Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free & Nut Free)

Delicious, crisp on the outside, soft in the center … yummy, yummy, chocolate chip cookies.  Even my non-gluten free husband loves these.   

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free & Nut Free)

Equipment: Standing Electric Mixer or Handheld Electric Mixer w/ Large Bowl, Spatula or Spoon, Baking Sheet, Unbleached Parchment Paper

·      ¾ cup coconut palm sugar (I use Big Tree Farms SweetTree)

·      ¾ cup rapadura (I use Rapunzel)

·      1 cup pasture butter, room temperature (See Resources)

·      1 pastured or organic egg

·      1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)

·      2 ½ cups sprouted brown rice flour or brown rice flour (See Resources)

·      1 teaspoon baking soda

·      1 ½ - 2 cups gluten free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.   Assemble standing mixer with large mixing bowl and mixing blade.  Add coconut sugar, rapadura and pasture butter – cream/mix on medium speed until mixture is combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.   

3.   Add egg and vanilla, mix on low speed just to combine.

4.   Add brown rice flour and baking soda, mix on low speed until combined. 

5.    Add chocolate chips, mix on low speed or stir by hand until combined. 

6.   Using clean hands, roll dough into 2-inch large balls.  Place on baking sheet 2 ½ inches apart. 

7.    Bake for about 12 minutes.  Do not over bake!

8.   Remove from oven and let cool ON baking sheet for 7-10 minutes.  Do not remove them before this or they will fall apart.  They need time to rest. 

9.   Remove carefully to a cooling rack or let cool completely on baking sheet.  Enjoy them warm or let them cool completely. 

Yield:Makes about 15-20 cookies

Note: I have also used ½ cup local creamed clover honey and ¾ cup coconut sugar combo instead of Rapadura.  They’re still yummy, but it changes the texture a lot, Little Love prefers this version.  These can also be made with good quality chocolate bars chopped up instead of chocolate chips. 

Storage:Store in airtight container up to 3 days if you haven’t eaten all of them already.  I like mine cold the next day, so I store some of mine in the refrigerator, this is totally optional.

Mini Warm Chocolate Cakes

These are seriously one of my favorite things!  They are incredibly delicious.  If you love chocolate as much as I do, you have to give these a try.

To. Live. For.  

Enjoy!

Mini Warm Chocolate Cakes

Rich, chocolaty, and simply divine. 

Equipment: 6 Ramekins, Medium-Size Saucepan and Heat-Proof Medium-Size Glass Bowl or Double Boiler, Wooden Spoon, Medium-Size Mixing Bowl

·      14 oz. good quality chocolate bar, chopped or 1 ¾ cups chocolate chips

·      8 tablespoons pasture butter, plus extra for ramekins (See Resources)

·      ½ cup honey (I use local clover creamed)

·      2 pastured eggs (See Resources)

·      3 tablespoons sprouted brown rice flour (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract (I use Simple Organic)

·      1/8 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      Water

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.   Grease ramekins with butter, set aside.

3.   Add a small amount of water (about 2 cups) to a double boiler (or if you’re like me and don’t have a double boiler, use a medium-size saucepan, add about 2 cups water to the pan and place a heat-proof glass bowl over the top of the pan).

4.   Add chocolate, butter and honey to the double boiler or glass bowl.  Place over medium-low heat.  Stir with a wooden spoon until everything has melted and is smooth and shiny.  Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes (if using a glass bowl, remove the bowl from the saucepan, if using a double boiler, remove the top part and set aside). 

My favorite helper.

5.    In a separate bowl, crack eggs, break yolks with a fork and mix.  Add sprouted brown rice flour, vanilla and salt, stir to combine.

6.   Once chocolate mixture has slightly cooled, add a small amount to the egg mixture.  Stir to combine, add a little bit more of the chocolate mixture, and again, stir to combine.  Adding the small amount in the beginning keeps the eggs from “cooking.”  Add the remaining chocolate mixture and stir to combine. 

Little Love slowly adding the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture.

7.   Divide evenly into 6 ramekins. 

8.   Place in preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Tops should be cracked and insides should be hot and gooey. 

9.   Serve hot.  Turn ramekin upside down onto serving plate, the little cake will slip right out. 

Warm Chocolate Cake w/ Vanilla Ice Cream and Strawberries.

Enjoy every bite!

Yield: Makes 6 mini cakes.

Optional Toppings: These taste wonderful with a little bit of medium-ground Himalayan Pink Salt on the top.  Serve alone or with fresh berries, fresh berry sauce, vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. 

Note: These are meant to have a soft, gooey center.  The edges should form a nice “crust” and the inside should be very soft.  Do not overcook.    

Storage: These are delicious cold too!  They become more like a fudge cake.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Eat cold or reheat at a low, warming temperature in the oven for a couple of minutes.  They are still just as good the second day. 


This post is part of Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival at Hartke Is Online, Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Gluten Free Pantry, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, These Chicks Cooked Weekly Recipe Swap @ This Chick Cooks, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, and Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, and Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa.

