Copycat Vegan Flourless Whole Foods Tahini Cookie

Some lessons I learn the easy way…others I learn through repeated “oops“.

Each time I decide I’m ready to clean out the sugar in my diet, I  stop stocking up on anything that fits my allergy friendly needs (egg and dairy free). The result is that I just eat David’s crappy cookies and then I feel awful!

I know better than this, I do! But for some reason, I do it anyways – and usually it always happens when I’ve decided to take a break from processed sugar. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

I’m not a 100% sugar free person, it doesn’t work for me, but I am a pretty clean eater most of the time.

What does work for me is having something GOOD I can reach for when the sugar urge strikes. Something that doesn’t make me awful after eating, and still helps the sugar craving. After a long weekend trail run, while perusing the Whole Foods salad bar, I found myself drawn to these Vegan Flourless Tahini Cookies at Whole Foods and it was love at first bite.

They weren’t super sweet, but sweet enough, and also helped me to add variety to the nuts in my life. A win all around!

Of course, this quickly became a regular post-weekend adventure treat, and I soon realized that I could easily make them at home to save some money!! Plus if I make big enough batches, I can freeze them and have one to reach for whenever.

Whole Foods Vegan Tahini Cookie Copycat Recipe

These cookies are easy to make (always a requirement for me) and allergy-friendly on every level! If you have friends coming over they make a tasty dessert, a great hiking food, or even a little breakfast treat. Plus, you won’t feel guilty about grabbing one as a post-dinner treat.

Even if you don’t have food allergies, or you’re a bit skeptical about the gluten free or dairy-free hype, this recipe is still a great one to try! Once you take a bite you’ll forget that they are full of good ingredients and healthy benefits and just look at them as a regular, delicious cookie.

While you of course can buy these at Whole Foods, they are so easy to make at home because there aren’t many ingredients! More than likely, you probably have most of these ingredients already in your pantry. Plus, making your favorite store bought or restaurant food at home means you can control the exact brands of ingredients you want to use!

Ingredients

• 3 cups Love Grown Oats {Gluten Free}
• 1 cup Once Again Nut Butter Tahini
• 2/3 cup honey (local gives you allergy benefits!)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins (or dried cranberries)
• 1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Put oatmeal in blender or food processor for just a couple seconds to break down, then add it to a large mixing bowl
3. Mix in the honey, tahini, and cinnamon into the bowl.
4. Fold in raisins (or dried cranberries) and chocolate chips into the batter
5. Spray baking sheet or use parchment paper on a baking sheet
6. Use ice cream scoop or hands to form balls and place on the baking sheet (they flatten when baking)
7. Cook 15-20 minutes depending on size
8. Allow to cool, then enjoy!
9. Store in a tupperware container (or you can freeze some in a ziplock bag!)

Sports Nutrition

Not only are these cookies a healthy alternative to the everyday cookie or snack, but these are also a great choice for for runners and athletes.

I love showcasing foods that are a great choice for runners and this certainly fits the bill for a pre-workout or post workout snack. It’s not too heavy before a run and it’s filled with good stuff to start recovering after a run…basically I need no excuse to eat this anytime of day.

What are the benefits you ask? Well let’s break it down!

Oats –
Oats are filled with a ton of fiber that most people lack in their daily diet. They’re gluten-free, a whole grain, and are a nutritious source of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins as well! Oats are good for the heart, and keep your cholesterol and blood sugar low.

Tahini –
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. You know what makes hummus taste so good? It’s tahini! Not only is a super versatile ingredient (that can be used in both savory and sweet dish), but it is packed with a lot of minerals, is high in amino acids and is great for balancing hormones. Also it’s one of the best sources of calcium!

Honey –
Buy local! Really. Purchasing honey that is made from local bees as opposed to the processed ones you find in some stores is one of the best ways to reduce outdoor allergies. You can find local honey typically at the farmer’s market or in the local section of your grocery store. Raw honey also helps stabilize weight loss, is a great source of natural energy and a good antioxidant. Not to mention, it also helps the immune system too!

Cinnamon –
Cinnamon may be a tiny spice, but it’s powerful! There are a lot of health benefits to cinnamon – balancing blood sugar, god for the digestive system, a high source of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging, and helps protect heart health just to name a few. A little teaspoon of cinnamon (like in your coffee or tea each morning) is an easy and natural way to give your system a good boost.

Chocolate –
Ok, you may think this one is a little crazy – but have you ever heard of dark chocolate being good for you? It’s true. Obviously you don’t want to go overboard on it – but you can reap the benefits from it too! Chocolate is good for preventing cancer and diseases, improving heart health, balancing cholesterol and blood sugar, and is a rich antioxidant superfood.

So not only are these cookies a great choice to help those sugar cravings, they also are packed with tons of nutritional benefits you probably didn’t even realize. A win all around!

Do you try to remake foods you love from the store or restaurants?

What’s your favorite cookie?

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