Eat ‘Em if You’ve Got ‘Em: Hemp Seed, Oat, Cacao Nib & Dried Cherry Cookies

Hemp Cookies on BlueFirst things first: I’ve got to say a big thanks to Your Daily Vegan for publishing my article, Getting It Right and Wrong: A Mainstream Newspaper Tackles Veganism, yesterday.  It’s a real thrill to see one’s effort on the “big” (computer) screen.  I’d be grateful if you’d take a moment to go read it – and also to explore the site.  Heck, start clacking away on the keyboard and submit an article yourself – they don’t pay you, but they don’t tell you what to say, either!

Now, onto cookies.  I’ve had a bag for hemp seeds in the cupboard for a while – kinda forgot about them, truth be told – until my memory was jogged by a blog post I read recently.  Not having an idea in mind as to what to do with them, I turned the package over to see if there were suggestions, and there it was – a cookie recipe.  It sounded pretty good, but also kind of boring.  So I started with the base, veganized it, reduced the fat and sugar content and added cacao nibs and dried cherries.

This is a delicious, soft cookie.  I love the texture of the hemp seeds and the tang of the cherries and the crunch of the cacao nibs.  They also freeze beautifully – which helps prevent you from eating all 18 at one sitting.

Hemp Seed, Oat, Cacao Nib & Dried Cherry Cookies
Makes ~18

1/4 cup vegan “butter”
Hulled Hemp Seeds1 very ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup maple sugar
1 tbsp. egg replacer + 3 tbsp. water (whisk together until frothy and set aside for a few minutes)
1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds (I used Bob’s Red Mill brand)
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup regular oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. powdered stevia
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/2 cup dried, tart cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the oats in a food processor and pulse a few times to break them down.  I get it to about the consistency of “quick” oats (you could also use quick oats in this recipe – just don’t use “instant” oats).  Set aside.

In a small bowl, cream the “butter” and maple sugar.  Add the mashed banana, vanilla  and egg replacer, stirring until smooth.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, whole wheat pastry flour, hemp seeds, salt, stevia and baking soda.  Mix in the butter mixture and then add the cacao nibs and dried cherries.

Cacao Nibs

It helps to use wet hands – scoop up the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on the baking sheets.  Gently press down to flatten the cookies.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.  Let cookies rest on pans for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

Follow on Bloglovin'

34 thoughts on “Eat ‘Em if You’ve Got ‘Em: Hemp Seed, Oat, Cacao Nib & Dried Cherry Cookies

  1. Pingback: Eat 'Em if You've Got 'Em: Hemp Seed, Oat, Cacao Nib & Dried … | The Hemp Network News

  2. Bridget

    Interesting to see a recipe with Stevia. I’m just starting to experiment with it. It’s very expensive though. Well done on getting published.

    Reply
  3. infinebalance

    Love those cookies… I want one now. Cherries and chocolate are one of my favourite combos. They’re low sugar too! Yay

    Reply
  4. Veggiewitch

    Cacao nibs are my all-time favourite addition to cookies. I love to nibble them on their own, too…
    VW ♥

    Reply
  5. Gabby @ the veggie nook

    Nice combo of ingredients! Loooooove hemp seeds! Have yet to use them baking though, glad to see your experiment turned out so well :)

    Reply
  6. keepinitkind

    I love the combo of sweet and tart! And I’ve never used hemp seeds before, but I think I will now that I have a good example of how to use them. Thank you!

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      I was really surprised when I opened the package – not what I expected (tho’ not sure what I expected!). They have kind of a grassy aroma – nice – but I wasn’t sure how that was going to translate to cookies! A good surprise.

      Reply
  7. tearoomdelights

    I love that little green dish of yours, and your cookies look amazing. I also really liked your veganism article and am so pleased for you that you achieved that publication, it’s great! I hope you get more articles published because you’re not only passionate about your lifestyle but also very level-headed with your feet firmly on the ground. You are an ideal ambassador for veganism.

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      Wow, Lorna! How sweet of you! It is a passion…and I’d rather come at people from a place of kindness and understanding than from hostility. It wasn’t THAT long ago that I myself was a meat-eater!

      Reply
      1. tearoomdelights

        This is what’s so great about your attitude. I don’t feel I’m being judged by you, despite your own strong beliefs, and you’re far more likely to win converts with that kind of attitude. I think I’m starting to view veganism differently since I met you.

  8. The Good Luck Duck

    I wonder if hemp is like cilantro – you have to have the right genes to like it. I’ve had two close encounters with hemp – one with hemp milk, the other with hemp oil – and I found the smell to be in the Top 10 Things I’ll Go Out of My Way to Avoid. I thought the first was an aberration, but the second took it out of the realm of coincidence. I don’t [heart] hemp.

    It just occurred to me that this might be rude. You can delete it.

    Roxanne
    The Good Luck Duck

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      Haha! No, I don’t think it’s rude at all! I’m not a huge fan of hemp milk, either. There is not a distinctly hemp flavor to these cookies – so you might like them – but I won’t push ;-)!

      Reply
  9. The Good Luck Duck

    P.S. I’m crazy about the cute little dishes you use in your photography. They make every picture look adorable.

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      Thanks! I have a thing for cute little dishes. And my mom and sister know this and they feed the habit – so I have a lot of them. Good thing I’ve now found a use for them all!

      Reply
  10. vegancharlie

    Alright I have two things to address 1. Those cookies look so delicious..I say that with everything you make! lol not if only i could start getting food mailed to me haha i’ll choose my battles. 2. I love love LOVE that article you wrote on youdailyvegan. It was well written and true! it is such a shame that people who dont know enough about what it means to be a vegan and the health benefits of being one as well. Instead we get these halfbutt people writing about veganism and how it is good for some ppl but not for everyone. I huffed and puffed as I read that and now my gears are officially ground! I think that you have inspired me to talk/interview some of the nurse practitioners on campus about the health benefits of a plant based diet 😛 again love that post

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      You are a big sweetie, Charlie! Thank you SO much! You are in a unique position – – our health practitioners for the most part (I’m generalizing) are unschooled in good nutrition; I mean what is really good for the body. And you are in the thick of it! I pronounce you Health Ambassadress! Go forth!

      Reply
  11. Richgail Enriquez

    Ha! Clever title. I wish I have half of these ingredients in my pantry. I guess it’s time to stock up!

    Reply
  12. Shira

    Great post – I’m going to read your article now. These cookies look beautiful as always, and I think I recognize that white spoon! 😉 Loving these ingredients!

    Reply
  13. Pingback: » Creamsicle Oatmeal Keepin' It Kind

Fill in the Blank: