Amazing Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Labor day has passed and you know what that means….back to school! And preparing lunch boxes - need I say more? Finding a healthy homemade treat that your kiddos love is challenging. Most ‘healthy treats’ taste, well, healthy. Those granola, flax and peanut butter protein balls usually come back home all crumbled up at the bottom of the lunch box.

So we set out to find a treat which tastes like the real thing, reluctantly conducting intensive and grueling research and trying numerous healthy cookie recipes. After sharing our creations with friends and family and soliciting feedback we reached a conclusion:

These chocolate chip cookies are amazing!

An important part of practicing mindfulness is incorporating foods that nourish both your body and spirit. These chocolate chip cookies are not only flavorful, but the combination of healthy ingredients leave you feeling satisfied without the sluggish effects of processed flour and sugar.

This recipe calls for blanched almond flour. Blanched almond flour is simply whole almonds which are ground into a powder without the skin. This flour provides a good source of protein (1/4 cup - 7g of protein) while being gluten-free and low in carbohydrates. Coconut oil is high in natural saturated fats and helps to increase the good (HDL cholesterol).

This chocolate chip cookie recipe comes from the Sweet Paleo: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Delights by Lea Hendry Valle. The cookies were first baked for me by a family member and I have been addicted ever since.  If you aren't familiar with paleo foods, they are nutrient-dense foods which haven't been processed and are in keeping with the design of the human body. Foods which were available to humans during paleolithic times, before modern agriculture. Foods such as grass-fed meat, nuts, grains, seeds, healthy oils, fresh fruits and vegetables. Not processed foods, refined oils, dairy or refined sugars.

BEST HEALTHY (and Paleo) CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

 Serves: 24 cookies  

Prep Time: 45 mins  

Cooking Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups blanched almond flour

• 2 tablespoons coconut flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup liquefied coconut oil

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

• 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

Combine the vanilla, coconut oil and maple syrup in a small bowl.

Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and pour in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Use a small scooper to form 1-1/2 inch balls and place at least 2 inches apart on lined sheet. 

*Don’t forget this step: Press very lightly down on top of cookies to get a slightly flat surface that cooks evenly.

Bake 12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Enjoy! Let us know what you and your kids think of the recipe!

These cookies taste great if stored in the refrigerator!

About the author

Katie Zupan-Lehman, MSN

Founder