Name: Crunchy No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 cup creamy peanut butter, unsweetened; 1/3 cup maple syrup; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup almond flour; 1 cup crispy rice cereal; 1 cup chocolate chips; 1 teaspoon coconut oil

30 Minutes or Less

Perfect Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Samantha Russo August 23, 2022

Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside almond flour chocolate chip cookies! A super easy one-bowl, gluten-free dessert recipe everyone will love. These cookies are perfectly sweet, and stuffed with plentyyyy of melty chocolate.

Close-up of a stack of gluten-free almond flour chocolate chip cookies with a bite taken out of the first cookie.

Who doesn’t love a classic chocolate chip cookie!? These gluten-free almond flour-based cookies are sure to be a family favorite. These are perfect not just for the holidays, but for any night that you’re looking for a simple one-bowl sweet treat with lots of chocolate!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Pantry Staples: This recipe’s ingredients are all items you may have right on hand in your pantry, which will make this a super easy gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe to put together!
Versatile & Customizable: Feel free to add your favorite chopped chocolate or even chopped nuts for additional flavor and melty goodness!
Easy & Quick: These chocolate chip cookies only take 10-12 minutes to bake in the oven!

What You’ll Need to Make Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Butter: I used Myoko’s Vegan Butter to keep my cookies both gluten and dairy-free. However, you can certainly use any type of butter you’d like. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before baking, this’ll help whip together the butter and sugar in the first step.

Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar: Either one works! I used coconut sugar because it’s less processed than standard brown sugar. But I recommend you use whatever you have on-hand. Brown or coconut sugar give these almond flour chocolate chip cookies a deeper, more intense flavor!

Almond Flour: Of course, these wouldn’t be what they are without plenty of almond flour. With any recipe that calls for almond flour, be sure to use blanched almond flour – not almond meal. Almond meal will yield a more grainy and crumbly cookie, which is not what we’re looking for here.

Chocolate Chips: I can’t lie, I’ve got a pretty heavy hand when it comes to the chocolate chips. I used both chocolate chips AND chopped chocolate in my almond flour chocolate chip cookies. The end result was chocolate in every bite – yum! Though, again, feel free to use whichever you have on-hand when baking these cookies.

How To Make Gluten-Free Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Combine Your Wet Ingredients: Beat together the butter, coconut oil, and sugar in a large bowl with either a hand or stand mixer for 2-3 minutes. Add your egg and vanilla extract until well combined
Assemble Your Batter: Add in almond flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a spatula or large spoon until combined then, fold in your chocolate.
Bake & Cool: Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Close-up of a bite taken out of an gluten-free almond flour chocolate chip cookie topped with flaky sea salt.

Tips and Tricks

The cookie dough will appear more wet than standard cookie doughs, but this is ok! Simply scoop them onto a baking sheet, tidy up the edges of each cookies, then throw them in the oven to bake. They’ll still bake up beautifully, trust me!
For a softer cookie, bake them for only 10 minutes. Or, for a crispier, more well-done cookie, bake these cookies for a full 12 minutes. And always keep a close eye on them toward the end so they don’t burn!

A stack of six gluten-free almond flour chocolate chip cookies with milk on the side.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy-Free: Easily make these cookies dairy-free by swapping the butter for non-dairy butter. Also, make sure the chocolate chips you’re using are dairy-free (most aren’t).

Make it Vegan: For vegan almond flour chocolate chip cookies, take the dairy-free option above, as well as swap out the egg for your favorite vegan egg substitute. While I haven’t tried this version myself yet, I have high hopes it’ll work!

Make it Paleo: For a paleo cookie recipe, use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, and softened coconut oil in place of the butter.

overhead image of almond flour chocolate chip cookies with flaky salt on top.

5 from 2 votes

Perfect Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside almond flour chocolate chip cookies! A super easy one-bowl, gluten-free dessert recipe everyone will love. These cookies are perfectly sweet, and stuffed with plentyyyy of melty chocolate.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (or 2 additional tablespoons of butter)
1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Beat together the butter, coconut oil, and sugar in a large bowl with either a hand or stand mixer for 2-3 minutes.
Add in the vanilla extract and egg, beat until combined.
Add in almond flour, baking soda, and salt, this time stirring with a spatula or large spoon until just combine.
Fold in the chocolate chips, then scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet. Place each cookie about 2-3 inches apart, and lightly flatten with the palm of your hand.
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes or until golden brown, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Video

