Innovative cookies for school meals: nutritional, technological, and sensory potential of crude palm olein (Elaeis guineensis) and cowpea flour [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]

• Cowpea flour and crude palm olein were evaluated as wheat alternatives in cookies. • Higher cowpea flour levels increased protein and mineral content in the cookies • Cookies had a reddish-brown color and a pleasantly crispy texture. • A 30 g serving may contribute to daily vitamin A and iron requirements. • The cookies achieved high sensory acceptability, scoring 7.8 overall. Micronutrient deficiencies, such as iron deficiency anemia and vitamin A deficiency, remain a concern among children in low- and middle-income countries. Despite the flour fortification policies in Brazil, nutrient bioavailability remains a challenge. Using local, nutrient-rich ingredients, such as crude palm olein (CPOL) and cowpea flour (CF), is a sustainable alternative for the nutritional improvement of school foods. This study aimed to develop and evaluate cookies enriched with CPOL and CF as vehicles for iron and provitamin A delivery during school meals. A 2² full factorial design was used, varying CF (60 or 120 g) and CPOL (25 or 50 g), while the control cookies (C0) contained only wheat flour and butter. Nutritional composition, color, texture, and sensory acceptance were also analyzed. High CF levels increased protein content (13.3–14.7%) and mineral levels, including iron (31.6–41.2 μg/g), zinc, and magnesium. Carotenoid content ranged from 35.14 to 76.68 μg/g, and the reddish-brown color of the cookies likely resulted from both carotenoid pigments and Maillard reaction products formed during baking. The formulation containing 120 g of CF and 31.25 g of CPOL produced cookies with a crispy texture and high acceptance (score: 7.8). A 30-g serving may provide up to 15.5% of daily iron and 13.9% of retinol equivalents for children. These cookies have the potential to be accessible and acceptable fortification options for school feeding programs.