Why You’ll Love This Recipe.

• Makes light and crispy almond flour waffles.
• Easy to make. Simply stir the batter together in minutes.
• Great flavor.
• Freeze beautifully.

Ingredients.

Here’s what you’ll need to make a batch of these waffles. 

• Almond Flour. Use a finely ground almond flour for the lightest waffles.
• Tapioca Starch. A little tapioca starch helps make these crisp. Sometimes tapioca starch is labeled tapioca starch flour or tapioca flour. Check the ingredient list. If it states “tapioca starch”, it’s what you want. 
• Milk. Use traditional or dairy-free milk. I’d avoid full-fat coconut milk. It’s a little too rich for this recipe.
• Coconut oil or butter. Adds richness. When made with butter, these waffles come out a little darker than those made with coconut oil. Use whichever one you love.
• Egg. One large egg adds a nice flavor and helps with the rise.
• Baking Powder. These give the waffles a nice light texture.
• Salt. Use fine table salt. If you’re using Diamond Kosher, double the salt called for in the recipe.
• Vanilla extract. The almond flour brings most of the flavor but a teaspoon of vanilla extract adds a nice flavor boost too.

How to Make Almond Flour Waffles.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. You don’t want to skip this step. It helps evenly distribute the baking powder throughout the almond flour and tapioca starch, making for evenly light waffles. A

Add the wet ingredients and mix just until the batter comes together. If you over-mix batters with almond flour, the oil can run out of the flour. In this case, that can make the waffles dense and heavy. A quick mix is all you need.

Once the batter is mixed, preheat your waffle iron. A hot iron ensures the waffle is brown on the outside and light in the middle. 

Grease the waffle iron and then spoon the batter into it. Cook the waffles until they’re golden brown. The exact cook time varies by waffle iron. 

How to Freeze and Reheat.

These almond flour waffles freeze beautifully. 

1. Prepare waffles as directed. 
2. Allow them to cool completely.
3. Stack the waffles with a piece of parchment or waxed paper in between each one. This keeps them from sticking. 
4. Place the stack into a freezer bag or container. Freeze them for up to six weeks. 
5. When you’re in the mood for waffles, thaw them in 30-second intervals in the microwave until warm. Or allow them to thaw overnight and reheat them in a toaster.

Why is there tapioca starch in this recipe?

The tapioca starch helps with texture. It makes the waffles crispy and light. If you want, you can omit the tapioca starch and replace it with an equal amount of almond flour. Just note the texture of the waffles might be a little denser.

Can I replace the almond flour with coconut flour?

Coconut flour doesn’t work in this recipe. 

Can I use gluten-free flour?

This recipe was developed to use almond flour. Here’s a gluten-free waffle recipe that uses gluten-free flour.

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Almond Flour Waffles

There’s a lot to love about this almond flour waffle recipe. The waffles turn out light and crispy—and they’re so easy to make. Just stir together the ingredients, spoon the batter into a hot waffle iron and bake. And if you want to freeze them for a quick breakfast, you’re in luck. They freeze beautifully.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 waffles

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups finely ground, blanched almond flour (5 ounces; 142 grams)
• ½ cup tapioca starch (2 onces; 57 grams)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder homemade or store-bought grain-free
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk, traditional or dairy-free (4 ounces; 113 grams)
• 1 large egg (50 grams out of shell)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, ghee, or unsalted butter, melted (1 ounce; 28 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• nonstick cooking spray (coconut oil, ghee, or butter for greasing the griddle)

Instructions

• Whisk the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Add the milk, egg, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Let batter stand for about 5 minutes.
• Preheat the waffle iron.
• Lightly grease the waffle iron. Pour batter into iron as directed by the manufacturer. Bake until waffles are brown and crisp. Repeat with remaining batter.

Notes

Almond flour. Use a finely ground almond flour. Break up any lumps before making the batter. 

Tapioca starch. The tapioca starch makes the waffles really light. If you want to leave it out, replace it with ½ cup (2 onces; 57 grams) of almond flour. 

Freezing. You can freeze these waffles for up to six weeks. Prepare them as directed. Let them cool. Then stack the waffles. To keep them from sticking to each other, you can place a piece of parchment or wax paper between the waffles. Store them in a freezer container or bag.

The post Easy Almond Flour Waffles appeared first on Gluten-Free Baking.

How to Make Fluffy Almond Flour Pancakes.

• Whisk the dry ingredients together. Almond flour tends to clump. Before adding other ingredients, break up any clumps with either a fork, whisk, or your fingers. Then add the tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. This step distributes the baking powder throughout the flour, giving you fluffy pancakes.
• Make the batter. Stir in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. If you like almond flour pancakes with a hint of sweetness, add a little maple syrup.
• Check the thickness. Almond flours vary by brand. If your pancake batter seems too thick, add additional milk. If the batter seems thin, add a tablespoon of almond flour.
• Cook on a hot griddle. Pancake batter to sizzle when it hits the pan. This gives you pancakes with a lovely golden color. To test the griddle, drop a little water onto it. The water should bubble and evaporate quickly.
• Flip once. The pancakes are ready to flip when the edges look set and a few bubbles appear on the batter. Cook the first side for about two minutes and the second side for about a minute.

