Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Hidden Kiss Cookies
• Hidden Kiss Cookies Recipe Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Them
• Tips for Success
• More Christmas Cookie Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I have a couple dozen recipes that I published back in 2009 or 2010 on my first blog, called The Hazel Bloom (because I liked green flowers and the words together!) But unfortunately, when I rebranded to Kitchen Treaty in 2012, I lost many of them. I still don’t know what I did, they just went poof! And gone.

So I’ve been slowly re-adding these recipes to Kitchen Treaty – and by slowly, I mean sloooowwwwwly, considering it’s been a decade plus!

Last year, I republished this Saltine Toffee recipe which has proven to be really popular. I know I’m a huge fan – I make it every year! Another cookie I make nearly every year? These Hidden Kiss Cookies! At the time, I called them Secret Kiss Cookies, and you can call them that if you prefer. Either one works!

These Hershey’s Kiss cookies are made with finely ground walnuts in the cookie dough for a super tender cookie. They’re wrapped around a single Hershey’s kiss, then baked until lightly golden and tender.

From there, just dust them in powdered sugar and watch them disappear! They’re tender, melt-in-your-mouth good and so perfect on any holiday cookie plate.

Why You’ll Love Hidden Kiss Cookies

• They’re DELICIOUS. Powdered sugar dusted shortbread style cookies around a big ol’ hunk of chocolate … YES PLEASE.
• They’re cute. They look like little snowballs on the holiday cookie platter.

Hidden Kiss Cookies Recipe Ingredients

• Butter – You’ll want it to be room temperature so that it blends and fluffs up easily.
• Sugar – Granulated (white) sugar.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract adds the perfect touch of mellow-sweet flavor.
• Walnuts – Raw walnuts, cut as small as you can get them. I use my Vitamix blender! Note that even walnut haters can love these cookies. Because I am absolutely a professed walnut hater, but something about chopping them into tiny bits makes them not only palatable but delicious.
• Flour – All-purpose.
• Hershey’s kisses – You’ll need about 30 kisses, which is about 3/4 of a 10.2 ounce bag.
• Powdered sugar – For dusting the freshly baked kiss cookies.

Adaptations/Variations

• Swap pecans for the walnuts for a more traditional Mexican Wedding Cookie approach.
• Use Hugs or another favorite kiss variation. Whatever you love!

How to Make Them

1. First, you’ll want to mix up the dough. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then mix in the vanilla. Add the walnuts, then the flour, beating on low speed just until the dough forms.
2. Chill for an hour.
3. Scoop tablespoon-size balls of dough and press a kiss into each one, using your hands to form the dough around the kiss in a ball.
4. Bake until lightly golden and set.
5. Cool for about 5 minutes.
6. Dust/roll in powdered sugar, then cool all of the way. And enjoy!

Tips for Success

• Pulverize those walnuts! The finer the better (just don’t process them so much that they turn into nut butter!). A food processor is perfect, or I even just use my Vitamix blender which does the job perfectly.
• Go gently. These tender cookies can be a bit delicate, so be gentle when dusting with powdered sugar.

I hope these Hidden Kiss Cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday cookie platters! They’re always a fave here.

Print

Hidden Kiss Cookies

A big bite of chocolate hidden inside a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie, all rolled in powdered sugar. These delicious kiss cookies belong on every holiday cookie platter!

Course Dessert

Keyword hersheys kiss cookies, hidden kiss cookies, secret kiss cookies

Prep Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 30 cookies

Calories 150kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

For the cookie dough

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened/room temp
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup very finely chopped walnuts 4 ounces; 1 heaping cup of walnuts comes to about 1 cup ground
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 215 grams

For inside the cookies

• 30 Hershey's kisses unwrapped; about 3/4 of a 10.2 ounce package

For dusting the baked cookies

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Mix dough & chill

• Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer affixed with a beater blade or in a large bowl and use a hand mixer. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for another 20 seconds or so until well-distributed.
• Mix in the walnuts on low speed, then add the flour and beat on low just until incorporated.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for an hour.

Bake

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Pull the dough out of the fridge and use a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon or cookie scoop to pull out tablespoon of dough, then roll it around each kiss. I like to smoosh the dough just a bit in my palm, stick the kiss in point first, then wrap it around. Or you can press the cookie dough slightly flat, set the kiss on, and wrap it around the top (it's a little easier to make sure the kiss stays right-side-up this way). You have to smoosh it a little to hide the kiss completely. (I keep using the word "smoosh," but it's very appropriate here!)
• Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes, just until set and the bottoms are lightly golden brown.

Cool & dust with powdered sugar

• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes.
• Add the powdered sugar to a bowl. Gently roll in/dust with powdered sugar and place cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Cook time includes 1 hour chilling.

Freezer note: These freeze well, so feel free to make them now then save ’em until the big day.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.5mg

More Christmas Cookie Recipes

• Christmas Sugar Cookies
• Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Saltine Toffee (Christmas Crack)
• Mini Gingerbread People

The post Hidden Kiss Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
• Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients
• How to Make Them
• Tips for Success
• Freezer-Friendly Christmas Cookies
• More Holiday Cookie Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

Last year, I shared a recipe for Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies which is basically a Christmas-ified version of classic chocolate chip cookies. They were super fun and I really liked having an excuse to put a year-round classic like chocolate chip cookies on my Christmas cookie platter.

So this year, I thought I’d set out to make another chocolate chip cookie that’s gotten into the Christmas spirit!

I wanted an cranberry orange cookie flavor flavor profile, and white chocolate goes perfectly. So I revisited my oldie-but-goodie recipe for white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, making them a bit thicker and chewier, with a generous amount of orange zest + dried cranberries. It was love at first bite!

Why You’ll Love These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

• No chilling required – The dough comes together quickly and they’re in the oven in no time.
• Brown sugar chewy perfection – These cranberry white chocolate chip cookies have the perfect consistency. They’re crisp around the edges, chewy and soft in the middle.
• Super easy – Just about as easy as classic chocolate chip cookies! Just mix, drop, and bake.
• Perfect for the holidays – With cranberry, orange flavors, and white chocolate these cookies are super Christmassy!
• Sturdy and portable – Perfect for mailing care packages or for a Christmas cookie exchange.

Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

• Butter – You’ll want unsalted butter. Make sure it’s room temp so it’s soft enough to be able to beat and mix with the sugars.
• Brown sugar – I like to use dark brown sugar in these cookies.
• Granulated sugar – Your standard white sugar.
• Orange zest – Zested from around two medium-size oranges. I usually just grab a couple of navel oranges.
• Eggs
• Pure vanilla extract
• Flour – All-purpose.
• Baking soda
• Salt – I like to use fine-grain sea salt in my baked goods.
• White chocolate chips
• Dried cranberries – If you prefer, you can swap in dried cherries, but you may want to chop them up a bit first (I personally find them a bit large for cookies)

How to Make Them

1. Using either a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter until it’s pale and fluffy, then add the sugars and orange zest. Mix until well-combined.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating them in each time.
3. Mix in the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
5. Mix until it forms a dough, then stir in the white chocolate chips and cranberries.
6. Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake until golden-edged.
7. Cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Jump to the full, printable recipe

Tips for Success

• For perfectly round chocolate chip cookies, invert a drinking glass over the freshly baked cookie (still on the cookie sheet) and move it in a circular motion around the cookie. This will help rein in any odd edges for a round shape.
• Top with extra white chocolate chips and cranberries for a prettier look that tells everyone exactly what’s in these delicious cranberry white chocolate chip cookies!

Freezer-Friendly Christmas Cookies

To freeze baked cookies, cool completely then transfer to a freezer-safe container with airtight lid or a freezer bag. They’ll keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes and you’re good to go!

To freeze and bake later, scoop balls of dough onto a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and label. They keep for up to 3 months. To bake, simply pull a few out, line on your baking sheet, and bake for a minute or two extra.

I hope these Orange White Chocolate Cranberry Chocolate Chip cookies are as big a hit with your family as they are with mine! They’re chewy and holiday-coded and perfect for cookie platters. We love ’em!

If you make these, I’d love your star rating! It’s super helpful for other readers (and helps my small business grow).

Print

Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

No ordinary chocolate chip cookies, these orange cranberry white chocolate chip cookies are a little more elegant and a lot more festive. Thick and chewy with soft centers, a hint of orange, creamy white chocolate, and chewy dried cranberries.

Keyword cranberry white chocolate cookies, orange cranberry white chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate chip cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 36 cookies

Calories 189kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 sticks
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest from about 2 medium oranges [I use navel]
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 420g
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 8g
• 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt 7g
• 2 cups white chocolate chips 12 ounces
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer affixed with paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer).
• Add the brown sugar, white sugar, and orange zest. Continue beating on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to beat each time until well-incorporated. Mix in the vanilla.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• With the mixer on low speed, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until the ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
• Scoop 2-tablespoon-size balls (I use a #30 cookie scoop) onto a baking sheet, spaced at least a couple of inches apart.
• Bake for about 10 minutes, until edges of cookie begin to turn golden. Remove cookies from the oven and let sit for 5 – 10 minutes on the cookie sheet so the cookie can start to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cookies stay fresh when kept in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 – 4 days, or can be frozen for up to two months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

More Holiday Cookie Recipes

• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (vegan)
• Christmas Sugar Cookies
• Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Mini Gingerbread Cookies
• Gingerbread Trees

The post Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Plus, they’re no more difficult to make than your typical chocolate chip cookie. The egg is replaced with a “flax egg,” simply a mix of ground flaxseed and water. And it works perfectly!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Developing This Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
• Ingredients
• How to Make Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Tips for Success
• How to Freeze No-Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies
• More Cookie Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookies are my comfort baking recipe. When times are tough, it’s the first thing I want to bake to help bring back a sense of normalcy.

When my kid was 6 weeks old, I broke my ankle thanks to two enthusiastic dogs and a flight of stairs (luckily, I was holding a laundry basket, not my baby!) In hindsight, caring for a cuddly newborn instead of an active toddler while not being able to walk is definitely a better situation. But at the time, there was something that felt so helpless about my sudden injury … and when everything in your being tells you that you have to keep this baby alive at all costs (thank you hormones!), not being able to walk can feel pretty dire.

So I was thrilled when, after just a few days, I was able to get around pretty well in a walking cast. And one of the first things I did after a very emotional handful of days was strap my tiny baby into a carrier, hobble into the kitchen, and whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

My go-to recipe is typically the Nestle tollhouse classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s what my mom made, too, and I figure if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

But that recipe calls for two eggs, and as we all know, eggs are hard to come by right now. And when we finally do pay a small fortune to get some, it can be hard to sacrifice two of them to a baking recipe!

So I did some experimenting and came up with a spin on the tollhouse cookie recipe that uses flax eggs – a mix of ground flaxseed and water – instead of chicken eggs. And these no-egg chocolate chip cookies are absolutely delicious!

Why You’ll Love Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

• They save you money. Unless you have a backyard flock (total goals), eggs are expensive right now, if you’re able to find any at all. A couple of tablespoons of flaxseed meal are way more accessible and will cost you a LOT less.
• They taste amazing! The aforementioned kid is now a teenager and is basically a super-taster who can detect the most minuscule change in a recipe. But said kid declares these chocolate chip cookies with no egg exactly the same as my typical chocolate chip cookie.

Developing This Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I started with the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe as my base recipe and experimented with adjusting the flour and a couple of other ingredients + chilling the dough until I came up with the perfect Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies!

• Test 1: I made two flax eggs (mixed flaxseed meal with water and let it sit for 20 minutes) and swapped it in for the chicken eggs. I kept everything else the same. Result: Delicious no egg chocolate chip cookies, but they didn’t quite spread enough. It seemed the traditional amount of flour wasn’t quite needed with flax eggs vs. chicken eggs.
• Test 2: I took half of the dough from test 1 and chilled it for 20 minutes to see if allowing the flour to hydrate would change the outcome of the cookies. It did change them, a little – oddly, they spread a little better. But not quite enough. I also felt they needed a bit more salt and vanilla.
• Test 3: I reduced the flour by 1/4 cup, doubled the vanilla, and added 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bingo! These cookies spread perfectly and had just enough extra flavor to be perfect.
• Test 4: I chilled the dough just to see what would happen. Honestly, I didn’t see much difference between the chilled dough vs. straight out of the mixer dough, except that the chilled cookies were slightly thicker and browned a tiny bit more on the top. Ultimately, I didn’t think it was worth the extra 20 minutes (though I wrote it into the recipe as an option!)
• Test 5: Repeat test 3 one more time just to make sure it’s spot-on. It was! Perfect Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Ingredients

• Flaxseed meal – Flaxseeds are, you guessed it, the seeds from flax plants. They’re a great source of Omega-3s and other nutrients (source). And, as it turns out, when the ground-up seeds soak with water, they form a gel that makes a perfect binder that works amazingly in place of eggs in recipes!
• Butter – I start with unsalted butter to ensure consistency (different brands of salted butter have different levels of salt). Make sure it’s room temp/softened so it whips up perfectly!
• White sugar & brown sugar – Equal amounts of both. Feel free to use light brown sugar OR dark brown sugar, whichever you prefer.
• Pure vanilla extract
• Flour – You can use whole-wheat or white whole-wheat flour, but I tend to go with straight up white all-purpose flour for my eggless chocolate chip cookies.
• Baking soda
• Salt – I like to use a fine-grain salt like sea salt or table salt.
• Chocolate chips – I tend to use classic semi-sweet, but if you prefer milk chocolate or dark chocolate, go for it! Chocolate chunks are great too.

