Toasted Coconut Cookies With White Beans | Healthy Recipe

These soft toasted coconut cookies with white beans will satisfy your sweet tooth while giving your body the real food and nutrients it craves!

I really like a sweet treat now and again. I mean, if I'm being honest, I eat treats every day. But in the last few years I've become obsessed with finding ways to eat treats that I can genuinely feel good about and that's why I can eat them daily with no guilt or regret!

Take these chocolate chip cookies, for example. SUCH a great recipe. They are mainly made of chickpeas and almond butter, such real, simple ingredients which are full of nutrients. I know I'm getting actual nutrients that my body will use to become healthier.

Sure, I'll acknowledge that you get a little bit of sugar when eating these (natural sugar, mind you, but it is still sugar), but it's much less sugar than many other cookie recipes. That's my balance between the "you only live once, so enjoy your life" and "take care of your body" mentalities.

It's the same with this cookie. Mainly made from white beans, coconut, coconut oil and chia or flax, they are packed with good things! Oh yeah, and delicious coconut flavor!

My other dessert obsession is baking with sprouted wheat flour or sprouted oats instead of refined flour. They are significantly better for you! My current favorites are sprouted oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies, sprouted wheat crepes, and tarts with sprouted wheat crust.

It's totally possible to still "enjoy life" and feel good about what you're eating and enjoying. You just have to get a little creative and be willing to try weird recipes... like cookies made with beans.

Are Toasted Coconut Cookies Healthy?

These cookies are made with a bean base instead of refined all purpose flour, making them much healthier than traditional cookies! On top of that, I've used as little natural sweetener as possible. If it's not sweet enough, feel free to add more maple syrup or honey. Let's look into the health benefits of a few of the ingredients:

White kidney beans or navy beans (canned) - The behind-the-scenes star of this cookie that brings a lot of nutrients to the table (literally... HA!). Like most legumes, they are packed with protein and fibre, as well as folate, copper, iron and many other vitamins and minerals. They are also high in antioxidants which may fight chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease!

Coconut - High in fat and protein and a few minerals, such as manganese, iron and copper. Coconuts also contain antioxidants which can help in the prevention of disease. They may also stabilize blood sugar and improve heart health!

Chia seed - High in protein, fibre and omega 3 fats, as well as magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and calcium, among other vitamins and minerals. They are loaded with antioxidants as well. They may prevent heart disease, improve bone health and reduce inflammation in the body.

Do White Bean Cookies Taste Good?

These white bean cookies don't taste exactly like a traditional refined flour-based cookie, but that doesn't mean they don't taste good! I've found as long as you process the dough to be very smooth, you can barely notice that the base for these cookies is a legume!

Can You Eat Raw Toasted Coconut Cookie Dough?

Since there aren't any eggs in this recipe, you can very safely taste test the dough and adjust if you desire. Some may find these cookies not quite sweet enough, and that can be determined and adjusted before baking. Isn't that great?!

You could use the raw dough in another dessert such as adding it as a topping to ice cream or just eat plain because that's nice too.

Can I Substitute Granulated Sugar for Liquid Sweetener?

I have not tried using brown sugar or white sugar in this recipe in place of maple syrup or honey. I wouldn't recommend it, since replacing a wet ingredient with a dry one will significantly change the makeup of the cookie unless other ingredients are also adjusted. Stick with a liquid sweetener on this one!

Are Toasted Coconut Cookies Gluten-Free?

Almost every ingredient in this recipe is naturally gluten-free. If you are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, you may want to check your baking powder. Most baking powders are gluten-free, but some are made with wheat. Other than that, no gluten in sight!

Are Toasted Coconut Cookies Vegan?

This recipe is easily made vegan by using coconut oil instead of butter and maple syrup in place of honey!

Toasted Coconut Cookie Tips

• Ensure your dough is very smooth by blending for at least 1 minute in the food processor. Otherwise you may notice little bean skins in your cookies!
• Sometimes this dough can be quite sticky and difficult to form. I use a spatula to do most of the forming and keep a small dish of water close by. If I need to use a finger, I'll first dip it in the water and this helps prevent the dough from sticking to my skin!
• Make sure you let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. This will result in a soft cookie that still holds it shape without crumbling!

Variations of Toasted Coconut Cookies

• Add ¼ cup chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
• Add ¼ cup of your favorite chopped nut
• For a citrus twist, add 3 tablespoon of lime or lemon juice
• Use coconut flakes instead of shredded coconut for a more textured cookie
• If you want thin crunchy cookies, don't refrigerate them before baking. I haven't tried it with this recipe, but I know that the refrigeration helps the fat in the cookie melt more slowly, resulting in less spreading. So if you don't refrigerate, it may spread more, resulting in thin crispy coconut cookies.

Tools You May Need

Food processor

Cookie sheets

Measuring cups & spoons

How to Make Toasted Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups unsweetened coconut (shredded)
• 1 teaspoon butter or coconut oil
• 5 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (separated)
• 19 oz can of white kidney beans or navy beans (rinsed well and drained)
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup ground chia or flax seed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoon water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Toast coconut: Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Once warm, add 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or coconut oil and spread across the pan until melted. Add shredded coconut to the pan and stir constantly for 3-4 minutes until lightly golden. Add 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup and continue to stir continuously for 1 more minute or until it becomes a deep gold color. Allow to cool and crisp up before adding to the cookie batter.

Combine remaining ingredients (including the remaining 4 tablespoon honey or maple syrup) in a food processor and process until very smooth. This will take about 1 minute and the dough will be very thick.

Remove dough to a separate medium bowl and stir in cooled toasted coconut.

Drop about 3 tablespoon of dough per cookie onto cookie sheet and form into a cookie shape. The cookies won't spread much so you can space them fairly close together.

Place cookie sheets in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until they appear golden brown. These cookies will be very soft when taken out of the oven, so allow them to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.

How to Store Toasted Coconut Cookies

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days for best results. You can also store sealed in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Can You Freeze Coconut Cookies?

Yes! Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Did you try this recipe and love it? If so, I would so appreciate a 5-star review and your comments below! Thanks!

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