I’m always an advocate for balance. I have been through the wringer with a variety of diets (you can read about my weight loss story here) but the only thing that has actually kept my mind in a good place with food but has kept the weight off was removing this pendulum shift of going to extremes in my thinking and eating. Finding balance when it comes to food has been the greatest gift to my sanity. Eating a diet full of whole foods made of mainly fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and minimal animal products has been very good to ME (I put that in caps because what is good for me might not be good for you). However, it doesn’t mean that I don’t eat sugar from time-to-time. It’s my opinion (and the way I choose to live my life) that it’s important to have something small and sweet to balance out my diet. To say “I’m never going to eat _ ” is a scary place for MY mind (notice the caps again, see previous note) to be in so I abolish such foolish thinking. So when I was invited to team up with six other awesome women who are talking about hormone-balancing foods, I wanted to give my take on the subject. I made homemade chocolate Teddy Grahams to prove my point.
You’d think that this would be my opportunity to create a recipe that was full of kale, blueberries, and other richly whole foods that hormones would be grateful for. But if you know me and are familiar with Fork & Beans some of my recipes do have a healthy spin to them but the majority have a lot of sugar in them. This site is more about proving to those who have food allergies or are restricted from certain foods for whatever reason that food does not have to be boring and that you can still recreate the things you remember loving prior to.
Sugar however, should not be the focal point or the dominating item to your diet–that I understand and wish to convey. In fact, a diet full of too much sugar and processed food can be greatly detrimental to your health and hormones without a doubt. You know what I’m talking about–I’m sure there have been periods in your life (Lord knows there have been plenty in mine!) where your eating has been a bit off and your body has responded by being sluggish, moody and possibly a bit down on yourself. It’s what happens when you ignore what you are putting into your body. But it doesn’t mean that you cannot eat treats in a smart way and these homemade chocolate Teddy Grahams are perfect for those who don’t want to let go of the idea of baking but want to still feel good about what they are putting into their bodies.
These Teddy Grahams are full of buckwheat flour, dark cocoa powder, and a hint of maple syrup and coconut sugar making these cookies slightly sweet. Nothing like you remember from the box but still satisfying when you need a chocolate fix without having to send those hormones out of whack.
You can click here for a good suggestion on a mini teddy bear cookie cutter.
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PinIngredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 c. buckwheat flour
- 2 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp. coconut sugar
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Wet ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. solid coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp. organic maple syrup
- 2–3 Tbsp. homemade non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut in the coconut oil until small lumps form in the flour.
- Add the maple syrup and 2 Tbsp. of non-dairy milk and mix until a dough forms. If it is too clumpy still add another tablespoon of non-dairy milk. You might have to use your hands at this point to ensure that that the dough fully forms without having to add more liquid than necessary.
- If the dough is sticky at this point, place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Otherwise roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper until 1/8″ thick.
- Using a mini teddy bear cookie cutter, cut into shapes. Use 2 small pieces of dough from the leftovers to make the nose and belly–one smaller than the other–and gently but firmly press down into the dough. with a toothpick make circles for the eyes, nose, and belly button.
- Dust with coconut sugar and bake for 8 minutes. Allow to cool to firm up.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10 Teddy Grahams
- Calories: 169
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 39mg
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 3.2g
- Protein: 3.6g
Candida-Friendly Tips:
Replace carob powder for the cocoa powder and omit the sugar and maple syrup, using Stevia in it’s place. Try several drops of liquid Stevia for flavor.
For an awesome look into more information on what it means to eat for hormonal control, check out the posts from these lovely ladies:
For a Cinnamon Teddy Graham recipe, click here. They are also grain and refined sugar-free (and adorable!)
First time making cookies… holy cow! These were soooo delish and sooo easy to make:)
I love them! Not too sweet and perfectly crunchy and soft all at the same time!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe 🙂 YUM.
★★★★★
Would it be okay to use another kind of flour?
Absolutely! Just keep an eye on the flour to liquid ratio since each gf flour tends to absorb liquid differently.
Can molasses be used instead of maple syrup? If so how much?
I have a silicon mold in the shape of a bunch of teddy bears. I didn’t have much success with it when i used it for other baked good because I couldn’t get the goodies out in one piece. Do you have any idea if this recipe would work in a silicon mold? I would probably have to just take a hunk of dough and press it into the pieces parts with the end of a chopstick. Any suggestions?
thanks 🙂
Any recommendations for someone who can’t eat buckwheat? I’d love to try these, but was wondering if I could sub oat flour or AP flour. Thanks!
You can try either one of those flours, yes 🙂
Since I’m allergic to buckwheat … would regular AP gluten-free flour work as a 1:1 sub?
ok, I SO need to find a mini teddy bear cookie cutter!!! love!!
OMG,what a hit.Just made these in a flower form (didn’t have the teddy bear one) and was shocked how much my kids like them.I used freshly ground buckwheat flour.I will definitely make them really soon.Thank you for the recipe.
Just had to tell you these are about the cutest things EVER! Just saw them on Finding Vegan where I post my recipes. Love them 🙂
Hi Aimee! I was just drooling over your Colcannon Poppers so it’s so funny that you would stop by. Thank you so much for the comment–how fun to hear from you! xo
Omg Teddy Grahams were my FAVORITE! I must make them.
