Classic chocolate chip cookies made healthier. These cookies are chewy, soft, tangy, easy to made, and only requires 5 ingredients. They are packed with fiber +protein, and just sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you don’t have any Kefir on hand, feel free to swap it with 3/4 cup 2% Greek Yogurt plus 1/4 cup water.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal (by #earthlychoice)
1/2 cup peanut butter (by #justins)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup flavored kefir (by #lifeway organic green kefir)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Mix peanut butter with kefir.
Stir in whole wheat flour, flaxseed meal, and chocolate chips just until combined.
Scoop 2 Tbsp of cookie dough each onto parchment sheet. You can roll it into a disc or cut it with cookie cutter.
Bake at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes until edges are just set (The center may look undercooked).
Allow to cool on the parchment sheet for 5 minutes before removing. If desired, sprinkle with sea salt.
Why do so many of us have chocolate cravings? My patients are wondering if it is due to a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Overall, chocolate is a good source of magnesium and iron. I tried to provide other (magnesium and iron) alternatives such as nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens, lentils & beans, and did not find any reduced cravings of chocolate in my patients. Perhaps it is due to the mood-calming compound in chocolate that release your body’s “feel good” chemical- Dopamine and Serotonin, or just the complex, rich flavor and smell of chocolate ??.
Chocolate craving is not a nutritional concern as long as you are sticking with the less processed forms. In fact, the flavonoids in dark chocolate is beneficial to your skin and heart health. This powerful anti-aging antioxidant can help to reduce blood pressure, the bad cholesterol “LDL”, and keep your skin soft & moist.
I like the bitterness, woody taste and smooth texture in a piece of dark-chocolate (85% cocoa), a warm cup of unsweetened almond milk with a tablespoon of pure cocoa powder, or a few bits of cacao nibs in my homemade smoothie or oatmeal.
I do not recommend white chocolate, milk chocolate, peanut butter/caramel chocolate candy bars, or chocolate with more than 10g of sugar per 40g serving.
Last year, I posted a recipe of Homemade Protein Chew on my Instagram. I was exploring a caffeine-free version and have created this Vegan, Less Fat, Sugar-Free formula. I replaced the cocoa and honey in the original recipe with Chatfield’s All Natural Carob Powder* (naturally sweet, low in fat).
Photo Credit: Chatfield’s
* While Carob powder is a good substitute of cocoa powder for those who are very sensitive to caffeine or watching their weights, please note that it doesn’t contain the phytochemical flavonoids. However, this product is delicious in warm, almond milk and baked goods.
Recipe:
Raw Vegan Protein Chew
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp of Epic vanilla protein *
3 Tbsp raw shelled #hempseeds (@harvesthemp)
6 Tbsp Chatfield’s All Natural Carob Powder
1 Tbsp #coconutoil
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup of Almond Milk
Directions:
1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. 2. Add almond milk gradually while mixing the batter.
3. Knead and roll batter into #proteinballs.
4. Place on wax paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Enjoy ?
* Reviews of Epic Protein Supplement
