Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Huh? What is that gobbledy-gook in the previous line? If you thought this was going to be about oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, be patient. Apparently, this cryptic code is the high-tech way one “claims” their blog on Technorati. For some reason it refuses to recognize my new location or update my feed.

Huh? Technorati. It’s is a search engine for blogs. According to Wikipedia, the name Technorati is “a blend of the words technology and literati, which invokes the notion of technological intelligence or intellectualism.”

Huh?

Oh, heck. You don’t need to know all that. Have a cookie. It’s Friday. Have two.

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - TheMessyBaker.com

I made these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies last night when a chocolate craving hit. Even though I am a chocolate addict, I didn’t want to eat anything too junky. So I turned to Terry Walter’s book Clean Food.  The book is bursting with salads, vegetables, soups and innovative use of grains, but when I cracked the spine? Fate landed me on one of the few cookie recipes. Surely this was a sign.

And in true addict style, I couldn’t wait for my hit. After scooping one sheet of cookies, I got impatient. I smushed the remaining batter into a pan and baked them as squares.

Both the cookies are squares are not the soft, chewy version your grandmother made. But then again, these have no dairy, butter or refined sugar. Instead, these are cookies are hearty, crunchy, granola-like nuggets that make a perfectly acceptable snack or breakfast food — at least to me. And since there were plenty left over from my late night binge, I indulged again with my morning latte. Not a bad way to start the day.

Am I the only one to eat cookies for breakfast? Please, tell me I’m not alone…

Print

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie has no eggs, dairy or refined sugar. You can make a gluten-free version with brown rice flour or a more traditional version with unbleached white. Either way, it’s a satisfying treat.

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 2 dozen 1x
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup unbleached white flour or brown rice flour
  • 3/4 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 cups maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or raisins (or both)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whist together syrup, oil and vanilla.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until evenly combined. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips or raisins. Press dough into equal-sized balls, place onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven — and do your best not to eat them all at one sitting.

Notes

Excerpt printed with permission. From Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source by Terry Walters  (Sterling Epicure, 2009)

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18 Comments
  • The Diva on a Diet
    Posted at 10:40h, 19 February

    I’ve got some letters for Technorati … PITA … because its a pain in the a**! Don’t hold your breath waiting for your feed to be updated, there’s no rhyme or reason to it … at least in my experience.

    Let us speak of other things … cookies! These look scrumptious and really rather virtuous. Nice! I like the idea of mashing them into a pan to bake as square too. Efficient! While I don’t eat cookies for breakfast (I’m a savory morning person) – I would like one with my afternoon tea. 🙂
    .-= The Diva on a Diet´s last blog ..Breakfast: Pompanoosuc Porridge Edition =-.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 11:03h, 19 February

    @The Diva on a Diet, I won’t hold my breath. Thanks for letting me know it’s not necessarily my fault they can’t link to my new feed. Sigh… I need more cookies…

    They taste great as squares – chewier and a bit more moist. I wish I could join you for cookies and tea.

  • Cheryl@5secondrule
    Posted at 12:00h, 19 February

    I often forget about bars. They really do feel more substantial and, dare I say, breakfasty than cookies.

    And Technorati? I always ignore the Technorati tags field in my typepad posts because I’ve never understood what I was supposed to do. Now I know — fill the box with a whole assortment of random letters.
    .-= Cheryl@5secondrule´s last blog ..Soda =-.

  • Amy Proulx
    Posted at 16:36h, 19 February

    Cookies for breakfast? Sure! When no one is looking! Given the sugar contents of some of the “healthy” cereals out there, these cookies would likely have less sugar anyways.

    Chocolate cookies for breakfast? Bring it on! Substituting dried cherries for the raisins would be dreamy. The sort of morning pick-me-up that I could use these days.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 17:01h, 19 February

    @Cheryl@5secondrule, I told myself the very same thing when I ate the “bars” for breakfast this morning.

    I swear, based on the headway I have (or haven’t) made with Technorati, random letters would work just fine. Sometimes modern technology gives me a headache.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 17:02h, 19 February

    @Amy Proulx, I’m looking…

    Love the idea of using dried cherries instead of raisins. Nice call!

  • Robin Smart
    Posted at 18:17h, 19 February

    Dear Charmian,
    Are you actually telling me there are people who DON’T eat cookies for breakfast – in any form you can suggest?? Hope I never get asked to stay over at their house.
    These look wicked good.
    Love,
    Robin

  • sophia
    Posted at 23:14h, 19 February

    LMAO! I heard about that too, and curiously tried it. I have that weird symbol on one of my posts, but the stupid thing still can’t “locate it in your feed”. blah blah blah, I gave up. Just not worth the stress!

    Now, that cookie, I totally think is worth the energy and time! Love it!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 08:43h, 20 February

    Shhhh. Don’t tell your daughter about this breakfast option. She would take this as permission to start her day with coffee and Oreos. I shudder to think of it.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 08:47h, 20 February

    @sophia, sorry to hear Technorati couldn’t find your feed. Apparently, they want you to put it at the claim code at the TOP of your post. Fortunately, they found mine, but my blog is still pending review of some sort. Sigh…

    You’re right. The cookie was worth the time and effort. The tech issues? Not so much.

  • Lorraine
    Posted at 16:29h, 26 February

    Hi Charmian:

    Thanks for taking care of me on Fat Tuesday–when I baked your Black Forest cookies–and afterward when I gave up sugar for Lent: I stuffed down these delicious Healthy Oatmeal cookies and smugly let people congratulate me on my self-discipline.

    Right.

    There’s nothing self-depriving about these cookies. They are so yum, I would eat them even if they weren’t “healthy.”

    I made them without raisins to avoid the sugar in chocolate chips. Soooo good.

    Everyone in the family loved them. Making another big batch this weekend.
    .-= Lorraine´s last blog ..Copywriters’ Kitchen Weekly Menu: February 21, 2010 =-.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 17:16h, 26 February

    I’m so glad you liked these. I’m trying to post healthy recipes without hitting people over the head.

    The Dried Apple Breakfast Bars are also sugar-free if you use raisins and no chocolate chips. The recipe makes a huge pan and my husband and I have snacked our way through the entire batch in only three days. So much for my two weeks’ worth of breakfasts. I’d blame the cats, but they don’t eat human food.

  • Sophie
    Posted at 06:28h, 28 February

    MMMMMMM,…your cookies sing to me!!

    Lovely & apart too!
    .-= Sophie´s last blog ..Sophie’s orange, fennel & chicken roasted oven dish with olives & Pastis =-.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 15:11h, 02 March

    @Sophie, be careful. These cookies sing a siren song and you could well end up in trouble. It’s easy to gobble the whole batch.

  • Ally
    Posted at 11:17h, 02 December

    The best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the known universe. No joke. No sugar, no eggs, no butter. Totally easy and super delicious.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 10:53h, 06 December

    @Ally, thanks for the endorsement.

  • Katharine
    Posted at 08:24h, 11 February

    Yum Yum…served these at my Buddhist group meeting the other night. After chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and discussing our experiences around our Human Revolution we enjoyed these healthy treats with a hot cup tea. I have made them several times since to share with more friends.
    …and yes I have been eating them for breakie too.
    Big Thanks

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 11:09h, 11 February

    What a nice story! Good karma all around.

    And I fully approve of these as a breakfast choice.

    A big thanks right back., Katharine I always appreciate knowing the recipes I post are being used — and enjoyed.