Though I am always happy to see my kids in the kitchen, every foray at the stove seems to involve sugar, butter, and chocolate frosting. I’m all for homemade treats, but when it starts to look like a bakery in my house, the dietitian in me begins to hyperventilate. Over the years, I’ve attempted to nudge my kids in a healthier direction, handing them a whole grain bread recipe or suggesting they make dinner instead of donuts. While such efforts have historically fallen on deaf ears, my daughter Rosie has been known to experiment with more wholesome baking. That’s where today’s recipe for Tahini Almond Butter Cookies comes into play.
A Healthy Cookie Indeed
The cookies are inspired by a recipe that Rosie discovered on her own. She baked a batch and I was pleasantly surprised by both the ingredients and the cookies. That said, I found the need to tinker, as I do with nearly every recipe I encounter. I began by cutting the coconut oil to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the recipe. I also added tahini and chia seeds, which, along with the almond butter and almond flour, means the cookies are a good source of fiber, protein, and key nutrients. Also a plus? The batter has just 1/4 cup of sweetener in the form of pure maple syrup.
Tahini Almond Butter Cookies Pass the Taste Test
Good ingredients aside, a cookie isn’t a cookie unless it tastes good. And these do. They’re terrific just out of the oven, and even better when dipped in dark chocolate. It’s just the thing I want to pair with an afternoon cup of tea, tuck into a lunchbox, or even enjoy for a post-workout pick-me-up.
If you like Tahini Almond Butter Cookies, check out:
Chickpea Peanut Butter Blondies
Tahini Almond Butter Chocolate-Dunked Cookies
Stir together almond butter and flour, chia seeds, tahini, and maple syrup and you've got the makings of a cookie that's wholesome enough to qualify as a healthy snack. Dunk in the darkest chocolate you can get your hands on and it makes a decadent-tasting treat. If you want to skip the chocolate dip, add 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips to the batter instead, roll into balls, and flatten with the palm of your hand instead of a fork (it will make a few extra cookies done this way).
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup natural almond butter (stir well)
- 1/4 cup tahini (stir well)
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (or 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips)
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
-
Put all of the ingredients except the chocolate into a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Form the dough into 14 balls that are about 1-inch in diameter, rolling them between your palms. Space on the baking sheet and use the tines of a fork to press down firmly (alternatively press down with the palm of your hand).
-
Bake until the cookies darken slightly and are cooked through, 9 minutes.
-
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put into a small, microwave-safe bowl (no need to chop if using chocolate chips). Cook on high in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and continue to cook in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one, until melted. Dunk one half of each cookie into the chocolate and let cool on the baking sheet. Store in a covered container.
Adapted from the Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies recipe on Lemons Worth Lovin’.
