Crunchy salted cashew cookies

I found this recipe via Baking Bites and it immediately ascended to the top of my to-bake list. Cashews occupy the #2 spot on my list of favorite nuts (#3 being pecans, and #1 being, well, inappropriate), and a recent trip to Costco had netted me several pounds of them. These cookies were easy to veganize, and turned out so good on their own that I didn’t even bother sandwiching them with dulce de leche (though you should feel free to do so!). This may look like a lot of steps, but it’s really not; I’m just a nut butter fiend and went overboard taking pictures.

2 1/2 cups roasted, salted cashews
2 Tbsp peanut oil (or canola oil)
8 Tbsp (1 stick) Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp coarse sea salt (optional)



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Place the cashews in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Remove 1/2 cup chopped cashews and set aside. Add the peanut (or canola) oil to the remaining cashews and process for one minute, until smooth. Mmm, homemade cashew butter!



Add the Earth Balance, sugar, and brown sugar...



...and process until smooth and creamy.



Add the flaxseed, water, and vanilla...



...and pulse until thoroughly combined. Add the flours in two parts, and pulse until just barely combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the reserved chopped cashews.



Grease your hands with cooking spray and mix in the cashews by hand. Roll dough into about 36 balls (minus, as usual, the amount you snack on raw), placing 12 at a time on the baking sheet. Use a greased fork to press the cookies flat (like you would with peanut butter cookies; you can do a single fork mark or make a cross-hatch).



Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if desired, and bake for 7-9 minutes (err on the side of underbaking). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (but they’re great warm, too!).

I never even got a closeup of one of the finished cookies, but in the picture below, the ones on the top pan just came out of the oven. After the cookies cool, their oily softness turns crispy and crunchy. Very reminiscent of PB cookies in flavor, the use of cashews adds a dimension of especial (monounsaturated) fattiness. I love how salty these are, too; the salt plays perfectly off the nuttiness and brown-sugared-sweetness. This made a pretty big batch, so a few days later, I actually ground up the last several cookies with just a little more oil, pressed the mixture into a greased pie plate, and froze it. Later, I used it as a cashew-licious crust for a vanilla pudding pie. Yum!



Yield: 3 dozen cookies. Per cookie: 126 calories, 7.7g fat (1.5g sat), 12.9g carbs, 1g fiber, 2.1g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
Nutella-stuffed peanut butter cookies
Raw pecan pie cookies
Choc-oat banana walnut cookies

Nutty carob chip cookies

I realize I’ve had a lot of chocolate desserts on this blog lately. This is slightly out of the ordinary, since I wouldn’t even really consider myself "a chocolate person," but I chalk (choc?) it up to the fact that I’m dating a chocolate-lover. Thankfully, said chocolate-lover is also open-minded when it comes to my nuttier (to others) forays into cooking and baking with natural ingredients, so he’s welcomed such sweets as these carob chip cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

1/3 cup soymilk
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups Sucanat (or other natural sugar)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup roasted carob powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup carob chips
3/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine soymilk, flaxseed, canola oil, Sucanat, and vanilla; whisk until smooth.



Sift in the flour, carob powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.



Stir to combine, but don't overmix. Fold in the carob chips and peanuts.



Drop dough in 2-Tbsp balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, about two inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes, remove from the oven, let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.



I’d never experimented with carob before, and I’m happy to report that I liked it! I found the carob flavor to be very pleasant, and I loved the crackled tops and crunchy nuts. You’re not going to fool anyone into believing these are chocolate, but if you think of them as a separate taste and enjoy them for what they are, I think they’re great. Even my chocolate-lover approved!



Yield: 24 cookies. Per cookie: 167 calories, 9.1g fat (2g sat), 20.3g carbs, 2g fiber, 2.8g protein.

If you like this, you might also like…
Chocolate peanut butter cookies
Choc-oat banana walnut cookies
Chocolate chip cookies

Nutella-stuffed peanut butter cookies

I love Nutella. I am obsessed with peanut butter. Put them together (or, rather, one inside the other), and what do you get? Hand-held perfection. Truly, there is nothing more I can say. The pictures speak for themselves.

For the cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

For the filling:
1/4 cup Nutella
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt

In a small bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, and salt. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the flaxseed with 3 Tbsp warm water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the margarine and sugars.



Beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Add the flax mixture and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the peanut butter and vanilla.



Add the flour mixture a little bit at a time, beating until all the flour streaks are gone (do not overmix).



Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.



Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and beat well.