Tips for Success

• Use warm water for the flax egg. Not super hot, just warm. This will help it develop into its gel-like consistency faster.
• Don’t over-mix the dough. Mix it just until it comes together so that you don’t develop the gluten, which can make the cookies less tender.
• These are rather thin cookies. They’re not wafer thin, but they’re just not super thick chocolate chip cookies. I love them this way, but if you prefer a thicker cookie, I suggest adding 1/4 cup more of the all-purpose flour to your dough.

How to Freeze No-Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies

Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag, or you can freeze the dough balls on a baking sheet then transfer them to a freezer bag for longer-term storage. Bake a few or a lot of cookies at a time! I suggest adding 1-2 minutes of baking time if you start with frozen cookie dough balls. 

I hope these Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies hit the spot for you, whether you’re having a hard time finding eggs, conserving the eggs you do have, or allergic to eggs.

No matter your reason to make your chocolate chip cookies egg-free, I think you’re going to love these cookies! I think I’ll be making these just as much (if not more) as my beloved classic version.

More Cookie Recipes

• Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies (dairy-free, gluten-free)
• Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
• Chocolate Snickerdoodles
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Print

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Chewy, buttery, and perfectly golden – these egg-free chocolate chip cookies are just as good as a typical chocolate chip cookie recipe with eggs!

Keyword chocoalte chip cookies no eggs, chocolate chip cookie recipe without eggs, chocolate chip cookies without eggs, egg free chocolate chip cookies, eggless chocolate chip cookies, no egg chocolate chip cookies

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 235kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed aka flaxseed meal
• 6 tablespoons warm water 1/3 cup; I just tend to use my tablespoon measure because I already used it for the ground flaxseed
• 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks; room temp/softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 260 g
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips 1 [12-ounce] package

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix together the 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal and 6 tablespoons warm water. Allow it to thicken up for about 20 minutes; it will be thick but pourable with a slightly gel-like consistency.
• Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter at medium speed until creamy, then add the 3/4 granulated sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds until it begins to lighten up a little.
• Add the flaxseed mixture and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix at low speed until well-combined.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and turn the stand mixer on low, mixing just until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides if necessary. Add the 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips, mixing for another couple of seconds. Remove the bowl and stir the dough together with a sturdy spatula until completely combined.
• Optional: Chill for 20-30 minutes for thicker cookies. This might be a good idea if you're in a warmer kitchen/climate or if you started with very soft butter. My kitchen is 69-70 degrees and I started with room temp butter; I found chilling doesn't make enough of a difference to be worthwhile.
• Form the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each (I use a cookie scoop). Place on your baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake until golden around the edges, about 8 minutes.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake the next batch of cookies the same way, until you're all the way through the dough.
• Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Prep time includes 20 minutes for the flax eggs to set up.

These are rather thin cookies. They’re not wafer thin, but they’re just not super thick chocolate chip cookies. I love them this way, but if you prefer a thicker cookie, I suggest adding 1/4 cup more of the all-purpose flour to your dough.

Storage notes:

Cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temp for 4-5 days. They also freeze well. Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag, or you can freeze the dough balls on a baking sheet then transfer them to a freezer bag for longer-term storage. Bake a few or a lot of cookies at a time! I suggest adding 1-2 minutes of baking time if you start with frozen cookie dough balls. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 194mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

They’re ho-ho-holy-moly-delicious! (Sorry. I had to.)

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Tips for Success
• Can I Freeze Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies?
• More Christmas Cookie Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

We all know Christmas is cookie season, but why do the best cookies of all, chocolate chip cookies, always get passed over at Christmas time?! It’s not right.

So I thought I’d take a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe and dress it up for the holidays. These Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies are super colorful and look extra festive on any cookie plate. They’re also just a darn delicious chocolate chip cookie! (Pssst: Santa will LOVE these Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies. Guaranteed.)

I started with a chocolate chip cookie recipe from the grand kahuna of chocolate chip cookie bakers, Sarah Kieffer of The Vanilla Bean Blog (if you’ve heard of the pan-banging chocolate chip cookie, she’s the one who started it!) She’s tested and perfected chocolate chip cookies – add a little more butter here, add one less egg white there – until she created an amazing chewy chocolate chip cookie. I used that as the base recipe and basically trashed it up with Christmas goodness from there.

Why You’ll Love Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are arguably the best cookie of all – why shouldn’t they have a place on the Christmas cookie platter?! When you dress up chocolate chip cookies with M&Ms and white chocolate chips, you get the goodness of chocolate chip cookies, but Christmassified.

Ingredients

You’ll find a pretty traditional list of ingredients for these Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies, except a few holiday-ish ingredients to take them over the top!

• All-purpose flour – The plain fluffy white flour we know and love.
• Baking powder & baking soda – Puffs them up a little and helps with the structure of the cookie.
• Butter – I like to use unsalted butter to better control the salt content in my recipes (salted butter often varies with the amount of salt in it). Make sure it’s room temp so it’s soft and blendable!
• Sugar – Straight-up white granulated sugar.
• Brown sugar – Use light or dark, whichever you prefer.
• Salt – I like to use a fine-grain sea salt in the batter itself, and then for a bit of extra salt, I’ll often sprinkle some over the top with coarse sea salt flakes like Maldon.
• Egg – You’ll want one whole egg and one yolk.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract. A must in chocolate chip cookies!
• M&Ms – Festive red and green M&Ms. Perfect for Christmas!
• White chocolate chips – Use your favorite brand of white chocolate chips.
• Sprinkles – I like to use the “jimmies” style of sprinkles, shaped in rods, in red, green, and white. You can mix some into the batter, or sprinkle some on the tops before baking, or both.

