Chewy "Healthy" Chocolate Chip Cookies

I finally snagged some time to post this recipe you have all been asking for. These are the most amazing tasting chocolate chip cookies! No one ever believes that they are lower in sugar and contain only half the fat of a traditional recipe. They are also egg-free, which for some is important.

Chewy "Healthy" Chocolate Chip Cookies
You and your kids can eat all the dough they would like since there are no eggs! These cookies are lower in sugar, lower in fat, and lower in cholesterol. You can't get much healthier than that and still enjoy a cookie! This is the result of a year's worth of experiments. I'm so glad I didn't give up!
½ cup butter	2 tsp baking soda
½ cup white bean puree	1 Tbsp vanilla
⅔ cup sugar	¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar, packed	1 cup chocolate chips
3 cups all-purpose flour	Oatmeal, coconut, chopped nuts (optional)
Cream together butter, bean puree and sugars. Add flour, baking soda, and vanilla. It will look pretty dry at this point. Slowly add in the oil and mix until it has pulled together into cookie dough consistency. Stir in chocolate chips and any other optional ingredients you'd like. Roll into balls and place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° F for 8–10 minutes. Pull them out of the oven just as they are beginning to turn light brown in a couple of spots. They still look pretty doughy overall. Allow to rest on baking sheet for about 5 minutes to set and them move to a wire rack to cool. Makes 3 dozen.

Here it is just before adding the oil.

Slowly add the oil, and watch the dough pull together. (I have also made these cookies using 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour. When I use the whole wheat flour, I sometimes have to add just a touch more oil to see the dough come together.)

Here it is all ready for chocolate. Isn't it beautiful!

Add the chips and any other goodies you would like.

I always roll some of the dough up in plastic wrap and freeze to bake later.

Form into balls by pressing the dough together. Place on a baking sheet and flatten slightly with your hand.

Bake for about 8 minutes. You just want them to barely be turning brown. They still look quite fluffy. Allow them to sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes after pulling them from the oven so they can finish the baking process.

Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe consistently make these gorgeous cookies!

Sometimes I bake a few trays of just plain chocolate chip cookies, and then I add some other goodies to the rest of the dough. Here I added oatmeal, coconut, and chopped pecans. Be careful not to add too much or else you won't be able to press the dough together into a ball. (This batch was right on the edge of too much.)

I was still able to press the dough together, but the cookies didn't spread out much on the tray. They were still good, but know that you have been fairly warned - too much of a good thing can be too much. Enjoy!

Storable Snack or Dessert - Chewy (egg-free) Molasses Cookies

If you love ginger snaps, you'll love the flavor of this chewy cookie. It's a molasses cookie with a snickerdoodle texture. They are a Fall favorite at our house and at the many potluck events we attend this time of year. I altered the recipe to make them more healthy but I didn't have to give up any flavor or texture. No one will ever guess that these cookies have half the fat of their original counterparts!

Begin by creaming the butter, bean puree, molasses and brown sugar. In these photos, I am doubling the recipe. The dough freezes so well that I like to fill my mixer and have some waiting to bake another day.

Add the flour - I used hard white wheat to grind into the wheat flour. The mix of wheat and white flour adds whole grain without making the cookie too dry.

Add the remaining dry ingredients.

Drizzle the oil in a little at a time as the dough pulls together.

Roll into balls and then in granulated sugar.

Place on a greased baking sheet.

Smash down slightly with the base of a glass.

Bake at 350 for 9 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool on a wire rack. You can freeze the cookies once they are cooked.

You can also freeze the dough before you bake it. I just wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and place in the freezer. It thaws pretty quickly the day I want to bake it.

Chewy (egg-free) Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup butter or margarine

3/4 cup white bean puree

2 cups brown sugar, loose

1/2 cup molasses (mild flavored)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups white flour

4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup oil

Cream together the butter, bean puree, brown sugar and molasses. Do not pack the brown sugar when you are measuring it - this is a change from most recipes. Add the dry ingredients. Begin to mix the dough with your mixer and drizzle the oil a little at a time until it pulls together into a soft dough. Roll into balls and then roll in granulated sugar. Place on a greased baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 5 dozen.

Storable Snack - Chewy (Egg-free) Cinnamon Cookies

Oh so tasty! If you like snickerdoodles, you will love this recipe. It has the chewy texture you expect with lots of cinnamon flavor. Who knew you could bake something so delicious with 1/2 the fat and no eggs? These are definitely worth trying and they freeze very well so don't hesitate to double the batch.

Chewy (egg-free) Cinnamon Cookies
½ cup butter	2 tsp baking soda
½ cup white bean puree	1 tsp cinnamon
1 ⅔ cup sugar	1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour	¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Cream together butter, bean puree and sugar. Add flour, baking soda, and vanilla. It will look pretty dry at this point. Slowly add in the oil and mix until it has pulled together into cookie dough consistency. If it is too dry, add 1-2 more Tbsp of oil. Form into balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place on greased baking sheets and flatten slightly with your hand. Bake at 350° F for 8–10 minutes. Pull them out of the oven just as they are beginning to turn light brown in a couple of spots. They still look pretty doughy overall. Allow to rest on baking sheet for about 5 minutes to set and them move to a wire rack to cool. Makes 3 dozen.