A friend of mine recently decided to undertake the low FODMAP diet to control her IBS symptoms. Like most of you undertaking this diet will know it can be very challenging initially. After her first grocery shopping experience she told me she could not possibly do it if she could not have cookies. So I decided to bake her some cookies to make the diet a tad more tolerable. I’m sharing the recipe with you too, because we all can use a cookie every now and then. These are also a healthier version lower in fat & saturated fats and lower in sugar content. Furthermore they are vegan! Limit to 2 cookies at a time as larger intake are higher in FODMAPs.

Chocolate hazelnut cookies (makes about 10 small cookies)

Ingredients:

• 2 cup rolled oats (use gluten free oats if you suffer from coeliac disease)
• 10g ground almonds (almond meal)
• 30g cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp xantham gum
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 35g dark chocolate chips
• 60g vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup brown rice syrup
• 2 1/2 tbsp fluid – lactose free milk or a dairy free alternative such as almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla paste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Grind the oats into flour using a blender or food processor.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
4. Add the wet ingredients and combine until you form a wet dough.
5. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
6. Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions and roll into balls. Flatten the balls and mould into a cookie shape.
7. Bake for 12 minutes.
8. Optional: Dip the cookies into melted dark chocolate.