Okay I know the title is a bit of a mouthful, but I feel a bit of pride for coming up with this recipe without all the things that people commonly associate with cookies! A traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe will have butter, eggs, glutenous flour and lots of sugar. But who's to say we can't break tradition?
Honestly, chocolate chip cookies have always been one of my favourite desserts and it's also been one of those recipes that are really hard to adapt to dietary requirements because they have such few ingredients, that every one of them plays a crucial role. Eggs would normally do the binding, butter would keep it moist, and sugar, well, gives it taste. But you know what they say, where there's will, there's a way...
This actually started as a failed blueberry scone recipe the other day. The scones ended up having a texture very similar to cookies, so I thought why not alter the recipe a bit and make chocolate chip cookies out of it? And I'm glad I did.
Gluten-free baking can be a bit tricky, especially considering cookies have that unique texture where they're not dry but not entirely moist either, and they're not supposed to be cakey, but not overly fudgy. So to achieve the taste and texture we'd normally expect from chocolate chip cookies, we're going to use:
- Almond Meal is a great substitute for regular flour because its got a subtle nutty flavour and natural oils which help keep baked goods moist. However, almond meal doesn't absorb much moisture so it's good to pair it up with other gluten-free flours.
- Brown Rice Flour has a mild, toasty flavour and helps give the cookies a bit of extra crispiness.
- Tapioca Starch helps bind these cookies together being that we're not using any eggs and there's no gluten to gel things together.
- Dates are my all-time favourite fruit to use to sweeten baked goods. They add a lot of sweetness and a caramel-like flavour to these cookies.
- Coconut Cream is used in place of oil in these cookies, keeping them moist yet healthy.
- Vanilla Extract, of course, for its signature flavour.
- Sea Salt to even out the sweetness.
- Baking Soda helps these cookies rise and it also provides a very subtle, salty flavour.
- Apple Cider Vinegar helps activate the baking soda.
The trick with these chocolate chip cookies is to help them cool thoroughly after baking. This helps them set and solidify, so please don't skip this step! (As tempting as it is to dig right in...)
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I did and please let me know what you think in the comments section below!
Blend almond flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour and dates in a blender or food processor. Make sure to only blend until the dates are pulverised and no more - we don't want the dates becoming a paste! A few pulses should be enough, less is more!
Pour the blended mixture into a bowl and add baking soda and sea salt and whisk thoroughly.
Add in the coconut cream, vanilla extract and vinegar. Mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough.
Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This helps the mixture solidify to make the cookies easier to shape, but it also helps the flours absorb some of the moisture.
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add to the dough, gently mixing them in.
Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Shape into balls (about 2-3tbsp of batter per cookie) and flatten them on your palm and place on a lined baking sheet.
Bake for 9-10 minus. They will still be soft by this point, but they will set while they're cooling. Make sure to leave the cookies alone for about 30 mins after baking. Trust me! Serve them once they are set and hold their shape well. I personally think they're even more delicious after sitting in the fridge. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Blend almond flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour and dates in a blender or food processor. Make sure to only blend until the dates are pulverised and no more - we don't want the dates becoming a paste! A few pulses should be enough, less is more!
Pour the blended mixture into a bowl and add baking soda and sea salt and whisk thoroughly.
Add in the coconut cream, vanilla extract and vinegar. Mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough.
Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This helps the mixture solidify to make the cookies easier to shape, but it also helps the flours absorb some of the moisture.
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add to the dough, gently mixing them in.
Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Shape into balls (about 2-3tbsp of batter per cookie) and flatten them on your palm and place on a lined baking sheet.
Bake for 9-10 minus. They will still be soft by this point, but they will set while they're cooling. Make sure to leave the cookies alone for about 30 mins after baking. Trust me! Serve them once they are set and hold their shape well. I personally think they're even more delicious after sitting in the fridge. Enjoy!
