I remember perusing through Hallie Klecker’s first cookbook, The Pure Kitchen, last October while I was enjoying a little gluten free girl time with a few of my fellow bloggers in Oceanside, California. I literally couldn’t put the book down – the gorgeous photography made my mouth water relentlessly. I mean really, who knew that naturally gluten free whole foods could look that good?? (so says the girl who once thought life was over when she could no longer eat Pringles and Twix candy bars)
Today, Hallie has kindly offered to share with us one of the grain free cookie recipes from her new cookbook, Super Healthy Cookies: 50 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes for Delicious & Nutritious Treats. I currently have a batch baking in the oven and they smell utterly divine. Think I’ll be having dessert for breakfast tomorrow…well, assuming they last that long. – Heidi 😉
Something about the harvest season ignites the cookie monster within me. Maybe it’s that brisk nip in the night air or the back-to-school rhythm that September brings. The oven calls my name from the kitchen and beckons me to tie on my apron, roll open the baking drawer, and get to work on some tasty treats.
Ever since I went gluten-free a few years ago, I’ve been unofficially enrolled in The School of Learning to Bake Healthier. I’m not one to buy processed gluten-free treats in the store. I’d much rather make my own both for the experience of baking and because I like to control the quality of the ingredients that go into the recipe.
After a lot of trial and error (with much more error than I’d care to admit!), I compiled 50 of my tastiest, healthiest, most delicious cookie recipes in my latest book, Super Healthy Cookies.
I’m so excited to share my super healthy recipes with bakers everywhere! So what makes my cookies super duper healthy?
- No gluten, dairy, or refined sugar. At first I thought that you just couldn’t make a decent tasting cookie without wheat flour, butter, or refined sugar. But I’ve proved myself wrong in 50 ways. Every one of the recipes in my book is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and soy-free. (Over half of the recipes are egg-free and 20+ are grain-free.)
- Whole grain and nut-based flours. You won’t find any refined flours in the book. Everything is based on whole grains such as brown rice, gluten-free oats, buckwheat, or low carbohydrate nut flours like almond and coconut. There are flourless recipes, too.
- Natural sweeteners. Instead of cane sugar, I use natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, dates, and other dried fruits for added nutrients and flavor.
- Super foods. What would my super healthy cookies be without super foods?! In the recipes, you’ll find plenty of cinnamon, fruits and fruit purees, flaxseeds, chia seeds, coconut oil, and even some veggies, too.
With my cookie cravings kicked into high gear by the fall season that’s upon us, I wanted to share one of my favorite cookies from the book with you. These Almond & Pecan Cookies taste so buttery and bad for you…but they’re really not! I created them as an ode to my beloved wheat- and butter-laden pecan sandies of pre-GF life. They have a different texture than the sandies, but they are still oh so delicious.
If you’re a cookie monster like me, I hope you’ll check out Super Healthy Cookies for yourself. One of my dreams is to start a cookie revolution of sorts where we take back the whisk and start baking with more whole foods and natural ingredients. Whether you’re gluten-free or just someone who wants to bake healthier at home, I’m confident that Super Healthy Cookies is a great place to start.
Now, for those cookies…
Makes about 30 nutty and buttery cookies | Sweetness: Medium
Ingredients
- 2 cups (192 grams) blanched almond flour
- ½ cup raw pecans, finely chopped, plus about 30 pecan halves for garnish
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, chopped pecans, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, maple syrup, olive oil, and applesauce. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to form a dough.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a log about 6 inches long and 1 ½ - 2 inches in diameter. Wrap both logs in plastic wrap and freeze for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the frozen dough logs into ¼-inch thick rounds. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Gently press a pecan half into the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container.
Hallie Klecker is the author of Super Healthy Cookies and The Pure Kitchen, gluten- and dairy-free cookbooks that emphasize cooking with whole foods. She writes the recipe blog Daily Bites, where she shares her passion for natural foods. Connect with Hallie on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
These look amazing and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of that book 🙂
Ditto Maggie. Can’t wait! These sound like the classic pecan sandies, but better, I’m sure 🙂
Oh wow, these look amazing! I can’t wait to get this book!!
AMAZING!!!! Can’t wait for the book.
Just got my own copy in the mail and can’t wait to bake my way through the ENTIRE book – each recipe looks just as tasty as the next!!
Heidi, I miss your blog posts! Can’t wait to read your next post from you and Mike.
Meanwhile, this recipe sounds wonderful. The flavors of my gluten-free shortbread cookies are almond and lemon. I enjoy those flavors, as well.
Take care!