Low-sugar, Vegan, Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am constantly on a quest for low sugar treats. My purpose is partly to fool myself into thinking that I am eating something healthy (they ARE healthier than a processed or full-sugar/butter-laden treat, but they are STILL treats) and partly to train all of our taste buds into appreciating foods with less or no sugar (it has worked on my daughters; my son cannot be fooled—he will eat and enjoy foods like this, but then request something more nutritionally volatile—like all those foods we don't keep in the house but that everyone—bank tellers, grocery clerks, little old ladies—seems to offer him once they have taken even the slightest gander at those precious dimples of his).

So yesterday I made what I like to call scookies, part scone/part cookie, though my taste-testers said they were more like sconkies, more scone and less cookie. While I agree with their assessment, sconkie sounds a bit like a circa 1985 Valley Girl word that one would use to judge someone harshly: "Oh! My! God! He is such a sconkie!" or "Did you see what that sconkie in the neon green parachute pants just did? Gross."

Therefore, I am sticking with scookies.

Vegan, Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Scookies

2-3 dozen, depending upon size

Ingredients:

12 dates (without pits)

2 T.  ground flax seeds

1 c. water

1/4 c. almond butter*

1.5 c. brown rice flour

1 c. oats

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1/2 raisins

1 c. chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life because they are vegan and MSG-free)

Preheat oven to 325.  Either lightly grease (with coconut oil or some other vegan substitute) or line (with a silpat liner or parchment paper) a cookie sheet.  In a blender macerate dates, flax, and water.  Pour into a mixing bowl.  Add almond butter and stir.  In another bowl, add flour, oats cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Combine.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined.  Add raisins and chocolate chips and lightly combine.  Drop onto cookie sheet.  You might wish to flatten slightly with your hand or a spatula.  Bake 12-14 minutes.

Enjoy.

* If you have a tree-nut allergy, you can either omit the almond butter and add just a little less flour or replace with coconut oil, peanut butter, or sunflower butter

I write.  I knit.  I create vegan, gluten-free food.  I homeschool my three children, two of whom joined our family through adoption from Haiti.  I blog at Adventures in Lakeschooling