Low-Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - NO oil or butter and very little sweetener needed to make these delicious cookies.
Chewy centers with crisp edges seem to be the rage among cookie-eaters.
What's unfortunate about that is the copious amounts of sugar and butter involved in creating that desirable texture.
Now, I'm not averse to some butter, mind you, but I have lightened today's oatmeal cookie recipe up on both fronts!
The common downside to low-fat baking is that the recipe often has a lot of sugar. These cookies are a bit different in that they are both low in fat and low in sugar.
How do you make cookies low in fat?
Some of the most common ways of cutting the fat in a baking recipe include:
- Fruit purees, such as applesauce, work very well and are my personal favorite way to lower the fat, as in today's cookies or these Applesauce Brownies.
- Dairy, primarily yogurt, can be used to help lower the fat in a recipe. What I like about using yogurt is that it adds protein as well. These Protein Brownies are a great example.
- Squash or sweet potato, like these Sweet Potato Cakes, make a great fat replacement.
- Liquid sweeteners, such as honey or maple syrup, can replace fat, but the obvious downside is that they add sugar grams!
- Prunes, as in these lower fat brownies, make a very tasty oil or butter substitute. Similar to applesauce, prunes add sweetness, and their flavor pairs particularly well with cocoa-based treats, like brownies or chocolate cake.
Typically, you substitute half of the fat in a cookie recipe with any of the above, and oftentimes, the total amount of fat in a cake or muffin recipe.
For this recipe, I chose to leave out the oil and butter entirely, which makes for a more cakey cookie, but I really enjoy these.
Be forewarned, these are a bit more 'breakfast cookie' than dessert cookie.
The texture of the oats pairs nicely with the flavors of cinnamon and chocolate, while the applesauce and maple syrup add a modest sweetness.
These make a delicious, lower-in-fat, mid-day treat for the sugar-conscious individual!
Low-Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats
- ¼ cup buckwheat flour (I grind my flour from the raw groats, which tastes best!)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4-1/3 cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (I use a combination of 73% dark chocolate and unsweetened chocolate)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- MIx the dry ingredients (oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt).
- Mix the wet ingredients (applesauce, egg, vanilla, sweetener).
- Mix all with the chocolate.
- Dollop batter onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet (the batter will appear a bit crumbly at this point, but it will bake together fine).
- Bake 8-10 minutes.
- Cool and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Notes:
For extra sweetness, add in a little stevia.
Nancy
Can egg sub be used? I'm allergic to eggs.
Lauren
Hi Nancy,
I'm not certain. You should know that I don't really work with egg substitutes (I know you've had that question before). I have a lot of trouble with flax and some trouble with too many chia seeds, both of which are the common replacers. If you have any luck, let me know! 🙂
Tammy
These are pure heaven!
Sharon
Can you use any other flour such as almond flour, etc.?
Sharon
Can uiu substitute almond flower for the buckwheat flour?
Lauren
I haven't tried myself, but it seems like it would work.
kimmythevegan
I think hippy treats are good 😉 I tend to prefer things less sweet myself, although sometimes I do indulge in refined sugar. It makes me feel crappy, so I should probably just stay away.
"I grind my flour from the raw groats, which tastes best!" And it's cheaper!
April J Harris (@apriljharris)
I love just about any old chocolate chip cookie but I only have them on very special occasions (in fact, I can't remember the last time I had one - I need to fix that!) Love your healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - what a great way to indulge without going off the healthy eating track! Shared this post on Stumble Upon and will tweet. Thank you for sharing with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Marla
HI Lauren,
Wow these oatmeal cookies sound delicious. My husband loves oatmeal cookies and i think I am going to try to make these for him. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted !
AZ@...And a Dash of Cinnamon
My favorite type is an underbaked one 😉
Aliyah
OOh yumy Lauren, these look yummmyyy! I am definitely gonna try them this week. I know what you mean about candida, I struggle with it too although I am not a sugar fan, fruit seems to trigger it for me. So I have to watch it. Have a great week! Aliyah
Lauren
That's really interesting given all the recent info out about how it's 'safe' to eat any amount of fruit without trouble. I'm with you though, I think there's a limit too, and everyone is so different. Thanks for your comment Aliyah!