Home · Sweets and Treats

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Sugar-Free, Keto, Thm

Do you have a certain smell, taste or sight that is directly connected with Christmas? I do. Except its not just one. It’s like a 304!

I love the Christmas tree (the real one, with the REAL smell) all set up right after thanksgiving. I love the Christmas music softly playing in the background whenever I cook or bake. I absolutely love the Christmas tree lights on after all the kids go to bed, when I can actually sit and enjoy it, and the cozy soft glow that it gives off. Somehow, everything seems better around Christmas time.

There is an array of different cookie recipes that I love to bake around Christmas time, but these taste just like Christmas to me. I came up with the recipe last year when I was playing around with some ideas. One evening, as I was scrounging through the cupboards for something sweet (does anyone else do that???), I found an old box of Girl Scout cookies. Mint thins! I smelled them to make sure they were good still…they weren’t. So, I decided to make some chocolate mint cookies, inspired by an old bad box of Girl Scout cookies! The clincher was, they were going to be the healthy version so that I could thoroughly enjoy them!

Staying “on plan”

You see, I have a hard time staying on track with my health and fitness around the holidays. Is it only me? I feel like thanksgiving always starts it off for me, because I always end up baking enormous amounts of pies, cheesecakes and the like. Its not that I am a binger on all that is junk, but my messed up thinking always gets me in the end. I start to think, “well, thanksgiving is this week, so I guess I will have one of those cookies,” or, “I have to have a homemade roll with my dinner!”. That thought process just continues for a couple of weeks, when finally I am ready to get back to eating “on plan” again. Then it is Christmas week, and the whole process begins again.

I know I am not alone on this. I’ve talked to so many of my friends who struggle with this too. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not the end of the world if you take advantage of the wonderful bounty of deliciousness around the holidays. However, if it becomes the “norm”, then it can be.

So with all of that being said, wouldn’t you love to start incorporating healthy options to your holiday traditions? Try these guys on for size! I would love to hear some of your family traditions, your favorite cookie recipes etc, but especially how you liked these Chocolate Mint Cookies!

So grab a cozy blanket, a glass of milk (or cashew milk-one of my favorites), and put on that old Christmas classic movie, and enjoy one of these timeless cookies…with none of the guilt! Feel good about serving healthy options this Christmas!

Heres the recipe! I hope you enjoy them!

God Bless!

-Zaneta

Chocolate Mint Cookies

A Christmas Favorite! Sugar-free, Keto, THM

Course Dessert
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Servings 30 cookies
Author Zaneta Francis

Ingredients

  • 3 Eggs At room temp
  • 2 sticks Butter (unsalted) Softened
  • 1 1/2 cups Sweetener I love gentle sweet, monkfruit or an erythritol blend
  • 1 tsp Xanthan gum to thicken and bind
  • 5 drops Vanilla creme stevia
  • 1 1/4 tsp Mint extract
  • 2/3 cups Cocoa powder
  • 3 tbs Pyrure Stevia blend
  • 1/2 cup Sour cream
  • 2 cups Almond flour It works better with the fine ground almond flour
  • 1/2 cup Oat Fiber This is another trick to make it bind together

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  2. In Mixer: Blend together the softened butter and all sweetener until creamy.

  3. Add in room temp eggs and mix until fluffy

  4. Add in vanilla drops and mint extract. Continue to mix.

  5. In seperate bowl, mix together remaining dry ingredients.

  6. Add Dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until well mixed together.

  7. Once Mixed together, leave mixture in bowl. Place in Fridge for 20-30 minutes.

  8. Once chilled, place round 1 inch balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Slighty press down on dough.

  9. Bake in oven for 12-14 minutes.

Home · Sweets and Treats

Z’s Snickerdoodles

Sugar-free, Keto, THM-S

A Cookie was Born!

Seriously, how can you enjoy fall without snickerdoodle cookies? Seriously.

Well, last week was the official start of fall! Yippee!

