Quinoa Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Granola Cookies

Our family is not eating sugar for the rest of the month of April so I was super excited to find a cookie recipe that uses honey!  And the kids all ate them up!  These would definitely be better with the chocolate chips called for but because of the no-sugar thing, I used raisins.  This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Granola Cookies

• 1 cup solid coconut oil, melted  (I didn't melt mine all the way and the cookies were still great)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (cooked in water) - spoon lightly into measuring cup 
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the oil and honey with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the flour, salt and baking soda until just combined and a few streaks of dry flour remain. Add the oats, quinoa, flax, chia seeds, almonds, cherries or cranberries and chocolate chips and mix by hand gently (so the dough stays nice and fluffy) until the ingredients are pretty evenly mixed.
3. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to scoop the dough into 2-3 tablespoon-sized portions. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are browned but the insides are still nice and soft. If you want a thinner cookie (instead of puffy), flatten slightly before baking.