Almond Flour Pancakes: Key Ingredients. What to use. What to avoid.

Almond Flour.
The main flour in this recipe is almond flour. It gives the pancakes a wonderful flavor. Due to the oil content, almond flour tends to clump. If your flour contains a lot of large pieces, sift it or whisk it with a fork to break up the clumps.
Use finely ground blanched almond flour for light and fluffy pancakes.
Avoid: very coarse almond flour. If the almond flour is gritty and coarse, the pancakes turn out heavy and lumpy.

Tapioca Starch.
The addition of tapioca starch makes the batter smooth and pancakes tender. It also helps the pancakes hold together and makes them easier to flip.
Use: tapioca starch. This is sometimes labeled “tapioca flour” or “tapioca starch flour.”
Avoid: Tapioca pearls. 

Baking Powder.
Helps the pancakes to rise. Commercial baking powder is “double-acting.” This means it rises when it comes in contact with liquid and again when it’s heated. If you use homemade baking powder, it only rises once, when it comes in contact with a liquid. Almond flour pancakes made with homemade baking powder don’t rise as high.

Salt. 
Adding salt to pancake batter enhances the other flavors.
Use: table salt (fine salt).

Eggs.
The eggs help pancakes to rise, lend important structure since the batter is gluten-free, and give the pancakes a nice flavor.
Use: large eggs.

Maple Syrup. 
The addition of maple syrup is optional. It gives the pancakes a subtle sweetness and helps them brown.
Use: dark maple syrup for the best flavor.

Milk.
Helps to smooth out the batter and adds color and flavor.
Use: Any milk you love. Almond milk, cow’s milk, soy milk, and oat milk work great in this recipe.
Avoid: full-fat coconut milk. It’s too thick and rich for the batter.

Vanilla Extract. 
A teaspoon of vanilla extract helps balance the almond flavor and makes these pancakes taste like…pancakes!

Ingredient Questions

Does baking powder contain grain?

It depends on the brand. If you want to use a grain-free baking powder, look for one made with tapioca starch or make homemade baking powder.

Can I replace the almond flour with coconut flour?

Coconut flour doesn’t work in this recipe. If you’d like to make pancakes with coconut flour, use the recipe for coconut flour silver dollar pancakes.

Can I use gluten-free flour?

This recipe was developed to use almond flour. Here’s a gluten-free pancake recipe that uses gluten-free flour.

Common Pancake Questions Answered.

What’s the Best Griddle Temperature for Pancakes?

If you use an electric griddle, set it to 350 degrees F. If you a burner, set it to medium-high.

To test that your griddle or pan is at the right temperature, spoon about a tablespoon of batter onto the griddle. Cook the pancake for about a minute and then flip. If it’s too pale, increase the heat. If it’s too dark, decrease the heat. And if it looks perfect, the pan is ready.

How do you know when to flip a pancake?

Look for the edges to look set and almost dry. The batter in the middle will have a few bubbles. Gently lift the pancake with a spatula. If it releases easily from the pan, the pancake is ready to flip.

How long do you cook a pancake?

These almond flour pancakes take about two to three minutes to cook on the first side and about a minute on the second side. Cook time varies depending on your griddle and your burner. It’s best to cook a test pancake and adjust the cooking time for each batch.

Why are there light and dark spots on my pancakes?

If you’ve ever made pancakes and they turned out “spotty”, you’re not alone. The cause of this is usually oil on the griddle. If there are tiny pools of oil on the pan, they keep heat from transferring from the pan to the batter, resulting in light spots. To prevent spotty pancakes: grease your griddle and then wipe it with a paper towel to remove any puddles of oil.

Why do my almond flour pancakes fall apart when I flip them?

Almond flour pancakes are gluten-free. This means they’re delicate since there is no gluten to hold them together.

When developing this recipe, I noticed that pancakes made with only almond flour often fell apart during cooking. Adding tapioca starch helps the pancakes keep their shape. 

As important as the tapioca starch is when you flip the pancakes. Allow the pancakes to cook on the griddle until the edges are set. If you flip them too soon, they won’t be cooked all the way through. Undercooked pancakes tend to break. 

How to Freeze Pancakes and Reheat

Cook the pancakes as directed. Let them cool on a wire rack. Place the pancakes in a freezer bag or container. To keep them from sticking, place a piece of parchment or wax paper between each pancake. Freeze the pancakes for up to two months. 

When you’re ready to eat, heat the pancakes in a 350° F oven. A toaster oven is perfect for this.

Almond Flour Pancake Variations

Almond-Blueberry Pancakes. Spoon batter onto the griddle as directed. Place fresh or frozen blueberries onto each pancake. This ensures each pancake contains as many (or as few!) blueberries as you like. If you’re not comfortable placing blueberries onto the pancakes while in the pan, stir about 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter.

