chewy dark chocolate & almond cookies
One bowl, ten minutes to mix, ten minutes in the oven. That’s it.
These dark chocolate and almond cookies are about as easy as baking gets. There’s no flour, no butter, no eggs and no mixer, and hardly any washing up. Ground almonds stand in for flour, ground flaxseed does the egg’s job of holding everything together, and toasted almonds and chunks of dark chocolate do the rest.
If you fancy something sweet in the afternoon, they’re a healthier option than most - with plenty of fibre and every ingredient pulling its weight.
Ground almonds and flaxseed → fibre, supporting gut health and a slower energy release
Dark chocolate → >70% cocoa solids contains polyphenols. These are plant compounds that research suggests may play a role in heart and gut health. Darker generally means more of them and less sugar.
Almonds → vitamin E, which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
So, twenty minutes from bowl to cooling rack, and a batch of cookies with a lot more going on than most.
Ingredients
Makes 10-12 cookies
50g whole almonds
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
4 tbsp water
200g ground almonds
3 tbsp light brown sugar
3 tbsp smooth almond butter
80g dark chocolate (<70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
Pinch of sea salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Spread the whole almonds on a baking tray and toast for approx. 8 minutes, until lightly golden. Tip them into a bowl and leave to cool while you prepare everything else.
Line the baking tray with parchment paper.
Mix the ground flaxseed with the water. Set aside for 5 minutes while you measure the other ingredients, stirring once or twice to mix.
Roughly chop the cooled almonds.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground almonds, sugar, chopped almonds, dark chocolate, and a pinch of salt, then mix well.
Add the almond butter and flaxseed mixture, and stir well to combine thoroughly and form a dough.
Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to divide the dough into 10-12 (golf ball-sized) balls, then gently flatten them a bit on the baking tray.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges.
Leave to cool on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container - if they last that long!