I adapted these from the Healthy Chef Teresa Cutter recipes, but I actually think mine are better! Less refined sugars, as they are sweetened with choc chips and maple syrup. They are higher in protein and lower in carbs, as I used half almond meal and half oats. Plus I added peanut butter. So I completely changed her recipe basically! They are a good healthy snack, and hit a sweet spot. Just leave the peanut butter out if you want them for school lunches, and swap the almond meal for oats.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x cup almond meal
• 1 x cup oats (if gluten free, swap for quinoa flakes or an extra cup of almond meal)
• 50 g desiccated coconut
• 60g melted coconut oil or melted butter
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter or any nut butter
• 1 x egg
• 50g dark chocolate chips, minimum 70% cocoa
• 50g dates (swap for cranberries if fructose intolerant or just double choc chips)
• lemon rind and juice (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 150 C/300F
2. Combine oats, almond meal, coconut, melted oil/butter, maple syrup, melted peanut butter and the egg into a mixing bowl. Mix all together until the dough starts to come together. You can also use a thermomix or a food processor to to do this.
3. Add chocolate chips and dates and mix through.
4.  Form into approximately 18 cookies using a big plastic tea spoon and place onto a lined baking tray. The dough should be nice and smooth almost like a bliss ball.  Shape them a bit like balls, then flatten with the back of a fork
5. Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes, checking at the 10 minute mark.
6. Remove from oven and squeeze lemon juice over warm cookies, then sprinkle with lemon rind
7. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes.