Traded Up Chocolate Crunch Cookie Recipe

Years ago I shared our favourite cookies – this recipe for Chocolate Crunch Cookies and to this day they are still our favourites! When we were challenged to ‘trade up’ a recipe and make it healthier I was unsure how I felt about changing this tried and true cookie recipe. However, I knew that the Loblaws In-Store Dieticians have never steered me wrong before. The result, is a new recipe that tastes similar but the changes made take it from a delicious (albeit not healthy) cookie to a yummy cookie with hidden awesomeness!

Using the Guiding Stars system it’s easy to trade up your recipes to add more nutrition. It’s amazing how just a few simple changes will add more to your families recipes. Plus with the stars prominently displayed at your favourite stores (Loblaws, Superstore, No Frills, Valu-Mart, Fortinos, Independent, Zehr’s, Save Easy, Maxi) across Canada. Look for the Guiding Stars on shelf labels to help you choose the best ingredients for your family.

By following the Guiding Stars approach you are able to make choices without having to focus on the labels. It’s an easier way to make good choices.

Guiding Stars is an impartial, patented food rating system that rates food based on nutrient density using a scientific algorithm. Foods are rated based on a balance of credits and debits. Foods are credited for vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, whole grains, and Omega-3 fatty acids, and debited for saturated fats, trans fats, added sodium and added sugar. Rated foods are marked with easy-to-follow tags indicating 1, 2, or 3 stars.

Our Chocolate Crunch Cookie Recipe was given a make over to add more products with star ratings and to increase the nutritional value. Now that there is lots of good stuff packed inside the cookie I feel a lot better about my boys eating them. And the best part? They taste AMAZING!

Traded Up Chocolate Crunch Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups (375 mL) butter
• 3/4 cup (250 mL) brown sugar
• 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
• 2 Omega-3 eggs ***
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
• 1 cup (250 mL) white flour *
• 1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat flour **
• 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) ground flax
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) hemp hearts
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• 2 cups (500 mL) large flake oats
• 2 cups (500 mL) Crispy Rice cereal *
• 1 cup (250mL) chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Mix together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla in a stand mixer (or large bowl) until well blended.
3. In a separate bowl, mix to combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, flax, and hemp hearts
4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture in batches and mix until combined.
5. Add oats, rice cereal, and chocolate chips to stand mixer and combine. Note: it will be really thick, might want to mix by hand!
4. Drop batter on baking sheets in mounds of about 3 tbsp making sure there is space between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until top begins to be golden. These cookies continue to firm up after they are removed from the oven so do not over cook them.

Star Ingredients

Egg – ★★★ Omega-3 Eggs

Flour – ★ White Flour OR ★★ Whole Wheat Flour

Cereal – ★ Crispy Rice Cereal

It’s like you can see all of the goodness in there!

So how was the Chocolate Crunch Cookie recipe changed? The original recipe did not include cinnamon, flax, hemp hearts or whole wheat flour. Those were all added to increase the nutrition in the cookies. Plus, the amount of sugar and chocolate chips were decreased. The result = perfect cookies that I’m happy to pack in my boys’ lunch boxes.

Dietician Lauren Baker says:

Make your Chocolate Chip cookies the ultimate snack by boosting their nutrition with simple recipe swaps! Reduce the amount of brown sugar since the chocolate chips are sweet enough already! Boost fibre by adding Ground Flaxseed and Hemp Hearts; and add a healthy crunch with your favourite rice puffs or other high-fibre cereal!

Another cool tip = Replace 1 cup white sugar with 3 mashed bananas (i.e. 1 cup mashed bananas) for natural vs added sugar

Use these tips to ‘trade up’ your family’s favourite recipe.

3 from 1 vote

Print

Traded Up Chocolate Crunch Cookie Recipe

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

27 mins

 

A delicious 'traded up' cookie with added nutrition taking a traditional oatmeal chocolate chip cookie to the next level in taste and nutrition!

Course: Dessert

Servings: 25 large cookies

Author: Kerrie @ Family Food and Travel

Ingredients

• 1½ cups 375 mL butter
• 3/4 cup 250 mL brown sugar
• 1 cup 250 mL granulated sugar
• 2 Omega-3 eggs
• 1 tsp 5 mL vanilla
• 1 cup 250 mL white flour
• 1 cup 250 mL whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp 5 mL cinnamon
• 2 tbsp 30 mL ground flax
• 3 tbsp 45 mL hemp hearts
• 1 tsp 5 mL baking powder
• 1 tsp 5 mL baking soda
• 1 tsp 5 mL salt
• 2 cups 500 mL large flake oats
• 2 cups 500 mL Crispy Rice cereal
• 1 cup 250mL chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Mix together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla in a stand mixer (or large bowl) until well blended.
3. In a separate bowl, mix to combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, flax, and hemp hearts
4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture in batches and mix until combined.
5. Add oats, rice cereal, and chocolate chips to stand mixer and combine. Note: it will be really thick, might want to mix by hand!
6. Drop batter on baking sheets in mounds of about 3 tbsp making sure there is space between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until top begins to be golden. These cookies continue to firm up after they are removed from the oven so do not over cook them.

What is your favourite tip for adding extra nutrition to your recipes? 

Disclosure: I was compensated with delicious and nutritious food from Loblaws Inc. As always, all opinions are my own.