Clean Cuisine Chia Seed and Chocolate Cookies

This recipe comes from the new book, Clean Cuisine: An 8-Week Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition Program that Will Change the Way You Age, Look & Feel by Ivy Larson and Andy Larson, M.D.  I'm sure that they could look better, but these were made basically by my 4 year old. Creating memories, that's more important than cookies being picture perfect. Right?

These are really simple to make. They can be gluten free if you use a gluten free flour. They have no processed sugar which is awesome. In my opinion, they are very sweet cookies. Since I used vegan chocolate chips they are dairy free as well.

Clean Cuisine 

Chia Seed and Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 1½ cups raw almonds
• 8 pitted dates
• 2 cups barley flour
• ¼ cup Barlean's Organic Chia Seeds
• ½ cup Barlean's Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, softened
• ½ cup real maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
• ½ cup vegan mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put the almonds in a food processor and process into crumbs. Transfer almond crumbs to a large mixing bowl.

Put the dates in the food processor and pulse 6 to 7 times, or until dates are well ground. Add the dates to the almonds.

To the mixing bowl, add the barley flour, chia seeds, coconut oil, maple syrup and salt. Combine all ingredients with a wooden spoon. Form the mixture into tablespoonful balls and space them evenly on a large cookie sheet. Using your index finger, make an indent in each cookie. Fill each cookie with 4 or 5 mini chocolate chips.

Bake cookies for 18 minutes. The cookies should be done at this point, but the chocolate will not be totally melted. As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, take the back of a spoon and gently press down on the chocolate so that it melts. Set the cookies aside to cool and harden before eating.

Clean Freak Notes: I have tried this recipe with both Maple Syrup and honey. Honey gave it a very strong honey flavor. I think I prefer the Maple Syrup.  I have also made this with Barley and Oat Flour. I like both equally.  I suggest cooking this less time than recommended because mine got rather brown around the 15 min mark. Next time I may try baking at 325 degrees and see if that helps.  The chia seeds will get stuck in your teeth so this isn't the best on-the-go cookie. We do love them though.