Paleo gluten-free PB& honey cookies

I am preparing for a pretty intense workout program that has a limiting diet accompanying it. Therefore I am doing a bunch of baking for things I am able to eat during this diet! There's nothing special about this diet, it's just eating healthy natural foods instead of highly refined carbs and sugars and high unhealthy fatty foods etc.... A theory that has worked for me in the past is to provide myself with cheating snacks that stay within the guidelines of my diet. Otherwise I will cheat with foods that are way off course, get deflated, and likely just stop the food plan. 

I stopped a very healthy eating pattern when we had to move out of our home for renovations. we are practicing community living with both of our parents while they graciously provide us with a home. This means I do not have complete control over what I am being served for dinner. Although the food has been nutritious, I just found it less stressful not following an eating plan during the first few months, since my son was still quite a handful. Now that our life has settled down, and we have a bit more of a routine, this seems a bit more realistic. ... Plus I gained some weight, and need to get rid of that!

These cookies are agreeable to a number of different diets including: the Paleo diet, the gluten-free diet, ovo-vegetarian diet, and a natural eating plan. In fact, with full can of chickpeas and over a cup of natural almond butter, I would classify these cookies as protein and healthy carbs rather than a junk food. They do you have honey in them, so dont just think you can eat the whole batch with no consequences! Plus Honey, almond butter, and chickpeas are all quite calorie dense. It is important to watch that as well.

Anyway, here we go!

Yep! That is it! Vanilla, chickpeas, honey, almond butter, eggs, and you're healthy add-in choices. (you do not need to use natural almond butter if you do not have.  You can use whatever you have on hand. These cookies taste delicious with plain old sweetened peanut butter.) you can choose to use plain unsweetened peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or tahini. Macadamia butter is a bit too liquidy for these cookies. Sweetened nut butter will add a bit more sweetness to these cookies. That is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you plan to serve them to company. These cookies are just sweet enough for me without a sweetened nut butter. 

When I work with natural nut butters, I always make it fresh or buy it from bulk barn because it is fresh and not separated. If there's one thing I truly hate, it is trying to stir up natural almond butter that has separated. It is like trying to mix oil into a rock. All of the hard bits settle to the bottom and the oil also it's on top. And as I try to stir, the oil just splashes everywhere making a mess. I also sometimes make my own nut butters and keep them in the fridge. This seems to help prevent separation, and helps them last longer. The fridge will also help prevent nut butters that you buy fresh from the bulk store from separating. 

This recipe will require a blender. As pictured above in a clockwise motion, start by putting your eggs, vanilla, and honey in the blender bottom. Next put your chickpeas in, followed by your nut butter. After blending it should resemble the fourth picture. 

Put the mixture into a bowl, and add your healthy add-ins. I always do at least half a cup of coconut, and half a cup of slivered almonds. For the other half cup, use whatever you like! For this batch I chose to use sunflower and pumpkin seeds. You could go even healthier and use Chia seeds ground flax seed brands or anything else you like. You could also add something a bit sweeter, such as cranberries or dark chocolate chips.

Stir it all up, and spoon it onto parchment lined cookie sheets by heaping teaspoonfuls. Bake at 350° for 14 to 15 minutes.

Voilà! Delicious nutritious snacks! I made about 66 cookies from this. Of course that's only 60 after I do my taste testing.  I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Paleo Gluten-Free PB & Honey cookies

1 can chickpeas (19 oz, drained and rinsed)

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups nut butter (any variety, natural or sweetened)

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup slivered almonds (or chopped nuts that match your nut butter)

1/2 cup healthy add-ins (seeds, fibers, dried fruit, dark chocolate etc...) I used pumpkin and sunflower seeds. 

Mix into blender in this order: eggs, vanilla, liquid honey, chickpeas, baking powder, and nut butter. Blend until smooth. Scrape into a mixing bowl and add coconut, almonds and healthy add-ins. Stir well. 

Spoon by heaping teaspoons full into parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350° For 14-15 minutes. Cool and enjoy. These freeze well.