Low Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Cookies are not exactly health food, especially not if they’re really good cookies, as it is the combination of butter and sugar (and sometimes chocolate) that usually makes a cookie great. Cookies are supposed to be indulgent and, like most indulgent things, the low fat, low cal or otherwise “healthy” versions tend not to live up to the original.

But this isn’t true of all low fat things and, when you find a good recipe that will cut some of the calories and fat from an indulgent favorite, it is worth hanging on to. This recipe for Low Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies is one of them. I’ve been making the same cookies for years and, while you wouldn’t mistake their chewy and moist texture for the buttery and crisp regular Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, they are still more than good enough to justify a second trip to the cookie jar.

Unlike many lower fat recipes, these do not skimp on is the amount of chocolate chips used in the recipe at all, nor do they use mini chocolate chips in an effort to make it appear as though the cookies have more chocolate than they really do. That being said, you can easily substitute raisins, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips or anything else into the cookie for the chocolate if you prefer. The only thing to keep in mind when baking these is that it important not to overbake them. Part of their chewiness comes from the fact that the applesauce in the dough keeps the cookies relatively moist and, if overbaked, they will become a bit dry. It is best to err on the side of caution and take them out a minute early if your oven is hot. Letting the cookies cool slighlty on the baking sheet should help them to finish cooking even when outside of the oven.

Low Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup plain, unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars. Beat in the egg, followed by the applesauce and the vanilla extract. Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture and the oats until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, flattening each cookie slightly. Bake for about 10-12 min. Cookies will be light brown at the edges when done.
Let cool on sheet for 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.