You should be able to easily roll the filling into balls. If it’s too sticky, add more powdered sugar. Set aside until ready to use.



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Divide the chilled cookie dough into 1-Tbsp portions and roll into balls.



Flatten out two balls of dough at a time. Roll about 1 tsp of the Nutella dough into a smaller ball, flatten, and place on top of one round of dough.



Cover with the other round of dough, pinch edges to seal, and roll gingerly into a ball again. Repeat with all dough (you may have some filling left over) and place balls onto the baking sheet.



Gently press down on the cookies to flatten slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until the edges are golden. Let cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



WONDERFUL. Please do yourself a favor and make make MAKE these!



Yield: 20 cookies. Per cookie: 203 calories, 10.7g fat (3g sat), 23.6g carbs, 2g fiber, 3.5g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
No-bake PB-choc-oat cookies
Chocolate peanut butter cookies
Peanut butter bliss cake

No-bake PB-choc-oat cookies

Oh, I see, you thought I was going to start out the new year with a totally wholesome, healthy, guilt-free recipe? Not quite, although there’s really no need to feel guilty about eating these. The fiberful whole grain oats, monounsaturated peanut butter fats, and antioxidant-packed cocoa make up for the sugar and vegan margarine. They’re also super-quick and -easy, and the instant gratification factor is high since no baking is required.

My good friend Brandon shared this recipe with me, and challenged me to make it vegan but keep the awesome taste that got him addicted to making these. I am happy to report that I succeeded, and earned his characteristically difficult-to-acquire seal of approval.

1 stick (1/2 cup) Earth Balance
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup soymilk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 cups quick oats

Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. In a medium saucepan, bring margarine, sugar, cocoa, and soymilk to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute 30 seconds.



Stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and oats.



You can either drop by spoonfuls onto the waxed paper, or dump the whole mess on there and spread it out like a cookie pizza.



Let cool at least slightly before slicing and munching. The longer you wait, the more solid they will become. If you just can’t help yourself (we couldn’t), be prepared for a slightly sticky and pliable cookie experience. Not that there’s anything at all wrong with that.



Yield: 24 servings. Per serving: 174 calories, 7.3g fat (1g sat), 25.6g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein.

If you like this, you might also like…
Peanut butter chocolate cookies
Choc-oat banana walnut cookies
Peanut butter bliss cake

Raw pecan pie cookies

Have you ever thought about what you’d like your last meal to be? Now, I’m not planning on landing on death row anytime soon (although, morbid as it may be, I find this list fascinating), but I’ve given the last meal question ample consideration. I’d begin with an appetizer of hummus and pita. For my entrée, I struggle to decide between Thai Place’s cashew tofu stir fry (second pic here) and Touch of Asia’s dal makhani (right smack in the middle of this entry). Dessert, without a doubt, would be pecan pie.

I don’t know what it is about pecan pie that sings to my heart so, but I don't believe there’s anything more luscious than the syrupy symphony of sweetness that is pecan pie filling, knitted to the fragrant crunch of fresh pecans and married to a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth crust. Somebody get me a fan. Ahem. Anyway. This recipe comes courtesy of the legendary Ani Phyo, and the words "pecan pie" instantly landed it on my must-make list. Plus, it’s not only raw, but outrageously easy, so there was no excuse not to give it a try.

1 cup pecan halves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup dates, pitted
Unsweetened flaked coconut, optional

Combine the pecans, cinnamon, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. (As I wrote about last year, on my cruise to Mexico, I got to visit a farmer’s market in Mazatlán, where I was able to purchase cheap pecans and almonds [and a liter of vanilla; I’m still proud of that!]. My long-hoarded Mexican pecans found their home in these cookies.)



Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Add the dates...



...and pulse to form a mixture that can stay pressed together. The smell of the pulverized pecans is heavenly.



Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions and roll into balls. If desired, roll in unsweetened coconut. Flatten each to form a round cookie (I used the bottom of a glass, misted with cooking spray, to help). Place on the lined baking sheet.



(The four at the bottom I rolled in coconut.) Refrigerate (or freeze) the cookies to firm them up. Keep refrigerated to store.



It’s crazy that with so few ingredients, these do taste rather pecan pie-like. It’s not a dead ringer, of course, but the essence is there. The cookies are a little oily, quite chewy, and super-nutty. Until I can perfect a vegan pecan pie, these are a suitable swap to quell the craving.



