The holidays can be a tough time for people with food allergies and restrictions. I’ll be the first one to admit that I’ve overindulged a little more than I should have this season with symptoms of it still lingering around. I can avoid the mashed potatoes and fresh bread (sometimes) but the hardest part of the holidays for me are the sweets!
Treats are honestly everywhere! We gift them, we bake them, and we decorate them with others. At Christmas this year, we had the option of brownies, pies, cheesecake, cookies and so many more! I made it a point before we traveled to dinner to bring my own gluten-free dessert because I knew my willpower couldn’t withstand the dessert table. At least I’m self-aware? I did a quick search for some gluten-free cookies that didn’t rely on a gluten-free flour mix or contain a bunch of random ingredients. I found a recipe online for almond flour chocolate chip cookies and decided to give it a try. I’m on my third batch of these babies and ready to make another round!
Now let’s talk cookies for a minute. A really great chocolate chip cookie is my downfall. I practically have the Toll House recipe memorized. I also make three different versions of chocolate chip cookies, thin Toll House, a Levain Bakery copycat and then a puffy version with a little bit more flour that’s divine! Baking is one of my favorite ways to relax and everyone likes cookies so it’s never a bad time to make them. I truly can’t say no to them. This makes the whole gluten-free thing a huge issue. If a place sells gluten-free cookies, I have to try it. It’s still somewhat of a rarity and I’ve been searching for the right recipe that gets really close to the texture and taste of a real chocolate chip. The worst gluten-free cookie I’ve ever had was purchased in the Charlotte airport. It was a crumbly mess with zero flavor and the texture was like biting into sand. I had to toss it out. Never going to make that mistake again.
I’ve tweaked the original recipe from King Arthur Flour because you know I can’t just follow recipes without putting my own spin on it. The fiance also isn’t a dessert person and I caught him sneaking cookies out of the container more than once. So that’s high praise for any cookie!
The Best Gluten-Free Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies You’ve Ever Had
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp grass-fed butter, at room temperature (you can probably sub coconut oil but I haven’t tried it)
- 2 tsp Mexican vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 cups almond flour (I used Kirkland brand)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free is totally an option)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, maple syrup, baking soda, salt, and butter and mix with a hand mixer until smooth
- Mix in the vanilla, egg, and gradually mix in the almond flour on medium. This has to be done quickly and you want to combine everything in one minute. Be careful not to overmix as it will change the texture of your cookie
- Stir in the chocolate chips by hand
- Scoop the dough onto your baking sheet and flatten the cookies to 1/2 an inch thick
- Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, until golden brown
- Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle maldon sea salt on them while they’re still hot
- Transfer them to a rack to cool for a few minutes before enjoying!
- This recipe makes 12-14 cookies
