One of my favorite holidays is right around the corner – World Chocolate Day!
Ok… so, it isn’t really a holiday. But, it definitely should be.
Although the forms in which we eat chocolate has changed over the centuries, it has undoubtedly been a food that has been a gastronomic centerpiece of many cultures.
Unfortunately, chocolate has gained a bad reputation in the west.
While traditional Central American cultures (the place of origin of chocolate) have recognized the nutritive, medicinal and healing properties of chocolate, the industrialized world has mixed and processed it in a way that transforms it into a junk food chock full of unhealthy carbohydrates.
If you are following a paleo or keto diet, chocolate goodies have probably off of your snack list for quite a while.
But, in honor of World Chocolate Day, we’re here to the chocolate rescue!
Here are seven keto chocolate cookie recipes we’ve found for you that combines all the craving-inducing deliciousness of chocolate without all the processed sugars and mountains of carbs that these little bakery treats usually have!
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We know you’re going to love them!
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1. ‘Bakery-Style’ Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies – Gluten Free and Keto
By: gnom-gnom.com
This recipe requires some ingredients you probably don’t have lying around in your pantry, but if you are looking for a classic chocolate chip cookie fix, it’s definitely worth it. They’re crispy around the edges and moist in the middle, just like a good chocolate chip cookie should be.
The chocolate “chips” are actually broken up dark chocolate bars. If you opt for high-quality dark chocolate you will be getting a good antioxidant fix.
Rather than sweetening up the batter with refined sugar, this recipe calls for molasses, which, in addition to sweet goodness, keeps the natural minerals that come in it.
For most keto diets, in addition to cutting out most carbs, you avoid potentially inflammatory foods, including gluten. This recipe swaps out traditional gluten-containing wheat flour for coconut flour. Coconut flour is also a great health swap because it is high in protein and fiber, and has a low glycemic index score. This is true for the almond flour as well.
One final unique touch to these cookies is the addition of xanthan gum. You use it to thicken the batter, but it may offer extra health benefits as well, potentially helping to lower or stabilize blood sugar, as a 2013 study indicates.
2. Keto Thick and Fudgy Brownie Cookies – Gluten Free
By: jenniferbanz.com
Chocolate on chocolate? Can you get any better for World Chocolate Day? These cookies are sugar-free, gluten-free, and taste just like brownies.
This recipe has fewer ingredients than the last one and is sweetened with xylitol rather than molasses. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that is found in most plants. While it does provide some energy, it isn’t converted into acids in the mouth, which is how sugar causes tooth decay.
True to keto philosophy, this recipe uses butter rather than oil or margarine, which ensures that you keep out any additives and over-industrialized foods. If possible, choose butter from grass-fed cows for the best fat and antioxidant profile.
Tip: If you prefer thicker cookies, stick the dough in the fridge for an hour and spoon out bigger balls of dough.
3. Supreme Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – Gluten Free and Keto
By: gnom-gnom.com
These cookies have a richer chocolatey-er taste than the previous ones. And while they are chewy and gooey, they also contain nuts for extra crunch.
Remember that one of the things that ensures you keep this recipe healthy is the quality of the ingredients. So, don’t hold back on using high-quality cacao for these cookies.
Cacao is less processed than cocoa and higher in antioxidants and natural fat (which is important in a keto diet), but it isn’t as sweet as cocoa. This is why the xylitol is important.
This recipe also contains macadamia nuts, which are a great source of healthy fats. Since the keto diet is very low carb, it is important to get most of your energy from healthy fats.
4. Flourless Keto Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies with Keto Butter
By: tryketowith.me
Unlike the first chocolate chip cookie recipe that makes thin, crispy-on-the-edges cookies, this recipe makes big ol’ chunky cookies. As the recipe description says, it’s this sort of recipe that really brings you “back to basics”, to remind us that the original chocolate chip cookies didn’t have all of the additives they do now. You can even use the batter for smoothies or as a dessert topping!
The recipe requires a nut butter like Justin’s Almond Butter, but you can use any nut butter of your choice. (Nuts are a cornerstone of the keto diet, because they are very low in carbs, and high in healthy fats and vegetable protein.)
You can choose a sweetener of your choice; the recipe suggests Lakanto (made with monkfruit) or Swerve, but you can also use Xylitol.
5. Flourless Keto Chocolate Cookies (Low Carb, Paleo, and Vegan)
We love this recipe because it has a chocolate recipe within a chocolate recipe. You can learn to make your own chocolate peanut butter (with only three, healthy ingredients!) to use in the recipe, or use store-bought options.
These cookies are super high in protein thanks to the protein powder (can be vegan or regular, depending on your preference), which is important in any diet to keep from losing muscle.
If you have the chocolate peanut butter on hand, these cookies have only 5 ingredients and only take 10 minutes to bake! With just over 100 kcal a cookie, this is the perfect no-guilt keto-friendly cookie snack.
6. Keto No-Bake Cookies in 5 Minutes
These easy no-bake cookies are amazing. People who have tried them out love how they help kick cravings. They are similar to macaroons (because shredded coconut makes up the bulk of the cookie) and provide almost 3 grams of fiber per cookie.
Here, the recipe makes the chocolate optional, but, of course, why would you leave it out?
We recommend you switch the cocoa powder to cacao bits for some added antioxidants, and use vanilla stevia, like SweetLeaf Vanilla Stevia (or the sweetener of your choice) and some natural vanilla extract to help balance the nut butter taste.
7. Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
By: delish.com
This delectable cookie is unlike all the rest. They are covered in chocolate, rather than being chocolate all the way through, and are like healthy versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Most regular peanut butter has tons of sugar (very keto unfriendly) but this recipe recommends using unsweetened peanut butter. In fact, this recipe has no added sugar or sweetener at all.
Less sugar means, of course, that these cookies are very keto-friendly, but also that you can truly enjoy the taste of the dark chocolate outer layer.
The coconut oil it uses to soften the chocolate contains natural saturated fats that, unlike saturated fats found in animal meats, help to increase HDL “good” cholesterol, thanks to its MCTs.
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