Gluten-free, Dailry-free Chocolate Chip Cookies*

*In fact, these cookies are actually vegan! 

One of the things I dislike about many paleo treats** is the tendency to need four to six eggs per recipe. This may not seem like a big deal, but when your eggs are about $4 a dozen and you go through about four per day, they become a precious commodity. That's why I love this recipe. I adapted it from what I found here, and I love the combination of chocolate, coconut and a bit of sea salt. It's the perfect companion to an afternoon cup of {decaf} coffee. 

You will need:

2 cups almond meal {I use unblanched. It's less expensive, but lends a more robust nut flavor}

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons melted coconut oil

4 tablespoons raw honey

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons almond milk 

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup walnuts {optional}

Preheat your oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean-up. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl, and  whisk together wet ingredients in a separate small bowl. Combine wet to dry and mix well. Use a spoon to place small circles of dough onto your baking sheet and press down in the center of each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes, until the bottoms start to brown. Remove from oven and let cool five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. The cookies will be soft when you take them out of the oven, but they firm up in a few minutes as they cool.

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

**Paleo treats is really a an oxymoron. Treats aren't a part of the paleo diet, but sometimes a girl just wants a chocolate chip cookie. And I feel much better about the fact that these don't contain wheat or dairy and won't make me feel terrible like a traditional cookie would. I'll still get an insulin spike from these cookies, but they are a better alternative to the standard CCC.