Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just last week Canada celebrated it’s 150th Birthday! And I must say, I am one lucky girl to be Canadian and live in this beautiful country. 

I grew up in Toronto and my Mother immigrated from Portugal to Canada when she was 14 years old. My dad also grew up in Toronto. He is as Canadian as they come!

Being Portugese, my mother was the first to introduce my father to fish and seafood – food he had never eaten before. They met at 19 and it was then that my dad first introduced my mom to a burger!

Growing up it was an interesting mix of food. My mother made everything from scratch and I was super lucky to have fresh, real, homemade food cooked all the time. My father on the other hand, did not cook. If dinner was left in his hands, we’d be eating kentucky fried chicken or kraft dinner. 

It’s funny because my mother literally cringed at pre-packaged food. She. Hated. It. 

But, you take the good with the bad and you roll with it.

In fact, it’s funny how things change. Growing up my mom didn’t take the easy way out – it was always about preparing fresh food at home. Nowadays, she still cooks, but she has definitely opted for more convenience then she used to. 

Myself on the other hand, I learned from my mother growing up. Prepare food from scratch. And I wouldn’t have it any other way! 

And so, these Maple Bacon Gluten Free Chocolate Chip cookies. Prepared from scratch. Using “Canadian” ingredients. I made them for my family and they were mom-approved 🙂

I personally love the sweet and salty combo. Hope you enjoy them!

 

Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 24
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 5 slices bacon (nitrate free and organic is best)
  2. 3 tbsp maple syrup
  3. 3 cups almond flour
  4. 2 tbsp coconut flakes, unsweetened
  5. 1 tsp baking soda
  6. 1 tsp sea salt
  7. 2 eggs
  8. 1/3 cup maple syrup
  9. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  10. 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  11. 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, lay out bacon. Using a brush, brush on 3 tbsp of maple syrup evenly across slices.
  3. Bake at 350F for roughly 20-25 minutes, until desired crispness is reached. Once cooled, break into pieces. Increase oven temperature to 375F.
  4. In a food processor add in almond flour, baking soda and salt. Combine.
  5. Then add in eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract and melted coconut oil. Combine until a dough is formed.
  6. Place dough into a bowl and add in chocolate chips and bacon pieces. Combine together.
  7. Place small balls of dough onto cookie sheet, about a tablespoon in size.
  8. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool and serve.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Salted Caramel Pecan Cookies (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)

OMG! Guyyyysss… 

These cookies are the most insanely delicious out of this world treat I’ve ever made. Like for reals yo!

They are like last meal kind of good. Annnnnd they also happen to be gluten free and dairy free. 

But let’s get real for second, ok? 

Just because they are a healthier cookie, doesn’t mean you should go ahead and eat like 10 at a time. I often find people consuming waaaay too many baked goodies just because they contain healthier ingredients. 

I wish I could say these treats were sugar free, but they aren’t. They DO however contain way healthier sugars than most treats and they DO contain less sugar than your standard pecan cookies.

And I must say, I’m pretty damn proud of myself for mastering a caramel sauce that adds that extra bit of pizazz to this recipe. 

Have you ever attempted to make caramel sauce before? 

I’ve poked around online looking for caramel sauce recipes and ALL of them mentioned needing a baking thermometer and having to get the sauce to the absolute perfect temperature and how to meticulously stir the sauce a particular way. Blah, blah, blah. 

That just didn’t fly with me and so I went ahead and decided to shortcut the sauce and it turned out perfectly! There’s a good chance you’ll be licking caramel sauce off your fingers. I sure did! 

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So being that the holidays are vastly approaching I do hope that you will add these delicious gems to your repertoire. I promise your guests are going to love them, and theres a good chance you and your kids will end up eating them before the guests even arrive!Screen Shot 2016-11-14 at 6.52.50 PM

If you’re looking for more delicious Healthy Holiday Desserts and Treats, be sure to check out my cookbook HERE. It’s loaded with amazing gluten free desserts, many of which are dairy free and all are free of refined sugars. From lemon shortbread cookies, to decadent brownies, to peanut butter and jelly bars, you’ll be drooling from the very first page! Click here to get your copy. 

And now, let’s get to these Salted Caramel Pecan Cookies that will knock your socks off!! (Ok, maybe you want to keep them on – It’s getting cold out there!).

