What’s a gal to do if she’s watching her carb intake, her overall diet, her overall lifestyle…and she wants to eat a cookie…and there are no cookies at the store for her to eat?

She creates a cookie.  In this case, Coconut Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies

Since beginning my low-carb diet in August, I feel better.  I eat better, I exercise.  I am down a substantial amount of weight, and I like where I’m headed.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t still want cookies.

A lot of cookies.

But what this diet – or rather now – lifestyle change – has done for me is to make me conscious.  I am keenly aware of everything I eat, and I analyze the benefits before I take a bite.  Heck, I am flabbergasted that this past week in Las Vegas I have been able to walk past confections and pizza and pasta and all of the temptations, and head back to my room to eat my salad.

I could do this because I knew I had my cookies with me.

Low Carb Coconut Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies.

Yes, I made them, then boxed them up to bring with me.  I knew I would have to reward myself for giving up on those pastries over at Caesar’s Palace.  I knew I would need to breeze by those huge slices of cheesy pizza at Cosmo.  No, I didn’t HAVE to, and I do still treat myself from time to time…but again, I weigh the pros and cons.

I’m such a good girl these days.  Who knew?

You may have seen the other Low Carb recipes I have been posting here.  I’m having a great time experimenting with ingredients that are a little different for me, and the results are really top notch.  So when I was approached by California Raisins to make a cookie recipe, I knew I wanted to put my own personal spin on it.

So research came first.

Raisins are healthy.  We know this! There’s heart healthy attributes, even healthy mouth attributes.  Plus they are naturally sweet, so playing with raisins in a cookie has got to be tasty.  However, for me, the struggle was trying to keep the carb count down.  Raisins, as they are fruit, have a high carb count.  But I didn’t worry too much – again – they are healthy.  And in the end, I was able to create an incredible HEALTHY cookie that so many people have loved, and never once said – this tastes like a diet cookie.

The Coconut Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies came about when I decided to twist an Oatmeal Raisin cookie into something that would be low carb and delicious.  Oatmeal is a no no in the low carb realm.  So…unsweetened coconut stepped in to save the day.  It added an amazing texture, and the flavor?  So, so good.  The addition of sugar free chocolate chips and pecans just boosted the cookie to a level I didn’t anticipate.

I hope you’ll give them a try!

Low Carb Coconut Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies

• makes 36
• Net Carbs each – 5g

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup California Raisins
• 1/2 cup rum
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons Truvia Baking Blend
• 1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, firmly packed
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Chips
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or SilPat.  Set aside.
2. Soak raisins in rum and orange juice for 30 minutes or more.
3. Whisk together almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter with the Truvia and Splenda until creamy.  bet in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients that were combined earlier, as well as the coconut, being careful not to over mix.
6. Stir in the  drained raisins, chocolate chips and pecan pieces by hand.  Allow to chill for 30 minutes or more.
7. Scoop batter onto prepared cookie sheet.  Cookies do not have a large spread.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.  Cookies will continue to cook once removed from oven.  Allow to cool 5 minutes, then remove to cool completely.  Repeat baking with remaining batter.

Sadly, I was alone in Vegas as I wrote this, and I gave my last two cookies to the lovely Brooke from Cheeky Kitchen.  Hopefully, she knows how much I must love her, parting with my treasures like that.

I’d really like those cookies back.

For more about California Raisins:

· California Raisins are an all-natural, dried-by-the-sun fruit you can feel good about feeding your family – especially during the holidays. The ingredient list says it all: Raisins.

· California Raisins come by their sweetness naturally. With California Raisins, the nutrition label tells a great story: Zero fat, no cholesterol and no added sugar. Plus, raisins offer 9% of your daily fiber and potassium, and 6% of your daily iron. (per quarter cup serving)

 

· Convenient and portable, California Raisins are a great choice for wholesome, healthy, on-the-go snacking or for adding extra nutrition into your meals. They are a great value, too! According to the USDA, raisins are the most economical dried fruit.

 

· For more information about all-natural, no-sugar added California raisins and for recipe inspiration, please visit www.loveyourraisins.com, or get social with us at www.facebook.com/californiaraisins, www.pinterest.com/calraisins, or www.twitter.com/caraisins.

Disclaimer:  This post was sponsored by California Raisins.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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