Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

Cookies!
Cookies!!
COOKIES!!!
Did anyone else use to love the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies? I know I did. Give me a choice between regular old chocolate chip and white chocolate macadamia and I'd choose the macadamia version any day. We used to buy those big triple flavor cookie packs from Costco, and guess what flavor I ate? White Chocolate Macadamia Nut! Those poor old Oatmeal Raisin Cookies . . . no one ever really ate them, and they were always the last ones in the box. I have come to appreciate them a lot more now, and am planning on making a healthy version soon (*gasp* a sneak peak into the future?!).

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

I was reminded one day of my love for white chocolate macadamia nut cookies after seeing a post from The Oatmeal Artist . I was like . . . I WANT COOKIES!!! I searched for recipes online, but there didn't seem to be very many healthy options, so I set out and made my own. I put the "experiments" in the oven and stared at them, hard. I waited, and waited. It felt like forever. Plus they were starting to smell really good. Really really good. 3 minutes. 2 minutes. 1 minute . . . WHY IS ONE MINUTE SO LONG!!!!??? JEEZ!!!! Finally, the oven went beep once (I didn't give it a chance to beep again because I had already yanked the oven door open) and the cookies were out! They looked good. But the final test was taste. I grabbed a cookie, then as an afterthought a plate, and sat down. The cookie drooped a bit because it was hadn't has time to cool. I slowly brought it to my mouth and . . . I nearly dropped it because it broke in half. A sigh of exasperation. Yes, I should have let them cool and firm up, but ain't nobody got time for that! I broke off a piece, tossed it into the hatch unceremoniously and chewed. Chew chew chew. Swallow. I think a little piece of me died just then and went to heaven. They were- hey! Where did all the cookies go!? One day I tell you. ONE DAY. They were all gone and I had had exactly one. Uno. Oh well, I guess that's just testimony for their deliciousness. -_-

These cookies don't have the traditional white chocolate chips in them, because now I find them a bit too sweet and prefer their darker cousin, but if you would like to use them feel free! You could also substitute the chocolate chips all together for dried fruit like raisins, or chopped dried apricots (that sounds gooood) if you want to make them extra healthy! Enjoy (and hide them from your family if you want more than one!!!)!

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

More cookies!

Yes, you need to see the tops of them too.

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

-1/2 c garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour*

-1/2 c rolled oats

-1/3 c coconut flour

-1/2 c coconut sugar

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-pinch salt

-1/2 c maple syrup

-1 egg

-4 tbsp coconut oil (melted)

-1 tsp pure vanilla extract

-1/3 c macadamia nuts

-1/3 c chocolate chips of choice 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small blender/food processor, grind your oats into a flour. Add the oat flour along with the garbanzo bean flour, coconut flour, baking soda, coconut sugar, and salt into a bowl, and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until everything is well combined. The dough should be a caramel like consistency. Chop your macadamia nuts into smaller pieces, then fold them into the dough along with the chocolate chips. 

With a cookie scoop or spoon, doll out dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet until everything has been used up. Make sure to leave several inches between each cookie, because they spread out. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, or until the cookies have turned a light golden brown, and are fairly firm to the touch. Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes before enjoying.

*If you don't have garbanzo bean flour, you could probably substitute it with more oat flour (1/2 c oats ground into flour) but I haven't tested it out.