Pink Berry Cherry Almond Oatmeal Cookie/Muffin Tops

This blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in a few seconds. If not, click here:
www.dessertswithbenefits.com

After finishing the last of those Blue Blueberry Oatmeal Cookie/Pancake/Muffin Tops, I was dying to bake them again, and soon.  Even though they didn't turn out like cookies like I had hoped, I found myself craving that chewy, muffin-y texture the following days.  Jenny D commented on the post saying she made the muffin tops using cherry jam instead of blueberry, and after reading that I knew I had to give that flavor a try.

And they were absolutely delicious!  Thanks Jenny  :)  I kept the basic recipe the same but swapped a few ingredients.  Instead of blueberry fruit spread I used cherry fruit spread, and since I love cherry and almond together I added a little almond extract.  I omitted the stevia because I was pretty sure they would be sweet enough on their own, however, they were just mildly sweet... similar to a slice of bread with some jam spread on it.  If you want sweet muffin tops add 1/4 teaspoon of stevia extract.

I also replaced the oil with raw almond butter, since doing so creates a complete protein (a protein that contains all the essential amino acids for muscle growth and maintenance within the body) from the combination of almonds + oats.  Since these muffin tops are a complete protein, they are the perfect snack for vegans, those allergic to soy, and those who don't consume animal products.

As you can see in the recipe below, I used both cherry and blackberry fruit spread.  I wanted to use only cherry but ran out at the 171g mark, so I used blackberry spread for the rest.  If you use all cherry fruit spread, expect brighter reddish-pink muffin tops, and if you use all blackberry, expect a dark purple color similar to the Blueberry version.  No matter what color though, these will be both beautiful and delicious!

Pink Berry Cherry Almond Oatmeal Cookie/Muffin Tops:  [eggless, sugar free, high fiber, GF, vegan]

adapted from the blueberry version     (makes 11 giant muffin tops)

    1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

    26g (1/4 cup) Ground Flaxseed

    171g (1/2 cup + 1 tbs) Cherry Fruit Spread* (100% fruit)

    114g (1/4 cup + 2 tbs) Blackberry Fruit Spread* (100% fruit)

    96g (6 tbs) Raw Almond Butter
    1/2 tsp Almond Extract

    144g (1.5 cups) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, blended to a coarse flour (GF if you like)
    96g (1 cup) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, left whole
    96g (1/2 cup) Granulated Erythritol (or dry sweetener of choice)
    1/4 tsp Baking Soda
    1/4 tsp Salt

*Like I explained above, I wanted to use all cherry jam but ran out at the 171g mark so I had to use blackberry for the rest.  If using all cherry fruit spread measure 1 cup and remove 1 tbs (even though I'm sure you can keep the extra tablespoon in without changing the texture too much) and expect brighter red/pink cookies.

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

2.  In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the almond milk for 25 seconds, or until very warm.  Stir in the flax and set aside to gel up.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the almond butter, fruit spreads and almond extract, set aside.
4.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the oat flour, oats, erythritol, baking soda and salt.
5.  Add the flax gel mixture to the almond butter/fruit spread mixture and stir.  Fold in the dry ingredients.
6.  Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the prepared cookie sheet (I put six muffin tops on each pan and baked one pan at a time) and bake for ~18 minutes, or until the surfaces are no longer shiny and the edges have browned slightly.
7.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely (they are very soft straight out of the oven but will gain the muffin texture once cooled)

Store at room temp for a max of 2 days in a tightly sealed container, or for longer in the fridge.

Surprisingly, these muffin tops were unbelievably filling... probably due to the healthy fats, high fiber and protein content and lack of added sugar.  These are the perfect treats to enjoy with some coffee for breakfast.  One or two of these and you'll be good to go!