Cookies for Breakfast?!

It's summertime, so indulging the fancies of the small folk has become a top priority. These "cookies" are an awesome way to add a little excitement to your kiddo's morning, and they will never know how healthy they are! These taste pretty similar to a Clif Bar in my opinion, and are super easy to freeze, as well as take along in the car on rushed mornings! I have tried several similar recipes, and combined them all to make this one!

What you'll need:

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (not the instant kind!)
1/3 cup flour (use whole wheat for extra nutrition!)
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup peanut or other nut butter
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups of add ins - raisins, dried cherries, unsweetened coconut, chocolate chips, etc ...


Add your walnuts to the bowl of your food processor and grind them until they resemble a dense flour.

 Once your nuts have been beaten to a pulp, combine the dust in a large bowl with the flour, flax meal, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix it up!

In the bowl of your food processor combine the nut butter, egg, applesauce, honey, sugar, and vanilla. Whip it good!

Stir that lovely mixture into your dry ingredients ...

 ... and then fold in your goodies! I used raisins, dried cherries, and some semisweet chocolate chips.

 Next, place balls of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I needed two, since this recipe makes about 20 cookies.

 Bake them in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. They will be slightly poofy when you remove them, and still a little doughy. While they are still warm, use a spatula to smoosh them!

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets. They will set up, and you will be left with a plate of cookies that look like this ...

YUM! Now you don't have to feel guilty about giving in when your kiddos ask for cookies at breakfast time!