Sprouted Cut-Out Cookies (GF)

Cookies Decorated by my Little Love

My Little Love and I really enjoy baking together.  One of her favorite things to bake is Vanilla Butter Cookies, especially when we make them into cut-out cookies.   

These cookies are sweet enough on their own (I prefer them plain), but they are an extra special treat with homemade Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting.  Enjoy them plain or frosted.  If you want to add color to your frosting, make sure to look for all-natural, plant-based food coloring (stay away from artificial food coloring!).  

Little Love excited about the cookies.

Sprouted Cut-Out Cookies (Gluten-Free)

These are so versatile, they are great any time of the year, just switch up the cookie cutters. 

Equipment: Large Baking Pan (I use a Stoneware Large Bar Pan), Medium-Size Mixing Bowl, Parchment Paper, Rolling Pin, Cookie Cutters

• 1 batch Vanilla Butter Cookies
• Extra sprouted flour for dusting

1. Make one batch of Vanilla Butter Cookies.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  

3. Place a large piece of parchment paper (about 12 inches long) on a flat surface.  Place a small amount of sprouted flour in the corner of the parchment paper for you to use as needed.  Get your cookie cutters ready.  Lightly sprinkle a little bit of sprouted flour in the middle of the parchment paper.  Break cookie dough ball in half and place on top of the sprinkled flour.  Sprinkle sprouted flour on top of the dough ball.  Rub a little bit of sprouted flour on the rolling pin.  Roll the dough out about 1/4 inch thick.  

4. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes/cookies.  Repeat until all dough is gone.

My Favorite Little Helper

5. Place cut-out cookies on baking pan.  [Note: If you are not using clay stoneware for baking, make sure to line your baking pan with parchment paper.]

6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.  

7.  Allow cookies to sit on the pan for 10 minutes before removing.  Use a flat spatula to move the cookies to a cooling rack. 

8.  Allow to cool completely if you decide to frost them.  

Admiring her cookie.

Little Love enjoying her first bite of the cookie.

Yield: Varies.

Storage: Store in an airtight container.  


This post is part of Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, and Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake (Sprouted Gluten-Free Flour & Egg-Free)

Little Love and I made this cake for Thanksgiving this year.  She wanted to make a cake (not a pie), so cake is what we made.  Chocolate cake was her request, and I wanted something holiday related, so we decided to make a Chocolate Pumpkin cake.  

The heart decoration was her idea too.  We were talking about what we were grateful for, and number one for both of us was each other, and so the heart was created.  Little Love said the heart was for love and being together.  

This cake is super moist and chocolaty.  It's even moist the next day (it doesn't dry out like some cakes do).  I like to store it in the refrigerator and a enjoy a slice of it cold the next day.     

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake (Sprouted Gluten-Free Flour & Egg-Free)

This makes 2 cake rounds to make a two layer cake.  Recipe can be divided in half if you only want to make 1 layer of cake or 12 cupcakes.

Equipment: Small Bowl, Food Processor, Standing Mixer or Hand Mixer w/ Bowl, Medium-Size Bowl, Two 8-9" Cake Pans, Parchment Paper, Cooling Racks

• 2 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 6 organic apples, peeled, cored, quartered
• 1/2 cup pasture butter (See Resources)
• 1/2 cup honey (I use local raw clover creamed)
• 2 teaspoon gluten-free organic vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)
• 2 1/2 cups sprouted brown rice flour (See Resources)
• 1 cup cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

1. At least 10 minutes prior to making the cake, combine chia seeds and filtered water in a small bowl.  If possible, soak chia seeds in 1/2 cup water overnight or 24 hours prior to making cake.  [Note: Chia seeds will absorb water and form a "gel", this becomes the egg-replacer.]

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease cake pans.  Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper into a circle that will fit in the bottom of the cake pans.  Add parchment paper circles to the greased cake pans and set aside.  

3. In food processor, add apple pieces and pulse until apples become "applesauce", about 45 seconds-1 minute, scrape down sides during process if necessary.  Add pumpkin puree to the "applesauce" and pulse to combine.  Set aside.  Check out my post on How to Roast a Pumpkin & Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree.  

4. Fit a standing mixer with flat beater.  Add butter and honey, mix on low speed until combined, then increase speed until butter and honey become creamed, about 45 seconds.  

5. Add vanilla, chia seed gel and pumpkin-applesauce to butter-honey mixture.  Mix on low speed until combined.  

6. In a medium-size bowl, combine sprouted brown rice flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir to combine.  Add to wet mixture and combine on low speed just until incorporated.  

Little Love mixing the dry ingredients.

8. Add batter to cake pans, making sure to divide the batter evenly in both pans.  

9. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Let cool for 15 minutes in cake pans before removing cakes to cooling racks.  

10.  Do NOT frost until cake rounds are completely cooled.  Frost cake with your favorite frosting.  This cake was frosted with Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.  

Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting

Yield: Makes two 8-9" cake rounds.

Storage: Store cake in the refrigerator up to 3 days.  


This post is part of Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2day joys, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Real Food 101 @ Ruth's Real Food, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, Pennywise Platter @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, and Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead.