These deliciously delicate chocolate lace cookies will be the hit of your next party – and they just so happen to be accidentally gluten-free!
Have you ever thought about trying a gluten-free diet?
Like Atkins in the 90s, the idea of “going gluten-free” has swept America (and beyond). If you haven’t tried a gluten-free diet, chances are you know at least one person who has.
There are people who adopt this diet out of necessity (Celiacs). And then there are those who try it simply because they’re curious. I have a friend who falls into the latter group: She’s been avoiding gluten for the past two months, and she swears it’s made her feel better.
I don’t know if my friend is really gluten-intolerant, or if it’s the placebo effect working the magic on her. But my job isn’t to judge; my job is just to be a supportive friend. And so I support her the best way I know: with lots of love… and food! (My Italian grandmother would be so proud.)
For more recipes: Over 100 Healthy Gluten Free Recipes
The following recipe is the definition of “experiment.”
I had absolutely no idea, when I threw a bunch of random ingredients together, what would come out of my oven!
Luckily, these gluten free cookies were a huge hit when I shared them this past Saturday night, and my gluten-free friend was so appreciative she wasn’t left out of dessert for once.
To be honest, the cookies aren’t my personal favorites. They turned out too crispy/chewy for my liking, and I much prefer softer cookies like my Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cookies.
But some of my friends loved the flourless chocolate cookies so much that I’m posting the recipe anyway. If you like your cookies to be chewy (as opposed to soft), this is a recipe for you!
Chocolate Lace Cookies
Very loosely based on my Fudge Babies Recipe.
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- scant 1/4 tsp salt
- level 1/2 tsp baking soda
- packed 1/4 cup pitted dates (45g)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (170g)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil
Blend first five ingredients until almonds and dates are finely pulverized. In a separate bowl, combine vanilla, oil, and 3/4 c of the chocolate chips. Melt (I microwaved 1 minute, then stirred). Pour the dry ingredients, as well as the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, into the wet. Stir until evenly mixed, making sure to break up any big clumps. It’ll seem dry at first, but keep stirring until it all looks dark and shiny.
Bake at 355 F for 7-8 minutes. (Take out when still a bit undercooked, as these continue to cook as they cool.)
Link Of The Day:
Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
What do you think of the gluten-free trend?
I know this is a polarizing subject: some people believe everyone can benefit from adopting a gluten-free diet, while others think the idea of eating gluten-free by choice is ridiculous.
Personally, I don’t think I’m qualified to judge. I don’t have Celiac Disease and I’ve never tried a gluten-free diet (nor will I, unless it becomes medically necessary to do so). But I do think that if someone wants to give up gluten and thinks it helps him/her feel better, all the more power to that person. It’s really not my place—or anyone else’s—to tell others what diet works best for their bodies.
gluten=death! I don’t have celiac but feel much better going GF and even better going grain free, which is a plus for these cookies!
Love these! They look awesome!
The gluten thing I think is happening because of necessity. I’ve heard white processed flours and such are becoming so genetically modified, gluten content has increased dramatically and our bodies can’t handle it! Hence all the celiacs out there…. It’s sad, but I think going low gluten to gluten free is a wise choice. And it becomes an aboslute breeze when you got delicious treats like yours to eat! 🙂 Thanks for helping to make a healthy lifestyle easy!
hmm my other post did not go through…or is it in moderation?
I think being GF can be great if it makes a person feel better, yet doing it just because it is a trend or thinking it will solve weight problems seems silly. I am good with gluten 🙂 but I occasionally have GF stuff too since my mom is gluten sensitive and gets a not-so-fun skin reaction with too much of it. These cookies look great for the holidays too, like chocolate snowflakes 🙂
These sound really indulgent and would definitely satisfy a chocolate craving!
I have a friend who is gluten intolerant, and allergic to dairy. I might want to try this recipe on her (I would want to try it too, of course!).
These look beautiful, as always, Katie!!
I’m a believer of ‘everything in moderation’ and ‘listen to your body’. If you feel better by eating less/no gluten – great. If you overdose on gluten and feel icky, you probably ate too much. Often, for those doing it for non-medical reasons, cutting gluten often means cutting out a lot of processed junk that was in their diets (and usually replacing it with more veggies) and of course that will make them feel better. So that leaves me with a mixed opinion about the popularity of non-medical GF diets.