One early morning, I was sitting on the couch and feeling a “baking spree” coming on. I was feeling especially “fall-y”. I had my traditional pumpkin smelling candle going, a nice warm fire in the fireplace and a cozy blanket on.

I started thinking to myself, “What cookie says fall? Hmmmmm……”. Hello! Snickerdoodles!

My dilemma started when I immediately remembered that I was supposed to be on a low carb plan that whole week! WHAT?!?! Who’s dumb idea was that???

I really wanted snickerdoodle cookies, BUT I really wanted to stick to my low carb week.

Thus, a cookie was about to be born!

I hurriedly got up and went to my kitchen. I began looking through my cupboards for any kind of ingredients I could use. Of course, I always have almond flour and sweetener around, so that was no problem. I also found butter and a half carton of cream cheese. I found a bunch of cinnamon and other yummies, and I began to go to work.

Mind you…When you picture me in the kitchen, I’m sure you picture a put together mom in her pretty little apron, perfect hair and makeup, gliding around the kitchen in baking perfection mode. NOPE.

My picture of reality is slightly different.

I was still in my pajamas, my hair was a rat’s nest, I hadn’t brushed my teeth yet, there were dishes all over and in the sink from the night before, my boys were running around like wild banshees getting ready to start school (homeschool) and doing chores, and I’m pretty sure my daughter was crying in her room about something.

But I didn’t care at that moment. I wanted to create a recipe. I was on a mission! (task-oriented much?)

Sometimes life is not conducive to having that perfect “baking experience”. You know what I mean? That perfect scenario that we all picture?

The perfect kitchen, the perfect hair and makeup WHILE baking. That just aint reality.

At least for me.

I say, despite your environment, JUST OWN IT! Whatever your kitchen scenario is… OWN IT!

A Fall Favorite

Now that you have a picture of how this recipe came to be, we can talk about snickerdoodles! This traditional cookie is definitely a fall favorite around this house! But this year, my family got to experience this favorite in a healthier way!

These cookies are still buttery and rich, but with none of the guilt that accompanies regular sugary snickerdoodles! They have a very tiny amount of carbs in them, so they allow you to only burn one fuel at a time when you eat them (see Trim Healthy Mama for further details)! Yay for slimming your waistline while eating yummies!

I call them Z’s snickerdoodles because this is my own adaption to the traditional snickerdoodle recipe.

I really love being able to create healthier options to craveable favorites such as snickerdoodles. These did not disappoint!

snickerdoodles

Be Fall-y!

It’s nice and cool now (unless you live in the south), so I encourage you to go be “fall-y”! Put on a pumpkin smelling candle, start a cozy fire, put some good music on and create your fall-y atmosphere.

Trust me…you’ll love it! Even if you don’t have the perfect kitchen, you don’t have your hair and makeup perfect, your kids are less than great, or your house is a mess. Sometimes you just gotta “roll with the punches” and find ways to bless yourself and bless your family! Baking is no exception! It is a blessing to all that around!

So go be fall-y and bake some Z’s Snickerdoodles!!! (recipe below)

God Bless!

-Z

Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Wet ingredients:
  • 2 sticks butter (1 cup)
  • 3 eggs
  • 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 1 Tbs Super sweet (or 1 tsp straight stevia)
  • 3/4 cup Erythritol
  • 10 drops vanilla creme stevia drops
  • Dry ingredients:
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum
  • 3 tbs cinnamon
  • 2 tsp cream of tarter
  • 4 scoops of collagen (or 1/8 cup)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • For cinnamon/sugar coat:
  • 2 tbs cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup xylitol or sweetener of choice

Instructions

  1. In stand mixer:
  2. Cream together the butter and sweetener until creamy.
  3. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix until creamy.
  4. In separate bowl:
  5. with a whisk, mix all dry ingredients until well mixed.
  6. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well.
  7. Chill dough for 20 minutes.
  8. Once chilled, roll into 1 inch balls, then place in cinnamon/sugar mix to coat.
  9. Place on uncreased baking sheets and then slightly flatten (not too flat).
  10. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown around edges.
  11. Enjoy!

