I’ve so desperately been trying to bring more savory recipes to the blog, but it seems my culinary instincts are more attuned to sweet flavors lately. What can I say, it’s like I am hardwired to make delicious confections! Truthfully, I think it has to do with the fact that as someone living alone, I rarely cook elaborate meals for myself. Whereas with cookies, I can easily whip up something new that I can enjoy throughout the week or share with others. Not to mention, I inevitably reach for something sweet after dinner and have started to master cookie-making.
These cookies happen to be a perfect example of an unanticipated and random success story. Thinking that I wanted to switch it up from my typical go-to cookie, I grabbed a jar of unused chocolate almond butter out of my pantry and started writing up a recipe on the fly that ended up being pretty darn delicious!
What I particularly love about these cookies is 1) they are incredibly easy to make, and 2) they have a wonderfully chewy, brownie-like quality to them. Oh, and did I mention that they are flourless too? I mean, for a cookie, these end up being pretty dang guilt-free. That is, unless you decide to add in some chopped almond butter cups as I did. You can substitute chocolate chips in the place of the almond butter cups, but believe me when I say that it is a worthy indulgence.
What’s in these Cookies:
- Chocolate Almond Butter: Creamy, chocolatey almond butter is the star of the show in this recipe. In particular, I love this one from Wild Friends because although it is low in sugar and free of palm oil, it has a rich flavor and the creamiest texture.
- Almond Butter Cups: As a die-hard Reese’s fan, I didn’t think I would ever grab a tub of almond butter cups off of the grocery store shelves. But, anything Trader Joe’s produces, I am more than willing to try. And, as you might imagine, Trader Joe’s almond butter cups send these cookies to the next level in a way that only adding candy bar pieces can do.
- Coconut Sugar: My favorite alternative to sugar, coconut sugar makes these cookies nice and sweet. If you can’t find coconut sugar, you can absolutely use granulated sugar. As far as other sweeteners go, I wouldn’t recommend any substitutions as they will likely affect the overall flavor of the cookies.
- Coconut Oil: Coconut oil contributes to the soft and chewy texture of the cookies, while also helping create crisp edges.
- Maldon/Flaky Sea Salt: If you really want to accentuate the chocolatey flavor in this recipe, then flaky sea salt is a must. Add a sprinkling after removing the cookies from the oven to give them an ultra-chocolatey flavor.
Flourless Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy chocolate almond butter
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 8-10 almond butter cups
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp melted and cooled coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Maldon sea salt to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Next, roughly chop the almond butter cups and set aside.
- Combine the almond butter, egg, melted and cooled coconut oil, vanilla, and coconut sugar in a bowl. Using a mixer, beat the ingredients together until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. The dough should have a thick and sticky texture similar to brownie batter.
- Finally, stir in the chopped almond butter cup pieces.
Taking a cookie scoop, spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cookie dough on the prepared baking sheet, making sure to space them out 2 inches apart. These cookies will expand to about double their size while baking. - Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until the edges look set. Remove from the oven and finish with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.
Notes
You can store these cookies in the fridge or at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I would recommend laying a piece of parchment paper between layers if stacking the cookies just to prevent them from sticking together though.