Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Because life is too short to skip dessert, whatever your dietary preference might be! I think everyone who eats paleo or primal has their own “favorite” chocolate chip recipe – here’s mine!

With a shout-out to Oatmeal With a Fork, whose recipe served as my starting point.  (Although now that I read it, almost a year later, it’s really hard to see the family relationship between her recipe and mine. Oh well! She was my inspiration!)

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour (I use Honeyville almost exclusively for baking)
scant 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
6 Tbs melted butter, cooled (mine was salted because that’s what I had!)
6 Tbs coconut sugar (you could substitute raw honey, but I think the flavor overwhelms the cookie)
2 eggs – OR – 2 egg whites, 1 Tbs unflavored gelatin and 1 Tbs water (I know it sounds weird, but it improves the texture. I use Great Lakes brand – the kind in the red can.)
1 Tbs vanilla
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (or less, according to personal preference – I use Enjoy Life)

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients (including the 1 Tbs gelatin, if using) in a large bowl, EXCEPT for the chocolate chips.  Tip: sift the almond flour, or use a fork to break up any clumps.

Mix the wet ingredients (including the 1 Tbs water, if using) in a medium bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients with the wet (bet you didn’t see that one coming!).  Gently fold in chocolate chips. If the batter seems warm – like the chips get melty because the butter wasn’t all the way cooled down – I will chill it for a while at this point while letting the oven heat up.

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to measure out 16 cookies. Press the batter mounds flat with your palm or other likely accoutrement – these don’t “spread” like wheat based cookies do.  Bake for 11 – 12 minutes. Let sit on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.

Enjoy!