Published: October 2, 2019 | Updated: August 5, 2021
Ah, cookies. It’s really hard to eat just one serving! These delicious morsels keep well in the refrigerator, and the dough can be frozen for future baking. This way, you can bake only the number you feel comfortable keeping on hand, to avoid overeating.
Unlike most cookies, these are made without animal ingredients and are suitable for vegans or anyone choosing a plant-based lifestyle. They also contain flax and chia seeds — rich in omega-3 fatty acids — as well as oats, for extra fiber.
Chocolate Chip Chia Cookies
Features: vegan, gluten free
Servings: about 24 cookies using a medium (2¾ inch) cookie scoop
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2 tablespoons ground flaxseed plus 5 tablespoons water, mixed and set aside five minutes (this acts as an egg substitute)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons plant-based oil of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons maple syrup
½ to 1 tablespoon chia seeds (more or less to taste)
1½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
½ cup gluten-free oat flour
½ cup almond flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt, only if peanut butter is unsalted
3 tablespoons chopped nuts (optional)
½ cup vegan chocolate chips (or regular dark-chocolate chips if you don’t want vegan)
Heat the oven to 350 F. First, mix your “flax eggs” and set aside for about five minutes to thicken and become egglike. Combine bananas, peanut butter, oil, vanilla, maple syrup, baking soda, baking powder and (optional) salt. Mix until well combined. Next, add chia seeds, oats, oat flour and almond flour; and mix well until a thick dough forms. Then, fold in nuts and chocolate chips. It may be helpful to refrigerate your dough for about five minutes before scooping out to bake, to let it firm up.
Drop cookies by spoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool prior to storing in an airtight container. Refrigeration is recommended. You can freeze the dough or the finished cookies for later use, if desired.
Per two-cookie serving: 290 calories (yes, cookies are high calorie!); 16 g fat (3 g saturated); 97 mg sodium; 29g total carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 12 g added sugar (about 3 teaspoons); 8 g protein.
Compare this with a two-cookie serving of a typical store-bought chocolate chip cookie of similar size: 260 calories; 14 g fat (7 g saturated); 150 mg sodium; 34 g total carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 18 g added sugar (about 4 teaspoons); 2 g protein.
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