Breakfast Bean Cookies

Make no mistake, these cookies are delicious (and nutritious). They have been tested in my kitchen and my 12 year old daughter and her two friends (ages 8 and 9) loved them! In this case, what your family doesn't know will definitely not harm them.

These cookies resemble a chocolate oatmeal cookie. The recipe comes from Julie Van Rosendaal's book, Grazing. If you are looking for a simple, on the go breakfast or a nutritious snack packed with protein, you should give these a try.

Ingredients:

2 cups oats
1 cup flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
¼ tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Salt
1 – 14 oz. Can white kidney, navy, or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
½ cups raisins or dried cranberries
¼ - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 Tb. Ground flaxseed (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place 2 cups oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it resembles coarse flour.

Add 1 cup flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. salt and whiz until combined.

Transfer to a large bowl.

Put the beans (1-14oz. can, rinsed and drained) into the food processor and pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Add 1/4 cup butter and process until well blended. Add 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 egg and 1 tsp. vanilla and pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the bean mixture into the oat mixture and stir by hand until almost combined.

Add the 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 - 1/2 cup nuts and 2 Tb. flaxseed and stir just until blended. (I added the nuts and flaxseed, but waited to add the craisins and chocolate chips as I wanted to make two different doughs.

This is the craisin dough.

Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray (or use parchment paper).

Flatten each one a little with your hand. (Julie finds this works best if she dampens her hands first).

The chocolate chip dough

Bake for 14-16 minutes, until pale golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

The smile says it all...

and remember...don't call them breakfast bean cookies...

Makes 2 dozen cookies (I made more than this, so keep in mind, the calories etc. are based on cookies larger than what I have shown).

Contents per cookie
Calories 138
Total fat 3.2g
Protein 3.4g
Carbohydrates 23.9g
Cholesterol 14.2mg
Fiber 2.0g