Triple Chocolate Sweet Potato Cookies
The kids classic – but with a twist!
Given my kids’ total obsession with all things chocolate, I wanted to make a healthier version of a traditional chocolate chip cookie that I actually felt good about giving them, rather than doing it begrudgingly so. And these deliciously tasty gooey ones certainly hit the sweet spot! They also just happen to be vegan and gluten-free, and are only naturally sweetened with dates and bananas, as well as a handful of chocolate chips - which is very unusual for chocolate chip cookies, as they are usually LOADED with butter and refined sugars that cause a sharp spike in blood sugar.
However these hidden-veggie versions are filled with wholesome and nourishing ingredients and have the perfect combination of complex carbohydrates from the wholegrain oats, healthy fats from the nut butter, anti-inflammatory Omega 3’s from the walnuts and a bunch of immune-boosting Vitamin A from the sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are very nutritious, high in fibre and are an excellent source of beta carotene, vitamin C, and potassium. Beta carotene is an antioxidant photochemical that is responsible for the vibrant bright orange colour of the sweet potato. It raises our blood levels of vitamin A which helps support our immune system and maintain healthy vision.
The Ultimate Healthy After-School Snack
Each cookie provides 190 calories, 5g of plant-based protein, 4g of fibre and an enormous 56% of my daily Vitamin A requirement. This makes them the ultimate after school snack for sugar-hungry little ones, or a fabulous afternoon pick-me-up for bigger ones too! My kids barely eat any protein at school, so I like to be able to hand them their sweet treat and know that it’s bumping up their protein content all under the guise of some chocolate! And I have just started weaning baby R, so will definitely be making these for him (minus the chocolate chips!) as soon as he is ready for some finger food.
Funnily enough these cookies are at their most delicious straight out of the freezer, so they are a batch cooking staple for us, but be warned! Always make a double batch because they’ll be gone FAST!
TOP TIP: Did you know that 3 dates count as one of your five-a-day?
INGREDIENTS - makes 14 cookies
• 285g Sweet Potatoes
• 140g Pitted Dates (quick soaked for 15 mins in boiling water)
• 20g Walnuts - chopped
• 150g Hazelnut Butter (or any nut butter of your choice)
• 65g Oat Flour (or any flour of your choice)
• 20g Jumbo Porridge Oats
• 30g Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Banana (the riper the better!)
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 14 Big Dark Chocolate Buttons to top off the cookie
• 20g Unsweetened Chocolate Protein Powder (I used ‘That Protein’ Brown Rice & Cacao Powder)
METHOD
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Line 2 baking trays with non-stick parchment paper.
• Dice and steam the sweet potatoes for 10 minutes or until tender. (TIP - No need to peel – the skins have a ton of fibre in!)
• Cover the dates in boiling water and set aside for 10 minutes to soften.
• Roughly chop the walnuts to keep a bit of texture to the cookies and set aside.
• Put the softened steamed sweet potato, banana, soaked dates, vanilla extract and hazelnut butter into a food processor and blitz until smooth.
• In a large bowl combine all of the remaining ingredients apart from the giant chocolate buttons (oat flour, oats, walnuts, baking soda, baking powder, protein powder and chocolate chips).
• Add the sweet potato mixture into the large bowl and mix well.
• Spoon the batter onto the parchment lined baking tray and flatten slightly. I tend to use my hands as this part can be sticky!
• Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and press down the cookies gently with a fork, sprinkle with some sea salt and top each one with a giant chocolate button. Return them to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and leave them to cool and harden slightly for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
• NOTE - I like mine crispy on the edges, but soft and gooey in the middle. Adjust cooking times according to how soft you like your cookies but remember that they will definitely firm up more as they cool. I pop mine straight in the freezer once they’ve cooled and they are best eaten having defrosted for around 5 minutes.
NUTRITIONAL CONTENT
Calories - 190
Protein - 5g
Fat - 10g
Carbohydrates - 23g
Fibre - 4g
Vitamin A - 56%