Almond-Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Spoon batter onto griddle as directed. Sprinkle each pancake with chocolate chips. Cook pancakes as directed.

Almond-Lemon Pancakes. The flavor of almond and lemon are fantastic. Stir in the zest of one lemon or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract into the batter along with the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Cook pancakes as directed.

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Almond Flour Pancakes

Fluffy and light almond flour pancakes. These are perfect for weekend mornings. Grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free recipe.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Gluten-Free

Keyword almond flour, grain-free, pancakes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 pancakes

Author Elizabeth

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups finely ground almond flour (5 ounces / 142 grams)
• ½ cup tapioca starch, see note (2 ounces / 57 grams)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs (about 4 ounces / 113 grams out of shell)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional (about 1 ounce)
• 6 tablespoons almond milk or dairy-free or traditional milk (3 ounces/ 85 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings, optional

• maple syrup
• butter

Instructions

• Combine the 1 ¼ cups almond flour, ½ cup tapioca starch, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir together with a fork to break up any lumps.
  
• Add 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional), 6 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

  Stir until a batter forms. If batter is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of milk.
  
• Grease a nonstick griddle lightly with oil. Wipe griddle with paper towel to remove any puddles of oil. Heat pan over medium-high heat.
• Spoon batter, about ¼ cup per pancake, onto the hot griddle. Cook until the edges look set and bubbles appear on the pancake, about two minutes. Flip and cook for an additional minute or two.
  
• To keep warm: Place cooked pancakes in a preheated 200°F oven on a wire rack set in a pan.
• Serve with maple syrup and butter.
• To freeze pancakes: allow pancakes to cool. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper between each pancake to prevent them from sticking. Place pancakes in a freezer bag or container. Freeze up to three months.

  To reheat: place frozen pancakes in a 350°F oven until warm.

The post Fluffy Almond Flour Pancakes appeared first on Gluten-Free Baking.

So you want to bake some doughnuts? Excellent! I’m here for that. For years, folks have loved my recipe for baked gluten-free chocolate doughnuts. (I have to say, it’s a good one.) But what if you want a grain-free doughnut recipe? I got you!

This recipe makes twelve delicate doughnuts. And the ingredients couldn’t be simpler. 

Ingredients for Grain-Free Chocolate Doughnuts

• Coconut flour. Adds texture. And absorbs liquid like crazy. Don’t replace coconut flour with any other flour, the recipe won’t work. 
• Cocoa powder. For the best flavor, use a Dutch-processed cocoa powder. 
• Baking powder. This is what gives the doughnuts lift. You can use a commercial baking powder or make your own grain-free version. (Grain-free baking powder recipe.)
• Honey. Adds sweetness. Not too much. Not too little. Just the right amount. 
• Coconut oil. For tenderness. If you don’t want to use coconut oil, melted butter or any other neutral oil works.
• Eggs. This recipe uses four large eggs. They provide structure, fat, and tenderness. 
• Nutmeg. There’s a pinch of nutmeg in the doughnuts. Don’t stress about this. If you don’t have nutmeg in the house, omit it.
• Salt. Enhances the flavor of the doughnuts. 

How to Make Baked Chocolate Doughnuts

This is a “whisk and bake” recipe. Simply whisk the ingredients together in a bowl and then place the batter into a prepared doughnut pan. 

Getting the batter into the pan that can be tricky. 

Batters made with coconut flour thicken quickly. And because of this, it can prove a little challenging to spread the batter evenly into the doughnut pan. 

There’s two ways to do it. 

1. Use a spoon. Take your time and spoon the batter into a greased doughnut pan. Tap the pan as you go to evenly distribute the batter into the ring. 
2. Use a piping bag. This is probably the easiest way to fill the doughnut cavities but you do need a pastry bag. Fill the pastry bag with batter and squeeze the batter evenly into the cavities. 

No matter how you fill the mold, make sure it’s greased well. Coconut flour-based batters love to stick to pans. 

Once you’ve baked the doughnuts, you can leave them as-is, dust them with powdered sugar, or glaze them. I like a lemon glaze on chocolate doughnuts but if you want a chocolate glaze, I’ve included a recipe for that too. 

Grain-Free Baked Chocolate Doughnuts FAQs

Are these paleo?

It depends on how you define paleo. They are grain-free but the recipe uses honey. 

Are these keto?

I don’t think so because the recipe uses honey. 

Can I use almond flour?

Not in this recipe, sorry. 

Can I use regular gluten-free flour?

No. If you want a traditional gluten-free baked chocolate doughnut, use my other recipe. 

Can I omit the eggs?

This recipe doesn’t work without eggs, sorry. 

Can I make these without a doughnut pan?

Yes! Use a muffin pan. 

Can I fry these?

I don’t think so. I haven’t tested the recipe fried.

