Nikki Yelton is an Integrative & Functional Medicine Registered Dietitian Nutritionist serving clients worldwide. She offers a personalized functional medicine approach to helping women with GI distress and autoimmune conditions to get to the root cause of the symptoms holding them back so that they can start living the extraordinary life they dream of with more energy, purpose, and joy!
These soft, chewy, gooey, and moist cookies are my all time favorite. If you are looking for the best grain-free chocolate chip cookies, I hope you will give this one a try!
Reading Time: 5 minutes
ABOUT THIS RECIPE
If you are looking for the best grain-free chocolate chip cookies, you have arrived! Chocolate chip cookies have always been my favorite growing up. They are a classic in my home and nothing beats the first bite of a warm gooey chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven. Ever since I began my health journey and found out about my autoimmune conditions though, I had to quickly learn how to substitute and recreate my all time favorite treat.
This recipe is suitable for those with autoimmune conditions or who need to avoid gluten, dairy, soy, grains, nuts, and eggs due to food sensitivities. These pass the taste test at every holiday party and family gathering!
RECIPE CREDIT
I have to give credit where credit is due! This recipe was not completely my own and was inspired by my failed attempts at trying every chocolate chip cookie recipe out there. No matter what I was finding in a recipe book or on Pinterest and Google, they never came out like I remember them in my childhood (with all the real sugar, butter, and wheat flour).
That is until one day I bought a bag of Organic Gemini TigerNut Flour. I actually bought tiger nut flour for a muffin recipe I was testing and trying to create. I was reading the back of the bag and nutrition facts label when I saw a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I was convinced it would be just like all the others I’ve tried but figured I had nothing to lose. What is one more attempt at finding a decent homemade chocolate chip cookie, right?
INITIAL THOUGHTS
The recipe seemed too easy and it magically checked all my dietary checkboxes. After a quick 10 minutes in of the oven I was beyond impressed with the size, shape, and fluffiness of these cookies. I anxiously waited for them to cool just enough to sneak a bite for the initial taste test. I’m not kidding, I did a happy dance when I tasted these cookies for the first time. It was everything you would expect in a classic chocolate chip cookie and more.
I have to admit they are even better than the cookies I remember eating before finding out about my autoimmune conditions and changing my diet. I kept going back to this recipe and would share with friends and family. They could not tell the difference and that is the ultimate test and seal of approval! After several perfect batches, I knew these were the best grain-free chocolate chip cookies I discovered.
WHAT IS TIGERNUT FLOUR?
Nut Free
Believe it or not, tigernuts are not nuts. They are a sweet and savory tuber root vegetable that contains a resistant starch. This unique resistant starch is what actually makes the cookies rise, which is something I don’t see often in other gluten and grain-free flours.
Iron
Tigernut flour is naturally high in iron. In fact, 1 serving has the same amount of iron as a 5oz piece of red meat! For this reason tigernut flour is actually categorized as a superfood.
Prebiotic Fiber
The resistant starch in tigernut flour is a prebiotic fiber. Think of prebiotics as the food that feeds the probiotics. Prebiotic foods are extremely beneficial for feeding the good gut bacteria and restoring flora in the microbiome. It helps relieve constipation, bloating, and gas while improving digestion and beneficial bacteria.
Nutrient Dense
Tigernuts are considered paleo which is the diet 80% of our ancestors ate 2 million years ago. These tuber vegetables could fuel your body alone if you are in a bind with the balance of macronutrients. In fact, it is one of the few foods that have ideal protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Once serving of tigernut flour contains 7g of fat, 19g of carbohydrates, 10g of fiber, and 2g of protein. The actual tuber vegetable that you can enjoy as a snack does contain more protein.
Another example of tigernut nutrition is that it contains 275mg of potassium in one serving which is the same amount of coconut water (nature’s gatorade). Potassium is crucial for our electrolyte balance, energy, and recovery after workouts.
Other key players in tigernut flour include naturally occurring calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and zinc. No wonder it is considered a superfood.
HOW TO MAKE A FLAX EGG
This recipe calls for a flax egg which makes it autoimmune friendly. To make a flax egg, mix 3 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of ground flax. The key to making a good fla egg is to refrigerate it for 10 minutes before incorporating into the recipe
OTHER KEY PLAYERS & INGREDIENTS
This recipe calls for tahini, which is sesame seed paste. This gives the cookie its incredible gooey texture. Full disclosure, this recipe is for those who like soft baked chocolate chip cookies. If you prefer crunchy and well done cookies, this recipe might work if you bake them longer, but I haven’t personally tried it so I can’t verify they will meet your expectations.
For natural sweetness, the recipe calls for ½ cup maple syrup and dark chocolate chips. I use Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips and if I am in the mood for a really chunky chocolate chip cookie, I use Hu chocolate gems.
ONE IMPORTANT MODIFICATION
The one important modification I make to this recipe is that I take it out in 9 minutes. I add more chocolate chips to the top of each cookie and bake for the last minute before removing from the oven. This is optional of course, but who doesn’t love more chocolate chips in their cookie?
RECIPE NOTES
This recipe doesn’t work well when you double it. Make sure you make separate batches if you need more than 12 cookies. In addition, make sure you cool completely before moving or packing in a container. They freeze really well if you want to make batches ahead of time for an event or celebration, or if you just want to portion control (which is very hard to do with this one).
The best chewy chocolate chip cookies that are gluten, dairy, egg, soy, nut, and grain-free.
Ingredients
Scale
3 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. Ground Flax
1/2 Cup Tahini
1/2 Cup TigerNut Flour
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Mix water and flax and refrigerate for 10 minutes
Mix tahini, maple syrup, and baking powder with the flax egg
Stir in chocolate chips
Top with sea salt
Scoop cookie dough into medium ice cream scooper (or use hands to form into a ball) and add evenly to a cookie tray (lined with parchment)
Bake for 9 minutes and remove from oven.
Add 5-6 chocolate chips on each cookie gently
Return to oven for another 1-2 minutes
Remove from oven and let cook completely
Freeze for later, store in an air tight container, or enjoy warm!
Notes
Do not double this recipe
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Category:AIP, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Method:baking
Cuisine:dessert
Keywords: paleo chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies, grain-free chocolate chip cookies, tahini cookies, best paleo chocolate chip cookies
MY FAVORITE WAY TO ENJOY
I love to enjoy these cookies with some hot cocoa in the winter or a cup of chilled homemade coconut milk or iced herbal tea in the summer. I hope you enjoy my all time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Let me know if you try them and if they are the best grain-free chocolate chip cookies you’ve tried too!
"When it comes to balancing our body, healing the gut, reversing autoimmunity, and achieving optimal health—we are a lot like a car that won’t run right. In order to fix the problem once and for all instead of relying on jumper cables, we must get underneath the hood, run the diagnostics, and replace the battery so that it runs good as new."
-Nikki Yelton, RD
a note from nikki:
If you are ready to stop wasting precious time, get off the never-ending hamster wheel, and finally surrender trying to figure things out on your own—this is your moment.
You don’t have to settle for just getting by and hoping tomorrow is a better day. We both know you are a woman who deserves better and are made for so. much. more.
are you ready?
Ready to resolve your GI distress, reverse autoimmunity, and live your extraordinary life?
