Whether you are getting ready to get on the treadmill, go for a hike or maybe just need a little sweet, these are the cookies – a satisfying bite packed with flavor! Good-bye chocolate chip cookies, hello packed oat cookies!

There is something quite inspiring in completing a major fitness challenge. Jack and I returned home from our 1,300 mile bike trek in Hokkaido revved and looking ahead to The Next Big Thing. With roads outside often treacherously icy and the fact that wild animals in these parts make the whole village nervous if anyone is seen going for a run, we’ve pieced together a gym in our living room. (By the way, all ice is definitely not created equal. Chignik Lake has the slickest ice we’ve ever experienced).

Our gym which is comprised of a treadmill, a stationary spinning cycle, a set of Powerblock dumbbells, and a TRX resistance band. These four pieces of equipment take up very little space and gives us plenty of variety with which to accomplish our fitness goals. Plus, a spin on a bike or a run on a treadmill goes by fairly painlessly with a view of the lake out the window. (Yesterday a group of river otters was playing and fishing on the ice.)

Of course, when we work out, we have to eat – a golden opportunity to get in the kitchen and bake something. In Point Hope, I baked us batches of homemade granola bars to fuel us. During our bike training last year, I made little bites of tahini fudge speckled with coconut and chocolate chips. This time, I wanted to try a granola type creation that would be more like a cookie. These two-bite cookies are packed with oats, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and almonds -and no processed sugar. They have the texture of a soft cookie and tons of flavor. Better still, they are easy and super quick to make. I’ve been making batches and keeping them in the freezer. After they thaw, they have the same texture and flavor as when they’ve cooled out of the oven. Perfect!

Chocolate Cranberry Almond Oat Bites

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup coarse-chopped almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, egg, vanilla and maple syrup.
4. Pour maple syrup mixture into oat mixture. Stir until combined.
5. Fold in cranberries, chocolate chips and almonds.
6. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out dough and place balls on prepared baking sheet. The cookies will not spread much. Slightly flatten cookies.
7. Bake cookies for 12 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire cooling rack.
8. Store cookies in airtight container for a few days. Cookies will freeze well.