Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Gluten-free, sugar-free, gooey and chewy… it doesn’t get any better than that! Smooth creamy almond butter with a touch of buckwheat flour makes for a protein and fiber packed cookie that does more than just satisfy the sweet tooth.
This chocolaty treat is a snap to make, which is helpful since they don’t last long around my house… um and it’s just me and my husband, Brad!
Now don’t get carried away and eat a bunch of these cookies all at once. Since xylitol is a sugar alcohol the body processes it differently than regular sugar, so you need to slowly integrate it into your diet. Some people are more sensitive than others, so just have one or two and you shouldn’t have a problem. The great thing is since this cookie is so nutrient dense, one or two are super satisfying…. unlike a regular cookie that keeps you coming back for more and more….. and more!
Chewy Chocolate Cookies
A chocolaty gluten-free and sugar-free cookie that’s sure to please your sweet tooth!
Ingredients
- 2 large organic eggs
- 1 cup raw unsalted creamy almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 12 drops KAL liquid stevia
- ½ cup xylitol
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons buckwheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup shredded dried coconut (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie sheets (I use an 18 x 13 cookie sheet) with parchment paper. (I use the same parchment paper later to store them)
- Beat eggs with an electric-mixer in a medium bowl and then add almond butter, vanilla, apple cider vinegar and liquid stevia. Do not mix the rest of the wet ingredients together.
- Add dry ingredients (xylitol, unsweetened cocoa powder, buckwheat flour, baking soda, sea salt and dried coconut, if you so desire) in a separate large bowl and whisk together.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well with an electric-mixer until thoroughly mixed. At first it will seem too dry, but keep mixing and it will form into a thick, fudge-like dough. Finish mixing with a spatula to make sure it is well mixed.
- I use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to evenly portion out the dough onto a cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies gently using the back of a spoon or your fingertips.
- Bake for about 12 minutes. The cookies will be soft and moist on the inside. It’s a little hard to tell when they are golden brown because they are already brown…so I tend to cook them about 12 minutes, they will still be gooey and moist on the inside! Cook less when in doubt, they firm up as they cool… do NOT overcook.
- Cool the cookies on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.
- After they are completely cooled use parchment paper to separate them and store in a ziplock bag or airtight container.
Quick notes
Makes 16-18 cookies
These freeze great too and no need for thawing, so you always have a sweet treat on hand to satisfy those cravings!
Oh yum! This looks great, I’m definitely going to have to try this recipe out. What do you think if I were to sub the almond butter with sunflower butter? The fiance is allergic to almonds!
And great pics!!!
Yes absolutely Rhiannon, any nut butter would work! A raw nut butter will give the cookies a more classic chocolate cookie taste. With a roasted nut butter you will taste more of the nut flavor, but I’m sure that would be delicious too! Most sunflower seed butter is roasted.
Be aware if you are trying to avoid sugar that most sunflower seed butter has added sugar. If you buy a non-sweeteded variety you might need to add 6-8 extra drops of stevia because sunflower seed butter is is not as sweet as almond butter. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out! Hugs, Kristin
Good to know! I’m gonna give this a try this week/weekend. I’ve been wanting to make a nut butter cookie
I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Made these tonight! They were reallly good – fiance liked them too. Changes I made were using sunbutter instead of the almond butter, and then I kept out the stevia since I didn’t have any. I’ve never used stevia before, so I wonder how it would taste with it, since I really liked these without! Great recipe
So glad you and your fiance liked them Rhiannon! Thanks for following back up to give us all another option for making these cookies… especially those who might be allergic to almonds.
I think Stevia leaves an artificial sugar aftertaste if you use too much. You may want to cut it in half to avoid that flavor.
Cookie recipe is good…I accidentally over cooked so mine are kind of dry….I made half batch with coconut flakes and half without. I like it with coconut better, seems to have more substance. Can’t wait to cook the next recipe!
Hi Alicia! Thanks for your comment… yes, that is the trickiest part, not to overcook. They seem so gooey after 12 minutes, but they firm up quickly and are perfectly done once you let them cool for a few minutes. And I love them best with the coconut too, it adds a wonderful texture with a subtle coconut taste, yum! Next recipe will be up soon, chia seeds are the theme for this coming week! Hugs, Kristin
These are delicious! A real treat! My husband loves them!
