A Healthy List Of Ingredients To Make Cookies With So You Can Enjoy Guilt Free

Cookies are a favorite indulgence for many. Freshly baked, their aroma fills the home and their warmth wafts through the nose. The cookies, when enjoyed with a glass of milk, make for the ultimate comfort food. But since it's so hard to stop eating once you’ve started, it also makes cookies a bit of a tricky food to eat. The calories keep piling up. So instead of counting each cookie or feeling the guilt afterward, here’s a list of healthy ingredients you can make cookies with, so that they can be enjoyed without any guilt or doubt.

Dates

Dates are one of the healthiest foods out there, and what’s more, they’re naturally sweet, and an expert at curbing sweet cravings. So make these energy bite cookies and chomp down worry free.

Ingredients:

• 12 pitted dates
• 2 cups nuts, chopped
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• Spices
• Citrus zest
• Chocolate

Directions:

• Place all of the ingredients into a food processor.
• Start pulsing. The mixture will go through a dry, minced stage, and then gradually moisten as the dates are incorporated and the nuts release some of their oils. Keep pulsing until the mixture resembles clumpy wet sand and will stick together when pinched.
• If you’ve been pulsing for several minutes and the mixture still seems too dry, add water, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Sometimes the moisture level in dates varies. The mixture shouldn’t be goopy or extra sticky.
• Press into a standard bread pan and cut them into bars.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Best when eaten within a week.

Peanut Butter

These cookies use peanut butter which is a rich and decadent nut butter, full of its benefits. With a creamy texture and crunchy nature, each bite is delicious and healthy.

Ingredients:

• Two bananas
• 1 cup oats
• ¼ cup crunchy peanut butter

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with oil.
• Mash the bananas in a bowl.
• Add the oats and peanut butter. Mix.
• Roll, then flatten 10-12 small cookies (5-6 large) and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.

Coconut

Another healthy ingredient is coconut, refreshing and light. It's rich in antioxidants and is full of antibacterial properties. These cookies are going to be your new favorite.

Ingredients:

• 2 ⅓ cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 cup coconut oil
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted
• ¾ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp coconut extract, optional
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix together the flour, baking soda, and cornstarch. Set aside.
• Beat the coconut oil with the toasted coconut, then add in both sugars and beat well. Add in the egg and yolk and beat until incorporated. Mix in the extracts and beat well.
• Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Scoop out one tablespoon of dough and create a little ball.
• Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Zucchini

Even something like zucchini, full of it's specific flavor and savory notes, can be an excellent addition to desserts. These cookies expertly bring zucchinis into cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ + ¾ cup oats
• 1 cup oat flour
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ⅓ cup honey
• 4 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini, excess moisture squeezed out
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

• Preheat the oven and line two baking sheets.
• Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
• Scoop the cookies with a cookie scoop or tablespoon, placing about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie. Slightly flatten and shape the cookies (they will not change during baking).
• Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.