July 12, 2016

by Alyssa

Cashew Quinoa Cookies

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Healthy cashew quinoa cookies studded with dark chocolate chips and topped with flaked sea salt, are the ultimate sweet treat! No butter, eggs or flour!

Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies -- with quinoa for some added protein and crunch! [vegan + gluten-free]

When I'm craving something sweet I almost always reach for cookies. They're a satisfying, simple treat that comes in tons of different flavors and are fairly easy to find (or make). But most cookies, gluten-free or not, really aren't that healthy.

Today I'm mashing up two of my favorite cookies and giving you a recipe that is not only nutritious, but it's also sweet, decadent and makes the perfect little sweet treat.

Those two cookies? Peanut butter and chocolate chip.

Now if you've ever made standard peanut butter cookies before, then you probably know the proportions: 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg. Chocolate chip cookies on the other hand? You could go pretty much any which way you want. Tack on that you want to make them gluten-free and healthy? It gets trickier.

So rather than reformulating a classic chocolate chip cookie, I took similar proportions to the peanut butter cookies, using healthier alternatives, to create these epic cashew quinoa cookies.

CASHEW QUINOA COOKIES -- healthy chocolate chip cookies made with a base of cashew butter + quinoa!

The base of these cookies is creamy cashew butter. What I love about using cashew butter here is that it isn't as strong as peanut butter, so it really ends up just taking on the flavor of the sugar, chocolate chips, and vanilla.

By now you probably know that I avoid refined cane sugar, so I swapped in my go-to granulated sugar: coconut palm sugar. Since it's lower on the glycemic index, the cookies aren't quite as sweet, but they also won't spike your blood sugar and send you on that crazy sugar high.

Cashew Quinoa Cookies >> healthy chocolate chip cookies made with cashew butter + quinoa! [vegan, gluten-free, no oil]

I chose to make these cookies vegan to make them accessible for all types of diets and swapped the standard egg for a flaxseed egg. But if you aren't vegan, you could totally use a real egg for this recipe.

One thing I do like about using the flaxseed meal is that you're getting the added benefits of the flax. Even if it's just a tablespoon, the cookies get a boost of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein.

Cashew Quinoa Cookies >> healthy chocolate chip cookies made with cashew butter + quinoa! [vegan, gluten-free, no oil]

Of course, I also stirred some quinoa into the batter, which I find gives the cookies a nice texture, a little crunch, and even more protein.

And for the add-ins? Just simple dairy-free chocolate chips.

Cashew Quinoa Cookies >> healthy chocolate chip cookies made with cashew butter + quinoa! [vegan, gluten-free, no oil]

The final step to these cashew quinoa cookies is to top them with flaked sea salt. I find the sea salt really enhances the flavor of the cookies, but if you're not a fan of the salty-sweet combo, feel free to leave it off (or top them with a few extra chocolate chips!).

What I think you'll love about these cookies is that they're…

naturally gluten-free
low on the glycemic index
packed with protein
made in just one bowl
less than 10 ingredients

….and they taste like REAL chocolate chip cookies!

Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies -- with quinoa for some added protein and crunch! [vegan + gluten-free]

Your turn!

What is your favorite way to satisfy your sweet tooth? For me, it's either cookies or dark chocolate, but I know tons of others who love their ice creams, cakes, cupcakes, you name it. Let me know yours in the comments below and perhaps I'll try to recreate it with a healthy twist!

And if you end up trying this recipe, I'd love for you to share a picture with me. You can tag @simplyquinoa or use #simplyquinoa, and that way I can find your post and give it some love 🙂

xo Alyssa

More Healthy Cookie Recipes

 

Cashew Quinoa Cookies

Today I'm mashing up two of my favorite cookies and giving you a recipe that is not only nutritious, but it's also sweet, decadent and makes the perfect little sweet treat.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings 12 cookies
Calories 172kcal
Author Alyssa Rimmer
Print Pin
Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies -- with quinoa for some added protein and crunch! [vegan + gluten-free]
5 from 3 votes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • In large bowl, whisk together flaxseed meal and water. Set aside to gel for 5 minutes.
  • To the bowl, add the remaining ingredients, minus the chocolate chips and flaked sea salt. Stir together until it forms a cohesive dough (I like using a rubber spatula). Fold in chocolate chips.
  • Scoop about 1 - 2 tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheet. Using wet hands, gently flatten the cookies and then sprinkle them with sea salt flakes (if using).
  • Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Remove and let cool on the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Video

Notes

*for crispy cookies use 1 cup, for chewier cookies use 3/4 cup
**Nutrition is based on 3/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1.7mg

 

 

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CASHEW QUINOA COOKIES -- healthy chocolate chip cookies made with a base of cashew butter + quinoa!

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About Alyssa

Hey there, I’m Alyssa Rimmer, a certified Holistic Nutritionist, yoga-lover, dog mom, and founder of Simply Quinoa. It’s nice to meet you! I created SQ as a way to provide solutions for women just like me, who were struggling to find helpful information about how to live a healthy and fulfilled life. My hope is that you will find inspiration here on SQ – in my story, in my recipes, in the hundreds of wellness articles, and in our amazing community. Welcome!

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17 comments
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  1. Very scrumptious! I’m a sweet tooth queen and love to bake but recently went vegan. This is my first sweet treat as a vegan and I’m very pleased. Thank you! Enjoy

  2. I made these cookies, and they are DELICIOUS! I can’t believe how good they are for being vegan. My first batch has a slightly toffee taste/crunch to them, and I love it. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I will be making these regularly to feed my sweet cravings!

  3. I love quinoa, but I’ve never used it in baking! I know, I’m so bad, right? I haven’t been able to bake too much since we’re selling our house and we have to keep the kitchen clean. However, when I can, I will totally make these cookies!

  4. They taste amazing, but mine did not hold form as well as yours. They flattened out, and break quite easily. I used vanilla extract, but otherwise followed the recipie 100%. Thoughts?

    • Hmm could be that the added liquid was a bit too much. I would suggest lowering the temp of the oven and cooking them for like 20 minutes to help them harden up. You could honestly also add just a few tablespoons of quinoa flour and I bet they would hold together perfectly!

      • I also thought they tasted amazing, however mine also turned out completely flat, not as pictured. I started to wonder if I misunderstood “1/4 cup cooked quinoa” – is this 1/4 cup before or after cooking the quinoa?

  5. Looks delish! Can’t wait to try these. Question, could I use vanilla extract in place of the vanilla powder?

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