This “Less Naughty” One-Pan Cookie is the ultimate weekend treat when dieting for fat loss, or a perfect muscle building dessert. Proven to jack-up testosterone levels with just one bite 😉 Or increase sex drive with just one spoon of its gooey centre…
Gluten and grain free, no added refined sugars, and a top-notch mix of nutrients and healthy fats; what more do you want from a cookie!? Oh yeah, taste! Well this cookie has that covered too. You’ve been warned however, it’s EXTREMELY moreish! And because of the high amount of healthy fats it does contain quite a few calories. It’s a million times healthier than that high sugar processed cookie rubbish, but you will need to watch your portion sizes with this one. The challenge is to have just one serving size and not go back for seconds immediately, especially when it’s still warm and gooey. That’s hard to resist.
Per serving: 332kcal, 10.6g carbs, 29g fat, 6.4g protein
The star ingredients here are almond flour, grass fed butter, nut butter and natural honey (skip this next bit of you don’t want to know the why’s, and head straight to the recipe, otherwise read-on).
Why is honey an acceptable source of natural sugars? Whoever says “sugar is just sugar” clearly needs to understand about sugars a little more. Let’s just say that unlike the processed white (or brown) stuff you think as sugar, honey actually contains some things that can be hugely beneficial for your health and waistline. It’s what we mean when we talk about nutrient density. Processed sugar has no nutritional value whatsoever, versus say natural fruit sugars or honey. No, you don’t want to be drinking pints of the stuff, since high fructose isn’t all that good (half the sugars in honey come from fructose). But on top of the various nutrients honey contains (B vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, Antioxidant flavonoids), a number of studies have actually shown honey in small amounts to have a positive effect on your waistline. So a little quality honey could actually help you when it comes to sustainable dieting.
Why is Grass-Fed Butter a “Good Fat”? Grass-Fed Butter is significantly higher in vitamin K2 and Omega 3 fatty acids than dairy coming from grain fed cows. Vitamin K2 is fairly rare to find in a modern diet, yet its extremely essential. K2 helps to regulate where calcium ends up in the body, which as well as helping strengthen bones, ensures that you’re able to get in a good workout. Calcium is essential for muscle contraction. Another downside of the modern diet is the poor Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio (too many 6’s versus 3’s). In short, Omega 6’s can encourage inflammation in the body, while Omega 3’s are anti-inflammatory. So the more omega 3’s and better the ratio the lower your risk of inflammatory diseases (Cardiovascular disease etc.), better exercise recovery, as well as all of the positive effects the Omega 3’s (DHA, EPA) have on the body (brain and body composition). And by the way don’t worry about the saturated fats in Grass Fed Butter, they’re not the enemy. They will not contribute to increased LDL “Bad” cholesterol, and in fact the body needs a good mix of fats, including saturated.
Higher saturated fat in a diet has also been associated with higher testosterone levels in men, so great for building some muscle and strength.
INGREDIENTS (makes 8 Servings)
- 125g Grass Fed or Organic Unsalted Butter (e.g., Kerrygold)
- 150g Ground Almonds
- 60-75g (around 3-4 TBSP) Honey
- 2 TBSP Almond or Cashew Butter (smooth not crunchy)
- 1 TSP Baking Powder
- 1/2 TSP Ground Cinnamon (add more if you like)
- 1 Whole Egg, beaten
- Pinch of good Salt
- 50g of your favourite 70%+ Dark Chocolate, or sugar free Chocolate Chips.
METHOD
1. Preheat your oven to 180c/350f.
2. Place all of the dry ingredients in to a large mixing bowl, leaving out the chocolate.
3. In a pan on a low heat, melt together the Butter, Honey and Almond or Cashew Butter.
4. Mix the buttery-sweet mixture in with the dry ingredients.
5. Mix in the beaten egg.
6. Distribute the cookie dough in to an ovenproof pan of your choosing. You could also use an ovenproof dish or shallow cake tin. The cookie should be roughly 2cm thick.
7. Embed your chocolate chips or cut up chocolate in to the cookie dough.
8. Place in the top of the oven for around 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. This will produce a gooey texture inside. For a more firm cookie lower the temperature and cook a little longer.
9. Take out of the oven and leave for 5-10 minutes to firm up a little before serving with some creamy yogurt or favourite healthy ice cream.
10. This cookie stores really well in the fridge and makes a nice chewy cookie to have the next day, so no rush to eat it all at once 😉
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