Following a Paleo diet? Have a friend who is gluten-free and/or dairy free? Have some almond flour sitting in the pantry after making macarons? These simple, fudgy cookies are:
Paleo
Dairy free
Gluten free
Refined sugar free
Peanut free
Soy free
Quick and impressive!
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
180g coconut oil
150g maple syrup
100g coconut sugar
2 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extra or vanilla paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
55g cocoa powder (can use regular or dark)
250g almond flour (not meal, but flour, needs to be super fine)
Chocolate Chips:
60g maple syrup
50g coconut oil
40g cocoa powder (can use regular or dark)
Active Prep: 25 minutes
Inactive Prep: 1-2 hours
Bake Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes, including chill time
Makes: 18 large cookies or 24 medium sized cookies
Directions
Make the chocolate chips. Line a small sheet pan or large plate with parchment paper or a silpat. Make space in your freezer for it!
Next, measure the coconut oil and maple syrup in a microwave safe container. Heat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until the coconut oil is just melted (if your coconut oil is already liquid, heat for about 10 seconds to ensure the maple syrup is warmed. Mix the cocoa powder in well so there are no lumps. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the prepared pan or plate, spread it evenly in a thin layer (about 2 cm thick, but don't worry too much about the thickness because you'll be breaking up this sheet of chocolate into chips!), and put in the freezer while you make the dough (at least 20 minutes, can be left in there overnight if necessary).
Next, make the cookie dough! In a microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut oil and maple syrup in the microwave (same as the method for the chocolate chips). Pour into a mixing bowl (you can use a stand mixer, hand mixer, or a whisk and some bicep strength), add the coconut sugar, and beat for about 2 minutes, until well combined and beginning to get lighter and more opaque.
Add the eggs to the sugar and oil mixture, and beat for another 2-3 minutes, until the eggs are well incorporated and it begins to get a bit fluffy.
Next, add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and cocoa powder and mix about 1 minute (until the cocoa is well incorporated).
Last, add the almond flour and mix until just combined (about 30 seconds).
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 1-2 hours (can be chilled overnight).
When you're about to take the dough out of the fridge, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat and grease with a bit of coconut oil.
Take the chocolate sheet out of the freezer and break up into chunks (I like them on the larger side, but you can break them up into any size you like your chocolate chips). Mix them into the cookie dough so they are evenly distributed.
Now, scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking pans. If you'd prefer larger cookies, use a two inch ice cream scoop. Make sure to leave about 2 inches between the scoops, as the cookies will spread a bit.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes (size matters--smaller cookies will need less time, larger will need more time), until the edges are firm and the surface of the cookies start to crack.
***Super Important Direction Alert*** when you take the cookies out, let then cool on the sheet pan for at least 30 minutes. If you have a cooling rack, let them cool on the sheet pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the cooling rack for at least 20 more minutes. Because the primary fat is coconut oil, the cookies will be very delicate when warm. As they cool, the coconut oil becomes solid--the cookies will be less likely to fall apart if you let them cool completely.
Look at those HUGE chocolate chunks!
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