What is a cookie to you?
A treat. A sweet indulgence. A reason to smile. A reward. An incentive.
A regret. A guilty memory. A reason to exercise. A sugar crash. An error.
Want to know what a cookie is to me? It’s an opportunity.
An opportunity to package enjoyment, nutrition, energy, and sweet flavor into a user friendly handheld morsel.
You see, there’s simply no reason to entertain antiquated cookies that contain only empty, sugary calories — cookies made with wheat flour, refined sugar, butter and milk chocolate. Especially when it’s so easy to swap out those empty calories and harmful components with ingredients that offer both nutrition and flavor.
Don’t worry, friend, I’m not suggesting that you resign to eating crumbly “health food cookies” that taste like cardboard. You know me better than that – if the taste doesn’t give me a blissful pause then I’m not eating it and I’m certainly not sharing it. So rest assured that these Power Cookies deliver a flavor that will have you coming back for more.
So what are the magical, nutritious ingredients that I’ve used to earn these morsels the title of “Power Cookies”? These cookies are made with dates (wholesome sweetness and fiber), molasses (nutritious sweetener), coconut oil (good fat), coconut palm sugar (low glycemic sweetener), almond flour (low carb flour with healthy fat), flax meal (omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and protein), eggs (protein), unsweetened coconut flakes (fiber, protein and healthy fat), raw walnuts (healthy fat), pepitas (fiber and healthy fat), and stevia sweetened, zero sugar dark chocolate chips.
Now is it clear why I named these Power Cookies?!? That’s a lot of nutrition for a cookie. Oh, and the flavor! Once you taste it you’ll forget all about the nutrition and will revel in the flavor…Enjoy!
10 Pitted Dates
½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup coconut palm sugar
¼ cup molasses
⅓ cup coconut cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
1¼ cups blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
⅓ cup Walnuts, raw, unsalted, chopped
⅓ cup raw, unsalted pepitas
⅓ cup sliced almonds
1 cup lily’s chocolate chips (stevia sweetened)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the dates in a bowl of hot water. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain off the water and place the dates in a food processor. Add the remainder of the wet ingredients and pulse until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add to the wet ingredients in the food processor by the spoonful, pulsing until fully combined.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl and stir in the mix-in ingredients. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill before forming the cookies.
Form the cookies from Tablespoons of dough, forming balls and then pressing to flatten slightly on the prepared baking sheet. Space the cookies two inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Enjoy!
Calories: 98
Fat: 8g
Carbohydrates: 7g
Sodium: 40mg
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 2g
Sugar: 4g