Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

This post is part of the SPLENDA® 365 SWEET SWAPS ™ blogger program by McNeil Nutritionals, LLC. and The Motherhood, who sent me products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

Everyone celebrates different holidays and everyone celebrates them differently, but one thing that just about everyone has in common this time of year is that there’s a whole lot of baking going on! From sugar cookies to pumpkin rolls, homemade fudge to popcorn balls, the whole last quarter of the year is chock full of baked goods.

I definitely have a sweet tooth so I love that about the holidays. Of course, there’s the social aspect, too- how do you turn down Great Aunt Ruth’s famous almond cookies after she’s stayed up all night baking them? &How many of your holiday memories revolve around food- there was that time the sweet potatoes were a mushy mess, the time you dared your cousin to eat a whole tray of peppermints in one sitting, and that time you ate so many Christmas cookies you made yourself sick.

I’m all about indulging this time of year, but I’m also about moderation. It’s harder to be mindful about your sugar intake this time of year with treats coming at you from every direction, so when I’m the one baking I tend to use Splenda No Calorie Sweetener to lower the sugar and calorie contents of my contributions to the dessert table! The taste is the same and it’s so easy to bake with because Splenda Granulated measures cup for cup like regular sugar. Sometimes baked goods will bake a little more quickly than traditional treats, but by just keeping an eye on it you can get the same delicious result with less calories and sugar!

This Christmas, I decided to try a new kind of cookie and made these Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are a delicious flavor combination and are perfect for cookie swaps or to leave out for Santa!

Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

-2 sticks of butter
-2 eggs
-1 C. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener {Granulated}
-1/2 C. packed brown sugar
-2 1/2 C flour
-1 1/4 tsp salt
-1 1/4 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp almond extract
-1/2 tsp imitation coconut extract
-1 1/2 C. semi sweet chocolate chips
-1/2 C. chocolate chips
-1/2 C coconut flakes
{Optional: Almonds}

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl sift together flour, salt and baking soda.
3. Cream butter and sugars in a large bowl. Add eggs and mix well after each one. Add extracts.
4. Slowly add flour mixture until well combined, then add chocolate chips and coconut flakes.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoons on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place into oven to bake. For best results, begin checking doneness at about 7 minutes, but they make take up to 10 minutes to bake. They are done when the edges turn golden brown.
6. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!

Splenda isn’t just for the holidays- you can use it in your cooking and baking year-round. In fact, this year, Splenda has been encouraging small, easy lifestyle changes that can lead up to big results over time, including of course switching out some of your sugar for Splenda. The average woman consumes over 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day- which is more than triple the recommended amount! By replacing some of that sugar with Splenda, you can help save calories all year long.

To learn more about making Sweet Swaps with Splenda, be sure to check out their Tumblr page! You can even submit your own recipe ideas here. Here’s to a sweet 2015!

Have you ever baked with Splenda?