Recipe: Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

This heart-healthy version of everyone’s favorite cookie is low in cholesterol and high in omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts and canola oil replace the usual eggs and butter, and oats and whole-wheat flour provide the whole grain. It’s a recipe you can indulge in occasionally without guilt (and a little dark chocolate never hurts)!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons avocado oil
2 cups walnuts
1 cup (not packed) light brown sugar
½ cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups flour (may use whole-wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 cups old-fashioned oats
8 ounces of dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Blend walnuts in food processor until ground into a fine meal. Add canola oil, and blend until dough is the consistency of natural peanut butter. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Whisk together brown sugar and ½ cup water in small saucepan and boil. Pour sugar-water mixture over walnut butter, add vanilla, and stir until smooth.
4. Whisk flour, soda, salt and cinnamon in separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into walnut mixture and allow to cool.
5. Once cooled, mix in oats and chocolate chips.
6. Roll into 2-inch balls and flatten slightly on baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes, and enjoy.

Nutritional information (per serving)

Makes 30 cookies
Serving Size: 1 cookie

160 calories, 9 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 8 g sugar, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein

Recipe from Cleveland Clinic Children’s dietitians