Regina’s Healthy Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

[cathy79]

Name of Recipe:Regina’s Healthy Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

These taste and look a lot like Chocolate Crackles, but are a lot healthier.  They don't set quite as hard.  Would be fun and easy to make by hand with the kids (after the first melting stage).

Ingredients
150 g Rapadura
100 g water
20 g cocoa powder
80 g unrefined, virgin, raw coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
300 g rolled oats* (puffed rice or rice bubbles might work)
1/2 cup nut butter of choice - I used homemade almond butter
50 g unsweetened, shredded coconut (optional)
30 g sultanas (optional)

Procedure
1. Place rapadura, water, cocoa powder and coconut oil in TMX bowl.  Set to cook for 3 minutes, 100deg, speed 3.

2. Add vanilla, rolled oats, coconut, nut butter and sultanas.  Mix on reverse, speed 5, 20 seconds, or until combined.

3. Drop by heaping spoonfuls on lined tray.  Place in fridge to firm up.  Should be ready to eat in just a few minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

Tips
For anyone interested in using soaked then dehydrated rolled oats:
A few days before making these cookies, soak 5 cups of thick rolled oats overnight in water to cover (and then some) along with 1/4 cup of raw apple cider vinegar, Kombucha, kefir, yogurt or other acidic liquid. Drain and rinse. Then spread in layers on dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 95 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit until dry and crisp. Then proceed with the recipe.
I haven't tried the soaked version.

Source
Original recipe with picture can be found here.  I halved the original recipe which apparently yields 4 dozen  .

members' comments

RoxyS - Could I use raw sugar instead of rapadura or would that defeat the healthy nature of the cookies?

Cathy79  - I'd perhaps try brown sugar as it would be closer in taste and colour.

rubyslippers -  they are very tasty.  I kept thinking to myself how great they would taste with some rum added in!  Next time I think I'll need to make an adult batch and a children's batch. Any suggestions for a substitute to make these nut free would be welcome.

Thermomixer - I'd try either some more coconut oil, or if you don't have issues with it, about 1 tbsp of butter. Is Tahini (sesame seed paste out for nut free zones?)

cathy79 - Some schools include sesame seeds with nuts.  Try "sunbutter" made from ground up sunflower seeds.

zebraa - I prefer a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds taste wise. Cindi O'Meara generally recommends organic raw sugar as a substitute health wise if you can't get rapadura. This looks great, thanks. Some puffed amaranth might be a good addition too.

pinkscrapbooker - The sunflower freenut butter we had was almost identical taste and smell to peanut butter - I had to put in note in DS's lunch box when he went to vacation care, otherwise he gets into trouble for having a nut spread in his box!

Amy - I made these biscuits using raw sugar, and slightly less of it.  Added some linseeds and cinnamon. I also used raisins instead of sultanas. A great, easy recipe. Thanks!

[RoxyS]

Cathy, thanks for the instructions regarding the soaking of the rolled oats. i am waiting for a friend to find her dehydrator that she is going to loan me.

Sounds like a nice recipe to try. Could i use raw sugar instead of rapadura or would that defeat the healthy nature of the cookies?

[cookie1]

These sound interesting. My curiosity will have me making them. We love oats in biscuits.

[Thermomixer]

Thanks CB79 - sounds interesting indeed.  Might have to get the dehydrator out again.  Put it away after drying some fruit & tomatoes.

[cathy79]

Cathy, thanks for the instructions regarding the soaking of the rolled oats. i am waiting for a friend to find her dehydrator that she is going to loan me.

Sounds like a nice recipe to try. Could i use raw sugar instead of rapadura or would that defeat the healthy nature of the cookies?

Roxy, I'd perhaps try brown sugar as it would be closer in taste and colour.

Not sure whether you've read this thread which discusses the health benefits of rapadura.  Personally, I like the fact that it contains vitamins and minerals and is more "whole", as opposed to being just plain sugar.  My 5yr old is on low GI due to health issues, and rapadura doesn't create the sugar ups and downs of ordinary sugar.  I try and keep her sugar intake low, and make sure that it's high quality.  Also, eating the sugar with some healthy fats means it's better absorbed by the body (as opposed to a lollipop or other jelly sugar type treats).

[Tebasile]

Thank you for your soaking tip Cathy. I'm wondering, if the oat flakes won't get to mushy after soaking overnight  .
I soak my oat groats (and other grains) always first, dehydrate and flake then.

[cathy79]

Thank you for your soaking tip Cathy. I'm wondering, if the oat flakes won't get to mushy after soaking overnight  .
I soak my oat groats (and other grains) always first, dehydrate and flake then.

I haven't tried soaking oats yet - but Chelsea has.  I can't figure out how it would work - will have to put a dehydrator on my wish list so I can try it.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I soak rolled oats and steel cut oats and then dehydrate them.  They work well. 

[Tebasile]

I soak rolled oats and steel cut oats and then dehydrate them.  They work well. 

Thank you Chelsea. Good to know, since they are already precooked/steamed. Your granola looks delicious 

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

The steel cut oats that I buy are simply sliced oat groats, but the rolled oats are steamed and rolled. 

I am always in a dilemma when I buy my oats.  I prefer to use steel cut as they are less processed but they come from the other side of the country and aren't fresh.  Whereas an organic farm in a neighbouring valley grows oats, but I can only buy them as freshly rolled oats. Nice to have the choice though I guess.

[rubyslippers]

I made these and they are very tasty.  I kept thinking to myself how great they would taste with some rum added in!  

Next time I think I'll need to make an adult batch and a children's batch  

I realised while putting them on the tray that my DS couldn't take them to school as they had peanut butter in them.  I know I can make them with other nut butters, however we are changing schools next year to a "NUT FREE" school (not just peanuts), any suggestions for a substitute would be welcome please?

[Thermomixer]

I'd try either some more coconut oil, or if you don't have issues with it, about 1 tbsp of butter. Is Tahini (sesame seed paste out for nut free zones?)

[cathy79]

Some schools include sesame seeds with nuts.  Try "sunbutter" made from ground up sunflower seeds.

[Kym]

I'm going to give this a try on the weekend.  Thank you.

[zebraa]

I prefer a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds taste wise.

Cindi O'Meara generally recommends organic raw sugar as a substitute health wise if youcan't get rapadura.

This looks great thanks. Some puffed amaranth might be a good addition too.