gooey gluten-free chocolate chunk cookies
Gluten free and refined sugar free and they don’t taste like shit stuck to the bottom of a shoe? What a concept!
You might be able to tell by my content at large, but I’m not usually on board with any sort of niche eating style. Unless you consider pescatarian “niche.” Usually if my recipes adhere to anything of the sort, it’s by accident. But I figured it was time to be a little more playful after a very indulgent holiday season, because despite the load of treats we enjoyed during those weeks, there’s still room for dessert in everyday life.
This recipe was sort of a random idea. I saw coconut sugar in Trader Joe’s and decided on a whim to buy it, and the almond flour was right there, so I bought that, too. I’d thought of another treat to test but wasn’t really motivated to go that route – and if I’ve learned anything, going against my instinct is an awful idea – so cookies it was. I did not expect them to work out. But they did! Happy semi-accident.
A few tweaks later and here we are: tasty, melty, soft and gooey chocolate chip cookies with no refined sugar and no flour. They’re not identical to your standard chocolate chip cookie in flavor or texture, but I love the uniqueness wrought by the alternative ingredients. We’ve got our sweet dough and pools of chocolate, the normal delights of your everyday cookie.
Embrace the Almond, You Nut
There’s no special steps to which you must adhere for these cookies, no weird equipment, nothing like that. The only deviations are the ingredients themselves.
First, coconut sugar. I actually find coconut sugar quite delightful: it’s got a light undertone of, well, coconut, but when mixed into the dough you can’t taste a trace of coconutiness. If you really don’t want to buy it, however, you can use dark brown sugar instead.
That said, start by creaming the coconut sugar with butter until nice and floofy, then whip in the egg and vanilla. Easy. Then, mix in the almond flour, a protein of choice – more on both in a jiffy – baking soda, and salt. Fold in some dark chocolate chips or chunks. Scoop the cookies onto parchment-lined baking sheets, bake, and wabam. Wild cookies appear!
Alright, about the almond flour and protein. Because almond flour has no gluten, the cookies will remain a bit more tender than the typical chocolate chip cookie, which is why I call for a slightly longer baking time than usual (12-15 minutes). The cookies also have a nice, nutty flavor.
For the protein, I prefer an unsweetened vegan protein since my tummy doesn’t love whey. I specifically used Bob’s Red Mill hemp protein (not sponsored, by the way), which actually has a greenish cast. Slightly alarming at first, but the green disappears once the cookies are baked and the natural taste of the hemp is pretty benign. You can use your preferred brand or type, but I recommend either an unflavored or vanilla protein. I can’t guarantee the texture will be consistent if you switch up the brand or type. The addition of protein lends a slightly cakier finish to the cookies, but not so much that you feel like you’re eating a segment of bubble wrap.
So there’s that, my contribution to the gluten-bereft population. I quite like these little dudes, to be honest. A little less of a blood sugar spike never hurt anyone.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
gooey gluten-free chocolate chunk cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or dark brown sugar)
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup vanilla or unflavored protein powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and coconut sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg until fully incorporated, then the vanilla. Add the almond flour, protein, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks.
- Scoop heaping 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and tap firmly on the counter 2-3 times. Return to the oven for 4-6 minutes longer. Let cool on the baking sheet – the cookies will continue to bake as they sit. Enjoy immediately, or cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