I made these on Friday, I didn’t use any sweetener and everyone still loved them!
I did notice that they didn’t “flatten” out while baking which was fine; which lead to the comment “These are really great chocolate cornbread balls (could that be a hit one day….? LOLOLOL!)
Maybe it was the texture from using the buckwheat flour that made it taste like cornbread?
Also I didn’t have any cocoa powder so I used carob powder, could that have made a difference in the results?
Still I received great comments and the “chocolate cornbread balls” (That is so funny, I love it!) didn’t last till the next day, everyone gobbled them right up!
Baking is so tricky… you can change the slightest thing and it changes everything, but that’s actually how I came up with this recipe, by accident… I was trying to make brownie bites and came out with cookies! And it ended up being a favorite of clients, friends and family…who knew!
I have noticed a corn meal taste to certain recipes I’ve used buckwheat in and have been experimenting, so you might be on to something Brittany!
Here’s an update:
So I made these again last night..I know I know but I want to get it right. HA!
Again the cookies were not flat, but this time they puffed up like cupcakes and have a cake-like texture. It is so funny!
I am by no means complaining because they are still delicious but for presentation purposes I want them to look like cookies…I have made it my “bees knees” to get it. Plus I am weird and think baking is fun.
I will try again next month (moderation is key)
For now after a hearty meal of quinoa, veggies, and fish I will grab a my “cupcake”, topped with berries and a glass of almond milk.
~Happy Days~
Hmm, it actually could be a few things… how old is your baking soda? It’s either expired or bad… try getting some fresh and give it a try. You’re adding apple cider vinegar, right? And what type of cocoa powder are you using? This could be the issue too. Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral it does not react with the baking soda. Look for Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder without alkali or being dutch processed. I feel like I have used both types of cocoa powder with success, so that is why I didn’t specify in recipe (didn’t want to create confusion), but maybe I remembered incorrectly.
The cookies freeze great, so if you decide to try again soon, freeze them and they will be ready to go when you want them. If you are not making any substitutions and following the recipe, the baking soda is probably the issue, but it could be the cocoa powder. Let us know!
Ok, I have made these cookies about 50 times over the years and they always turn out perfectly! I made them the other day and for some odd reason they did not flatten.. I think you put a curse on them Brittany! Just kidding!
So my recommendation is to flatten them with the back of a spoon or your fingers before you bake them. You can also put them in the oven and if they do not flatten out in the first few minutes you can flatten them then.
I think I will go ahead and update the recipe, just to insure no one else has any problems. I have consulted 2 different chefs and they have no idea what might have happened either. It’s a mystery! Thanks Brittany, I’m sure you helped lots of people. Hugs, Kristin
I had no idea what to expect when I made these today. In fact, I actually expected them to be awful because some of the recipes I have tried in the past with stevia just came out bitter.
These are absolutely delish! I didn’t have buckwheat flour so just used almond flour. The batter was almost like brownies. I couldn’t wait for them to get cool before trying them.
They came out cakey for me. These are a keeper for sure!
I made these yesterday and they are so yummy! My husband and son love them too.
Thanks for letting us know Mimi, so glad you enjoyed them! Hugs, Kristin
Made these for the first time last night. They were delicious and addicting! Will be making these often.
I made these cookies today and they taste great but they did not flatten out on the cookie sheet. I used the crunchy Almond Butter because I did not have the creamy. The cookies were very dry even though I only cooked the first ones for 12 mins, and the 2nd batch for 10 mins were also dry. Do you think the Almond Butter made the difference? Also I was confused with your directions on step #2. It says “Do not mix the rest of the wet ingredients together”. However at that point there are no other “wet” ingredients to add. Did you possibly leave out another wet ingredient that should be in the recipe? Could you please tell us the exact cocoa powder brand that you use. I will keep trying to make these until I get them right cause they do have a great taste.
Hi Doris, sorry you had trouble. Crunchy almond butter works just fine.
I have had a few people say they had trouble with the cookies flattening for them, so I updated the recipe to flatten before baking to eliminate any confusion. I’ve contacted two professional chefs and they can’t figure it out either why they are not flattening for everyone, it’s the oddest thing.
I suggest an oven thermometer to insure your oven temperature is accurate. This is a common issue with baked goods not turning out.
