Friday, March 4, 2011

Pumpkin cranberry breakfast cookies: a recipe

Pumpkin cranberry breakfast cookies
Yay! Cookies for breakfast! And it's not some kind of scam!

I've been fairly obsessed over the past few months with finding recipes for grab-and-go style breakfast foods. The mini quiches were good but I'm partial to stuff that is so portable you can take it in the car, if need be ... if one is "allowed" to eat in the car. Or keep a pen and some kleenex in the car without it being labeled as "clutter." (ahem)

Breakfast cookies certainly fit the bill. And I've got to admit, these are healthier for you than most muffins or breads that you could make. Each cookie, as prepared, is only 60 calories, with less than one gram of fat. Yowza! You can eat a whole bunch!

This is one of those recipes, too, that you can vary, depending on how much you like specific ingredients. If you really enjoy the pumpkin flavor, for example, feel free to omit the applesauce and double up on the pumpkin puree. Or try using dried fruits other than cranberries. Go ahead and personalize it with your family's favorite flavors.

And you'll pretty much be parent of the year if you tell your kids they can have cookies for breakfast.

Pumpkin Cranberry Breakfast Cookies (adapted from a recipe by Shannon Holmes posted at food.com)

Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups rolled (old-fashioned) oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add all ingredients to one bowl and stir together until combined (a stand mixer is great for this).

Spray your hands with some cooking oil (the dough is very sticky) and roll the cookies into small balls. Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart, and press them down lightly.

Depending on the size of your cookies, bake 10-15 minutes until tops are no longer squishy when touched and edges are beginning to brown.

Cool on a wire rack and store in an air-tight container.

1 comment:

  1. These would probably go over big in my house. An I love pumpkin!! Not in pie, of course (gag), but in cookies and muffins and bread and all things carb-laden. :-)

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