This scrumptious Chocolate Decadence Cookies recipe is my gift to you, dear readers! I’ve been making these healthy cookies for family and friends for a couple of years now and everyone loves them. A base of rich dark chocolate, studded with pecans and MORE dark chocolate, they remind me of my Chocolate Pecan Pie in a cookie.
Every time I make this easy cookie recipe I think of my mother-in-law. Why? First, like me she has celiac disease. Second, she loves dark chocolate. Third, she likes cookies with tons of nuts in them, and these have a lot!
The batter for this recipe is very runny. It’s more like brownie batter than cookie dough, but don’t alter the recipe, follow it, and the cookies will bake up into chocolate perfection.
Chocolate Decadence Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 ounces chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons palm shortening or salted butter
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 ounces chocolate chips
- 1½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- In a medium pot, melt 6 ounces chocolate chips and shortening over very low heat
- Remove pan from heat
- Using a hand blender, mix in eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla
- Blend in almond flour, salt, and baking soda
- Stir in additional 6 ounces chocolate chips and pecans
- Scoop batter 1 tablespoon at a time onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Flatten dough with the palm of wet hands
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes
- Cool for 1 hour
- Serve
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator
Equipment
Chocolate Decadence Cookies are fantastic all year round, and make especially fabulous Christmas cookies! Since these healthy cookies are made primarily of luscious dark chocolate they’re also perfect Valentine’s cookies.
My Chocolate Decadence Cookie recipe is based on one by Alice Medrich. That one had loads of gluten and white sugar in it. While it was fabulous inspiration in terms of an idea, there was much work to be done in “Elana-fy-ing” it. So this recipe was entirely different when I was done with it. Still, I think it’s nice to give credit to an author even when a recipe is merely referenced, don’t you?!
Cookies are my favorite thing to make because they’re easy. Because my grain-free cookie recipes are extra simple, I can make the batter made in less time than it takes the oven to pre-heat. While the cookies are baking, I clean up. The entire process takes around 10 minutes. Writing quick and easy recipes is now second nature. I’ve been doing it since 1998 when I was diagnosed with celiac disease.
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Lately, though I’ve been focusing on creating healthy meals. If you are too, you’ll want to take a look at my easy Paleo Meals recipe page. And since the boys are getting bigger than big (look at this year’s Hannukah photo!), I’m focusing on making as many healthy snack recipes as I can! Though to be honest their favorite category of food may be my cake recipes, with my Paleo Birthday Cake and Cinnamon Coffee Cake topping that list!
I’m delighted that the boys bring so many of their friends home and that all of the guys are so great about taste testing for me. What an incredible tribe they have built, and I feel beyond lucky to be a part of it. So much to be grateful for this year!
Rach's Recipes says
I just made this for an afternoon snack and turned out fantastic! I added chopped walnuts too because just like your mother in law, I do love me my nuts. Thanks for sharing.
Elana says
You’re welcome Rachel! So glad you enjoyed these!
danica says
yummmmmm! Ive made these cookies about 4 times now and they are officially a staple in my house. So soft, chewy and delicious. I just love them! I have experimented by adding chai spice blend and it really added something special to the cookie.
thanks for sharing this!
Elana says
Danica, so glad you liked them!
Julie says
Just made these for work and wow I’m in love. They were delicious and I cant want to share them even though i don’t want to :) we are doing a bake off at work of healthier options and everyone got recipes of your site and I can’t wait to try the rest!! Thank you!!! I am so glad I found you
Elana says
Hi Julie, so glad that you are enjoying the cookies! I would love to see what everyone brings to your healthy bake off at work. I hope you’ll all share photos of your Elana’s Pantry creations on Instagram and tag me in the photos so that I can participate from afar! Here’s a link to my Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/elanaspantry/
xoxox
Elana
Benjamin says
Hi Elana ! This is one more I got a delicious recipe in two days which I have tried at home. Great recipe it was. Everyone at home enjoys it very much. I am very much eager to try more from your site. I also save this as one of my most very important recipe for my family. Thanks for sharing.
Elana says
Thanks Benjamin!
Beck says
40 serves? I Got a total of 13 cookies, maybe mine are really big compared to yours? So yum though, truly decadent :)
Elana says
Hi Beck, thanks for your comment. As indicated in the recipe instructions I make these cookies using a 1 tablespoon scoop which is fairly small. But big cookies sound good too! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Lola says
I am wondering where on your page i can find the total carb,fat,sugar and protein counts in your recipes. I keep my net carbs below 60 per day so I need to calculate. I appreciate your paleo desserts and would like to use them in my diet but it would help so much if i knew the break down of mostly net carbs. Thank you! Also, in this recioe i didnt have any chocolate chips or chunks so i put cocoa powder and coconut sugar in the butter instead and they came out wonderful.
Elana says
Hi Lola, thanks for your comment. For more on that please go here:
https://elanaspantry.com/nutrition-information/
Have a great day!
Elana
May says
I am egg intolerant. What can I use as a substitute? I want to bake cookies and cakes but don’t know what to use, I can’t use the retail- egg substitute. What about flaxseed? Tofu?
Elana says
Hi May, this is one of my only cookie recipes that uses eggs. Here’s a link to dozens of other cookie and dessert recipes that don’t:
https://elanaspantry.com/special-diets/egg-free-dessert/
Enjoy!
Elana
Elana says
Hi Paul, make sure you are using the recommended brands of almond flour and chocolate (click the green words in the ingredient portion of the recipe) in order to get the consistency just right for this mixture :-)
Neomi says
Could you specify carbohydrates amount Please ?
Elana says
Hi Neomi, for more on that please go here:
https://elanaspantry.com/nutrition-information/
Have a great day!
Elana
Neomi says
Thanks
Lise says
Wow! These are amazing! I used a double boiler for melting the chocolate (then mixed the batter in my stand mixer) and used walnuts instead of pecans. Fabulous!
Elana says
Lise, I’m so happy to hear these were fabulous!