It’s that time of year again –Purim. Which means time for Nut Free Chocolate Hamantaschen. This year because so many of you requested it on my Facebook page, I’ve developed Hamantaschen that are not only gluten and grain-free, they are nut-free as well.
Making gluten-free cookies without grains, nuts, butter, and sugar took quite some time to perfect. While I typically use almond flour to make cookies here, I use coconut flour –a very dense flour that is highly absorbent and soaks up tons of liquid and fat. In my experience, coconut flour yields fantastic muffins, cakes, and baked goods. This is the first time that I have developed a gluten-free cookie recipe using coconut flour.
I’d like to share a couple notes about this recipe. First, this dough yields a cookie that is more flaky and crispy than typical Hamantaschen. Second, I’ve created a double chocolate Hamantaschen cookie –I do have other Hamantaschen recipes (see below) that use the traditional fruit paste or jam for the filling but was in an extra decadent mood once I perfected this dough and decided to go with a chocolate filling which pairs exquisitely with the chocolate cookie component.
Finally, because this recipe utilizes coconut flour these traditional Jewish cookies are best cooled for 3-4 hours and then stored in an air tight container (on the counter), and eaten within 48 hours. Baked goods made with coconut flour will get very dry if you leave them out becoming inedible. In contrast, I store my almond flour cookies uncovered on the counter also for up to 48 hours.
- 2 ounces chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons palm shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 ounce chocolate chips, chopped
- In a food processor, pulse chocolate, coconut flour, and coconut sugar until the texture of sand
- Pulse in shortening and egg
- Using your hands, roll one tablespoon of dough into a ball
- Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and flatten
- Place chopped chocolate in center of each circle
- Pinch 3 corners of each circle very firmly to form a triangle
- Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes
- Serve
Here is a quick video tutorial on how to make hamantaschen. It will be of great help for those of you that have not ever made these Purim cookies, and also offer some nifty shortcuts to more experienced hamantaschen creators!
If you are on an egg-free diet and this nut-free Hamantaschen recipe using coconut flour and eggs does not work with your food allergies or dietary restrictions, I recommend trying one of my egg-free Hamantaschen recipes. As always, I have no way of knowing if a substitution will work –the only way to find out is to test, test, test!
Here are my other festive gluten-free Purim cookie recipes, perfect for your gift baskets, or Shalach Manos as we called them when I lived in Israel. Purim gift baskets are also referred to as Mischloach Manot, Michloach Manos, and other combinations of Yiddish and Hebrew. Happy Purim!
- Gluten-Free Raspberry Hamantaschen –Gluten-free, grain-free Hamantaschen filled with fruit sweetened raspberry jam. These are easy to make, and a relatively traditional recipe, especially if you use apricot jam or prune filling in place of the raspberry jam for filling.
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Hamantaschen with Raspberry Filling –A very tasty, yet quick and easy recipe for the traditional Jewish Purim cookie, the chocolate dough consists of four ingredients and the filling is made of fruit sweetened raspberry jam. Can you say, “fast food Hamantaschen?!” Make this if you are an on the go carpooling parent.
- Gluten-Free Hamantaschen with Currant Filling –A triangular pastry of almond flour with homemade filling consisting of currants, lemon rind and vanilla. My first Hamantaschen recipe, I brought these treats to my boys’ classes at the Waldorf school for Purim when they were little. One of my first cookie recipes.
Beth says
I had the same experience with this recipe as many did here, dough was not very pliable and when I tried to fold the cookies over the chocolate, all they did was split and crumble at the fold, so I had to piece them back together and even though they tasted good, they looked awful and were a bit dry. Needless to say I did NOT win our Purim hamantaschen contest!
Jeanne J says
Looking forward to trying these! I just wanted to note that I store my almond flour cookies, etc. in the fridge in an airtight glass or plastic container with a paper towel below the baked good (scone, brownie, chocolate chip cookie, cake.) Almond flour seems to absorb liquid from the air, here @ sea level anyway. If I leave the cookies etc. out, they get soggy. If I refrigerate them, there’s no issue, and they last a week. I re-heat the scones in the oven, 225-275 degrees for about 10 mins. The cookies, cakes and brownies are good cold or we let them come to room temp before serving.