Nutrition

Additional Gluten-Free Favorites

Gluten-Free Christmas Sugar Cookies With Sprinkles

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Perfect Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

View Post

30 Minutes or Less

Crunchy No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

By Samantha Russo July 20, 2022

Crunchy peanut butter balls covered in chocolate! Perfectly sweet, surprisingly healthy, and super easy to make. This no-bake dessert is the perfect summer treat when it’s too hot to turn on the oven!

crunchy peanut butter balls stacked on parchment paper with milk on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Crunchy Peanut Butter Balls

Creamy Peanut Butter – Unsweetened, creamy peanut butter is the base of this easy dessert recipe. Check your peanut butter labels closely and make sure it doesn’t contain any sugar! Added sugar in the peanut butter would totally throw off the sweetness in this recipe. For unsweetened peanut butter, I love both Trader Joe’s and Teddie’s brand.

Maple Syrup – Really any liquid sweetener will work in these peanut butter balls. Maple syrup, along with honey and date syrup, are the three least processed options which is why I always use and recommend them. Though is you don’t have those, you can use agave nectar instead. Or, for a sugar-free dessert option, check the “Make it Sugar-Free” section below!

Almond Flour – This gluten-free, low-carb flour is one of my favorites! It’s healthy, super easy to find, and virtually flavorless. The almond flour is also super helpful in holding these dessert balls together, so don’t go without it.

Crispy Rice Cereal – One cup of crispy rice cereal gives these peanut butter balls their unexpected crunch! Feel free to use whichever brand you like best. Or, for an even healthier option, use one cup of puffed quinoa instead.

overhead image of crunchy peanut butter balls on an upside-down pie pan.

Tips and Tricks

Don’t feel like dipping in chocolate? Save major time and energy my melting the chocolate, then simply drizzling over the top of each ball!
For an extra salty plus sweet combo, finish off these crunchy no-bake peanut butter balls with a pinch of flaky sea salt! A bit of salt balances out the sweetness, and adds an extra layer of crunch.
These treats are best stored in the refrigerator! The freezer works too, but the fridge helps them hold their shape while also maintaining their crunchiness. But whatever you do, don’t store them at room-temperature, and especially not in the summertime because they will melt!

a stack of no-bake peanut butter balls, one with a bite taken out.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free no-bake dessert, sub sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter and 3 tablespoons of coconut flour in place of the almond flour! Still just as delicious, and totally nut-free friendly.

Make it Sugar-Free: Replace the maple syrup in this recipe with your favorite liquid sugar-free sweetener.

Crunchy No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

5 from 3 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: Dessert, SnacksDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

balls

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

Total time

10

minutes

Crunchy peanut butter balls covered in chocolate! Perfectly sweet, surprisingly healthy, and super easy to make. This no-bake dessert is the perfect summer treat when it’s too hot to turn on the oven!

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter, unsweetened
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup crispy rice cereal
For dipping/drizzling:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions

Mix together the creamy peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
Add in almond flour and crispy rice cereal, mix to combine.
Scoop and roll tablespoon-sized balls of the peanut butter ball mixture between the palms of your hands. Repeat this process until no more mixture remains, should make about 12 crunchy peanut butter balls.
Place balls in freezer for 10-15 minutes, and add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small bowl. Microwave chocolate in 30 second increments until fully melted.
Once crunchy peanut butter balls are chilled, dip or drizzle with melted chocolate before placing back in the freezer. Freeze for at least 10 minutes before eating, then store in the fridge.

Recipe Video

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

View Post

Desserts

Gluten-Free S’mores Bars

By Samantha Russo June 27, 2022

These s’mores bars are something else! A buttery graham cracker base followed by a lush layer of chocolate is topped off with toasty marshmallows. These s’mores bars will blow you away with how delicious and addictive they are – all while gluten-free!

gluten-free s'mores bars stacked on top of each other.

What You Need To Make S’mores Bars

Oat Flour – You can either purchase oat flour from the store or easily make it yourself at home. To make oat flour, start by adding 1 and 1/2 cups of rolled oats to a blender or food processor. Then, blend the oats for a few seconds or until ground into a powder. Once ground, you now have oat flour to use in this gluten-free recipe!

Chocolate Chips – Any chocolate chips or even a chopped chocolate bar will work in these s’mores bars. I used the Enjoy Life Mini Chips since they are vegan and nut-free, though you can use any vegan chocolate you’d like. And if you’re not vegan, feel free to use whatever chocolate you have on-hand! (P.S. you should always have chocolate on-hand.)