Notes

keeps well in fridge.

7.8.1.2
49

https://zhealthyhousewife.com/2018/10/08/zs-snickerdoodles/

Nutrition

Calories

3553 cal

Fat

338 g

Carbs

106 g

Protein

70 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Sweets and Treats

Z’s Choco Chip EX cookies

Sugar-free, low-carb, THM-S, Keto

Why the EX?

There are chocolate chip cookies, and then there are chocolate chip cookies with “EXtra” stuff in them. Hence the “EX”. (No, I wasn’t going to talk about one of my ex’s, sorry if you were looking for some drama! I aint no drama mama! lol.)

These bad boys are lightly sweetened and have Lilly’s dark chocolate chips, so they are the perfect little not-too-sweet snack.

I often like to create recipes that are both delicious and also beneficial to my health. These cookies do both!

Choco chip X

The “extra” ingredients really aren’t needed to create a sweet treat, but isn’t nice to know that you are having a sweet treat AND helping your body be healthy? I don’t know about you, but I sure do!

Here are the two “Extra” ingredients that are in these bad boys:

Flax meal: Ground flax seeds, which is known as flax meal is very good for you. Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s. Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. I love to use GROUND flax seeds (flax meal) because once the flax seeds are ground, your body can digest the awesome vitamins and minerals that the seeds possess. If you just eat straight up flax seeds, they will pass right through your body, and you won’t benefit from their nutritious benefits.

Protein powder: Protein powder is a popular nutritional supplement. Protein is an essential macronutrient that helps build muscle, repair tissue, and make enzymes and hormones. Using protein powder may also aid weight loss and help people tone their muscles. I like to use a protein powder that has three different kinds of protein in it. It allows your body to digest these separate proteins in a slower fashion, thus helping aid building muscle! Yes please!

The art of baking low-carb

I have learned that baking with almond flours and other low carb flours is an art. It really is. I have had many failures when creating healthier recipes, and have learned a lot about what not to do.

Almond flour is my preferred “low-carb” flour. I have heard of people liking to bake with coconut flour, but unfortunately, I have NEVER had luck with it. Not only does it does it have the consistency of chalk, but the coconut flavor permeates through everything!

Perhaps you like the taste of coconut, but I do not. That is why I have learned to love baking with almond flour. One of the tricks that I have learned is to use xanthan gum to bind the flour together. I’m not sure scientifically how that works, but I have found it to be very helpful in the texture of my cookies.

cookies on baking sheet

I am still learning to bake in a low carb fashion, and to make the textures just as good as the traditional recipes. And I do still occasionally like to make yummy traditionally baked treats as well (i.e. regular chocolate chips cookies, full of sugar and butter). I do however, love to experiment at making cookies and treats that I feel less guilty eating. Because I love treats!

The Recipe

This recipe is really easy. I just add the “wet” ingredients first in the stand mixer, mix the dry ingredients together and then throw it all in the stand mixer to mix. After that, I let the cookie dough chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes (this is another little trick to baking low carb). That way, after the dough chills, it is very easy to make into balls. I just add the balls of dough onto the baking sheets, smoosh them down slightly and then bake! Easy peasy!

So, without further adieu, here is the recipe! Enjoy!

God Bless!

-Z

Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter (softened)
  • 1 tsp vanilla (or two 😉
  • 3/4 cup of sweetener (I used a blend of stevia and erythritol)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp mollases
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1/2 cup flax meal
  • 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
  • 7 oz Lilly's dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. In a stand mixer:
  3. Cream together softened butter and sweetener.
  4. Add in room temperature eggs and vanilla. Mix until creamy.
  5. Add in remaining wet ingredients and mix until smooth and creamy
  6. in a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) together with a whisk.
  7. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until smooth.
  8. Add chocolate chips.
  9. Mix until well combined.
  10. Place stand mixer bowl of dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  11. Once chilled, roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on uncreased cookie sheet. Smoosh balls of dough down lightly.
  12. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown along bottom.
7.8.1.2
48

https://zhealthyhousewife.com/2018/10/04/zs-choco-chip-ex-cookies/

Nutrition

Calories

3947 cal

Fat

318 g

Carbs

198 g

Protein

89 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

 

 

 

Sweets and Treats

Z’s Madeleine’s

Sugar-free, THM-S, Keto

Copycat Awesomeness!

