Cranberry Almond Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups apple sauce
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 2 tsps cinnamon powder
• 2 tsps ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 3/4 cup whole almonds
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 cups oats

Directions

1. Combine whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir well and set aside.
2. Place eggs, vegetable oil, unsweetened apple sauce, and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat together well.
3. Add orange zest, vanilla, oats, chopped almonds, and sunflower seeds and stir until well combined.
4. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined; don't over-mix.
5. Using a 1/4 cup of cookie dough at a time (or use a 1/4 cup ice cream scooper for ease) for each cookie, place rounded spoons of dough on a prepared cookie sheet. Press them down slightly with a fork to flatten.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet before removing onto a cooling rack.
7. Note: you can replace the cranberries with chocolate chips if you prefer as well as walnuts for the almonds. In addition, instead of 2 large eggs, save some calories and use 5 egg whites instead.