Are you after a high-protein breakfast that is easy to carry around and is super healthy? Then you'll love our sweet potato "breakfast" cookies.
We designed this recipe to make something new and exciting for breakfast. And, of course, something that everyone could enjoy, regardless of diets or food allergies. That's why these sweet potato cookies are both vegan and gluten-free. The recipe is also made without any refined sugars, as we have used healthy maple syrup instead.
But our main goal for this recipe was using natural ingredients with lots of proteins and that release energy slowly. Both these properties are critical to healthy breakfast, even more so if you are on a weight-management diet.
Eating foods that give energy (calories) to your body all at once often results in a spike in blood sugars, which eventually your body turns into excess fats. By eating fibre-rich foods, you can minimise this process and keep your weight in check. Moreover, as fibres slow down the metabolism of nutrients, you feel energised and satiated for longer.
Here are the wonderful ingredients that made these cookies so healthy:
Sweet potatoes - a fun alternative to pumpkin for bakes, rich in fibres and vitamin A. It' also a great butter alternative in vegan recipes.
Oatmeal - an excellent fibre-rich and gluten-free replacement to wholewheat.
Chia seeds - a rich source of proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, and fibres.
Apricots - one of the fruits with the highest amount of proteins, and a great source of vitamins A and C.
Mix of nuts and seeds - as a source of healthy fats.
Eat a couple of these cookies, and you'll get 16% of your recommended daily intake (RDI) for proteins, 23% of your RDI for fibres, and just 11%of your RDI for sugars. Moreover, you get lots of healthy fats from nuts and seeds. And best thing of all? They are ready in just 40 minutes. Make them yours now!
NOTE: The default ingredients yield 12 cookies and one serving consists of two cookies.
What spices go well with sweet potato cookies?
Using pumpkins or sweet potatoes in cookies is fun, as they let us experiment with many ingredients usually reserved for savoury recipes, like spices and herbs.
If you want to spice up these cookies, here is what you could use:
Crushed cardamom seeds
Ginger powder, or grated fresh ginger
Cinnamon powder
Pumpkin spice mix - a combo of clove, nutmeg, allspice and ginger.
Rosemary
Chillies
Looking for inspiration for more spicy bakes? Check out these recipes:
Which nuts and dried fruits can I use in this recipe?
In our sweet cookies recipes above, we used almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried apricots. But if that doesn't strike your fancy, there are other nuts and dried fruits you can use.
Here are some ideas to get you going:
Walnuts
Hazelnuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Flaxseeds
Poppy seeds
Dried mango
Dried cranberries
Raisins
How long will these vegan cookies last?
Because these cookies are vegan, hence made only with plant-based ingredients, they can last a few days longer than traditional ones. If stored at room temperature in an air-tight container, you could keep them around for up to 5 days.
You can extend their lifespan up to two months by storing them in the freezer. These cookies freeze quite well, as they are chewy and have very little water content.
The chewy dough should prevent them from sticking to one another, but try not to stack up too many on top of each other, if possible.
What is the role of sweet potatoes in cookies and baked goods?
Sweet potatoes are starchy vegetables, which makes them well-suited to bind ingredients into a dough. As such, they can act as a substitute for butter in vegan recipes.
Moreover, sweet potatoes carry a hint of sweetness that mitigates the need for added sugars. Pair these orange veggies with other naturally sweet foods, like ripe bananas or blended dates, and you can get rid of refined sugars altogether in your bakes.
Finally, sweet potatoes are nutritious roots, rich in antioxidants and fibres.
If you enjoy turning traditional bakes into something healthier, as we do, then give sweet potatoes a go! They won't disappoint.
Ingredients
| Sweet Potato | 130 g |
| Chia Seeds | 1 tbsp |
| Water | 3 tbsp |
| Jumbo Oats | 170 g |
| Almonds | 50 g |
| Pumpkin Seeds | 30 g |
| Baking Powder | 1 tsp |
| Maple Syrup | 40 g |
| Dried Apricots | 50 g |
Step 1
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and transfer them to a saucepan.
Cover with water and simmer for 10 minutes or until they have softened. You should be able to poke them through easily with a knife.
Then, drain excess water and mash the potatoes with a fork or potato masher, or blitz them in a food processor.
Step 2
Meanwhile, prepare the vegan "chia-egg". In a bowl, combine the chia seeds with water and leave them to soak for 10 minutes. After this time, the mixture should have a thick and gel-like consistency.
Next, blitz half of the rolled oats into a flour-like powder using a food processor.
Then, dry toast the almonds and pumpkin seeds in a skillet until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Alternatively, spread them flat over a baking tray and roast them in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 10 minutes.
Toasted the nuts and seeds are much more flavourful than plain ones, but if you're in a hurry, you can skip this step and add them to the cookie dough right as they are.
Step 3
In a mixing bowl, add the prepared oat flour, the remaining half of oat flakes, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
Give it a quick stir to distribute the baking powder evenly.
Then, incorporate the "chia-egg", mashed sweet potatoes, maple syrup, chopped dried apricots, and toasted almonds and pumpkin seeds.
Work the ingredients until they come together into a soft and compact dough.
If the cookie mixture is too moist, then add some more oat flour, or if it's too dry, add a spoonful of sweet potato mash or a splash of plant-based milk.
Step 4
Lay a baking tray with parchment paper or use a baking silicone mat.
For each cookie, pinch off a handful of dough, roll it in between your palms, and flatten it down of the tray pressing with your fingertips.
Repeat this step until you have used all the sweet potato and oatmeal mixture (1).
Remember to leave some room in between the cookies as they will slightly expand when baking.
Next, bake the cookies for 12 minutes at 200°C (390°F) for static ovens or at 180°C (355°F) for fan ovens.
Finally, transfer them onto a wire rack to cool down evenly (2).
Tips
Although optional, you can refrigerate the dough wrapped in cling film for 15 minutes to help you shape the cookies more easily.
Instead of maple syrup, you can use honey - if not vegan - or replace it with zero-calorie sweetener erythritol.
Like this recipe? Try these healthy cookies ideas next: gluten-free applesauce cookies, hemp seed cookies, butternut squash cookies, and no-flour almond pulp cookies.