Healthy Snacks: Yoga Cookies

I got the idea for this recipe when I picked up a Warrior II cookie cutter as a souvenir from a yoga retreat–all the way back in last November. Normally, cookie cutters call for a smooth, easy-to-roll dough like sugar cookies. But following the yoga theme, I became obsessed with the idea of making vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free cookies that are healthy enough to eat for breakfast and tasty enough to be a treat. This turned out to be pretty difficult–perhaps to no one else’s surprise but my own. Yes, it’s perfectly possible to achieve all of the above and make lovingly rustic, roughly round cookies. But rolling out that sticky dough was pretty impossible….until now.

After much trial and error, I finally figured out the right mix of ingredients for that holy grail! With buckwheat, sunflower seed butter, and dates, these cookies are moist and wholesomely sweet on the inside, with a slight crunch and nuttiness. Cinnamon adds just a touch of spice. They are full of healthy Omega-3s and protein, and great for on-the-go breakfast, afternoon snack, or as guilt-free dessert.

Yoga Cookies

makes 5 yogis, or 1 dozen small round cookies

1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained well

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup buckwheat (I used Bob’s Red Mill–it’s more coarsely ground than flour)

about 12 dates, pitted and chopped

3 tbsp flax milk or another non dairy milk

2 tbsp chia seeds soaked in 6 tbsp water

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp sunflower seed butter

1/8 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a blender or food processor, process all the ingredients until a dough forms. Make sure to chop the dates roughly before adding to the blender.

2. On a clean counter, lay a sheet of plastic cling wrap, slightly larger than your cutting board. Spoon the dough onto the wrap. Lay another sheet of cling wrap on top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 1/2″ thickness.

3. Lift away the top cling wrap, and press down on the dough with the cookie cutter. Tip: Leave the cutter in place and gently lift away the dough outside of it, so that you’re left with the shape inside. Repeat until you use up all the dough. Alternately, you can also skip the rolling process and hand shape your dough into regular round cookies.

4. Put the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the outside begins to turn golden. Cool to room temperature before enjoying. It keeps well inside a sealed container.