It's always pretty easy to stick to a healthy diet on your own, but the real challenge is when everyone around you is not helping at all!! My kids wanted gluten free cake pops this weekend, we did them together and boy they were so unhealthy! with all the icing and sugar, and I was on my last detox day starting to reintroduce things slowly.
But honestly they were very tempting, I have been eating sugar more than usual lately, I always feel so grumpy and tired after having sugar, and I I was craving it more than usual and felt like I needed to cleanse to stop those cravings, that's why I was detoxing!
I stood there thinking how I can avoid eating from those cake pops, so I thought it is been a while since I did any healthy desserts for myself, and I googled some paleo date cookies and made myself a batch!
They were so delicious I didn't even look back at those cake pops! I always remind my self and my clients that eating healthy is not about depriving ourselves of everything that we love, rather it’s about finding healthier alternatives to satisfy our cravings! and I assure you those cookies will satisfy your sweet cravings and keep the sugary cookies and cakes out of the house.
WALNUT DATE COOKIES
Inspired from www.detoxinista.com
1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves 1 cup medjool dates, pitted (about 12) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax or chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water) 1 tbsp. raw cocoa
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
process the dates and walnuts together until a crumbly texture is formed. Add in the salt, baking soda, vanilla, and flax egg (see how to make a flax egg here) and process again until the batter is relatively smooth, a little stickier than traditional cookie dough.
Spoon the batter onto a lined baking sheet, and use your hands to gently flatten the cookie dough. (Tip: Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking!) Bake at 350F for 12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve immediately, and store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer for best shelf life. These cookies should last a week in the fridge, and a month or more in the freezer.
The first batch I made came about un even because I didn't shape them with my hand, they did have a nice crumbly texture, but I preferred my second batch that was smoother and more even! we didn't even have time to picture that one :)