Adaptations/Variations

• Swap the chocolate chips – Feel free to use standard chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips. I’ve made this recipe both ways and they’re delicious either way.
• Add a drizzle of white chocolate – To make them even fancier, melt some white chocolate and drizzle it over the tops of the cooled cookies. Pretty and delicious!
• Candy cane chocolate chip Christmas cookies – To make a minty version of these Christmas M&M chocolate chip cookies, crush up four or five candy canes and mix it in to the batter with the chocolate chips. Sprinkle a few more on top before baking for good measure.

How to Make Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

First you’ll mix together the dry ingredients for the dough. To do this, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and set it aside.

Next, it’s time to mix up the wet ingredients. Fit a stand mixer with the S-blade, then beat the butter until creamy and lightened. Add the sugars and salt and beat it until combined. Add the full egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and combine.

Now, add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mix and beat JUST until it’s combined. Add the M&Ms and chocolate chips plus the sprinkles if you’re using them. Blend a bit with the mixer, then use a spatula to incorporate the mix-ins the rest of the way. The batter will be thick and stiff.

Next, form the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each. I highly recommend a cookie scoop for easy, uniform scooping (here’s the cookie scoop I use; this is an affiliate link!)

Space the balls about 3 inches apart and sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top, if you like. I also like to press a couple of extra M&Ms and/or chocolate chips on the cookie balls because it looks extra pretty.

Bake at 375°F (190°C), rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown and beginning to crinkle on the top.

Pull them from the oven and press gently with a spatula on the cookie tops to help the cookies crackle and flatten.

Let them rest for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to the wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

(For the full, printable recipe, continue scrolling down.)

Tips for Success

• Don’t over-mix the cookie batter! Stir the dry ingredients into the wet and work in the chocolate chips & M&Ms JUST until combined and not any more. Otherwise, you risk the glutens in the flour developing which can make cookies tough.
• Bake JUST until golden and beginning to crinkle. Err on the side of cooking less vs. more. This will yield that soft and chewy interior that is the hallmark of a fabulous chocolate chip cookie!

I hope these fun Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies are a popular addition to your Christmas cookie repertoire! My family definitely enjoyed all of my testing iterations and they’re looking forward to them at Christmastime too.

Can I Freeze Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Yes! You can freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag, then just pull them out and keep them on the counter at room temp for about 30 minutes and they’ll be good to go.

Another option is to line up balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet and freeze them. Then, just plop the frozen solid rounds of cookie dough into a freezer bag or airtight container. When you’re ready to bake a few or all of them, just space them on the baking sheet and cook as directed!

More Christmas Cookie Recipes

• Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Gingerbread Trees
• Mini Gingerbread Men & Women
• Dolly Parton’s Famous Sugar Cookies
• Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
• White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Print

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Chocolate chip cookies deserve a place on the Christmas cookie platter too! These thick, soft, chewy, and perfectly portable cookies are dressed up for the season with red and green M&Ms, white chocolate chips, and festive sprinkles. Easy, fast, no-chill recipe!

Keyword chocolate chip christmas cookies, chocolate chip m&m christmas cookies, christmas chocolate chip cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 212kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 284 g
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick + 1 tablespoon
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup green and red M&Ms + more for topping
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup red, green, & white jimmies rod-shaped sprinkles; optional
• flaky sea salt if desired

Instructions

• Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, then add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Beat until well combined, 2-3 minutes.
• Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix at low speed until well-combined.
• Add the flour mixture and beat together just until combined. Add the chocolate chips, M&Ms, and sprinkles if using. Mix for another few seconds then remove the bowl and stir the dough together with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon until completely combined.
• Form the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each (I use a cookie scoop). Space cookies about 3 inches apart on your baking sheet. Sprinkle on a little flaky sea salt, if desired, and press two or three more M&Ms in the top.
• Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 9-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway at the 5 minute mark. The cookie tops will be golden brown, the bottoms will be brown, and they'll look puffed and beginning to crinkle when they're ready to be pulled out of the oven.
• Remove the cookie pan from the oven and gently flatten each cookie a bit with a flat spatula.
• Let the cookies rest for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Base chocolate chip cookie recipe adapted from Sara Kieffer of The Vanilla Bean Blog https://www.thevanillabeanblog.com/perfect-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

It’s super simple to make, too! With only four ingredients (plus any optional toppings) and only about 10 minutes hands-on time, it makes a nice big batch of holiday deliciousness with not a lot of effort.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Saltine Toffee
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Saltine Toffee
• Tip for Success
• More Christmas Sweets Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I first shared this recipe back in 2010, on my first blog. It was called “pine bark” back then, which understandably is a name that didn’t stand the test of time, considering pine bark is more commonly known as, you know, the bark of a pine tree.

There are a few recipes that didn’t make the transition from my first blog to Kitchen Treaty, and this saltine toffee, sadly, was one of those casualties. But, today, I’m here to remedy that, with a classic, off-the-charts delicious treat that I make every Christmas without fail.

I remember the first time I made this recipe, many years ago, I wasn’t sure about the idea of using saltine crackers as the base. I thought it was weird. I WAS WRONG. Because it is glorious. The crispy crunch of the crackers + the salt + toffee + chocolate?! Nirvana.

Why You’ll Love Saltine Toffee

This saltine toffee recipe is SUPER easy to make. Sugar cookies and gingerbread people have their place, sure, but they take some effort.

Saltine toffee, meanwhile, makes an awesomely large quantity of Christmas goodness with very little hands-on effort. Okay, so it’s not quite as easy as classic peppermint bark, but it’s darn close!

Ingredients

• Saltine crackers – You’ll need one sleeve of saltine crackers, or about 35 crackers. Make sure you get salted crackers!
• Butter – I almost always buy unsalted butter just so I can better control the salt level in my recipe. In this case, the salt on the crackers is plenty.
• Brown sugar – Light or dark both work. Make sure it’s packed into your cup!
• Chocolate chips – I go with plain ol’ classic semi-sweet chocolate chips. Milk chocolate or dark chocolate are also good!

Adaptations/Variations

• Mix up the toppings: Top the chocolate with flaky sea salt (as pictured), M&Ms, or colorful sprinkles.
• Add extract: A dash of almond or vanilla in the cooked toffee is always a great addition!

How to Make Saltine Toffee

First, you’ll line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then you’ll line your saltine crackers up on the baking sheet. Then, you’ll create your toffee in a saucepan by boiling the butter and brown sugar together.

Pour the toffee over the saltine crackers, then slip it into the oven to bake for a few minutes. As soon as you pull it out of the oven, pour the chocolate chips over the top, then let them rest for a few minutes to get melty.

Once the chocolate chips have melted, use an offset spatula or butter knife to evenly spread the melted chocolate. Sprinkle with toppings, if you want (I’m partial to an extra dose of salt in the form of flaky Maldon sea salt).

From there, let your saltine toffee cool to room temperature. The chocolate and toffee will solidify, and you’ll be left with a glorious slab of saltine toffee! Just lift the parchment off of the pan, and use a big chef’s knife to cut the toffee into smaller pieces.

Tip for Success

• Take care when cooking your toffee. This is really the only tricky part about this recipe. If you undercook the toffee, it might end up grainy. Overcooked toffee can be crystalized and burned tasting. So follow the directions exactly: As SOON as it comes to a full boil, set a time for 3 minutes, then remove it from the heat at exactly the 3 minute mark.

I hope you’re as big a fan of saltine toffee as we are! It’s a must-have for our holiday cookie platters and I’d be so honored if some of this toffee found its way to yours.

More Christmas Sweets Recipes

• Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies (coming soon!)
• Gingerbread Trees
• Fruit & Nut Chocolate Clusters
• Oreo Bark

Print

Saltine Toffee (Christmas Crack) Recipe

Crisp saltine crackers smothered in buttery brown sugar toffee and covered with chocolate. Sweet, a little salty, and super addicting! Just 4 ingredients and only about 10 minutes hands-on time.

Keyword christmas crack, pine bark, saltine toffee

Prep Time 9 minutes minutes

Total Time 49 minutes minutes

Servings 35 pieces

Calories 142kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 35 salted saltine crackers 1 sleeve
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Optional toppings

• Christmas themed sprinkles
• Red & green mini M&Ms or regular size M&Ms

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a 15"x10" cookie sheet with rims with parchment paper.
• Lay a single layer of crackers in the pan.
• Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. As soon as it comes to a full boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for exactly 3 minutes (set a timer!), stirring constantly.
• Pour the brown sugar butter mix over the saltine crackers, so that it's evenly distributed.
• Transfer to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. It will be very bubbly when you pull it out. Place it on a cooling rack and immediately sprinkle with the chocolate chips.
• Wait a couple of minutes for the chocolate chips to begin melting, then use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the saltines and caramel.
• If you'd like, you can add Christmas themed sprinkles and/or M&Ms. I love to use mini M&Ms on these. A light layer of flaky sea salt is always good, too!
• Let the saltine toffee cool until hard (this may take an hour or more). If you want to accelerate the process you can place it in the fridge to cool.
• Cut into squares to serve.

Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to one week. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Saltine Toffee Recipe (Christmas Crack) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I love these mini gingerbread cookies on Christmas cookie platters, with lattes, or stand them up next to your next gingerbread house! You don’t want it to sit unoccupied, after all.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Mini Gingerbread Men (and Women!)
• Tip for Success
• More Christmas Cookie Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I first decided to make this simple gingerbread cookies recipe because I wanted an adorable decoration for my gingerbread latte recipe (coming soon!) I soon realized, though, that these easy gingerbread cut-out cookies stand up all on their own. Literally, if you prop them up just right – because they have wee little cookie feet!

For the recipe, I used one I already have – my simple gingerbread trees recipe is one that I love to make this time of year. It’s an easy, simple gingerbread cookies recipe and it was perfect for these mini gingerbread cookies, too.

I decided to be an equal opportunity Christmas baker and make mini gingerbread men AND women. Besides, the skirts (and bows!) are so extra cute!

Ingredients

For the mini gingerbread men:

• Butter – I like to use unsalted butter for my recipes so that I can better control the salt content. Salted butter is delicious! But different brands have different salt levels.
• Sugar – Plain old granulated sugar.
• Egg – Just one
• Molasses – The type of molasses is important. You want dark molasses, but NOT blackstrap, which is way too strong tasting.
• Flour – I like to use plain all-purpose flour, but whole wheat flour would work, too.
• Baking soda – To give the cookies a bit of lift and structure.
• Spices – Ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves.
• Salt – I prefer to use fine grain sea salt in my baking vs. kosher salt, because the larger crystals of salt can be jarring in baked goods (in my opinion! kosher is totally fine if you prefer it!)

For the icing:

• Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar. You’ll want to sift it to make sure there aren’t any lumps.
• Milk – Any old milk – dairy, oat, almond, etc. – will do.
• Light corn syrup – This ingredient is important because it helps the frosting drizzle on and then harden.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract gives the icing a bit of flavor.

Adaptations/Variations

• Standard gingerbread cookies – This dough is a nice versatile gingerbread cookie dough and can be made into any shape. You may just need to cook them for a bit longer than the mini version.
• Cardamom gingerbread cookies – Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom with the rest of the spices.

How to Make Mini Gingerbread Men (and Women!)

First, you’ll whip up the dough. Give yourself lots of time, because it will need to chill for awhile before you can roll it out and bake it.

To make the dough, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Then, add the egg and molasses and blend well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.

At this point, you’ll want to press the dough together into a disk and cover it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill it for at least an hour, or up to three days in advance.

When you’re ready to bake your mini gingerbread men, pull the dough out of the fridge and work with it 1/4 section at a time. Roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out the shapes.

Place them on the baking sheet an inch or two apart, and bake! They’re done when they’re a bit firm and slightly golden around the edges.

Pull them out of the oven and let them cool completely. Mix up your icing and pipe it on. I like to make extra happy faces, buttons, squiggles to mark the arms and legs, and a nice little bow for the ladies.

Tip for Success

• You’ll want 2″ – 3″ cookie cutters. I like the smallest cookie cutters in this gingerbread cookie cutter set for my mini gingerbread cookies (affiliate link).

I hope you love these mini gingerbread men (and women!) as much as I do! I think they’re such fun little cookies to make and it’s so nice to have an easy two- or three-bite holiday cookie for Christmas treat platters.

More Christmas Cookie Recipes

• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
• Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Print

Mini Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Tiny in size, big on taste! These cute mini gingerbread men & women are great for holiday cookie platters, decorating cakes, & serving with tea or coffee.

