Do you love a cookie or a brownie? How about if you can have both? These paleo chocolate brownie cookies are so fudgy, chocolate-rich, gluten-free, refined-sugar free and 100% delicious! These cookies are made from tahini (sesame seed paste), almond flour and sweetened with pure maple syrup. Best part is that these cookies are ready in under half an hour!
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR THESE PALEO CHOCOLATE BROWNIE COOKIES
TAHINI
TAHINI is ground roasted sesame seeds. It has the same consistency as peanut or almond butter but is completely nut-free, and is a great alternative for those with nut allergies. There’s two kinds– hulled and unhulled, and the difference is that hulled tahini has the bran taken out of the kernels prior roasting. Unhulled tahini on the other hand is made from whole sesame seeds which makes it darker in color, much bitter but also higher in calcium. Either hulled or unhulled tahini will work for these cookies.
As an alternative, you can use almond butter or even peanut butter. Make sure you pick the all-natural and unsweetened one.
COCONUT SUGAR
COCONUT SUGAR is one of the paleo options that I love when it comes to sweeteners. It’s low-glycemic which means it doesn’t spike up your glucose levels like how refined sugars do. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can also sub with pure honey or pure maple syrup.
ALMOND FLOUR
ALMOND FLOUR or almond meal is made from ground almonds. If you are gluten-sensitive and can’t stand the regular white flour, then almond flour is your go-to ingredient when it comes to baking. Almonds are rich in antioxidants, fiber, protein, magnesium, and vitamin E which makes these cookies so nutrient-dense! There’s different kinds of almond flour you will normally find in groceries and my recommended one is the ‘blanched’ flour if you want your baked goodies to have a finer consistency. However, you can still use any other almond flour in this recipe.
CACAO / COCOA POWDER & DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS
Either raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder can be used for these cookies. Raw cacao is made by cold-pressing un-roasted cacao beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cacao and removes the fat (cacao butter). While cocoa powder is raw cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures. They look the same but in terms of nutritional value, the raw cacao definitely rates higher.
For the dark chocolate chips, choose one that’s at least 50-70% dark chocolate. Pick also a good-quality chocolate if you want the taste to be richer and fudgier. For VEGAN options, go for non-dairy dark chocolate chips.
Dark chocolate has loads of anti-oxidants and is known to boost immunity and even your mood. So adding it into your diet in moderation won’t hurt!
TIPS TO MAKE THESE PALEO CHOCOLATE BROWNIE COOKIES EXTRA FUDGY
- Use TAHINI instead of nut butter. I’ve tested this recipe using almond butter and the consistency is less fudgy as compared to using tahini. You can also use peanut butter if you don’t have allergies.
- DON’T OVER-BAKE. When it comes to cookies, over-baking means crunchier and harder cookies. The sweet spot for these cookies is at 9 minutes, but then again it depends on your oven so just check at the 8-minute mark and see if the center is soft to the touch but not wet and sticky.
- LET IT COOL on the baking sheet. Once the cookies are out of the oven, do NOT remove them from the cookie sheet and let it stay for another 10 minutes or so. This allows the cookies to continue cooking and makes the edges and bottom crunchier, but with the center still a little fudgy.
CAN YOU FREEZE THESE COOKIES?
Yes can do! You can either freeze these by scooping first the cookie dough into balls and placing flat on a tray in a single layer with parchment paper. Pop into the freezer to set before transferring into a container. Or you can also freeze the baked cookies in a container and just thaw it the night before you want to consume it. Don’t refreeze thawed cookies for safety reasons.
To bake, simply pop the frozen cookie dough balls into a lined baking sheet and bake for an extra 1-2 minutes.
Okay, so enough talking and let’s get baking!
WATCH HOW I MAKE THESE PALEO CHOCOLATE BROWNIE COOKIES
MORE GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES YOU’LL ENJOY
GRAIN-FREE CARROT CUPCAKE MUFFINS
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini or sub with almond or peanut butter
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or sub with brown sugar
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips half cup is melted (choose non-dairy as desired)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons slivered or flaked almonds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit / 190 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet with baking paperor silicone mat.
- In a large bowl, mix the tahini, sugar, egg, and half cup of melted chocolate. Add the cocoa, almond flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips and almond flakes.
- Form into one tbsp. balls using a cookie scooper or with your hands and place on the baking tray, about an inch apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Take out of the oven and let it cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy these paleo chocolate brownie cookies and if you try it please leave a comment and be sure to tag me in INSTAGRAM @fitfoodiemommy so I can give you a shoutout.
Stay safe and healthy always!
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