Chocolate Haystacks

Chocolate Haystacks have always been one of my favourite Holiday cookies. They're simple and quick to make, they're great for kids, and they store incredibly well.

I know this is a cookie, but I really love these as a breakfast food. To make it a little healthier, I've replaced some of the sugar in my original recipe with pure maple syrup, as well as some vegetable oil in place of the butter.

This is also a great recipe for freezing. Freeze in air-tight containers or freezer bags.

Chocolate Haystacks

1 1/2 cups (or 375 ml) of sugar, I use granulated cane

1/2 cup (or 125 ml) of pure maple syrup

1/3 cup (or 80 ml) of cocoa powder

1/2 cup (or 125 ml) of milk of choice, I use almond milk

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp (or 110 ml) of vegetable or canola oil

1/2 tsp (or 2.5 ml) of vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups (or 875 ml) of rolled quick oats, I use gluten-free

1 cup (or 250 ml) of flaked unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup (or 125 ml) of finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds

1/8 tsp (or a dash) of sea salt

1) In a medium saucepan, bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil, and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

2) Stir in the remaining ingredients until well-mixed.

3) Line the counters with sheets of parchment or waxed paper.

4) Spray a quick-release cookie scoop or two soup spoons with a little vegetable oil. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the parchment paper, spaced about an inch apart. Carefully press the mounds together.

5) Allow to set for at least two hours, then remove from the parchment paper, and store in a tightly sealed container for up to a week.

#dessert #breakfast #chocolate #cookie #GlutenFree