Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almond Flour {Grain free and Low Carb!}

Even those of us enjoying a grain-free and low-carb lifestyle have a hankering for a classic treat from time to time! The trick is to minimize the damaging ingredients (such as grains and sugar) and maximize the flavors. Almond flour is a natural fit for this recipe, as the nuttiness matches well to the dark chocolate. To keep the carbs low, be sure to get chips with as high of a cocoa content as possible, aiming for 85% (you may even want to buy a dark chocolate bar and break into small pieces.)  As many of us also have children and teens in the house (not to mention husbands!) it’s helpful to be able to provide “sweets” that make them feel a little more normal, while knowing that we are supporting good health at the same time!

I adapted this from a recipe from the extremely talented Elana, and you can find it here on her blog. The changes I made were to switch away from grapeseed oil, as it’s not compliant with the Wheat Belly eating plan, and to switch out the agave syrup as well, for the same reason. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/2 C blanched almond flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 C healthy oil (I used half butter and half virgin coconut oil)
• 1 Tb vanilla extract
• 1/2 C powdered erythritol
• 1/2 C dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together wet ingredients. If you are using butter and/or coconut oil, be sure they are melted into liquid form.
3. Mix the wet into the dry, combine completely. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts (if using.)
4. Place in flattened circles on a parchment-lined sheet, using about 1 Tb per cookie.
5. Bake for about 7 minutes, or until the edges are browned. The original recipe suggests 7-10 min, but they get dark very quickly, so do keep an eye on them.
6. Remove whole sheet of parchment to a wire rack to cool, or set the entire pan in a safe place to cool. If the cookies are moved before they cool 10-15 minutes, they will crumble and fall apart. They firm up as they cool though. Makes 18 cookies.
   

Note: Made with 60% cocoa Ghirardelli chocolate chips, there are about 4.4 net carbs per cookie. If you use a higher cocoa chocolate chip, you can get that number even lower.
***Adding an egg is optional, if you would like. It does help the cookie hold together a little easier, but I think it makes it a little softer. Great either way!