Quinoa Monster Cookies

So these aren't exactly "healthy" cookies but I am calling them a little-healthier-than-the-usual-monster-cookies healthy. 

See...there is no flour and instead of oats I used quinoa flakes. 

If you are watching your diet you may not want to make these because, while they are a touch healthier than the usual monster cookies, they are still full of aaaaall that good stuff that is not exactly good for you. Plus, they taste amazingly delicious so there is no way you will be able to eat just one.

Just wanted to give you fair warning.

Quinoa Monster Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa flakes

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

generous pinch sea salt

1 cup fine coconut

1 1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup coconut palm sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup M&M's (I used coconut M&Ms)

1 cup chocolate chip

1 cup slivered almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together quinoa, baking soda, salt, and coconut.

In a medium bowl, stir together peanut butter, butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Stir briskly until well combined. 

Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir in M&Ms, chocolate chips, and almonds. 

Scoop by the spoonful onto prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

Bake at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes. (I did 6 minutes, rotated tray, then 6 more minutes) Tops should just be a tiny bit brown. Bottoms will be golden brown.

If you overcook them they will be crunchy cookies and not chewy cookies. Depending on your preference, you may enjoy them crunchier. Myself, I like chewy, so I only let the tops get a teeny tiny bit of brown before I remove them.

This makes a fairly large batch - using my medium cookie scoop I got 44 cookies. The recipe can easily be halved.

Oh, and you can easily change your add ins. The M&M's, chocolate chips, and almonds can be changed to your favorites. Ie: pecans, peanuts, walnuts, craisins, raisins, dried fruit, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, M&M peanuts, etc...

I'm sure you could also switch the coconut palm sugar for regular white sugar as well (or more brown sugar).

Okay, so these aren't going to win any "healthiest cookie" awards BUT they could be in the running for tastiest cookie. 

 

Looking for some exciting links? Check out Memories By The Mile and Chef In Training!