A few weeks ago I was puttering in the kitchen with some almond flour and coconut flakes and ended up creating some magic in the form of these delicious gluten and dairy free gems.

Even as a kid I used to love combining ingredients and testing them out in the oven. And to think it all started with an Easy-Bake oven one Christmas given to me by my great aunt. If you were a young girl in the eighties (actually the Easy-Bake has been around since the sixties), then you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. One word on cooking with a light bulb: AWESOME. I was already an enthusiastic baker at five.

My mom, of course, tried out everything I baked and loved it all. It was my brother who kept me honest. Back then, my creations were a bit hit and miss, but fast forward 27 years or so and, thankfully, my baking actually is pretty darn good. That said, my brother is still known to turn up his nose if my cookies are what he calls "too healthy". Little does he know I consider that a compliment!

This cookie concoction wasn't completely improvised as I did have a few criteria going in:

• A breakfast cookie that has good fat to make it satisfying and fulfilling
• A sweet taste to delight the taste buds (even my brother)
  
• A protein component to make it snack-worthy
• Easy on the sugar
• Easy to make, bake and eat

Recipe after the jump

Chewy and Delicious Almond Flour Cookies (Gluten and Dairy Free Cookies)

1 3/4 cups almond flour (don't pack the flour down, it's very dense and you will use too much if you pack it)
1 cup oats
1/2 cup of coconut flakes
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sucanat sugar
3 extra large organic eggs (if using really small eggs, you can add 1/4 almond milk as well)
2 tbsp almond butter
1/4 cup organic coconut oil (preferably flavoured)

Combine all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and add the almond butter and coconut oil, stir together. Combine both the wet and dry ingredients until the batter has no dry bits. Form into 1 inch balls and flatten with a fork onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Watch the cookies carefully, every oven varies a little bit in cooking time.
I like mine a little brown on the outside and chewy on the inside. which takes 10 minutes, but I have a condo sized oven (SMALL) so it probably gets hotter than most ovens.

Makes 2-3 dozen little gems of deliciousness.

Some gluten-free diets do NOT allow oats, and some do. So please use your own discretion with this recipe. These little gems are great for breakfast with some yogurt and fruits or as an energizing afternoon snack.

For more gluten-free recipes and the benefits of gluten-free eating, please check out other recipes on That's Fit.ca:

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Muffins: A Delicious Substitute to Bread!
Carrot Ginger Soup: Healthy Recipe
Feel-Good, Coconut Muffin Recipe: Gluten-Free, Healthy Fats and Delicious
Turkey Loaf Recipe: Protein-Rich and Gluten-Free


EnJOY!

Joy McCarthy, owner of Joyous Health, is a certified holistic nutritionist and health coach with a passion for inspiring people to eat well, live well and feel more joyous on a daily basis. Joy welcomes your questions or comments and although you may not receive a response, your submission will certainly be read and may be selected as a topic for a future column.