It's this time of year that I really have to start loading Frank up even more in his lunch. Being outside in the cold means he's burning way more calories and keeping him full for the whole day can be tricky! While I can snack on trail mix all day long, he doesn't love it the same way I do. He also is a huge lover of granola bars - but I try to limit how many pre-made ones of those he has to one per day. When I have the time to make a full batch every week I do, but let's be honest, he loves a KIND or RX Bar. That being said, he wasn't mad when I whipped up these trail mix breakfast cookies. Lots of protein and good fats from the various kinds of nuts and seeds, and sweetened with only a little maple syrup, a banana and some dried fruit (and a little chocolate of course) they're kind of the perfect combo, and maybe one of the easiest cookies you'll ever make.
I start with all the dry ingredients - other than the nuts and chocolate. Mix them in a medium sized bowl. I'll then mix the wet ingredients: first melt the coconut oil in a small bowl, and then add in the eggs and banana and mix thoroughly. Add in all your fixings to the dry bowl: walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, chocolate, and anything else you'd like. And then pour the banana mixture on top and mix thoroughly. I drizzle the maple syrup last. You could potentially leave this out if you wanted to omit any added sugar at all, although I think it helps to brown it up, and keep them sticking together. At this point I'll put it into the fridge to stiffen up a little - a good excuse to clean up and pre-heat the oven.
When ready form into 2 inch balls and place on baking sheet. Push down slightly to flatten into cookie shape. I'll add a little more chopped chocolate on top, because, why not. Then bake for 20-25 minutes until the sides become golden, and the bottoms become slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Just the right amount of sweet and with only 3g of sugar and 6g of protein, these are perfect as a sweet treat, or also to go with breakfast. These also would be amazing with other dried fruit, coconut, you name it.
Trail Mix Breakfast Cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 5 minutes to rest in the fridge)
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
1 small banana mashed
1 cup oats
¼ cup ground flax
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup walnuts, almonds, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients other than toppings in a medium sized bowl.
Melt coconut oil in a small bowl and then mix in banana and 2 eggs. Pour into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Add in nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate. Pour in maple syrup or honey.
Put in fridge for a few minutes to cool. This is a good time to clean up!
Form into small balls and place on baking sheet. Push down slightly to flatten. Put in oven for 20-25 minutes until they turn golden brown on the edges and bottom.
xx
Rita