A super yummy Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

 

The other day I felt like a batch of chocolate chip cookies, but with a party filled weekend on the horizon I didn't really want to fill the kids up with empty sweets, so I decided to modify my favorite cookie recipe and make it a bit healthier.

You'll notice I call them Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies, not health cookies or anything ridiculous like that.

They are modified to incorporate wholemeal (wholewheat) flour, reduce the butter by half and include some fruit. But they still include sugar and chocolate so a health food they are not.

If you would like to make them even healthier you could replace the chocolate chips with cranberries or sultana's. Or perhaps part white chocolate and part cranberries might be a nice halfway concession.

The finished cookie is not a thin crisp one, it is a dense, more cake like cookie, which luckily is the type I prefer. It's quite substantial and makes a great after school snack with a glass of milk.

Oh and those too cute for words little spotted cups are mini latte cups by Greengate. In case you have not noticed I am kinda obsessed with their range at the moment.

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 16 cookies)

I used just under 1 lady finger banana - I find it's best to weigh as there can be such a variance with fruit sizes and although the recipe will still work it will make a difference to the finished cookie. Weight conversions are rounded.

1 1/2 cups plain wholemeal flour (whole wheat all purpose flour)
1 tsp bi carb soda (baking soda)
60 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
60 g (2 oz) banana cut into pieces
1 large egg at room temperature
1/4 cup caster sugar (super fine sugar or use granulated if you can't find superfine)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a couple of baking trays with parchment paper.

Sift the flour and bi-carb (baking soda), when you are finished DO NOT DISCARD the flour husks you must tip all the fibre back into the flour and bi-carb mixture.

In a large bowl cream the butter and both sugars for 2 minutes using an electric mixer at medium-high (or high if you are using a hand mixer), add the banana and continue to mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture is smooth.

Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla mixing in between each addition until combined and scraping down the sides as required.

With the mixer still on low add the flour mixture until combined, do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Shape 1 1/2 Tbsp (2 US TBSP) of mixture into a cookie shape on the parchment lined trays and bake for 10 - 13 minutes until the cookies are turning golden.

 This recipe is a modified version of my recipe for Full of Chocolate Chip Cookies on page 64 of my book Sweets on a Stick which is available to buy online, click the links below for Amazon and Fishpond.

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)