Almond Meal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Almond Meal Chocolate Chip Cookies- almond meal gives these cookies perfect crisp edges and a chewy center. You’d never guess they were vegan and gluten-free!
I like to consider myself a disciplined grocery shopper. Every Friday evening I go in with my shopping list, that’s strategically organized by sections of the store, and run through the aisles like I’m on an episode of Supermarket Sweep.
There’s no time to diddle-daddle through the bakery or gaze down the cookie aisle. I want to be in and out of there faster than you can blink. And not come back for at least a week.
My militant shopping technique might not be for everyone, but for the most part it does a good job preventing me from stocking the house with unnecessary sweets. I mean, I always make sure to pick up enough Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups to last me at least a few months. But that’s it! ;)
Even though the peanut butter cups are usually enough to keep me satisfied, every now and then I get a MEAN craving for freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. I’m talking like have to have them right this second kind of craving.
I have plenty of cookie recipes on here, however most of them are for soft and chewy cookies because that’s how I typically prefer them. This time I wanted something different. Specifically with nice crispy edges and a perfect chewy center.
After several trials I settled on the recipe you see here and I like to think that they’re damn near perfect. The trick to getting a crispy texture is using a combination of vegan margarine and almond meal.
I know some people view vegan margarine as the devil but I personally don’t mind eating it moderation. Especially when it comes baked inside a warm chocolate chip cookie. Mmm…
I used coconut sugar to make them refined sugar-free but you can easily replace that with organic brown sugar or cane sugar. If I were making them without nutrition in mind, I’d probably use a mixture of both brown and cane sugar, as I do in my favorite unhealthy cookie recipe.
If you get a craving for chocolate chip cookies and need a recipe that’s vegan and gluten-free, I think you will love these! Trust me, biting into one and washing it down with a cold glass of almond milk is PURE COOKIE BLISS.
Almond Meal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 15
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 12
Total Time: 22

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance)
1/2 cup coconut sugar*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup almond meal**
1 cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour**
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer) beat together the coconut sugar and vegan margarine for about 15 seconds, until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat for another 15 seconds.
Next pour in the almond meal, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Continue to beat until everything is combined and a dough forms, for about 10 seconds. Stir the chocolate chips in by hand until well-combined.
Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the dough at a time and use your hands to roll into 15 separate balls. Gently press each one down to flatten them slightly then sprinkle with flaky sea salt (optional). Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes, until the bottom edges are light golden brown. Time will vary depending on your oven. The longer they cook, the crispier they will get.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve with a cold glass of almond milk and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts are for one cookie
*Feel free to substitute coconut sugar with organic brown sugar or cane sugar. If you have both, try using 1/4 cup of each for the best flavor
**You can make your own almond meal and oat flour by grinding rolled oats and roasted almonds in a food processor until fine crumb forms. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats for allergies
Slightly adapted from Angela’s Crispy Peanut Butter Cookies
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by rating the recipe, leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
I was in Vegas a few months ago and bought some gluten-free chocolate chip cookies at a sweets shop. They were amazing.. turns out they were made with almond meal! I never expected the chocolate chip cookie to get such a massively delicious upgrade! Thanks for sharing – I’ll try these out this weekend!
Now you’re making me want to take a trip to Vegas! :)
I hope you enjoy them, Natalie!
Oh my! That almond meal is magic and makes anything it’s baked in even better. I love how you’ve turned a classic on its head. I’m with ya on the store… fast and furious with that cart. A women on a mission is a sight to behold… something fierce! lol! My problem is I go to at least 2 stores + the farm and the farmers market. It takes SO much time… but I find if I make a list, and am organized, it’s a snap! I can get by with the stores about once a week. ISH. And the farm + market once a week too. Way to go on these delectable cookies, Sarah!
That is very time consuming, Traci! I try to go to the farmers market every now and then but I would love to make it a regular habit. It’s always a fun experience and I love meeting the people who grow our food! :)
I’m going to try this for my daughter. She’s sensitive to wheat but loves her sweets. For the past few months she’s been eating more wheat and is itching from head to toe and gets welts on her lips and elsewhere (doctors insist she’s not allergic to anything) so she’s going to cut out wheat totally and see if it goes away. These cookies might help!
I’m sorry to hear that your daughter is having problems, Timaree. Hopefully cutting out the wheat makes her feel better!
Yuuuuuuhs! I love almond flour cookies…so nutty and tasty! I’m digging the coconut sugar + vegan margarine + oat flour…this batch is definitely a must-try!
I have got to start baking with almond meal! Love how healthy and nutty these are :) Pinning!
I love cookies made with almond meal! And these chocolate chip cookies look absolutely perfect. I’m quite jealous of your baking skills…. I have such a hard time with cookies! Thank goodness for recipes like this that I can follow ;)
Yum! I haven’t baked cookies in so long, I think this is a sign ;) P.S. I just stalked your Carmel and Big Sur posts…Scott and I are planning a trip there at the end of September!
That’s so exciting!! I love that you two are traveling so much. Once you get bit by the bug you can’t stop, right? ;)
You’re going to have so much fun. Fall is a perfect time to visit!!
I love a good chocolate chip cookie! I actually had a cookie for the first time in weeks after lunch today, but it was not exactly the healthy kind ;-)
Mmm this looks like pure cookie bliss!!! I wish I could grab one right off the screen and devour. So much goodness going on here!
I WISH I was only in the store once a week…it’s more like once every 2 days unfortunately! I love how wholesome these are, and they look good enough rival those Justin’s peanut butter cups that I love so much too. These are cookies I’d be happy to have around the house!
Mmm! I actually just made vegan chocolate chip cookies yesterday for a friend’s birthday. I became a serious cookie monster and ate 3 when I only meant to eat 1. Whoopsies!
I’m so impressed with your shopping ethic – planning and organization not only lead to less lollygagging and fewer visits but also have the splendid effect of reducing otherwise exorbitant grocery bills! (yikes, I definitely need to tighten things up on that front, not pretty). Love the idea of the crispy edges in these almond meal bites – that texture can be so satisfying in itself. They look great too!
Oh if I could, I would totally eat ten of those! #Imagoner
These cookies look so good. I need to make these the next time I am baking cookies :)
Thanks Heidi! :)
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These cookies are delicious!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
I’m glad you like them, Janet! Thank you for the review.