In many ways cooking really is the definition of comfort: it’s a tangible, instinctual, meditative (and let’s face it, rather essential) task that floods the home with aromas of delicious promises, and results in both pleasure and satisfaction. Especially during these unstable times, many of us find comfort—and therefore the act of cooking—to be a craving unto itself.
In our last post, 9 Positive Practices to Support Your Wellness During the COVID-19 Pandemic, we spoke about the importance of reducing sugar to avoid diminishing your immune response. And while now is certainly not the time to whip up a five-layer buttercream cake (or pick up a family-size box of Oreo’s at Costco), that doesn’t mean your next weeks of home-bound life need to composed solely of cabbage and lemon water.
Comfort is an important component of eating, even when eating for wellness. With this in mind, we went to work to create a special chocolate chip cookie recipe that bridges the gap between healthy eating and something that makes your taste buds jump for joy. No fancy superfoods here – just wholesome pantry ingredients that you’ll either already have on hand, or should be able to find easily. For those who want to go the extra healthy mile, using one or both of the sugar-free tips in the variation can be very rewarding too (and those sugar-free ingredients are useful to have on hand for other recipes, regardless).
Because when life gives you lemons…sometimes you need to just put them aside and make cookies instead.
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
The chocolate chip cookies of your dreams are here: cookies that satisfy your sweet tooth while being flourless, natural, and happily lower in sugar. And, if you use the variation below, you can make even make these cookies almost entirely sugar-free (our favorite version swaps 50% of the sugar for a sugar substitute, and uses sugar-free chocolate chips).
Makes 3 dozen small cookies
2 tablespoons almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup coconut sugar
1½ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips
Flaked salt, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a large bowl, mix together the almond milk, vanilla, coconut oil, and coconut sugar.
In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and fold to combine. A tablespoon at a time, drop rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Shape into circles and press down to flatten slightly – the cookies will not spread very much. Sprinkle lightly with flaked salt, and bake for 11-13 minutes, or until cookies begin to turn golden around the edges. Remove from oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool entirely.