For me, I’ll still buy bread on occasion and eat wheat/rye/barley when I feel like it. I haven’t tried going gluten-free and I have no intention of doing it unless it’s under doctor’s orders. I already have to give up so many things because of my food allergies, and don’t want to avoid more foods if I don’t need to.
Celiac’s have an autoimmune disease and ANY gluten will make them sick. Because of factory farming in this country our wheat is 80-90% gluten. In Itlay it’s only 10% gluten. We are quickly ruining our food in this country by way of growing/harvesting/storing. Sadly, it is making many people, who are not Celiac’s, gluten intolerant or gluten sensitive. It is real. When we continually feed our bodies foods that are damaging the results eventually show up in our health. Whether that be too much sugar, too much fat or too much gluten. When you realize what you eat is making you sick, you have to make a change for you health. Many of us can go decades without noticing a gluten intolerance… just as we can consume tons of sugar before we realize we’ve developed diabetes. The problem is that our food supply is contaminated… eventually a great number of people will realize gluten doesn’t make them feel well. The problem isn’t gluten, it’s too much gluten and our bodies eventually reveal the symptom’s of a too-much diet.
exactly! like I said, the levels of gluten are rising.
What a great friend! I’m sure all those GF folks out there wish they had a baker like you to hang out with. Like you, I don’t plan on adopting a gluten free diet. I believe that diet choices are extremely personal. I respect everyone’s eating habits but I don’t enjoy when people “preach” about their diets.
You’re an amazing friend! I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to make gluten-free cookies. They look really good though! 🙂
I think some people do it because they are trying to loose weight, or at least that has been the reason I’ve been given. I think if they stop and look at the nutritional stats, you won’t loose weight.
Sometimes, I do eat gluten free foods, but it’s because I like them. I love love love brown rice. And companies make brown rice tortillas. I LOVE THEM. They are so soft and chewy and I love the taste! I feel the same about brown rice spaghetti. But like I said, I do this sometimes.
In my opinion, I think there is a lack of research and more of just following along with fads and such. Funny you mention this … I think Self has an article about going gluten-free!
Glulten is not an issue for me… but i find some recipes work for my daughter who is allergic to dairy and egg. WE have tried a baking mix for her though and she does not like the texture of the baked goods… it’s almost like a cornmeal texture.
I have absolutely no doubt that a lot of people need to avoid gluten – whether it’s full-on medical intolerance or just that it makes them feel better. But I am so curious as to how it all came about – how did we start getting all of these allergies and intolerances that it seems as though people didn’t have years ago (or if they did have then clearly the symptoms were not as debilitating as no one felt the need to do anything about it!). Such a mystery how we evolve, but if it works, do it!
Read “wheat belly” and it will tell you. Wheat today has been genetically modified and is nothing like it once was and that is why our bodies cannot handle it.
For me it has never been a trend but rather health reasons. Gluten-intolerance runs in my family, even back 2 or 3 generations so that is why I gave it up. Personally I did feel better and I can say for sure it was not placebo effect since I had physical symptoms that cleared up gradually after changing what I ate.
I eat a million times better than I did before so while I don’t think that people should just go gluten-free for fun or whatever, I think it is good to get out of the wheat rut and experiment with other foods, flours, and grains.
Interesting topic! I’ve been gluten-free for a few years now. Not Celiac or intolerant and not because I wanted to try it out or lose weight. Essentially, wheat, dairy and soy products wreak havoc on my hormones. And not just with mood swings and crankiness – more like needing surgeries to remove the nasty by-products of estrogen spikes in my system. I try not to come across as a special snowflake in restaurants, but just quietly ask the server for an option that’s dairy, wheat and soy-free. I can’t say whether the change in my diet has triggered me feeling better, because I made several drastic life changes at the same time, so I think it’s a combination of diet, exercise and stress relief that makes me feel awesome every day. In all, I figure if someone wants to go gluten-free for whatever reason – cool. If not – cool. My choice works for me and I’d like everyone to have the freedom to choose what works for them.
For some, going GF isn’t a choice (as you mentioned). My sister-in-law and niece both have Celiac, and both of my kids have Autism, so we’re pretty familiar with GF around here. But I also believe that if someone wants to go GF and see if s/he feels better, where’s the harm? As long as it’s not part of any disordered eating, I don’t see a problem.
I hate seeing food as a polarizing issue. IMHO, as long as a person isn’t doing any harm, their eating habits are their own business. Who am I to judge?