Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies...Redone!

Evening, Friends!  I've recently (yes, behind the times, I know...) discovered the marvelous marvel of coconut oil.  I've heard the hype and read some of the info on it, but it wasn't until I bought some that I became curious about cooking prospects.  Admittedly, I've only used this weekend, but stumbled upon a recipe redo that I just HAD to share.....

First let me give you some back story... I sent my husband to the store for unsweetened coconut and quick oats for a DIFFERENT cookie recipe.  We don't usually keep quick oats around because we like the real stuff.  I needed two cups for this other recipe and of course, the hubs brought home a whole 2lb container, and I'm thinking 'what the heck am I going to do with all of these quick oats?!'  So I make the other recipe, which you can find here (delicious) and began to put things away...I moved to the pantry to put our new huge container of quick oats away and discovered... SURPRISE!!!... I already HAD a 2lb container of quick oats!!!!  huh. weird.  


Needless to say, we'll be eating a lot of instant oatmeal breakfasts around here.  However on this night, I was craving oatmeal chocolate chip cookies... MMMMMMmmmm oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are my favorite kind of cookies.........  I was looking up my go-to recipe, groaning and ughing at the calories and bad fat and thinking of how many hours I'd have to spend on the treadmill if I wanted to burn them off when it occurred to me... WHY NOT MAKE THEM HEALTHIER?  duh.  Why didn't I think of this sooner?????  And ohmygoodness, friends, they are AMAZING.  Probably some of the best oatmeal chocolate cookies I've ever had.. I was WAY impressed and they were WAY more delicioso than I expected.  So here it is folks, my revamped, slightly healthier recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!!!!!

Ingredients:
1/2 c. Coconut oil
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c. honey - buy local!  buy raw!!!
2 eggs
1 tsp. real vanilla
1-1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3-1/4 cups quick oats
1 to 1-1/2 c. DARK chocolate chips (the darker the better... at least 60% cocoa solids!)


What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
2.  Mix coconut oil, honey and brown sugar in a bowl until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes
3.  Add eggs and vanilla to wet ingredients and mix well (Ali - be sure to crack the eggs in a SEPARATE bowl and pick out any shell pieces before adding to cookie dough...!)
4.  Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix well until mixture shows beater lines as your beating..about 3 minutes.  It should be smooth and fluffy and completely mixed...
5.  Stir in oats and chocolate chips (don't use your mixer)
6.  Drop cookies onto a baking sheet leaving about 1" between each.  (these don't spread so cram 'em in!)
7.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Remove to wire rack or wax paper to cool


Friends, by following this recipe, you lose 3/4 cups of processed sugar not to mention there is NO butter, lard, vegetable oil, or shortening, only healthy coconut oil.  You also ditch a ton of flour and add more heart-healthy fiber from the oats.... I hope you love these as much as I do!!!


Enjoy!
KDH.