Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies [vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, and refined sugar-free]

Been a bit MIA from baking and this blog because there's only less than 50 days until the big day! There's still quite a bit to plan and finalize.. But in all honesty, the blog is neglected not because I don't have time, but I got to watch out for any muffin top forming in the meantime and steered away from sweets!

Wow, a lot has changed since I baked these cookies and drafted this post. It's exactly 30 days from what could've been our wedding. Our wedding is officially cancelled with the current COVID-19 pandemic. The last couple weeks were filled with uncertainty and anxiety for the fiance and I. On top of informing all our friends and family, we had to reach out to our vendors to find best solution for the contracts we have signed and the deposits we have put down.

A lot is still in discussion, but we are at a better mental stage now. All this is unexpected and out of anyone's control. What's most important is health and that we have each other. There's always time to celebrate again in the future.

With a "stay at home" order in California and no wedding in the near future to stay in figure for, let's bake more!

I've been wanting to incorporate more healthy ingredients. And as you read from the title of this post, this is vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, and refined sugar-free! It uses everything I already have in the pantry, and it's quick and easy.

 

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe adapted from Bakerita
yields about 12 cookies

½ cup (100g) refined coconut oil softened
⅔ cup (96g) coconut sugar*
1 large egg room temperature (for vegan/to eat the dough, use a flax egg: mix 1 tablespoon flax meal + 2.5 tablespoons water and let gel for 10 minutes before using)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2¼ cups (220g) blanched almond flour
1 cup (6 ounces) chopped dark chocolate
Flaky sea salt to sprinkle on top (optional)

*halved recipe and used 50g coconut sugar

 

 

1. Mix together coconut oil and coconut sugar until smooth. Add egg or flax egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth.
2. Add almond flour, salt, and baking soda to the wet ingredients. Mix until well incorporated. Fold in chopped chocolate.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (or up to 48 hours).
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Use a cookie scoop to form cookies and place on a parchment lined baking sheet; press down slightly. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Bake for about 10 or until just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges.
5. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

The edges of these cookies browned a lot quicker and developed into crumbly crisp skirts.

Taste: 3.5 stars out of 5
Good sweetness and delicious nuttiness from the almond flour
Texture: 3.5 stars out of 5
A bit too crumbly in texture. Crisp edges with a moist center.

Healthy Banana Bread (My new go to recipe)

This banana bread recipe is actually very similar to a previous one I've baked and loved. Instead of maple syrup and almond milk, I subbed with honey and Greek yogurt and upped the amount of coconut oil from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup. The resulting loaf is lightly sweetened with a moist interior and a nice crust.

If you have an extra egg, banana and don't mind some refined sugar, try this other recipe I have on the blog! For now, this healthier version will be on my regular rotation. It makes for a nice grab and go breakfast treat for those dreadful early work mornings.

Anzac Biscuits

Anzac Biscuits (a.k.a. Crisp Coconut Oatmeal Cookies)
recipe adapted from Lazy Cat Kitchen

makes about 22

100 g / 1 cup oats
85 g / ¾ cup (slightly heaped) desiccated coconut*
100 g / 1 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour*
100 g / ½ cup + 1 tbsp caster sugar*
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp water, hot
100 g / 3.5 oz vegan butter, margarine or refined coconut oil*
1 tbsp maple syrup or golden syrup*

*Notes:

100g unsweetened coconut chips, pulsed

50g white whole wheat flour + 50g AP flour

75g coconut sugar

40g coconut oil + 60g unsalted butter

maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 180° C / 355° F.
2. Put oats, desiccated coconut, flour and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and mix well.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat (or in microwave), add maple syrup and stir until combined.
4. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 2 tbsp of hot water and add to melted butter mixture.
5. Add melted butter mixture to dry ingredients and stir gently until it is mixed well.
6. Roll mixture into balls with your hands (it should make 20 at 25 g each), flatten each ball so that you have 1 cm / 0.4″ high cookies, and place them 2 cm / 1″ apart on a paper lined baking tray.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I wasn't at all familiar with Anzac Biscuits nor Australia Day until I came across a couple posts on these cookies while looking for an oatmeal cookie recipe.

