Strawberry Breakfast Cookies

By á-29897

These strawberry breakfast bars, or "cookies," are delicious, especially when you need a quick breakfast on the go. Make ahead and keep these in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 large ripe banana, peeled
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon coconut nectar or agave nectar
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries
• 2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 5 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-4 tablespoons vegan, gluten-free plain or vanilla protein powder, optional

Details

Servings 20
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 50mins
Adapted from 86lemons.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Check dates to make sure there are no pits. Even pitted dates occasionally have a straggler or two. Place dates and banana in a food processor and pulse until dates are very finely diced.

In a large bowl, stir together date mixture, applesauce, coconut oil and coconut (or agave) nectar until well combined. Add strawberries and gently stir.

In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining dry ingredients. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir until well combined.

Form batter into 2-inch balls, place onto prepared cookie sheet and pat down to about ½-inch thickness. If desired, use your fingers to form cookies into a square shape. (I was able to fit 12 cookies on a large baking sheet.)

Bake for 30 minutes, until cookie bottoms are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cook's Note:
Cookies will firm up as they cool. Feel free to swap the pecans for your favorite nut, or leave them out if desired. Chia seeds and protein powder aren’t crucial to the recipe, but they add great nutrition. Flaked coconut can be omitted, but you may want to add extra oats if the batter is too wet.ht container in the refrigerator.