Keyword mini gingerbread cookies, mini gingerbread men

Prep Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 36 cookies

Calories 141kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature* 2 sticks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses not blackstrap
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

Icing:

• 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a stand mixer or a large bowl (with a hand mixer), beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about three minutes.
• Add the egg and molasses and beat until blended, scraping down sides as necessary.
• To a separate medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined.
• Press the dough together and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour, or up to three days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove disc from fridge and cut into fourths.
• Roll each piece about 1/4 inch thick. You may need to let the dough warm up just a bit, and, depending on your surface, you may need some additional flour to prevent sticking.
• Use small gingerbread cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Roll out the scraps and cut a few more out. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 7-8 minutes, until they're firm and just starting to get golden at edges. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the icing. Add the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla to a small bowl. Use a wire whisk to mix it well. If it's too thick, add more milk a teaspoon at a time. You want the icing to be thin enough to be pipeable but thick enough to hold a line. Scoop the icing into a piping bag with piping tip or a Ziploc bag with the end snipped off, and pipe the icing onto the cookies.
• Let sit until icing hardens before storing or assembling on cookie plates. Cookies keep up to one week in an airtight container.

Notes

Icing recipe adapted from Sugar Spun Run

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Mini Gingerbread Men (& Women!) Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

These 3-Seed Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies are extraordinary, and I am SO excited to be sharing this cookie recipe with you today!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Developing This Recipe for Tahini Seed Breakfast Cookies
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies
• Tips for Success
• How to Store
• Can I Freeze Tahini Breakfast Cookies?

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

Every August for the past 10 years, our family has headed up to Salt Spring Island in British Columbia for a week of relaxation and fun. It’s the most gorgeous place, tightly packed with tall evergreens along narrow winding roads that open up to blue water vistas.

My kid is there for pretty much solely for a week in the lake at the center of the island, and to catch up with friends who return to the same place every year, too. But for me, one of the best things about Salt Spring is that it’s a straight-up foodie paradise.

One of the reasons for that is that there are farm stands along the sides of the roads everywhere, and in August, these stands are usually overflowing with the locals’ garden abundance.

While some farm stands are what you’d expect – a cart and a roof with maybe some eggs in an ice chest, flowers, a few squash and other vegetables – some are a full-on experience.

Last year, we discovered a huge covered farm stand tucked up a hill on the side of the road. Once we’d parked, climbed up, and picked out homemade cupcakes, we turned around and were greeted by the stunning blue of the bay below us. A long, rustic slab of wood served as a bar facing the view, with stools lined up underneath. We sat down, enjoyed our cupcakes, sipped coffee, and enjoyed the quiet and the scenery.

This past August, I decided to head out by myself late one morning to see what types of squash and other goodies I could find at the local farm stands. After a few stops, I entered the gate of Stowel Lake Farm, crunched up the gravel drive, and parked, then wandered up the flagstone path surrounded by flowers that are always buzzing with butterflies and bees. As usual, this farm stand had gorgeous plants, lots of produce, and a few baked goods.

And it was here that their Tahini Seed Cookies stopped me in my tracks.

There was one left. It was huge, glorious-looking, and mine. Forgetting about everything else, I tucked my four dollars into the honor slot, grabbed the cookie, and carried it back to my car. I quickly decided I was going to wait to find the perfect oat milk latte before I ate it, so I ventured down the road and, as luck would have it, found a coffee stand pretty quickly. They made me the most excellent latte, and I sat down at one of their umbrella-covered tables and dug into the latte and the cookie.

Ohmygosh. This cookie.

It was a vanilla-and-sea-salt-laced cookie PACKED full of seeds, a hint of cardamom and tahini, and a glorious chocolate chunk now and then.

I immediately knew I wanted to recreate these cookies at home, but there is no recipe like that out there – all I had to go on was the list of ingredients on the side of the cookie jar. Stowel Farm’s website mentions their popular cookies, but no recipe.

Soooooo … I set out to recreate this incredible seed cookie that I just had to have in my life year-round. And that’s how these Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies came to be!

I have to note that it took me awhile to realize that these tahini cookies are actually what’s considered to be a breakfast cookie. Which makes perfect sense because I have found myself grabbing one or two for breakfast – and felt great about it because of all of those glorious fiber-and-protein-and-omega-packed seeds. They’re excellent for a satiating snack, too!

Developing This Recipe for Tahini Seed Breakfast Cookies

I knew straight away that this was not going to be a normal cookie recipe. For one, these cookies clearly didn’t have any flour (and were labeled at the farm stand as gluten-free, too). But thankfully, the cookie jar at the farm stand listed the ingredients in the cookies (just not the quantities), so I had somewhere to start.

I stirred together some rolled oats with a bunch of seeds (sunflower seeds, pepitas [pumpkin seeds], and sunflower seeds), along with some dark chocolate chunks, vanilla, salt, and cardamom. Then I added what seemed like a good amount of tahini along with some honey.

The “dough” was not dough-like at all, but I persevered, scooping balls onto my baking sheet, then pressing them gently flat.

I shrugged and baked them, figuring it was going to be an epic fail.

I pulled them out of the oven, and they had actually puffed up a little and held together! From there, I let them cool all of the way on the cookie sheet.

Then I lifted one up, and it miraculously held together! I knew that the tahini and honey would act as a binder, but I was still floored that it actually worked. Better yet, the cookie was delicious!

I went through many iterations of this cookie before I settled on the recipe I’m sharing here today. This, in my opinion, has the perfect amount of vanilla and cardamom, holds together well, and tastes amazing!

The inspiration cookies had coconut, by the way, but when I tried adding coconut, the cookies suddenly had a moist quality that had them falling apart by day two. I didn’t feel like it added much to the flavor, so I continued developing the recipe without coconut. I have a hunch that toasted coconut flakes might work, though, I just haven’t tried it yet.

Ingredients

Okay, so what do we have in these little gems?

