About four minutes into the baking of these chocolate gems, a caramel warmth wafts towards my nostrils and all is right with the world.

On a bitingly cold Saturday, complete with a play-date, there is only one thing to do: make cookies. Upon informing the my 8 year old daughter and her friend that I was working on a healthier version of chocolate chip cookies, using agave, I was bombarded with protests.

“Oh no, you are going to use oatmeal, aren’t you?”

“AGAVE! What is that?” 

Their words dripped with “ick” and fear.

I calmed them with a little mini spoon dipped in agave, and eyebrows raised, they were forced to concede to its sweet goodness.

Back to these Almost Healthy Chocolate Chip Joy Infused Cookies. My goal in developing this recipe was to lower the fat content and glycemic index and to up the intake of whole grains in one of America’s favorite desserts. 

I succeeded.

Hand delivering one (before-dinner) cookie each to the girls, the first bite solicited the following response: “These are AMAZing,” and “nice job,” complete with a thumbs up.

“See,” I said, with grin of a conqueror spreading across my face. I did a little happy dance back to the kitchen. 

You too will do a little happy dance when you first bite into these mood altering baked discs of delight (aka cookies).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup blue agave nectar
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 4 tsp. vanilla bean infused vodka (or pure vanilla extract works too)
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup whole oats
• 10-12 oz. of the most seriously dark chocolate chips you can find, malt-sweetened if possible, so as to completely avoid processed sugar.  I only had Hershey’s Special Dark semi-sweet chips on hand.
• (As you can see, there is not salt added in this recipe. I forgot it, and it isn’t needed. I am not sure why. Greatly reduces the sodium content!)

Directions:

1. Melt the butter and coconut oil together, about 45 seconds in the microwave, allow to cool slightly.
2. Use a mixer to blend the agave and coconut palm sugar together, add the melted butter and oil. Add the vanilla then the egg whites (warmed to room temp. in a bowl of warm water for about 10 min.) Beat until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the two flours, baking powder, cornstarch and cinnamon. Add slowly to the wet ingredients.
4. Stir in whole oats and, finally, chocolate chips. Add some nuts if you so desire.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
6. Chill dough in freezer for 30 minutes.
7. Spoon onto sheet in generous tablespoons. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Makes 40 cookies (if you don’t nibble at the dough during the baking process)


So how did I determine this comparison? I used the nutrition tracker on MyFitnessPal. As you can see from above, my agave-coconut-whole-wheat-oats recipe is not only lower in fat, sugar, carbs and sodium, but packs a nutrition punch with potassium from the coconut sugar and egg whites and a dose of iron from the dark chocolate and oats.

Yes, Costco’s Kirkland brand cookies may be a tad larger, or could it be an optical illusion, as they are flat. And full of artificial flavor. I will take a smaller, cleaner cookie any day.

The only way to make this cookie of joy better is with a cup of Safari Spiced Chai, a Traveler’s Tea African Rooibos blend that pairs so very well with dessert, and boasts a dose Vitamin C, anti-oxidants, and minerals.

Mom and kid approved, I could not have developed this recipe without inspiration from Amy’s Healthy Baking and this agave nectar cookie recipe. I have absolutely no affiliation with the websites mentioned, except for the tea sites, which is my company. I highly encourage you to check out the online store, Mountain Girl Made, and buy some organic, additive-free tea to go with your baked goods while supporting this blogging housewife.