Nug's Corner: Almond Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Now those are a SUCCESS! You can make those anytime you want!"- My Husband or my stomach....Not sure who shouted it first.

   The best part about these cookies are that they are free of flour, processed sugar, and oil. They are another great healthy addition to my sweet tooth repertoire that I don't feel an ounce of remorse over eating too many of. They are perfect for kids as well since they contain natural sugars (except for the cacao chips) and not the processed crap we all assume make the best baked goods.

   If you prefer to make these vegan you could swap out the cacao chips for vegan baking chips instead. And although I used fresh figs (because why the hell not) you could very easily swap those out for dried raisins, dates, or figs soaked in water. An additional banana may be too binding and applesauce may be too thin, but I don't see anything wrong with trying any of those substitutes if you don't have fresh figs available. Either way they provide slight volume and all natural sugars to the recipe to make it sweet.

   And yes, the picture only contains one cookie because we may have already ate the rest..............

Recipe:

6 black mission figs (substitute with medjool dates or dried figs soaked in a few Tbsp water)

1 medium ripe banana

1 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 cup creamy unsweetened almond butter

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup 60% or higher bittersweet cacao chips( I use Ghiardhelli's)

Directions: 

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2.) In a blender, combine figs and bananas I to a paste. If using dried figs or dates, ensure you add a few tbsp of water to equal out the denseness of the dried fruit.

3.) In a mixing bowl, add banana/fig, almond butter and chia seeds.  Combine oats with baking soda and add into wet mixture. Gently fold in cacao chips. 

4.) Using a ice cream scoop or spoon, place dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or spray w/ coconut oil spray). Bake in oven for 12 minutes or until slightly firm yet still soft.