Yet again I’ve had some fun inventing a guilt-free sugar fix! Have you guys noticed I always bake in very small batches? That’s because I’m a hog. And I love dessert oh-so-much. And I know if I make 12+ of ANYTHING, I could easily eat 12+ and still not be full. Why? Because I’m an animal! I train hard. And I’m vegan. My body is a well-oiled, high-performing MACHINE!

That being said, I still practice portion control. As much as I love building muscle, I also don’t want a thick layer of flab covering it 😉 So when I give myself treats, I make ’em small and I make ’em healthy. I bake with “getting jacked on the beanstalk” in mind.

With these maple oatmeal cookies, I’ve incorporated some of my favourite vegan supplements into the mix. For fat, I used PVL’s MCT Oil (derived from coconut oil and really good for providing energy minus the carbs) and North Coast Naturals’ Ultimate Daily Cleanse as my “binder” (super high in fiber and contains pre & pro-biotics.) And of course, I can’t do any kind of vegan baking without throwing some kind of protein powder in! So for these bad boys, I used North Coast Naturals’ plain brown rice protein.

DISCLAIMER: These are healthy and satisfying cookies. They most certainly aren’t “decadent” and are not one that will wow your non-vegan friends. In fact, I would like to change my “bad boy” reference above to instead the “nice and sorta cute” guy you flirt with from time and time and who always makes you feel good.

Let me know what you think! Makes about a half dozen.

Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1/4 cup MCT oil (or coconut oil)
1/3 cup unsweetened organic apple sauce
1/2 cup demerara sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tsp. maple extract
2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup North Coast Naturals Plain Brown Rice Protein Powder
2 Tblsp. North Coast Naturals Ultimate Daily Cleanse (or flax seed)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine MCT oil (or coconut oil) and demerara sugar (or brown sugar) in bowl. After well combined, add in maple extract and applesauce.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture (oats last.) Once fully combined, roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and flatten lightly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for about 10 minutes and let cool for a couple of minutes before going to hog town on ’em!

– Sam Shorkey