Crunchy, sweet and chocolatey cookies are lovely to snack on when you are having a cup of tea or snuggling up on the couch for your favourite movie. But, snacking in front of the TV is a dangerous habit if you are watching your weight… With this healthier alternative, you can practice this dangerous habit somewhat safely ;).
This chocolate chip cookie recipe does not contain added sugar (yey!), does contain heart-healthy walnuts and pecans (plus vitamin E!), and packs a good punch of dark chocolate (which does contain some sugar, and which you can buy dairy-free). I use oatmeal flour as the basis, which means that the recipe is gluten-free and rich in vitamins and fibre. Overall, these cookies are a healthy alternative to store-bought cookies and have at least half the calories than a regular supermarket cookie!
When buying cookies in the supermarket, beware that those cookies carry at least 70 calories per cookie, often making a few cookies worth half of your daily calorie intake (not to mention sugar overdose)! This makes the indulgement rather short-lived… Sometimes I am outraged that no one puts a warning sign on supermarket cookies! One pack can easily have more than 2000 calories, which equals the whole daily allowance for an average woman.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
with walnuts & pecans
Makes 12 cookies. Prep time: 30-45 minutes.
Oatmeal flour, 2 cups (blend oatmeal in a blender to get oat flour)
Butter (grass-fed) or coconut oil (melted au bain-marie), 110 grams
Dark chocolate, 50 grams, finely chopped
Walnuts, 10 pieces, finely chopped
Pecans, 10 pieces, finely chopped
Egg, 1
Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
Salt, just a pinch
Baking sheet
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix the oat flour and baking powder with the butter (with your fingers or a mixer) until you have a consistent mixture.
3. Add the egg and a pinch of salt and mix (knead) again.
4. Add the walnuts, pecans and chocolate and stir it through the dough.
5. Separate pieces of dough into cookies (roll a small ball between your hands and then press it flat to get a round cookie :)).
6. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes (until slightly golden-brown on top). Let cool for 5 minutes before eating.
These cookies can be stored in a tin for a few days – or wrapped in one as a cute gift to a friend!