Breakfast Cookies

My children LOVE the Quaker Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies. I have been looking for a recipe so I could make them at home. They go through a box in a couple of days. I found this recipe and tried it out this morning. Carly and I love them, Leighton says that they would be better without the carrots. Those of you who know Leighton, know that she is EXTREMELY picky about her food.

I thought I would share:

4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
8 oz. carrots, grated (2 cups)
1 3/4 c. flour
3 c. rolled oats
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c, chopped walnuts or additional chocolate chips
3/4 c. dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease cookie sheets.
Combine cream cheese, butter, sugars. Beat until light and fluffy
Add eggs, vanilla, salt and soda. Mix well.
Add applesauce and carrots. Mix well.
Add flour, oatmeal, chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruit, mixing after each.
Make into small balls, press down lightly with back of spoon.
Bake 12-14 minutes or until just beginning to brown
Store in covered container.
Makes 100 cookies.
One cookie provides:
45 calories, 1.5 g fat, 1g protein, 7g carbs, 0g cholesterol, and .5g fiber.

I made my cookies bigger, replaced nuts with chocolate chips and did not use dried fruit. After these are gone, I am going to try a batch substituting zucchini for the carrots. I think that if Leighton didn't see the carrots she would not know they were there, maybe the zucchini will be more camouflaged. I will let you know if it passes the test.