Recipe- Vegan And Gluten Free AB And J Breakfast Thumbprint Cookies

These healthy (almond butter and jam) AB & J Breakfast Thumbprint Cookies are a great option for busy mornings. Topped with a fruit-sweetened raspberry jam and a drizzle of nut butter, kids and adults alike love these vegan and gluten-free breakfast cookies. Developing healthy, but still deliciously tempting meals and desserts has long been a passion of mine. I adore good food, but I also want the food I eat to nourish and energize me.

Ingredients

Date Paste

6 ounces dates
½ cup hot water

Raspberry Chia Jam

4 ½ ounces frozen raspberries
¼ cup date paste
½ tablespoon chia seeds

AB and JbBreakfast Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds
¼ cup almond butter
¼ cup date paste
2 tablespoons coconut oil
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Optional: raspberry jam, instead of making your own
Almond butter, to drizzle

Method

Date Paste

* Add boiling water to dates in a bowl, and allow to sit 2-3 minutes to soften. Add the dates and the water to a food processor bowl, and process until very smooth and the color lightens.

* This will make slightly more date paste than you need for this recipe, but I find it difficult to make less.

Raspberry Chia Jam

* In a small saucepan, add raspberries and date paste. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes, and then remove from heat. Add chia seeds, mix well, and set aside to thicken.

AB and J Thumbprint Cookies

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

* Add the oats to a blender, and pulse 6-8 times. The oats need to be broken up, but not blended into flour.

* In a mixing bowl, add date paste, almond butter, coconut oil, sea salt and baking soda. Mix well.

* Add the oats and chia seeds, and stir until combined.

* On a lined baking tray, scoop out 1 tablespoon balls of dough. I like to use a rounded tablespoon for this.

* Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball of cookie dough. I like to use a rounded ½ tablespoon for the perfect sized hole.

* Add a heaping ½ tablespoon of jam to the center of each cookie.

* Bake for 12 minutes.

* Allow the cookies to cool completely, and they will firm up.

* Once the cookies are cooled, you can drizzle them with almond butter. I find that raw almond butter is easier to drizzle, but you can also just spread a little almond butter on top when ready to serve.

* To keep my cookies looking nice, I freeze them on the cookie sheet, and then stack them in containers to keep stored in the freezer. These cookies can be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.