In a vague attempt to get us out of the house in the morning in a more timely fashion, I thought making breakfast cookies/bars/bites {depending on your mouthful!} might help.

Packed full of goodness and an extra boost of protein from the Maca powder, these chewy cookies are super tasty. They would also be a good after kindy/pre-dinner snack as they’re just filling enough and just sweet enough to hit that spot we all need at the end of the day.

Based on the original recipe found over at Green Kitchen Stories, I have tweaked these a little to suit what was in our pantry {and the fact that Love Bug is not a fan of dried apricots}! The recipe below is directly from their site with our additions in italics and the things we left out  struck through.

{By moulding them into smallish thick cookies we got 20 from the batch, but you can shape them into bars or larger flatter cookie.}

1 tablespoon chia seeds
3 1⁄4 cups / 325 g gluten-free rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1⁄2 cups / 250 g cooked white beans, such as navy, white kidney, or Great Northern (about one 15-ounce / 250 g can) {butter beans}
1⁄4 cup / 60 ml coconut oil, melted
1⁄4 cup / 60 ml pure maple syrup or raw honey
Grated zest of 1 organic orange
1⁄4 cup / 60 ml unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup / 60 g chopped unsulphured dried apricots {medjool dates}
1⁄4 cup / 30 g  raisins {dried cherries}
1⁄4 cup / 30 g  dried blueberries}
1⁄4 cup / 35 g pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon Maca powder
2 tablespoons organic shredded coconut
2 cups / 60 g organic, gluten-freecornflakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Combine the chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl, and set aside for 15 minutes to gel.

Pulse 1 1⁄4 cups / 125 g of the oats, Maca powder and coconut in a food processor until they resemble a very rough flour. Transfer the flour to a large mixing bowl and whisk in the remaining 2 cups / 200 g oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Pulse the beans with the coconut oil in the food processor until the mixture is creamy. Add the maple syrup, orange zest, chia gel, applesauce, and vanilla extract, and pulse until smooth.

Pour the bean puree over the oats mixture and stir until everything starts to come together. Add the dates, cherries, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, and cornflakes and stir to combine – you may need to use your hands at this point.

Shape the dough into 20 equal balls, and then flatten each one into a patty shape. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 to 20 minutes, until the cookies are golden. Let cool completely before enjoying. The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Let’s hope they decrease our getting-out-of-the-house time in the morning!