Nearly Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
With my new Homestyle Vegan cookbook hitting shelves November 1st, my first book signing event
and the Holidays coming up, I've really been doing my best stay low
stress and to avoid sugar. Not only do I have wedding I'm trying to look
pretty great for, but sugar is just not my friend. It's the
number one food that makes me gain weight and really screws with my
face, causing breakouts. I really try not to eat much of it as part of
my everyday diet. Besides foods with natural sugar like fresh fruit, of
which I indulge plenty, I really don't eat it. Except when I'm
menstruating - then all bets are off, friends. Then I will fight you for your french fries. Then I will eat an entire pint of ice cream with no regrets. Then
I am unstoppable, and Alex knows it's best to just get out of my way
and let me eat through the cramps and lower back pain. But since I can
be kind of rage-binge-y at that time of the month, I've started
combatting later, meaner, hungrier me with some seriously
indulgent-tasting, nearly-sugar-free chocolate chip cookies!
They are soft, chewy, sweet, and taste
like they should be packed with sugar - but NOPE! Just a couple of
optional tablespoons in this recipe, and it doesn't even have to be
refined. I've made these cookies maybe 30 times at this point and have
gotten the recipe down to an exact science. They are the perfect dessert
or sweet treat when you need one, and make a decent meal when you need
more like 7. They're stuffed with chocolate chips, which I think helps
to totally mask the flavor stevia in the recipe. This is actually the
FIRST recipe on this site using stevia because I've always been so
hesitant to bake with it. But I am experimenting with it and so far, so
good. Even Alex says these cookies pass his 'no after-taste' test, which
is good, because a lot of sugar-less sweeteners don't! These cookies
taste heavenly and indulgent, but are lighter and way more guilt-free
than you'd ever imagine. Plus, CHOCOLATE. So go ahead, have four. You
know I'm going to! ?
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon ground flax
3 tablespoons warm water
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or AP flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
?1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened coconut oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar, maple syrup, or your favorite sweetener (optional)
?3/4 teaspoon liquid vanilla stevia
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (double if using unflavored liquid stevia)
3/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the flax and water, set aside to gelatinize.
In a separate, larger mixing bowl whisk
together the flour, baking soda and salt. Form a well in the center and
set aside.
In the medium mixing bowl with the flax
mixture add the coconut oil, sugar or maple syrup, stevia and vanilla.
Whisk to combine completely, then pour the mixture into the well formed
by the dry ingredients. Use electric mixers to beat the mixture together
until well combined. If not using an electric mixer, mix with a wooden
spoon until you can't anymore, then finish it off with your hands. Once
combined, pour in the chocolate chips and mix 'em in.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop 1-inch
balls onto a lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12
minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Remove from the oven and move
the cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
NOTES
Makes about 18 cookies.
Leftover cookies save well in a sealed container on the counter for up to a week.