Meet The Protein-Packed Chocolate Chip Cookie You Can Eat For Breakfast

In a dream world, I’d eat chocolate chip cookies for breakfast every day. And admittedly, there have been many a day when I’ve been in such a rush getting the kids out the door to school or camp that yesterday’s batch of cookies have had to suffice for today’s "fresh" start. That’s why I created a recipe for cookies that I can feel a little less guilty grabbing and going.

Instead of white flour, I used chickpea or garbanzo flour, which makes the cookies not only gluten-free but adds protein (double the protein of whole-wheat flour), folate and vitamin B-6, iron and potassium. I also use lots of old-fashioned rolled oats, which are rich in both cholesterol-lowering soluble and digestion-aiding insoluble fiber. The sweetness comes from maple syrup, which is less processed and has trace amounts of minerals and phenols, which are believed to have anti-inflammatory properties. Last, I swapped coconut oil for butter. Coconut oil has a higher percentage of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and lauric acid, which some studies suggest can boost your "good" HDL cholesterol levels. (MCT oil is touted by some for its metabolism-boosting effects.) Result: a cookie that’s delicious but chock-full of good-for-you ingredients.

Makes 24 cookies

*You can also freeze the cookie dough by shaping it into a log and covering it tightly with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Slice 2-inch frozen cookie rounds off as needed, placing frozen dough rounds on a baking sheet. Bake in oven at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.