Sweet Potato Cookies

So, I've made these cookies about 4 times in the past few weeks. I keep telling myself I had to "perfect" them, but in all honestly they were perfect the first time and I'm just obsessed with them.

I did try a few variations, and this is the winning formula! These cookies are easy to throw together, and ready to eat in about 20 minutes from start to finish. I first tried them with raisins, as pictured, and they were delicious. Another time, I made them for a friend and used chopped dates instead (because she loves dates and hates raisins? I don't get it) - and they might have been even better!

So play around, tweak the ingredients. I think that with these cookies in particular, you don't have to be so precise and exact in your recipe, which is probably the other reason I love them so much (you know me and baking are not the best of friends).

No sweet potato? Try grated carrot (did not try this though so don't be mad if it doesn't work, haha)!
Hate raisins? How about dates, or craisins? Or chocolate chips?
No pecans? Throw some walnuts in there, or sunflower seeds! 

​Go on with your bad self.

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Sweet Potato Cookies (GF + V)

1 cup tahini (I know it's a lot, but there's no butter in here and when you taste it, you'll get it!)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (more or less as desired) 
½ cup peeled and shredded sweet potato
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats*
½ cup oat flour*
1 TBSP cinnamon
A pinch of salt
½ cup crushed pecans
1/3 cup raisins or chopped dates*
 
Pre-heat oven to 350 F, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
In a mixing bowl, combine the tahini, maple, flax egg, vanilla, and shredded sweet potato. Once the wet mixture is combined, add the dry ingredients, starting with the oats, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine, and then add the pecans and raisins, adjusting the amounts of each as desired.
The mixture will be sticky. If it's too thin, add a bit more of the oats. Using your hands, shape about 2 TBSP at a time into a cookie shape, and place on the parchment paper. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, then remove from oven. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet, they will firm up as they cool.

Recipe notes:
Instead of oats + oat flour, you could simply use quick oats, or just pulse 1.5 cups of oats in a blender or food processor for a few seconds. 
Instead of raisins or dates, you could make these chocolate chip cookies! Yum.
I also added turmeric to one of my batches - I mean why not? Feel free to also add any other spices - nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, etc. Anything goes!