These little suckers are totally copycats of Starbucks little Madeleine cookies…except they they don’t have all the preservatives, refined flours and sugar that those guys from Starbucks have! They have a delightful buttery taste and the perfect little cake/cookie texture! The best part about these little guys are…they are sugar-free! Completely guilt-free, and perfect with coffee!!!

I had made these little cakes originally as just little cookies, but as soon as I tasted them, I knew that I needed to make these into Madeleine’s!

The rich buttery taste were just too good to resist, and I knew they would look beautiful as traditional little tea cakes. So, I went online and ordered some madeleine molds, and alas…here they are!

 

“I’d like to order a cup of coffee with unsweetened cashew milk and one packet of Gentle Sweet, and I’d like a few of those delicious looking Z’s Madeleine’s!”

Yes please!

Teddy to the Rescue!

I don’t know about you, but I name my appliances. Especially the ones I love! I named my new Vitamix, Teddy. I named him after one of my favorite Presidents of all times! (you can read all about why I love him here https://zhealthyhousewife.com/2018/01/13/theadore/)

You guessed it…these little guys were made in my favorite appliance! It really makes life so much easier when you have great tools for your cooking and baking. My Vitamix Teddy is no exception! I just throw my ingredients in and blend, then I pour, then I bake!

Viola!

If you are on the fence of whether or not to invest in one…I would say…JUST DO IT!!! Mine truly has been worth every penny! AND…10 year warranty! Yes please!

Here’s a link…(I get a little commission if you buy from this link! Check out my affiliates disclosure below)…


The Recipe

I sent a Tupperware full of these little cookies to work with my husband and he reported back that “the guys loved them!”. I also had a friend taste one and she said she “got goosebumps, because they are so good”.

So, it is safe to say that these are delicious!

Even my son was impressed, and said, “Mommy…how do you get these to taste so yummy without sugar?”

 

I love this boy and how he is always willing to taste test my baked goods!

These little guys really do turn out so pretty! They would perfect for a special tea or a little church event!

I will be enjoying a couple of these with my coffee later this morning (makes the perfect “S” snack), and I will be feeling 0 guilt!

 

I hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!

God Bless!

-Z

Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks softened butter (1 cup)
  • 1 8 oz brick of softened cream cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup gentle sweet
  • 1/2 tsp butter extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup oat fiber

Instructions

  1. In a high powered blender:
  2. add in butter, cream cheese, gentle sweet and extracts.
  3. Blend until fluffy
  4. Add in the eggs and blend until creamy.
  5. Add in the rest of ingredients and blend until smooth and thick.
  6. Place in uncreased silicone molds.
  7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until edges are golden and the center is no longer gooey.
  8. Let cool completely.
  9. Serve with coffee, tea or your favorite hot drink!
  10. Enjoy!
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https://zhealthyhousewife.com/2018/04/03/zs-madeleines/

Nutrition

Calories

1272 cal

Fat

96 g

Carbs

66 g

Protein

57 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

 

 

 

Sweets and Treats

Z’s St. Patty’s Day Cookies

Sugar-Free, THM-S, Keto

I wanted to add this recipe today so that if you were looking for healthy alternatives for tomorrow, this recipe would be available. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

The Color Green

So…This morning, as I started thinking about what to put in my cookies, I thought to myself, “well, they obviously need to be green right?”

So, I grabbed my proposed ingredients (I was inventing the recipe on the fly), and grabbed the box of green food coloring. I proceeded to read the ingredients… and…..WOW!

I have one word…”EW”.

I mean really, have you ever read what is inside of store-bought food coloring?!?!?!? EW!

 

 

Here are the ingredients in regular old green food coloring…

  • proplene glycol (they use that in anti-freeze!)
  • fd&c yellow 5
  • fd&c blue1
  • propylparaban (a preservative)

EW!

So… as I stood there saying “ew, ew, ew…”, over and over in my head…I decided that I would go with whatever green thing that was in my fridge. It just happens that I had some fresh baby spinach.

Yes, you guess it…SPINACH MAKES THESE COOKIES GREEN!

NOW you’re probably going “EW!”-But don’t say that until you’ve tried these YUMMY cookies!

Kid-Approved

My boys had their little friend over today, and they were all coloring together. I asked them if they would be my cookie testers, and of course with the mention of cookies, they were on board!!!

So, I put a plate of the yummy green cookies in front of them, and they basically disappeared instantaneously!

There is a plate under all those hands!

The last little crumb!

Green Mouth Boy!

Gobbling it up!

All gone!

Little did they know that they just ate cookies with spinach in them! HAHA!!! GOTCHA!

But they absolutely loved them, and begged for more…even AFTER they found out about the leafy greens int them!

The great thing about spinach, is that it really is easy to mask the “spinach” flavor. It has such a light flavor to it anyways, and I guess that’s why I like to add it to my recipes.

Needless to say, these are kid approved!

They store really well in the fridge and actually get an even better “cookie texture” after being in the fridge for an hour!

Little Irish “poops”…

Haha…even writing that makes me laugh. Lol. It’s not what you think though. I wanted to share a trick that finally (after lots of failed attempts) worked for me. My poor kitchen was so messy when I made these, and I am still finding green gooey smudges all over everything!

But, I found that if you make the cookie dough into what looks like little “poopy piles”, they bake perfectly round! Hence, the pastry bag! It makes it easier…trust me. Yay me!

little piles of poop. lol.

So, although they look funny before you bake them, they really do turn out perfect after!

Anyways…I hope you have as much fun making these guys as I did! It really does feel great to serve healthy cookies to my kids, instead of the sugar laden ones that will be all over the place this week. Hope you enjoy these healthy bad boy cookies!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

God Bless!

-Z

Z’s St. Patty’s Day Cookies
Save RecipeSave Recipe

Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • 2 stick butter (1 cup)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup gentle sweet
  • 1 tbs super sweet
  • 3 hefty handfuls of spinach
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup oat fiber
  • 1 tsp Xantham gum
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pastry bag with plain round tip

Instructions

  1. pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In blender, add eggs and Xantham Gum. Blend for 40 seconds or until creamy
  3. Then add spinach, vanilla and heavy whipping cream.
  4. Blend until smooth and creamy green.
  5. Then, In stand mixer:
  6. Cream softened butter and sweeteners.
  7. Add in green blender mix
  8. Once all blended and creamy, add in dry ingredients. Mix until well blended (scraping sides occasionally).
  9. Texture should be a little more "gooey" than normal cookies.
  10. Use pastry bag to make little "piles" on the uncreased cookie sheets. (or just use spoonfuls, but they won't be as pretty;).
  11. Bake in oven for 10 minutes (or until edges are golden)
  12. Let cool completely before serving.
  13. Enjoy!
7.8.1.2
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https://zhealthyhousewife.com/2018/03/16/zs-st-pattys-day-cookies/

Nutrition

Calories

2193 cal

Fat

199 g

Carbs

78 g

Protein

57 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Recipes · Sweets and Treats

Z’s Peanut Butter Cookies

Sugar-free, THM-S and Keto!

These bad boys are pure peanut butter heaven!

But before I get into the recipe, let me just talk a minute about guilt-free eating!!!