An Anzac biscuit is a sweet, hard tack biscuit, popular in Australia and New Zealand, made using rolled oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda, boiling water, and (optionally) desiccated coconut. Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I.
(source: Wikipedia) 

What's not to love about these biscuits from down under which are pretty much oatmeal cookies with loads of coconut chips mixed in? They turned out exactly as I have anticipated - crisp and chewy with a wonderful aroma!

I adapted the recipe to balance between wholesome and indulgent. I substituted half of the flour with white whole wheat flour and nearly half of the fat with coconut oil. I also opted for coconut sugar and maple syrup which I have readily on hand.

I added 15g more coconut chips unintentionally and forgot that the recipe called for desiccated coconut. I only briefly pulsed my coconut chips which resulted in larger pieces mixed into the batter. The dough was a bit crumbly and took some time to form into balls, but nonetheless turned out delicioso!

Taste: 4 stars out of 5
Fragrant, buttery and rich!
Texture: 4 stars out of 5
Crisp with loads of oatmeal and coconut chips which added some chew!

Matcha Mochi Waffles

Matcha and Mochi are probably my favorite M words.

The sub with coconut oil and that organic coconut palm syrup drizzle gave these waffles just the right hint of coconut. Next time, I'd probably up the matcha and glutinous rice flour to intensify the matcha flavor and chewiness.

Matcha Mochi Waffles
recipe adapted from Miss Hangry Pants
serves 4-5 (about 6 waffles)

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup mochiko *see notes
2 Tbsp sugar *see notes
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp matcha powder
1/4 tsp salt *see notes
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp melted butter *see notes
1 cup buttermilk *see notes

*Notes: subbed mochiko with glutinous rice flour, sugar with organic coconut palm sugar, melted butter with coconut oil, buttermilk and 1 Tbsp lemon juice + milk to make 1 cup, and unintentionally skipped salt.

1. In a bowl, whisk/sift together dry ingredients (flour, mochiko, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, matcha powder, and salt).
2. In another bowl, lightly whisk together wet ingredients (egg, vanilla extract, melted butter, and buttermilk).
3. Add wet to dry and stir until no lumps.
4. Bake waffles according to waffle maker instructions on medium-high setting.
5. Cool slightly and enjoy waffles fresh!

On highest heat setting (5/5), waffles turned out dark and crisp with a fluffy interior. On medium-high setting (4/5) waffles were golden brown with an interior that was more chewy and mochi-like. I preferred mine on medium high or simply let them sit to soften. A belgian waffle maker would probably yield a better ratio of chewy interior to crisp edges.

Taste: 4 stars out of 5
Lightly sweetened and paired perfectly with a drizzle of organic coconut palm syrup. Matcha flavor was subtle.
Texture: 4 stars out of 5
Crisp and softens overtime to give that mochi bite.

Banana Bread Granola

My baking routine has been disrupted or paused for a little while now ever since my diet was turned upside down during our trip in New Orleans late February. 

A simple Greek yogurt banana bread and a unique banana bread granola are slowly easing me back into the game. 

With no oil and refined sugar, the banana bread was a little dense for my liking. But these banana bread granola thooooo.. These are great in my yogurt parfait and even just as a snack on their own. 

I love how the sweetness mask the not so pleasant Greek yogurt flavor (:

Banana Bread Granola
recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker
makes about 7 cups

240g old fashioned rolled oats
95g walnuts
40g pecans
25g sunflower seeds
38g coconut chips, unsweetened
1 Tbsp (10g) organic coconut palm sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon, ground
1 Tbsp flax seeds, ground
1 tsp chia seeds 

52g coconut oil, melted
100g maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium ripe banana, mashed  (~1/2 cup)

1. DRY: In large bowl, combine oats, nuts, seeds, coconut chips, sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon.
2. WET: In pot over low heat, combine oil, syrup, and vanilla and warm till liquid state.
3. WHISK: Whisk mashed banana into wet ingredients.
4. COMBINE: Pour wet ingredients into dry. Mix until evenly combined.
5. BAKE: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread granola mixture out in an even layer. Bake at 350F, gently stirring at 15 minutes, until the granola is golden-brown and dry, 30 minutes.
6. COOL: Let cool completely and transfer to jar to store. 