Marshmallows – I prefer mini marshmallows for simply how cute and satisfying they look all lined up on top of these s’mores bars. However, the standard size marshmallows will work just fine. The key to perfectly toasty and golden brown marshmallows is sticking them under the broiler for about 1 minute. It’s super important you keep an eye on the bars during this final trip in the oven, as the broiler has a tendency to burn things in literal seconds. Therefore, watch your vegan marshmallow-y treats and pull them out once they’ve achieved your desired level of toasty-ness!

close-up overhead image of s'mores bars.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

Don’t Have Oat Flour? If you don’t have oats and/or oat flour, you can replace it with an equal amount of either brown rice flour or all purpose flour in this recipe.

Add Dairy: Use regular melted butter in place of the vegan butter in this recipe.

s'mores bars on a baking sheet with graham crackers on the side.

Tips For Making S’mores Bars

Be sure to leave the bars to cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes after you take them out of the oven! These s’mores bars are surprisingly delicate, so leaving them to cool will ensure they stick together when handled.
Use a greased knife to quickly and easily slice the bars. To do this, take a sharp knife and either spray it with spray cooking oil or drizzle it with some coconut oil. Once greased, cut into the bars and wipe down the knife between each slice!
I highly recommend storing this vegan and gluten-free dessert in the fridge or freezer during the summer months. Due to the butter and chocolate, they are at risk of melting if left to sit out in too high of a temperate. Therefore, to avoid that risk, it’s best to just keep these babies in the fridge to enjoy them at your leisure!

S’mores Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

5 from 3 votes

Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

bars

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

30

minutes

These s’mores bars are something else! A buttery graham cracker base followed by a lush layer of chocolate is topped off with toasty marshmallows. These s’mores bars will blow you away with how delicious and addictive they are – all while being vegan and gluten-free!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups oat flour, see Notes
1/4 cup tapioca flour, or corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used vegan butter)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups marshmallows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Mix together the oat flour, tapioca flour, and baking powder in a bowl.
Add in the maple syrup, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract, mix everything to combine.
Transfer to a lined 9×9 baking sheet, press into an even layer, then bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips, then place back into the oven for 1 minute or until chocolate has melted.
Remove from the oven once more, spread the chocolate into an even layer, then top with marshmallows. Place in the oven on broil for 1 minute (watch closely to make sure it doesn’t burn!) or until marshmallows are lightly toasted.
Let cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Video

Notes

Oat Flour: You can easily make your own oat flour by blending rolled oats in a blender until a powder forms and no large oat chunks remain!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

More Delicious Vegan and Gluten-Free Desserts

View Post

30 Minutes or Less

Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

By Samantha Russo May 12, 2022

The healthiest raw cookie dough you’ll ever eat, made from chickpeas! Lightly sweetened with maple syrup, and loaded with extra chocolate chips. This chickpea cookie dough is vegan, gluten-free, super healthy, and totally delicious.

overhead image of scoops of chickpea cookie dough with extra chocolate chips

What You’ll Need To Make Chickpea Cookie Dough

Chickpeas – An entire can of chickpeas is the base to this healthy cookie dough recipe! Drain and rinse your chickpeas well before adding them to the blender. And for a smoother cookie dough, remove the skins off your chickpeas.

Nut or Seed Butter – I used almond butter, but any nut or seed butter will work in this recipe. Peanut butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter! Though whichever nut/seed butter you use, make sure it’s unsweetened.

Maple Syrup – This unrefined sweetener add sweetness, but keeps this vegan dessert recipe extra healthy. Though if you’d like, you can use honey, agave nectar, or even date syrup instead.

chickpea cookie dough inside a cookie scoop

Tips and Tricks

This chickpea cookie dough is high in plant-based protein! However, if you’d like to add even more protein, throw in a scoop of your favorite vanilla plant-based protein powder. I recommend the Aloha Vanilla Protein Powder, it’s not too sweet and won’t throw off the flavor of this healthy dessert recipe.
Enjoy it however you’d like! By the spoonful, over ice cream, as breakfast, a snack, or dessert.
Taste and adjust the flavor of this edible cookie dough however you’d like. For more sweetness, add in a touch more maple syrup. Or, for a thicker consistency, blend in an extra tablespoons of almond flour.

chickpea cookie dough in a jar with a spoon

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free version of this chickpea cookie dough, replace the almond flour with 3 tablespoons of coconut flour, and use sunflower seed butter.

