I know, I know. It’s the first week of the new year and I should be posting particularly healthy stuff. Does it help to know that I’m eating a super healthy stir fry while writing this?
No? Oh well.
If you’re feeling like continuing to indulge this January, or just want to file this one away for later, or, like me, you’re continuing to feed a kiddo that has no concept of New Year’s resolutions or cutting out sugars or what not, then here’s one more cookie recipe for you. They’re delicious, but somehow I’m resisting eat them. Yay me.
Coconut Butter Cookies with mini chocolate chips
Coconut Butter Cookies
3 cups (5.25 ounces) unsweetened, flaked coconut (If you use shredded, go by weight not volume.)
1 cup almond meal (again, I used the cheap Trader Joe’s stuff for this)
1/4 cup garfava flour OR 2 T. sifted coconut flour (I’ve tried it both ways, I prefer the garfava, but if you can’t eat that, then you can use the
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 T. ground flax seed + 6 T. hot water
1/3 cup palm sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Put the coconut in a food processor and turn it on. Let it run for about 10 minutes, scraping the sides occasionally, until you have a liquidy coconut butter. (If you don’t have a food processor you could probably substitute melted purchased coconut butter of the same weight. But, that stuff is way too expensive to use in cookies, in my opinion. By the way, you can stop here, pour it in a jar, and have a really cheap version of coconut butter to spread on toast, too.)
Meanwhile, mix the almond flour, garfava or coconut flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
When the coconut is liquified, add the flax eggs, vanila and sugar. Pulse to combine. Add the dry ingredients and pulse to combine. Remove dough from food processor (it will be thick) and stir in chocolate chips. Roll small (1 T.) balls of dough, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and press with a fork in a criss cross pattern.
Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes. Cool completely before moving.
For more slightly indulgent recipes, visit Amy’s Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. For more gluten-free recipes, check out Gluten-Free Wednesdays.
The Mommy Bowl 
Love the sound of these. I just made a huge batch of coconut butter yesterday using the processor method–it’s great! 🙂 They look totally indulgent. . . I think I’d better eat stir-fry for lunch first!
Thanks Ricki – I’m eating the stir fry INSTEAD of. Oh the willpower!
Deanna, these sound amazing. I cannot wait to try these. I love how you grind the coconut flakes!
Happy New Year to you!
xo
kim
Thanks Kim. I stole the home made coconut butter from some other blog long ago, but it’s a tip that bears repeating. I can’t imagine paying 8 bucks for a little jar of the premade stuff when it’s so easy to make your own!
One word for this recipe and the picture- yummo! Good thing I don’t have a New Years resolution to give up sweets. These look too yummy to pass up. Chocolate and coconut…..Mmmm!
Thank you! Let me know if you bake them. I always appreciate getting feedback.
These sound wonderful and I want to try them very soon. The only question I have is regarding the flax seeds. I am allergic to flax. Can I just omit them? Would I need to omit the water then too? Do you have any suggestions for substitutes for the flax in this and other recipes? Thank you!
Hi Heidi,
Can you do Chia seeds? Chia seeds are also a good substitute for flax seeds. Or, if you can eat eggs, the flax + water are a substitute for 2 eggs in this recipe. I haven’t tried it with eggs, but I’m thinking it would work just fine. If you can do Chia seeds, the amounts are a bit different. Instead of 2 T. of flax, it would be 2 t. of Chia. I hope that helps!
I have tried Chia seeds and I’ve noticed similar mouth/throat tingling/swelling, so I’m hesitant to try them again, but I can definitely do eggs. Thanks so much!!
I definitely have to try these. The gorgeous picture made my mouth water!
I’ve never heard of garfava flour! I do have coconut flour on hand, though. Very cool idea of making your own coconut butter, I have to try this!
Thanks!
Gar-fava flour is a combination of garbanzo bean flour and fava bean flour. You could also use straight garbanzo bean flour. It’s called besan flour in Indian markets. More info here: http://www.foodsubs.com/Flournw.html#chickpea%20flour
I’d never heard of garfava flour either. Thanks for the link! The picture is mouthwatering!
