War Room initiated.
Dear interwebz! How I’ve missed you! I’ve been in the war room.
While I’m unlikely to admit it upon meeting you, I moonlight as a litigation attorney. (Yep. Let’s hear em. All your best lawyer jokes. I PROMISE I have heard them all before from none other than my dear ol’ Dad, so I can take it!) When we have a big deadline that is approaching and what seems to be an insurmountable task list, the war room is created. Which means that we pile computers and snacks and papers and books and snacks and checklists (and did I mention snacks?) into one big conference room and power through 14 hour days and lots of caffeine. We laugh. We get cranky. Someone always starts dancing. It’s one of those magical times where I simultaneously love my job and wonder what kind of person I am to have signed up for this life. Does everyone have those moments, no matter what career/life/path they choose? Please tell me you do. It will make me feel the tiniest bit better.
Healthier Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Having just finished a month of no refined sugar, I felt AMAZING. And didn’t want to totally destroy that sugar-free high. But hot dang. I missed chocolate chip cookies. Hence . . . healthy whole wheat chocolate chip cookies. Or at least . . . healthier whole wheat chocolate chip cookies. Even though these cookies are made without refined ingredients–whole wheat flour, coconut flour, refined sugar free, and made with maple syrup–it’s really hard to spin cookies as healthy, per se. Even if they are refined sugar free cookies.
I tested this recipe a few times. I thought the first batch of cookies was a slam dunk. They came out of the oven all puffed up and crisp on the outside. But then they cooled and became uber soft and cakey. Too soft. (I know that sounds wrong when applied to chocolate chip cookies, but I prefer mine to have a more dense texture, rather than pillow-y texture.) My research revealed that the cakey texture was coming from the extra liquid–the maple syrup. So I dropped the amount of egg and vanilla, as well as added some coconut flour to help soak up that extra liquid. Bingo.
After four a couple more batches, we finally got it. (I didn’t hear husband or brother-in-law complain about having to test all the chocolate chip cookies.) These cookies are crisp on the outside and gooey in the middle right when they come out of the oven. After they’ve cooled, they maintain that crisp exterior and stay soft in the middle. After you’ve left them in a container overnight, they’ve lost that extra crisp outside, but are perfectly soft and chewy.
My favorite thing about these cookies is that I didn’t feel like they were a consolation prize for the sake of being healthier. I would actually CHOOSE these healthier whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, because I love the flavor AND they’re a bit less refined. Anyone else found some amazing “unrefined” ingredient recipes that are very nearly or just as good as some of their less healthy counterparts? Do share, please!
mikaela | wyldflour
32-36 cookies
30 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
50 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, just barely soft
- 1 cup grade A dark amber maple syrup
- 3 eggs - yolks only
- 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 oz chocolate chips
- optional: salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If your butter is cold out of the fridge, then heat it in a microwave safe bowl at 50% power for 20 seconds. It should be soft enough to mix, but not melted. Use a mixer to mix together the butter and maple syrup. Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix or stir into the wet ingredients using a fork. Once combined, refrigerate the cookie dough for 20 minutes. (Don't skip this step--you're giving the whole wheat and coconut flours time to absorb the excess liquid from the maple syrup.)
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator, stir in the remaining 1 cup whole wheat flour and chocolate chips. (See Notes regarding chocolate chips.)
- Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of dough and form into mounds on a non-stick baking sheet. (Or use your handy-dandy cookie scoop.) Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the edges are starting to turn dark brown. We tried the 8 minutes cookies and all agreed the 10 minute cookies were superior! (Refrigerate remaining dough between batches.) Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately use a spatula to gently move the cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
- Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter.
Notes
Chocolate Chips: If you want traditional chocolate, but are trying to avoid refined sugar, choose the darkest chocolate you enjoy. (I love Endangered Species 88% Dark Chocolate.) If you want to cut out refined sugar entirely, consider using Enjoy Life or Davis chocolate chips.
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