Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know what you're thinking.  There's no way gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are going to be any good, right?  Wrong!!  These cookies are super soft and chewy and incredibly delicious.  Since the recipe contains no flour, it's vitally important to make sure the cookie dough is well chilled before baking.  Let me show you how easy these are to make.

In a bowl, combine almond meal, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Next you'll need pure vanilla extract (please use the good stuff), almond butter, coconut palm sugar, liquid coconut oil, and an egg.

Combine those ingredients together well.  I've used my stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade attachment, but you can certainly mix it by hand, just be sure  to mix until any coconut sugar lumps disappear. 

Now add the almond meal mixture.

Mix to combine.

Add bittersweet chocolate chips.

Mix one last time until the chips are evenly distributed through the batter.

Transfer the batter to a quart-size zipper bag and chill for at least an hour, but you can do this step a day or two in advance. 

When you're ready to portion the dough, simply rip the bag open and cut the dough into 24 even portions.

Easy!

Roll each portion into a ball and place on a sheet pan.

This step is completely optional, but I like to press a few extra chips on the top of each dough ball.  Now before we bake the cookies, it's really important to chill the dough again - I just pop them back in the fridge while my oven preheats.

When the oven has preheated, space 12 dough balls evenly on a silpat lined sheet pan and bake for exactly 10 minutes, then allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the pan.

Enjoy!! 

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• almond meal https://amzn.to/3PEP9w5

• almond butter https://amzn.to/46rPKH7

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/44lhvzl

• coconut oil https://amzn.to/3CP0dij

• coconut palm sugar https://amzn.to/3CV99mc

• BeaterBlade attachment https://amzn.to/3NTzWpG

• professional stand mixer https://amzn.to/46opldn

• half sheet pans https://amzn.to/3sphKYV

• silpat liners https://amzn.to/3Jc40Hz

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Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 24 cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup finely ground almond flour (or meal), sifted

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (virgin or unrefined)

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons almond butter

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (plus more for garnish)

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together almond meal, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade attachment, combine the coconut palm sugar, coconut oil (melt gently in microwave to liquify if necessary), egg, almond butter, and pure vanilla extract on medium speed for 30 seconds.

3. Add reserved almond meal and mix on medium for 30 seconds; add chocolate chips and mix just until combined.

4. Transfer cookie dough to a quart size storage bag and seal well, pressing the dough into an even layer; chill for at least 1 hour.

5. To bake cookies, preheat oven to 350F, place rack in center of oven, and line two half sheet pans with silpat liners.

6. Divide chilled dough into 24 equal pieces and roll into balls; return to refrigerator to chill for 5 minutes or longer.

7. Place 12 chilled dough balls each on two silicone lined half sheet pans and immediately bake for 10 minutes (one pan at a time, chilling the remaining dough until ready to bake); remove from oven and allow cookies to cool completely before removing from the pan; repeat with the 2nd pan of cookie dough.

Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake

So today is the first day of the new year and most food blogs will be posting lighter, healthier recipes, but not me... I give you CAKE! 

But wait a minute... if you think about it, this is a single layer cake made with greek yogurt and shredded zucchini, and the frosting is just a thin layer of ganache... so basically, this really is a lighter, healthier recipe!!  Glad to do my part - you're welcome.

Start with shredded zucchini (or half and half, shredded zucchini and shredded yellow squash).  Thankfully, good zucchini is available throughout the year.

Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder (I use dark cocoa), baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt together in a large mixing bowl. 

Note - sugar is usually considered a "wet" ingredient, but this is a casual cake that is easily mixed together by simply stirring, so no biggie.  You could even throw all the ingredients in one bowl and call it a day if you wanted to.

But I like to mix the wet and dry stuff separately and then combine them, but I digress.

Here are the wet ingredients - eggs, canola oil, greek yogurt, and pure vanilla extract.

Whisk to combine.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.

Stir to combine.

Lastly, stir in the shredded zucchini (and shredded squash if using).

Before you pour the cake batter in the pan, be sure to coat the pan with baking spray - the kind that contains flour and oil.  This stuff is the bomb and I never bake a cake without it - helps your cakes release from the pan every single time!!  Great stuff.

And here's another tip that's completely unnecessary, but wow does it make a difference.  Wrap your pan with insulated baking strips so they rise evenly and don't develop a hump in the middle while baking.  Seriously, I use them for every layer cake I bake.  From simple snack cakes to large wedding cakes.  I never have to trim the tops of my layer cakes.

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 8x8-inch professional cake pan https://amzn.to/3NvTeQb

• Baker's Joy https://amzn.to/3PAg1x4

• insulated baking strips https://amzn.to/3r70oDd

• box grater https://amzn.to/3NoKMCq

• offset spatula https://amzn.to/434OIOm

• black cocoa powder https://amzn.to/447bZ3F

• very best pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

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CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI SNACK CAKE

makes one 8x8-inch cake (can be doubled and baked in a 9x13-inch pan)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder, sifted (darkest you can find, like black cocoa)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

• 1 large egg

• 6 tablespoons plain greek yogurt

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons hot brewed coffee (or hot water)

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup shredded zucchini (or substitute up to half yellow summer squash)

Ganache:

• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

• 4 ounces heavy cream

Directions

To make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F, spray metal cake pan with Baker's Joy, and wrap pan with insulated baking strips (optional, but they keep the cake from forming a hump in the middle).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, greek yogurt, oil, coffee, and pure vanilla extract.

4. Pour wet mixture into bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix well; add shredded zucchini and stir until combined.

5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

6. Remove from oven and cool completely before topping with ganache.

To make the ganache:

1. Place chopped chocolate in a heat-safe bowl; set aside.

2. In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, heat cream until just before it reaches the boiling point (small bubbles will form around the edges).

3. Remove cream from heat and pour over chocolate.

4. Let the chocolate and cream steep together for 2 minutes, then whisk gently until the two combine and become shiny, dark, and glossy.

5. When cake is completely cool, pour ganache over cake; use an offset spatula to spread evenly.

6. Chill cake until service. Store in an airtight container.