Healthy Avocado Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – #CreativeCookieExchange

Avocado Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are so delicious you’d never know they had avocado in them. They’re soft, chewy, loaded with dark chocolate chips, have loads of vanilla almond flavor and they’re healthy!

It’s Creative Cookie Exchange time again and this month we’re concentrating on healthy cookies for the new year. The number one resolution each new year is to lose weight so I think these cookies will help you enjoy a little indulgence and not feel guilty. And you could even have them for breakfast! Just sayin.

I’ve made healthy cookies before, like our Healthy Breakfast Cookies, substituting bananas for eggs, but this time I decided to try a cookie using avocados to replace the oil/butter. Did you know that avocados can replace butter 1:1 in any muffin, brownie or cookie recipe? Yep, and it works in quick breads too! Now how cool is that!

I also made an effort to eliminate sugar that spikes blood sugar levels and is one of the most addictive ingredients that sabotage weight loss. Sugar is high in calories and contains no beneficial nutrients. I substituted organic agave, which has a lower glycemic index and, although higher in calories, it is sweeter so you can use less  than the sugar called for in a recipe. Generally speaking, you can substitution 2/3 cup agave for 1 cup sugar, then reduce other liquids by 1/4 cup to compensate and lower oven temperature by 5 degrees.

I also decided to keep away from over-processed flour, using a combination of rolled oats & almond flour, which made these delightfully delicious cookies gluten-free too! Woohoo!

To bring the almond flavor out more I added some raw almond butter with chia seeds. If you want to try it, I would suggest Barney Butter as one of the better ones. The almond butter provides plenty of calcium, healthy fats & potassium while the chia seeds add protein, dietary fiber, antioxidants and vitamins.

Of course, I just had to add some dark chocolate chips to the mix. Thank goodness dark chocolate is good for you. 🙂 And, if you want a little more chocolate flavor, and a bit more protein, just toss in a scoop of your favorite chocolate protein powder. Bang! Now that’s a winner!

So, what did I end up with? A yummy oatmeal cookie that is soft & chewy with a decided almond flavor that is sweetened by the chocolate chips. And they’re healthy! I’ll admit that I liked them so much I had them for breakfast the next day. That can be our little secret.

Check out all the benefits of almonds, chia seeds and avocados on our health & nutrition page here.  And there’s more healthy yummy goodies below to help you keep your new year’s resolutions.  Enjoy!

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AVOCADO OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

These cookies are so delicious you'd never know they had avocado in them. They're soft, chewy, loaded with dark chocolate chips, deliver loads of vanilla almond flavor and they're healthy!

Servings: 15 cookies

Author: Linda Warren

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond flour or almond meal
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (optional)
• 1 medium avocado, mashed (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup light agave or honey
• 1/4 cup raw almond butter (I used Barney Butter's Raw Almond & Chia)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl.
3. Mash avocado and combine with agave, almond butter and vanilla extract.
4. Combine wet with dry ingredients and stir well.
5. Roll into 15 balls and place on cookie sheet. They won't spread so they can be fairly close. Press down with back of glass dipped in a little almond flour or with fingers until they resemble round cookies.
6. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool completely on cookie sheet that has been placed on a wire rack.
8. Store in airtight container.

Recipe Notes

The cookies, kept at room temperature, are good for 3-4 days but they freeze very well. This allows you to keep them longer & take out as you need them.

New Year’s resolutions? The theme this month for the Creative Cookie Exchange group is “Healthy” Cookies! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links. You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes–be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). We all post on the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking (or this month “no baking”), check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• ANZAC Biscuits from Food Lust People Love
• Avocado Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from 2 Cookin Mamas
• Banana Oatmeal Cookies from A Baker’s House
• Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies from All That’s Left are the Crumbs
• Four Ingredient Healthy Cookies from Spiceroots
• Multigrain Snickerdoodles from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Whole Wheat Digestives from Flours and Frostings

DON’T MISS A RECIPE!

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