Just 25 min to make, mouthwatering, packed with good fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals, these Hazelnut Cookies are a perfect snack all year round.
Desserts are my favorite types of meals. I don't really know why but I've always been one to skip the main dish and head straight for dessert. But processed sugar, high-fat types of dessert are not the ones you should be having on a regular basis.
So sometime after I finished school I started experimenting with healthier options. And especially now, as a mom, I want to give my son the best possible nutrients in his food – even if it's from something "desserty".
Because of that, healthy desserts have made up the majority of the sweets in our house for the past year. And I do really feel better after eating those healthier options rather than the high-fat, high-sugar ones.
And these Hazelnut Cookies are a great healthy snack for whenever you feel like something delicious. And your toddler can even help make them.
Actually these cookies are not just for dessert, we use them as afternoon snacks (perfect time for some energy boost) for our toddlers as well.
This recipe was adapted from the original recipe by Dunja Gulin from her cookbook Vegan Baker.
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Hazelnut Cookies Ingredients
To make these Hazelnut Cookies, you'll need the following ingredients:
Hazelnuts are the main ingredient of these Hazelnut Cookies (obviously). Make sure they are roasted, peeled, and ground because the roasting is what gives these cookies their unique taste.
Rolled oats. Almost no healthy kids dessert can go without rolled oats. Let alone a Creative Nourish dessert. So make sure you have those finely rolled ones that you use in breakfast porridges to give these cookies the perfect texture.
Wholegrain flour. I use wholegrain flour whenever I can because of it's great nutritional benefits. But if you don't have it, handy regular white will also do.
Coconut oil. My favorite healthy baking oil. Although it's not actually the healthiest ingredient in the world and should be used in moderation, I love using it in baked dishes. Not only does it provide the fat properties a dessert should have but it also gives that special coconut smell.
Baking powder. A requirement to get that perfect texture of the cookies.
Salt. To enhance the taste. I use himalayan salt, but any kind will do.
Milk. If I'm making for kids, I use whole milk (which is almost always). But actually you can use any kind you want here or even go with plant-based options.
Chia seeds. Or something similar like flaxseed.
Hazelnut Cookies Nutritional Benefits
Hazelnuts are the perfect source of healthy fats and vitamin E, and they are always one of my favorite options when talking about fat intake. They also contain fair amounts of protein.
Rolled oats. A great carb and fiber source, oats also contain several beneficial minerals such as manganese and potassium.
Wholegrain flour. A great source of complex carbs and fiber as well as iron
Coconut oil. Adds calories and fat to the cookies.
Milk. A great protein, fat and calcium source for kids.
Chia seeds. Provide additional "good fats" and fiber in these cookies.
How To Make Hazelnut Cookies
Preheat the oven. You really don't want to forget this. There's nothing worse in baking than finishing your batter and lining everything nicely on a baking tray and figuring out you haven't preheated your oven. So make sure you do this right at the start by preheating your oven to 180℃/360ºF.
Prepare your tray. I'd recommend putting some reusable (for environmental purposes) parchment paper on the bottom of your baking tray. It'll make cleaning a whole lot easier once you have those freshly baked cookies in your hands.
Mix the wet ingredients. Measure the wet ingredients – coconut oil, milk, and agave syrup – together in a bowl until you have a smooth mass. If you are doing these cookies while it's cold outside and the coconut oil is in a solid-state then your mass probably won't be smooth or liquid but the milk and agave will blend into the solid coconut mass. And that's OK.
Add the dry ingredients. Once you have your wet ingredients mixed, add in the flour, chia, baking powder, salt and mix. You should have a slightly sticky batter.
Mix in the hazelnuts and oats. I recommend mixing these in with a spoon or spatula. It's really easy to do and you'll have the perfect batter to shape your hazelnut cookies afterward.
Transfer to a baking tray. Take a big tablespoon scoop of the mixture and transfer to your baking tray. Now you can take your hands or get your toddler to help and make thin and round cookies. And repeat until you have a full tray. You might need to bake 2 or 3 trays based on the thickness of your cookies.
Bake. If you're making really thin cookies, normal baking time is about 15 minutes. But this can be +/- 5 minutes based on your oven. For thicker cookies the baking time might be higher. You'll know they're baked once they have slightly dark brown color on the edges and a golden brown in the middle.
Possible Hazelnut Cookies Variations
Make a cake: This Hazelnut Cookie batter can also make a great crust for a cake. Even a cheesecake. Follow the recipe but don't scoop the tablespoons of the batter into the baking tray. Rather transfer the whole mixture into your cake tin and level with a spatula. If you prefer thinner crusts you can just cut the ingredients by half.
Add some chocolate: If a dessert isn't a dessert for you without chocolate, you can simply melt some dark chocolate with a tablespoon of oil of choice and once melted sprinkle over the cookies. Or put a square of chocolate right into the middle of some of your cookies for a molten chocolaty center.
Fancy some toppings? You can put some agave syrup on top and sprinkle with toppings like coconut, chocolate sprinkles, or ground nuts. I recommend a small amount of agave first so that the toppings can stick to the hazelnut cookies.
More Hazelnut Recipes You'll Love
- Perfect Homemade Hazelnut Butter
- Dark Chocolate Banana Popsicles
- Vegan Strawberry Banana Nice Cream
- Homemade Granola
- Healthy Ferrero Treats
Hazelnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnuts roasted and grounded
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup agave syrup
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup wholegrain flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ / 360ºF
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Mix the milk, coconut oil and agave syrup in a bowl
- Add the flour, chia, baking powder, salt and mix
- Mix in the oats and roasted and ground hazelnuts
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time and put on the baking tray; press to get a thin and round cookie
- Bake for 15 minutes
- If you're making really thin cookies, normal baking time is about 15 minutes. But this can be +/- 5 minutes based on your oven. For thicker cookies the baking time might be higher. You'll know they're baked once they have slightly dark brown color on the edges and a golden brown in the middle.
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