Valentine's Day and chocolate go hand and hand. Once February 14th hits, our heads are filled with visions of love—dare we say, lust?—for the sweet. (Oh, and our loved ones, too, of course). Save the box of chocolates for next year and try this sinful recipe from from SELFMade Collective blogger Serena Wolf this weekend. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, the comforting sweet flavor is punctuated by the ridiculously delicious crunch of sea salt. Plus, they’re actually good for you! In addition to the base of healthy oats, whole wheat flour and coconut oil, the antioxidant and fiber-rich extras in these treats pack a serious nutritional punch. Long story short: Make the cookies. Eat the cookies. Tell someone you love them. Happy Valentine’s Day!
(Makes about 20 cookies)
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup coconut oil (solid)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill Organic)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoons flaked sea salt (such as Maldon), divided
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate (1 bar), chopped (or dark chocolate chips)
- ½ cup dried cherries
- ½ cup pecans, chopped (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Add the coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract and egg to a large mixing bowl. Cream them together until smooth. If you have a stand mixer (fan-cay!), you may use it. You can also use an electric hand mixer, or a regular old whisk. Just make sure that you get the mixture as smooth as possible. You may notice there are some lumps of coconut oil. I recommend using a spatula to smoosh them. (I know that “smoosh” is not proper culinary terminology, but you know what I mean.)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of sea salt.
- Stir the flour mixture into the coconut oil/sugar mixture until just combined.
- Add the oats, chocolate chunks, cherries and pecans (if using) and mix until well combined.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. (Yes, you can skip this step, but your cookies will end up slightly less thick, and that’s on you.)
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silpats.
- When the dough is cold, scoop tablespoon sized balls onto the prepared baking sheets 2-inches apart. Sprinkle each ball with a few flakes of the remaining sea salt.
- Bake your cookies for 13-15 minutes (the exact cooking time will vary slightly depending on your oven and how cold your cookie dough is when it goes in) until they are slightly golden. Remove them from the oven and let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Note: Sometimes the cookies star to get slightly misshapen while they cook. I like to remove them from the oven after about 8 minutes and gently nudge them back into a round shape with the back of a spoon.
Serena Wolf and Domesticate-Me.com are part of the SELFMade Collective, our exclusive contributor network of #SELFMade women who are passionate about all things health, wellness, beauty and style. Catch her on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