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Grain-Free Chocolate Doughnuts (Paleo, Gluten-Free)

Grain-free baked chocolate doughnuts. (Gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo) Coconut flour-based, these doughnuts bake up soft and tender.

Prep Time 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 12 doughnuts

Ingredients

Grain-free Chocolate Doughnuts

• 1/3 cup (36 grams) coconut flour
• 1/4 cup (28 grams) 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder*
• 1 teaspoon baking powder homemade or store-bought, grain-free
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup (113 grams) honey
• 1/4 cup (57 grams) 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 4 large eggs (200 grams out of shell)

Lemon Glaze

• 1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar, grain-free
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, more as needed

Chocolate Glaze

• 1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar, grain-free
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut milk, plus more as needed

Instructions

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two* six-cavity doughnut pans with nonstick cooking spray or brush with coconut oil.
• Whisk the coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Add honey and melted coconut oil. Whisk until smooth. Add the eggs and mix well.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan. Fill each cavity about half full. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter.
• Bake until doughnuts are puffy and set, about 12 minutes. Allow doughnuts to cool in the pan and then turn out onto a wire rack.
• When doughnuts are cool, make the glaze.
• Lemon Glaze: Stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small mixing bowl. The glaze should be thick but pourable. If it’s too thick, add a little extra lemon juice.
• Chocolate Glaze Stir together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and coconut milk together in a small mixing bowl. The glaze should be thick but pourable. If it’s too thick, add extra coconut milk, one teaspoon at a time.
• Dip the doughnuts, one at a time, into the glaze. Or you can place a piece of parchment paper under the cooling rack and pour the glaze over each doughnut.
• Doughnuts are best enjoyed the day they are made. Freeze leftovers for up to one month.

Notes

*If you only own one doughnut pan, no problem! Bake six doughnuts and allow them to cool in the pan as directed. Wipe out the pan and grease again with nonstick cooking spray or coconut oil. Repeat using the remaining batter.

The post Grain-Free Baked Chocolate Doughnuts (Paleo, Grain-Free, Dairy-free) appeared first on Gluten-Free Baking.

What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? For me, it’s a tossup between Thin Mints and Samoas (Caramel deLites). But my husband loves Thin Mints. So I decided to make a batch. 

This was a really good decision. These cookies, dipped in peppermint chocolate, came out–dare I say it?–better than the ones sold by your local Scouts. The best part? You can make ’em year round!

Paleo Thin Mints: The Ingredients

The Flours

The dough for these cookies comes together easily. Since it’s a paleo recipe, I used a combination of finely ground almond flour and just a little coconut flour. The almond flour gives the cookies the crunch you expect from a thin mint cookie. The coconut flour thickens the dough and provides it with body, making it easy to roll out the dough.

When selecting your flours, look for a finely ground almond flour. I really like Honeyville Almond Flour. If you can’t find it buy regular almond flour and sift it to remove any large pieces. (Sift the almond flour before you measure it.)

The Sugar

Coconut sugar brings a rich sweetness to these cookies. I find the flavor of coconut sugar similar to that of molasses. If you prefer a sugar that doesn’t have a hint of bitterness, use evaporated cane sugar, which tastes a bit like caramel.

Just don’t use a liquid sugar, like maple syrup or honey, in this recipe. These sugars make the dough soft and sticky. A soft and sticky dough is almost impossible to roll.

The Cocoa Powder

Thin Mint cookies should be minty, of course, but they should also be chocolatey. For an intense chocolate flavor, use Dutch processed cocoa powder. This cocoa powder has been alkalized and has a dark, rich color and wonderful chocolate flavor.

If you can’t find Dutch cocoa powder at your local grocery store, try a specialty store, like Whole Foods or order it online. It’s worth it.  

The Fat

To make these thin mints dairy-free, use solid coconut oil. If dairy isn’t an issue for you, cold butter works great in this recipe. Whichever fat you use, be sure it’s cold. Unlike most cookie recipes where we cream together the softened fat and sugar, this recipe uses cold fat to give us nice flaky cookies. Cold fat= great texture.

The Egg

One egg helps to hold the dough together and brings a richness to the cookies. I haven’t tried these cookies without the egg; so I’m not sure if it would work egg-free. However, if you want to give it a try, I’d increase the amount of milk (regular or dairy-free) to make up for the missing liquid from the egg.

Baking Soda, Salt, and Milk

The remaining ingredients are pantry staples: baking soda, table salt, and milk. Any type of milk (non-dairy or traditional) works in this recipe.

Paleo Thin Mints: Mixing the Dough

This dough comes together like a pie dough. You mix all the dry ingredients together and then cut in the fat. A food processor makes quick work of this step. However, if you don’t own a food processor, don’t despair! Paleo Thin Mints can still be yours.

To make them by hand, whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then cut the fat in with a pastry cutter. Some folks use a fork to do this. A fork works fine but, just be warned, it takes forEVER.

