Einkorn Cowboy Cookies (Postpartum-Friendly, No Refined Sugar)
A cleaner take on Laura Bush's classic, made with ancient grains, naturally sweetened, and freezer-ready for the fourth trimester.
I’ve been starting to food prep and freeze meals for the first few weeks with the baby. This will be the most prepared we’ve been with food going into postpartum. With Poppy, we pretty much had food delivered every day and it wasn’t the best choices (also had too many iced coffees). Then with Elliott, Erewhon had just opened in Pasadena so we’d get the hot bar plates, which were better ingredients, but eating out every day definitely added up. This time I want nourishing meals that are delicious, frozen, and ready to go with little effort other than reheating.
But I can’t forget a sweet treat. I love to bake so I’m also prepping a few desserts I know I’ll want when I’m craving something sweet but still being mindful about ingredients. Yesterday I made a triple batch of these classic cowboy cookies with a few ingredient swaps to make them refined sugar free and postpartum friendly, and added them to the freezer…
Laura Bush’s version is one of my favorites. It won the Family Circle cookie bake-off during the 2000 presidential campaign and it’s in classic cookbooks:
But I wanted mine to feel a little more intentional for this season.
Laura's recipe calls for three sticks of butter and I used one and a half, but you don't miss it because the egg yolk, the nuts, and the toasted coconut bring so much richness on their own. I also swapped the white and brown sugar for coconut sugar and a little maple syrup. Both are lower glycemic than refined sugar so there's less of a blood sugar spike and crash.
The flour swap is einkorn instead of all-purpose. Einkorn is an ancient grain that's higher in protein and nutrients, easier to digest, and less inflammatory than modern wheat. I also added ginger, which Laura's recipe doesn't have, because it supports digestion and helps reduce inflammation, both of which I know I'll appreciate in those early weeks. I added flaxseed for hormonal balance and milk supply support, and dark chocolate is one of the better food sources of magnesium, which I tend to be depleted in postpartum.
Toasting the coconut before folding it into the dough is a small step that makes such a big difference, it gets golden and fragrant and adds this warm, nutty depth to every bite.
I tripled the recipe and froze them already baked, so postpartum I can just pull a couple out, let them come to room temp or warm them for a minute or two with zero cleanup. You can also freeze the raw dough balls if you’d rather have that fresh from the oven experience and bake them straight from frozen at 350 degrees, just add a minute or two to the bake time.
Einkorn Cowboy Cookies (Postpartum-Friendly, No Refined Sugar)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 11–13 minutes
Total Time: ~30 minutes
Serves: 12 cookies
Before You Start
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread ¼ cup shredded coconut on a small pan and toast for 3–5 minutes, stirring once, until lightly golden. Watch closely, it browns quickly. Let it cool completely.
Make sure your butter is soft (room temp) not melted or shiny.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter, softened
½ cup coconut sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
1⅓ cups einkorn flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
Mix-Ins
1½ cups rolled oats
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
¼ cup toasted shredded coconut
1 tablespoon finely ground flaxseed
Instructions
In a large bowl, cream the butter and coconut sugar together until smooth and slightly fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. You can do this by hand or use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Add the maple syrup, then the egg and egg yolk, mixing well, then stir in the milk and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the einkorn flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Add to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
Fold in the oats, chocolate chips, nuts, toasted coconut, and flaxseed.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Keep them slightly taller than wide and don’t flatten.
Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the centers still look soft.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before moving. They will continue to set as they cool and develop that soft, chewy texture.
For Freezer Prep
Scoop the dough into balls and freeze. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.