Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

 

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Having simple and healthy snack recipes that you also find delicious translates into success in a couple of ways.  You can make homemade foods that are far superior to their processed counterparts, while budgeting your costs. Plus, you always have something personal to gift others- nothing like sharing good food made with love!
 

Some interesting differences in this recipe from other cookies are found in the ingredients:
 
~ By replacing the eggs with chia seed gel, you are replacing that cholesterol with an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and calcium.
 
~ If you can find grass-fed butter, it is a better source of fat, in part due to its high vitamin K content.
 
~ Not only is the salt greatly decreased from most recipes and completely optional, but replacing table salt with a mineral salt like Himalayan pink or Real Utah is better tasting, and better for you since it retains many necessary vitamins and minerals.
 
~Sucanat, or other unrefined dehydrated cane juices, add another dose of minerals lacking in cookies made with all refined/brown sugar. If sucanat is not available in your area, I have long suspected other brown unrefined sugars such as coconut sugar could be interesting. As well, sugar in the raw or regular brown sugar can be used in its place.
 
~ Similarly, graham flour and almond meal cut the amount of refined flour content and increases the overall nutritional value. Many whole grain flours will work in place of graham flour; I have tried spelt, oat, white whole wheat, and whole wheat pastry, all successfully. However, I implore you to ask your grocer or shop online for this flour - it really gives that "takes you back" flavor and texture.
 
~ Guittard milk chocolate chips are my favorite in all the world.  Like See's candy? That's Guittard chocolate you bite into when you have one of their chocolate covered candies. Made in Burlingame, CA and non-GMO.

 

chia seed gel (egg replacer)*
1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup graham flour (or other whole grain flour like white whole wheat, spelt, etc. )

1/4 cup almond meal flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt (Himalayan pink fine grain, Utah Real fine grain, or Kosher), optional

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup cane sugar

1/4 cup sucanat (or other unrefined or regular brown sugars)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups Quaker 1-minute quick oats

6 oz. Guittard milk chocolate chips  (1 cup)

 

*chia seed gel (egg replacer)

1 T organic chia seeds 

1/4 cup water
Add chia seeds to water in a container with lid. Shake or stir a few times, allowing to "bloom" for 15 minutes, set aside. This step should be done while preparing the ingredients.

 
This is also a good time to bring butter to room temperature before starting. Twenty minutes is generally a good amount of time - the butter needs only to yield to the pressure from one finger to be sufficiently softened.

Place baking rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare standard sized cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper. Set aside.

 
In a small bowl, combine all flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and optional but recommended salt. Whisk until incorporated, and set aside.

Using a stand mixer, install the paddle attachment. Place butter and sugars in the mixing bowl, and turn speed to "medium". Cream the butter and sugars together until fully incorporated and slightly fluffy - this will take about four minutes.  To ensure even mixing, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula at the two minute mark.
 
Turn speed on mixer down to "low" and add chia seed gel, mixing until evenly distributed, under a minute. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of mixing bowl.
 

Continuing to mix on speed "low", add vanilla extract.

Continuing to mix on speed "low", add 1/2 cup of the flour mixture at a time, briefly increasing and then decreasing the speed to fully incorporate the flour, without overworking the dough.  Turn off machine and scrape down the sides of mixing bowl. 

 
Continuing to mix on speed "low", add oats 1 cup at a time, briefly increasing and decreasing speed to fully incorporate, without overworking the dough.
 
Turn speed on mixer to "stir", and add in chocolate chips. This should only take about twenty seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and stir the dough by hand with a spatula if needed, until evenly incorporated.

Using a #40 sized cookie scoop (1 2/3 tablespoons), or two spoons, place mounds of cookie dough on cookie sheet, with a couple of inches of space between them.

Note: If the dough is very soft at this stage and does not retain its shaped when scooped,  refrigerate for fifteen minutes, or until slightly firm. This will help the cookie dough release from the cookie scoop or spoons more easily, and will help the cookies retain their shape while baking. A too-soft cookie dough will spread undesirably when baking, that much is guaranteed.

Flatten each scoop gently with your fingers to about 2/3 inch thick; there will now be about 1 inch of space between the cookies. A standard sized cookie sheet will hold one dozen cookies (3 cookies vertically x 4 cookies horizontally).
 

Bake for 8 minutes and rotate the pan. Check for doneness in 4 more minutes. 

 

If cookies still appear puffed and moist, continue to cook for at least another minute. They are technically finished after the cookies fall a bit, and the exterior of the dough looks dry.  You can continue to bake to desired darkness. Cookies will vary from chewy to crispy, depending on baking time. The longer they bake the crispier they will be when cooled. When cooled, the lighter cookies will be brown around the edges with a soft and chewy center, and the darker will yield a more uniformly caramelized and crispy treat. (All shades are delicious, and I often cook each sheet pan differently, on purpose, knowing that people have different preferences.)

Store in an airtight container, or in the fridge for up to one week.

If you don't need all the cookies at once, you can flash freeze the unbaked dough. To do this, portion the dough onto a cookie sheet. There is no need to allow space in between them since you are not baking them. Freeze for an hour, or until they are solid. Then they can be transferred to a freezer bag to save room.

When ready to bake, bring to room temperature, generally about twenty minutes, and proceed with baking as directed.

Yield: Three+ dozen

Revised from my original "Breakfast Cookie" recipe published April 24, 2012