Recipe:
These cookies are soft and chewy with a fruity jam center. Ground flaxseeds in the cookie dough and chia seeds in the jam are full of omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep skin smooth and glowing while also helping to protect against sunburn.
Almond flour and almond butter give the cookies a buttery, nutty flavor and supply lots of vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects lipid membranes in skin. The berry jam is full of antioxidants which may help protect against wrinkles. Plus, one cookie packs 2 grams of fiber, making it a satisfying dessert to end your meal!
Ingredients:
For the berry chia jam:
1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1⁄2 tablespoon chia seeds
For the cookie dough:
1 cup oats, ground into a flour
2⁄3 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1⁄4 cup almond butter
1⁄2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
In a small pot, add mixed berries and maple syrup and simmer over medium-high heat for around 5 minutes, until berries are slightly broken down. Use a potato masher to mash the berries and stir in the chia seeds. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, combine oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and flaxseed and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir until combined. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes.
Once the dough has firmed up slightly, take a piece of cookie dough (around 1 tablespoon worth) and roll it into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet and then use your thumb to create a little well in the center of the dough ball. Fill with around a teaspoon of the berry chia jam. Repeat for the remaining dough and jam, placing the cookies a few inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes and then let cool for at least 10 minutes. The cookies will still be very soft when they come out of the oven but will firm up as they cool.
Yields: 16 servings
Per serving: 111 calories, 2.8 g protein, 14.3 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber, 8 g sugars, 5.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 86 mg sodium, 83 mg calcium, 0.3 g omega-3 fats, 26 IU vitamin A, 0.6 mg vitamin C, 2.2 mg vitamin E, 0.6 mg iron, 0.3 mg zinc
Lisa Drayer, M.A., R.D.,
is the author of THE BEAUTY DIET and STRONG, SLIM, and 30! For more of Lisa’s Beauty Bites, visit www.lisadrayer.com.