Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cookies & Cookie Dough Balls

How's the weekend been for you?  Things are good around here.  Scott left for a business trip so it's been just me and Skylar flying solo.  Believe it or not, I braved Target, twice.  The first time I was alone and flew threw there in warp speed and did a major stock-up and the second time was with Skylar in order to return things that didn't fit that I didn't bother to try on on the first trip.  It was crowded but not insane, thank goodness!  I also did some early morning yoga and a really fast 3 mile run, yay!  But it was frigid out so I was not exactly able to get any runner's high zone thing going because all I could think of was how cold I was!  What have you been up to this weekend?  Holiday shopping?  Hanging out with friends & fam?  Surfing blogs?  Do tell!

I'm glad you enjoyed my Weekly Highlights Post from Yesterday.  My effort at consolidating all my previous week's recipes, eats, and pictures in one handy post.

Everything from my Vegan Creme de Menthe Bars 
To Holiday Peppermint Chia Seed Pudding
To Raw Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Donut Holes
To Kale Chips

But since that was last week, it's time to move on to a new, raw, vegan, dessert recipe for this week:  Averie's Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cookies!  I had lots of comments on yesterday's post about how excited you all were for this recipe!  Honestly, I've been sitting on this recipe for nearly 2 months thinking, well maybe I will write a book one day, but since that's probably not going to happen in the short term, I figured I would share the love and share this recipe freely with you all.  So without further ado...

After seeing numerous gingerbread, ginger, and molasses recipes abound lately, but not finding something that was really hitting me exactly where I wanted to be in terms of gluten free and with flavor combos I wanted, I decided to create my own recipe.

Here's what I came up with:

Averie's Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (and Balls) - 10 Minute Recipe!
1/4 c flax seeds & grind
1/4 c walnuts (or pecans)
1/3 c almond meal (or 1/3 c whole raw almonds that you grind)
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Ground Ginger (or fresh ginger if you have it)

1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, lemon peel, & cardamom)
3 Tbsp Agave
Optional: 1/3 c (packed) brown sugar.  I like my treats to err on the sweeter side.  If you don't, then skip this and slightly increase the amount of almond meal.  Or, if you're a raw purist, skip the brown sugar as well.
Yield: Approximately 16 smallish cookies or 32 balls 

Blend all ingredients together.  I used my VitaCookieMaker but you're welcome to try this by hand if you chop the nuts in advance or use a food processor.
Spices I used
Dough is ready

You now have choices with the dough:



You now have 4 options:
1.  Form into cookie shapes and let them sit out on your countertop for 6-12 hours and dehydrate naturally.
2. Bake in a low oven such as 300F for 8-12 minutes (or to your liking)
3. Dehydrate in your own Magic Box as you see fit.  I did 118F for 3 hours. 

Dehydrating Process:
Form into a cookie shapes.  The batter will be a little sticky but very workable.  Refrigerate if it's uber-sticky, or bump up the amount of almond flour a bit.  
Dehydrate for a few hours to your desired done-ness
This is what the bottoms looked like after 3 hours in the Magic Box.  Barely getting crunchy but they did.  I like really soft cookies.  If you like them more crunchy, keep them in the dehydrator, oven, or airing out on the countertop longer.
16 Happy Cookies in the container

Final Dough Option (and probably the easiest! and do this one for the 10-Minute Recipe):
4. Form dough into Balls & Refrigerate.  The more days/time that elapses that the dough stays in the fridge, the dryer it will naturally become.

And now you have Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Dough Balls!!!!!!!!!!


What I love about these cookies & balls is that they are really authentic tasting, they definitely have a POP of ginger, they are fast, easy, and definitely get you into the Winter Holiday Mood!  Of course, vegan, gluten & soy free is important, too!

Optional Recipe Tweaks/Alterations:
Roll in Cinnamon & Sugar at the end
Roll in Cocoa, Carob, Carob Nibs at the end
Add pumpkin puree to the dough, about 2-3 Tbsp for Gingerbread Pumpkin Cookie Balls
Add 1-2 Tbsp Molasses to the Mixture

Make Raw Vegan White Frosting & Ice the Cookies/Balls

Soak 1 c cashews (or less if you prefer) for about 4 hours
Drain
Blend the Cashews with 1/8 c to 1/2 c agave (depending on your taste and/or stevia) to taste in high speed blender, bullet, or Vita til smooth and creamy.  About 2 minutes in a Vita.
Dip the balls in the frosting OR spread the frosting on top the cookies

Really the tweaks and combos are endless!  Have fun and enjoy this taste of the Winter Holidays, health-ified!

After all that cookie talk, do you care about Greenery? 
If you do, there was a mixed field greens salad with carrots, tomatoes, cukes and I dressed it with my Holiday Spice Orange Vinaigrette

And a Kale, Brock, Cauli, Tomato, and Cuke Salad that I tossed with my Vegan Slaw Dressing.  To any regular readers, sorry to bore you, but I love this salad and think I eat a variation on this theme daily.  Sometimes veggies aren't always exciting, but they sure are good!

And for Dessert, what else?
...A Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Dough Ball


Or maybe a few.  Handfuls.  I love the ginger in these!!!



Yoga today is Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose)  I cannot recommend this pose enough if you are a runner.  You need to lengthen your quads and this is an excellent way to get started.  Or, don't even recline.  Just do Virasana (Hero Pose) without reclining.  If you're ever feeling pain in your knees, stop!  Yoga should stretch you, but never hurt.  Pain means something is wrong so stop!  Listen to your body, and never force it where it's not ready to go.



Tips of the Day:
My Kay's Natural's Give Away for 2 Lucky Readers!!!!  





And My Chocolate Amazing Grass Give Away!!!!!










Go Get Entered, Now!!!!!!!!!!  This is an awesome Give Away, and Santa is definitely coming early for someone!!!!


Question Medley Time...
1. What's your favorite cookie?  If I see a trend, I'll try to come up with a raw/no-bake and vegan recipe.
2. If you had an extra thousand dollars to play with, what would you buy or do with it?
3. What's going to be your strategy for blog reading over the holiday season?  And if you are a blogger, are you going to keep up your normal posting frequency?  The reason I ask is because no one wants to put a whole bunch of time into posts that are going to just get skimmed or not read because everyone's so busy already.  But do tell!



Stay tuned for Shopping Finds and other Random Jazz....