Oh chocolate, sweet chocolate…if loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
Thanks to a natural superfood called cacao, you can love chocolate in a healthy way!
This clean recipe for chocolate cookies is a great example. It’s a sweet treat that tastes amazing and actually has some health benefits.
SCORE!
THE STAR INGREDIENTS
Before I dive into the recipe for these delicious superfood chocolate cookies, let’s look at the star ingredients that make them a healthy treat:
Cacao:
This recipe includes both cacao powder and cacao nibs, which are gifts of nature that come from the cacao tree. Cacao is a superfood that contains phytonutrients (nutrients from plants) and powerful antioxidants known as flavonoids that reduce inflammation in the body, strengthen your immune system, and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Cacao is also very high in magnesium, a mineral that plays an important role in over 300 biochemical processes in your body including muscle and nerve function.
Another bonus…cacao helps to improve your mood and enhances your ability to focus!
Coconut Oil:
Coconut oil contains healthy fats called medium-chain fatty acids (commonly known as MCTs), including caprylic acid, lauric acid and capric acid. These fats are immediately converted into energy in your body as opposed to storing them as fat.
The fat from coconut oil is easy to digest, helps boost brain function, prevents heart disease and protects your liver function.
THE RECIPE
This recipe consists of clean and simple ingredients that you’ll want to keep stocked in your kitchen:
~Yields 12-15 Cookies~
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup of Coconut Oil (like this), Solid at Room Temperature
- 1/2 Cup of Coconut Sugar (like this)
- 1 Egg (from organically-fed and pasture-raised chickens)
- 1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract (like this)
- 1 Cup of Cacao Powder (like this)
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda (like this)
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt (like this)
- 1/2 Cup of Cacao Nibs (like this)
- Optional: Combine Arrowroot Powder (like this) with Coconut Sugar to Make “Powdered Sugar”
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a cookie sheet with unbleached parchment paper (like this).
- In a mixing bowl, mix the coconut oil and coconut sugar until they are combined well. (I prefer using glass mixing bowls like these.)
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- Add the cacao powder, baking soda and salt and mix until smooth.
- Stir in the cacao nibs.
- Use your hands or an ice cream scooper to form the cookie dough into balls (making them as big or small as you’d like) and place them on the lined cookie sheet.
- Use a fork to flatten the dough balls a bit.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes.
- If you’ll be adding the “powdered sugar,” do it in this step.
- Slide the cookie sheet into the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes. This will allow the cookies to firm up quickly.
- Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container (like these) and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Below is how the dough looks with all the ingredients mixed together:
I seem to always end up with 12 balls of dough as shown in the photo below, but you can certainly make yours smaller to get more cookies:
Below is how the cookies look after I flatten them with a fork:
Below is a look at the “powdered sugar” I made using arrowroot powder and coconut sugar. You only need a little bit to dust on top. Again, this part is totally optional:
The finished product is so chocolatey and delicious! Even though these cookies have health benefits, they are still a treat and should be enjoyed in moderation.
WANT TO SAVE MONEY ON HEALTHY PANTRY STAPLES LIKE THOSE FOUND IN THIS RECIPE?
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Cheers to enjoying delicious chocolate cookies with a side of health benefits!
With love and gratitude,
Kandi
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