Recipe – Easy Manuka Honey and Walnut Cookies & FAQs

There’s nothing better than a freshly baked cookie, especially when they’ve got added health benefits. This recipe incorporates Manuka honey into your cookies for little boost.

Manuka honey has been found to have positive effects on skin conditions and digestion, so adding it to your diet is a good way to improve your health.

Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked cookies. Cookies don’t just taste good, but depending on what ingredients you use, they can also have health benefits. Yes, that’s right! Tasty and healthy.

Here’s an easy to follow, four step recipe for delicious manuka honey and walnut cookies. Both these ingredients have many different associated health benefits, some of which have been explored below (beneath the recipe).

Adding manuka honey and walnuts into your diet is a good way to introduce these two ingredients into your diet.

Key honey and walnut cookie recipe info

Serves: 9 people

Nutrients per serving:

Below is the nutritional information for our delicious honey and walnut cookies, including recommended daily allowance (RDA) guidance.

	Energy	Total fat	Saturates	Protein	Fibre	Carbs	Sugar	Salt
Per serving	243 kcal	18 g	7.7 g	5 g	1.9 g	13 g	6.3 g	0 g
RDA	2000 kcal	70g	20g	50g	30g	260g	90g	6g
% of RDA	12.15%	25%	39%	10%	6%	5%	7%	0%

RDA for adults¹

Difficulty: easy
Baking time: 24 total time (10 minutes prep and 14 minutes for baking)

Honey and walnut cookies ingredients

½ cup ground almonds
1 cups organic gluten free oats
½ cup mixed seeds
½ cup walnut pieces
Pinch sea salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 ripe banana, mashed – the riper the banana the easier it is to mash
2 tbsp Manuka honey (or regular honey)
½ cup melted coconut oil
2 tbsp peanut butter

Toppings:

1 tbsp Manuka honey for drizzling

Strictly speaking honey is not vegan. For a vegan alternative, swap out manuka honey for an alternative such as honey style agave nectar syrup by The Groovy Food Company.

Agave nectar has its own associated health benefits:

It’s a low-glycemic sweetener – agave is low on the glycemic index meaning it has little effect on blood sugar levels.
Good alternative for sugar – sweetness content is higher compared with natural sugar meaning you can use less of it.

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 175 °C (Gas mark 4). Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and stir thoroughly to combine

Pro tip – peanut butter should be stored in a cool dry place however some people prefer to keep it in the fridge. Peanut butter from the fridge will be harder to mix, so take it out, a good few hours before you start baking.

Step 2

Line a baking tray with baking paper and then scoop out heaped tablespoons of the mixture and place on the tray. Press them down to flatten a little.

Step 3

Bake on a medium heat for approx. 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 4

Allow to cool a little before eating, and drizzle with Manuka honey or a vegan alternative.

With just four, easy to follow steps, you’ll be enjoying your honey and walnut cookies with either a cup of tea or coffee in no time..

Facts & FAQs about manuka honey

Facts:

Improves oral health – research proves that manuka honey can inhibit the growth of harmful oral bacteria like P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans.^{3 4}
Sore throat relief – suffering from a sore throat? Manuka honey may be able to provide relief. Streptococcus mutans is a type of bacteria responsible for sore throats. Research found that after taking manuka honey, there was a decrease in Streptococcus mutans.⁵

FAQs:

1. Should you refrigerate manuka honey?

All honey has a long shelf life without the need to be refrigerated and can be stored for a long period at room temperature or in a cool, dark place.⁶

2. How long can manuka honey be kept?

If it is stored properly and not exposed to heat, honey doesn’t really ‘expire’ and can be kept for many years. This isn’t the case for all honey, so it’s best to see the ‘best before’ and expiry dates on the packaging.⁷

3. Why does honey not spoil?

Honey does not spoil because the sugar content, low pH, and the process the bees have for making honey, all contribute to preventing organisms that spoil foods from surviving. Honey must be natural, with no added preservatives and sealed properly.⁸

Facts & FAQs about walnuts

Facts:

Strong nails and hair – walnuts are naturally high in biotin and vitamin B7, both of which are thought to promote strong, healthy hair and nails. Walnuts also contain vitamin E, which can help give your hair a healthy glow.⁹
Healthier and younger looking skin – walnuts have been linked to helping keep your skin looking healthier and younger. This is down to vitamin E. ⁹
Energy kick – feeling lethargic? Walnuts are also high in many types of B vitamins, which convert the food you eat into glucose, giving you energy.⁹

FAQs:

1. Do walnuts have to be refrigerated?

Either shelled or unshelled walnuts don’t have to be refrigerated if they are kept in an airtight container and placed somewhere cool and dry. If you do refrigerate them, they can last longer. Up to three months. They can also be kept in the freezer for up to a year.¹⁰

2. Do packaged walnuts go bad?

Yes, all walnuts will eventually expire. If they are sealed, they will last longer than walnuts that are unsealed, but they will eventually go bad. Best to check the ‘best before’ and expiry date on the packaging.

3. How do you know if walnuts have gone bad?

Walnuts usually have a mild nutty smell, if they don’t smell quite right e.g. like used cooking oil, then they have gone bad. Walnuts that have gone bad will taste bitter and have a diminished nutritional value, so best to get rid.