MAKE: Constipation Cookies

Because sometimes your kid has got to poop.

I got the phone call while we were on-air last week. The husband was scrambling because our daughter was crying, saying her belly was “ouch”. He was upset because she was upset and he didn’t know why.

I suggested gripe water and promised I’d rush home after the show to make cookies.

These things are the bomb. They taste great and are absolutely loaded with fiber. If there’s any kind of hold up, these cookies kick things into regular.

I tried them the first time when my daughter was around 1 and they’ve been a pretty fantastic go-to ever since. (And because they do taste great I had to warn my husband he might regret eating too many.)

Here’s the recipe:

Constipation Cookies by Sisty Ugler

1 1/2 cups prune puree (recipe below), or 1-12 oz. can Solo Prune Filling
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup sugar, honey or agave nectar
1 egg (or egg substitute)
1/2 t. vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour (or gluten free baking mix of your choice)
1 cup regular old fashioned oats
1/2 cup oat or wheat bran
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt

Prune Puree

• Put 1.5 cups pitted prunes and 1.5 cups water in a lidded small microwave-proof container. Microwave on high for three minutes.
• Allow to cool with the lid on.
• Drain the prunes saving the liquid.
• Puree in a blender or food chopper with as much of the liquid as is necessary to allow the machine to work.

I used only 1 cup of water – which was enough to cover the prunes – and it worked out perfectly with no draining required.
If you’re using canned prunes, just pit them and blend them with the least amount of liquid possible. Just be aware they’ll be sweeter cookies since most canned prunes are in syrup.
If this doesn’t make a full 1.5 cups, the recipe still works just fine.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix together prune puree (recipe below), oil, sweetener, egg, and vanilla. Beat well.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• If the dough is not stiff enough to make drop cookies, add more bran until it is.
• Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a well-greased cookie sheet (these will probably be smaller blobs than you are used to. Please make them this size, not any larger).
• Bake 10-12 minutes.

 Sisty Ugler warns the cookies can burn easily on the bottom, but I used a silpat and had zero issue. Parchment paper would probably do the same.

The recipe makes about 4 dozen small cookies, which is WAY too many in my books since no more than 2 a day is recommended but they do freeze nicely. 

Enjoy!