ABC (Almond Butter & Coconut) Breakfast Cookies

ABC Breakfast Cookies may look simple and unassuming.  But with a protein-packed combination of almond butter and rolled oats, these little cookies are a tasty and satisfying way to start your day. 

Last weekend, I tackled some major spring cleaning (can you call it "spring cleaning" if it happens before spring has officially started?  Happy Spring, by the way!).  In addition to our usual weekend cleaning routine, I also did a lot of those tasks that take a little more cleaning muscle.  Things like scrubbing down appliances, wiping down all the baseboard and trim, dusting ceiling fans, cleaning windows, and cleaning under the furniture.  By mid-morning, I was ready for a break.

These ABC (Almond Butter & Coconut) Breakfast Cookies hit the spot.  They're simple to make, satisfying, and surprisingly addictive.  I munched on two with a steaming cup of strong coffee, and I had to restrain myself from eating more.  Not because I was still hungry -- they're quite filling -- but because they were so tasty.  With a hearty combination of oats, whole wheat flour, and almond butter, these have plenty of whole grain and protein to keep you going throughout the day.  And when you're taking on a big household task, they're certainly a great motivator.

This is another recipe that I adapted from Mani Niall's Good Morning Baking. Niall's recipe originally called for peanut butter and chocolate chips.  I didn't have enough of either to make the recipe as originally written, so I improvised (no chocolate chips -- sacrilege in a baker's kitchen!).  I was very pleased with how these turned out.  I baked mine for about 14 minutes, which yielded cookies that were crispy on the edges, but still soft in the center.

(click here for printable recipe)

ABC (Almond Butter & Coconut) Breakfast Cookies

(adapted from Mani Niall's Good Morning Baking)

 

Cook Time: 13-15 minutes

Total Time:  40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup regular rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup almond butter
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

2. In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine whole wheat flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.  

3. In a large bowl, use hand mixer on medium speed to mix together butter, sugars, almond butter, eggs, and extracts.  Continue mixing until smooth and creamy.  Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, and stir together with wooden spoon until incorporated.  Add coconut and continue mixing.  

4. Use two large spoons to drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets (I used a two-tablespoon coffee scoop to measure my dough so that all my cookies were uniform in size and shape).  Each cookie sheet should have no more than 10-11 cookies, as the dough will spread slightly during baking.

5. Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes, until slightly browned and crispy on the edges.  The center of the cookies may appear slightly undone.  Allow to cool completely on the cookie sheets; the heat from the cookie sheets will increase doneness.  Stored in an airtight container, cookies will remain fresh for about 1 week.  

Yield: 22-24 cookies

(click here for printable recipe)

Thanks for reading, folks!  I hope you have a great weekend!