Are you looking for a tasty yet healthy treat? High-fiber cookies might be the answer to your cravings. These cookies do more than satisfy your sweet tooth and support your gut health. High-fiber cookies are versatile and can fit seamlessly into our daily lifestyle with so many different recipes.
Why Choose High-Fiber Cookies?
High-fiber cookies offer a tasty way to boost your diet with essential nutrients. These cookies often include ingredients like oats and flaxseed, which add valuable nutrients. Oatmeal cookies, for example, provide more protein, fiber, and calcium than many other cookies. Eating high-fiber cookies regularly can help lower cholesterol levels and improve gut health.
Nutritional Benefits
When we think about high-fiber cookies, it’s key to keep calorie content in mind. A typical high-fiber chocolate chip cookie contains between 54 and 72 calories. For instance, two oatmeal cookies typically have about 1 gram of fiber.
Improved Digestive Health
Fiber is essential for a healthy gut. Fiber is a natural laxative, meaning it helps keep things moving in our digestive tract. Also, some cookies include chia seeds or semisweet chocolate chips, adding extra nutrients.
Heart Health
High fiber intake has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels.
Read also: High-Fiber Diet for Better Health
Understanding Fiber in Cookies
When we talk about fiber, it’s important to know how it affects our baking, especially cookies. Fiber comes in two main types: soluble and insoluble.
- Soluble Fiber: Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material and adds moisture and helps keep cookies soft. We often find this type of fiber in ingredients like oat bran, flaxseed, and chia seeds. Because of its high soluble fiber content, chia seeds can absorb up to 10-12 times their weight in water, becoming gel-like and expanding in your stomach.
- Insoluble Fiber: Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water. It adds bulk to our food and helps with digestion, preventing constipation. Whole wheat and almond flour are good sources of insoluble fiber.
Using fiber in cookies can improve both texture and taste. When we use oat bran or whole wheat, we get a heartier cookie texture. Adding flaxseed or chia seeds can not only increase the fiber content but also boost the nutritional value. Soluble fiber helps keep cookies moist. Insoluble fiber contributes to the chewiness of the cookies, adding a pleasant crunch.
Key Ingredients for High-Fiber Cookies
To create high-fiber cookies, incorporating the right ingredients is key.
- Whole Wheat Flour: This is a great base for high-fiber cookies. This flour contains around six times the fiber compared to white flour, boosting the nutritional profile of cookies significantly.
- Rolled Oats: I love the flavor and nutrition that oats add to these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, too!
- Ground Flaxseed: This tiny seed is an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Flaxseed provides 46 grams of fiber per cup of primarily insoluble fiber.
- Chia Seeds: At 40% fiber by weight, chia seeds are ounce by ounce, one of the best sources of fiber. One cup of chia seeds contributes 80 grams of fiber.
- Nuts and Dried Fruits: Adding nuts and dried fruits can enhance both the taste and nutritional value of our high-fiber cookies. Popular choices include almonds, walnuts, and pecans.
High-Fiber Cookie Recipes
We’ve got a bunch of tasty high-fiber cookie recipes to share, from classic chocolate chip to breakfast cookies.
Classic High-Fiber Chocolate Chip Cookies
The classic high-fiber chocolate chip cookie combines the deliciousness of chocolate with the health benefits of fiber. To make these, the recipe calls for ingredients like rolled oats, whole wheat flour, and ground flaxseed.
Read also: Delicious High-Fiber Smoothie Recipes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a medium bowl, beat softened butter and dark brown sugar on with a whisk or using an electric mixer. Then, add egg and vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, mix together rolled oats, white whole wheat flour, ground flax seed, baking powder and salt.
- Combine butter and brown sugar mixture with the oats and flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Line two baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop dough onto each baking sheet. Dough should make about 20 cookies, but you can make them bigger or smaller if you prefer. They don't spread very much on the cookie sheet so I prefer to shape into a cookie shape.
- Bake for about 8 minutes until top is slightly golden brown and then cool on a wire rack.
High-Fiber Breakfast Cookies
High-fiber cookies for breakfast are a great way to start the day. They usually include ingredients like oat bran, flaxseed meal, and whole wheat flour. For a morning boost, we can add dried fruits like cranberries or raisins.
Gluten-Free, Low-Fat, High-Fiber Cookies
This gluten-free, low-fat, high-fiber cookies recipe is chock full of both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Ingredients:
- Oat Bran
- Flaxseed
- Chia Seed
- Prunes
- Figs
- Orange Zest
- Orange Juice
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Water
- Baking Powder
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- If your flaxseed are whole, grind them. I have found a coffee grinder works best.
- Add flaxseed, chia seed, prunes, figs, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and water to a food processor process until smooth. You can just remove the seeds and add the whole orange after you zest the orange, but you may have a few bits of the orange membrane in your cookies. That doesn't bother me, but it is up to you.
- Toss oat bran with baking powder and add to the mixture.
- Pulse the food processor to just combine.
- Scoop batter and place on a silicone baking mat or parchment-lined cookie sheet. I use this 1 Tablespoon scoop and it works great.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I zap mine for 15-20 seconds before I enjoy them.
High Fiber Breakfast Cookies with California Prunes
Nourish your gut with our High Fiber Breakfast Cookies, crafted with ingredients known for their digestive benefits. Gluten-free and dairy-free, each cookie combines almond flour, rolled oats, walnuts, and apricots with California prune puree for a natural sweetness.
