I am always in search of healthier treats and this one is a true gem! It is free from all the extra junk with the added bonus of no gluten or dairy to fit special diets needs. It’s so simple to make; add it your holiday baking list today.
These chewy almond cookies are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free! Enjoy a variety of flavor combinations to fit any taste.
2 cups almond flour
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans
½ cup dried apricots, raisins, tart cherries or cranberries, chopped
½ cup cocoa nibs*, or mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand, they are soy free as well)
½ cup real maple syrup or honey
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
½ teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium to large size bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. The dough will be loose but will stick together when pressed.
Press dough into 1 in balls and place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheet. Press the dough balls with your hand to flatten slightly.
Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes until slightly golden. Cookies will be soft. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet so they can firm up before eating.
Store cooled cookies in a sealed container. If not going to eat right away, keep in the refrigerator or freezer.
You can also pre-make the dough and scoop into balls within two days or make dough balls and freeze them to have fresh hot cookies anytime.
Combinations I tried:
Apricots and Coco Nibs with sliced almonds
Cranberries and white chocolate chips with pecans (these were extra sweet as the cranberries and white chocolate chips have extra refined sugar in them)
Raisins with walnuts and 1-teaspoon cinnamon
*Note the smaller pieces of chocolate tend to keep the cookies together better. You can also omit the chocolate all together if you prefer like I did in the cinnamon raisin ones.
*Coco nibs are a pure form of unsweetened chocolate, They are peeled and crumbled from whole cacao bean.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Let me know what your favorite combination is.
I almost forgot– If you don’t care about dairy free or don’t have coconut oil at home, butter works just fine too!
