I love the month of June.
In Sunnyside, our new temporary location, June is an especially lovely month.
Not too hot, but warm enough to stay outside well into the evenings. Since we’re more up north, it doesn’t get dark until almost 9:30!
The kids like to ride their bikes in the driveway after dinner.
Then we go swimming. 
Followed by a dip in the hot tub.
These cool early-summer evenings are made better with cookies made by my mom.
Since one of my nieces went gluten-free 4 years ago, & now that Salem & I are wheat-free & (mostly) gluten-free, my mom has learned how to create gluten-free cookies.
I call these June cookies, because they are the perfect end to beautiful early summer’s day.
A word of warning: these cookies are addicting! I think I ate 6 or 7 (they’re small, so I can do that, right?) right out of the oven. So, while these are healthy take on the traditional oatmeal cookie, they’re not calorie free. There, you’ve been forewarned. Also, to make these truly gluten free, you’ll have to make sure the oats you use are certified gluten-free. Since I’m not Celiac, I’m not strict about using only gluten-free oatmeal.
These are one of the best oil-free cookies I’ve had. A lot of times, lowfat cookies turn out cake-y. These one’s are pretty dense, and more cookie-like than any lowfat cookie I’ve tried. And don’t skimp on the nuts either–the walnuts add lots of flavor, texture, & some fat.
{Here are a few things to help you in your cookie baking adventure– my fave: cookie scoop, measuring cups, whisk, wooden spoon, mixing bowls.}
A gluten-free, vegan cookie fusion of oats, coconut, & walnuts!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 c. millet
- 1 1/4 c. brown rice
- 2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 c. organic coconut palm sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 TBS. baking soda
- 1 TBS. cinnamon
- 1 c. applesauce
- 3 TBS. ground flax seed
- 1 c. raisins
- 2 c. water
- 1 c. chopped walnuts or almonds
- 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
- 3 c. old fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. During the summer, you might want to hold off doing this until you're almost ready to pop the cookies in, otherwise it can get mighty hot in the kitchen!
- First thing you need to do is mill the millet, brown rice, & 2 c. oats. My mom uses her vita-mix to do this. I use my Blendtec. If you have a flour grinder, you can also use this. If you don't have a flour mill or blender that makes flours, you can buy the actual flour & reduce the amounts of the grains by 1/4 c.
- Take your freshly milled flours & combine with the coconut palm sugar (it's like brown sugar, but vegan & less refined, so if you don't have this, brown sugar will do), sea salt, soda, & cinnamon. Sift or, do as I do, & use a wire wisk to blend the dry ingredients.
- In your blender, combine the raisins, flax seed & water & give it a whirl until you have a thin paste. Add applesauce & blend briefly, just enough to mix everything.
- Now's the time to combine everything! In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients with your wet.
- Add the walnuts, coconut, & rolled oats. These are the secret ingredients that give the cookie lots of texture & flavor, so feel free to be generous with your measurements.
- This next step is important--make sure to combine the ingredients, but don't overmix. Mix just enough so that everything is incorporated. You don't want cake-y cookies & since these are low-fat, they are already going to lean towards a more cake-like cookie, so only mix the bare-minimum.
- I hope you have a small cookie scoop ). Get yours (or drop by uniform balls, much harder this way if you ask me, but do-able) & place scoops on non-stick cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- When you take your cookies out, they should look slightly under-cooked. This is good! They will firm up after a few minutes (this is one of the secrets to successful cookie making).
- Let the cookies cool on a cookie rack.
- Pour yourself a glass of your favorite milk, sit on your porch, patio, or what have you, & enjoy a breezy summer evening!
Per serving: 9 g carbs, 1 g protein, 1 g fiber, 30 mg sodium.
This recipe makes A LOT of cookies, so be prepared to freeze some, or cut the recipe in half (or if you have a lot of hungry mouths, like I do, they'll vanish in no time!).
This recipe can also be found at Diet, Dessert, & Dogs & Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.
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