Healthy Chocolate-Chip Cookie Recipe

I don’t do a lot of baking as my expertise definitely lies in savoury meals. My problem is that I don’t pay much attention to measurements or specific timing. Much of my cooking is a product of experimentation and differing tastes and flavours. Therefore, I would not say I am a very suitable baker as I do not have the patience to follow regimented recipes. Although I do have an outrageously sweet tooth and crave sweet things after almost every meal, I usually rely on the other amazing bakers or cafes around me to provide the sweet goods. My sister excels in baking, and so this is usually her turf in the kitchen. However, this is a recipe that I often go to when I have the baking-feels as it is quick, easy and healthy. For me, the cookies are the perfect texture between gooey and cakey and aren’t too sickly sweet so you don’t feel like a heffalump when you eat too many. They are also packed with nutritious ingredients and so can definitely be classed as ‘guilt-free’, whilst also seeming slightly indulgent! This is my recipe that started by me chucking a load of healthy ingredients together that I knew worked well as a combination and adapting and modifying to make the perfect taste and texture of cookie (in my opinion, I am aware that everyone has very varying attitudes about what makes the perfect cookie), whilst being as good for you as possible. Of course you can adapt the timing and quantity of ingredients to make the cookie gooier or more cakey - whatever’s your jam!

Makes 16 medium cookies

Method:

Dry

11/2 cups ground almonds

1 cup buckwheat flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

3-6 chopped Medjool dates (depending on how sweet you like it)

A handful of currants

100g dark chocolate (roughly chopped)

Wet

2 tsp chia seeds soaked for 2 minutes in 4 tsp water or 1 egg

Splash of almond milk

2 tbsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)

2 tbsp coconut oil

Method

1. Line a baking try with baking paper and grease it with coconut oil.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

3. Make a well in the mixture and add the chia seeds/egg and a splash of plant-based milk and mix until combined.

4. Melt the coconut oil and maple syrup together on a low heat and add to the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly until all combined.

5. Use your hands to make balls of cookie dough and then flatten them on the baking try so they still retain thickness but are squidged down, as these cookies don’t tend to expand like other cookies.

6. Bake for 10-12 at 180 degrees celsius.

#Vegan #GlutenFree #Cookies #Baking #ChocChip