Snow day! What a perfect opportunity to experiment with a new healthy cookie recipe!
Summer and Baby Annabel were more than happy to hear that they would be my tiny assistants for a Smart Balance vs I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! bake-off and taste test.
I could have made a stir-fry or one of a hundred other savory recipes, but snow days call for (lots and lots of) Netflix and baking delicious treats!
I found a great recipe at VeganBaking.net and changed it up to give you the easiest, tastiest recipe that you can whip up in minutes. You’ll only need four ingredients (that you probably already have in your kitchen) and about 10 minutes of prep time.
[Ingredients]
1 ½ cups + 1 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
3 tbsp Cornstarch
7 tbsp Granulated White Sugar
Rainbow Sugar Sprinkles (optional)
1 cup Butter Alternative*
* For this post, I made two batches of cookies: one with Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread and one with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Original Spread. Both are butter alternatives, but only Smart Balance is Non-GMO and dairy-free (two very important factors for me). I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! contains dairy (which is clearly marked on the label). My four-year-old, Summer, one-year-old, Annabel, and my three teenagers were my official taste-testers.
I also weigh in with my thoughts below.
[Directions]
[1] Preheat your oven to 300F.
[2] Mix the dry ingredients in a food processor or mixing bowl until there are no lumps.
[3] Add the butter alternative and mix thoroughly. (I used my Vitamix and a hand mixer.)
[4] Place mixture in an 8″ x 8″ baking dish and press firmly into pan with a flat spatula. You want to make sure there are no air bubbles in the mixture, and it’s nice and smooth on top. If you’re using a metal pan or glass dish, leave a little room around the edges.
[5] Decorate with sugar sprinkles (optional).
[6] Bake at 300F for 30 minutes.
[7] Remove from oven, cut into squares, and place back in the oven at 275F for 45-60 minutes (or until golden at the edges). Cookies should be cooked thoroughly with a flaky texture.
And that’s it! Once they cool for just a few minutes, your cookies are ready to eat and enjoy!
[Comparison Results]
– Out of the container, the Smart Balance spread had a more natural scent than I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, which reminded me of movie theater popcorn (not a good thing).
– Both products created a good, workable mixture that spread easily in the pan.
– The little kids quickly devoured both sets of cookies. They’re not ones to discriminate :)
– Two of three teenagers preferred the Smart Balance batch, saying that it tasted like it was made with real butter and was less greasy. The other teenager ate them before knowing what was going on, and couldn’t say which he preferred (but his palette isn’t too sophisticated, either).
– I also preferred the Smart Balance batch. The scent of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! was off-putting, and I could still smell it in the cookies.
– I didn’t taste a huge difference between the batches, but I do agree with the (two-out-of-three) teenagers that the texture of the Smart Balance batch was lighter and tasted more like real butter. Score!
To make sure this recipe is truly dairy-free, use the Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread in place of butter or other butter alternatives. And as soon as you try your cookies, let me know how much you love them!
Smart Balance buttery spreads support healthy cholesterol levels already in the normal range. Clinical research has proven that the right blend of fats may improve your cholesterol ratio when:
– At least 2/3 of your fat intake comes from these products or the Smart Balance Food Plan
– You limit total fat to about 30% of calories (65g per day)
– You limit saturated fat to 10% of calories (20g per day)
– You limit dietary cholesterol to average 300mg or less per day
– You avoid trans fat
– You exercise regularly
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Smart Balance®. The opinions and text are all mine.