Paleo chocolate chip cookies that are gluten, grain and dairy free but taste just like the real thing! Just a small amount of easy ingredients and you can be eating these in minutes!
It’s been a week.
Like one of those that despite your best intentions, all you can eat think of is chocolate, dessert, pasta, cheese… Basically, all the bad stuff.
I blame the stupid weather which, according to weather.com, was supposed to be sunny and 60s every day when I checked on Sunday and then somehow ended up a cloudy, drizzly mess for 3 of those days.
My cousin just graduated with a degree in meteorology and took his first job which is accompanied by a disgustingly low salary. I now understand why. I’m convinced they all just sit around throwing darts at a selection of weather patterns and pick whichever one they hit for the forecast. (Chris- I’m kidding)
This is why I hate winter. It makes me crave bad things.
And before someone gets all sassy in the comments, no, I’m not calling cheese and pasta inherently bad, but when you crave copious amounts of each every day because it looks like armageddon outside, it’s not the healthiest choice.
I can usually hold myself off for the first half of the day but that 2-3pm blah time gets me.
Every. Single. Time.
It’s about the time I want a nap, lose all motivation to work and want to eat every single piece of chocolate and/or carby goodness in my house. This doesn’t happen in the summer.
Reason #345987456 why we should’ve never moved back to NY from Florida.
So since we have approximately 6 more months of this craptastic weather coming our way, I decided I needed a go to 2-3pm fix.
Requirements:
- Chocolate
- Tastes legit
- I can eat like 5 of them without feeling bad.
Let’s expand upon #2 for a second – when I say “tastes legit” I mean I don’t want some “health-ified” or “high protein-ified” version of a classic that uses prunes or dates or protein powder. Although, I’m kinda making fun of myself when I say that because these raw brownie bites fit that description but are SO delicious at the same time.
Guys- there’s some crazy ass shit out there in the form of “recipes” for stuff like that.
I just so happened to have picked about 5 of them for recent breakfasts. Wednesday’s ended up in a batter explosion and a black waffle with great flavor but the texture of an air puff. Um, wtf? Do people not taste their creations before posting for the world?
I digress.
I’m giving myself an A on this assignment.
These paleo chocolate chip cookies have chocolate chunks, legit chocolate chip cookie flavor and most importantly for me when it comes to a chocolate chip cookie, they have the soft gooey chocolate center. Soft batch cookies are where it’s at. Life’s too short for crispy, hard cookies, at least when it comes to chocolate chip.
Somehow they’re also miraculously dairy-free, grain-free and paleo.
Holla.
Also, I somehow only ate 3 straight out of the oven. So make that an A+ on this cookie assignment.
If you want to take these paleo chocolate chip cookies to the next level, check out these paleo bacon chocolate chip cookies!
Same recipe just with the addition of some crispy crumbled bacon to the batter for that delicious salty sweet combination.
Love these paleo chocolate chip cookies?
Try these other paleo cookie recipes like this Paleo Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet <– so gooey and insanely delicious!, these Paleo Blueberry Thumbprints or these Paleo Blueberry Chocolate Macaroons.
And for something chocolaty but not in cookie form, paleo chocolate mousse never disappoints.
Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil, *update: make sure to measure oil after melting so that you’re not inadvertently using too much. This can cause cookies to flatten
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon almond milk
- 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate pieces Enjoy Life chocolate chips are a great option.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Whisk together wet ingredients in a small bowl.
- Add wet to dry and mix together.
- Fill a tablespoon measure with batter and press down to form a half-circle. Tap batter out onto baking sheet and lightly press down in the center. *Optional – freeze cookies on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before baking. This helps keep them from spreading.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until bottoms just start to turn brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They will be soft when removed from oven but firm up in a couple of minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I don’t know what to say. I just have to add to the litany. These were *perfect*. I added a bit of unsweetened coconut, and about 1/2 cup more almond flour because they were quite wet. Honestly, the texture, the taste, everything is great. Thank you!! – from Toronto :)
BEST chocolate “chip” cookies ever! These are so good even my ten year old said they were better than “regular” chocolate chip cookies. The Ghirardelli Sea Salt Soiree is totally the way to go. Yummmmers. Thank you for sharing! Five stars from Lookout Mountain GA!
Wow! These were my first attempt at any sort of paleo cookie and I love them! The taste reminds me of the Hello Dolly squares my mom used to make when I was a kid. Thank you!!
I made last night and loved them! The prep was quick and the cookies with soft and chewy with crispy bottoms. Amazing!
I made these a few days ago (with a couple of small changes) and they we’re SO goooood!
This sounds great. And sorry if this has already been asked but the Ghiradelli make dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips? I am completely dairy/soy free and struggle to find the right chocolate (especially since I live in German). I used to buy Enjoy Life, but can’t get that brand shipped here. But if Ghiradelli is dairy free I’ll have to explore that realm. Thanks!
They don’t. In fact, the ghiradelli chocolate mentioned in this post (the sea salt one) isn’t really considered paleo. Enjoy Life, like you mentioned, is the most commonly used paleo one I know of. I believe Lindt has a 90% dark chocolate that is at least soy free, not sure about the dairy part though.
Gina, these are DELICIOUS, and a perfect PMS cure. ;) I hope you don’t mind these tips for those keto readers… looking forward to trying more of your ideas!
KETO help / update for this recipe:
I substituted 1 teaspoon of liquid stevia for the honey
I used half carob chips and half chopped dark chocolate (1/8 cup of each to total 1/4 cup)
Nutrition info with these modifications per cookie for a total of 9 cookies:
105 calories
10.2 grams total fat
1.1 grams net carbs (2.4 total, 1.3 fiber)
2.3 grams protein
don’t mind at all. thanks for the info! glad you enjoyed them :)
I love you.
What had stopped me from trying these was the chore of figuring out how to ketofy them.
Thank you!
I made them and it the real deal it’s so yummmmy that I can’t believe I am not consuming a lot of carbs. try them you we’ll not be disappointed. Thank you
I don’t have almond milk. Do you think this would work if I thinned out my coconut milk with a little water?
Any milk should work. If you’re using the liquid part of the coconut milk, I wouldn’t thin it. If you’re talking about using the cream part, then yes, dilute a bit.
WOW! I didn’t quite believe the ‘best choc chip cookies I’ve had period’ part but I just made them and I have to say I agree!! and so easy to make! (now if only almond meal cost the same as regular flour :P)
thank you!