Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Up this week, is one of my favorite 'healthier' cookie recipes.

Of course they're chocolate chip. Of course they have oats...

Easy, healthy, delicious, and super addictive! These cookies are a winning recipe that I always go back to. Developed by the lovely food blogger  Chocolatecoveredkatie

This recipe is straight from her book. Currently it's only twelve dollars or so on Amazon, and I highly recommend, just to have in your kitchen as a healthy alternative. Perfect for when the sweet tooth hits, or when you feel in the baking spirit. 

These cookies are filled with natural, whole ingredients, and I'm bringing them to you just in time for the weekend! *aw yeah-cookies for breakfast.

Her original recipe you can find here, the only thing I changed is adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I find it just gave them that extra sweetness, and depth of flavor. 

Let's get started!!

From her cookbook "chocolate-covered katie" by Katie Higgins. Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies

To make these cookies:

3 cups of rolled oats

1/2 cup of brown sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar

1 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 cup of chocolate chips

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp of xylitol or granulated sugar of choice

1/4 cup vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil

4 to 6 tbsp of milk of choice

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking sheets and set aside. Blend together the oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a food processor or blender until evenly combined. Place in large bowl and add chocolate chips, sugar or choice, oil, and add two tablespoons of the milk. Stir together to form a dough. Very slowly adding more milk of choice if mixture is too dry to form a dough. using your hands or a cookie scoop, roll or form into 24 to 28 balls. Place on the prepared sheets, then press the balls to flatten. Bake for 6 minutes. The cookies will look underdone at first, but this is what you want; the cookies will continue to cook as they cool. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the sheets. Store leftovers in a covered container at room temperature for 3 days. 

Per Cookie: Calories: 75 Fiber: 1 gram Protein: 1.5 grams Fat: 3 grams Carbs: 10 grams Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 2 

My Notes: 

What I love about these cookies, is that they're surprisingly very sweet, and have a almost melt-in-your-mouth effect. They are a soft cookie, but can become firmer and a bit crispy around the edges when left out. They definitely have more of a course texture, due to the oat flour. But it gives it a more natural feel. She does mention that you could easily make these into oatmeal cookies by swapping out the chocolate chips for raisins, and adding a few dashes of cinnamon. It's really that easy. 

They're kid friendly, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and can be modified as low sugar. 

Some of the ingredients called for, might be new to you. xylitol, coconut palm sugar, and coconut oil.

First off, if you don't use coconut oil in your kitchen- start now! Coconut oil is a great healthy fat, that is perfect for baking in place of vegetable or most other various oils. At its natural state coconut oil is solidified. However, once it gets near heat it melts easily. It is easy to use, and relatively inexpensive! Organic and extra virgin coconut oil is always best, but use what you can get. It can leave a 'coconuty taste' at sometimes when used in recipes, but in most baked goods, I find you can't taste it at all. Especially when the recipe calls for salt. 

Xylitol is a low glycemic sweetener. It's practically a zero calorie sweetener, and zero sugar. Now there are different brands, and versions that might have slightly different nutrition facts, so keep that in mind. It is a 'sugar free' sweetener, extracted from fruit sugars. I didn't use xylitol for this batch, I used Erythritol. Similar to xylitol, but not processed the same. If you'd like to learn more about xylitol, and the pros and cons on how it's processed, I found Wellness Mama's post to be very helpful. Read it here!

Coconut Palm sugar however, is a little better for you. It's one of my favorites because of its dark, caramelly taste. Perfect substitute for brown sugar, or regular sugar. It's made from the palm tree of the coconut, and pretty sweet! This sugar is perfect for baking, and a great staple to your kitchen. It's a little better than regular sugar, because of the extra little vitamins and minerals. All around, I feel it's just absorbed a little easier in the body. 

These cookies make about 20-28 small cookies. They will last about 3 days at room temperature in a airtight container. But really, you'll probably eat them all way before then.

Now that you know all about these cookies, you really have no excuse not to make them.  

The perfect addition to a perfect weekend. You simply can't go wrong!

Plus life should be sweet. 

And these cookies are just that.

love,

toria