For the directions you beat the eggs together and then without beating you add in the rest of the wet ingredients. The reason for this is that when you add the dry ingredients they soak up the wet ingredients, so it is much easier to mix. If you mix all the wet ingredients together and then add the dry ingredients it flies all over the kitchen. It won’t impact the taste, just make a mess.
I’ve used many types of cocoa powder. I keep both natural and dutch in my pantry because for some recipe it matters. I have gone back and re-tested and both are great in this recipe. Dutch processed cocoa has a mellower flavor. Natural has a deeper, dark chocolate flavor.
Hope this helps, keep us posted!
I made another batch of the cookies using Creamy Almond Butter instead of the Crunchy that I used in a previous try, and it made a big difference. The Creamy Almond Butter certainly made the dough moist and not dry. The cookies taste great!
Oh good, thanks for following up for us, I’m thrilled they turned out!
The first time I made these they spread out, way out! Last time they just sat there. I used a different brand of almond butter the second time, they weren’t near as oily, wonder if the brand made the difference? I used crunchy almond butter both times.
Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s wonderful!
YumO…. I ate more than I should have while they were still warm from the oven
Couldn’t help myself… They are delicious right out of the fridge, too. LOL Will have to do some extra jumping jacks at the gym 
Loved these cookies. I made them with coconut. Just delicious! I am going to make them without it next time just to see the difference. I used just a little more stevia and xylitol than the recipe called for. I wanted to know if you have ever tried erythritol. Thanks for the all you do to help all of us.
Yes I have tried erythritol and didn’t like the outcome. They were ok, but it gave them a crumbly texture and erythritol has a cooling effect in the mouth, which I didn’t like either. It worked, just not as well. Thanks Angie!
Kristin, these cookies are delicious! They turned out lighter than I expected, cake-like, as someone else commented. The only problem I had was keeping myself to eating only a little at a time.
Thank you for a great recipe. Will definitely be baking these little babies again soon.
Thanks Jill, so glad you liked them!!
I made a batch of these. They were really good. I tried some peppermint liquid stevia. It gave the cookies a mild minty chocolate flavor. Yum.
These are great. Just made them today. Does anyone have the nutritional breakdown for them? How many carbs and calories per cookie. I am just trying to be more vigilant of my carb intake. I find that it helps with keeping my weight down and blood sugar.
I tried these cookies, and my husband and I both loved them! He said they are like brownies. I put some in the freezer, and one day I pulled one out to eat it. I happened to have in the fridge some Coconut Whipped Cream (without the stevia – I preferred it without) from your Chocolate Chia Tapioca recipe. I put some of the coconut whipped cream on the frozen cookie, and it was like eating one of those ice cream sandwiches I used to eat as a kid. Yum!
Feeling rather adventurous this afternoon, I decided to tackle this recipe and face my reservations head on. I subbed lemon juice for the apple cider vinegar, flaxseed / water for the eggs, omitted the xylitol and used approximately 1/4 teaspoon of stevia powder (NOW).
Kristin, you should have warned us how challenging it would be to get through just mixing the ingredients together without being tempted to eat half of the batter – the aroma alone is amazing!
I made 21 miniature cookies, and, as I had suspected would happen, they turned out a bit dry on the outside as the almond butter I used wasn’t as oily as is the norm; but the insides were brownie gooey and chewy – yum!!! And you were absolutely right as to how filling and satisfying they are as opposed to regular cookies; what a pleasant surprise!
Actually, I think this recipe – with a few adjustments – would make delectable raw ‘truffle’ (balls), and that will be my next assignment (sub in almond meal for the buckwheat, nix the baking soda and eggs)… The flaxseed I used gives such a lovely texture and flavour to the batter. If you’d like, I’ll let you know how they turn out…
I made these today…a week into my first Phase one trip..lol…and I about cried when I made the flat bread and these cookies! Thankyou!
I would love to try this recipe. I have frys cocoa powder and powdered stevia (now). My question is, how much stevia do you recommend I use and is my cocoa powder good for this recipe.
Thank you.
Hi Stephanie! I’m not familiar with that cocoa powder, but it should work just fine. You’ll have to experiment with the stevia because every brand varies in taste and sweetness. Let us know how it turns out!