Trail Mix Cookies

I live in a house of cookie lovers but the cookies HAVE to be delicious for us to eat them and the have to have at least some nutritional value in order for me to eat them. I hate eating empty calories.

My "go to's" are usually my daughter and husbands favorites; my chocolate chip-less cookies. The name is pretty self explanatory; imagine chocolate chip cookies, without the chocolate chips. My daughter and I would find ourselves picking most of the chocolate chips out of cookies we'd buy at bakeries so I "fixed" that problem for us MANY years ago. :)

Well, she requested a batch of those cookies again this weekend but I was craving a little more. So I created what has now become my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE cookie I have ever tasted! The best part? They are a nutritious treat that is free from refined sugar!!!

I introduce you to my "Trail Mix Cookie"!!!

Ingredients:

1&1/2 cups organic flour

1/2 cup plus 6 tbsp date sugar

1 flax egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 stick of room temperature butter (I use plant based)

Your desired amount of unsweetened shredded coconut

Your desired amount of mini dark chocolate chips (mine are refined sugar free)

Your desired amount of red walnuts

Note that these are the ingredients that I used but you're welcome to make any swaps you'd like to make - such as not opting for organic flour, swapping out the walnuts for a different nut, using real butter or using a real egg instead of a flax egg. Flax eggs add a little extra fiber though, so keep that in mind. :)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

-Roughly chop red walnuts

-Add shredded coconut and mini chocolate chips to chopped walnuts & mix

-Mix wet ingredients plus date sugar well

-Mix dry ingredients well in a large bowl

-Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until no flour is visible

-Fold in "trail mix" mixture until well distributed

-Scoop heaping, tablespoon sized balls onto lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart

-Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 9-11 minutes depending on your oven.

-Let sit to set and ENJOY!!!