Santa’s Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tonight, as I started a fire for the first time this season my kids started asking about Santa and how he fits down the chimney when he is so big. My middle baby asked if we will make him homemade cookies this year when my oldest chimed in that we should make him some oatmeal cookies because they are healthier. Talk about a proud mama moment! I have been making a very conscious effort to make our favorite things a little healthier and it warms my heart when my family is on board!

There are a couple “treats” that my husband does not appreciate my changing. One is his mom’s banana bread and the other is the original chocolate chip cookie recipe. I keep the banana bread recipe pretty genuine, but I have mixed up our chocolate chip cookies. While sugar cookies with icing were a Christmas family tradition for me growing up my hubby strongly prefers chocolate chip in our home. Little does my daughter know, we will be making Santa some of our healthier chocolate chip cookies with ground oatmeal that are just as delicious as the original!

We have a house full of chocohaulics and everyone seems to have a sweet tooth. Some simple substitutions I use in our baked goods are whole wheat white flour (no one can tell the difference) in place of white flour and coconut oil (the extra refined has very little coconut flavor) in place of butter or vegetable oil. For these little pillows of chocolate chip deliciousness I’m also using a bit of oat flour (oatmeal ground up in my food processor. You can also buy oat flour). When using chocolate chips, I sneak in dark chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate and it makes me feel a little less guilty for the indulgence and I’ve had no complaints thus far.  Another option is to use mini chocolate chips since they have a better distribution in these small cookies.

I don’t know about you, but the hardest part for me about making cookies is waiting for the dough to chill before I bake them. My final secret with these cookies is to scoop them out right after you combine the dough and put the sheet tray with the dough balls in the fridge for 30 minutes. They bake up fluffy and soft.

My kids love these cookies.  Because they are smaller, I don’t have to tell them no when they want a second one.

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Laura

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Chilling Time 30 mins

Course Dessert

Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients

  

• ¼ C Coconut oil
• ¼ C unsalted butter softened
• ¼ C granulated sugar
• ¼ C light brown sugar lightly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 C White whole wheat flour
• ½ C Oat flour Rolled oats in a food processor
• ½ t baking soda
• ¼ t salt
• 1/3 C Mini chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Cream coconut oil and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine two flours, baking soda and salt. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat just until combined. Pour chocolate chips into the mixture and use a spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
• For fluffier cookies, chill the dough for at least 2 hours. I prefer scooping out the dough before chilling with 1 TBSP scoop and placing 1 inch apart on a silpat or parchment lined sheet pan. Chill the sheet pan with the dough for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
• Makes 2-1/2 dozen small cookies