Chia and Hemp Seed Cookies for A Friend
Healthy superfood cookies made with chia and hemp seeds, and naturally refined sugar free and gluten free.
My sweetie and I made these power cookies together over the weekend. The cooking was bittersweet... 
Our dear friend Gwendolyn is not doing well right now. Long time readers have followed Gwendolyn's story. Many of you even contributed when I ran a half marathon to raise money so that one day children with SMA can run too. Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is the #1 genetic killer of young children. And it is devastating. Babies are born healthy, but SMA quickly takes their ability to ever walk, verbalize, or eat. SMA does not affect the brain, however. Gwendolyn is just like any 6 year old. She goes to 1st grade and can read, loves horses and butterflies, and loves playing with her friends. She is currently in the hospital with a collapsed lung. You can follow her here. Her amazing parents who started the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation are by her side, and they have a newborn to take care of as well.
So we wanted to send a little hospital care package for our friends as well as cards for Gwendolyn. I wanted to send something to nourish these incredible parents and give them energy. I'm know as a mom that taking care of yourself is the last thing you think of when a child is sick.
These aren't your average dessert cookies. These are loaded with superfoods and meant to provide nourishing energy. I love hemp seeds because they are packed with protein and essential fatty acids. You can read about the benefits of chia seeds (aka Aztec running food) here. These aren't terribly sweet. If you want a very sweet cookie, add a bit more coconut sugar or some honey. According to Manitoba Harvest, the brand of hemp hearts I use, hemp foods are very safe for pregnant women and children, as there is not THC in hemp milk, and 0.001% in hemp hearts. 
I hope you try these super power energy cookies soon.
And please send your healing thoughts over to miss Gwendolyn. We really love her and want her to come home soon. This picture is of my 6 year old helping Gwendolyn pet a baby bunny. You can bet I was one proud mama this day.
Chia and Hemp Seed Power Cookies Recipe
Yield: about 18-20 tablespoon sized cookies
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
- ½ cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup peanut butter (or seed butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoons hemp seeds
- ¼ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks (gluten free if needed - I use Lily's or Enjoy Life brand)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment.
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until combined. Add the oats, flour and baking powder and beat to combine. Mix in the eggs, peanut butter, vanilla and again beat just to combine. Stir in the seeds, coconut, and chocolate.
- Drop tablespoon sized balls onto the prepared cookie sheet and gently press down to flatten a little. Cookies will not spread much. Bake for 12 minutes and cool on a wire rack. I like these best warm, but they will keep for a few days in an airtight container.