These cookies are a bit of a departure from my usual recipes. I don’t cook with artificial sugars or try to replace everything with a healthier alternative at the cost of flavor, so when I set out to make a not-as–bad-for-you cookie, I wanted something that still tasted like dessert.
The result: These cookies taste just as good as their decadent counterparts. Instead of butter or oil, I used cashew butter. The heart-healthy fats and boost in protein means it will fill you up much more than a traditional cookie.
I also replaced granulated white sugar with coconut sugar, which is sourced from coconut blossom trees but tastes nothing like coconut. This type of sugar burns quicker than regular sugar (that means a shorter baking time) and tastes slightly less sweet. And yes, there is a half-cup of chocolate chips in the recipe, but I use dark instead of milk or white chocolate for the added antioxidant benefits.
It’s hard to eat just one, but at least you can devour them with less guilt. Enjoy and happy baking!
Healthier Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from a Chelsea’s Messy Apron recipe
12 to 15 servings
1 cup unsalted cashew butter, room temperature
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg
4 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of kosher salt
½ cup dark chocolate chips
?• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, stir together the cashew butter, coconut sugar and egg until combined. Stir in the cocoa powder, vanilla, baking soda and salt until combined, then add the chocolate chips and stir.
• Form 2 tablespoons dough into a ball and place 1 to 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Press the tops of each ball gently to flatten.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes, then let cool on the cookie sheet. Cookies will become firmer as they cool.
This article appears in Readers’ Choice 2015.
