Saturday, September 22, 2012

Sugar Free Applesauce Spice Cookies

I volunteered to bake for a fundraiser my church is having for a missions trip.  The last time we had a bake sale there were several people asking for sugar free items, but we had none.  This time I was determined to make something to offer even though I had never made a sugar free baked good in my life.  If you are familiar with my monthly Foodie Wannabe article at Homeschool Mosaics, then you know I am famous for making recipes I have never tried before for people or events. 

Get your ingredients together:

1 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. quick cooking rolled oats
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. raisins - I almost left these out and I'm glad I didn't.  They added a nice natural sweetness & texture)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. nuts (I didn't use any in my batch)
 
Mix flour, baking soda, spices and oats. Add remaining ingredients. Batter will be slightly runny, but they do not spread during baking. Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.
 
I really enjoyed the spice flavor.  It was a nice Fall cookie.  The texture was a little spongier than I like in a cookie.  It was a little cake-like.  But, it was moist and yummy.  They are definitely not sweet like a good old fashioned Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie, but they had great flavor.  If you want a little more sweetness you could use 1/2 unsweetened applesauce and 1/2 sweetened applesauce, or add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  Hmmm, I'm thinking these would be good with a cup of hot cider.