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!
Christine says
These truly are the best healthy chocolate cookie. Everyone who eats them loves them, and most of those people eat the traditional American diet. I make them every year for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. If you make these cookies, you will not be disappointed!
Elana says
Christine, thanks so much for letting me know these are the best healthy chocolate cookies and that everyone who eats them loves them :-)
Susie Van Sickle says
I’m trying to make these cookies using one of the almond flours you recommend in your book and the product is too loose to “flatten dough with the palm of wet hands”
Is the amount of almond flour 1/2 cup or is it 1 1/2 cups?
Would appreciate your help!
Elana says
Susie, thanks for your comment! I just made these again and they’re perfect, amount of almond flour is 1/2 cup :-)
Sid says
These are fantastic!! Thank you SO much for this recipe!!
Elana says
Sid, you’re welcome! I’m so happy to hear these are fantastic :-)
Tiffany Adkins says
These have been a family favorite for years but we recently changed it up a bit and it was even better, if that is even possible. Instead of cookies, we put all the batter into a parchment paper lined casserole dish. Then we swirled in some homemade caramel. We baked it until it cracked on the top ten spread a little more caramel on the top. So good! I did reduce the amount of chocolate to about 4oz so it’s not overly sweet
Elana says
Tiffany, that sounds incredible!
N says
HIya E!
Making these with my own homemade stevia sweetened chocolate melted with the shortening.
Added all the ingredients.
Looked a bit to loose so I added 1/3 cup more almond flour and then the chopped nuts ( I used S&D almonds)….ah…perfection!
Baked then 15 min in my oven…and yes pillows of perfection!
Serving them to guest for breakfast tomorrow, oh and coffee of course!
P.S…I have this urge to drizzle sweetened almond butter or coconut butter on top but I will only if the quest likes the idea!!!!
Thank you…you ARE the best!!!!
Elana says
N, I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe!
Naomi says
Hi Elana I’m a big fan ! Thanks for these they are so yum! I subbed macadamia nuts for the pecans and they were great !
Elana says
Naomi, thanks for your comment. I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes and that these cookies are so yum!
Tiffany says
Hi Elana
This was the perfect cookie treat for Father’s Day! I love all your recipes.
This one I had to sub coconut oil and walnuts. The batter was funny but still baked fine. Also, I can not have any sugar. So are there any sugarless chocolate chips out there or a substitute for chocolate chips??
Thank you,
Tiffany
Elana says
Tiffany, I haven’t used sugarless chocolate chips in this so not sure if they would work in this recipe. Thanks for letting me know this was the perfect cookie treat!
Amy jean says
Thanks Elana for a great recipe!! After prepping all the ingredients, I realized I forgot the pecans that I worked hard at chopping!! My hubby was sweet & placed some on top of the second batch in the oven & it added great crunch!! I also placed the prepared mixed items in frig for 20 min which helped when I used 1 tab for each cookie. Also I did not press down & it made cookie perfect as well. Thanks again Elana. I have wanted to check with you about: my oven is a convection. So far with all your recipes, I have not used it because I wanted to check first if it would go along with your recipes & how you have tested them. Many blessings to you!!!
Amy J
Elana says
Hi Amy, thanks for your comment! I haven’t cooked my recipes using convection so not sure how that would work. I’m so happy to hear this is a great recipe and that you and your husband enjoyed it! We love it too :-)
Makena Pacione says
Hi my family can’t eat chocolate chips because we are on a pretty strict no sugar diet and I was wondering if I could add a little more honey/maple syrup and use cocoa powder instead… By the way I love your recipes!
Elana says
Makena, thanks for your lovely comment! I haven’t tried that so not sure, if you do experiment please let us know how it goes :-)
Melissa Hoffman says
We also restrict sugar. We found PASCHA 85% Cacao bitter-sweet choc. chips (Non-GMO Organic, Fair trade, Kosher & Vegan) 3g of sugar/ 1 TBLS . We buy them on-line…always look for the cheapest price…price varies.
Alicia says
Lily’s chocolate chips are sugar free :)
N says
Love PASCHA !
jan says
Hi Elana, these look awesome, must try, have you ever substituted Ghee for salted butter? or coconut oil? I love the taste of organic Ghee, it’s magical….just curious if that works, I’m sure the butter is just fine, don’t know if the sub would change the chemistry of the recipe.
Thank you!!
Elana says
Jan, I haven’t tried that so not sure, if you do experiment please let us know how it goes :-)
STEPHANIE HATZAKOS says
Hi I was wondering if anybody can tell me if I can just substitute regular gluten-free flour for almond flour. Sorry I know this is probably a very basic question . I I see that almond flour is generally more moist so perhaps there is something I can add ?
Elana says
Stephanie, thanks for your comment and I wish I could help! I haven’t used or eaten regular gluten-free flours since 2001 when I went on the grain-free diet :-)
Kathy says
I have substituted both and recipes have always come out fine.