If you’ve been looking for a healthier treat that packs in extra nutrition from fruits and veggies, look no further. This naturally pink chocolate chip cookie dough gets its gorgeous pink color from roasted beets + strawberries.
Beets are one of those foods that most people either love or hate. They can have a distinctive taste (ehem, my hubby thinks they taste like dirt), but you can minimize this by doing a few simple things: 1) make sure you peel the beets completely and 2) roast them with a dollop of coconut oil.
The roasting brings out the sweetness of the beet and removes a lot of the earthiness. Once roasted, they can be added in to so many things! (We love them in hummus, salads, tacos, etc.)
How to Make Naturally Pink Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
First, you roast the beet with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Then, add the strawberries, cooled roasted beet, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, organic strawberry jam (be sure to look for one without any high fructose corn syrup), and olive oil to a high powered blender — or a food processor will work. Blend until smooth. Then mix in your dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, sea salt, and chocolate chips to form the dough.
Put the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, then take it out and roll into 1.5 inch balls. The dough balls store really nicely in the freezer and you can grab one (or two!) whenever you want something sweet.
We’ve made these 3 times in as many weeks, and everyone absolutely loves them: Babycakes, her teachers, her friends, and even her beet-hating daddy. So if you don’t think you like beets, you should definitely try this recipe… and surprise yourself with how good they are!
Why Are Beets So Healthy?
Why beets? According to The World’s Healthiest Foods:
- Beets are a good source of folate and manganese — improving brain function.
- 1 beet has more potassium than a banana.
- The bright red pigment of beets, called betalains, provide anti-inflammatory and detoxification support of the body.
We also love beets because they aren’t expensive, are one of the sweetest vegetables, and are super versatile.
Naturally Pink Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Ingredients
- 1 medium beet
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 4 medium strawberries
- 1/3 cup jam, all-fruit
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, semisweet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut off the beet bulb and peel it. Your hands WILL get pink!
- Put the beet in a baking dish and top it with 1 tsp of coconut oil. Roast it in the oven for 45 minutes, then let it cool. You can speed up the cooling process by putting it in the fridge or even the freezer for a few minutes.
- Combine the roasted beet, the strawberries, the organic strawberry jam, the coconut sugar, olive oil, and the vanilla extract in a high powered blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add in the dry ingredients to the blended mixture: flour, sea salt, and chocolate chips. Stir until mixed completely.
- Put the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, then take it out and roll 1.5 inch balls.
- Enjoy! And store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, or the freezer for up to a month.