Deliciously Ella healthy cookies recipe

Gorgeously rustic, chunky cookies flavoured with zesty orange and aromatic cardamom.

These healthy cookies pack in so many delicious textures: oats, chia seeds, and sweet chunks of coconut. "These are a great staple to have in the house," says Ella. "They’re not especially indulgent or impressive, instead they’re moreish little oaty bites that sate an afternoon sweet tooth." If you're eating these as an afternoon snack, smother them with a layer of almond butter for extra creaminess. Oats are a slow-release carb, keeping you fuller for longer - making these cookies perfect for an energy boost. This recipe uses plant-based milk, so it's suitable even for people with lactose intolerance.

Ingredients

• 3–5 cardamom pods, to taste (depending on how strong you want the flavour)
• 300g oats
• 6 tbsp honey
• finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus juice of ½ lemon
• finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange, plus juice of ½ orange
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 6 tbsp plant-based milk
• 40g raisins

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/440°F/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Use the flat side of a knife to crush the cardamom pods. Once each opens, take the seeds out and grind in a pestle and mortar.
3. Place 200g of the oats into a food processor and whizz for 30 seconds or so, until they form a flour.
4. Place the ground cardamom and ground oats in a large bowl and add all the remaining ingredients, not forgetting the remaining 100g of whole oats. Stir well until a nice sticky mix forms. It should be damp, rather than wet or runny.
5. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mix into your hand, roll it into a ball, then place it on the prepared tray and flatten it down. Repeat to make 10–12 cookies.
6. Bake for 20–25 minutes. Leave on the tray until cold, so they firm up, then serve.

Top tips for making Deliciously Ella's healthy cookies

Always zest unwaxed citrus fruit before juicing it; as once you’ve taken the juice out it’s almost impossible to zest the fruit shells.

You can use whichever kind of plant-based milk you prefer - almond, oat, cashew. If you use oat milk the recipe is also nut-free. Coconut milk is technically a fruit, so not usually considered a nut in allergy terms. Double-check with anyone you're serving to, however, as some people with nut allergies also have a coconut allergy.

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