One of my favorite things about living on the Upper West Side is the proximity to Peacefood Cafe – one of the best vegan cafes around. I must confess, beyond just being a super hippy chill cafe, they have desserts that will blow your mind. More often than not I find myself walking by and popping in for a cookie. Or 12. I may have eaten every dessert they make. I have even ordered just desserts to be delivered. One time they asked my friend (who I conned into making the call for delivery) if she was high. She wasn’t. The desserts are just that good. And one of my all-time favorites at Peacefood is their magic cookie.

I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly is all in the magic cookie. But I decided it was about time I try to figure it out. It’s a whole hodgepodge of a cookie. There’s definitely carrot, and coconut, and pecans beyond that, I’m not quite sure. But I decided to start with the carrot. I’ve never actually put a carrot in a cookie before, but I have tossed them into pancakes and that went well so  I figured what the heck!

While I’m sure the Peacefood version is healthier than an Oreo, I’m not entirely sure they’re all that good for you, despite the carrots. I wanted to make a cookie that I didn’t feel all that bad about eating for breakfast (because, yes, if there are cookies in my house, I’m sure as heck eating them for breakfast). So I added some pecans and chia seeds for protein, and oats for whole grains. I used a garbanzo bean flour because I wanted my gluten-free friend to enjoy them, and I added some unsweetened shredded coconut because I’m pretty sure there’s coconut in the Peacefood version.

In an effort to keep this on the  lower-sugar side, I only used a small amount of maple syrup for sweetness. But if you have a big ol sweet tooth, I recommend either using sweetened shredded coconut, or adding some more maple syrup or agave (or plain old sugar will work too). I found the mini chocolate chips to be the perfect amount of sweet without being rot-your-teeth sweet.

The batter itself is a bit thick once you add the chia seeds and they expand, but it’s pretty easy to fashion into cookie-shape as long as you’re using a spoon to help form. I like to use parchment paper on my cookie sheets to prevent any sort of sticking, but it’s not totally necessary. Toss these guys in the oven for less than an episode of Sex & the City, and you’ve got healthy delicious magic cookies.

And I definitely felt no guilt at all slathering the cookie with a little peanut butter and eating for breakfast. Don’t judge me. You might want to do it too.