Tag Archives: chocolate chips

I lived in a house in college where I lived with 9 of my best friends.  Well, no, they weren’t my best friends, but I did live in a house full of girls (10 of us total) for two years.  The second year I lived there, one of my housemates had a gluten & lactose sensitivity.  I remember thinking, “well that’s not fair that she can’t enjoy baked goods!” (at that time gluten-free products were not nearly as common as they are now).  Part of my make up is creating food that people like, enjoy & can eat without irritability.

I have since become acquainted with words, xanthan gum, teff, quinoa, buckwheat, millet & so many more sources for gluten-free living.  I find that this is a way I can contribute a portion of my hospitality to my non-gluten loving friends.  They need some baked yummies–dontcha think!  Well, tonight I made these cookies from my new cookbook The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.  I wanted a something sweet like chocolate chip cookies, but I didn’t have any eggs and I didn’t want to have cookies leftover in my house.  So, I had the ingredients to make them, I could eat a couple and give the rest to my friends Laura (gluten, egg & lactose intolerant) & Tina (gluten intolerant).

Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (printable recipe)

These are gluten-free, egg-free and if you use coconut oil than they’re also lactose free.  And as for a non-allergic individual, I find them to be pretty darn good. Note: I wouldn’t call these chewy, but still good.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup medjool dates, pitted

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup melted virgin coconut oil or organic butter

1/4 cup whole cane sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xantham gum (I used 1 teaspoon agar agar)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup (or more–I used 1 cup) organic chocolate chips

I also added 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place pitted medjool dates into a small bowl, cover with boiling water.  Let sit for about 15 minutes.  Then place soaked dates and water into a blender and puree.

3. Scoop out date puree with a rubber spatula and place into a bowl.  Add melted coconut oil, whole cane sugar, and vanilla; whisk together.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and sea salt.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together with a fork or wooden spoon.  Fold in chocolate chips.

5. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.  Gently flatten each cookie with the back of a spoon.  You don’t want to flatten them too much, only slightly.

6. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes.  Baking time will depend on what size the cookies are.  Larger cookies need a little extra time and smaller cookies a little less.  Let cool slightly then enjoy!  Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.