Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok so these are in now way "healthy", but they are "healthier" in the sense that 1: they are gluten free, making them easier for your body to digest, and 2: that they are made with all natural ingredients making them unprocessed and "better" for you. Too many quotations? This cookie was a complete splurge for us, and I will probably not be making them anytime soon, not because they were not delicious (trust me, I have declared these the best darn cookies I think I have ever had) but because we really do not need to be eating things with sugar and butter, but they were worth every bite. I really made these out of a pure desire to experiment with gluten free baking. I finally have accumulated random gluten free products and just wanted to test out some Babycakes recipes. While they keep their recipes vegan, I did not have coconut oil on hand and opted for butter , and who am I trying to kid, butter is just down right delicious in cookies. BUT, next time I would like to try these with coconut oil and agave instead of the butter an sugar, although more than likely my sister is going to inherit all of my gluten free baking items since I prefer to eat gluten/grain and refined sugar free when baking. Anyways, the cookies are amazing and really worth the effort to be gluten free. Not only is it easier on your body, but the oat flour (I just ground up whole oats myself) gives these a delicious texture and flavor. You must try them!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Babycakes NYC Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe found on Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All purpose Baking Flour Bag (whew that was a lot)

Makes 36 small cookies, or about 2 dozen bigger ones for me

1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour (you can just pulse gluten free oats in a food processor or blender until fine)

1 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour

1 cup organic sugar (I used natural cane sugar)

1/4 cup almond meal (or flaxseed meal)

1/4 cup Tapioca Starch (or arrowroot starch)

1 1/2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter, coconut oil, or canola oil

6 tablespoons unsweetened Applesauce

2 tablespoons gluten free Vanilla Extract (or regular if your not gluten sensitive)

1 cup gluten free, dairy free chocolate chips (I used regular old chips here)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, almond meal, tapioca starch, xnathan gum, baking soda and salt. Add the melted butter, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. 

Drop the dough by the tablespoon-full on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 7 minutes, rotate baking sheets, and bake for 7 more minutes or until golden brown and firm. I like mine a bit more soft so I did not let mine get super firm. Let stand on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before eating. (Are you serious? this is really what it says, but who am I kidding..I singed my tongue devouring a hot cookie, which is just the way I like it!)