We at Boulder Locavore love a good Road Trip and will be hitting the highway in search of sun. We love free-wheeling for some great exploration, education and of course discovery of delicious regional cuisine. We’ve taken you along through the fabulous food of New Mexico, vast open spaces and wineries of West Texas and the glorious Canadian Rockies. After this winter we are anxious for warmth, shedding our parkas and Ugg boots, and can’t wait to share our finds with you!
With hours of driving to be had one challenge, especially for those gluten-free, is a nutritious food supply. It’s easy to snack away in the car whether out of hunger and no time to scout an en route eatery, or frankly a little bit of boredom between the big stops.
This trip we’ll be packing The Best Road Trip Breakfast Cookies. You don’t have to be on a road trip or only eat them for breakfast but as the name suggests they are a great source of nutrition in a few bites without a crazy amount of sugar and processed ingredients. They pack a great amount of protein, fiber and essential fats into their two-bite form as well.
Two of my favorite nutrition workhorses are Chia Seeds and Hemp Hulls/Seeds. In addition to covering terra cotta sheep to make Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia Pets, chia is a power food which was used by the Aztecs when making day long treks. They’d chew a mere tablespoon to sustain themselves for a full day. The tiny, flavorless seeds are a fantastic source of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
Similarly Hemp Hulls are a fantastic source of protein, fiber and essential fatty acids, enzymes and vitamins. They most closely resemble chopped up sunflower seed hulls and merely add texture to a dish without a distinct flavor. For those with children you’ll appreciate the value of that! Both of these seeds are included in these cookies to provide texture and a protein boost.
The cookies are full of gluten-free oats, peanut butter (not too much), seeds nuts, agave nectar and ripe banana for sweetening and a smidge of chocolate as a treat. Eaten in about two bites, they are a perfect simple way to start the day or as a pick me up along your journey.
Recipe
The Best Road Trip Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs , room temperature and lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Raisins
- 1 ½ cups Oat Flour
- 1 ½ cups Rolled Oats (gluten-free or regular), not quick oats
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons Chia Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Hemp Hulls/Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Peanut Butter
- 3 tablespoons Agave Nectar
- 1 ripe Banana , still firm
- ¼ cup Sunflower Oil
- ½ cup Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds*
- ½ cup Pecans , chopped
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl combine the eggs, vanilla extract and raisins. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to soak 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, chia seeds, and hemp seeds. Mix for a few seconds just to combine.
- In a blender combine the peanut butter, agave nectar, banana and oil. Pulse until all ingredients are incorporated and the banana is pulverized leaving no large pieces.
- Spoon the blender mixture into the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl. Mix on low to combine.
- Add the egg-raising mixture to the mixer bowl and beat on medium to combine.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and chocolate covered sunflower seeds.
- Mound the dough in tablespoons onto the prepared baking pans. The cookies will not change form so you may smooth the exterior if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the bottom is just turning golden.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to fully cool. As with most gluten-free baked goods, they will have the most structure if allowed to cool fully before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
Other great Road Trip snack recipes:
Nutmeg Nanny says
I LOVE taking a good road trip. These cookies look fantastic for on the go snacking.
Nutmeg Nanny says
P.S. LOVE Joni Mitchell 🙂
Miranda @ Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt says
These cookies sound fantastic! This will be perfect for our road trip this summer. Do they still sell those cha-cha-cha-chia pets? lol
Toni Dash says
Ha, ha, Miranda; I’m thinking I’ve seen them at a drug store grouped with different things ‘As Seen On TV’ (all those infomercial products). I was never successful growing those as a kid. I’ve found much more success and appreciation for chia seeds in recipes like this one!
Recipe for Hemp Seeds says
Good heavens, thanks so much for posting this! It is going to help me when I order Hemp Seed at the store! Very Impressive!
Rachael says
I’ll be taking these on my hike this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!
3petitsprinces says
Looking forward to trying these out! Just had to mention that I can sing along to that entire Joni Mitchell album as well. Safe travels, friend.
Paula - bell'alimento says
What a great round up and just in time for our mini road trips coming up!
Jodee Weiland says
This is such a good idea for a car snack when on the road, so full of healthy ingredients! They look delicious, too. Thanks for sharing this recipe…we’ll be on the road again soon!
Christie - Food Done Light says
These look delicious. My hubby always needs a breakfast he can eat in the car on the way to work so this is perfect. We’ve got a road trip coming up. I’ll make these and take them with us.
cheri says
I love cookies like this, these would be great to take hiking, or a quick breakfast in the car.