These perfectly chewy cookies are a healthy take on the classic we all know and love. Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free + Oil-Free so you can indulge without the guilt!
When I posted these Chewy Tigernut Chocolate Chip Cookies on Instagram yesterday, I mentioned how serious I am about my cookies. Like, they better be GOOD. And a cakey cookie? Not my cup of tea. Well, unless it’s this cookie pie. Otherwise, I like ’em CHEWY!
But my scrutiny doesn’t end there. I also demand a HEALTHY cookie. That’s right, it’s gotta be chewy, delicious, flavorful, AND health-conscious. You’re probably wondering, could this supernova of a baked good ever possibly exist?
Well it does now, my friends. It does now.
Experimenting with Tigernut flour is my latest obsession. I can’t recall when or where I first found out about it, but I just recently started recipe testing with it and it’s AMAZING, you guys!
Contrary to it’s name, tigernuts are not actually nuts, but small root vegetables. They originated in Africa and are extremely versatile. Whole tigernuts can actually be eaten raw as a snack!
In this recipe, I used a combination of tigernut flour and almond flour. I had to play around with the ratios a few times, but I think I got it! You tell me. ;)To keep it nice and plant-based (as always), I used a “flax egg” which essentially does the job of an egg and works as a magical vegan binder! I explain how to make it down below in the recipe notes. It’s super simple and takes 10 minutes. You can also use chia seeds in place of flax and make a “chia egg” if that’s what you have on hand.
If you aren’t vegan, I imagine a regular egg would work fine in these cookies, although I haven’t tested it with one. Let me know how it goes if you do try it!
The other nice thing about this recipe is that it’s oil-free. I don’t see oil as something “bad” that I purposely avoid, but I like to limit the amount of (healthy) oil in my diet because it is calorically dense and not a whole food. Some people avoid oil altogether, so if you’re one of those people, this recipe fits the bill!
We use tahini here in place of oil, but if you’d like to use oil instead, you can sub the tahini out for coconut oil or even ghee (which is not vegan, obviously). I recommend raw unrefined coconut oil but if you don’t like any coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil. I don’t mind the mild flavor but some people do.
I know you want me to stop rambling and just get to the deliciousness already. SO the last thing I’ll mention about this recipe is that in order to keep it completely refined-sugar free, I used Lilly’s stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips which I love and have been using for years. They’re totally vegan as well.
You can also use a chopped up chocolate bar of your choice in place of chips (or both!). If you wanna get super creative, you can even make your own 3-ingredient chocolate chunks (so easy) which I often do. A post to come on that, so stay tuned! 🙂
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 9-12 cookies | 1 hour |
| Cook Time |
| 10-12 minutes |
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These perfectly chewy cookies are a healthy take on the classic we all know and love. Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free + Oil-Free so you can indulge without the guilt!
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- 1 cup Tigernut flour
- 3/4 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar or granulated sweetener of choice*
- 2 tbsp tahini can sub coconut oil if not oil-free
- 2 tbsp organic pumpkin purée
- 1 flax egg see Notes*
- 1-2 tbsp plant milk of choice if needed**
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips plus more for topping. use refined sugar-free chips to keep Paleo
- First, make your flax egg and set aside. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, coconut sugar, tahini, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until creamed.
- Once the flax egg has set, add it to the wet mixture.
- Next add Tigernut flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combined. **If the dough seems too dry or super sticky, add plant milk by the tablespoon until desired consistency is achieved. Just don’t use too much.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour. I find leaving the dough in the fridge overnight works best for me. When the dough is ready for use, it should be firm enough to roll into a ball with your hands.
- Using a tablespoon or tablespoon size cookie scoop, scoop out mixture and roll into balls. Arrange on cookie sheet and slightly press each ball down to flatten out. Top with extra chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. If you like the outside to be crispy, broil the cookies on high for 2 minutes once they are done baking.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes (they will be too delicate to handle until they’ve cooled off).
- Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container at room temp or in the fridge. Enjoy!
*To make the flax egg, grind up 1 tablespoon whole flax seeds in a blender or spice grinder and put in small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons water, stir mixture and let sit for 10 minutes until it forms a “gel-like” consistency. This can also be done with chia seeds in the exact same way. I like to do this before everything else so the flax/chia egg has time to set.
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