Happy Trails Cookies

These cookies are a great source of healthy fats. My kids all love them and didn't ask any questions when I first served them as an after school snack (questions like-"What is in these?""Are they healthy?""Will you try them first?"). Recipe is adapted from Oh She Glows.

Happy Trails Cookies

Dry Ingredients

• 4 cups whole pecans, toasted
• 3/4 cup pepita seeds, toasted
• 4 cups rolled oats, ground into flour in a blender
• 2.5 cups whole rolled oats
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, blended into smaller pieces in the blender

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup brown rice syrup
• 2 T vanilla extract 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 and toast the pecans for 8-10 minutes, and the pepita seeds for about 5 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn. Remove and set aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 350 and line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (minus the pecans and pepita seeds).
3. In a blender, blend the toasted pecan and pepita seeds on pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add to the dry ingredients.
4. Use the same method to blend the chocolate chips into smaller pieces. Add to the dry ingredients.
5. Using the same blender, combine the wet ingredients.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. The dough will be very sticky.
7. Use a 2 T cookie scoop or your (damp) hands and pack the dough firmly into balls. Flatten the balls a bit before you bake.
8. Bake for about 10 minutes. The key to having soft cookies is to avoid overbaking them. They will still be a bit soft in the middle when they are ready to come out. Leave them on the baking sheet for another minute before removing them to a cooling rack. Once cooled, they can be stored in a sealed container. They freeze really well.

 Makes about 3 dozen cookies