Were you looking for wholesome vegan cookies bursting with tropical flavour? Stick around and make some mango and coconut cookies! We designed this recipe with three goals in mind: maximum health, diet-friendliness, rich tropical flavour. Let us tell you how we have done this and then we'll take you straight to the recipe!
We have selected a mix of ingredients that is both flavourful and wholesome. These ingredients make the recipe not just vegan, but also gluten-free, sugar-free, and oil-free.
To make these tropical cookies gluten-free, we replaced plain wheat flour with a blend of coconut and oat flour. Using this mix has the added benefit of enriching the recipe with fibres and healthy fats. Fibres are essential for losing weight, while healthy fats increase the good cholesterol and lower the bad one, which is good for your heart.
We also removed all refined added sugars and instead used a selection of ripe bananas, mangos and apples - fruit rich with healthy fructose. Did you ever think you could have one of your five portions of fruit by eating cookies? Amazing! Bananas and mangos are also rich sources of potassium, manganese and vitamins A, B, E, and C in particular. A cup of mangos gives you almost 70% of your RDI for vitamin C.
As this recipe is vegan, we got rid of all animal products, like butter, eggs, and milk. But instead of replacing them with oils, we chose a fruit-based, oil-free alternative: applesauce. Applesauce is a marvel ingredient that can act both as a natural sweetener and as a fat replacement in baked products. We used it in our applesauce cookies and digestive biscuits as well, and we got fantastic results.
Finally, we added nutty flavour and extra nutrients by incorporating chopped brazil into the cookie dough.
Brazil nuts are an excellent source of healthy fats and selenium. Imagine that a single brazil nut gives you almost 200% of your RDI for this mineral! Have two per day, and you'll never suffer from selenium deficiency. Scientific studies have found selenium to be essential for a healthy thyroid and to be capable of reducing the risk of cancer, strengthening the immune system and improving our mood [1].
In conclusion, our coconut and mango cookies are about as healthy as eating a handful of nuts, seeds, and fruit. They are suitable for vegans, people with diabetes, celiacs, and anyone who values foods with no added sugars and lots of heart-healthy fats. Follow our easy recipe below, and you'll be nibbling on these tropical treats in around 30 minutes!
NOTE: The default ingredients yield 12 cookies, and one serving consists of two biscuits.