Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The original recipe for these cookies was forwarded to me via email from my sister with the request: "Can you make me these Boobie Cookies?" in the subject line.  Yes, you read that right. These are healthy cookies that, in full disclosure, I made for my sister originally with the intent to pack in lots of healthy vitamins and minerals that are especially good for new nursing mothers. What I wasn't ready for was just how darn good they are! So no, there's nothing super weird in these, just some extra flax seed (yay Omega 3s!) and brewer's yeast (which has a ton of B vitamins that are good for everyone, but especially new mamas)!  Now if you do have any new moms in your life, send them the recipe (or better yet the cookies you’ve baked for them). Just make sure to double the recipe to have plenty on-hand to hoard for yourself. 

These cookies are SO good – they taste kinda granola-ey because of the grainy, oaty batter, but they also are chewy and decadent with the addition of dark chocolate (try for at least 70%) and raisins or dried cherries. What’s more, adding cacao powder gives these cookies a super antioxidant pump up – so you can indulge and get an extra health kick at the same time. I think they also make great snacks – especially around that 2-4 PM afternoon slump when I need a bit of energy - these wholesome little goodies are just the trick.

These little lovely bites are also gluten free if you omit the brewer’s yeast. I like to make them with oat flour (you can buy it or literally just plain puree quick cook oats in your food processor for a few seconds) but then also add the yeast for the extra B vitamins. It’s up to you what you decide here!

Cookie consistency is important so if you want a chewier cookie make sure the batter isn’t super dry.

Ingredients:

• 1  ½ cup oat flour (again feel free to juts use plain quick cook oats and blend or food      process ‘em up)
• 1 ¾ cup rolled oats (love getting mine at TJs)
•   1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
•  1 tsp salt
• ¾ cup almond butter
• ½ cup butter (or ghee) softened
•  1 cup flax seed
• 3 Tablespoon’s brewer’s yeast
•  ¾ cup (or more!) of water or almond milk
• ½ cup (or a little less!) of sugar – I use raw sugar from Trader Joe’s – you can also go ¼ cup brown and ¼ cup white sugar if you have some lying around. Experiment with using less too as you make these in the future
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
•  2 large eggs
•  2 cups chocolate chips (I like to use dark chocolate bars and quickly jus t break or cut them into chunks
•  ¾ cup chopped nuts of your choice (I love using walnuts in this recipe)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl
3. In a large bowl beat the almond butter, butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, brewer’s yeast, flax and water until creamy
4. Mix in eggs
5. Gradually beat in the flour mixture
6. Add the nuts and chocolate chips. Followed by the oats, added slowly, mixing along the way
7. Place balls of dough onto a greased baking sheet and press down each ball lightly with a fork
8. Bake for about 12 minutes and ENJOY! 
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