Bet you didn’t expect to find BICCIES on a probiotic blog. It’s a school holiday miracle! Also… these are not your average biscuit. They’re loaded with gut friendly ingredients and sensible swaps. They honour the classic choc chip format while sashaying away from guilt, short term thinking and the myth that
healthy cannot be fun. Need we go on?

WHY WE LOVE THEM
Gut health is all about lifestyle (not a hardcore diet.)
Research shows that the microbiome is stable, not static. In the context of your health this translates to long-term bacterial balance being more so influenced by the small, healthy decisions we make daily! Including healthier versions of your favourite treats is an important part of embracing the kind of balance your microbiome loves.

They are high fibre + gluten free.
Minimising your exposure to one of the more common digestive aggravators is an inflammation win. We use some majorly fibre rich ingredients here too (did you know that fibre deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies around?) so gut health is at the forefront.

They champion nutrient dense ingredients.
You get the perks of wholefoods, with some serious treat vibes. Hemp seeds, walnuts, flax and almonds are all heavy lifters when it comes to microbiome health, while choc chips and coconut sugar are simply delicious.

They’re lower in sugar than the usual suspects.
Small swaps make a difference here. By opting for coconut sugar and sugar free choc chips over the more refined choices available you’re devouring less hidden sugars than a bought biscuit. This translates to approximately 10% naturally occurring sugars in these cookies, versus around 26% in processed
sugars for a Subway Cookie.

You can involve kids in the bake.
They’re pretty easy to make [the cookies, not the kids - pregancy is hard work!] They also have flavour approval from 3/3 of the boys in my household which means wholesome holiday activities, regulated bowels (thank you, flax) less sugar meltdowns [we appreciate you, cinnamon!] and a solid stash of bribes [well done, mum.]

They are metabolism friendly.
This may seem too good to be true - however cinnamon, coconut oil and flaxseeds have all been linked in improved metabolic function.

[Makes around 16 biscuits]

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• ½ cup of softened butter *add a pinch of salt to your dry ingredients if you use an unsalted butter.
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup of coconut sugar
• 2 3/4 cups of Almond Flax baking flour **We used the Red Tractor one blend, though you can probably
• pop together any 50/50 mix of ground flax and almond meal for this.
• ½ cup of hemp seeds
• ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1tspn vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar free choc chips ***we used a mix of white and milk Noshu choc chips, but opting for
• a high cacao chocolate is A-OK too

HOW TO MAKE THEM
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan forced) and grease + line a few baking trays.

Step 2: With a blender or hand mixer, cream together the butter, coconut oil and coconut sugar. Once done, add the eggs and vanilla essence, then whip up till light.

Step 3: Stir in your powders (almond/flax mix, baking powder + cinnamon) with a wooden spoon to form a dough then add the bits (choc chips, walnuts + hemp seeds) and mix evenly throughout.

Step 4: Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of the dough and roll into balls, then flatten into a cookie shape and pop onto your tray for baking. These babies don’t spread much if at all [I think because of the flax] so we fit 6 per tray easily.

Step 5: Bake for 12 mins or until golden brown and smelling AMAZING. This timing worked best for our size of cookies (AKA 1tbspn of dough) but if you’re dreaming of a biscuit the size of your own face [firstly, I SALUTE YOU] this may take a touch longer in the oven. Just keep an eye on the colour and smell
to suss out when that whopper might be ready. Allow to cool, then enjoy!

Written by: Jen Cox - AdvDip NAT + WHM. @keeperandkin