Bear Paws

Homemade bear paw cookies with oatmeal and chocolate chips, in regular and mini sizes!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp hot water
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together, then mix in applesauce. Dissolve baking soda in hot water and stir into butter mixture. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Combine flour, oats and flax and add to mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Regular size: Drop tablespoons into greased baking sheets. Pat them down and make 3 indents on one side of the cookie with a butter knife to form the claws of the paw. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
Mini size: Drop teaspoons onto greased baking sheets. Press the end of a fork down on one side of the cookie for the claws. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.

Cole always asks for Bear Paws when we’re at the grocery store, and sometimes I cave and buy them for him as a treat, but I wondered if I could make something similar for him at home that would be a little healthier than the processed ones. So I gave it a try and this recipe was the result. I pack these in the kids’ lunches and they love them! They’re basically oatmeal cookies but the paw shape makes them much more fun. I really like the mini ones because sometimes I just want a little bite, not a whole cookie. Bennett likes the little ones too because they’re more his size, while Cole prefers the big ones. Tony loves them too and was kind of miffed that I froze all of them to pack for lunches. I told him he could just defrost them in the microwave but apparently that’s too much work for him. Next time I’ll have to remember to leave some out for him!

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Welcome! I’m Megan.

My kids like to whine, especially when it comes to the food they eat, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to make tasty and healthy meals for them. Follow along as I share family-friendly recipes and reviews from my picky family members, who I lovingly call “The Whine Critics.” Read More…

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