Tropical Oatmeal Snack Cookies | edible perspective

My brain is a little (ok, a lot) bit fuzzy these days. I will start talking and completely forget what I was saying, combine two words into one (all the time), and sometimes have to stop and think before finishing a full sentence. It's worse when we're with friends, and I'm talking more than normal. Between pregnancy and the first few months of being a mom, my brain and mouth coordination is subpar at best. So I can't quite remember when I first started talking to Sonja and Alex. It seems like we've been friends forever. They're the type of people you feel fortunate to have in your life, and you know will always be there for you.

Because I'm a super dork, I just did a search in gmail with Sonja's email address to see when we first started talking. It appears it was about this time 4 years ago! I really can't believe it's been that long. You can tell it was our first set of emails because we used complete sentences and punctuation. Things are quite a bit more casual now.

Over the past 4 years we've grown really close, and I'm not quite sure what I would do without either of them. In that time I've followed along on their journey in trying to become parents, which started years before we ever met. And if you've followed their blog, then you know some of the story. These two are tough as nails. I'm tellin' ya. Even their road to adoption was anything but easy. After finding out I was pregnant, we frequently joked about how funny it would be if we ended up having babies around the same time. Little did we know that very thing was about to happen.

I remember nearly jumping off the couch when Alex sent me a message on February 19th (1 month + 3 days after Lennon was born). He said, "So this is currently going on." And there was the photo of their sweet boy, Larson Ames. I could barely contain my excitement and happiness for them. This sweet little boy found the perfect, most loving parents ever. What a long journey Sonja and Alex had been on to finally reach this moment. I can't even begin to imagine everything they were feeling in those first few days. (If you're interested in reading more about it, their adoption story is amazing.)

So today we're gathering their friends to help celebrate this beautiful, new family with a virtual shower and healthy snack recipes! Huge thanks to Melissa + Sarah for organizing this special event with me.

Sonja, Alex, and little Larson - My heart explodes for you three, and it feels so special to share these first, sleepy-eyed months with you. Enjoy that sweet boy! Sending love from Colorado!

Now, to the cookies.

They're oh-so-chewy and filled with coconut, dried pineapple, nuts, and oats. I've made two batches in the past week, so you know they must be pretty easy to whip up (not a lot of extra baking time these days). They only require 1 bowl and are also vegan and gluten-free, so I dare you to not eat at least 4 spoonfuls of the raw dough. If you need chocolate in your cookies, I think adding a handful of chips wouldn't hurt at all. Enjoy!

A Couple Adopts Baby Shower!

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Print Recipe!

adapted from: 1-bowl peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Tropical Oatmeal Snack Cookies

gluten-free, vegan // yields about 24 cookies

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ground flax meal + 1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup natural almond butter, if oily, stir thoroughly
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
5 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, use 1/2 teaspoon if you don’t add flaked on top
3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced dried pineapple
1/4 cup raw sliced almonds
1/4 cup chopped raw cashews
flaked sea salt, to top [optional]

Preheat your oven to 350º F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flax and water. Let sit for 5 minutes to gel. Add in the almond butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. Whisk until fully combined.

Add in all of the dry ingredients except the dried pineapple and nuts. Stir with a large spoon until you no longer see dry flour. The dough will be thick but not at all dry. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of the dough and form into a ball between your hands [no need to be perfectly smooth]. The dough will be a bit sticky but should be able to form into balls. Place on a baking sheet with about 2 inches between each cookie. Flatten to about 1/4 inch thickness using your hand or with a flat bottomed glass and a small piece of parchment paper between the glass and cookie. Top with flaked sea salt and bake for 10-14 minutes.

Let rest on the baking sheet for 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to fully cool. Texture will firm as they cool.

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notes: These cookies are subtly sweet. If you'd like a sweeter cookie, add 2-3 tablespoons of coconut sugar, muscovado, or brown sugar to the dry ingredients. It's easiest to stack the dried pineapple and slice in one direction and then the other. Separate pineapple layers before mixing in. You should be able to sub dried mango instead of pineapple if desired. I used dried pineapple with no added sweetener.