 tablespoon of boiling water, and add it to the dry ingredients along with the date puree, rice malt syrup, honey, melted butter and coconut oil, and vanilla. Use your hands to gently mix the wet and dry ingredients until combined.
- Use your hands to shape 12 golf ball sized balls of cookie dough, and arrange evenly on the baking tray. Press down gently until about 1 cm thick.
- Bake cookies for 20 minutes, or until just golden brown and aromatic. Turn the trays after 12 minutes. Leave the trays to cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, then place the cookies directly on the wire racks and cool until just warm.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
one perfect mess 
