Who doesn’t love a good cookie? I know I do. Plus, I love opportunities to cook from scratch with my daughter. It’s a great opportunity for bonding as well as for learning so many things – math, chemistry, linear sequencing, and perhaps most important, how to cook!
These sunflower cookies are something we make often around here. Sunflower cookies are grain-free (meaning gluten-free), vegan, and naturally sweetened with just a tiny bit of maple syrup. All those seeds are a great protein boost, making these sunflower cookies an excellent after-school snack or for anytime you need to grab and go!
Sunflower Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp oil (coconut oil is my favorite in this recipe, but use whatever you have on hand)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (you can skip this step if you prefer, I find it prevents the cookies from getting to brown on the bottom)
- Combine sunflower, sesame, and poppy seeds in a food processor. Blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add oil and maple syrup, blend again until mixture resembles dough.
- One scant tablespoon at a time, roll the dough into balls, then flatten into a cookie shape. Place on the baking sheet (you can crowd the pan – they don’t spread very much).
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cookies are golden. Let cool and enjoy. Store the sunflower cookies in an airtight container, in the fridge if you plan on keeping them for longer than a few days.
Adapted from: Integrative Nutrition
These sunflower cookies can be enhanced with the addition of dried fruit. Try apricots, cranberries, or candied ginger. Just finely chop and add to the food processor once the sunflower cookie dough is beginning to come together.
Find a great flavor combination for these sunflower cookies? Please leave us a tip in the comments below!
