These power cookies are packed full of antioxidant rich tart cherries, oats, nuts and seeds. They’re perfect for healthy on the go snacking.
I’ve never understood bird feeders. You spend money on a bunch of food that you have to pour into a contraption (you also have to spend money on) and hang somewhere (close enough to see it) in your yard. You sit and wait for birds to come eat out of it. If they do actually come, you get about 90% crows and maybe 10% some bird actually worth looking at. They spill the bird food everywhere, leave shells all over the place and then of course also leave you with a floor/deck railing or whatever surface is close by filled with crap. But let’s be honest, the squirrels are the ones who eat the food 85% of the time so really you’re just spending time and money to chase rodents away. The whole thing is one big “let nature take its course and stop interfering, humans” billboard.
So while I think the entire concept is ridiculous, I had to agree with Ulysses when I had all the ingredients strewn across the counter for these cherry power cookies and he asked if I was making bird food.
Touché.
Oats, nuts, seeds, fruit…I’ll give it to the guy, definitely more of a bird feeder looking assortment than a cookie.
These aren’t your sweet tooth, chocolate craving kind of cookie though, but they’re definitely a nutritional powerhouse and perfect for snacking. February is National Snack Food Month as well as National Cherry Month so it’s only fitting to create something that honors both using Montmorency tart cherries.
There are some days (usually when I’m cooking all day which makes this highly ironic) when I completely skip lunch and just snack my way from breakfast straight through to dinner. Sometimes it’s a bite of whatever I’m making, fruit, cheese, nuts, beef jerky, etc. Other days (and they’re a bit too frequent if we’re being real), it’s a scoop of Nutella, a rogue PopTart Ulysses left in the pantry (this really just happened, I’m not proud and I’m never buying PopTarts for him as “treat” again) and handfuls of chocolate chips solely because I have nothing in the house that’s a better choice.
These cookies are the answer to that.
Packed with good fats from the nuts and seeds as well as fiber and antioxidants from the dried tart cherries, they make the perfect healthy snacking option whether you’re in-between meals, looking for a pre workout boost or, like me, just too busy to make a full meal sometimes. The tart cherries give each bite the perfect amount of sweet/sour contrast to the nuts and seeds to really make these pop in your mouth.
Bonus, no stupid squirrels to chase away while you eat them.
These are also some great tart cherry snack ideas:
Tart cherry chocolate granola
Tart cherry fruit leather
Cherry Power Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 ripe banana, mashed until smooth
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup dried tart cherries
- 2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds, pepitas
- 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together until well combined. Form the mixture into disks either by hand or by using a biscuit cutter/circular cookie cutter and pressing the mixture firmly into the mold to form.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown around the edges and on the top.
- Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I’m such a sucker! I LOVE bird feeders and I if I had your backyard I would happily fill it with tons of little feeders. I love the look of these healthy cookies and can totally see Ulys say that.
Haha, totally spot on with the squirrel/bird feeder thing. I do love the squirrels (they are too cute) but when I want to see birds, I want to see birds. And those squirrels are smart. You get one of those “squirrel resistant” bird feeders, they figure it out.
Anyways, cherries are one of my most favorite thing ever and thanks to the Naturebox thing we get every month, I now crave dried cherries all – the – time. LOVE these cookies and all of the goodies they’re packed with, Gina!
I never got bird feeders either. Every few months my kids all scream “LET’S MAKE A BIRD FEEDER” and I’m just like, no.
These look delicious! I’m all about healthy cookies.
I love how these cookies look. They are the perfect breakfast cookie. Can’t wait to give them a try!
These look healthy and delicious – love!
I’ve been looking for a healthy, on-the-go breakfast to make for during the week, and these tasty power cookies are perfect! Packed full of goodness!
My mom turned her bird feeder into a squirrel feeder. Accept change and roll with it? lol
I have a deep and true love affair with cherries (especially tart cherries, which I stalk at the farmers market in the summer), so I can’t wait to try these!
Our kind of recipe and I’m going to make them to go with tapioca when a friend comes for dinner on Sunday.
Also, mostly agree about the bird feeders. Make sure there is fresh water for birds and they will be fine.
Love your emails.
I love everything about these hearty chewy cookies!! My boys would devour these!
We had to remove our bird feeder because it attracted a bear! We weren’t sure what was pulling the feeder down so we set up a cam to see what it was. Imagine how afraid I was to go outside after dark when we found it was a bear. lol Needless to say, the bird feeder came down.
Your cookies look like a great snack for me. I would actually prefer this healthy snack because I would feel satisfied with one or two and would not be consuming empty calories that never fill me up anyway!
omg, a bear?! That’s a little more intense than a squirrel ;)