The No Flour, No Sugar* Cookie

I stared at this cookie recipe, perplexed and intrigued. No flour. No sugar. No eggs. No butter. I've dabbled in vegan baking before, but I can't recall coming across a recipe that also cut out both flour and sugar. Dr. Gott would be impressed.

I don't have anything against flour and sugar - I will forever and always enjoy real bread, coffee ice cream, and campfire marshmallows - but I could definitely benefit from replacing some white flour and processed sugar with healthier whole food options. With leftover popcorn on hand, I made a batch, took a tentative bite, and you know what? They are pretty darn good. Think chewy granola bites. 

*Ok, but full disclosure: there is some dark chocolate in these.

Obviously chocolate has sugar, but I am unapologetic about it (chocolate has antioxidants!). If you truly want to eat clean with these, substitute with vegan sugar-free chocolate chips, or some chopped dates, or just omit the chocolate all together. The cookie "dough" is still flour- and sugar-free, sweetened by banana puree and held together with oats and almond meal.

Like other vegan cookie recipes I've tried, this cookie dough is loose, not creamy like your grandma's chocolate chip cookie dough, but it will stick together when you shape the cookies. Whatever shape you form the dough into will basically be how your cookie will look after its baked, so if you want slightly flattened cookies, shape the dough like that.

The baking trifecta of flour, sugar and butter still have a place in my kitchen, but I have a feeling I'll be making these sweet little bites more often as well. 

Happy baking!

The No Flour, No Sugar Cookie

Called "Carnival Cookies" in Heidi Swanson's cookbook, Super Natural Every Day - and she claims it is one of her most popular recipes ever. Feel free to replace the peanuts with almonds, pecans, maybe even sunflower seeds, although I'd reduce it down to 1/2 c. for sun seeds.

3 large bananas, well-mashed

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. coconut oil, barely warmed so it is 1/4 c. of liquid, not solid

1 and 1/2 c. rolled oats (aka old-fashioned oats)

1/2 c. almond meal*

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt

2/3 c. shelled unsalted peanuts

1 c. dark chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate

1 and 1/2 c. unsalted popcorn 

In a large bowl, combine bananas, vanilla, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together oats, almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in peanuts and chocolate, then fold in the popcorn. Firmly shape small balls with your hands, about 1 heaping tablespoon each, and place them on baking sheets. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 14-17 minutes until the bottoms are deeply golden. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet on a wire rack. 

*To make almond meal, throw a hearty handful of almonds in your blender or food processor until it is mostly powdery (a few larger almond pieces are ok). Don't process too long, or you'll end up with almond butter. If you have extra almond meal, stir it into oatmeal or add it to your morning smoothie.