Healthier chocolate chip cookies made with honey instead of refined sugar. This cookie recipe also uses Kodiak Cakes, coconut oil, and pumpkin puree. A healthier treat that is still just as tasty and the perfect texture. Satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining your diet
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Kodiak Cakes
Keep reading for the step-by-step recipe instructions and some nutrition info for these Kodiak Cakes chocolate chip cookies.
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When I stopped eating refined sugar, I started finding dessert recipes that I could make that would still fulfill my sweet tooth, but not completely wreck my diet or the progress that I had made when it came to giving up sugar.
This recipe has become a staple in our home – we love to make a big batch of cookies and then keep them in the freezer so we can pull one out when the craving hits.
I hope you enjoy these Kodiak Cakes chocolate chip cookies– a healthier treat for those times when you are craving something sweet.
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WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF REFINED SUGAR?
You need some simple sugars in your diet. Your body converts all forms of sugar into glucose for energy, but the source of these sugars does make a difference. Natural and refined sugars can have a different overall effect on your health.
Natural sugars are found in fruit as fructose and in dairy as lactose. They are also found in other plant foods such as beans, potatoes, grains, etc. Since carbohydrates are necessary for the body, these are important ways to get the needed sugars, plus other essential nutrients the body needs.
Refined sugar comes from processed sugar cane or sugar beets as sucrose, known as table sugar. Sugar, brown sugar, and other processed sources like high fructose corn syrup are used to sweeten foods that usually have little nutritional value. Natural sources of sugar have vitamins and minerals and are good for you, while the sources of refined sugar should be avoided.
IS REFINED SUGAR BAD FOR YOU?
The body breaks down refined sugars rapidly, which can cause blood sugar to rise too quickly. This might cause you to “crash” later in the day and crave unhealthy foods.
Once sugar passes through the stomach, the source of the sugar doesn’t matter because it is all converted into glucose and used or stored by the body. However, if you have a lot of sugar in your system from refined sugar, your body can’t store all of it for energy, but will turn it into fat.
Natural sources of sugar are a better choice. It’s a little harder to get too much sugar from natural sources, plus they provide essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber which helps with digestion and stabilizes your blood sugar.
HOW DO YOU AVOID REFINED SUGAR?
Too much sugar can contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases, not to mention tooth decay. The danger is from too much added sugar, or refined sugar.
The best ways to decrease your intake of added sugar is to cut back on sugary drinks like soda, avoid sugary desserts and processed snacks, and choose fruit as a snack when you crave something sweet.
Learn to read labels because a surprising amount of sugar can be found in foods like salad dressings, pasta sauce, ketchup, bread, and canned foods.
Refined sugar isn’t off limits, but it’s important to be mindful and enjoy these foods in moderation.
Experiment with using natural sweeteners and healthier alternatives to refined sugar. These cookies are a great option and will satisfy your sweet cravings, without using refined sugar.
WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE HEALTHIER THAN OTHER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES:
I feel justified in calling these a healthier cookie with all the healthier ingredient swaps that have been made. Instead of bleached all-purpose flour, my base is Kodiak Cakes. This post is not sponsored, but this is such a great product that I use all the time – and not just for pancakes.
Instead of refined sugar, honey is used as the sweetener in these cookies. I prefer using local raw honey, but any honey will do. You can even buy it in bulk at a great price. I know that honey is not really a “health food”, but when it comes to baking, it’s my sweetener go-to. I like honey because it’s sweeter than sugar, so you can get away with using less. I also like that it is more natural and goes through less processing overall compared to sugar and it does contain trace minerals and nutrients.
You also won’t find multiple sticks of butter in this recipe, there’s a little bit of coconut oil and some pumpkin puree. This makes a cookie with a great texture, amazing taste, and improved nutrition.
The chocolate chips that I use in this recipe are the Enjoy Life chocolate chips. I know that these do have sugar in them, but I am a believer in moderation. And you can’t have chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips! The reason that I love this brand is because there are all real ingredients – no corn syrup (which is really hard to find in chocolate chips). They are also dairy-free and gluten-free, which is awesome if you have those dietary restrictions.
Hope you enjoy these cookies.
- 2 cups Kodiak Power Cakes Mix
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup Enjoy Life mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together Kodiak Power Cakes Mix, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, mix together egg, pumpkin, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Let me know if you make these cookies and tell me what you think. Do you have a favorite healthier dessert recipe? I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
Looking for more healthy desserts?
Peanut Butter Granola Apple Nachos
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