Even if you use a food processor to mix the dough, you want to stir in the egg and milk by hand. I know this sounds crazy going from a food processor to a wooden spoon. But hear me out. When made in a food processor, sometimes the dough doesn’t come together right away, causing you to overmix it. This can cause the oil to run out of the almond flour. We want to avoid that.

So grab a wooden spoon and mix this dough by hand. You’ll be glad you did!

Paleo Thin Mints: Rolling and Cutting the Dough

After the dough chills for a little while, dust it with cocoa powder and roll it between two pieces of parchment paper. I always let my dough sit at room temperature for about ten minutes before I roll it. Cold dough, especially dough made with coconut oil, tends to rip as you roll it. Let that dough warm up a smidgen before you roll it out.

Paleo Thin Mints: Baking

Bake these cookies until they look flat and the house smells like chocolate. Seriously. These smell so good while they bake! As with any chocolate cookie, it’s hard to tell when they’re done because they won’t turn golden brown. The appearance does change. Look for a flat, not shiny finish on the cookies.

Paleo Thin Mints: Dipping in Chocolate

Once the cookies have cooled, it’s time to transform them from chocolate rollout cookies to Paleo Thin Mints.

Grab your favorite dark chocolate and a few drops of pure peppermint oil. Do NOT use peppermint extract. It does not taste the same as peppermint oil and the cookies won’t be as good.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler until smooth. Then add the peppermint oil and coconut oil.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip the cookies into the warm chocolate and place on the baking sheet. Allow the chocolate to set up. If the chocolate doesn’t set (this can happen since we aren’t tempering the chocolate), pop the cookies into the fridge. 

Once the chocolate hardens, they’re ready to eat. Now the problem begins. Can you eat just one or two? (I can’t!)

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Paleo Thin Mints (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Girl Scout Copycat)

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Author Elizabeth Barbone (GlutenFreeBaking.com)

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 170 grams (1 1/2 cups) finely ground almond flour
• 85 grams (1/2 cup) coconut sugar or evaporated cane juice
• 38 grams ( 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) Dutch-process cocoa powder plus additional for dusting,
• 21 grams (3 tablespoons) coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 57 grams (1/4 cup) coconut oil solid, or unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg (about 50 out of the shell)
• 1 tablespoon milk dairy-free or traditional

For the Chocolate Coating

• 340 grams (12 ounces) 72% dairy-free dark chocolate chopped
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• pure peppermint oil (You'll only use a few drops)

Instructions

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• To make the dough in a food processor: Combine the almond flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt in the food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the coconut oil and pulse until no large pieces of coconut oil remain, six or seven pulses. Turn the mixture out into a large bowl. Add the egg and milk. Stir together with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. 
• To mix the dough by hand: Combine the almond flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the coconut oil. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the coconut oil into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. You don’t want any large nubs of coconut oil. (If you use your fingers, work in the coconut oil with a quick snapping motion. Stir in the egg and milk with a wooden spoon. Mix until a stiff dough holds together.
• Place a 12 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper on the counter and dust it lightly with cocoa powder. Turn the dough out onto the parchment and dust the top with cocoa powder. Cover the dough with a second piece of parchment. Roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the dough into rounds with a 1 3/4-inch cutter.
• Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet. You can place the cookies fairly close together, because the dough doesn’t spread.
• Bake until the cookies are set and aromatic, about 10 minutes.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Place chocolate in a small glass bowl. Microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir. (Do this even if it looks like the chocolate isn't melting.) Repeat until the chocolate is smooth. Stir in the coconut oil and two to three drops peppermint oils into melted chocolate. Stir gently until coconut oil melts. Taste. Add more peppermint oil if needed.
• Place melted chocolate into a small bowl. Dip cookies, one at a time, into melted chocolate. Place dipped cookies onto parchment lined baking sheet. When all cookies are dipped, chill until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes.
• Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.

The post Paleo Thin Mints | Grain-Free Recipe | Girl Scout Copycat appeared first on Gluten-Free Baking.

Yesterday, I appeared on my local news station to talk about…cookies. (Did you really think I was going to say politics or something?)

I brought the “World’s Easiest Cookies” with me. I love these cookies!

Perhaps you’ve seen me talk about them before? I mentioned them when the World’s Easiest Paleo Baking book came out. Nom-Nom Paleo blogged about them (and dipped them in chocolate. Wise woman!) And I shared the recipe on TheKitchn.

If you haven’t seen these cookies before, you are in for a treat! With only four ingredients, they come together in minutes! Minutes! The best part? They are grain-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. So unless an almond or maple allergy is a problem, these cookies fit into most diets. Yay!

Here’s the recipe for the Paleo Almond Cookies (aka World’s Easiest Cookies). It includes a photo step-by-step. So you don’t have to watch a video to make the recipe.

Enjoy!

Elizabeth

The post How to Make the World’s Easiest Cookies appeared first on Gluten-Free Baking.

