Dairy & Gluten-Free Organic Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I try really hard to keep my sugar intake down. But, it's hard for me because I love sweet things. 

I have found ways to satisfy my cravings. Organic liquid stevia (usually in a beverage - tea, coffee, matcha or hot chocolate) is one way and sometimes a handful of organic nuts and seeds with cranberries and raisins do the trick too. But not always. Frozen banana slices with a spoonful of peanut butter and ground Himalayan salt is also an amazing treat that I often have at night in place of ice cream. I do chia seed pudding and sweet potato pudding too. 

The challenge is that I'm not great in the kitchen with food (although I am with body products - go figure!) and I don't have a lot of time (which eating healthy requires). So everything I do needs to be super easy and super fast.

But sometimes, I just want to have a cookie and it is virtually impossible to find one that doesn't have cane sugar in it or that is low in another kind of sugar - and that also tastes good at the same time. Not easy. So like everything else, the best way to ensure the healthiest option is to make it yourself. 

I found this recipe on FoodBabe.com and adapted it with some additional ingredients as I found the base a little dry and hard to work with. That, plus, I can't pass up an opportunity to turn something into my own rendition of the chemically laden, although beloved, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (so sad). And while I wouldn't necessarily call these cookies "healthy," there are reasons that make them far better for you than your average cookie. 

First, the sugar is coconut sugar and your body still reads it as sugar, but it is low glycemic which makes it a better choice than other sugar, both natural and refined. The almond flour is "healthier" than white/wheat, but it is still processed and not as good for you as, say, a whole almond would be. Overall though, almond flour does have more protein, less carbs and about the same amount of fiber.  

Give them a try and let me know what you think...

Ingredients*

2 cups organic almond flour (sometimes I do a combo of almond and coconut flour)

¼ cup organic virgin cold pressed coconut oil 

½ cup organic coconut palm sugar

2 organic eggs

1 tbsp of fresh ground organic unsalted peanut butter

1 cup of unsweetened organic cacao nibs (You can also throw in some pecan or walnut pieces, and salted peanuts are also really good) 

1 tbsp organic vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

*All of these ingredients are pretty easy to get as organic (except of course the salt!)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine eggs, coconut oil and vanilla and mix togther.

Stir in peanut butter

Add sugar, flour and salt together and blend into wet ingredients gradually. Throw in the chocolate chips last and stir.

Spoon dollops of batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (I'm not a fan of sprays because of the hexane used)

You can also press three fingers or a fork into the top and sprinkle on a tiny bit of kosher or maldon salt. (Yum!)

Bake cookies for 12-15 mins or until edges are golden brown

Let cookies cool before you eat them.