Blueberry Hemp Heart Cookies
For some time now, I have been playing around with oatmeal-based cookies. They are gluten-free, they typically sustain you for a more extended period, and they feel like a more appropriate breakfast "cookie" if that is the route I end up going. This cookie hits the spot when you want something sweet without sending your blood sugar rocketing to the moon.
I have used banana as a sweetening agent in my baking for years now. I made these cookies to help satisfy sweet cravings and provide the body with some plant-based protein and omega fatty acid.
Omega-3 is exceptionally soothing to our bodies and helps reduce inflammation and support the healthy metabolism of hormones. I mean, if we are going to get a little vain here, they also help our skin look youthful and hydrated. So really, what is not to love?
I got the Omega-3 into these cookies using hemp seeds or hearts. These seeds are not only loaded up with healthy fats (3g of omega 3 per 1 tablespoon serving of hemp hearts, to be exact), they are also loaded with protein. For every 2 tbsp of hemp hearts, you get 11 grams of protein, making them a great addition to most baking, any salad, your smoothies or heck as a topper on just about anything!
Alright, enough talking about all the health benefits of these cookies, let's get to making some tasty treats!
Ingredients
1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
3/4 cup Oat Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Hemp Hearts
1 medium Ripe Banana, mashed
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil, softened
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp Corn Starch (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
To make oat flour take 3/4 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats and blitz them in your food processor or blender until it is a fine powder.
Mix all dry ingredients - oats, oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and hemp hearts. Stir together with a whisk or a fork until everything is well combined. Do not over stir the ingredients, or you will have pretty flat cookies.
In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients - mashed banana, coconut oil and vanilla extra. Give this a good stir to break down as many banana chunks that you can.
If using the cornstarch, add blueberries to a small bowl and sprinkle with corn starch. Stir it to coat the berries. This will help to stop the blueberries from bleeding colour into the rest of the cookies. It doesn't matter if they are frozen or fresh. If you don't care if your cookies end up purple/blue, just skip this step.
Add wet ingredients and blueberries into the dry ingredient bowl and give it a good stir to combine.
Scoop out the cookie dough with a tablespoon and place it on a lined baking sheet with about an inch between each cookie. Flatten the top of each cookie with the back of the spoon to help the center cook during baking.
Place cookies into the preheated oven and allow to cook for 12-15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them over to a cooling rack.
Enjoy! If you aren't going to eat them right away, be sure to place them in an air-tight container and put them in the fridge to preserve their freshness.