Ingredients:
- Almond flour
- Rolled oats
- Baking powder
- Salt
- California prune puree
- Walnuts
- Apricots
Instructions:
- Combine almond flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low speed until completely combined.
- Using a small scoop or tablespoon, portion the dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls.
- Place dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and press down to flatten into ¼ inch high discs.
High Fiber Cookies with Oats, Chia Seeds, and Almonds
These high-fiber cookies are addictively tasty, perfectly chewy, and packed with fiber! They feature oats, chia seeds, sliced almonds, and chocolate chips. This high fiber cookie recipe is basically an oatmeal cookie, but instead of flour it's made with flax meal and oat flour.
Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar & brown sugar
- Egg + yolk
- Flax meal
- Oat flour
- Rolled oats
- Chia seeds
- Sliced almonds
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until lighter in color and fluffy in texture, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and yolk to the butter mixture. Beat until fully incorporated.
- Add the flax meal, oat flour, baking soda and salt to the butter mixture. Beat until thoroughly mixed into the butter.
- Add the rolled oats, chia seeds, sliced almonds, and chocolate chips. With a small portion scoop, scoop 8 cookies onto each prepared sheet pan. For larger cookies, use a large portion scoop and scoop 5 cookies onto each sheet pan (like in the picture).
- Bake small/medium cookies for 12 minutes or large cookies for 15 minutes. The edges should look golden brown, but the center of the cookies should look slightly underbaked!
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 5 minutes before you move them!
Prune Chocolate Chip Cookies
To make the Prune Puree:
Read also: Explore the pros and cons of a high metabolism diet
Combine the prunes and water in a blender. Pulse to combine, then blend until smooth, pourable consistency forms, scraping the sides if necessary. Store the purée in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks
To make the Cookies:
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Prune puree
- Egg
- Vanilla bean paste
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Oats
- Chopped California Prunes
- Dark chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone silpats. Measure out 1/4 cup of the dark chocolate chips and set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter until the sugar has been absorbed and the texture is light and fluffy.
- Add the prune puree and continue mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed.
- Add the egg and vanilla bean paste, then mix until incorporated.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl, mixing on low, long enough to incorporate.
- Add the oats to the mixer bowl and mix on low until everything is evenly distributed.
- Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the chopped California Prunes and the remaining 1/2 cups of dark chocolate chips.
- With a small cookie scoop, a spoon, or just your hands, form the dough into balls, using 2 tablespoons of the dough per cookie. Then, arrange them on the prepared baking sheets a few inches apart.
- Press the dough down with the bottom of a drinking glass greased with baking spray to create a more uniform look among the cookies. The batter won’t spread much as it bakes, which is fine if you are making just the cookies, but if you are making the Real California Frozen Greek Yogurt Cookie Sandwiches, it is important to flatten them out so that they are all uniform in size and shape. If the cookie dough sticks to the bottom of the glass, use a thin knife or bench scraper to separate them.
- Place a couple of the 1/4 cup of reserved dark chocolate chunks on top of each cookie and press in gently.
- Bake for 12 minutes, until cooked through and starting to brown around the edges. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the pan then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for Baking High-Fiber Cookies
When mixing the dough, start by creaming the butter and sugars together until they are light and fluffy. This usually takes about 3 minutes with a stand mixer. Next, incorporate the dry ingredients. It’s best to mix the flours, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl first. The dough might be thick and sticky, so scraping the sides of the bowl as we go helps ensure everything combines evenly.
Preheating the oven to 350°F is a must before baking. This ensures that the cookies bake evenly from the start. Cookie size affects bake time. For normal-sized cookies, baking for about 10-12 minutes usually works well. For softer cookies, remove them slightly under-baked. If you prefer them crispier, let them bake a minute or two longer.
Store-Bought High-Fiber Cookies
When it comes to store-bought high-fiber cookies, it’s all about finding options that satisfy your sweet tooth while providing nutritional benefits. Many store-bought breakfast cookies boast added vitamins and minerals. High protein, high-fiber cookies are great for those who want a more balanced snack. They combine protein and fiber to help us stay full longer and maintain our energy levels.
Here are some store-bought high-fiber, and high-protein high-fiber cookies:
| Flavor Chosen | Serving Size | Fiber | Protein | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Emmy’s Organics | Organic Chocolate Chip | 1 cookie | 2 gm | 1 gm |
| 2. MadeGood Cookies | Snickerdoodle | 4 cookies | 2 gm | 1 gm |
| 3. The Greater Goods Snacking Co. Grain-Free Cookies | Chai Spice | 2 cookies | 2 gm | 4 gm |
| 4. HighKey Sugar Free Mini Cookies | Double Chocolate Brownie | 7 cookies | 2 gm | 5 gm |
| 5. Hu No Added Sugar Cookies | Chocolate Chip | 7 cookies | 3 gm | 1 gm |
| 6. Digest Gold, Fiber+ Cookies | Harvest Oat | 2 cookies | 5 gm | 1 gm |
| 7. Catalina Crunch Sandwich Cookies | Chocolate Vanilla | 2 cookies | 3 gm | 4 gm |
| 8. Lenny & Larry’s The Complete Cookie | White Chocolaty Macadamia | 1 cookie | 10 gm | 16 gm |