Of course all cookies are a treat, but if you make them as healthy as possible you can give them out more freely. Whole sugars, such as Sucanat, have all the nutrients and minerals still intact. It’s still a sugar, but it is used by the body differently and doesn’t cause a loss of nutrients and minerals to process it, like white sugar does.

I developed this cookie recipe after becoming vegetarian and dropping eating eggs, as well. I don’t miss them, as this is a really nice soft cookie. I’ve made awesome double carob cookies (with both powder and chips), oatmeal raisin, and various combinations of different dried fruits and nuts. I think I even turned it into a peanut butter cookie, by adding some peanut butter and cutting back on the oil. All were delicious.

Basic Cookie Recipe

Making Cookies with your kids is a great way to connect. Make them healthy, too.

Makes: 2 dozen cookies

Oven: 325˚

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

  • 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup Sucanat
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. baking power
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • ¼  cup sunflower oil
  • ¾  cup water (approximately)

Preheat oven to 325˚. Put dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add wet ingredients and mix into dry ingredients. Add water slowly as some flours may need less water to form a stiff mixture. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from sheet, cool until just warm and then store in airtight container (if you haven’t eaten them all by now).

Variations can be made by adding any of your favorite treats. You can add carob chips, raisins, oatmeal, nuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruits, etc. Add them before you add the wet ingredients and mix them into the flour mixture. You can also change flavorings if you want. Adding 3-4 tablespoons of carob powder will give you a “chocolaty” cookie. Just remember when adding water that you want a fairly stiff dough. Other types of sweeteners can be used, but you may need to adjust the amount of water you add.