Enjoy! xoxo

 

 

Salted Caramel Pecan Cookies
Yields 25
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
9 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
9 min
Total Time
30 min
CARAMEL SAUCE
  1. 1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
  2. 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  3. 1/3 cup cane sugar
  4. 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  5. 1/2 tsp sea salt
COOKIE DOUGH
  1. 2 cups almond flour/meal
  2. 1/2 cup pecan flour/meal (simply grind fresh pecans in a blender or food processor to make flour)
  3. 1 tbsp coconut flour
  4. 1/3 tsp baking soda
  5. 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  6. 2 tbsp raw honey
  7. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  8. 25 pecans, raw and unsalted
Instructions
  1. FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE: In a small saucepan medium heat, combine coconut milk, coconut sugar and cane sugar.
  2. Bring to simmer and stir constantly. Once mixture begins to boil, add in vanilla extract and salt, continuing to stir.
  3. Cook caramel sauce roughly 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened.
  4. Remove from heat, pour into a glass bowl and let cool.
  5. FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH: Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, pecan flour, coconut flour, and baking soda.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk together melted coconut oil with honey and vanilla extract.
  7. Pour wet into dry ingredients and stir together until a dough starts to form.
  8. Add in 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce to the dough. This is when the dough will start to come together. Stir until well combined.
  9. TO MAKE COOKIES: Using your hands, grab roughly 1 tbsp of dough, roll into a ball and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches apart between each cookie.
  10. VERY slightly, flatten the cookies, and using your finger, poke a hole into the cookie (DO not poke all the way through).
  11. Pour caramel sauce into the hole and top with a pecan. Continue this process until all cookies are complete.
  12. Bake in the oven for 9 minutes at 375F.
  13. Remove and let cool.
Notes
  1. *I had a little extra almond flour left along with pecan flour, so I added it to the cookie dough mixture. I got 25 cookies out of this batch.
  2. *Depending on what size you make your cookies, you may have a little more or less than 25.
  3. *If you stick to the exact measurements, you should have roughly 15-20 cookies out of this batch.
  4. *You will have leftover caramel sauce. At least I did. I used this in my Pumpkin Spiced Lattes and coffees. It was delicious!
  5. *You can drizzle leftover caramel sauce over fruit or coconut bliss ice cream for an extra treat!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/

 

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Cacao Walnut Superfood Cookies

Boo-ya!! These cookies freakin’ rock!

I don’t know about you but my cupboards are always stocked with cacao. I use it a lot! From smoothies, to cookies, cakes, bars, and all kinds of desserts, cacao is my go-to chocolate saver. 

Did you know that cacao is one of the richest sources of Magnesium? Yup! It’s true!

Magnesium serves many, many functions in the body. From detoxification, to relaxation and sleep, this mineral is uber-importante!

Personally, I recommend supplementing with magnesium (magnesium bisglycinate is my preference). I take 400mg before bed to help with sleep and relaxation and to help relieve muscle soreness. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night with a calve muscle cramp. You know what I’m talking’ about! It ain’t pretty. In fact, it really sucks. 

And ladies, if you’re dealing with PMS cramps, be sure to take magnesium a week prior to your period. Not only will it help with cramps, but breast tenderness too. 

OK… now onto the baking! 🙂 

These cookies, which freakin’ rock, (did I say that already?), are super soft and chewy and loaded with some incredible superfood goodness. They lasted ONE day in my house! They are also amazing crumbled and served on to of my Vanilla Maple Chia Pudding. They are Paleo approved and could be vegan if you substitute the egg for a ‘flax’ egg. 

Enjoy!

Cacao Walnut Superfood Cookies
Yields 15
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 cups almond flour/meal
  2. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  3. 1/4 cup Cacao Powder
  4. 1/4 cup Cacao Nibs
  5. 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
  6. 1 cup Shredded Coconut
  7. 1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder
  8. 1 tsp cinnamon
  9. Pinch of Himalayan sea salt
  10. 1/2 cup maple syrup
  11. 3 tablespoons melted Coconut Oil
  12. 1 egg or vegan egg substitute
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix almond flour, baking powder, raw cacao, vanilla and cinnamon.
  3. Stir in cacao nibs, walnuts and shredded coconut.
  4. Whisk remaining wet ingredients, maple syrup, egg and coconut oil in a bowl and add to dry mixture. Use a large spoon to combine.
  5. Scoop out tablespoon sized mounds onto your baking sheet and gently press down.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, less time for more chewy cookies, more if you prefer a crunchier texture. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
  1. *To make flax egg - One egg equals = 1 tablespoon flax meal plus 3 tablespoons water. In a small bowl, add flax meal followed by water, stirring as you go. Place mixture in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow mixture to bind. Once mixture is set, replace with egg in recipe.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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