Sunflower Seed Butter Oatmeal Cookies

This healthy and delicious cookie post was inspired by my neighbor's son who has a nut allergy. The one thing he can eat and does use often is sunflower seed butter. I had never used sunflower seed butter before in baking, I usually opt for cashew, almond or peanut butter for my granola bars or cookies. I purchased SunButter at my local Whole Foods and after dipping my spoon into the jar for a taste test, I was hooked. Sunflower seed butter is naturally sweet, creamy and has a subtle nutty flavor that made me asking myself why I waited so long to try it.

What’s so great about sunflower seed butter? It’s peanut-free, tree-nut free, and gluten-free, so it’s great for people with these types of food allergies. It also has 1/3 less saturated fat than peanut butter and 27 percent of your daily recommended allowance of Vitamin E in one serving, and it’s high in iron, fiber and protein. I like the SunButter brand because it is sugar and salt-free which is a must for all my recipes.

The first time I made these I was blown away by how delicious these cookies were. My kids kept coming back for more. I brought them over to my neighbors for a taste test and before I knew it the plate was almost empty. I hid the last three to see how the cookies would taste the next day, and you won’t believe what happened? They turned slightly green on the inside. I quickly opened SunButter's FAQ question and this is what I found. The chlorogenic acid (chlorophyll) in sunflower seeds will react with the baking soda/powder when baked causing the product to turn green when cooled. This isn’t a bad thing at all and what makes sunflower seeds so good for you, just a little strange.  SunButter recommends adding some lemon juice or reducing the amount of baking soda/powder in the recipe. I made these again and added 1 tbsp of lemon juice to the recipe and this reduced the green color. I am going to make them again and also reduce the baking soda to 1 teaspoon. I don’t even mind the green color and I love the flavor of sunflower seed butter. I cannot wait to try it out in other recipes.

Anyone use sunflower seed butter before in baking? Please share some of your experiences.

I also splurged and added some unsweetened vegan carob chips to the cookies and I’m so glad I did. If you haven’t tried carob chips or carob powder in your recipes I highly recommend trying it, just make sure they are unsweetened. Carob is a great substitute for chocolate (especially if you have a chocolate allergy) and it has about one-third of the calories of chocolate and is low in fat. Carob chips do not taste like chocolate, they are slightly nutty, sweet and completely irresistible. I love the way they melt too.

Have you used carob chips or powder before? What do you think about it?

Sunflower Seed Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/3 cup sunflower seed butter

1/4 cup date sugar, this is the link to a brand I use Aunt Patty's Organic Date Sugar

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup unsweetened vegan carob chips

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1-2 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer plus 4 tbsp warm water as egg replacer (replaces 2 eggs)

2 tsp baking soda, sodium free Ener-G Baking Soda

1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, use nonstick baking mats or lightly spray a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.

Mix ingredients all together. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 15-25 minutes (15 minutes for a chewier cookie and 25 minutes for a crispier one). Allow to cool slightly before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store cookies in airtight container.

Nutrient-rich and delish. Enjoy!

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