paleo + dairy-free CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Alright y’all, after years of sitting out on desserts during the holidays because 1) they were unhealthy, and 2) they were made with dairy, I finally found the perfect recipe for paleo, non-dairy chocolate chip cookies. I initially thought they were too good to be true, but I tested them on my dessert and dairy-loving husband. I am happy to report back to you that they were a hit not just with my hubby, but with my mother-in-law and my own mama, two women who do not believe that healthy desserts can taste good. Well, I am here to say, have your dessert and feel good about the ingredients they are made with.
Please note that the recipe below is a hodge podge of a few different recipes. I created this recipe from trial and error. Feel free to play around with substitutions as well. :)
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
paleo + dairy-free
Prep Time: 15 mins
Bake Time: 15 mins
Ready in: 30 mins
Yields: 8 huge bakery style cookies Or 16 regular-sized cookies.
INGREDIENTS–
+ 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour
+ ¼ cup coconut flour
+ 1 teaspoon baking soda
+ ¼ teaspoon salt
+ 6 tablespoons coconut oil or vegan butter (my favorite is Miyoko's Creamery)
* Please note that your coconut oil should not be melted, but instead be more like softened butter.
+ ¾ cup of coconut sugar OR ¼ cup of monkfruit sweetener (Please note monkfruit sweetener is derived from the skin of fruit and is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar, so use it at ⅓ to 1 cup ratio to sugar).
+ 6 tablespoons of natural almond butter (no added oil, sugar, or salt) OR 6 tablespoons of cashew butter (no added oil, sugar, or salt)
+ 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
+ 1 large egg, room temperature
+ 1 ¼ cups dairy free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mega Chunks or Lily’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips)
DIRECTIONS–
1). In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2). In a large mixing bowl with either an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat together the fat, sugar, nut butter and vanilla extract at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. You may need to use your hands to mix the coconut oil and combine the ingredients, then mix again.
3). Beat in the egg on low and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Then stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Place the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes or until the dough is firm.
4). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
5). Roll the dough into 8 balls (or 16 for regular size cookies) and place the remaining ¼ chocolate chips on the top and on the sides of the dough balls. (If making 16 regular size cookies, adjust the baking time to a few minutes less than the recommended 11-14 minutes). Make sure all the dough balls are spread apart about 3-4 inches from each other on the parchment paper. Press cookies down lightly with the palm of your hand.
6). Bake for 11-14 minutes or until they no longer appear wet. Once you take them out of the oven, they will continue to bake on the parchment paper, so it’s ok that they look soft. Let them cool about 15-20 minutes on the parchment paper. You can store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. ENJOY!
Just a quick little side note. I love using Monkfruit sweetener in place of sugar and sugar alcohols. Monkfruit Sweetener is derived from the skin of fruit. It is safe to consume during pregnancy and nursing, and it is safe for kids as well. It is lower in carbohydrates than other sweeteners and does not cause your blood sugar to rise. Also, a little goes a long way since it is so much sweeter than sugar.
Click below for a solid article that gives you some more interesting facts about Monkfruit sweetener…
