Recipes That Recreate Your Favorite Girl Scout Cookies—Only Healthier!
| 4 min read
It can be close to impossible to resist the siren call of Girl Scout cookies. But if you’re trying to cut down on high-sugar processed foods, you might not want to have boxes of the sweet treats around your house. Why not get your cookie fix by making your own healthier versions of your favorite varieties?
If you love Thin Mints…
Recipe from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon almond flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
For chocolate coating:
1/2 cup dark chocolate
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, arrowroot flour, cocoa powder, egg, butter, vanilla, peppermint extract, salt and maple syrup or honey. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes. Once dough is chilled, place it on the counter with a second sheet of parchment paper over it and roll it out to about 1/8-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter or bottom of glass to cut the cookies into round shapes and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy. Remove cookies from oven and let cool completely. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in top of a double boiler and stir in peppermint extract. Dip cookies into melted chocolate and place on parchment paper-lined cooking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is set and store in freezer.
Nutritional information per cookie (makes 12 cookies): 172 calories, 13.5g fat, 5.7g saturated fat, 23.6mg sodium, 13.1g carbohydrates, 3.2g protein, 8.0g sugar
Recipe from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon almond flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
For chocolate coating:
1/2 cup dark chocolate
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, arrowroot flour, cocoa powder, egg, butter, vanilla, peppermint extract, salt and maple syrup or honey. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes. Once dough is chilled, place it on the counter with a second sheet of parchment paper over it and roll it out to about 1/8-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter or bottom of glass to cut the cookies into round shapes and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy. Remove cookies from oven and let cool completely. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in top of a double boiler and stir in peppermint extract. Dip cookies into melted chocolate and place on parchment paper-lined cooking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is set and store in freezer.
Nutritional information per cookie (makes 12 cookies): 172 calories, 13.5g fat, 5.7g saturated fat, 23.6mg sodium, 13.1g carbohydrates, 3.2g protein, 8.0g sugar
If you love Tagalongs…
Recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie
1 cup almond flour
Heaping 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1½ tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Up to 2 teaspoons milk or extra oil, as needed
6 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl combine maple syrup, coconut or vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir well until clumps are broken up (add up to 2 teaspoons of milk or oil if mixture is dry). Once combined, form mixture into ball with your hands. Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper and cut into rounds with a cookie cutter or rim of a glass. Place on greased cookie sheet and freeze for 20 minutes. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Spread about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter on each cookie. Place them on a wire cooling rack that has parchment paper underneath it. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Either spread the melted chocolate on the cookies or dip the cookies upside down into the melted chocolate. Chill cookies for a few minutes or until the chocolate hardens.
Nutritional information per cookie (makes 18 cookies): 127 calories, 9.0g fat, 3.2g saturated fat, 52.4mg sodium, 10.9g carbohydrates, 2.7g protein, 7.9g sugar
Recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie
1 cup almond flour
Heaping 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1½ tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Up to 2 teaspoons milk or extra oil, as needed
6 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl combine maple syrup, coconut or vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir well until clumps are broken up (add up to 2 teaspoons of milk or oil if mixture is dry). Once combined, form mixture into ball with your hands. Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper and cut into rounds with a cookie cutter or rim of a glass. Place on greased cookie sheet and freeze for 20 minutes. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Spread about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter on each cookie. Place them on a wire cooling rack that has parchment paper underneath it. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Either spread the melted chocolate on the cookies or dip the cookies upside down into the melted chocolate. Chill cookies for a few minutes or until the chocolate hardens.
Nutritional information per cookie (makes 18 cookies): 127 calories, 9.0g fat, 3.2g saturated fat, 52.4mg sodium, 10.9g carbohydrates, 2.7g protein, 7.9g sugar
If you love Samoas…
Recipe from Eating Bird Food
⅔ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (divided)
1 cup pitted dates (about 12)
½ tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon mini dark chocolate pieces (divided)
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast the coconut in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until it’s light brown (watch carefully so it doesn’t overcook). In a food processor, combine dates, almond butter, ⅓ cup toasted coconut, ½ tablespoon mini chocolate chips, salt and vanilla. Process until mixture resembles a ball of dough. Place dough in a bowl and use hands to mix in remaining chocolate. Roll dough into 12 balls (each ball takes about 1½ teaspoons of the dough) and roll each ball in remaining coconut. Store the balls in your refrigerator until ready to eat.
Nutritional information per ball (makes 12 balls): 60 calories, 3.8g fat, 3.0g saturated fat, 26.2mg sodium, 7.3g carbohydrates, 0.6g protein, 5.8g sugar
Recipe from Eating Bird Food
⅔ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (divided)
1 cup pitted dates (about 12)
½ tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon mini dark chocolate pieces (divided)
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast the coconut in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until it’s light brown (watch carefully so it doesn’t overcook). In a food processor, combine dates, almond butter, ⅓ cup toasted coconut, ½ tablespoon mini chocolate chips, salt and vanilla. Process until mixture resembles a ball of dough. Place dough in a bowl and use hands to mix in remaining chocolate. Roll dough into 12 balls (each ball takes about 1½ teaspoons of the dough) and roll each ball in remaining coconut. Store the balls in your refrigerator until ready to eat.
Nutritional information per ball (makes 12 balls): 60 calories, 3.8g fat, 3.0g saturated fat, 26.2mg sodium, 7.3g carbohydrates, 0.6g protein, 5.8g sugar
If you’re interested in even more healthy cookie recipes, check out these other blogs:
Are you trying to cook healthier recipes? Make that goal a reality by heading over to #HealthyMe, a personalized web experience based on your health and wellness goals. To sign up today, visit https://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/healthyme.
Photo credit: Katie
