When it comes to desserts my recipes have two things in common – no added sugar and a list of ingredients that’s not as long as my arm. This recipe for my No added sugar nutty chocolate-oat cookies not only ticks those two boxes but it’s also about as guilt free and health promoting as desserts get.

Ingredients:

• 100g / 3½ oz unsalted butter (organic if possible)
• 200g / 7 oz dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa, ideally 85%)
• 200g / 7 oz rolled oats (buy organic if you can)
• 100g / 3½ oz blanched, peeled and chopped hazelnuts or almonds

These ingredients make 15-20 cookies. They keep for 2 weeks so it makes sense to prepare a good batch. But if you’re worried you’ll be tempted to eat them all in 2 days (like I did) then just half the amounts above.

You’re probably thinking ‘But dark chocolate does have sugar added?’ Yes some brands do add lots of sugar. But the idea here is to use a dark chocolate with little or no added sugar. Here are three products I recommend:

1. Loving Earth organic 72% dark coconut bars (sweetened with evaporated coconut nectar) – 19.5g sugars per 100g. See their range of products, all hand-made in Melbourne, here.
2. Lindt Excellence 85% extra dark – only 13.1g sugars per 100g.
3. Green & Blacks organic 70% dark – 28.9g sugars per 100g.

Steps to prepare:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C / 400F / gas mark 6.
2. Heat a pan of boiling water. Throw the nuts into the pan for 60 seconds and then drain to cool.
3. Grease an oven tray with butter.
4. Break up the butter and chocolate into small cubes.
5. Add the butter and chocolate to a saucepan and heat gently.
6. Remove the skin from the nuts and lightly bash them in a pestle and mortar (or chop with a knife).
7. Combine the oats and nuts and then stir them into the melted butter and chocolate.
8. Shape the mixture into around 20 equal sized balls and spread evenly on the baking tray.
9. Bake in the oven for 10 – 12 mins.
10. Remove from the oven and leave until firm before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Step 6 – lightly bash the nuts (but keep them chunky)

Step 7- combine the nuts & oats with the melted chocolate & butter

Step 10 – transfer to a wire rack to cool

Tips:

• Nuts are a superfood that can be a daily part of your diet. You can easily mix up this recipe with macadamias, brazil nuts or pecans. And check out this great article on 7 reasons to go nutty for nuts.
• If you have an induction cooktop then melting the chocolate and butter is a dream. Just set it to the lowest heat level and it will melt easily.
• When chopping nuts keep them chunky – you’re not looking for a hazelnut or almond meal consistency.
• The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Although I doubt they’ll last that long.

By Feast Wisely

Other posts you might like:

• Mini chocolate & hazelnut cheesecakes
• Rhubarb crumble with only four ingredients