These tasty wheat-free cookies, containing the goodness of rolled oats, unhulled sesame seeds and pepitas, are a great healthy snack to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- VG Vegetarian
- S Sweet
- S/S Sides/Snacks
- Prep time 20 mins
- Cook Time 10 mins
- Serves 22-28
- Difficulty medium
Method
- Preheat oven to 175°C.
- Melt butter and maple syrup together over low-medium heat. Allow to cool for minutes.
- Meanwhile combine oats, flour, seeds, coconut, sugar and cranberries in a bowl.
- Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and add to butter mixture and stir. This will make it foamy. Add to dry ingredients and mix.
- Using hands, roll into balls the size of walnuts and place on trays lined with baking paper. Flatten slightly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.
- Allow to cool on tray for a few minutes before moving to cooling rack.
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Nutritional information
By Jean Hailes naturopath and herbalist Sandra Villella
These biscuits, with an Anzac-like texture, are high in fibre, containing the goodness of rolled oats, unhulled sesame seeds (much richer in calcium than regular sesame seeds) and pepitas.
Cranberries are a rich source of various antioxidants, including ones specifically found in cranberries that help reduce urinary tract infections.
You can be savvy about the choices you make to satisfy your sweet tooth. You can reach for a donut with no nutritional benefits or try these biscuits, which are a great example of a wholesome snack that still satisfies a craving for sweetness.
I bake nut-free biscuits for the school lunchbox every week. I usually look for a recipe based on what I have at home and adapt it by changing white flour to a wholegrain flour or oats. I mostly use wholemeal spelt flour. Spelt is a slightly moister grain, so the liquid part of the recipe doesn't need to be changed to compensate for choosing wholemeal over white flour.
I then look at modifying the sugar. Coconut sugar substitutes well for biscuits; I also like to use honey or maple syrup. Most of them have a slightly lower glycaemic index (GI) than white sugar. GI is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0-100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar after eating.
Aim for carbohydrates with a low GI (55 or less), as they digest at a slower rate and keep blood sugar levels rising gradually, which is better for you.
There is no denying that these cookies taste sweet, but they also provide other nutritious ingredients that provide some protein, are high in fibre, and help sustain blood sugar levels.
