Whole grain oat and cocoa cookies: The perfect recipe for a healthy and delicious snack
Generally, when I crave something sweet, I try to prepare cookies in advance with what I have at home to always have them ready for breakfast or as a healthy snack during my days. The ones I’m sharing today are made with whole wheat flour and rolled oats, great foods rich in nutrients and beneficial properties. The rest of the ingredients enhance their flavor with a mix of nuts, chocolate, cocoa, a light hint of coffee, and a natural sweetener like coconut sugar.
These cookies are ideal for those seeking a balanced breakfast, a post-workout fit snack, or an energy boost for kids, without sacrificing the pleasure of a sweet treat.
Why are these ingredients the winning choice?
In this recipe, every element was chosen for its nutritional properties, creating a perfect balance between fibers, good fats, and slow-releasing sugars. Specifically, you should know that oats and whole wheat flour ensure a high fiber content, essential for the feeling of fullness and to keep the glycemic index stable. Walnuts and hazelnuts provide Omega-3 and minerals, also offering a crunchiness (the famous crunch) that makes every bite a sensory experience. Coconut sugar has an intense flavor reminiscent of caramel and a lower glycemic index than traditional sugar. Finally,
dark chocolate rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, can have positive effects on cardiovascular health and the nervous system. Because health also comes from good mood!
Tips for a perfect result
These cookies are “rustic” in spirit, yet refined in flavor. The secret to making them irresistible? Do not overwork the dough to maintain the crunchy texture of oats and nuts.
Make plenty, as their extraordinary preservation makes them perfect to delight you for several days whenever you need a sweet treat.
Inspo: Tuorlo Rosso
Other healthy and delicious cookies that might interest you for enriching your breakfasts or snacks:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 45 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 200 whole wheat flour
- 150 g rolled oats
- 80 g coconut sugar
- 40 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 90 g peanut oil
- 50 g 70% dark chocolate
- 40 g fresh fruit (walnuts and hazelnuts)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 60 g plant-based milk (oat and coffee or just oat)
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 2 Parchment Paper
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Cookie Cutter
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Baking Mat
- 1 Cooling Rack
Steps
Preparing the whole grain oat and cocoa cookies is really simple. Start by chopping the dark chocolate finely.
Now focus on the mix of walnuts and hazelnuts. These will also need to be chopped. Choose whether to chop them more or less finely according to your taste, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add first the egg and then the peanut oil.
Start mixing with a fork to combine the two liquids and also add the oat and coffee milk or another plant-based beverage of your choice or classic cow’s milk if preferred.
Then pour in the whole wheat flour and rolled oats.
Add also the unsweetened cocoa powder and coconut sugar or brown sugar.
Finally, complete by adding the chocolate and the mix of walnuts and hazelnuts chopped initially.
Start kneading with your hands directly in the bowl.
After a few minutes, you should obtain a homogeneous and compact dough.
At this point, move to the work surface and place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
With the help of a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8-1/4 inch as I did if you prefer them crunchier or 3/16 inch for a softer version. The important thing is that the thickness is homogeneous so that you have cookies all the same and therefore achieve even baking in the oven.
Using a cookie cutter Ø 2 inches, cut out the oat and cocoa cookies.
Gradually transfer the cookies onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated static oven at 392°F for about 10‘-11′. The baking time may vary depending on the thickness you have given to your cookies. The thicker they are, the longer they will need to bake in the oven.
After this time, take them out of the oven and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, they can be served or stored in a tin container.
And voilà… the oat and cocoa cookies are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉To maintain their crispness, store the whole grain oat and cocoa cookies in a tin or glass airtight container in a cool, dry place. They will keep perfectly for 10-14 days. If the humidity softens them, pass them through the air fryer for 2 minutes at 320°F to restore their original crunchiness.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣For a “crunchy” effect, lightly toast the rolled oats, walnuts, and hazelnuts in a pan for 5 minutes before adding them to the dough.
🟣The nuts: in the recipe, I used a mix of walnuts and hazelnuts, but if you prefer, you can replace them with almonds and pistachios and vary each time with a different type or make different combinations.
🟣If you don’t like dark chocolate, you can omit it and just add the nuts.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Why use coconut sugar in whole grain cookies and how to replace it?
Coconut sugar has a low glycemic index (about 35) compared to white sugar. Moreover, it gives the cookies a natural caramel aroma and an amber color that perfectly matches the rustic taste of whole wheat flour and hazelnuts. You can replace it with simple brown sugar.
2. Can I replace whole wheat flour with a gluten-free option?
Yes, you can use buckwheat flour or a universal gluten-free mix. However, the oats must be certified “gluten-free”. Keep in mind that the texture will be slightly more crumbly; in this case, let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking to stabilize the fibers.
3. Can I prepare the dough in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the dough and store it in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or freeze it already portioned into discs.
4. Can I replace dark chocolate with milk chocolate?
Yes, the substitution is possible and very delicious, especially for children, provided you pay attention not to exceed the overall sweetness of the cookie. In fact, milk chocolate contains a much higher percentage of sugar than dark chocolate, and since the recipe already includes coconut sugar, the risk is that the cookie becomes excessively sweet.
Tip: reduce the coconut sugar amount by about 10-15 g to balance the addition of milk chocolate. Also, milk chocolate has a lower melting point and contains milk fats. In the oven, it tends to melt faster and “spread” more than dark chocolate.
Tip: freeze the cookies (or chocolate chips) for 10′ before baking. This will help the chips maintain their shape during baking.
