Cookie cookie cookie. <<– cookie monster voice.

I’m pretty stoked on these cookies. White chocolate has always been my thing, but I don’t eat it very often because you can’t even pretend it’s remotely healthy. I think the last time I had it was around Easter time, when my parents gave us this “wedding cake” easter egg (really, the flavors get weirder every year). The “egg” was really just a pile of sugar that passed for a creamy center covered in another pile of sugar that passed for a white chocolate crust. And it was so.tasty.

So I kind of swore off white chocolate for a while because that egg thing was so rich. And come on, at least when it’s dark chocolate it’s healthy for you… at least that’s what I tell myself. But about a week ago I cot a craving for a white chocolate macadamia cookie, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. That is, until I saw that macadamia nuts were $18 a pound at Whole Paycheck. I got that macadamia nut idea outta my head right quick. But! The white chocolate I could do, so I walked out of the store with a bag of white chocolate and a cucumber, if I recall correctly. Gotta have them priorities straight.

And then somewhere along the line I decided that these cookies should be gluten free, so enter the almonds and oats! It was just all downhill (and tasty) from there. If you use store-bought oat flour, these will have a bit more of a traditional cookie texture. If you grind it yourself, they will have a lot more texture in general, which is what you see in the photos here. So much texture! I made them both ways, and I really can’t say which I like better. They are both great.

On another note, I also forgot to add the flax seed when I made these once. Surprisingly, they worked! The batter spread out a bit while cooking, but they held together just fine (if not quite as well as the flax-containing versions).

On a more serious note, these are almost fit to eat for breakfast. There is no processed sugar (except that white chocolate, let’s not talk about those) and they are sweetened with just a half cup of maple syrup. The oat flour and almond meal provide lots of fiber and heart-healthy fats, and everything else provides a lot of deliciousness. I won’t judge you if you eat them for breakfast. Really. I did. (Don’t tell AJ.)

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp water
• 1/4 cup butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups oat flour
• 1 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips (vegan if necessary)

Instructions

1. Combine the flax seed and water in a small bowl, set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large bowl and beat in the almond butter. Add the maple syrup and vanilla, then the flax seed mixture. Mix well.
3. Pile the remaining dry ingredients all on top of the wet, then mix together with a large spoon until evenly moistened. The batter will be a bit more wet than what you are used to for cookies, but if it seems excessively wet then add another Tbsp or two of oat flour (this can be due to the consistency of your oat flour).
4. Fold in the white chocolate chips, then let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
5. While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 350F. Drop the batter in heaping tablespoons onto a parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 12-13 minutes, until just barely golden on the bottom. Let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!