Sometimes I think I really should have named this blog The Cookie Momster. Cookies seem to feature prominently around here. They are by far our favorite baked good. Lately, I’ve been on a kick to create grain-free versions of some family favorites. Double chocolate chips cookies are my dad’s all-time favorite, so I thought I’d start there. I needed some inspiration, though. I’ve got the gluten-free cookies down. But, grain free? That’s another thing entirely.
Who does one look to for grain-free goodness? Well, there’s Elena of Elena’s Pantry, of course. And, Ricki, from Diet Dessert & Dogs. But, for this particular recipe, I had to look no further than Kelly, from The Spunky Coconut. She had a grain-free chocolate chip cookie recipe that I used as a jumping off point. Stevia and I aren’t really friends, though. So, out went the stevia and in went palm sugar. If you don’t have palm sugar you could sub succanat or even light brown sugar in a pinch. I love palm sugar for it’s caramel notes and subtle sweetness. And, it’s a whole lot cheaper than a lot of other natural sweeteners. (Oh how I love my Asian food store.) And, of course, I had to add cocoa. And, I wasn’t looking for a low-fat healthy cookie here, so out went the applesauce and in went more coconut oil. And voila!
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup coconut oil (or palm shortening)
3/4 cup palm sugar
3 T. ground flax seed mixed with 3 T. warm water
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. xanthan gum
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the oil and sugar. Add the flax and beat until light and fluffy. Add all other ingredients except the chocolate chips and beat until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. (I did a few turns of hand kneading to get the chips well incorporated.)
Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
Chocolatey goodness
This post is linked up to Simply Gluten Free’s Photo Contest.
The Mommy Bowl 
Yum! These look delicious!
Thanks Iris!
beautiful cookies!
looks like i’ve found another grain-free blogger to browse!
Thanks so much!
Ab fab, as the British might say! These look incredible. I mean, Double Chocolate?? How can you go wrong? And I love palm sugar, too–just discovered it recently and am using it all over the place (though sparingly, given the cost!!). 🙂
Ricki – palm sugar is WAY cheaper than agave if you can find it in an Asian food store. At least, that’s been my experience.
Ooh, those look very melt-in-your-mouth. I love how you use almond & coconut flours, too.
Very yummy! I even know how to make almond flour now!
this looks so delicious!
have a nice time!
Paula
Hey Deanna,
Just wanted to let you know that I can’t wait to try these! And that I put this in My Favorite Recipes from Last Week post. Thanks!
~Aubree Cherie
Thank YOU – Aubree Cherie. I’m honored that it’s a favorite for the week!
I understand going gluten/wheat free, but why grains altogether?
Corrine,
I’ve just found that I feel best if I limit my intake of grains. I think it probably has to do with the carb/fat/protein ratios or something. It’s just what works for me. 🙂
Where can I find palm sugar cheap or what is a good price? We don’t have an Asian food store around here…do you buy it granulated or no? Thanks!
-Ari
Ariana Anderson
The Frugally Rich Life
http://www.thefrugallyrichlife.wordpress.com
GF, dairy-free, refined sugar-free recipes and frugality (+ traditional “non-allergy” recipe too)
thefrugallyrichlife@gmail.com
Twitter: FrugallyRichAri
Hi Ari,
Yep, mine comes granulated in a bag. You can also get it in a hard cone/brick that you have to grate. The stuff I buy looks a lot like this: http://www.brown-sugars.com/arenga-crystalic-palm-sugar/.
I’m not sure where you could get it cheaply. If you can’t find it, you can sub light brown sugar or succanat. Neither taste exactly the same, but they should work as reasonable subs. If you use light brown sugar, know that I don’t pack the palm sugar. (It’s kind of packable, but I measure it loose.)
Gorgeous! You definitely have food photography DOWN. 🙂
I’m very new to baking grain-free as we’re just doing it for a spell to heal up my husband’s gut. You seem to be very good at it, so I bet you can tell me what purpose the xanthan gum has and what would happen if, say, I don’t have it on hand. Is there a substitute? Can I omit it or will I have crumbs?
Thank you! 🙂 Katie
Hi Katie,
The xanthan gum helps bind everything together. I don’t think you’re vegan, right? You could probably use an extra large egg instead of the flax seed and water and skip the xanthan gum entirely. Guar gum (if you have that) is also a good sub. You could try just leaving it out. I didn’t use any in the pecan slices. They worked, but they were a bit more fragile. I _think_ these would work without it, too. But, you might wind up with cookie crumbles (always good on banana soft serve, though). 🙂
Thanks! I’m going to add an egg to the pecan ones, but this one was GREAT with just skipping it altogether. 🙂 Katie
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I can’t wait to try these! They look delicious and I’m doing a temporary grain-free thing for about 30 days as I kickstart some new healthy habits. I’m excited to find recipes using coconut oil and flour. I’m wondering if you have used any coconut sugar in any of your baking? Would you happen to know how it might compare to palm sugar? Thanks!
I’m glad you’re excited about them!
My understanding is that coconut sugar and palm sugar are essentially the same. It’s also sometimes called coconut palm sugar. In other words, if you have coconut sugar, feel free to swap it in one-for-one anytime I say palm sugar. 🙂