Guilt free chocolate chip cookies

The other night I created something amazing: healthy chocolate chip cookies. Yes, that's right. Cookies that you don't have to loath yourself for eating. I followed a simple cookbook recipe but substituted a few of the ingredients for healthier ones.

Instead of chemical-laden margarine I used Earth Balance natural buttery spread. I did have the whipped kind which they don't recommend for baking but the cookies turned out ok. On the website they tell you which types of baking and cooking each product is good for and they have the perfect alternatives to using butter or margarine! I am obsessed with these products! They even have a whole slew of yummy recipes made healthy like mac-n-cheese, brownies and fettucini alfredo! What a GOD SEND!!! Check out their products here: Earth Balance Natural Spreads

I also substituted regular flour for whole wheat flour, carob chips instead of chocolate chips and brown instead of white sugar. I actually wanted to use my favourite sweetener, agave syrup, but I didn't have enough of it. Its so naturally sweet that you need 3/4 of a cup of agave for every 1 cup of sugar! Amazing! So that will be my next project: agave chocolate chip cookies.

Anyway, lets get to it. Here's the recipe and feel free to change & add things to create your own!

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter or buttery spread
1 egg
3/4 cup carob or dark chocolate chips

• Mix dry ingredients together until even. Add butter and egg. Mix in chocolate chips
• Roll into medium size balls and flatten with fork.
• Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.

**If using agave nectar or syrup, use 3/4 cup for every cup of sugar. Lower the temperate by 25 F and bake for an extra 10 minutes.
Note: I had to add a pinch of water to get the ingredients to mix but that may have been because I used the whipped buttery spread (which they don't recommend for baking) instead of the regular.

And voila! Obviously these aren't health foods that you should be stuffing your face with all day, but its an option when you have those sugar cravings and you don't want to feel guilty. We need to indulge a little!

Share your own recipes for yummy, healthy desserts!