Guilt-Free Cookies? Seriously, They Exist!

Cranberry-Coconut Flaxseed & Oatmeal Cookies

This week at Chews Healthy, I decided to try something completely different, cookies! Everyone likes cookies, in fact I have never met someone who would turn down a cookie. Hypothetically speaking, if they did turn one down I would just assume they were a diet or just plain crazy.  Assuming they are not mentally unstable, and just health conscious, I decided to try and make this batch of cookies as healthy and guilt-free as possible.

These cookies are loaded with nutrition and flavour! Each cookie is made with rolled organic oats, whole wheat flour, ground flaxseeds, agave nectar, cranberries and unsweeted coconuts. Not to mention that there is no refined sugar in this recipe. The flaxseeds are packed with fibre, proteins, omega-3 fatty acids and Lignans. Lignans are "a type of phytoestrogen that may protect against certain types of cancer, including breast cancer and prostate cancer. Even the National Cancer Institute has identified its cancer-fighting potential." (B. Hand and N. Nichols. 2013).

Okay, so let's get started!


Ingredients

Yield: Approx. 24 Cookies

Prep Time: 10-15minutes

Cook Time: 12minutes

• 1/2 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 Cup of Rolled Oats
• 1/2 Cup of Organic Agave Nectar
• 1 Large Egg
• 3/4 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 3 Tablespoons of Low-Fat Butter
• 1 1/2 Cups of Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• 1 1/2 Cups of Dried Cranberries

Directions

1.) The first thing you want to do before even starting the prep work, is to preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the agave nectar, the egg, and butter together, mix thoroughly. Make sure that the butter is at room temperature, this will make the mixing process a lot easier.

Hand-Mixed Cookie Dough

2.) Next, add in the rest of the ingredients to the mixing bowl. These ingredients include: whole wheat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, salt, unsweetened coconut flakes, and dried cranberries. Once all the ingredients are combined, mix them together with your hands until a soft dough forms. It is important to note that due to the hardiness of the ingredients, using an electric mixing at this step may cause you some difficulty, as this dough is very thick.

Oven-Ready Cookies on a Greased Baking Sheet

3.) Once your concoction is done being mixed, and you are pleased with the results, get a baking sheet and place parchment paper on it. If you do not have parchment paper, feel free to grease the pan with some non-fat unsalted butter. Once the sheet is covered, take some of the dough and roll it into small balls with a diameter of about 1-2inches thick. Place each ball on the sheet and make sure to leave about 2inches between. Using a fork, squish each ball so that they become a little more flat and more cookie-like. 

4.) The next step is to place the sheet into the oven, make sure that the oven is preheated and ready to go. Once placed into the oven, bake for 12minutes. Once they are done, they will have a toasted look to them and will be slightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool down for 5 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetit!