Sometimes you can tell just by reading a recipe that it’s going to be good. That’s how I felt about this recipe when I saw it in an old cookbook from the 80’s, the Nestle® Toll House® Recipe Collection. I first made it several years ago for a breakfast gathering and everyone Continue reading
I’ve been in a chocolate chip mood lately! I recently posted a recipe for some Chocolate Chip Scones and then I thought I’d make some breakfast-type cookies, but with chocolate chips in them, too–I call them Dark Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies. A cookie made with ingredients that I usually put in granola, like honey, coconut flakes, old-fashioned oats, wheat germ, ground flaxseed, chopped nuts, raisins or dried cranberries, and a good amount of dark chocolate chips!
These cookies brown a little more around the edges because of the honey, I think. I read somewhere that baked goods made with honey brown faster, so that’s true of these cookies. They’re a good, slightly chewy cookies that make a great snack or quick breakfast if you like sweet things for breakfast!
DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA COOKIES by NancyC
Makes about 26 cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed (you can substitute wheat bran or oat bran for the wheat germ or flaxseed)
- 1 cup golden raisins, dark raisins, or dried cranberries (or a mix of 2 or 3 of these)
- 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In large bowl, cream butter and sugar, until smooth, then add honey, vanilla, and eggs, blending well.
In medium size bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture, half of it at a time, to the butter/sugar mixture; mix until everything is blended, but don’t overmix.
Fold in, a few ingredients at a time, the coconut flakes, oats, wheat germ, flaxseed, raisins or cranberries, chocolate chips, and nuts, stirring to blend everything evenly into the batter (batter will be thick).
Using a measuring cup, drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, onto parchment-lined cookie sheets (you should be able to fit 6 cookies per sheet). Bake at 350˚F for 12 to 13 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then move to wire rack to cool completely.
It’s nice eating cookies that have some healthy ingredients in them–I guess it helps justify eating cookies, right? 🙂 Do you have any healthier cookie recipes you like to make?
Sharing this recipe at Fiesta Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Weekend Potluck.
The last time I made granola, I made Chocolate Chip Cherry Granola. It was the first time I had added chocolate to granola and I loved the combination! And now that summery weather is here, it seemed like the perfect time to try making S’mores Granola. S’mores are such a classic summer treat, so why not make a granola version? I used Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits, mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, and Golden Grahams cereal to mimic the chocolate-marshmallow-graham cracker flavors, and these all worked really well with my granola base.
This S’mores Granola makes a good snack to munch on any time of day and you can also spoon it over vanilla yogurt for an easy breakfast or dessert. If you like sweet cereal, you could also serve this granola in a bowl with milk.
S’MORES GRANOLA by NancyC
Makes about 10 cups
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Line a 10 x 15″ or 13 x 18″ rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl or container, heat the honey for about 30 seconds so it’s thinner and easier to stir; then mix the honey, oil, and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.
In large bowl, toss the oats, wheat germ or flaxseed, and chopped pecans. Add in the honey, oil, and salt mixture and toss again, combining all ingredients well.
Spread mixture evenly on your parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 325˚F for 20 minutes; remove pan from oven to stir and toss mixture for even baking. Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes, until mixture is golden, and remove from oven.
Stir granola, then let it cool completely on pan (if the granola isn’t quite crunchy, it will get crunchier as it cools). When completely cool, put granola mixture in an extra large bowl and stir in the Golden Grahams, Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits, and mini chocolate chips (or chopped up Hershey bars). Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
S’mores are such a classic treat and it’s fun making variations on the chocolate-graham cracker-marshmallow combination. Did you have S’mores often as a kid and do you make them now?
Linked to Full Plate Thursday, Let’s Get Real Friday, Inspiration Thursday.
Today is National Chocolate Chip Day–WooHoo! It sounds like a great excuse to enjoy lots of chocolate chip goodies, doesn’t it? Here’s a little roundup of some recipes you may want to try…
These Chocolate Chip Muffins are great for breakfast or anytime!
Dark Chocolate-Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake is a really good breakfast treat, too!
For a snack, have a slice of this Double Dark Chocolate Banana Bread.
Or maybe this frosted Chocolate Chip Loaf.
Later in the day, satisfy your chocolate chip sweet tooth with this Giant Dark Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie–it’s thick, chewy, and really yummy!
Or make some easy cookie bars–like these Dark Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookie Bars.. .
Or Chewy Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars…
Or the fun and colorful Chocolate Chip Confetti Brownies!
There’s nothing like a thick, chewy Jumbo Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookie with a glass of milk in the afternoon or evening.
But you may just want a good old chocolate chip cookie like these Jumbo Chocolate Chippers.
Hope you enjoy National Chocolate Chip Day this year and have a great weekend! 🙂
Linked to Fiesta Friday, Inspire Me Monday.
You’re probably wondering what’s up with this pumpkin recipe. I mean, it’s almost spring–a pumpkin recipe? But I still had a can of pumpkin I bought during the holidays that I hadn’t used and I wanted to make these Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies with it. I usually bake with pumpkin in the fall and winter. There are still a few weeks of winter left, so I decided to go for it!
I like using dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips mixed with white chocolate chips, but you can also substitute milk chocolate chips for the white. Or use all the same kind of your favorite chocolate chips. This makes a nice big 9 x 13″ pan full of blondies–just the thing for an easy dessert. They’re moist, chewy, and chocolatey with a yummy cinnamon spicy flavor. They’re actually kind of cakey to0–a little more cakey than your typical blondie. If you have an extra can of pumpkin, you should try these out!
CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BLONDIES by NancyC, adapted from My Baking Addiction
Makes a 9 x 13″ pan
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup white or milk chocolate chips (or use another cup of dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips!)
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line bottom and sides of a 9 x 13″ baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little extra to hang over edges (so you can pick up the blondies after they are baked and cooled).
In medium bowl, blend the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In large bowl, cream softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, blending well, then add the pumpkin puree, mixing until well blended.
Add flour mixture to butter/sugar/pumpkin mixture until all ingredients are blended. Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans, mixing until evenly incorporated in batter.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 350˚F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool blondies completely in pan, then lift out of the pan with the parchment paper edges and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Note: These blondies bake up nice and puffy, but sink a little while they’re cooling as most blondies do.
Since I’m all out of pumpkin now, I guess I’ll resume my pumpkin baking next fall, but I’m glad I decided to make these blondies now. They’re great with a hot cup of coffee or tea (these would also go great with the Chai Tea Latte I recently posted). Have you baked any pumpkin treats the last few months?
Sharing at Cookie Plan Monday, Fiesta Friday, Inspire Me Monday, Full Plate Thursday.
