Fruit & Spice Cookies – My Favorite Holiday Treat!

Photo by Forks Over Knives

My childhood holiday seasons were always filled with Grandma Kenrick’s famous “Christmas rocks.” These cookies looked a little like rocks, but they were sweet and chewy, and they had the perfect amount of spice. They were so delicious that this was the first recipe I modified to be free of eggs, processed sugar, and oil. This sugar-free fruit version is sweetened with apples, strawberries, and dates! With this healthy-tasty combo, these cookies are perfect to enjoy all year long.

Fruit & Spice Cookies

By Chef Katie Mae

Makes 2 dozen cookies | Ready in 35 minutes | Stores 1 week in fridge

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small apple, diced (or 1 cup applesauce, no added sugar)
• 1 lb fresh strawberries, halved (or 1 cup strawberry jam, fruit juice-sweetened)
• 3 cups rolled oats, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¾ cup water
• 3 tablespoons flaxseed, ground
• 8 Medjool dates, pitted and diced
• ¾ cup pecan pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add apple and strawberries and cover with a lid. Bring the juices from the fruit to a boil, stirring frequently. Once the fruit is partially broken down, turn the heat to low-medium. Reduce the fruit spread, by letting it simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes.
3. While the fruit is cooking, combine 1½ cups of the rolled oats, baking powder, and spices into large bowl and set aside.
4. In a blender, combine ground flaxseed, water, apple-strawberry mix, and the remaining 1½ cups of rolled oats. Process until it has an even consistency.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk together until evenly mixed. Stir in dates and pecans. The mixture should be slightly wet.
6. Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto prepared cookie sheets. Once the dough is on the tray, these cookies won’t spread so you can place them close together.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cookies cool for a few minutes and then enjoy warm!

CHEF'S NOTES

To save time and for a sweeter cookie, you can use applesauce and strawberry jam (fruit-sweetened) in place of the whole apple and strawberries.

To save time and a less sweet cookie, add the diced apple and strawberries to the blender without cooking them first. This will provide extra moisture; so decrease the amount of water added by ¼ cup.