Healthy Protein Cookie Dough

~Amanda~

I don’t think I have met many people who don’t love eating raw cookie dough – it’s one of the best little treats in the world and I’m sure we all tried to sneak in a few bites when we made cookies with our mom’s growing up, right?! I mean it’s pretty much the most amazing thing ever – other than the fact that it’s got raw eggs, tons of sugar and you can get sick from it (insert Debbie Downer music here). Not so good when you look at it that way, huh? If only there was a delicious ‘cookie dough’ to enjoy that wouldn’t make you sick AND is in line with living a healthy lifestyle… enter this HEALTHY PROTEIN COOKIE DOUGH that I discovered on Lauren Conrad’s website a few years ago that changed my life!

Not only is this cookie dough made with good-for-you ingredients, but it’s meant to be eaten RAW – you’re not supposed to cook it. It seriously has been one of my favorite ‘desserts’ ever since the first time I tried it, and I would highly recommend it to anyone that is looking for that delicious cookie dough fix, without any of the guilt. So what are the ingredients that make this ‘cookie dough’ healthy? Well… they’re going to sound a little weird and you may think they don’t quite fit together, but just trust me and make it once… you will be amazed by how much this actually tastes like cookie dough, I promise! So first, garbanzo beans are the base of the ‘dough’. Garbanzo beans are so great because they’re full of protein and fiber (which is great for digestion and helping your body absorb nutrients). They also have magnesium, potassium and iron and they are essentially cholesterol and trans fat-free and great for heart health.

Next, you add peanut butter. Peanut butter has protein as well as potassium, which lowers the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. It also contains fiber, healthy fats, magnesium to fortify your bones and muscles, Vitamin E and antioxidants. Plus peanut butter just tastes so delicious! If you don’t have peanut butter, almond butter is a great substitute that I use a lot in this too – it doesn’t have as much protein as peanut butter, BUT it does have more vitamins, minerals and fiber so it’s a good trade off! Next you add some agave, maple syrup, and vanilla to naturally sweeten your dough… no added sugar here. You combine all these ingredients in a food processor until smooth and then you mix in your chocolate chips after so they don’t break apart; you definitely want those nice bites of chocolate! (I use DARK chocolate chips too – because dark chocolate has been proved to have way more health benefits than milk chocoalte). Once everything is combined you refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before eating. It tastes SOOO much better when it’s cold – the texture and flavors really come together when it’s chilling to give you that real cookie dough taste. I hope this ‘cookie dough’ hits the spot and leaves you so satisfied that you never need to snack on the real, unhealthy cookie dough again! ENJOY!