HEALTHY PROTEIN TAHINI COOKIES: A GUILT-FREE DESSERT
One of the most common questions I get asked is, “what do you eat for a sweet treat?” So, here you go! Finally divulging one of my longest running favorite healthy dessert recipes that can actually be classified as ‘good for you’!
I’ve always been a proponent of preparing to succeed and one area that you can heighten that success is by building out your ‘go-to’ meals, snacks, and food items to support you in how you want to feel and what you want to accomplish. Now don’t mistake this for saying to never indulge in non-healthy foods. This is simply to bring forth the idea to rewire how you view sweet treats and desserts to make them fit better into the healthy feels you desire to sustain while also really enjoying your food.
So, to do this, I recommend to take some time and think about your go to sweet treat foods. First, forget about health. Just make a list of what you get drawn to most often, love, drool over, etc. Then if you don’t have 5-10 options, Google dessert/sweet treats and look at images to get some inspiration. From here go back through these and start to substitute ingredients for better, healthier ones. For example starting with the sweetener of choice, instead of that refined white sugar, could you use maple syrup or honey or even allulose? If you aren’t so good at making substitutions do another Google search for ‘healthy (name the recipe)”, I bet you will find many many options that pop up. Do this for each of your dessert/sweet treat go-to food items to start to help direct your focus towards a good-for-you option when you feel that need coming on. Better yet, plan and include desserts in your daily/weekly meals so to teach yourself about balance and planning for these foods. It makes it alot easier to self control when you don’t tell yourself something is off limits.
Okay now on to the good stuff. The recipe of these delicious chocolate chip tahini cookies.
These cookies are paleo-friendly, gluten free, grain free and easy to add, subtract and make your own. I chose to use the best of the best ingredients in order to up level the nutrient profile, however, feel free to use your chosen brands.
Ingredients
1 cup organic almond flour
1 cup organic tahini (I recommend any kind that has a liquid-y consistency)
1/3 cup maple syrup (or raw local honey)
1 organic pasture raised egg
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I love to use Enjoy Life mini chips or chocolate chunks)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, as well as possible to switch out for your favorite nut or seed!)
2 scoops collagen peptides
Redmond’s or Celtic course ground sea salt for the top (these add extra minerals)
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I use this brand) and set aside
In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, tahini, collagen peptides, maple syrup, chocolate chips and walnuts
The dough should be thick, if not, you can add either a little more collagen peptides or a little more almond flour
Mix with a spatula to make sure everything is blended well, then put the bowl in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and add the egg and baking. Mix again to blend fully
Use a spoon to scoop the dough and form 20 balls about the width size of a silver dollar. Space them about 1-2 inches apart. No need to flatten them much, they will flatten in the baking process
Bake for 10 minutes. You’ll see them turn a little light brown on top, but you’ll want to make sure to not over cook them so any more than a little is too much!
Remove them from the oven and let them sit for about 5 minutes before eating - although highly recommend eating them warm!
This is the time to sprinkle with a little sea salt on top
Let me know how you like them, post your final product and tag me @coachamandamason