Yield: 10 cookies. Per cookie: 124 calories, 7.9g fat (.5g sat), 14.8g carbs, 2g fiber, 1.4g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
Choc-oat banana walnut cookies
Pumpkin oatmeal cookies

Choc-oat banana walnut cookies

Some people shy away from recipes with flavor profiles that are too "busy." I, on the other hand, tend to be intrigued by such recipes, where the numerous main ingredients sound complementary on paper, but the only way to know if they really merge well is to try it and see. These cookies, peculiar as they are, receive a definite thumbs-up.

Randomly enough, these are apparently Susan Sarandon’s favorite cookies. I found the recipe in Health magazine, and changed a few things. I used whole wheat pastry flour in place of oat flour. For the oats, all I had were the quick-cooking kind, and they worked just fine. I reduced the oil a bit and replaced it with some applesauce to lower the fat a tad, but you can just use 1/3 cup canola oil if you don’t want to mess with the applesauce. I recently bought some of the new SoDelicious unsweetened coconut milk, and I’m loving using it in recipes. It’s a refrigerated product, and it’s not like what you get in the cans; it’s much thinner and lower-calorie (though using canned coconut milk could be yummy too). Feel free to use good old soymilk instead. Also, in retrospect, a spoonful of ground flaxseeds would have been a great addition to these.

One thing I wish the recipe had said is to pat down the cookies (or press them down with a fork) before baking. Mine remained ball-shaped. They still tasted great, but obviously lacked a little in the looks department. Other than that, though, the recipe is sound. Oh, and the cooking time is not a typo, believe it or not.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3T canola oil
Heaping 2T unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or soymilk)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 ripe banana, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, coconut milk or soymilk, and vanilla.



Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir to combine.



Fold in the banana, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the pan. These cookies won’t spread, so you can put them close together if you want. Do what I didn’t do and press them down lightly with your fingers or a fork before baking.



Bake for 25 minutes (yes, really) or until golden brown, turning the baking sheet halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack.



Fresh out of the oven, these are soft and chewy inside with just the slightest crust on the outside. After sitting overnight (in an airtight container), they become tender throughout. The oats and walnuts provide great texture, and the banana flavor comes through brightly but not overwhelmingly. The chocolate chips are a great extra burst of sweetness in an overall not-too-sweet cookie. These are interesting, unique, and delicious—I hope you try them and enjoy them as much as I did.



Yield: 16 cookies. Per cookie: 124 calories, 5.4g fat (1.2 sat), 18g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 2.2g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
Chocolate peanut butter cookies
Chocolate chip cookies
Pumkpin oatmeal cookies

Chocolate peanut butter cookies

Have you ever taken a bite of a just-baked treat and felt a surge of culinary ecstasy at the realization that you hit it out of the park? I experienced that with these cookies. I got the recipe from my friend Brett at work, and with two eggs and a stick and a half of butter, I never expected it to veganize as well as it did. Using two different egg substitutes seemed to help, and I was even able to reduce the margarine by 1/3. These cookies are a chocolate-and-peanut-butter lover’s dream, and suffice it to say they have a much lower guilt factor than the originals.

1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 Ener-G egg
1T ground flaxseed + 3T warm water
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter and/or chocolate chips



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the Earth Balance, sugar, and peanut butter until light and creamy. A stand mixer is easiest, but a hand mixer would do just fine too.



Add the Ener-G egg, followed by the flax egg, blending well after each addition. Or you can do what I did, and just mix both together and add half at a time.



Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in batches, blending lightly on low after each addition. After adding the last of the dry mixture, blend just until combined.



Gently stir in the chips by hand. I used the swirled peanut-butter-and-chocolate chips, but you can use all peanut butter chips, all chocolate chips, or a mixture of the two if you want, or if that’s what you have. I highly recommend getting both flavors in there, though.



Talk about a delicious dough. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased (or parchment papered, or Silpatted) baking sheet.



Bake for 10 minutes. They will seem underdone when you take them out, but don’t be fooled! Cool them on the baking sheet for a good 3-4 minutes...



...then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



These cookies are soft and almost brownie-like in texture, with just a slight chew. The dense peanut butter merges with the tender margarine to create the ideal backdrop for the deep chocolate flavor of the cocoa. The sugar collides with the peanut butter’s saltiness in pefect complement, and the chips take it over the top. I can’t say enough about these things.



And if you were wondering, they got a resounding thumbs up from the people who tasted the originals. In short, a definite home run.



Yield: 2 dozen cookies. Per cookie: 143 calories, 8g fat (3g sat), 16g carbs, 1g fiber, 3g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
Chocolate chip cookies
Pumkpin oatmeal cookies