No but seriously, when I was little I used to get in trouble for sneaking copious amounts of cookie dough straight from the freezer. I always liked the dough better than the actual cookie itself, and I guess some things never change, because here we are.
Except for they did, because if you know me then you know I’m all about recipes that taste good and make you FEEL good too. Not just like nostalgic-feel-good, but when you feel good on a physical, mental, emotional level because you nourished yourself with real, nutrient-dense ingredients your body and brain can actually process and use to thrive.
So that’s what I set out to do with these gut-friendly chocolate chip cookie dough balls, and let’s just say they deliver on all fronts.
Not only did I remove the traditional inflammatory ingredients like gluten, grains, dairy, refined-sugar and eggs, but I snuck in prebiotic fiber to help you nourish your gut microbiome and support healthy digestion, which is a key cornerstone of hormone balance.
PREBIOTIC FIBER + GUT HEALTH — WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
+ Prebiotic Fiber Feeds Beneficial Bacteria In Your Gut
These days, I find most of my clients have a basic understanding of probiotics and how your gut needs an optimal balance of “good” and “not-so-good” bacteria in order to thrive. The problem is in today’s world our gut is inundated with toxins from the air we breathe, the water we drink, the medications we take, the processed food we eat, the stress we perceive and the alcohol + drugs we consume, which tend to wipe out our “good” bacteria and leave us with an overgrowth of the “not-so-good” guys.
Enter in prebiotic fiber, a type of fiber that feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut. This bacteria uses the fiber to reproduce, and enhances your microbiome’s ability to make more nutrients, optimize digestion and relieve constipation, metabolize fats, regulate blood sugar, manage inflammation and decrease risk factors like obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
+ Best Sources of Prebiotic Fiber
There are plenty of foods that contain prebiotic fiber naturally, such as chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes, apples, bananas, asparagus, onions, leeks and garlic.
The problem is 1) we’re not eating enough of these food sources as it is and 2) in order to make a big impact we would need to consume a large amount of these foods, which can lead to difficulties in digestion, especially if you’re suffering from a gut-bacteria imbalance such as SIBO, IBS or IBD.
This is why many experts recommend taking a daily prebiotic supplement along with a probiotic, as relying on food alone to get a high quality dosage is difficult to do.
+ My Favorite Prebiotic Supplement
I personally love Bulletproof’s Innerfuel Prebiotic, which comes in a flavorless powder form that’s easy to add into coffee, smoothies or these cookie dough balls. One serving has 17g of prebiotic fiber (DRI is 25g), making it so much easier to hit the recommended dosage of prebiotic fiber. For more info you can check out my full product review here.
GUT-FRIENDLY COOKIE DOUGH DOES EXIST
Adding this gut-healing prebiotic powder along with fiber-rich almond flour, creamy, satiating nut butter and antioxidant-rich dark chocolate ensures you’re consuming cookie dough that’s not only delicious, but jam-packed with nutrients to optimize your digestion, keep you energized and satisfied, balance out blood sugar + sweet cravings and help keep your gut microbiome healthy, which in turn helps keep YOU healthy.
Plus it’s so stinking easy to make, requires zero cooking or baking (hello hot summer) and stores well in the freezer, so you can bust one out whenever you need a cool treat.
I especially love crumbling them into my smoothies or yogurt bowls for an optimized version of a cookie dough blizzard. So yes, you can have your cookie dough and eat it too 🙂
This easy, no-bake, gut-friendly chocolate chip cookie dough is not only delicious but jam-packed with nutrients to optimize your digestion, keep you energized and satisfied, balance out blood sugar + sweet cravings and help keep your gut microbiome healthy.
If making the drizzle/topping, add ingredients to a stovetop pan over medium-low heat and whisk until just melted. Set aside.
While chocolate is melting, whisk together the almond flour, prebiotic powder and sea salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, nut butter and vanilla until well-combined.
Stir the wet ingredients in with the dry and mix thoroughly, then stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
Using a cookie or ice cream scooper, scoop the dough out (or use your hands to roll) into balls and place on a parchment lined pan or Tupperware container.
Option to drizzle with melted chocolate topping, more nut butter and top with flaky sea salt.
Place in freezer for minimum 20 minutes, but I suggest at least an hour if you have the time.
Store in the fridge for a week or freezer for a month. Thaw 20 minutes prior to eating.
[…] Plus, your smoothie toppings can sneak in some serious nutritional benefits to boot! I love topping mine with coconut yogurt (contains live cultures that help feed the good bacteria in your gut) bee pollen (contains amino acids that support metabolism and thyroid function), seed cycle granola (supports a healthy menstrual cycle) and gut-friendly cookie dough. […]
[…] Plus, your smoothie toppings can sneak in some serious nutritional benefits to boot! I love topping mine with coconut yogurt (contains live cultures that help feed the good bacteria in your gut) bee pollen (contains amino acids that support metabolism and thyroid function), seed cycle granola (supports a healthy menstrual cycle) and gut-friendly cookie dough. […]