Whole Wheat Sourdough Discard Trail Mix Cookies

I have never been a huge sweets person and if I do have a sweet treat, I’m usually very picky. I’ve never liked candy (especially the fruity kind), extremely sweet cakes, frosting, or anything that makes your jaw ache a bit from being SO sweet. I’m also a girl that loves texture so things like soft cakes, sponges, puddings, or anything of that nature are not usually my jam either. BUT, if it involves chocolate (especially dark chocolate), something with a good crunch, and a salty-sweet combo? I’m all in. Every year my birthday cake is a dark chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and of course something crunchy like chopped peanuts or chocolate chips on top – Now that’s what I call dessert. I’m also a sucker for a chocolatey brownie (especially if it’s a corner piece with a nice crunchy rim), any type of pie as long as it has a nice crispy crust, and of course I love a cookie. Cookies are actually my favorite dessert considering they have everything I love combined into a dough of goodness. They should have a nice golden, crispy outside but a gooey center that’s filled with dark chocolate and I’m a huge fan of nuts in my cookies. Which is of course why one of my first discard recipes HAD to be a cookie recipe. And obviously it’s my dream cookie. Not too sweet, crispy yet gooey and fluffy, and filled with all my favorite things (i.e. dark chocolate, nuts, fruit, and oats).

The first time I tried a sourdough cookie recipe when I started my sourdough journey, I was awe-struck. They were the fluffiest, gooiest cookies I have ever eaten and it had an incredible golden brown bottom. The thing I loved the most? It wasn’t too sweet. You can actually taste the flavor of the dough rather than getting punched in the mouth with a wave of sweetness that overpowers everything else. With the fermentation process, the bacteria from your starter helps break down some of those sugars and releases gases and acid to give it this incredible doughy, slightly tangy flavor and the fluffiest texture I’ve ever seen in a cookie. I honestly haven’t gone back to regular cookies ever since. After experimenting and feeling confident to go off on my own, I have been working for weeks to perfect my version of a dream cookie. And I am so proud and excited to say, she is perfected, and she is so worth the effort.

As with my non-sourdough recipes, my goal is to make the healthiest, most nourishing version of foods without sacrificing flavor or enjoyment. Our bodies work so hard to keep us alive and functioning day-in and day-out, the least we can do is nourish it with foods that help it thrive and flourish. And in the same vein, food is such an incredible creation that can bring joy, memories, and goodness into our lives. Why pick one over the other? Why not make foods out of whole, nourishing ingredients and highlight the natural beauty and flavor within these foods? The world is filled with natural ingredients that taste amazing all on their own and it’s my goal to emphasize this in my recipes. I truly believe that healthy food can taste so incredible, and these cookies are proof of that. This is a cookie made with whole wheat flour and oats which are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and tons of micronutrients. It then uses a lot less sugar than other cookie recipes and uses a sugar that comes from a coconut palm tree. It uses less butter, but still uses butter both because it makes the best baked goods and science has slowly been showing that the fat in butter isn’t as bad as we once thought and butter is a natural product rather than a synthetically processed oil. It then has nuts, dried fruit, and dark chocolate not only for texture and flavor, but also because these ingredients are packed with macro- and micronutrients to help boost the nutritional value of the cookie. All of these tweaks in this recipe are small changes that can be made throughout your cooking and baking to boost the nutritional value of your foods. And I will tell you right now, these swaps do not sacrifice the flavor of your food. These cookies are proof enough and you might even dare to join me in saying that they actually taste better with these ingredients. Although these swaps can help boost the nutritional value of something like a cookie, it is important to say that these are still cookies and are meant to be enjoyed as a sweet treat rather than a source of major nutrients in your diet. A healthy, lifelong lifestyle is about balance and moderation with all foods and creating healthy eating habits that bring you joy, satisfaction, and nourishment.

Nutrition Facts:

• Whole wheat flour is a type of flour that is made from wheat berries like all-purpose flour, but the main difference between whole wheat and all-purpose flour is that whole wheat flour is made from the entire wheat kernel whereas all-purpose flour is refined and strips the wheat berry. An entire wheat kernel is made up of bran, germ, and endosperm where the bran and germ are the parts that contain tons of micronutrients and fiber. Since whole wheat flour uses the entire kernel, it is very high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. All-purpose flour strips the bran and germ from the wheat berries and is then only made with the endosperm of the wheat which does not contain nearly as much micronutrients but creates a lighter, softer textured flour. While both flours have their place in the baking world, swapping to whole wheat flour where reasonable can help boost the nutritional value of the foods being made. Although whole wheat flour can be harder to work with because it is much coarser, dryer, and can be denser, that doesn’t mean you can’t make amazing things with it. Things to consider when baking with whole wheat flour are things like hydration to help balance out the dryness of the flour and help improve the texture.
• Coconut sugar is a type of granulated sugar that is made from the sap of a coconut palm tree. It is said to be a “healthier” alternative to regular sugar due to containing trace amounts of minerals and having a lower glycemic index (it doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels as much). Whereas regular sugar contains virtually no nutritional value and has quite a high glycemic index. It is important to note that coconut sugar is still sugar and the little amounts you would consume in a baked good would not provide your body a ton of nutrients so it’s good to think of it as a swap for regular table sugar. If you prefer a sugar that is less sweet in flavor and provides a deeper, rich flavor (similar to brown sugar) then this could be a great option for you in baked goods.

Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter (softened)
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 1 egg (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ½ cup sourdough discard
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine the softened butter and coconut sugar on low speed until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the egg and combine on low speed until all the egg is incorporated.
4. Add the vanilla, almond extract, and sourdough discard and mix on low to medium speed until smooth.
5. Add half of the dry ingredients to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on low to medium speed until all dry ingredients have been incorporated.
6. Add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix on low to medium speed until all ingredients are well combined. Be sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides to make sure all ingredients are incorporated into the dough.
7. Add the walnuts, raisins, and chocolate chips to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on low just until they are combined into the dough. Avoid over mixing as this can cause the nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips to break down.
8. Cover the bowl with the dough tightly with plastic wrap then ferment in the fridge for up to 12 hours. I recommend doing the full 12 hours for the fluffiest cookie!
9. When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
10. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion out the dough into 12 equal cookies. Roll the dough into balls then slightly flatten with your hands. Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet with at least an inch of space between each cookie.
11. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes until they are slightly golden on the bottom and puffed up.
12. Let cookies cool on pan for 5 minutes, then place cookies immediately onto a drying rack to cool completely. 
13. Enjoy!