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These chocolate chip cookies are a secret!
Yep, a big secret.
Don't tell anybody, but these cookies actually have some nutrition packed deep inside. They are hiding a wonderful veggie that you can really sneak into almost anything ...the humble zucchini.
Zucchini is a great ingredient to add to gluten free baked goods. Zucchini provides an almost perfect vegetable protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, and iron.
These cookies are also hiding excellent sources of fiber and vitamins by using oatmeal and ground flax seeds.
I also think with the moisture zucchini provides and the gelling properties of the flax seeds, you could successfully leave the egg out of this recipe if needed!
We've made these cookies several times now and Michael prefers them without nuts. I love how fast and easy you can make them. The only time-consuming part about these cookies is grating the zucchini, and you could do that ahead of time!
I decided to make these cookies with my gluten free all purpose master mix because of the quickness and ease of preparation. When I ran out of my homemade master mix, I made the cookies with other all purpose gluten free mixes, such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix and Maple Grove Gluten Free Pancake Mix. The type of mix I have used in this recipe has not seemed to make a big difference in the final product! So use the mix you have on hand.
Feed your kids (and picky husbands) these great cookies without an ounce of guilt! They are made with healthy fats, packed with nutrition and lots of fiber, and have great texture and taste! Yum! I think we'll make some more this weekend!!
Secret Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/4 cup heart-healthy margarine (I use Smart Balance)
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup zucchini, very finely grated or chopped with skin removed
1 egg
1 1/3 cups gluten free master baking mix (or all-purpose GF mix of your choice)
1/2 cup gluten free certified oatmeal
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Cream margarine and brown sugar. Add zucchini and the egg. Stir in master mix, oatmeal, flax seed meal, and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen secret chocolate chip cookies!
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