Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Healthy AND Easy?!?

So, if you knew me you would know that I love sweets and I hate exercise. My hatred of exercise is partially fueled by my inherent laziness. Oh, I don't like vegetables either. Or really anything that tastes remotely healthy (though I'm getting better with that... slowly).

I typically try to balance out my love for sweet and my distaste for exercise by simply baking Sunday nights and bringing whatever I've made into work on Mondays. That way I get to have some, but it also gets out of my house. Most of my coworkers have started eating healthy so when one of my coworkers texted me a recipe she found for some healthy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies I decided to give them a try. This recipe combines my love for eating sweets and being lazy (its super easy & delicious) with other people's desire to not eat pounds of butter & sugar all the time. It's a win/win really.

*Excuse the terrible photo, this was taken on my cell phone long before I started this blog!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies:

-1 C peanut butter (recipe calls for creamy or chunky, I've only used creamy)

-2/3 C packed dark brown sugar

-1 1/2 tsp vanilla

-2 large eggs

-2/3 C rolled oats (I used gluten free)

-1tsp baking soda

-2/3 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine oats & baking soda in small bowl. Set aside. In larger bowl combine peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs & vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Form dough into balls and place on cookie sheet - dough will be sticky, I just scooped some out with a spoon then flattened it a bit with a fork.

Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire cooling rack. Makes ~20 cookies depending on size. 

I'm not actually a fan of peanut butter cookies, but these were mild and tasty. I mean, if given a choice I'd probably choose a rich, buttery, barely cooked, REAL chocolate chip cookie but these are a great compromise. They definitely satisfy a baked goods craving with a fraction of all the bad stuff in them. They even have a decent amount of protein in them for a 'cookie' so in my book that pretty much makes them a health food.

What are some of your favorite 'healthy' dessert recipes?