I have been making a conscious effort to eat healthy lately, I have tried to leave the desserts for the weekend and focus on eating more vegetables and whole grains during the week. However, half way through the week I was already feeling like I needed a sweet pick me up, so I started thinking about a healthy snack that I could have when I needed that quick.

This cookies are just it! They have no flour, very little sugar (compared to traditional recipes) and they have dark chocolate, which makes me feel healthier.

These will take about 5 minutes to prepare and they’ll take around 20 minutes in the oven, so you will be eating these beauties in an hour!

Ok, so the ingredients needed for this are: oats, soft butter, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, brown sugar, agave nectar, egg, baking powder and cornflour (conrstarch).

This is how I made it:

To start with, I took the butter off a couple of hours before so it was soft and I also put the oats on a food processor to turn them into flour.

Then I used a hand mixer to mix the butter, sugar, agave and vanilla, which turn it into a smooth paste. I would advise doing it in a bowl bigger than you think you’ll need. Once mixed as in the picture, I added the egg and mixed it well.

In a separate bowl, I mixed the grinded oats, the cornflour and the baking powder.

Then I transferred the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ones (this is why you need a big bowl) and mix them well. If that the beginning it looks very crumbly just keep going, it will all come together into a paste.

Then I added the chocolate chips and a few more oats and made the dough into several balls and I put them in a oven tray lined with parchment paper. After that I pressed them down slightly with my hand, they won’t grow sideways, so don’t feel like you have to leave a big distance between them, and I cooked them for 20 (or until golden on top) in a preheated oven.

Make sure that when you press them down you do it carefully the shape of your fingers doesn’t come with the cookie!

Healthy(ish) chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients:

• 113 gr of softened butter
• 50 gr of brown sugar
• 50 gr of agave nectar
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 175 gr of grinded oats + 2 tbsp for sprinkling at the end (optional)
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of cornflour (cornstarch)
• 50 gr of chocolate chips

Process:

1. Preheat the oven at 170 degrees celsius.
2. In a large bowl (bigger than you think you’ll need) use a mixer turn the butter, the sugar, the agave and the vanilla into a smooth paste.
3. Add the egg and mix until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the grinded oats, the baking powder and the cornstarch.
5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well. Do not worry if at first it crumbles and looks like it’s too dry, just keep going.
6. Add the chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of oats – not grinded – (optional).
7. Make balls out of the cookie dough and put them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, press each ball down slightly, they won’t grow sideways, so don’t feel like you have to leave a big distance between them.
8. Cook in the oven for around 20 minutes, until golden on top.