Hemp Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies might just be the single most universally loved dessert. Chewy, chocolatey, and definitely great for dunking in your morning coffee! 

The only thing that could make them better (short of more chocolate, of course), is making them healthier. 

I mean, sure, chocolate has health benefits, especially dark chocolate. But in classic chocolate chip cookie recipes, you tend to undermine that goodness with too much sugar, flour, and butter. 

We’re on a mission to make sure that everything you fuel your body with does it good. This goes past just flavor and mood. 

These hemp protein cookies are just what you need to satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising your good health. 

 

 

What more is there to hum about, with these hemp protein chocolate chip cookies? 

We know, we had you at “cookies.” But hear us out, there’s a LOT to love about these little lovelies. 

As you read through the ingredients list, below, you’ll notice a number of ingredients less commonly used for cookies. So why use them in our hemp protein cookies? 

Each one offers a considerable improvement over it’s “classic” ingredient cousin. Let’s dive in a little to see why these cookies come out on top. 

What is sprouted brown rice flour, and why use it? 

Sprouted brown rice flour is made from brown rice, specifically from sprouted grains. It’s gluten-free, sweeter, and less chewy than regular brown rice, and it’s actually more nutritious as well. 

“Sprouted” grains are simply grains soaked in warm water until they’ve just started to grow (i.e. “sprout” or germinate). Once grains sprout, they’ve got a lot of benefits, such as: 

  • Easier to digest (higher levels of lectins in grains are partially metabolized during sprouting)
  • The nutrients are more bioavailable (meaning they’re more readily absorbed by the body)
  • May produce even MORE vitamins and minerals during the process
  • Still offering a great source of fiber
  • May improve blood sugar levels 

So basically you’re still using whole grain flour for your cookies, but with better nutrition than traditional wheat flour! 

(Just keep in mind that this isn’t quite a 1:1 substitute. You’ll have to adjust your cooking to substitute it for wheat flour, in other recipes!) 

What are the benefits of hemp protein powder? 

Hemp protein powder provides considerable health benefits. This is why we love to sneak hemp protein in our desserts!

The benefits of hemp protein powder include: 

  • High amounts of antioxidants (to slow aging, repair damage, and boost your immune system)
  • Excellent source of plant-based protein (14g per serving; plant-based protein is easier to digest)
  • A complete protein that offers all 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids your body cannot build (perfect for muscle maintenance and repair)
  • 3g of healthy fats, through an ideal ratio of omega fatty acids. This is a trait all hemp products share! (These fats benefit heart, brain, digestive, and immune health, among other things!)

In short, hemp protein powder offers excellent nutrition and huge health benefits. Adding more hemp into your diet will be doing your body a favor! You can use it to make just about anything even more nutritious and good for you! 

 

 

What about the other less common ingredients? 

You may be wanting to make some substitutions to the recipe, but what are they? Are they healthy? Why are they in the recipe? Let’s look at why they’ve made the cut. 

Tapioca Flour

Tapioca is a starch with limited nutritional value, so the benefits are mostly physical in this case. But it’s an excellent gluten-free flour substitute and being a starch, it’s a great thickener. Think savory gravies, thicker soups, and a richer texture to your cookies! 

It also acts as a binding agent, so in this case, it replaces eggs to keep the dough well combined. 

Nutritionally speaking, tapioca is mostly carbs and little else. 

Coconut Sugar

Made from the sap of coconut palm trees, coconut sugar is a sugar source that even offers a few nutrients. 

Besides a little zinc, iron, and potassium, to name a few, it also has a low glycemic index. This means that it triggers insulin release less intensely than traditional cane sugars. This is great news for diabetics! 

Coconut Oil

Instead of calorie- and fat-dense butter, coconut oil makes a great baking substitute. What people tend to prefer about using this fat is that it is 100% plant-based. 

Coconut oil can improve cardiovascular health and reduce cholesterol, especially when used in place of butter and shortenings. 

Unsweetened Applesauce

Everyone knows that applesauce is healthy food. We all know what they say about an apple a day, after all! 

When used in baking, it can act as a sweetener if it’s sweetened applesauce. In this recipe, however, it acts as a moisture source to replace the missing eggs and help “bind” the dough. 

Sunflower Seed Butter

This mostly helps the dough be more “sticky” and not fall apart. It will add some flavor to the cookies, obviously, which is where swapping it for peanut or almond butters might be more to your taste! 

 

 

 

Hemp Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Dry Ingredients:

  • ¾ C Sprouted Brown Rice Flour
  • ½ C Hemp Protein Powder
  • ¼ C Tapioca Flour
  • ½ tsp Baking powder
  • ½ tsp Baking soda
  • ¼ tsp Salt

Wet Ingredients:

  • 2 T ground Chia seeds
  • ¼ C Hot water
  • ½ C softened/melted Coconut Oil
  • ½ C Sunflower Seed Butter (can use peanut butter or almond butter)
  • ½ C Unsweetened Applesauce
  • ¾ C Coconut Sugar
  • 2 T Vanilla Extract
  • ½ C Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips (Vegan or “regular”)

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Whisk dry ingredients together. 
  3. Add chia seeds to water, let stand for approx. 1 min.
  4. Combine Dry ingredients, chia seeds and Wet ingredients. Mix well. 
  5. Portion out cookies onto baking sheet. Makes approximately 24 cookies. Dough will be a bit “loose” compared to “normal” cookie dough.
  6. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the cookie center. 

Notes:

  • Since this dough is already a little looser than classic cookie dough, you might find it hard to mix in things like nuts or raisins.
  • Using dark chocolate over semi-sweet is definitely better for your health. Dark chocolate offers health benefits such as reducing cholesterol, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties! 
  • You might try swapping out some of the coconut sugar and use raw honey as a sweetener instead. Raw honey has tons of benefits, such as helping the immune system and providing clean energy! Or simply drizzle some on top of the finished cookies and sprinkle with hemp hearts to add more pizzazz! 

 

 

Looking for even more desserts with hemp goodness? 

Check out the recipes below for even more ways to add hemp products to your family’s desserts. Making sweet treats healthier is never a bad thing! 

Your family deserves desserts, but they deserve great health even more. Stock your healthier baking cabinet with hemp products on our website, on Amazon, or by finding them in a grocery store near you! 

Show us your cookies on Instagram by tagging with @humminghemp or #humminghemp! There’s no better way to show your love than with sweets…except with healthier ones! 

 

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