Chocolate-Sunflower Quinoa Cookies

Filled with protein packed quinoa, oats, a noticeable amount of chocolate chips and the sweetness of honey, these cookies are a serious boost of energy. Pass one of these cookies over to a starving, grumpy child after-school. Stand back. Then watch their mood improve as they munch it down. Grab one as a post-workout snack. Pack a few in your hiking pack as rewards. Or bribes. 

Yes, this cookies has sugar, honey and chocolate. It is, in fact, a cookie. But it also packs in quinoa, oats and a healthy ancient grain, surpassing the nutrition and staying power of most cookies. 

To keep the cookie relatively light in texture, I use a combination of regular white flour and an ancient grain to boost nutrition. I’ve used kamut, spelt and buckwheat flour. Each has offered up tasty cookie results and my 6-year-old taste tester has gobbled them up. 

Makes about 22 - 24 cookies

Ingredients

¾ cup white flour

¾ cup either kamut / spelt / buckwheat flour

1 tsp sea salt

¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup honey

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla 

1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled to room temperature

1 cup whole oats

1 cup chocolate chips

½ cup sunflower seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter, white sugar, brown sugar and honey in a large bowl until fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the eggs and the vanilla, beat until fluffy (1-2 minutes)

Beat in half the flour mixture, then the other half. 

Stir in the quinoa, oats, chocolate chips and the sunflower seeds. 

Spoon dough in portions that are about 2 tbsps onto the cookie sheets. Give them some space to spread. 

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 14-16 minutes.