Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies

It is pretty rare to find someone that doesn't like chocolate chip cookies but it is increasingly common to find folks that say no to having one. Whether one's life has been affected by celiac disease or allergies or one has learned that their body is happier with less grain, no animal products or just plain and simple whole foods, there are modifications-a-plenty out there.

These cookies would suit many a dietary need as they are free from nuts, gluten, grain and dairy and are easily made egg free (and vegan too). They are however, completely full of nutrition, flavour, satisfaction and pride that you have done good!

The base of these tasty treats is sunflower butter. Sunflower butter is rich in vitamin E, iron, B vitamins and it becomes a complete protein when combined with the eggs or chia in your cookies. Using a nut or seed butter as the base helps to lower the glycemic response of the body.

When grains are ground into flour, even quality grains, they have a very large surface area. This means that they can be quickly attacked by digestive enzymes and acids and the energy from them can quickly enter the blood stream. This boost in blood sugar is unnecessary for most of us and over time encourages weight gain, energy loss, mood highs and lows, cravings and can even lead to insulin resistance and diabetes. These cookies give you a sweet treat in a rich bite that provides enough satisfaction that enjoying one cookie is possible!

We used organic sunflower butter that contains only sunflower seeds. There are varieties that are sweetened or have extra oils added which might be nice for enjoying on toast or in a sandwich, but not needed in these cookies. SunButter brand is also made in a nut free facility making these snacks great for school and sports teams too.

Of course, we encourage you to explore other combinations. These cookies would also be amazing with butters made from cashew, hazelnut, almond, macadamia nut, sesame seeds, etc. You may have to make some recipe modifications, but hey, you can handle it.

To make these cookies egg free, we suggest a chia egg substitute. To make one chia egg, take one TBSP of ground chia (you can grind it in your blender or spice grinder) and add 3 TBSP water, stir and allow it to sit on the counter for about 15 minutes. Give it another stir and you are good to go. Remember that for this recipe you need 2 eggs, so double it. If you want to enjoy the benefits of eggs and chia, use one egg and one chia egg. See, the cooperation we learned in Kindergarten IS paying off...

Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 454 gram jar Sunflower Seed Butter, unsalted, unsweetened

2 eggs or chia eggs (see notes above)

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp pink or celtic sea salt

3/4 cup fair trade, dark chocolate chips, or your favourite variety

Make sure the rack in your oven is in about the middle position or even one higher and preheat to 350F and prepare your baking sheets with parchment. In a large, sturdy bowl, measure all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, and use your muscles to mix it together. Add your chocolate chips and stir again to distribute.

Lightly moisten your hands (the dough is sticky) and form golf ball sized drops placing them about 2 inches apart as they don't need much room to spread. Using a wet fork, press each mound down slightly so your cookies are flattened.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Keep the cookies on the pan to cool for at least 15 minutes as they are delicate while they are still warm. Enjoy warm but keep them refrigerated for storage. These also freeze well if you want to make a double batch.

This base could be used as the back drop to wherever you want to go with this cookie. We currently stock organic white chocolate wafers which would be an amazing topper to a version with cranberries and orange zest or you could cut up dates or figs with your scissors and add some whole sunflower seeds for crunch. Swapping out half of the sunflower butter for tahini, upping the sugar just a bit and rolling the balls in coconut and sesame seeds could also be another direction. What is your version?

Enjoy!

Posted by Amy Buckman, Community Ambassador, Amaranth Stores