Gluten Free Almond Chocolate Cookies
Cloves and honey roasted almonds jazz up these deliciously enticing and healthy, gluten free Almond Chocolate Cookies – made with only 7 ingredients.
So, I buy things off of Craigslist…
Ever so often, I even sell things on it…
Yes, I have been warned over and over again about the “Craigslist Killer”…
Maybe I am hard-headed or just plain loony, but…I have been horrible at heeding those warnings…
To date though, I have met some immensely interesting people through my buying and selling expeditions…
There was the college student who I sold a table to in a parking lot with a cop two cars down; who I found out was so incredibly independent and money savvy that she bought one piece of furniture for less than $20 with her weekly paycheck.
I couldn’t help but feel lucky to happen to have a folding chair in my car to include with her table when she told me that the table was her second furniture purchase – to keep her air mattress company.
Then there was the couple who I bought a puppy training crate from who stood around and gave me all sorts of advice and tips that had worked with their Husky when they first got him. The crate was $30, but their advice was priceless!
But, yesterday – I met my most interesting Craiglist person of them all!
Before I spoke to her, I did what I always do and bargained down the purchase price of the recliner that had been advertised, but when I met her, I felt bad I had done so!
She sat me down and cheerily talked and talked…she told me her life story…how she followed her daughter and grandson and granddaughter from Indiana to California to Atlanta and that she was selling a lot of her stuff so she could join them in NYC, she told me about her good memories and her sad ones.
And, when I was beginning to think that she must be in her late 40’s and so young to have gone through so much, she told me that she was 67!!!
When I got up to leave with the recliner, she told me to bring my vehicle down her driveway and before I could run in to pick up that recliner, this 67 year old lady had it hoisted up right outside the door; She, then, (with just a tad bit of help from me) had that recliner in the back of my car in minutes!
I am always amazed and inspired by the people God puts in my life – I was fortunate to have met this amazing lady. While we all have different ideas of success and fulfillment, hers was to never stop serving her daughter and grandkids. Her cheerfulness and can-do attitude helped change my rather dismal mood from last week.
These cookies had much the same effect on my dismal mood as this wonderful nameless lady did…
Why we love these Healthy Almond Chocolate Cookies:
These 7 ingredient cookies are gluten free – with a hint of cloves that enhanced the honey roasted vanilla almonds I used (which are one of Blue Diamond Almond’s newest flavors). These cookies have only 3 spoons of coconut sugar (but if you like a sweeter cookie, please add a spoon or two more), as the chocolate topping adds another level of sweetness to these beauts!
Ingredients
- 6 oz can of Blue Diamond Honey Roasted Vanilla Almonds Minus 6 to 8 almonds reserved for decoration ground up in a blender – almost to the point of it turning to almond butter
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 cup dark or semi sweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Mix ground up almonds, baking powder, rice flour, sugar, egg and cloves
- Form into balls, flatten and place on parchment lined baking tray
- Bake for 10-12 minutes and let cool
- Meanwhile melt chocolate over a pan with boiling water or in the microwave (checking every 35 seconds)
- Top cookies with chocolate and ground up almonds for decoration and extra crunch
Nutrition
I have been seeing Blue Diamond Almonds honey roasted flavors showing up on more and more grocery store shelves – so please pick yourselves up a can or two – even if you don’t make these cookies or yesterday’s chipote almond hummus, they are delicious to nosh on!
I love your Craig’s List stories. So cool that you had a chair and could help the college student out. And, your little grandma sounds amazing!!
Thanks so much Kim – I have been pretty fortunate in the people I seem to have met – off of Craigslist and life in general 🙂
Ha! Great story. You do meet some interesting characters from Craigslist. The cookies are just what I need right now.
Thanks so much Norma
Shashi, I love you and I love these cookies! I recently became gluten intolerant (literally out of the blue) and have been sick for several months trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. Now, I have also joined the gluten free camp. I adore these cookies and can’t wait to make them! Love that they don’t use xanthan gum!
Aww – thanks Julia – I <3 you too, my friend! I did read your post – GAH – am sorry to hear – but these days there are so many possibilities with all the varieties of GF flours out there! Yeah – I know quite a few people like using XG – but am skeptical – I like to keep things as simple as possible most times anyways – hope you are feeling better these days.
I love the idea of basically making your own flavored almond meal with blue diamond almonds… you’re brillant!!
Oh shucks – thanks so very much!
you do have the best stories Shashi, and you always meet such lovely people. You are one such lovely person and I wish I meet you one day!
These cookies are awesome – no butter no flour ? that just makes them more awesome!
Archana – it would be lovely to meet you one day!!!
Thanks so much btw
Oh my god, these sound amazing – and I can’t believe they have cloves in them!
Thanks so much Tara!
Heh heh… it almost sounds like the recliner lady’s her daughter is trying to get away from her which is why she keeps moving from state-to-state. “Dangit… Mom found us again!” But I’m sure that’s just my weird mind coming up with a made-for-Lifetime movie plot. 🙂
Haha -you crack me up Sashi!
These look delicious! Love they are GF!
Thanks so much Brittany
It is funny the people you meet in the funniest places. Love these healthier almond cookies! So yummy.
It most definitely is Joanna – thanks so much btw.
Wow, what a great post, Shashi! I used Craigslist a lot more down in Atlanta, but I’ve used it a bit up here, too. There’s some really great stuff out there! I’ve sold a couple of things on there as well (moving sale!!), but it seemed like it took a lot longer to sell stuff up here compared to down there. Less people I guess. Either way, this post made me smile. Thanks! 🙂
Thanks David!
I know you are in upstate NYC right? When my sis lived in Manhattan, she got so much stuff of Craiglist – not to mention sold a ton too – at one point I remember her telling me that she was going with a friend of hers to a “Craiglist Friend Party” where everyone brought a friend and showed up to meet peeps!! I am not sure I would be that brave – but I’ve been in the south for way too long! 🙂
You recipe looks and sounds delicious! And yay for gluten free! No tweaking needed 🙂
Thanks so much Jill
Well I think I just figured out what i want for breakfast- these!! 🙂 Yay gluten free and yay deliciousness! also lol craigslist is so scary but i still use it too!
Hahaha – Charlotte – thanks so much btw!
I love it when you meet strangers and learn all about their stories. It is such a magical experience. These cookies look great. I love that they are gluten free 🙂
You are so right Lauren – I love hearing peoples stories! And thank you so much
These naturally gluten free cookies look to die for, Shashi. The combination of chocolate and almond is hard to beat, isn’t it!
Thanks so much Angie
I do love it when life brings wonderful strangers into our lives. What gorgeous looking cookies and I can’t believe there’s so few ingredients. And GF too! Bonus! xx
I love how you worded it Charlie 🙂
Thank you so much! xx
Yummm, Shashi! Given my love for all things almonds & chocolate, these cookies are right up my alley…would it be terrible to admit that I’m thinking about smothering them with some almond butter ;)! Love that you always accompany your recipes with life stories! This lady sounds like a wonderful person…I am a huge believer that everyone we come in contact with is for a reason, regardless of how long/short our interaction with him or her is!
Thanks oodles Khushboo – nope it wouldn’t be terrible at all! Yes I agree with you on that latter bit – everyone does come into our lives for a reason – even if we cannot figure out the reason in our lives down here on earth.