Eating Guilt Free

Can I just say, I eat like a queen! I get to eat absolutely delicious food every day…and all because of the food freedom found through THM (trim healthy mama)! This lifestyle truly has become such freedom! Not only do I get to eat yummy cookies like these all the time, but I get to experiment and create such fun dishes and recipes because I understand the “science” behind eating healthy!

Here are some reasons why I love the THM lifestyle…

eating yogurt
I get to eat amazing food. Can you tell I love strawberries?

after baby 4
I bounced right back after having my 4th baby, on THM!

French toast boy
My kids absolutely love what I make because it’s mostly THM approved!

 

 

 

 

 

workout
It allows me to have the energy I need to workout.

 

 

 

breakfast
I can eat breakfasts like this everyday if I wanted to!

family
I am able to have a “quality of life” with my family. Good health and energy to keep up with them all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I get to eat muffins in a mug all the time!

 

 

MIF
Meal time is always a hit with THM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It allows me to still fit in a swimsuit (no matter how embarrassed I may feel).
It allows me to fit into a swimsuit (no matter how embarrassed I may feel).

husband
It allows my husband to look like a stud-muffin! (p.s. our son fell asleep on our hike).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The list goes on and on…

If you haven’t looked into THM, I highly suggest you do!

Here’s their website, and here is a link to buy the book>>>

http://trimhealthymama.com

My husband loves it too! He gets to eat yummy cookies, cakes, mouth-watering meats and veggies, delicious casseroles, breakfast goodies and the list goes on and on. All guilt-free! He calls himself the “trim healthy man”, of course, but he loves to tell his buddies about eating this way too!

 

Brian eating ice-creameating foodBrian eating food

Trying to get him to take a serious picture is pretty much impossible! (Isn’t he handsome?!? 😉

Be sure to look out for my post on THM and why we do it in our home. 🙂

Cookie Model #2

This is my youngest boy. His name is Josiah. He is my bundle of energy, and my risk-taker! He loves to wrestle with his brothers, climb trees outside, ride his bike, play out in the back field for hours and mostly just get in to trouble in whatever way he can find. 🙂

He always has some sort of scrap or bruise from his excessive need for speed and adventure, just like in these pictures. But, he does keep us on our toes, and we think he is such a blessing!

Josiahs cookies

Would you look at those eyes though! I’m sure we will be “boarding up the doors” to keep the girls away, very soon!

cookies

The Recipe

Needless to say, these cookies are a hit! They just have such an amazing texture! You seriously cannot tell that they are sugar-free and only made with almond flour!

There is a “secret” ingredient though… Z’s 3 ingredient Peanut Butter Recipe (keep an eye out for the recipe). Yes, I made the peanut butter from scratch!!z's peanut butter

I cannot say enough about my amazing Vitamix blender! It literally took me under 2 minutes to make scrumptious homemade peanut butter! And, it proved to be infinitely better than store-bought natural peanut butter!

 

This is the blender that I have, and they are having a sale, so you’re in luck!! Just click on the link right here to look at the possibility of owning your own amazing blender!!! Such an awesome investment!

>>>Vitamix: Get the Black Stainless A3500 for $50 off from January 26th-29th! Shop Now! (see my affiliate marketing disclosure at bottom of page).

 

Back to the recipe….

I did use my homemade peanut butter for this recipe, but you can use any peanut butter of your choice. I suggest a natural no-sugar-added peanut butter, to keep it in a sugar-free state.

Another note I might add is that, after you take them out of the oven, let them cool completely before handling them. I just left mine on the cookie sheet. They tend to keep their texture better that way.

cookie sheet
Cookies cooling on baking sheet.

They turn such a beautiful golden brown around the edges after they come out of the oven, yet they stay nice and chewy in the middle!

Hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I did!

