Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This recipe was inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s “Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies.”

I began toying with a nut-based batter with less sugar content weeks ago, until finally, by some ridiculous stroke of luck, I somehow managed to get the right consistency. Working with gluten free options can be harrowing work — especially when trying to forego as much sugar as possible. Initially, I ended up with batch after batch of cakey, bitter scones, which then gave way to dozens of depressingly thin, dry, powdery biscuits. Everything in between those extremes, however, led me to the formula I present before you now.

Do not let the color deceive you, fair reader. While almond flour gets lighter in the oven, often appearing dry as a result, these are just crunchy enough along the edges and chewy everywhere else, just as the Chocolate Chip pantheon intended. These are so convincing, I have passed them off as regular chocolate chip cookies to numerous guests who’d have sooner eaten their own hair than a gluten-free, low-carb, low-sugar “sweet.”

This recipe is filling, and while not entirely free of added sugar, it strikes a great balance without compromising taste. Thanks to the combination of stevia and turbinado, each cookie contains under 6g of sugar, and just a hair over 10g of carbohydrates. It also contains a wealth of good fats (the kind that keep you fuller, longer), omega 3s, protein, and fiber.

Bon appétit! ❤

Yields 2 dozen standard 2-inch cookies, or 18 large cookies, depending on your style.

Prep-time: about 20 minutes, Cook-time: 8-11 minutes per batch

Dry Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
¼ cup flax seed meal
½ tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

1 dropper of stevia

1 egg

½ cup turbinado sugar
¼ cup + 2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup unsweetened dark chocolate chips

Optional: 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Additional salt, for sprinkling (I prefer the pink variety).

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Cream wet ingredients together until one cohesive carmel-colored mixture, preferably with an egg beater. It should take roughly 3-4 minutes.

3. Add wet mixture into dry along with chocolate and nuts (if using). It will likely appear that there isn’t enough moisture to fully absorb the dry mixture, but this is not the case. It will take a few minutes for the flours/meals to be fully absorbed, so be sure to continue stirring until that takes place. The result will be a sticky cookie batter that you should be able to roll into one big ball without it falling apart.

4. Roll the dough into 1-2 tablespoon-sized balls and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, three to a row. Flatten each ball until the dough is roughly 1/2 inch in height.