Flourless Cookies Two Ways

Hey there!

Now that the kids are back in school, I have been hitting the books hard!  When I need a study break, I either workout or get into the kitchen to try out a new recipe.  I have so many awesome new recipes to share and just need to take the time to get them up here.

I debated what to call these……flourless, grain-free, gluten-free, clean-eating, paleo…… they fit into all of those categories!

My youngest, Jake, has been coming home from Kindergarten with all kinds of new lunch requests.  I try to keep a low-key, balanced approach to food with my kids.  After reading the book Nourishing Wisdom for my “Personal Relationship with Food” class, I have realized we should not label foods as “good” or “bad” since really, food is neutral.  It is our personal judgement of a food, or how it makes us feel, that is good/positive or bad/negative.  Labeling a food as “bad” sets us up for cravings, binges, and negative feelings.  It is my hope that if I feed my kids enough healthy “real” food, balanced with an occasional treat here and there, that they will eventually make their own conscious decision of how certain foods make them feel and whether or not they choose to eat them.

Consequently, I feel the same way about the gluten-free craze.  I may change my mind on this one over the course of my studies at NTI, but for now, I don’t think we should vilify wheat, gluten, or all grains unless there is a justified medical reason to do so.   We can experiment to see how these foods make us feel and make that decision on our own.  I know that wheat is a common allergen for many people and that a lot of us consume far too much of it, so I have been experimenting with a few more gluten or grain-free recipes for people that may require them.

Back to the cookies….basically the kid wants dessert every day at lunch like his friends!  So what’s a kitchen-happy mom to do but get to work creating a quick, easy, cookie with healthy whole food ingredients sure to please the kid in all of us!

I have a few different variations on this recipe.  The original – mmm, good.  Or the it’s-Fall-time-to-make-pumpkin-everything version – mmm, super good!  Maybe more of an adult flavor though.

Give these a try and let me know what you think!

Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from myrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 cup natural nut butter (PB is great – more kid-friendly flavor, almond butter works too-more health benefits)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup OR honey

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

scant 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (I have been buying soy free, dairy free by Enjoy Life)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together.  Use a spoon or small ice cream scoop and place on a pan lined with Silpat or Parchment Paper.  Bake for 9-11 minutes.  Cool on the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. I like the cookies on the softer side, but need them to hold up in a lunchbox.  They are still a very soft cookie so store in the refrigerator or freezer!!

Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup natural nut butter (same as above PB or almond butter)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup OR honey

1 egg

1/2 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1-1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

scant 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (I have been buying soy free, dairy free by Enjoy Life)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together.  Use a spoon or small ice cream scoop and place on a pan lined with Silpat or Parchment Paper.  Bake for 15 minutes or to your liking.  The pumpkin cookies need a little longer to bake than the original.  Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in the refrigerator or freezer as they are super soft.

NOTES

My kids definitely prefer the plain chocolate chip cookie recipe using peanut butter.

To make both types of cookies, start off making this recipe as the original chocolate chip, scoop out 12 cookies onto a pan, then add 1/4 cup pumpkin and 3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice to the remaining batter in the bowl.  Then proceed with the next 12 cookies so that you have the best of both worlds!

They are definitely a super soft cookie compared to a store-bought cookie.  They should be stored in the fridge or freezer and taste great straight from the freezer!