Delicious Dessert happens to be healthy, vegan and glutenfree!
Moist, tasty Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie—-vegan, glutenfree and healthy.
Are you all set with a healthy dessert option for the 4th of July? I think a chocolate chunk skillet cookie is the quintessential American dessert, right up there with apple pie! Although the ingredient list for this recipe is super clean, there is no compromise on taste or texture or looks…..it’s the real deal, just an improved version.
Hard to believe this cookie is healthy. So yummy.
My mother wasn’t much of a baker—she left that to my Grandmother, whose pies were legendary. I remember always asking for a cherry pie for my birthday…wow those were so good!! Even though my mother spent very little time in the kitchen, she, like many American’s did follow the recipe on the back of the chocolate chips package for toll house cookies. Back then, there was no fear of salmonella and my sister and I would clamor to get a taste of that batter….it was the best part.
No guilt, delicious yet healthy dessert
Fast forward to my years in the kitchen with my own kids. We made sugar cookies more often than chocolate chip because my daughter really liked to decorate them—more sugar anyone? When the kids were young, baking and decorating cookies was a favorite family activity. I didn’t encourage dough eating because I knew that raw eggs posed a risk, but at the time I didn’t realize that consuming so much sugar was even riskier.
Loaded with protein and fiber.
Healthy Dessert that is tasty too!
I’m not such a party pooper that I don’t make and serve dessert, but I have stopped using refined white sugar and have experimented with other substitutes so that when I do make treats, there is something nutritious about them. Let’s be clear though—-I’m not serving yucky tasting healthy food and trying to pass it off as dessert. Quite the contrary, I am serving up yummy dessert—-that happens to be good for you. See the difference there? I don’t sacrifice taste, yet I don’t give in to ingredients that I don’t want to ingest. Not only that, but I like to add in ingredients that will give my desserts some nutritional value.
Platter of healthy chocolate chunk cookies….as delicious as they look.
Last year, skillet cookies were all the rage and I wanted to master a skillet cookie that was healthy. OK, I know you’ll think this is odd….but stay with me here…..the combination of chickpeas, peanut butter and maple syrup is super tasty. Seriously yummy—-and that’s without even thinking about the added benefit of protein, fiber, or healthy fats taken into consideration.
All of the goodness, none of the guilt.
I also wanted the batter to be safe to sample raw, because that is still the best part…it’s possible that once (or twice) I ate so much of this batter that I had to get a smaller pan out to bake what was left…..and I’m all about creating opportunities to say YES!!
Nutritious & Delicious Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie
This healthy dessert recipe was such a hit in my cooking workshops that I wanted to get it to you before the holiday weekend so you could share it with your family and friends. Glutenfree and vegan cookie dough that is as nutritious as it is delicious—-is there anything more American than that?
Serves 1 slice
5 minPrep Time
25 minCook Time
30 minTotal Time
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Ingredients
- Avocado (or olive) oil for greasing pan
- 1 1/2 cups (1-13oz box) chickpeas, drained, rinsed and drained well
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks *
- If you can't find high quality dark chocolate in chunks, buy a bar and chop it yourself.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 10" cast iron skillet (round or square baking pans will also work-line with unbleached parchment paper to easy lifting out of pan) with avocado oil.
- Place all ingredients except for dark chocolate into food processor or high speed blender and process for two minutes. Scrape down sides and continue to blend until mixture is very smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in chocolate---all but 2 Tablespoons set aside for the top.
- Pour mixture into prepared skillet and sprinkle reserved chocolate on top.
- Bake for 22 minutes and then check for doneness. Top should be dry to touch and toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Cookie will possibly need up to 5 additional minutes to be done, but be careful not to overcook or it will taste dry. There aren't any ingredients to be concerned about eating raw, so err on the side of underdone, rather than dry.
- Cool completely and then slice and serve. If you've left this purposely on the gooey side, placing it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes will help with the cutting.
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