The BEST Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
One of my big stress relievers is BAKING. Since I’ve been in the work force it seems like I have worked high pressure sales or service jobs. One thing that has NEVER felt like work for me is baking...its the one thing that I do that WORK doesn’t slip into my mind while doing.
One of the things that I was looking for when we bought our house a few years ago was a nice kitchen. NOW, I don’t know HOW I didn’t notice (for real) that we were buying a house with the SMALLEST OVEN EVER (for real, I can’t fit a full sized roasting pan or anything in there). BUT, I’ve learned to adjust.
For years I was able to bake whatever I wanted and eat it all with no regrets. Now, after having kids...and maybe stress--anything that I bake packs on the pounds.
Earlier this year I cut all sweets completely--but it was torture because I LOVE sweets.
Now, I’m being a little more realistic (after some BAD relapses) and have started TRYING to use non-refined sugar sources for my baking and cooking.
One of my favorite recipes is here: Best Chocolate Chip Paleo Cookies
I’m not the BEST baker in the world, nor am I any authority on baking (except in my head); but I have a little experience--tips & tricks for this recipe. PLUS writing all of this out makes me feel like I’m a super important food blogger.
I buy all of my Coconut Oil, Sugar & Flour, Almond Flour, etc. (not normal kitchen flours and sugars for me) from Kroger & Aldi. I go there because they are the best priced--I usually buy their brands. When you buy the Almond Flour for this recipe, make sure that its blanched. When I first started baking Paleo & Gluten free--I bought unblanched and it makes a BIG difference in how your baked goods turn out.
How I Bake the BEST Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies
*Preheat your oven to 350*
Step 1: Mix together your Coconut Oil (1/4 cup melted...but not hot..if you melt it yourself make sure its room temp before adding to your other ingredients), Coconut Sugar (1/2 cup), Egg (one slightly beaten NOT completely beaten egg), and Vanilla (1 teaspoon).
Step 2: Mix in your Coconut Flour (1/4 cup); Blanched Almond Flour (1 Cup) and Baking Soda (1/2 teaspoon). The mixture will be slightly doughy but not as doughy (imo) as regular cookie dough
Step 3: Mix in your chocolate chunks. The recipe has a set amount (3 Oz. Coarsely chopped) BUT I just put them in until it looks “right” to me (one bag lasts me about 3-4 batches; so I’m prob putting about 1/2 cup each batch approx). Getting GOOD chocolate chunks is key. I bought the Kroger store brand a couple of times and they don’t melt right at all. The BEST (though they are only 64% Cacao) that I have found to date are at Whole Foods (pic below). This chocolate actually MELTS and doesn’t stay in the square chunks--chocolate that MELTS is key to good cookies.
Step 4: Use a cookie scoop (I know this seems so extra--but once you start making cookies that are all the same size with a cookie scoop there’s no turning back) and scoop onto your cookie sheet. I line mine with parchment paper so that I don’t have to spray anything on the sheet.
Step 5: THE SECRET INGREDIENT--sea salt. Sprinkle a little sea salt on the tops of these cookies. Its SO worth it. Changes the taste completely. I don’t know why I haven’t always sprinkled sea salt on my cookies...yum! My favorite that I use is below.
Step 6: Bake your cookies at 350 degrees for 10 - 13 minutes. When they are done, transfer them to a cookie rack to cool.
*NOTE: you CANNOT taste ANY of the Coconut products in these cookies. My husband hates Coconut and was shocked when I told him that after mos. of eating these cookies that there were 3 Coconut based products in these.
Thats it! These cookies taste like REAL chocolate cookies. My kids eat them up and LOVE them--they are refined sugar free & gluten free.
Am I Following a Gluten Free Diet: No.
Am I following the Paleo Diet: Sorta (when I’m not being a fat ass when I want to). I will say since eating more fresh foods & avoiding TRYING to avoid refined sugar I feel much better about myself.