Chocolate Coconut Avocado Cookies

    I have to admit, I can be a skeptic when it comes to things like avocado cookies, chickpea cookie dough, etc. After reading a recipe, I do believe they'll taste fine, but in the back of my head I'm really thinking like "ok how can this taste nearly as good as the real thing and honestly whose the crazy person that first thought of making cookies out of avocados"..... And then I decide to experiment and make them anyways, because it's my only option for chocolate right now and I need chocolate......

    It turns out that these were actually pretty good. Really good actually. Plus they were really easy, which is great because generally these kinds of healthy alternative recipes can be quite extensive.

  Also I decided that a pinch of coarse sea salt on a baked good is the greatest thing in the world.

   These cookies are extremely fudgey and rich. They're more of the consistency of a brownie rather than a cookie, which is fiiiiiiine by me. Obviously, in terms of health they are much better for you than your average cookie because butter or oil is totally omitted, and a creamy ripe avocado is put in its place. (Don't say Ew) You, your friends, your kids or your family will never know....

      The recipe calls for 3/4 cup avocado flesh. I used one LARGE avocado and it was just about that. If you don't have a huge avocado available to you, odds are you might need one and a half. I'm sure you'll find good use for the remains :)

Also, the addition of coconut is not necessary, (if you are not me). I personally love the sweet shreds in there and basically I love coconut just as much as I love chocolate, so I have to incorporate it, but the cookies will be just fine without it!





The recipe makes about 18 cookies. Plenty to share.... or not. And store in the fridge!




Chocolate Coconut Avocado Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup mashed, ripe avocado (not browned though!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/4-1/3 cup coconut flakes
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp water
Coarse sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Beat together avocado and sugar until smooth, and add in the egg.
Mix in the cocoa powder, chocolate chips and coconut. Dissolve baking powder in water and add to the mix.
Place spoons of batter onto parchment lined baking sheet. Press down the cookies because they won't flatten much baking.  Top each cookie with a pinch of sea salt.
Bake in preheated oven approximately 10 minutes.

They're fine warm, but I think they're better after cooling and setting. Store in the fridge in airtight container.