I cannot take all the credit for this Lemon + Chia Cookies recipe. This is one that I have modified upping the goodness factor and making more gut friendly. The orginal recipe can be found on The Healthy Mummy.
So often in the past I would ‘treat’ myself to a biscuit with a cuppa. That treat however was not a treat at all. Biscuits made with wheat, trans fats and loaded with sugar was not a treat for my body at all. Sure my soul loved the feeling of dunking that biscuit into my cup but afterwards the body did not feel the same uplifting feeling.
It has taken me a quite sometime, years in fact, to realise that what I once considered a treat was not a treat at all.
Treats like these Lemon + Chia Cookies still bring such joy to my soul but also come packed with joy for my body.
These Lemon + Chia Cookies really are a bit of a powerhouse for the gut. Not only do they contain foods that help lower inflammation, they are packed with fibre, help build our gut microbiome and stimulate our digestion. Oh and did I also mention they are super tasty!
Our gut, our digestive system, really is the centre to our health. Not just our physical health. Our mood is very much affected by what is happening in our digestive system.
The neurotransmitters that affect our happiness, our motivation, our feelings of love, our concentration, our ability to calm ourselves and our pleasure, need our gut health to be strong and healthy to be able to function at their best. When these neurotransmitters can function at their best, so can we.
When we have a strong + robust digestive system it allows our body to use the nutrients from our foods to make these neurotransmitters. Our large intestines actually produce a hefty majority of these neurotransmitters before sending them up to our brain to work their magic. If there is inflammation along our digestive tract this can stop these wonderful hormones being made.
So what’s in these Lemon + Chia Cookies that is so impressive for our gut. Honestly all the ingredients, that’s why I love these so much!
Chia seeds are high in plant based Omega-3’s which are our anti-inflammatory fats. They pack a hefty punch of fibre, which is mainly soluable feeding our good bacteria and allowing them to make Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA’s) which are needed for those neurotransmitters. Chia seeds also have that gluey texture which is mucilage. We want our whole digestive tract to be lined with this to allow it to work at it’s best.
Lemon is a digestive stimulant due to its bitter taste profile. When this bitterness hit our tongues, it signals to our digestive system to start producing the digestive enzymes and acid needed to breakdown our food and extract all those nutrients to deliver them around the body.
Butter or Coconut Oil. These can be used interchangeably for those who are diary intolerant. Both of these fats are used by our gut bacteria to produce those SCFA’s and also to make energy to power the body!
Buckwheat flour whilst has wheat in it’s title is actually a seed. Buckwheat is anti-inflammatory on the walls of the digestive system.
Raw honey is a wonderful alternative to sugar. It is packed with anti-oxidants and has antibacterial and antifungal benefits meaning if we do have any nasty’s through our digestive tract, this can help clean them out.
Keeping it simple these Lemon + Chia Cookies use just 5 ingredients, have a wonderful crunchy outside and a chewy centre – particularly if you make it with the coconut oil, which I think is my favourite.
What Do I Need?
- Rind of a Lemon, zested
- 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon of Water
- 2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds
- 115 grams of Coconut Oil (solid) or Butter (room temp)
- 3-4 Tablespoons of Raw Honey (can sub Maple Syrup)
- 1 cup of Buckwheat Flour
Let’s Do This!
1. Line two oven trays with baking paper. Soak the chia seeds in the water and lemon juice for 15 minutes.
2. Beat together the coconut oil or butter and honey together until slightly creamed. Add chia seed mix and combine.
3. Add in flour and mix to form a soft dough.
4. Roll your dough into a sausage shape and slice into 12 discs. Place on the baking trays with a little room between.
5. Use a fork to slightly flatten each ball. Place in fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. Preheat oven to 180C.
6. Remove from fridge and bake for 15 minutes then reduce oven to 100C and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until cookies are lightly golden and slightly firm on top. The coconut oil cookies will cook a little quicker.
7. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the trays before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.
Makes 12
This recipe is gluten, dairy + nut free and can be made vegan.