Thanks Lisa,
I like garfava flour in small doses. In large quantities, it tastes too beany. But, as a secondary flour it adds moisture and density.
These cookies look great. I don’t use garfava, so I would probably try the coconut flour.
Thanks Linda, I know some people don’t like garfava. That’s why I tried it both ways to see if there was a good alternative. They’re a little softer with the coconut flour. But, they’re still really good. 🙂
I love garfava flour. It’s a great addition to my gluten free sandwich bread. Love the idea of homemade coconut butter. Must research and figure out how to make it. I’ve been buying Artisan Coconut Butter and it’s about $10 a pop for a tiny jar. While I only use a tablespoon for my daily smoothie, it seems to disappear quickly. I’d love to be able to make it at home!
Ellen,
The directions are in the recipe – put coconut flakes in food processor and buzz away until you have liquid. Pour in a jar. Voila!
These look delicious! I am not going to lie to you, my husband is the one with celiac, but I eat more garfava flour than he does here….I LOVE the stuff! I am also a huge lover of the subtle coconut flavor coconut flour gives sweets. YUM!
Thank you Sarena. I hope you try them. It’s good to hear that there are other people that like garfava flour, too!
Oh my goodness. oh MY GOODNESS. I was literally just dreaming of the Perfect chocolate chip cookie and what do I see. This lovely post with Beautiful photos! Bookmarked!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!! xo,
Brittany
Thank you SO much for sharing this method for coconut butter. I feel silly that I haven’t researched making my own before now, but am so happy that you share the method here in this gorgeous cookie recipe! I am now plowing through your site since I found you (just today) at Linda’s GF Homemaker! And kudos to you for eating the stir fry instead!! 😉
~Gigi
Thanks and welcome Gigi. I’ll have to go check out your blog as well!
Will definitely add these to the “to make” list, Deanna! They look and sound like perfection. 🙂 I’ve been loving making cookies with flax seed lately. 😉
Shirley
Thanks Shirley. I love flax – eat it every day on my morning breakfast bowl. And, it works so well as an egg replacer. I like chia seeds, too – but they’re so much more expensive than flax!
Oh, gosh…must stay away from coco butter…the allure is so strong!
These look totally fab. I’m sharing on my blog’s FB page. WOW! xo
Thanks Kim! I appreciate it.
Oh wow, these sound amazing! Fortunately (or unfortunately given the calories) I have everything on hand. =D
Thanks! I hope they turn out for you. 🙂
hello! I stumbled upon your recipe at tastespotting or foodgawker (sorry, I can’t remember which!) I made it and it was really good! I discovered it was cakey room temperature and cookie texture frozen; both enjoyable!
Thanks for the feedback Rika. We didn’t try freezing them. They were gobbled down too quickly. Maybe I should have frozen some to slow us down, eh? 🙂
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they look really good – and i mean it 🙂
Thanks for this great recipe! I was looking for recipes using coconut butter but yes, so expensive! I’m going to try making my own today. Any idea how much wheat flour I would use instead of the flours you list? And what is the egg exchange? I have a great source for beautiful pasture eggs
You could try with 1 1/4 cups wheat flour. (It’s been a long time since I’ve used wheat, but I _think_ it should work. If it’s too thin, just add a little more. 🙂 And, the conversion to use eggs would be 2 eggs instead of the flax seed and water.
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Hi Deanna,
I love the look of this recipe – it’s making its way to the top of my list of things to try out. I was just wondering, how much coconut butter should I substitute in if I have already made my own?
Honestly, I don’t know the volume. I’ve never measured it that way. I’ve only gone by weight. Do you have a scale? It would be 5.25 ounces by weight. I can try to find some time to make these again this weekend and measure the volume, if you don’t have a scale.
These are deelish! I used jarred coconut butter, so I guesstimated on the qty. How much coconut butter does your method yield for this recipe? Thanks for the great site!
I finally made these again tonight and measured the volume of coconut butter. It’s about 1/2 cup. I think it’s probably pretty flexible, though.
Thanks for checking the volume of coconut butter =D. I had forgotten about this recipe for several months, but will be making it again soon. I have a friend who’s wild about coconut, and I think these have her name written all over them.