3 Tasty Cookie Recipes to Try this Holiday Season

As soon as temperatures drop, our bodies have a higher demand for heat. Certain macronutrients release more heat when digested than others, in a process called dietary-induced thermogenesis. So don’t feel bad if you’re suddenly craving more sugar and fat, it is perfectly normal! (1)

We put together 3 easy peasy cookie recipes for you to satisfy your cookie cravings and enjoy this cozy time of year. Whether you’re hosting a party or just want to treat yourself to a tasty snack by the fireplace, we’ve got you covered: from chocolate cookies, to low-carb and vegan options, there’s something for everyone.

Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 220g all purpose flour
• 100g butter
• 200g sugar
• 100g cocoa powder (not sweet)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• a bit of salt
• a few chocolate chips

Preparation Steps

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Combine the vanilla extract, eggs, butter and sugar in a bowl. Cream them for about 3 minutes, until you achieve a light and fluffy consistency.
• Next add flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
• Once the mixture is combined, carefully dollop small amounts onto a baking tray and place in the oven.
• Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are firm.
• Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes before serving.

Total servings: 20 cookies

Nutrition facts per cookie:: 

• Carbs: 26.03g
• Fat: 9.48g
• Protein: 2.1g

Did you know this interesting fact about chocolate? 

A lot of the chocolate available in stores is packed with refined sugar. For this reason, chocolate isn’t a particularly healthy snack. But did you know that pure cacao is actually a wonderful source of magnesium?

This micronutrient can have a positive influence on your body. In fact, it improves insulin sensitivity (2) and carbohydrate metabolism by acting as a cofactor for enzymes involving glucose (3).

Walnut Cookies (Low Carb)

Ingredients

• 100g butter 
• 70g brown sugar substitute
• 70g Whipped cream
• 30 walnuts
• 150 g coconut flakes

Preparation Steps

• Melt butter and the brown sugar substitute in a saucepan over a medium heat.
• Combine it with the whipping cream.

• Cook the mixture while stirring frequently for 10 minutes until it begins to froth up and thicken.
• Remove the mixture from the heat, add walnuts and coconut flakes and let it cool for a few minutes.
• Use a large spoon to drop the cookie mixture onto parchment paper.
• Place the cookies into the fridge for 30 minutes-1 hour to harden.

Total servings: 11 Cookies

Nutrition facts per cookie: 

• Carbs: 9.59g
• Fat: 20.49g
• Protein: 1.48g

Did you know this interesting fact about low-carb diets? 

Carbohydrates are often replaced with fat when switching to a low-carb diet. While it can be a good idea to add more healthy fats to your diet, you should be aware that not all fats are the same! It’s important to distinguish between saturated fat (found in processed meat, coconut and palm oils) and unsaturated fat (found in avocado, fish and olive oil). So, what’s the difference?

Saturated fats are simple long chains of fatty acids. While unsaturated fats are long chains of fatty acids that are interrupted by one or more double bondings.

In general, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines suggest limiting the amount of saturated fats in your diet to <10%, and increasing the amount of unsaturated fats. (4). Adding walnuts to your cookies is a great way to include more healthy fats in your diet. 

Chia Seed Cookies (vegan)

Ingredients

• 170 g whole wheat flour
• 70 g sugar
• 3 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon applesauce
• 2 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• a bit of salt salt

Preparation Steps

1. Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl, until the sugar dissolves. Let the mixture sit for a minute. 
2. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix in until you get a soft dough consistency. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. If too dry, sprinkle in a few drops of water or oil and mix in. Let it sit for 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C degrees.
3. Take small portions of the dough and roll into a ball. Then press it to a flat cookie on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 mins. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Total servings: 12 cookies

Nutrition facts per cookie:

• Carbs: 15.6g
• Fat: 8g
• Protein: 1.2g

Did you know this interesting fact about Omega-3? 

Eating more unsaturated fats is very beneficial. Popular sources of healthy fats include Omega-3 and Omega-6. Ever wonder how they got their names? It all has to do with the position of the double bonding. Omega-3 has the bond starting on the 3rd carbon atom, while the double bond in Omega-6 begins on the 6th atom!

By adding chia seeds to your cookies, you can include more omega-3 in your diet. This way, you can enjoy a tasty snack while taking advantage of its health-promoting qualities. (5)

References and Sources:

(1) Klaas R Westerterp, Diet induced thermogenesis, Nutr Metab (Lond). 2004; 1: 5. Published online 2004 Aug 18.

(2) Wild S, Roglic G, Green A, Sicree R, King H. Global prevalence of diabetes: estimates for the year 2000 and projections for 2030. Diabetes Care 2004;27:1047–1053

(3) Belin RJ, He K. Magnesium physiology and pathogenic mechanisms that contribute to the development of the metabolic syndrome. 2007;Jun;20(2):107-29.

(4)Arne Astrup, Faidon Magkos, Dennis M. Bier, J. Thomas Brenna, Marcia C. de Oliveira Otto, James O. Hill, Janet C. King, Andrew Mente, Jose M. Ordovas, Jeff S. Volek, Salim Yusuf, Ronald M. Krauss,Saturated Fats and Health: A Reassessment and Proposal for Food-Based Recommendations: JACC State-of-the-Art Review, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Volume 76, Issue 7,2020

(5) Bartosz Kulczyński,1 Joanna Kobus-Cisowska,1 Maciej Taczanowski,2 Dominik Kmiecik,1 and Anna Gramza-Michałowska1; The Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Chia Seeds—Current State of Knowledge; Nutrients. 2019 Jun; 11(6): 1242.