Healthy Oreos

Well, it's getting close to swimsuit season (for those of us that live in sunny FL that day was like yesterday), and time to tighten up on some food recipes that don't leave you feeling bloated and regretful.  And many of times that means cutting back on your sugar and bread intake.  Although we should do that anyway, our waistlines seem to be relentless in letting us know when it's time.  But that doesn't mean we have to say no to dessert!  There are tons of healthy alternatives floating around on the web, and the possibilities are endless.

Yes, Oreos can be healthy.  And healthy can be delicious.  These cookies are living, breathing, scrumptious truth.  They are guilt free, and don't even taste like it.  So go ahead, have two!

 

Healthy Oreos

YEILD: About a dozen cookies

 

ingredients:

Cookies:
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp good quality cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp xylitol (or coconut sugar or evaporated cane juice or regular if you cannot find)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 tbsp milk of choice (I used soy)
2 tbsp pure agave nectar, pure maple syrup, or honey

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar-free powder sugar *see note below* (or regular powdered sugar if you wish)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut butter, or non-hydrogenated shortening (such as Spectrum), or Earth Balance coconut spread

 For the sugar free powder sugar:  Put 1 cup xylitol into a food processor and process until it becomes a fine powder.  Whalah!  Sugar-free powder sugar! Place the left overs in a container and reserve for sweetening coffee or for another recipe.

 directions:

Combine first 5 dry ingredients, and stir very well.  In a separate bowl, combine all liquid ingredients.  Mix wet into dry to form a dough, then refrigerate 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat; set aside. 

Place dough in a plastic bag, and smush into one big ball.  Remove dough from bag, place between two sheets of parchment paper and roll into a thin dough. Cut out flat circles using a small circle cookie cutter or a small circle-shaped lid.  Bake on a greased cookie tray for 10 minutes; they will still look a little underdone when they come out of the oven.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from the tray.

To make the filling, mix all filling ingredients in a small food processor until thoroughly combined.  (If using coconut butter, make sure it is melted.) Put about a scant teaspoon-full on half of the cookie discs, then top each with remaining cookie discs and fridge so filling firms up. Store in the fridge so the filling stays hard.


Katelyn's notes: If you wish to make these not-so-healthy, simply substitute the spelt flour for AP flour, and the xylitol for regular granulated sugar.  But I pinky promise you, these are so good as is.  If you are having trouble finding some of the ingredients and do not have a Whole Foods near you, you can find them online, or sometimes local markets will place special orders for their customers.



Recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie