My notes from testing this recipe read: “yields 4 cookies. thin and a little crispy but also gooey and so tasty. maybe the best cookies ever? chopped chocolate > chips”. If that doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what will.
If you haven’t noticed, January in these parts is decidedly absent of any detoxes, resets, fasts, cleanses, fresh starts, diet plans, or anything disguising itself as a necessary change to your lifestyle while not so subtly hinting at the fact that THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU AND IF YOU DON’T FIX IT NOW YOU WILL BE CONDEMNED TO A LIFETIME OF MISERY.
In case you needed a reminder, today or ever: you do not need to make yourself smaller in order to be a valuable, respected, worthy human being in this world. You are not a problem that needs fixing.
I literally shudder when I see a recipe titled “Skinny______” because (deliberately or not) it perpetuates the epidemic myth that thin is better- that we are more valuable if we take up less space. That the only true measure of our health and wellness is our appearance. That people whose bodies do not fit into the narrow mold of society’s acceptable standards cannot be healthy and absolutely should not be happy. That your life will only be fully worth living once you have reached an arbitrary number on a scale.
Frankly, I find none of the afore mentioned diets/detoxes/cleanses, etc, to be effective or helpful in improving one’s mental or physical health. Yes, I’ve said it before, and I will likely say it again: there’s a reason that weight-loss is a multi-billion dollar industry (diet’s don’t work!!).
I deeply believe in the importance of eating well and nourishing your body with the foods and experiences that make you feel satisfied, but I define the term ‘healthy’ as entirely separate from a number on the scale. And, having had the rare experience of losing around 100 pounds in my lifetime, I can tell you with absolutely certainty that you can be happy and healthy in whatever shape or size your body happens to be right now. That you can choose to do the things that bring you joy, and live a life that makes you happy regardless of what society might tell you. It takes some courage and requires you to be gentle with yourself, but you can do it.
I also live in Massachusetts where we have nearly a foot of snow on the ground and temperatures that drop down into the negatives overnight on the regular this time of year. Hence smoothies, juices, salads, and the like are not remotely appealing to me this time of year. Forcing myself to eat less during a time of year when my body is asking for more doesn’t sound like a healthy option (actually, forcing myself to eat less because society says I should never sounds like a healthy choice, regardless of the season).
Bring on all the warm, comforting, filling foods.
Like cookies, which bring me so much joy.
Detoxes be damned.
This Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe yields perfectly gooey-centered, crispy-edged, warm, melty, satisfying cookies. Four of them, to be exact. AKA enough cookies for sharing with someone you love, preferably while snuggled up on the couch watching Netflix before bed, but not so many that you end up needing to eat cold, hard, day-old cookies the following day.
Because in my world, freshly baked, still melty cookies are always better than day old ones. Yes, we’ve come this far only for you to find out I’m kind of a cookie snob. Sorry!
But fear not: if you’re in the mood for cookies the next day, you can just whip up another batch. The recipe only makes four cookies, after all.
All you need to do to make them is: stir together the ingredients, let dough chill while the oven preheats, then scoop and bake!
They’re made in 1-bowl with less than 10 ingredients, and can literally be made anytime a cookie craving strikes (particularly if you keep your pantry well stocked for cookie emergencies).
We ate them every night last week while I was perfecting the recipe (tough job, I know…), and will likely make them again tonight, since cookies are the best. End of story.
If you make this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment below, or tag me in your pictures on Instagram!
Small Batch Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soft/room temperature virgin coconut oil*
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour**
- 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped chocolate I'm a dark chocolate fan, but use whatever you love!
Instructions
- 1. Put coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla into a small bowl and stir well to combine, mixing with a spoon until they're fully incorporated and creamy (it may looks weirdly chunky for a few seconds while the maple syrup and oil resist blending together, but they will get nice and creamy eventually!). Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- 2. Place bowl of cookie dough in the fridge to chill while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While you wait, line a sheet pan with parchment paper (just for easier clean-up, not actually necessary to prevent them from sticking!).
- 3. When oven is preheated, scoop the dough into 4 even balls and spread out on the cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are flattened and golden around the edges, but still soft in the middle. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before eating, to help them hold their shape better!
- 4. Leftovers keep well at room temperature for up to 5 days, though I suspect you won't have any trouble getting rid of all four of these cookies on the day you bake them.
Notes
**White whole wheat has the same nutrition profile as traditional whole wheat, but a much milder flavor and more delicate texture. If you don't have any on hand, all-purpose flour works just as well here, as does half regular whole wheat and half all-purpose.