Clever Girl Reviews says
I haven’t had these in years! Thanks for bringing up those memories!
Lara Hornbeck says
Hi Elana, These look delicious! We’re all set to make your raspberry hamantaschen tomorrow afternoon but will have to sneak these new ones in somehow! Q: A man rides in to town on Friday. He stays two days and leaves on Friday. How is this possible? Purim Sameach and yes, I do get jokes form my nine year old! Lara
jennifer says
Was so excited to try these … but man did they flop for me. Followed recipe exactly, though I did try to double it. Very crumbly and would not roll out well. I could cut the shapes, but then when I tried to fold they would just break. So, I pressed into a spring-form pan and made it into a torte of sorts … tasty, but definitely not the pretty cookies I was envisioning!
Sari says
I just made these…
I’m not sure what to say. They definitely did not come out as pretty or thick as Elana’s. In fact, I found that the ones i rolled thicker were harder to fold into shape and fell apart and the thinner ones were more flexible.
I also subbed out the chocolate filling for raspberry jam (all fruit). That actually seems to have worked nicely.
Overall – They are yummy but very crumbly and hard to work with.
MamaCassi says
yum!
i love looking at the coconut flour recipes, but really do prefer cooking w/ almond flour and find that almond butter and almond flour (homemade and sifted) are just preferable to me and easier to access and use consistently.
but also just love the options you give and your dedication to keep providing more and more options and variety!
blessings and peace in the purim season.
Melissa says
Did you try them with almond flour? I prefer almond flour, too, and was just wondering if it would be a straight subsitution?
MamaCassi says
i haven’t tried it, but i’d start w/ this recipe-
http://www.elanaspantry.com/chocolate-raspberry-hamantaschen/
or one of her other 2 almond flour based recipes!
i use butter or coconut oil, honey or organic cane sugar. so i’m not a purist on the other ingredients. gluten-free and grain-free? yeah, that’s really important to me.
Melissa says
Thanks!
Melissa says
Did you try them with almond flour? I prefer almond flour, too, and was just wondering if it would be a straight substitution?
Betty A. Swanigan says
Can you make White Chocolate or Vanilla Hamantaschen out of the Chocolate Hamantaschen. I would to know. I and White Chocolate or Vanilla Hamantaschen by changing the recipe from Chocolate Hamantaschen to White Chocolate or Vanilla Hamantaschen. How can at be done. I would to know and would like to recieve an email from you. Thank you.
Annie says
Coconut is not a nut.
Just curious if anyone knows approximately what 2 oz of chocolate chunks adds up to as far as 1/4 cup? 1/2 cup? I don’t have a scale. Thanks! This recipe looks awesome!
Mrs G says
@Annie
I usually make my chocolate chips by finely chopping a chocolate bar as I’m unable to find gluten/dairy/soy-free chocolate chips.
You can do the same, just make sure to use a sharp knife for best result.
Take a chocolate bar. Read the weight printed on the package and then eyeball. For me a standard chocolate bar is 100 g => 3.5 oz approx. So in order to have 2 oz, I would just use a little more than half a bar.
I hope this helps you.
QueenJellyBean says
Amazon.com sells “Enjoy Life” brand chocolate chips. Sweetened with cane syrup, but they say “Dairy, Nut, & Soy Free” on the front of the bag. I like making chips and chunks myself with unsweetened chocolate, then add stevia (powder because the liquid hardens it). Happy baking!
Mrs G says
@QueenJellyBean
I live in an Amazon-free country…
Carolyn says
Are the chocolate chunks sweet, semi-sweet, or unsweetened?? Perhaps instead of vegan shortening, one could use butter or coconut oil?
Trisha Oksner says
How is coconut flour nut-free?! I have kids in my Religious School who have anaphylactic tree nut allergies who cannot have any nuts. I need to make totally 100% nut-free hamantaschen without almonds, coconuts, or any form of tree nuts.
HELP!
Beth says
Coconuts are NOT nuts despite the name! From a medical site: The most accepted theory is that coconuts are classified as drupes (more specifically “dry drupes”). A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering enclosing the seed (like a peach or olive). While it is possible to be allergic to coconut, the cross reactivity for those with tree nut allergies is very, very rare.
sabrina says
These look great! Do you have any ideas for subbing the shortening?
alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
love these! Happy Purim