Make it Sugar-Free: For an entirely sugar-free healthy dessert, use your favorite sugar-free liquid sweetener in place of the maple syrup. Also, replace the chocolate chips with cacao nibs!

Chickpea Cookie Dough

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: Snacks, DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

Total time

5

minutes

The healthiest raw cookie dough you’ll ever eat, made from chickpeas! Lightly sweetened with maple syrup, and loaded with extra chocolate chips. This chickpea cookie dough is vegan, gluten-free, super healthy, and totally delicious.

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup nut or seed butter, I used almond butter
1/4 cup almond flour, see Notes for nut-free option
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon non-dairy milk, unsweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Add all ingredients except chocolate chips to a food processor or high-speed blender, then pulse until super smooth.
Fold in chocolate chips and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

Make it Nut-Free: Replace the almond flour with 3 tablespoons of coconut flour.

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

View Post

Breakfast

Almond Flour Banana Bread

By Samantha Russo April 26, 2022

Super healthy and delicious almond flour banana bread! Made with whole, good-for-you ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally irresistible. Toast up a slice of this grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free banana bread as a comforting, yet nutritious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

overhead image of almond flour banana bread

What You’ll Need To Make Almond Flour Banana Bread

Almond Flour – The one and only flour we use in this grain-free recipe is almond flour. Almond flour is a favorite among low-carb, gluten-free, and paleo recipes. It yields little-to-no flavor and, when done right, bakes up beautifully soft and tender. If you don’t already have a bag of almond flour in your pantry, I highly recommend you go pick some up. I’ve tried pretty much every brand of almond flour out there, and my favorite so far is this Anthony’s Almond Flour. Though whichever brand of almond flour you decide to use in this recipe, make sure it’s blanched almond flour, and not almond meal.

Coconut Sugar – A quarter cup of coconut sugar is all you’ll need to sweeten up this healthy dessert recipe! The bananas yield some natural sweetness of their own, and a touch of coconut sugar helps bring that out. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar in its place.

Bananas – About two very ripe bananas should do the trick here! Or, however many mashed bananas you need to equal one cup. And while I feel like this goes without saying, make sure your bananas are super ripe for this recipe. You can tell a banana is ripe when it’s beginning to form large brown spots all around the outside peel.

Chocolate Chips – While optional, chocolate chips make this almond flour banana bread extra indulgent and delicious! If you don’t have chocolate chips, you can easily use one cup of chopped chocolate instead. I recommend semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate for this recipe. And if you’re looking to keep your entire loaf paleo, use your favorite paleo chocolate chips, such as these Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems.

Tips and Tricks

Instead of greasing your loaf pan, line it with parchment paper. Also, cut your parchment paper larger than the loaf pan, leaving its edges sticking out from the sides of your banana bread. This’ll make it easier to lift and remove your bread from its baking pan!
Leave the almond flour banana bread to cool completely (about an hour) before slicing. Then, once cool, I recommend slicing the bread all at once, before storing. Lastly, store the slices in an airtight container at either room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months!
For the ultimate slice of banana bread that’ll leave your tastebuds singing, toast it before eating! Then, once toasted, top that baby off with some vegan butter, ghee, peanut butter, and/or almond butter. Let me tell ya, toasted almond flour banana bread makes for the perfect afternoon snack or nightcap.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a vegan grain-free banana bread, try replacing the eggs with three flax eggs. One flax egg equals one tablespoon of ground flax seed meal mixed into three tablespoons of water. While I haven’t tried this vegan option myself yet, I’m sure it’d work just fine!

Make it Added Sugar-Free: Because the bananas are so naturally sweet, you can totally leave the coconut sugar out of this healthier dessert recipe.

Almond Flour Banana Bread

4 from 3 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: Snacks, Breakfast, DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

slices

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

Super healthy and delicious almond flour banana bread! Made with whole, good-for-you ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally irresistible. Toast up a slice of this grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free banana bread as a comforting, yet nutritious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 cup mashed banana (about 2 very ripe bananas)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Add in the melted coconut oil, mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla extract – mix until fully combined. Fold in chocolate chips if using, until evenly dispersed throughout batter.
Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted down the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack, cool bread completely (about 1 hour) before slicing.