Coconut Cookies: Vegan and Gluten-Free

I believe my husband could eat chocolate chip cookies every day for rest of his life. He is truly a chocoholic, whereas I like chocolate desserts only during the cold months. However, I do like to treat myself to something sweet sometimes, and this is one of those guilt-free recipes. Not only are these cookies already vegan and gluten-free, but you can make them sugar-free as well if you can find sugar-free chocolate chips!

What is unusual about those cookies?

We are constantly being subjected to advertising, and someone is always telling us what’s good for us and what’s not. There’s a new trendy food every day. How often do you hear this food or that food is a “superfood” or that “this diet is the best diet”? I like to think that whatever God made is always best. All around the world you can find civilizations that have survived on vegetables and grains that are specific to their area. In the US, we all hear about quinoa and how healthy this grain is for us. But what about some other grains like buckwheat or amaranth? They’re all gluten-free and protein-rich grains with lots of benefits.

Today I would like to talk about a grain that doesn’t always get much attention: Amaranth.

The little seeds are so tiny! They are not the smallest grain in the world, but they are pretty small. Amaranth has an earthy, nutty flavor, with a balance of essential amino acids. Recent studies have also shown that the phytochemicals found in amaranth have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. If you like to try new things, like I do, this gluten-free ancient grain can add an interesting flavor to your baked goods without significantly altering the texture. It's great to add amaranth to your favorite baked recipes, but I recommend starting by substituting it for no more than 20% of your grains to begin with.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 12-15 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Author: Inna of innichkachef.com

Yield: 24 pieces

Ingredients

1 cup coconut butter

½ cup coconut sugar or monk fruit (for sugar free)

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup chia seed egg (mix 2 tablespoon of chia seeds and fill the rest of a half cup with water)

½ cup chocolate chips (I really like these one, but use any kind, even sugar free if you like)

½ cup quinoa flour (or you can use green buckwheat or amaranth flour)

1 cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat together the coconut butter and sugar in electric mixer with paddle attachment.

3. Add chia seed egg and almond extract.

4. Whisk together the flours, shredded coconut, baking soda, and salt, and add to the butter mixture in the bowl.

5. Gently fold chocolate chips into the batter.

6. Scoop batter with a cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet with plenty of space between the cookies. Press each cookie lightly with the back of a spoon.

7. Bake 12-15 minutes

Enjoy!

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.