Let’s make them! They only take minutes. I promise!

Paleo Almond Cookies: Mixing and Baking

First, we start with almond flour. You want a really finely ground almond flour. I really like Honeyville’s almond flour. However, you have to order it online. If you don’t want to do this, pick up a bag of Bob’s Red Mill or Trader Joe’s. (note: Trader Joe’s almond flour isn’t blanched. So the cookies will be darker.)

Next up, maple syrup. Select the darkest grade of maple syrup you can find for the best flavor. The darker the syrup, the more impurities it contains. Now, I know, that impurities sounds like a bad thing. For syrup, it isn’t. It just means the syrup is more flavorful. For years, this syrup was called “Grade B”. Now, it’s usually called “Grade A Dark.” The name Grade B was phased out because the name “grade B” lead some people to think that it was of lesser quality than “grade A” syrups.

If you can’t find a dark syrup, go ahead and use a lighter syrup. The recipe will work. However, the maple flavor won’t take a staring role.

If you are following a strict grain-free diet or have a corn allergy, you are going to want to make your own paleo baking powder. (Most traditional baking powder contains corn starch to prevent it from clumping.) If you are okay with a smidgen of baking powder, go ahead and use the store bought stuff.

Vanilla is the last ingredient in the cookies. (Yep, these almond cookies only have four ingredients. I know! Crazy, right?) You use a generous amount of vanilla extract! Two teaspoons. However, since the almond and maple bring such strong, lovely flavors to the table, the vanilla extract needs a little boost to get noticed. If you don’t love vanilla, reduce it to one teaspoon or omit completely. (If you omit, add two additional teaspoons of maple syrup to the recipe.)

Stir everything together with a wooden spoon. That’s right, you don’t even have to use a stand mixer. (Of course, you can use an electric mixer if that’s more comfortable for you.) As you stir the dough, the almond flour releases some oil and the dough comes together easily.

Scoop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can make these cookies large (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons) or petite (2 teaspoons). I like ’em petite. Whatever the size, scoop them onto a cookie sheet. For soft cookies, don’t press them down. For crispy cookies, press them down. Easy-peasy!

Bake. And….done! That’s it! Really.

Store the almond cookies in an airtight container for up to one week. If it’s really humid in your area, they will get soft. If it’s really dry, they’ll get a little crisp. (Since these cookies contain no eggs or dairy, the maple sugar in them makes them susceptible to weather changes.)

Paleo Almond Cookies: Variations

• Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies. Add half cup of mini chocolate chips to the dough.
• Cranberry-Orange Almond Cookies: Add half cup of dried cranberries and the zest of one lemon to the dough.
• Chocolate Dipped Almond Cookies. Dip baked cookies into melted chocolate. (See Nom-Nom Paleo’s Post for a step-by-step.)
• Bacon Almond Cookies. Crumble two cooked slices of bacon into the dough.

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Paleo Almond Cookies Recipe (aka The World's Easiest Cookies.)

Made with almond flour, baking powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. These paleo almond cookies come together in minutes!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 17 minutes minutes

Servings 20 cookies

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com Elizabeth Barbone

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely ground almond flour (8 ounces; 226 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon paleo baking powder
• 1/3 cup dark maple syrup (3 1/2 ounces;100 grams)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk the almond flour and baking powder together in a medium mixing bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla. Stir until a sticky dough forms and holds together.
• Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about one inch apart. For crisp cookies, press down the dough lightly with the flat bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup. (If the glass sticks to the dough, dip the bottom in water.) For softer cookies, don't press down the dough.
• Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool baking sheet between batches.

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Paleo Marble Pancakes

For these pancakes, you’ll need a small plastic squeeze bottle for this recipe, which you can pick up at any local kitchen or cake decorating supply store.
Recipe from "World's Easiest Paleo Baking" by Elizabeth Barbone (Lake Isle Press, 2016)

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 four-inch pancakes

Author Elizabeth Barbone GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups finely ground almond flour (5 ounces; 142 grams)
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch (2 ounces; 57 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, homemade or grain-free store-bought
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs (about 5 ounces; 150 grams out of the shell)
• 3 tablespoons milk, dairy-free or traditional
• 2 tablespoons dark maple syrup (1 1/3 ounces; 36 grams)
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, natural or Dutch-process (1/4 ounces; 5.5 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Whisk the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Add the eggs, 2 tablespoons of the milk, and the maple syrup and whisk until smooth.
• Pour about 1⁄2 cup of the batter into a small mixing bowl. Stir in the cocoa powder and the remaining 1 tablespoon milk until smooth. Pour the chocolate batter into a small squeeze bottle with a wide tip opening.
• Whisk the vanilla into the remaining batter.
• Heat a nonstick griddle over medium-high heat. Lightly grease it with nonstick cooking spray or brush lightly with melted coconut oil.
• Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the vanilla batter per pancake onto the griddle. You want the batter to sizzle as it hits the griddle. Using the squeeze bottle, drizzle some chocolate batter on each pancake. Make whatever type of design you want—a swirl, polka dots, a smiley face, or hearts are fun to do. Cook the pancakes until the edges are set, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional minute or so, until lightly golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter.* Enjoy right away.
• Leftover pancakes freeze well. Allow the pancakes to cool. Stack them with pieces of parchment or waxed paper in between. Slide the stack into a freezer bag, seal, and freeze for up to 6 weeks. When you are in the mood for pancakes, thaw in 30–second intervals in the microwave until warm.
• * At the end, you might have a little chocolate batter leftover. I cook this up and call the chocolate pancake a cook’s treat!

