The holidays are in full swing here, which means I am gearing up for some holiday baking. This year in particular, creating homemade gifts, especially home baked goods, are definitely more special than the years before. If there is anything 2020 has taught us, is to appreciate what we have, the people around us and to be less concerned with consumer products.
Now, I am sure everyone knows at least one person in their life with some sort of food intolerance or allergy. It can sometimes be difficult to find a treat that caters to all without compromising on flavour and texture, especially when it comes to a cookie.
There are certain ingredients that cannot be substituted because it will change the all around texture of the cookie. Certain swaps, however, can still be made.
With this recipe, I swapped butter for coconut oil. I find that coconut oil has a similar texture to butter and can mimic the ingredient in different ways. Coconut oil, is slightly healthier than butter, but it is still high in saturated fats and should be eaten moderately.
TIP: Once you melt the coconut oil, let it cool slightly. If it cools too much, it will harden again.
I also used whole wheat flour vs. all purpose. Desserts are usually made with refined flours, and whole wheat doesn’t always work because it is much more dense. Adding the right amount in the recipe can still work, and a little more nutritious than regular white all purpose flour.
Swapping refined white sugar for organic coconut sugar. It is still sugar, don’t get me wrong, it will still spike your blood sugar levels. However, it is lower on the glucose index than table sugar, meaning it won’t spike it as high or as quickly. There are certain recipes that if you take the granular sugar out, it will create a different textured cookie. Therefore, when a recipe calls for granulated sugar, coconut palm sugar is my go to.
If you have someone with an egg allergy, a flaxseed egg is the perfect substitute: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water mixed together.
Ok, I am going to share with you my chocolate secret when it comes to baking. Ready…?
Espresso Powder. Like salt, this enhances the chocolate flavour in any dessert, and the beauty is you don’t need a lot. In this recipe, I add only 1/4 teaspoon, which is enough for a dozen cookies. Espresso powder gives the cookies this rich chocolate flavour that may have you want 2, 3…who’s counting?
It’s the perfect combo of a crispy and chewy cookie.
Jazz it Up Holiday Style…The beauty about these cookies is you can add and omit other ingredients. For the holidays, I like to add 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract (organic is better) and sprinkle some crushed candy cane on top. Nothing says holiday like a little candy cane.
Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe makes about 15 cookies.
Ingredients:
- 1 egg or flaxseed egg (1 tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water)
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled.
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/4 tsp espresso powder (optional, this will enhance the chocolate flavour)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (optional)
- 3/4 cups dairy free chocolate chips
- Malden salt flakes or crushed candy cane to top it off (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Whisk egg and sugar.
- Combine oil and vanilla with egg mixture.
- Combine all the dry ingredients into a separate bowl.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture,
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- On a baking pan with parchment paper, roll dough into 1 inch balls, and slightly flatten.
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes.
- Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before devouring.
Enjoy!
Antonietta xo
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