Just made these!! They are amazing. A added about double the amount of milk because they were still too dry. I also used heart cookie cutters since it’s Valentines week and j don’t have a bear shape. They came out perfect.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Charlotte! I will definitely add that to the ingredients about the milk. Glad you liked them! xo
Wow these are the cutest and healthiest little cookies ever! I must go buy a teddy bear cookie cutter ASAP!
Great post, Cara! We have A LOT in common when it comes to our thoughts on a balanced diet 😉
Yes we do! I LOVED your post about sugar–I related so much to what you had to say. It’s always so nice to know others with similar ideologies 🙂 xo
Ok, this sounds absolutely delish. And loving how healthy they are. Making these ASAP!!!
Yay! So happy to help Jordan (but I want to call you the Blonde Vegan because it’s a fabulous name!) 😉 xo
That recipe looks so easy! I love teddy grahams. I need to make these. PS amy there’s also a great site called cheap cookie cutters that has mini cookie cutters. Only, if you order them, remember where you stored them. I had a bunch last year and now I can’t find them. Typical me.
You are speaking my language Annie. Cheap? Cookie Cutters? I’m sold! Thank you for letting me know about that site–I cannot wait to check it out. And I’m with you–I have learned to put all my cutters in a specified box otherwise I have no clue where they went 😉
These are fabulous and remind me of a certain biscuit I had as a kid (Arnotts Tiny Teddies). As soon as I press “Submit” on this comment I’m going to Amazon to find a teddy cookie mould!
Thanks for the recipe and sharing your story 🙂
Oooooh, I hope you found a good cutter for your to-be homemade biscuits 🙂
So cute, and only a handful of ingredients; awesome!
Isn’t that just the best kind of combo: cute and limited ingredients list?!
What is the best way to store these and for how long? I would love to bake these and send them off to my daughter at university.
Place in an air-tight container, Brenda. They should be okay without being refrigerated since they are a buckwheat flour base. Tell her to eat them all once she gets them though 🙂 ha.
Yay for you for baking things up your way…a bit of chocolate and a balanced attitude towards life is the stuff of happiness. 🙂
I just found koala bear cookie cutters…I think I need to make Chocolate Aussie Grahams now…thanks for the recipe! 😉
Koala bears?!! Ohmygoodness, if you make them you MUST send me a pic!
Woot! I’m so excited about this! I bought some gf chocolate “teddy grahams” from Natural Grocers the other day and they leave this awful vitamin-y aftertaste in your mouth. Yuck! I’m so glad you posted this! My favorite part is that the ingredient list is so short! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Just what I needed.
Oh and your cookie cutter is adorable.
Eeeew, I don’t want my teddy grahams tasting like vitamins. Gross! Glad to be of help Megan 🙂 xo
Oh thank you! I gave up Teddy Grahams a long time ago. That and animal crackers were my downfall which were better than the gummy bears, I rationalized. All were banished long ago but time to treat myself with this recipe, maybe Valentine’s bears?!
Animal Crackers are next on the list Deb. To be continued…xo And YES! V-Day bears sound ADORABLE!
These look fantastic! When I was in University I would frequently snack on teddy grahams dipped in icing. This habit stopped when I realized how gluten and processed foods made me feel. I think I may just have to re-start that habit now that I can make these homemade beauties 🙂
Wait what? Dipped in icing? I didn’t know if there was anything that could make these any tastier but now I know I am wrong…mmmmmmm! xo
I’ve been searching for a recipe for these! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to make them!
You are so welcome Beth, I read your mind! 😉
Oh my goodness. These are ADORABLE! I bet my little boy would love them, and I would feel so much better not feeding him something from a box. Thank you!
You are so welcome, Stefanie! I hope you (and the little one) will like them…xo
I love this! I’m definitely going to make these. I love that you used natural ingredients. I have some hemp milk that I’d love to use. Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner, I might have to use these as a Valentine’s day cookie base. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hemp will nicely flavor these cuties, I think. And I love the idea of using these as a V Day cookie base! xo
Impressive. Very impressive both the essay on healthful eating and the teddies which are probably sweet enough without the maple, they’re so adorable. Well done friend.
YOU are adorable!
These are just too cute! I never buy the “real” teddy grahams but I can probably bet these are a million times tastier.
They are definitely healthier that’s for sure 🙂 Thank you for the comment, Angela!
Oh jeez, could these BE any cuter?
Also, I totally love and agree with your approach to balanced eating and living. 🙂 <3
Thank you Chef!! I always love seeing you around here…xo
Oh my lord, these are adorable. You are so talented! 🙂 I have a pretty intense sweet tooth too. What helps me when I want to eat nothing but horrible vegan junk food is to think it through. I once heard to think of what a “healthy and happy version” of you would do. Would healthy/happy Katie eat 10 Oreos in a row and then go back for seconds…ummmm, no…
I love this suggestion, Katie! I laughed with your question about eating 10 Oreos in a row. HA. I wonder if I would still hear “Yes” 🙂 hehe.
OMG, these are the CUTEST!! So inspired by the beautiful photos, these little guys look super tasty too! The details on the bears are amazing! 😀
Kat, you are way too sweet–thank you so much for this comment! Means so much coming from YOU! xo
I cannot WAIT to make these! Where oh where did you get that adorable teddy bear mold?? I must have it!
Hey Amy! Check this link out for a reference: http://www.amazon.com/Makins-USA-Cutters-Teddy-Package/dp/B003W0P1NQ/ref=pd_sim_k_6
I hope this helps! xo