South African Crunchies – a healthy version

This fabulous healthy version of South African crunchies is the creation of Anje van der Merwe who based it on our traditional family crunchy recipe.  I always say ‘If you love it, share it’.  And we are loving this healthy version. Thank you for sharing Anje  it is a great  alternative.

Anje sent me this recipe a few months back, and I have been meaning to make these healthy crunchies earlier, but life happens and circumstances make it impossible to do everything at once, so finally I have got around to baking them and sharing with you.  Making this a proudly South African post, I have added these beautiful  indigenous Proteas which are  in full bloom in South Africa at the moment.

Anje has used less butter, less sugar and honey, and sweetened them with mashed bananas, which also binds them beautifully.  I used an unrefined brown Muscovado sugar which has a strong molasses flavour, just to make it healthier, but you can use white or brown sugar. If you prefer softer crunchies then pack your mixture thicker in the baking pan.  Use a larger pan and spread the mixture out if you prefer thinner, crispier biscuits.

In this recipe the traditional coconut in the crunchies is replaced with toasted sesame seeds, which gives them a wonderful nutty flavour.  The easiest way to toast sesame seeds, is to dry fry in a pan, they will pop and jump when they are toasting, so toss them often.  The lovely smell of  toasting sesame seeds makes these an absolute winner.

For a Traditional Crunchy try my mother’s recipe here . Not as healthy, but delicious non the less.

4.25 from 4 votes

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Healthy South African Crunchies

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Course: Baking

Cuisine: South African

Author: Anje van der Merwe for Shades of Cinnamon

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cake flour
• 2 cups of oats
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon honey or syrup
• 100 g butter
• 1/2 cup sugar (to make it healthier use Muscovada sugar or brown)
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds (I just put them in a dry pan over a high heat or you can do them in the over for about 5min)
• 2-3 mashed bananas (2 if large and 3 if small)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/360ºF.
2. Combine dry ingredients except for bicarbonate of soda
3. Melt the butter and honey, when it starts bubbling add the bicarb and pour over dry mixture
4. Add mashed banana and mix well
5. Press into greased oven proof dish 8"x8"(20cm) for thick softer crunchies and a larger one for thinner ones. Press down using the back of a spoon.
6. Bake for 15 min at 180, reduce heat to 160 and bake for another 10 to 15 mins.
7. Remove from the oven and cut into squares while still hot (if you wait till they are cool you won't be able to cut them)
8. Let them cool in the tin before removing