• Tahini – You want a runny, creamy tahini that you can stir together well so that it is nice and homogenous when you add it to your cookies.
• Honey – Any honey will work, use your fave.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is what I use. I want to try these breakfast cookies with vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla bean but haven’t yet.
• Cardamom – Ground cardamom goes perfectly with the sesame taste of tahini and the mellow sweetness of the vanilla.
• Kosher salt & flaky sea salt – Kosher salt for in the cookies, flaky sea salt like Maldon for sprinkling over the top.
• Oats – I like to use thick rolled oats which I think stand up to the seeds well and add to the hearty quality of these breakfast cookies.
• Pepitas – Also known as pumpkin seeds, these green seeds are so good for you and just so good! I use raw, unsalted pepitas.
• Sunflower seeds – At the time I was testing this recipe, I had the hardest time finding raw sunflower seeds! So I used roasted, salted sunflower seeds. I’m sure raw sunflower seeds will work just as well.
• Sesame seeds – You’ll want raw sesame seeds. They’re found in the spice section of most grocery stores.
• Chocolate chunks – I like dark chocolate chunks for these tahini cookies, but you can use whatever chocolate chips or chunks you like.

Adaptations/Variations

• I plan to test this recipe with other nut butters and seeds/nuts, but haven’t yet. I suspect cashew butter/cashews will be lovely.
• Make ’em vegan: Honey is not vegan, but you can swap in pure maple syrup for a fully vegan version of these breakfast cookies.

How to Make Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies

I think you’re going to LOVE how easy these breakfast cookies are to make.

Preheat your oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and grab a medium-sized bowl. Add the tahini, honey, vanilla, cardamom, and kosher salt to the bowl and mix it together until well combined.

Now, pile in all the seeds and the chocolate chunks. Stir until completely combined. The mix will be somewhat loose and will require a bit of muscle to get everything combined.

From there, scoop balls onto your baking sheet. I like to use a two-tablespoon cookie scoop.

Space them about two inches apart, and flatten them gently with your fingers. They’ll be a little fragile, just press the sides back in as you go.

I like to add a couple of extra chocolate chunks to the top of each cookie for presentation, but that’s totally optional.

Then, bake them until the edges are golden. Pull them out of the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you like, and let them sit until completely cool on the cookie sheet. They’ll adhere together as they cool.

Tips for Success

• Mix the wet ingredients together first. This helps to make sure all of the flavors of the vanilla, salt, and cardamom are evenly distributed.
• Let them cool completely on the baking sheet! This is where the magic happens – they bind together the rest of the way while cooling off.

How to Store

Store your tahini seed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I Freeze Tahini Breakfast Cookies?

Yes! Not only can you freeze these tahini seed cookies, they’re absolutely delicious straight out of the freezer. Just keep them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to one month.

I hope you love this unique cookie recipe as much as we do! It’s been so fun to discover a new way to make delicious cookies that are so chockfull of good stuff that we feel good about eating them. AND after talking about them, I’m off to my freezer to snatch one up and eat it with my coconut creamer coffee! 🍪✌️

Print

Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies Recipe

Densely packed with seeds, dotted with chocolate, held together with tahini and honey and flavored with vanilla and cardamom. I LOVE these slightly sweet, full of flavor, seedy-in-the-best-way, healthy cookies!

Keyword breakfast cookies, flourless seed cookies, seed cookies, sunflower seed cookies, tahini cookies

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 14 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Calories 146kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tahini mixed well
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted pepitas
• 1/2 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds raw will work too
• 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips; plus a few more for topping if desired
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes for sprinkling on top; optional

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the tahini, honey, vanilla, cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to a medium bowl. Stir together until completely combined.
• Add the dry ingredients except for the flaky sea salt, which you'll sprinkle on after they bake. Mix with a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined.
• Scoop rounds of the cookies onto your baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. I like to use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, and as I'm scooping, I really try to push the cookie dough together to help it stick together.
• With your fingers, gently press the edges of the cookie together while pressing down to flatten it. You might have a few errant seeds fall out; this is okay and normal! Just do your best to push it back into the side of the cookie.
• If desired, top each cookie with two or three more chocolate chunks.
• Bake for 10-13 minutes, until ever so slightly puffed and the edges of the cookie are turning golden.
• IMPORTANT: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet until completely hardened and cool, about one hour. They harden and stick together as they cool.
• Remove the cookies from the parchment and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.

Notes

Total time does not include one hour cooling time. 

Storage & freezing notes

Store your tahini seed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Not only can you freeze these tahini seed cookies, they’re absolutely delicious straight out of the freezer. Just keep them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to one month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Tahini Seed Chocolate Chunk Breakfast Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Peanut butter and jelly are best pals, and for good reason. Hello, salty peanut butter. Oh hi, sweet jam. Yep, perfect.

I’ve brought these flavors together before in smoothie form, but for this year’s new cookie recipe, I thought it might be fun to create a vegan thumbprint cookie, and PB & J seemed like a natural twist.

The post Vegan Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

They truly taste melt-in-your-mouth divine, and – bonus! – they’re actually much easier to make than traditional chocolate chip cookies!

Remember those soft-baked chocolate chip cookies you’d buy in the snack food aisle? Bendy, pliable, perfect for sinking your teeth into one. Or – ahem – seven. These cookies totally remind me of those.

They’re melty, bendy little gems that satisfy your chocolate chip cookie craving while also being gluten-free, dairy-free, and surprisingly low in sugar and carbohydrates.

Did you ever think that gluten free, dairy free chocolate chip cookies would look like this?!

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients

A surprisingly short list of ingredients makes up these almond flour cookies:

• Coconut oil – solid, but almost melty
• Pure maple syrup – use grade A for a sweet boost without maple flavor, or grade B for lots of rich maple flavor.
• An egg
• Vanilla extract – because of course!
• Almond flour – a finely ground almond flour or meal made from blanched almonds works best for this recipe (we really like this one)
• Baking soda
• Sea salt
• Mini chocolate chips

How to Make Them

All you do is stir the coconut oil and pure maple syrup together, then stir in the egg, almond flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and – of course! – chocolate chips.

I love to use mini chocolate chips in this almond flour chocolate chip cookie recipe because I love how they add sweetness throughout the entire cookie and just make them seem so much more chocolatey. Chocolatey is good!

What Do These Cookies Taste Like?

So: expectations. Almond flour chocolate chip cookies are not your typical chewy chocolate chip cookies.

Instead, they’re soft and bendy and they melt in your mouth and – yes! – they’re really, really tasty. The almond flour does give them a bit more texture than your typical chocolate chip cookie, but we love it.

If you’re in need of a gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe (or dairy-free chocolate chip cookies) (or both!) and you’re tired of sandy, dry cookies, give these a try – they’re anything but.

