Sometimes you just need a yummy cookie. Today, I’m sharing a guest post from That Fun Mom over at ThatFunMom.com and her Best Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Take it away Fun Mom!
Baking cookies together is a favorite activity in our house. We end up with some delicious treats, and the kids learn measurements and cooking skills. Here is our favorite healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe. And due to my daughter’s allergies and my husband’s vegan lifestyle, it covered all the healthy checkboxes while still being easy and delicious.
Healthy and Simple Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
(Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)
Makes 24 Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup Softened Vegan Butter (or regular margarine if you are ok with dairy)
3/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Almond Milk (or the milk of your choice, I use unsweetened)
2 TBSP Vanilla Extract
Large 1/2 TSP Baking Powder
Large 1/2 TSP Baking Soda
1/4 TSP Salt
2 cups Gluten Free Flour (you can also use regular all-purpose flour too if you don’t have a gluten allergy)
1 Cup Oats
1 Cup Almond Flour (or just use more flour if you don’t have or want almond flour)
Chocolate Chips (you measure those with your heart, we like dark chocolate but up to you)
Walnuts or Pecans (Optional, I love walnuts but the kids don’t, so I throw them in after we pan the first dozen)
Directions
Pre-heat the over to 375 degrees
Soften the butter (ideally, leave it on the counter for a bit to soften, but if you’re in a rush, we’ve fully melted it in the microwave and it turned out fine)
Start by mixing all the wet ingredients with the butter in a mixing bowl.
Then add the dry ingredients, and fold in the chocolate chips and/or walnuts last.
If the batter seems too dry, add a little bit of milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches that perfect cookie dough consistency. Do NOT put this dough in the refrigerator to set like with other recipes, it just gets hard and unworkable.
(The best part about vegan cooking, is no raw eggs, so you can eat the batter!)
Then scoop them onto a non-stick cookie pan (I usually end up with about 24 good size cookies) You might want to flatten them with the back of the spoon just a tad as they do not really “spread” while cooking.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until they are just starting to get a little golden on the edges.
Transfer them to a cooking rack and dig it!
My hubs and kids love these cookies cold the next day so we usually store them in the refrigerator or even the freezer. They love the crunchy cold chocolate chip bites.
Making Chocolate Chip Cookies With Kids
Baking with kids can either be a super fun activity to do together or incredibly stressful if you let it.
When you approach cooking with kids, remember to let go and enjoy the moment. Yes, the flour will probably get spilled. They WILL slosh some ingredients out of the bowl, every time. It can be tough to watch the mess unfold but this is how you teach them to enjoy cooking and learn to work in the kitchen.
Just remember to have them do what they are capable of from stirring or pouring in pre-measured ingredients to actually measuring and reading the recipe themselves. Every job is important.
And be ready, sometimes kids just plain lose interest halfway through. It’s okay. Have them wash up and finish on your own. They’ll definitely be back when it’s time to take the cookies out of the oven.
I started baking with my kids from the moment they could stand on a chair to reach the countertop. Now, at 9 and 11, I can literally just send them into the kitchen and they will come out with cookies. It’s wonderful and delicious.
And if all else fails or you’re just not a baker yourself, grab a pack of premade cookie dough at the store. It still counts. Have fun!