Dry ingredients.

All ready to combine together.

Last minute idea to throw in my leftover coconut chips.

Spread out to an even thickness layer.

Mix them up a bit to release the heat once they are done baking.

Good chunky size!

Yogurt parfait.

Granola > Greek yogurt.

Taste: 5 stars out of 5

Banana flavor was mild. Good amount of sweetness. Lovely toasty-ness from the nuts.

Texture: 4.5 stars out of 5

Not as crispy as my last granola, but nothing a little longer bake time can't fix.

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Cookies without the butta! Slightly crisp. Tender and Moist. And a hint of tropical coconuty-ness.

These are great for spontaneous sweets cravings because you don't need to bring the butter to room temperature for creaming nor chill the dough at all before baking. Woohoo.. From start to taking a bite out of the soft fudgy fresh out of the oven cookies, I'd say 30 minutes?

So if you got 30 minutes and are craving some delicious cookies, keep reading!

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chips Walnut Cookies

recipe adapted from Oh Lady Cakes

makes about 21 cookies

2/3 cup (148g) light brown sugar, packed *reduced to 140g
2 tablespoons (20g) potato starch *used cornstarch
1/3 cup (75g) refined coconut oil, melted (but not hot) *used TJ's organic virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup (56g) unsweetened almond milk, room temperature *used 2% milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt *used 1/4 tsp of table salt
1 1/3 cups (185g) all purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cups walnuts, chopped and toasted

After milk and vanilla extract are added, mixture was curdled and weird.

Proceeded with dry mixture, and mixture was a bit dry.. Uh oh!

Rolling with it.. Mixed in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Scooped 1.5 Tbsp and rolled into balls.

Flattened slightly before baking.

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Line large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper; set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and potato starch until evenly combined.
4. Stir in melted coconut oil and whisk for 30-45 seconds, just until the mixture starts to thicken.
5. Add milk and vanilla extract; whisk until combined then let set for about 1 minute to thicken, before mixing again.
6. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix with a wooden spoon or spatula, just until combined then quickly/gently mix in the dark chocolate and walnuts.
7. Using a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet then roll into round balls and flatten slightly.
8. Bake at 350˚F for 10-11 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for ten minutes.
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
*Cookies can be kept in an air tight container, at room temperature, for up to five days. 

I almost thought these cookies weren't coming together when my dough looked absolutely nothing like the ones on Oh Lady Cakes. First of all, the coconut oil didn't seem to incorporate evenly and looked terrible. Then, the addition of milk and vanilla extract made it looked even worse.. The liquid ingredients didn't seem to bind well with the sugar/cornstarch. And finally, the dough was dry and crumbly. 

I am suspecting the cold weather and my freezing kitchen might have solidified the coconut oil during mixing? But oh well, after rolling and baking, these cookies turned out decent! They didn't look perfectly round and flat, but taste matters more imo.

The cookies didn't spread much.

Puffy and very fudgy when eaten fresh out of the oven.

My first sheet was rolled and baked, while my second sheet was flattened prior to baking. If you like more of a soft fudgy center, go unflattened. I preferred the second sheet where the cookies were overall crisp.

I used TJ's Organic Virgin coconut oil which lends a more prominent coconut taste in these cookies. I loved that and would have been great if I thew in some toasted coconut chips as well.

Taste: 4 stars out of 5

A bit sweet for my taste but nice subtle coconut flavor.

Texture: 3.5 stars out of 5

These cookies were sturdy and firm which makes them perfect for holiday cooking gifting. Crisp bite and the center sort of melts away. Walnuts added a nice extra crunch too.

Update: after a day, the cookies lost the initial crisp and were overall tender, moist and chewy.