Pecan Maple Breakfast “Cookies”

Serves: Makes 20 Cookies

Recipe from 100DaysofRealFood

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

These cookies will make a convenient grab-and-go breakfast when coupled with a piece of fresh fruit.  Make a batch on the weekend and then pack them up to keep in your purse or desk or lunchbox.  They are not overly sweet.  To see lots of ways to adapt this recipe to your liking/needs, check out the notes at the end. The breakfast cookies freeze well after they are baked and cooled.

1 cup whole-wheat flour

¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce or homemade EasyPeasy Applesauce

3 Tablespoons real maple syrup (Not pancake syrup!)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but not melted

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375F and grease a cookie sheet. (I used parchment paper.)  Whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl using an electric mixer beat the applesauce, maple syrup, butter, egg, and vanilla.  While beating the mixture on a low speed add the dry ingredients until well blended.  Fold in the nuts with a spatula.  Drop onto prepared cookie sheet with a spoon or scoop.   Bake the cookies for 8 to 9 minutes or until they start to brown.  (I made 15 cookies and it took about 11-12 minutes in my crazy oven.)

Notes: (These are helpful comments from reviewers at 100 Days of Real Food.)

• This recipe makes great granola bars – just double ingredients, press into a 9×13 pan, and bake until they’re however crunchy you want.
• Try using ½ cup sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds and ½ cup dried cranberries instead of pecans.
• Use coconut oil instead of butter.
• Replace the applesauce and butter with 2 mashed ripe bananas and replace the egg with flaxseed and water.
• Replace the pecans with walnuts and raisins.
• Instead of making them into cookies, spread the dough onto a square Pyrex pan and spread organic strawberry jam on half of the dough. Bake 10 minutes.  Allow to cool then cut the square in half and placed the non-jam side on top of the jam side. 
• Substitute the maple syrup with agave nectar or honey.
• Add raisins to the recipe.
• Add ½ cup of grated carrot.
• Add some dark chocolate chips. 
• To make them vegan/dairy-free/egg-free, replace the egg with about ¼ cup of extra applesauce or mashed banana or pumpkin puree and the butter with coconut oil.