Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, you know, sometimes I try to be healthy.

Sometimes.

Not like in a, "Oh yes let's eat a bunch of vegetables* for lunch." kind of way, but in more of a "well...these cookies aren't quite...unhealthy."

Obviously.

These are one of the first recipes I'd bookmarked, back when I was stalking sites like "Eating Well" and before I'd discovered what a food blog was. I gotta say, though, this cookies hold up! I tweaked them a smidge according to some comments I read and my own personal tastes and needs, so feel free to play around with it some yourself, too. These cookies really are quite delicious and comforting-they don't taste much different than any other oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. They're just a little better for you :) 

My kind of healthy.

*(As I type this, I have just come back from a 9 hour Green Giant promotion, telling kids to eat more vegetables. The irony is not lost on me. Also-I'm sleepy. I worked a lot these past couple days. Zzzzz)

 Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Eating Well and Beverly Rosenberg's "Bev's Chocolate Chip Cookies"

Makes 16-28 cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup applesauce or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• A little over 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed tightly
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:

•  In a medium bowl mix oats, flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy.
• Beat applesauce/oil, sugars, egg, and vanilla extract into the butter.
• Mix dry ingredients into wet on low speed until just combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips.

•  Rest in refrigerator for 1, or more, hours (no more than 2 days).
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper/silpat. 
• Drop cookie dough by tablespoon fulls onto prepared baking sheet(s).
• Bake 1 sheet at a time, on middle rack, until firm around the edges-about 15 minutes.
• Cool on sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks or other surface.

That cookie looks lonely.

It's OK, though, guys, this story has a happy ending.

I ate it.

:)