-Z

 

Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
  • 1 1/4 cup of Gentle Sweet or preferred sweetener
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp molasses
  • 2 cups peanut butter (Z's 3 ingredient peanut butter is best, but you can use preferred peanut butter)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups almond flour
  • 2 Tbs Super Sweet (if you like sweeter cookies)
  • 1/4 cup pressed peanut powder (I used THM)
  • 1 tsp Xantham gum

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In stand mixer mix 2 sticks softened butter-until creamy
  3. Add sweetener -mix until fluffy
  4. Add peanut butter, eggs, vanilla and molasses-mix until creamy
  5. Add in all dry ingredients while mixer is stopped
  6. Mix altogether until cookie dough consistency
  7. Roll dough into balls and place on uncreased cookie sheets
  8. Use fork to make classic criss-cross pattern
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes or until edges are golden brown
  10. Let cool on cookie sheets
  11. Eat and Enjoy!!!
7.8.1.2
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https://zhealthyhousewife.com/2018/01/31/zs-peanut-butter-cookies/

 

 

Home · Recipes · Sweets and Treats

Z’s Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sugar-free, gluten-free, THM-S, Keto

Chocolate Perfection

These cookies are divine! Absolute chocolate perfection! Remember how I posted a couple of weeks ago how much I love cookies? I do. And these just make me want to eat cookies for every meal! And the great part? No guilt! No sugar and no gluten! They are just a mouthful of chocolate bliss!

My second child, Justus does not prefer chocolate. I asked him to help me take some pictures and to taste test my recipe, and he was hesitant. He was like, “mommy, do I have to?”. But, after he tasted them, he asked for more!

He said, “mommy’s chocolate cookies are the only chocolate I like!”.

He readily helped me with the rest of my photography and asked for more at the end. I had so much fun having him help me, and the pictures turned great with him as my little “cookie model”.

eating cookies

Finding Joy in the Little things

I have found that I absolutely love food photography, and I especially love writing! I think it is important as moms to find a hobby or something constructive that brings you joy.

Finding joy in the little things, like taking photos of food or my kids enjoying the food I make…that’s just priceless.

I encourage you to find your “niche”. Find something that inspires you, and do it! I’m sure I will be writing a post on this subject soon, and there I can ramble and rant about how important finding hobbies for yourself can be.

Seeing these little faces light up after sinking their teeth into something delicious can be one of the highlights of my day. Capturing these faces is even better, because I can keep the memory alive.

 

 

 

Back to the Recipe

You can make these cookies plain chocolate chip cookies, if you prefer. Just take the cocoa powder out. They have the same taste, just less chocolatey.  these cookies are super easy to make, and I have found that whipping them together in the stand mixer takes only a couple of minutes. Then I just put the whole stand mixer bowl in the fridge to firm up, and go about my house chores. By the time I do a load of laundry and help the kids with school, they are ready to throw on a cookie sheet and bake!

They come out oh-so-gooey and perfect! After you allow them to cool, they firm up and get the perfect texture!

justus and choco chip cookie

double choco chip cookies

Mmmm….

 

 

 

 

 

justus and the cookie

Now that your mouth is watering, maybe you need to go make some!

Here is the recipe! Enjoy! -Z

Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks of butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 scoops (approx. 1/4 c.) vanilla protein powder
  • 1 cup sweetener (I used truvia-not the baking blend, and erythritol)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups almsond flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 8 oz. bag of sugar-free chocolate chips (I used Hershey's)

Instructions

  1. In a stand mixer:
  2. Add softened butter-Mix until creamy
  3. Add sweetener-mix until fluffy
  4. Add vanilla and mix more
  5. Add protein powder, cocoa and salt
  6. Add in almond flour and mix until evenly mixed
  7. When all is mixed, add in chocolate chips and mix for only about 20 seconds until all ingredients are incorporated.
  8. Stick the mixing bowl full of cookie dough in the fridge for 20-40 minutes until cold
  9. Take out of fridge and form into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter
  10. Put on uncreased baking sheet.
  11. Flatten with the palm of your hands, just slightly
  12. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes
  13. Let cool before handling.
  14. Enjoy!
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https://zhealthyhousewife.com/2018/01/24/zs-double-chocolate-chip-cookies/