Last year, when I made the decision to go vegan ,I knew one of my biggest challenges would be giving up dairy.
Sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.
Milk alternatives weren’t a problem, at all. I really enjoy coconut and almond beverages, actually better than cow’s milk.
Cheese alternatives though… Big problem. Don’t forget, coming from a country (or a continent rather) that is famous for their amazing cheeses, that is not an easy thing to get used to! So I knew that anything other than “the real” thing, wasn’t gonna cut it.
I did try, anyway. And probably bought every single kind, brand, shape and flavor I could find in the market. Some were good. Some were just ok. Some were just plain bad.
Eventually, I became a bit more “flexible” and started adding some dairy back into my diet, but I'm still always looking for new products to try, just for the fun of it.
So a few weeks ago, we got in touch again with our friends at GOVeggie!, one of the leading brands of dairy alternative products, and they sent us some samples of their brand new vegan products. And let me tell you something: after tasting pretty much everything that’s out there, I was impressed. Particularly with their new Strawberry Cream Cheese Alternative. I know, real cream cheese, tough to beat. But believe me, this one is definitely worth trying. It’s creamy. It’s slightly sweet. It’s vegan AND gluten free. And most importantly, it tastes good!
But don't take my word for it. Look for the GOVeggie purple package next time you’re out food shopping. You won’t be disappointed.
Inspired by some cream cheese cookie recipes we've seen around, we came up with this vegan, gluten free version that we hope you'll enjoy. More to come!
Ruth
Quinoa cookies
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw quinoa, rinsed ( yields about 1 ½ cups cooked)
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 3 tbsp almond milk or water
- ¼ cup coconut oil, at room temperature (soft enough to whip)
- ½ cup strawberry flavored vegan cream cheese alternative, at room temperature (we use GOVeggie )
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ½ cup corn meal
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ¼ unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios
- Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tsp)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and grease slightly with cooking spray
- In a medium size sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and quinoa. Reduce heat and cook for 8-9 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Drain well and set aside to cool
- In the meantime, combine ground flax and almond milk or water in a small bowl. Set aside
- In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, whip together softened coconut and strawberry cream cheese for 2-3 minutes. Add coconut sugar and whip for an additional 5-6 minutes, until creamy and slightly fluffy. Add flax mixture and mix for another minute (the mixture might look curdled at this point)
- In a separate bowl, combine cooked quinoa, corn meal, oats, cocoa powder (if using) and lemon zest
- Add cream cheese mixture and shelled pistachios to dry ingredients. Mix gently using a spatula or wooden spoon, until all the ingredients are well combined
- Working with a heaping tablespoon at a time, drop cookies on lined baking sheet, flattening them slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake at 375F for about 10-12 minutes (a couple of minutes longer if you're not using cocoa powder). Let them cook before eating
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Breakfast, snack
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
ENJOY! From May I Have that Recipe
*NOTE: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions expressed above are our own. We do not mention or endorse products we do not believe in
cindele
I can't wait to try this...a quinoa cookie!!! Fantastic!! I have been looking for a good, healthy breakfast idea and this looks like a winner!!!!!!! Thanks as always for being at the forefront of great healthy eating!!!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you for being our #1 fan for your support and enthusiasm. Have a healthy breakfast!
Pat @ Vegetarian Flair
Very anxious to try these. They sound delicious. I am adding the ingredients to my shopping list right now. This is the kind of snack I like to keep around the house.
Vicky & Ruth
Thanks!! These make great hearty, satisfying and nutritious snack. Hope you like them!
Felicia
These sound great! I would really like to try them but I don't do corn. Is there something I can replace the corn meal with that is gluten free and vegan? Thanks so much!
Vicky & Ruth
You can try brown rice flour or oat flour instead. Glad you like our recipe. Let us know how it comes out if you try it!
Lauren
I have tried quinoa in treats before, but I really don't like the taste of it. I have a box of it and really want to use it in a recipe. This looked yummy when I saw it on facebook. Does the taste of it still stay when baked with the other ingredients?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi! Personally, I didn't really notice the quinoa taste, especially when we made the batch with cocoa powder. The texture was more predominant than the actual taste. You can always increase the amount of lemon zest or add a more overpowering extract to "mask" the flavor. Let us know how you like them!
Jenny @ BAKE
these cookies look so good! they would make an amazing breakfast!
Vicky & Ruth
They make a great grab-and-go breakfast... perfect for me, since I'm always running late!!! 😉
Glad you liked them!
Marina
Wow, this looks amazing !! Trying them tomorrow!
Vicky & Ruth
THank you!!! Hope you enjoy them!! 🙂