Who doesn't love the comfort and warmth of home-baked cookies? This was probably one of the very first recipes I ever made many years ago -- chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. However, I've changed it up a bit and made it kinder to the waistline, as well as your blood sugar.

I have this old cook book that is weathered and totally falling apart at the seams, but I love it and still to this day use it almost every time I bake. I must admit that every recipe in probably has at least 500 calories per bite (OK, maybe I exaggerate a little) and more sugar than cotton candy, but you get the point -- it's all about decadence and taste, not health! I'm proud to say that given my many baking experiments over the years (yes, some were flops and some were fluffy, delicious and fabulous), I have managed to convert almost all the recipes into healthier versions.

Almost any recipe can be converted to a healthier, lighter version. It just takes a little experimenting and patience. If you are new to the idea of changing recipes, then you may find these tips for healthy baking quite helpful:

• Substitute healthier flours instead of white or whole wheat, such as: brown rice, spelt, kamut, coconut, buckwheat, quinoa, almond (and many more). Keep in mind some of these flours have a strong taste and do not rise well, so you need to do your research and experiment. Brown rice and spelt flour are the easiest substitutions to make when baking and lower in the glycemic index. Coconut flour is VERY dense and quinoa and buckwheat have a distinct flavour -- all three are gluten-free.

More tips and chewy, delicious cookie recipe after the jump...

• Substitute white sugar with healthier alternatives such as sucanat, agave nectar, stevia, maple syrup. Keep in mind that these sugars are still broken down into glucose in the blood stream. The main difference is that they are generally lower on the glycemic index than white sugar and contain minerals to aid in breakdown, so they don't leave you bankrupt like white sugar does. Sucanat is my personal fave because it has a nice molasses flavour that naturally occurs. (Remember: brown sugar is only white sugar with molasses added to make it brown. It's NOT healthier.)
• Choose your fats/oils wisely. Did you know that it's actually healthier to use organic coconut oil and butter than sunflower, safflower and other unstable omega-6 fatty acid oils? This may come as a complete shock to many, but yes, it's true. In fact, many restaurants are now going back to using coconut oil and butter because they have come to the realization that the omega-6 fats can lead to many health concerns. Coconut and butter (or ghee) fats are better for high-temperature baking because the chemical structure of the fat is stable, so even at a high temp it does not change. This means that its structure remains intact and does not pose any danger to your health, unlike many omega-6 fats that can change and become rancid at high temps (trans fat).

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of organic butter (softened) or coconut oil/butter
1/2 cup of sucanat sugar*
3/4 cup maple syrup*
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder**
1/4 tsp aluminum-free baking soda**
1/2 tsp ea. ground cinnamon & cloves
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (get the real stuff, not the artificial kind)
1 and 3/4 cup spelt flour
2 cups of rolled oats (Bob's Red Mill is a great brand)
1/2 cup organic semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, maple syrup, baking soda/powder, cinnamon and cloves. Once combined, beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in the flour slowly. Once combined, stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

2. Drop a small spoonful of dough onto greased cookie sheets and flatten with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes max. Watch the first batch very closely to make sure they don't burn. Cook just until the edges are golden. Cool on a cookie sheet. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

These cookies freeze really well, are perfect for a mid-afternoon snack and are a hit at holiday parties.

EnJOY!

*The original recipe in my weathered old cookbook calls for 1.5 cups of white sugar. Crazy, I know! So keep this in mind when prepping your ingredients. You may want to add more sugar than I suggest if you like it sweeter, but I think the chocolate chips do a great job of adding to the sweetness to satisfy. Another alternative is to substitute chocolate chips with dried cranberries.

**You don't have to use both of these ingredients. If you don't, the cookie won't rise as much or be as fluffy, but personally, I don't think it really matters. It still tastes delish!


Joy McCarthy, owner of Joyous Health, is a certified holistic nutritionist and health coach with a passion for inspiring people to eat well, live well and feel more joyous on a daily basis. Joy welcomes your questions or comments and although you may not receive a response, your submission will certainly be read and may be selected as a topic for a future column.