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What do you get when you combine a dairy-free truffle mixture and hot coconut milk? You get the world’s best dairy-free hot chocolate! And, seriously, no one would guess that it’s dairy-free. No one! In fact, I’ve shared this with dairy-loving friends and they all raved about it!

Hot Chocolate vs. Hot Cocoa: Which Team Are You On?

We need to discuss something. It’s serious*. And very important*. The difference between “hot chocolate” and “hot cocoa.” Yes. There’s a difference.

*If you love chocolate.

Hot chocolate: made by combining chocolate with hot milk or cream.

Hot cocoa: made by combining cocoa powder with hot milk or cream.

Is one better than the other? Not really. I mean, I don’t drink either on a regular basis. So when I sit down for a cup of hot chocolate, I want hot chocolate. But, I have to admit, there’s something nice about a cup of hot cocoa with a homemade marshmallow bobbing around in it. Basically, if you offered me one or the other, I wouldn’t turn you down.

Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate: The Work is Worth the Reward

Today, though, we’re leaving the cocoa powder alone!  We’re going to make the world’s richest dairy-free hot chocolate. And it all begins with a ganache.

Ah, ganache! How I love thee. If you aren’t familiar with the term, let me introduce you to this chocolate delight. A mixture of chocolate and cream (or in our case, coconut milk.), ganache can be used to make everything from truffles to whipped chocolate icing. Today it takes a staring role in hot chocolate.

You might be wondering why I use ganache in my hot chocolate instead of just stirring chocolate into hot coconut milk. When I’m in the mood for a mug of hot chocolate, I don’t want to futz with making a big pot of it. But it’s hard to make a just one serving of true hot chocolate. So what’s a hot chocolate lover to do?

Answer: make hot chocolate balls!

If you make a small batch of ganache and scoop it into balls, you can make hot chocolate whenever the mood strikes. Great, right?

It’s easy to make a dairy-free ganache. You bring full-fat coconut milk to a boil, add some dairy-free chocolate, and stir. In a minute or two the mixture turns dark and shiny. After the ganache chills for a few hours, scoop it into balls. Then put those hot chocolate balls in a freezer bag. When you crave hot chocolate, grab a hot chocolate ball, plop it into a glass of hot coconut milk and stir. That’s in! In only a minute or two, you’ll be enjoying the richest hot chocolate EVER.

How easy is that?

Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate: Variations

• Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Add a drop or two of pure peppermint oil to the warm ganache.
• Less Rich Hot Chocolate: Use low-fat coconut milk when making the hot chocolate. (Don’t use low-fat coconut milk for the ganache. It won’t work.)
• Hot Chocolate for a Crowd: Heat a hot of coconut milk and add one hot chocolate ball per person to the pot. Whisk until the hot chocolate balls melt completely.

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Paleo Hot Chocolate (aka The World's Richest Hot Chocolate.)

This dairy-free hot chocolate might be the richest (and best!) hot chocolate you've ever tasted. Enjoy!

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 serving

Author Elizabeth Barbone GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

• 8 ounces coconut milk full fat or low fat, whisked smooth
• 1 hot chocolate ball see recipe below.

Instructions

• Heat coconut milk until warm. (I often do this in the microwave in a 2-cup measuring cup.) Add the hot chocolate ball. Stir. Heat until chocolate ball melts. Enjoy!

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Paleo Hot Chocolate Base

For this recipe, I recommend using Enjoy Life's chocolate chips.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 hot chocolate balls

Author Elizabeth Barbone GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk, whisked until smooth (or heavy cream if you aren't dairy-free) (4 ounces; 113 grams)
• 1 1/3 cups dairy-free chocolate chips (8 ounces; 226 grams)

Instructions

• Heat the coconut milk over medium heat in a small heavy bottomed pot. When it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the chocolate melt. You want the mixture to be nice and shiny.
• Pour the chocolate mixture into a square baking pan. Allow to cool on the counter for about 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap. (Press the plastic wrap right onto the surface of the chocolate mixture.) Chill for three hours or overnight.
• Scoop mixture into balls, about three tablespoons each. Place the hot chocolate balls into a freezer bag and freeze until ready to use.
• Use as directed above.

The post How to Make Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate (aka The World’s Richest Hot Chocolate.) appeared first on Gluten-Free Baking.

