One of my favorite desserts of all time has to be fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, right out of the oven. Seriously, nothing makes me happier than biting into a warm, chewy, chocolate chip cookie and dunking it into a cold glass of milk (almond/cashew milk) that is. As simple as that may sound, I have been on a quite a mission to recreate a healthier version, which is exactly how these Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies came to life! They are not only healthier than your traditional chocolate chip cookie but they taste delicious too! They are chewy, nutty and have just enough sweetness to them without being too sweet. They are also gluten-free, unrefined-sugar-free, egg-free and can be made dairy-free, as well!
Now, if you have made any of my baked goods before, you would know that I prefer using natural and simple ingredients. Having cut out refined sugar from my diet many years ago, I now have a hard time enjoying sweets that are full of traditional white sugar as they are just too sweet for me and provide 0 health benefits. I have always had a sweet tooth and I don’t really see that changing any time, however I just prefer to eat baked goods that contain natural sugars instead!
Lets talk about the healthier ingredients used in these cookies:
Oat flour and Almond flour. These are both great gluten-free options when it comes to replacing your standard, white and wheat flours. I like the combination of the two of these for this recipe.
Pure Maple Syrup was the sweetener of choice. It adds just enough sweetness without being too sweet while also providing you with some health benefits. You could try and sub for raw honey or coconut sugar, if preferred.
A Flax Egg was used as an egg replacement, but you can swap for a pasture-raised egg, as well.
I went with grass-fed butter for this recipe, which is why these cookies aren’t dairy-free, however, you can substitute the butter for coconut oil or avocado oil, which would make them dairy-free.
I added Natural Almond Butter since it is one of my favorite nut butters of all times. It is nutty and doesn’t add a ton of flavor, while at the same time, adds protein and healthy fats. You could also substitute this with peanut butter, or cashew butter, if preferred.
I used my favorite brand of dairy-free chocolate chips, Enjoy Life. I prefer to use their dark chocolate chips but semi-sweet would work here too.
I really hope you get a chance to make these tasty cookies! If you do, please share with me how they turned out in the comment section below or tag me at #healthymommamanda.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 flax egg ( 1 tbsp ground flax 3 tbsp water)
1/4 cup grass-fed butter or unflavored coconut oil (vegan option)
1/4 cup natural almond butter or peanut butter
1/2 -3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1 cup gluten free oat flour (or gluten free rolled oats blended into a flour)
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the 1 tbsp ground flax with 3 tbsp filtered water and set aside for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
- In a medium bowl add the almond butter and butter (or coconut oil) and place into microwave for 30 seconds. Cream the two together using a whisk. Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and the flax egg and stir until combined.
- In a large bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips.
- Add the wet ingredients with the dry.
- Fold in your chocolate chips.
- Shape the dough into 1 tbsp sized balls and place them onto prepared baking sheet. Press down on the dough to flatten out the cookies.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes.