These cookies have a lot going for them. For starters, they are absolutely delicious and everything a chocolate chip cookie should be: chewy around the edges, soft in the middle, and full of rich chocolate and caramel-like flavors. They’re also gluten-free, thanks to a simple combination of two flours (almond flour and coconut flour). They’re naturally sweetened with maple syrup, which lends a brown sugar-like sweetness. They’re eggless, too, so the recipe is easily made vegan.
These cookies are about as “healthy” as cookies can be. They’re also super easy to make in one bowl—no mixer required, just a spoon. This is a perfect baking project to make with small children. My daughter Grace, who is three years old, loved helping with this one. Cookie dough lovers, if you’re looking for a cookie dough recipe that is safe to eat, you’re in luck. I see no reason why eating this dough would be unsafe since it’s egg-free and wheat-free (it’s not safe to eat wheat flour that has not been cooked, but this recipe calls for almond and coconut flour).
My friend Tessa introduced me to these cookies a few weeks ago. We were sipping wine and watching Magic Mike during girls’ night when she set them on her coffee table. I took one bite and knew I had to share the recipe with you all—mostly because they are so very tasty, but also because I know that many of you are on the hunt for gluten-free and naturally sweetened recipes. I don’t try to avoid gluten myself, but my friend Tessa has cured herself of debilitating migraines by following a gluten-free, low-sugar diet. Isn’t that wonderful? I’m so glad she’s found what works for her.
I’ve made three batches of these cookies since that night and have some baking notes to share. The original recipe calls for almond flour, but I used almond meal from Trader Joe’s all three times and each batch turned out great anyway. I found Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour in the baking section at the local health food store. Coconut flour is essential to this recipe because its high fiber content soaks up the extra moisture from the liquid sweetener, ensuring that the cookies don’t spread out too much on the pan (more on that later). The cookies taste fantastic whether you use maple syrup or honey, but maple syrup tastes more like brown sugar and yields a more traditionally flavored cookie. I also tried using coconut oil instead of butter, which, as you might expect, produced a cookie with a more pronounced coconut flavor. I’m partial to the butter version. The coconut oil cookies were thinner and seemed ever-so-slightly brittle the next day. Lastly, I chose to chop up dark chocolate instead of using chocolate chips, so maybe I shouldn’t call these chocolate chip cookies after all. Whether you choose chips or chunks or chop your chocolate, make sure it’s good quality.
Important Tip Before You Get Started
The success of this recipe depends on your measurements. The almond flour and coconut flour must be very firmly packed into the cups. If you measure them like regular flour, the recipe won’t contain enough of these flours and it will flop.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Just use the coconut oil instead of the butter (to make it dairy free) and choose maple syrup as your natural sweetener instead of the honey (to make it vegan).