All hail the king of cookies! These paleo chocolate chip cookies are a new take on an old favorite. The honey and maple syrup combine to create an almost caramel-like flavor. I prefer my chocolate chip cookies without the addition of chopped nuts. However, if you like nuts, go ahead and stir in a half-cup of your favorite. Walnuts are a traditional addition, but any chopped tree nut will work!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Important Stuff

If you’re reading this, I know one thing about you! (grabs crystal ball) You’re pondering making paleo chocolate chip cookies!  I don’t want to keep you from that pursuit. So here’s everything you need to know about this recipe!

Does this recipe make crisp or soft chocolate chip cookies?

Crisp! There’s a recipe for soft-baked chocolate chip cookies in my new book. affiliate link That one uses coconut flour. This recipe, made with almond flour, bakes up nice and crispy.

Why isn’t there coconut oil or butter in the recipe?

It doesn’t need it! The almond flour brings enough fat to the party. This means you can dump all the dry ingredients into a bowl, add the wet ingredients and stir. No need to cream a fat, like coconut oil or butter, with a sugar to start. You save a step!

What’s up with using both honey and maple syrup?

Ah! Good question! The combination of honey and maple syrup tastes a little like brown sugar when baked and you don’t need to use molasses or brown sugar. If you only have one on hand, go ahead and use it. The recipe still works.

Are chocolate chips paleo?

That depends on how you define paleo. On this site, I use the term paleo to mean grain, legume, and dairy-free. I avoid refined sugar but I do use sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and evaporated cane juice. For this recipe, I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips. The chips are gluten-free (actually, they are free of gluten, peanut, soy, casein, potato, wheat, tree nut, fish, sesame, dairy, and egg!) and are sweetened with evaporated cane juice. That works for me!

What’s the history of the chocolate chip cookie?

I’m SO glad you asked! Read this story!  (Story warning: you’ll want a chocolate chip cookie by the time you’re done reading it.)

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Shopping List

Here are the tools and ingredients I used to make this recipe. I hope you find this helpful!
The above are Amazon affiliate links. If you use them to shop, I’ll earn a small commission which helps support the site.

Ingredients

Almond Flour (I’ve made this recipe with both Bob’s Red Mill and Honeyville. They each work GREAT!)
Tapioca Starch
Honey (Buy local honey!)
Maple Syrup
Chocolate Chips

Tools

Mixing Bowl <—I LOVE these bowls. For this recipe, I used the second-to-the-largest bowl.
Whisk
Wooden Spoon
Baking Sheet 
Parchment Paper
Cookie Scoop <–The best cookie scoop EVER.
Cooling Rack
Cookie Spatula <–Yup. I actually use this. Someone gave it to me as a gift and, wouldn’t you know it, I LOVE the thing.

and…of course…The World’s Easiest Paleo Baking. This recipe comes right from my new book. I’d love it if you picked up a copy!

 

 

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Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain-Free & Dairy-Free)

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 cookies

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com Elizabeth Barbone

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups 1 1/4 cups finely ground almond flour (5 ounces; 142 grams)
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch (1 ounce; 28 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder, homemade or grain-free store-bought
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons honey (2 1/4 ounces; 63 grams)
• 2 tablespoons dark maple syrup
• 1 egg yolk (about 1/2 ounce; 15 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips or chopped dark dairy-free chocolate (3 ounces; 85 grams)

Instructions

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl.
• Add the honey, maple syrup, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Drop dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
• Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Allow the baking sheet to cool, and repeat with the remaining dough.
• Store on the counter in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze, wrapped in plastic wrap and
• placed in a freezer container, for up to 6 weeks.

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Paleo Brownies (Grain-Free/Dairy-Free Recipe)

If you are unable to find Dutch-process cocoa powder, replace it with natural cocoa powder and replace the baking powder with 1⁄4 tea- spoon baking soda.

Cuisine paleo

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 163kcal

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com Elizabeth Barbone

Ingredients

• 57 grams (1/2 cup) finely ground almond flour
• 50 grams (1/2 cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder* (see note above)
• 85 grams (1/2 cup) coconut sugar or evaporated cane juice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder , homemade or grain-free store-bought
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 113 grams (about 2/3 cup) chopped dairy-free dark chocolate or chips, melted
• 57 grams (1/4 cup) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 85 grams (1/4 cup) honey
• 3 large eggs (about 150 grams out of the shell)

Instructions

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper as wide as the pan and long enough to overhang the edges of the pan by 2 inches. Place the parchment in the pan, running your finger along the edge so it fits snuggly. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray or brush with melted coconut oil.
• Whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the melted chocolate, melted coconut oil, and honey. The batter will be thick. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. After you add the last egg, stir the batter until smooth. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Allow the brownies to cool in the pan. Remove the brownies from the pan using the parchment over- hang and cut into squares.

(This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on them and purchase an item, I make a small commission that helps to support the site! I only recommend tools I love and use. That’s a promise!)

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