And! If you’re eating low carb, and looking for low carb almond flour chocolate chip cookies, you may have just found what you’re looking for.

More Delicious Dairy-Free Deserts

• This Dairy-Free Banana Bread is the ultimate banana bread recipe!
• Vegan PB & J Thumbprints are another melt-in-your-mouth gem.
• These Almond Flour Lemon Cookies are very similar – just lemony and frosted! Mmm.

More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

• Healthy Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies
• White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
• Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chewy Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
• Salted Double Dark Chocolate Cookies
• Espresso Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Cowboy Cookies

Print

Soft-Baked Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

These bendy melt-in-your-mouth gems are an incredible gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-carb alternative to traditional chocolate chip cookies.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 9 minutes minutes

Total Time 19 minutes minutes

Servings 16 cookies

Calories 101kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons solid coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups almond flour*
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips + more for topping if desired we like Enjoy Life dairy-free chocolate chips for a fully dairy-free cookie

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
• Add the coconut oil and the pure maple syrup to a large bowl. If the oil is very hard, microwave for a few seconds until soft but not melted. Stir briskly with a whisk until the syrup and oil are mixed together – this may take a minute or two. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk together until combined.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir together with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
• Scoop mounded tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet, spacing about two inches apart. Press down gently with your fingers to flatten slightly. Top each with a few additional chocolate chips, if desired.
• Bake until set and the edges are golden brown, 8-9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.

Notes

* Flour note: I have used both almond flour and almond meal with success, but a finely ground product made with blanched almonds tends to produce the best cookies

More recipe notes (most recent update 2/27/2024)

For a crispier cookie, cook for 2-3 minutes longer.

Substitutions

• Butter can be substituted for the coconut oil. Just make sure it’s room temperature so it’s soft and easy to stir. And, of course, the cookies will no longer be dairy-free – unless you use dairy-free butter (readers have reported using Earth Balance with success).
• One reader shares that they swapped canola oil in for the coconut oil because they don’t like coconut, and that the cookies turned out great! 
• I’ve swapped the chocolate chips for fresh blueberries and it’s a delicious change! One reader reports 3/4 cup frozen wild blueberries, along with 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and shared that they were a huge success. 
• One reader swapped in white chocolate chunks for the chocolate chips and said they were perfect. 
• Readers have reported swapping in a flax egg for the egg with success! For a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Let sit for about 5 minutes until thickened, then add just like you would an egg. 
• To replace the pure maple syrup, readers have reported agave syrup or honey have both worked well. 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 55mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g

The post Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

These gluten-free lemon cookies are the perfect cookie for spring – bring on Easter, Mother’s Day, or just your sunny day citrussy cookie craving.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Almond Flour Lemon Cookies Ingredients
• How to Make Almond Flour Cookies

The Story Behind the Recipe

One of my top recipes is this almond flour chocolate chip cookie recipe – a soft-baked, melt-in-your-mouth gem of a cookie that is surprisingly gluten-free, dairy-free, relatively low in sugar, and ridiculously easy to whip up. It’s a fave in our family, and I’ve been wanting to create a lemon variation for awhile.

Done!

Almond Flour Lemon Cookies Ingredients

If you’ve ever baked lemon-flavored goodies before, you undoubtedly know it can be tough to get the lemon flavor to shine through. These cookies make use of zest, lemon extract, and juice (in the glaze) for a nice lemony pow. The cookie itself has more subtle lemon flavor, but that seriously zingy glaze on top is what really makes it happen.

Together they make for a pretty darn glorious lemon cookie situation – soft, sweet, and melt-in-your mouth goodness.

• Coconut oil – This is the perfect oil for almond flour cookies. It melts smooth and mixes up perfectly, then firms up for an excellent lemon cookie.
• Sugar – Plain ol’ white granulated sugar.
• Lemon zest & juice – From one large fresh lemon. The zest is for the cookies, the juice is for the glaze.
• Eggs – large ones!
• Lemon extract – To guarantee lots of lemon flavor. You can leave it out for a more subtle lemon flavor. The cookies will still be good! Just not extra super lemony.
• Almond flour – Go with blanched almond flour for the best lemon almond flour cookies.
• Baking soda – A leavener to help the cookies rise a bit.
• Salt – I like fine-grain sea salt for these cookies to highlight the flavors.
• Powdered sugar – For the sweet lemony glaze.

How to Make Almond Flour Cookies

These cookies come together so, so easily – so much easier than traditional cookies.

Simply melt some coconut oil and mix it in with the sugar, lemon zest, lemon extract, and eggs. Then stir in the almond flour, baking powder, and salt.

One bowl. So easy.

Scoop out the dough, press down a bit with your fingers, and bake.

Once they’ve cooled, dip the cookies in your lemon glaze and let it harden.

Good to go!

If you’ve been looking for the ultimate gluten-free lemon cookie recipe that’s dairy-free too, I hope you feel the same way I do about these almond flour lemon cookies – my search stops here!

Print

Almond Flour Lemon Cookies

These gluten-free and dairy-free lemon cookies are moist, light, and soft. Melt-in-your-mouth lemony goodness – and ridiculously easy, too!

Keyword almond flour lemon cookies, dairy free lemon cookies, gluten free lemon cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 149kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest from one large organic lemon you’ll juice the lemon for the glaze
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 3 cups blanched almond flour**
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• Glaze
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice from the zested lemon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• If your coconut oil is still solid, measure out the 1/4 cup and add to a small saucepan set over low heat. Keep over heat just until melted – don’t let it get too hot, or it’ll cook the eggs! Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and lemon zest. Add the coconut oil. Stir in the eggs and the lemon extract and mix until well-combined.
• Add the almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir well until combined.
• Scoop cookies out by tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet, spacing about two inches apart. I use this cookie scoop (affiliate link) and it’s one of my favorite kitchen tools!
• Press the dough with two fingers to flatten a bit. If the dough sticks to your fingers, wet your fingers with a little warm water.
• Bake until set, puffy, and just lightly golden around the edges, 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cooled, mix together the glaze. In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar. Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice and stir with a fork until smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to cling to the top of the cookies but not so thin that it will drip off the edges. If too thick, add more lemon juice a teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add more powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time.
• Dip the cookies upside down in the glaze, covering the top of the cookie. Set the cookie back down on the wire rack and let sit until the glaze hardens, about 1 hour.
• Store cookies at room temperature in a sealed container. Cookies keep for about 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Almond Flour Lemon Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.