How to Make Cookies Healthier

This month for Recipe Redux, we're talking about the subject "To cupcake or not to cupcake." Some of the posts will be delicious cupcakes, and others will be offering other suggestions on handheld treats. We chose the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie instead.

We don't hate cupcakes, but we don't think they are all they are cracked up to be. You don't get a lot for how much you pay for them, and they aren't that much better than other treats. Delicious treats? Yes. But worth the fad they've created? No.

We'd also like to announce to you our upcoming cook book! We've mentioned a little bit about this on Facebook, but not here. We've been working hard on getting the final edits done to get to the printer. Our publishing company, Familius, has been awesome, and we're so excited!

 

 

 

Isn't the cover so cute!!! You can already preorder the book on Amazon here.

 

One of the main pushes of our cook book is taking recipes that your family knows and loves and making changes that increase the healthiness of the recipe. It's what we do a lot with the recipes on our blog. That's also what we've chosen to do with this month's Recipe Redux.

This Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is one that I got ages ago off a box of oatmeal. My husband loves Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and we've made these several times. But with the exception of the whole grain oatmeal, they're not particularly healthy. But how do you change a recipe?

Step 1: Change out 1 or 2 ingredients

We recommend starting the "healthifying" process slowly. In this case, we've chosen to change the all-purpose flour included in the orignally recipe and change it into whole grain flour. We chose to substitute all-purpose flour with a mixture of whole grain spelt and Kamut flours. Those are both varieties of wheat, so they substitute easily. We could go all crazy and switch out the oils for healthier ones, the sugar for honey, the chocolate chips for dried fruit, and lessen the amount of sugar, but we've chosen to start slow. It's no fun making all those changes and then discovering the whole batch you've just made didn't turn out.

Step 2: Record your Success

We like to do this right on the recipe or in the cook book. Or on the pin, if you've maybe pinned it on pinterest. Just record it somewhere where you'll remember what you've done.

Step 3: Continue with your change, and make new ones

Yay! Your experiment worked! Now continue forward. Don't give up on your healthy changes and find another way to make a change. Our Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies turned out AWESOME! The texture was fantastic. Unfortunately they're all gone. Writing this recipe is making me crave more.

See how simple? There will be more details in our book about how to make specific changes. Now here's the modified recipe:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 pound butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole grain flour (we used equal parts spelt and Kamut)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cream together butter and sugars.

3. Mix in eggs and vanilla.

4. Mix together dry ingredients, except oats. Add to wet mixture.

5. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

6. Scoop 1-inch balls of dough onto cookie sheet.

7. Bake for 7 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.