I've had this chocolate chip cookie recipe from Food Network saved on my "to make" list for a long time now, but then I fell in love with the salty chocolate chunk cookies and all other cookies kind of fell by the wayside, at least where chocolate chips were involved. 
But then I found myself craving cookies on a Sunday afternoon, on a weekend when I'd already done my fair share of indulging. For some the solution might be to avoid baking altogether, but that clearly wasn't an option for me. Instead, I decided to at least justify my cookie baking by making a healthier chocolate chip cookie. 
These disappeared with alarming speed. I'm pretty sure no matter how "healthy" cookies are, you still aren't supposed to eat an entire batch in three days. For once it was Ryan, not me, who went crazy on the sweets in the house and I only snuck a few before they were all gone. So I set out to make them again. Except this time I decided to make them a bit healthier, reducing more of the butter and sugar and using all whole wheat flour instead of a mixture. [Note--the pictures on the red plate are version #1. More butter & sugar = flatter cookies. The blue plate pictures are version #2...pudgy little guys, but still soft and chewy!]
Don't get me wrong, these are still cookies. And to be honest, they don't taste the least bit healthy. But I feel a little better knowing the baked goods in the house are at least full of oats, flax, and whole wheat flour! They're still soft and chewy, but have an extra heartiness that most cookies lack. It's hard to believe the original recipe called for an extra cup of sugar over what I included because they're plenty sweet! Give them a try!

One Year Ago: Butternut Squash, Black Bean, and Feta Quesadillas
Two Years Ago: Cheeseburgers with Red Onion Jam
Three Years Ago: Bookworm (Yellow Cake) Cupcakes

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies [with Oatmeal, Flax, and Whole Wheat Flour!]
adapted from Food Network
*makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (use 1 cup all purpose for version #1)
-1 cup old-fashioned oats
-1/4 cup ground flaxseed
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (add 2 tbsp butter for version #1)
-1/4 cup granulated sugar (add another 1/4 cup sugar for version #1)
-1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
-2 large eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Whisk the flours, oats, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the butter with the sugars for 4 minutes or until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.