When I made these allergen-free cookies for the first time, I was really excited! They’re the perfect snack to throw in your purse when you know you’re going to have a busy day, or they’re the perfect dessert at the end of it all. They remind me of Nutri-Grain bars but so much better, because they’re homemade!
These are the ultimate moist, chewy, hearty cookie while being free from: fat, nuts, gluten (if you use gluten-free oats), dairy, eggs, and soy! Wow! Looks like everyone can have a cookie J
I love how the jam peeks out, tempting you to take a bite!
Allergy-Free Strawberry Filled Oatmeal Cookie Squares
(makes 6 filled cookies)
½ cup dates
1 cup oat flour*
¼ cup old fashioned oats
¼ cup Splenda
2 Tbs. brown sugar
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup quinoa (cooked, drained)**
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tsp. sugar-free strawberry jam
*You can find this in the bulk section of the natural foods store, or you can make your own by pulsing oats in the food processor until it becomes a fine flour! Easy peasy.
**the cooked quinoa adds texture and low calorie protein to the cookies. If you don’t have any prepared quinoa or just don’t like it, substitute old fashioned oats (which makes your oat total ½ cup).
~Boil or microwave ½ cup of water, and pour over dates and set aside to soak for at least 10 min. It helps to cut each of the dates in half first.
Here’s what it looks like in the pan, before the cookie dough top goes on.
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a cookie square pan (this pan is also made for square muffins or individual brownies) or muffin tin with non-stick spray.
~Drain the dates, reserving 1 Tbs. of the water and place the dates and 1 Tbs. water in your food processor (or powerful blender). Pulse until an almost-smooth jam (I left some chunks in mine because I like it like that). Empty the pureed dates into your large mixing bowl.
~To the date puree, add the rest of the ingredients, except for the strawberry jam. Mix until the cookie dough comes together. Using a small cookie scoop, put one scoop of cookie dough into the bottom of 6 squares of the cookie pan. Use a small silicone spatula to spread the dough evenly in the square. In the middle of each dough square, add 1 tsp. of sugar-free strawberry jam. Tope each cookie with another scoop of the cookie dough, and carefully spread the dough with the spatula to make an even top layer.
~Bake for 25 min or until golden brown and the cookies are pulling away from the edges of the pan. Let cool enough to touch, and carefully remove each cookie square from the pan (I used a butter knife to help lift them out), and place each cookie on the wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
I just couldn’t resist! I was tearing into them the second they were done!
Note: If you don’t have a nut allergy, try adding a ½ tsp. scoop of almond butter or peanut butter to each cookie center, making them ab&j or pb&j filled cookies!
Strike up a conversation: I have an awesome variation on this cookie for tomorrow! What would you stuff your oatmeal cookie with? Maybe it’ll be exactly what I’ve chosen!
