THE FARMHOUSE

I’ve been on hunt for a healthier chocolate chip cookie recipe and I FINALLY FOUND IT! If you like healthy-ish, but still delicious baked goods, these cookies do not disappoint. Nutty, soft, and filled with a rustic granola mixture, they’re crazy good. They also happen to be gluten-free. I’d go so far as to say I like these cookies better than the all-time best regular chocolate chip cookie recipe. And that’s really saying something for a life-long chocolate chip cookie baker!

healthy-ish chocolate chip cookies (gluten free) on www.thegritandpolish.com

Our Farmhouse kitchen sources here + small countertop pots

These cookies use 100% almond flour, which makes them gluten free and also adds a great nutty taste and turns the soft insides into a gooey, marzipan-ey concoction. All good things in my book! These cookies are also less sweet than traditional chocolate chip cookies, although they definitely still qualify as a dessert.

A quick note, these cookies require a refrigeration period of at least an hour. So a little planning ahead is needed, which is a bit of a pain when you have a chocolate chip cookie craving. But I swear it’s worth it.

This recipe is based off of Abra’s Paleo Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (which is awesome!). I substituted ingredients based on what we have in our kitchen and then experimented with the addition of a mixture of nuts, coconut, buckwheat groats (which add a delicious crunch) and seeds that I’m calling ‘rustic granola’. I’m super pleased with how these turned out! But you can definitely adjust the ‘add-ins’ in this recipe to suit what you what you keep in your kitchen and what your family enjoys!

Healthier (but still delicious!) Chocolate Chip Cookies

*Gluten Free

Makes ~18 medium cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened

2/3 cup raw turbinado sugar (you can sub brown sugar)

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Rustic granola, to taste (recipe below) *optional*

Rustic Granola recipe

*all these ingredients should be available at your local health food store

1 cup Slivered almond

1/3 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

1/4 cup Buckwheat groats

1 tbsp Sesame seeds

2 tbsp Pumpkin seeds

To make the rustic granola: place a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add slivered almonds, shredded coconut, buckwheat grouts, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Cook until almonds are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Add in egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined. Scrape down bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt.

Add almond flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add chocolate chips and mix and stir until combined. If you’re going to include the rustic granola add it now (I usually use 1/2 cup to 1 cup, but the kids like less and Garrett and I like a little more) and gently mix. We like to leave the leftover granola on our countertop and sprinkle it over crepes, oatmeal, ice cream, etc.

Refrigerate dough for 1+ hours.

Heat oven to 325.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll dough into medium balls (about 1” rounds) and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. I cook 9 cookies per sheet, leaving plenty of room around each cookie to expand. Before baking, push balls down gently with your fingers to slightly flatten them.

Bake 9+ minutes, until the tops are slightly browned. Do not over cook these cookies! Cookies will appear very soft when done. and will harden as they cool. These are best served warm from the oven, but they taste great for a couple of days.

Repeat with the second batch, or refrigerate second half of dough for dessert the next day.