Have you ever watched your kids go from being semi-normal to bat-poo crazy after eating lots of sugar? I have seen my sweet little girl go from rainbows and sunshine to the Exorcist in about five minutes flat after she eats too much sugar.
But here’s the problem…
I’m a pastry chef. Making stuff with sugar is what I DO.
So, it’s kinda hard to NOT let my kids eat ANYTHING with sugar in it. The compromise? Well, I can either load them up and send them to Grammy and Grampy’s house until they crash, or make adjustments and not let them eat a pound of sugar at a time.
With these cookies, I really don’t feel bad at all letting them have a couple at a time. They literally contain HALF the sugar of a standard chocolate chip cookie, they’re made with whole wheat flour, have ground flaxseed, and are packed full of oats. Makes a great little lunchbox snack, too.
If your family is nutty like mine, throw in a cup of chopped pecans for some added crunch.
Let’s get real though, these are also great for breakfast. They go really well with coffee, and I have been known to pack a couple in a little plastic bag and take them to work. My new favorite breakfast of champions.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Recipe: (makes about 32 cookies*)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup stevia (or other sugar substitute of your choice)
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (plus 2 tablespoons water)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or raisins if you prefer)
In a very small bowl or cup, stir together flaxseed and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside. Combine butter, both sugars, and honey in a medium size mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add flaxseed, eggs, and vanilla, continue beating for another minute. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, continue mixing until well combined. Add oats and chocolate chips, stir together well with a spatula.
Using a medium ice cream scoop, distribute dough on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Using your hands, form each ball of dough into a thick disk. Place back on sheet and into refrigerator for at least one hour. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cookies on another cookie sheet, about two inches apart. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until a very light golden brown. Remove from oven, let sit on pan for another ten minutes. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.
*If you want smaller cookies, use a smaller scoop and adjust the baking time by about 1-2 minutes.
**How do I make cookies soft? This may sound weird, but a great way to make sure your cookies are soft are to UNDERbake them. No seriously, I’m not kidding. This is a technique that takes some practice, so you know exactly when to pull your cookies from the oven. When you underbake the cookies, they still continue to bake on the cookie sheet after they’re removed from the oven. This is called carryover baking. If you don’t believe me, Google it. The internet never lies… Just before they’re starting to crack a little on the top and are still slightly soft in the middle, pull them from the oven. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for about 10-12 minutes. They’ll still be somewhat soft when you transfer them to the cooling racks, but will firm up more as they cool. If they’re falling apart when you are transferring them, they didn’t bake long enough. It just takes a little practice. I have faith in you.
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: For a great way to have cookies on hand, you can freeze the cookie dough and use as needed. Even though these cookies are healthier than the usual cookies, eating a dozen at a time may cancel out that whole “healthy” aspect, you know? My freezer is packed with different cookie dough flavors, and I can bake them at the drop of a hat as needed. Kids need an extra snack in their lunchbox? Cookie. Unexpected dinner guests and you want to have a little dessert? Cookies. Wine just won’t cut it after a long day? Dozen cookies.
After the cookies have set in the refrigerator, transfer them to an airtight container lined with parchment paper. If you’ve got more than one layer of cookies, make sure you separate the layers with the parchment paper. Before baking, let them rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before baking. If you need to bake them right out of the freezer, just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
