Flourless Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Looking for a grain-free cookie that’s as good as the original? These flourless chocolate chip walnut cookies fit the bill…
I’m not a great baker. I mean, I have to follow a recipe exactly in order to get it to come out edible. I used to burn the kind of cookies that you just slice and bake. Ugh… Yup, I can cook anything, but baking has always been a challenge for me. Hmmm… maybe it’s because I don’t measure… BUT, years ago, I found this awesome recipe for flourless chocolate chip walnut cookies. And my life changed… they come out great. Every. Single. Time.
When I first saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, I just stored it away. I think the name threw me off — it was titled “The Healthiest Cookies EVER”. Now, anytime you see that, it’s reminiscent of someone saying that your blind date has a great personality. I have no problem admitting when I’m wrong, and I was wrong. Megan, from The Detoxinista was so right. These are so delicious and they are probably the healthiest cookies in the world. I should have made them sooner!
Not too many people know this, but walnuts are actually considered a Chinese herb (He Tao Ren), so immediately the wheels of my brain started to turn. Could this be a dessert that is healing? The answer is yes! Walnuts are used for some knee and back pain, some chronic coughs and for chronic constipation. These nuts are also good for infertility and sexual dysfunctions, and they have been used to help people with urinary tract and kidney stones. Combine this with the goodness of dates which can boost your immune system, reduce your inflammation and help your digestion, and wow… we’ve got a flourless chocolate chip walnut cookie that could sit in our medicine cabinets! Okay, not really… that would be weird. And gross…
All you really need to know is that these cookies are awesome!
And, if you want to try another great healing cookie, try my recipe for Grain-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Here are some of the ingredients that make these flourless chocolate chip walnut cookies so healing:
Walnuts are actually a Chinese herb (He Tao Ren). They are used for some knee and back pain, some chronic coughs and for chronic constipation. These nuts are also good for infertility and sexual dysfunctions, and they have been used to help people with kidney stones.
Dates are rich in potassium, dietary fiber and tannins. Fiber is good for your gut and tannins help the body fight inflammation and infection. Dates are also rich in vitamin A and iron. The most amazing thing about dates is that they can be used to replace sugar in almost anything. I stopped using sweetened protein powders in my smoothies and now I use unsweetened ones but I add a few dates.
Eggs are awesome. I am a big proponent of eating the whole egg. So many of the nutrients and the taste are in the yolk; I’ll never understand separating nature’s perfect food. Eggs help with many types of dryness in the body. If you have a dry cough or a frog-in-your-throat, try eating some eggs. They have also been shown to help women with various conditions during and after pregnancy. Some people consider eggs to be a superfood. They contain a large amount of vitamins A and B and are a great source of protein. Eggs sometimes get a bad rap because of cholesterol, but it’s been shown that in 70% of people, eggs do not raise cholesterol, so don’t assume they are bad for you. Buy organic eggs and you are really doing the right thing.
| Flourless Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies | Print |
- 1-1/2 cups raw walnuts
- 1 cup dried, pitted dates (about 18)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- generous ½ cup chocolate chips (I used beet-sugar sweetened carob chips)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Put the walnuts, dates, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and egg in a food processor.
- Process just until the mixture is combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Form the dough into balls (I usually get 12 or 13 balls out of this dough) and space them out on the sheet.
- Gently press down on each of the balls to flatten.
- Bake for until the edges are golden (this has taken anywhere from 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the oven I am using).
- Remove the cookies from the oven and place them on a rack to cool.
- Store the cookies in baggies in the fridge or eat them now.
- Enjoy!
Made these last night, but think I did something wrong. They got quite brown around the edges but did not cook all the way through. Also, the texture is not as ‘grainy’ looking as in your photos. I think I over-processed the dough, and then did not flatten them enough on the baking sheet.
How do you flatten them into disks? They’re so sticky, it’s hard to press them down. Would the texture be better if I processed less? About how long do you process? I probably did it for 2 mins or so.
thanks.
Donna, these are my absolute favorite cookies — my friends and I all make them all the time! I’m sad that you didn’t have a good experience with them. Two minutes in the processor is WAY too long. I only use the processor to bring the ingredients together. I pulse it instead of keeping the machine on continuously, and it might only be for 10 seconds, or 10 pulses! The batter should be quite grainy, not smooth at all. I guess I should have been more clear in the recipe! Whenever you have a problem flattening dough because it is sticky, just wet your palm under some running water and then flatten them, or wet the back of spoon and use it to press them down a bit — but don’t flatten them too much! Please try the recipe again, because these cookies are awesome!
Hi Donna, I’m sorry they didn’t come out great — these are my fav cookie recipe! Yes, it sounds like you did overprocess the dough — really it’s very quick, just until it sticks together in a big ball — seconds only, not minutes. To flatten into disks, just wet the palm of your hand and gently press down — just slightly so they look like the photo. Please try them again, because everyone loves them!
Thanks, Stacy. That’s an encouraging answer! I will try them again. That’s helpful about the pulsing.
Also, just want to tell you that your smoothie recipes are da bomb. Also the cherry-berry smoothie bowl. You got these down, girl. I am fussy about smoothies — I don’t like yogurt in them, don’t want to use processed protein powder, do like them to be nice and thick — and yours fit the bill!
I can’t eat bananas (I have lots of food sensitivities) but have found that pears are a good substitute. They’re soft and sweet, though not as thick in texture, but they work fine. I peel and slice pears and freeze them, just like you would with bananas.
Am looking forward to trying your hot chocolate smoothie bowl — I drool every time I see the pic. 😉
Donna, I’m so happy you love the smoothie bowls as much as I do! Do you like avocado? You can use half an avocado to give the smoothies a creamy thick texture. It’s really a good sub for bananas — just taste because you may have to sweeten a bit more (I use dates to sweeten)… and let me know when you try the cookies again!