I tried baking double-chocolate cookies using avocado and applesauce, and they were surprisingly delicious

• In a bid to make a healthier treat, I followed a cookie recipe that used no butter or egg yolk.

• I had to smash up avocado, add some applesauce, and separate egg whites to bake the cookies.

• Although they didn't taste like a cookie, they were still delicious.

Cookies are my favorite snack, but I know they're not the healthiest option for me.

I'm a self-proclaimed cookie fiend. If there are cookies in the house, I know I'll eat all of them in one sitting, especially if they're chocolate chip.

But as I am becoming more health conscious these days, I miss snacking on cookies regularly. That's why I was so excited when I found a recipe for double-chocolate cookies that are said to be healthier than regular cookies.

I decided to give them a try.

The double-chocolate cookies from Skinnytaste use avocado and applesauce instead of butter.

When I first found the recipe in Gina Homolka's cookbook, I was hesitant. Avocado in cookies seemed weird to me, but the chef assured readers that the strange recipe is worth it.

"They taste too good to be light, and you can't detect the taste of avocados at all," Homolka wrote in "The Skinnytaste Cookbook." "I tested these out on many unsuspecting adults, children, and teens, and everyone loved them."

Tina Haupert of the website Carrots 'N' Cake also shared the recipe, writing: "They honestly taste too good to be true and definitely not semi-healthy. And I promise you can't taste the avocado at all!"

According to the nutritional information, these cookies have fewer calories and more fiber than traditional cookies.

In two cookies, there are 152 calories, 15 grams of sugar, 48 milligrams of sodium, and 25 grams of carbs. There are also 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.

For comparison, Betty Crocker's double-chocolate cookie mix has 170 calories, 14 grams of sugar, 115 milligrams of sodium, and 26 grams of carbs in two cookies. Plus, they have 1 gram of protein.

Andy Bellatti, a registered dietitian, told me this recipe is slightly healthier than traditional cookies because it uses whole-wheat flour (in addition to all-purpose flour) and "whole-food sources of fats" like avocado.

"The nutrition info for two cookies isn't bad at all," Bellatti said. "I don't think every single thing we eat has to be the picture of health. Cookies are cookies."

He also recommended making these cookies healthier by only using whole-wheat flour and reducing the sugar by half.

Surprisingly, the recipe called for a lot of ingredients.

I had to run to the store to buy whole-wheat flour, raw cane sugar, and cocoa.

The first step was to combine the sugars with the avocado.

I had to cut the avocado in half and then mash it up before putting it into the 1/4 measuring cup.

In that moment, I realized just how unusual the recipe really is.

Next, I added 1 tablespoon of applesauce.

I had to make sure the applesauce was unsweetened, which was difficult to find at the grocery store. I also added one egg white at this stage.

After putting all those ingredients in a bowl, I combined everything using a hand mixer.

After mixing it, the batter was a liquid with strange clumps of avocado. At this point, I was very unsure if I was following the recipe right because it did not look or smell good.

I whisked the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

I added flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt at this stage.

I then had to combine the dry ingredients with the liquid mixture.

I folded in the dry ingredients in two sections to make sure everything was incorporated. Once everything was combined, the dough was extremely sticky.

That's when I added the chocolate chips, but I ultimately decided to keep the walnuts out because they're not my favorite.

After leaving the sticky dough in the fridge for 15 minutes, I lined the cookies on a baking sheet.

I made about 1 tablespoon size dollops of dough. The recipe then told me to flatten out the cookies with the back of the spoon. After some trial and error, I realized If I wet the spoon and then flattened the cookie, the dough wasn't so sticky.

I then sprinkled some sea salt on top of each.

I put them in the oven and in less than 10 minutes, my apartment smelled like chocolate heaven.

The cookies baked in eight quick minutes.

Because of the dark color, it was difficult to see if they were burning or ready to come out. I gave them a quick poke and realized they were done.

When I took my first bite, it tasted delicious ... but nothing like a cookie.

The cookie was extremely soft, gooey, and fluffy. It tasted like a chocolate explosion in my mouth. Plus, Homolka was right: I couldn't taste any trace of avocado or applesauce in the cookie. I didn't even miss the butter or the full egg.

But most notably, they didnt taste like a cookie, which wasn't necessarily a problem. In fact, they tasted more like a delicious brownie.

I would definitely bake these cookies again, but not when I'm trying to satisfy a cookie craving.

These "cookies" were delicious and would definitely satisfy any sweet tooth, but since they taste nothing like a typical cookie, I wouldn't bake them as a cookie alternative.

Although the process was a bit more extensive than I usually like in the kitchen, I will definitely turn to this recipe in the future when I'm looking for a chocolate brownie-like treat while still keeping my dietary needs in mind.

Read the original article on Insider