Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough was a thing of the past, or just an occasional non-Paleo treat, until I made this Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

Last year I had an elaborate plan to make my own birthday cake and let me tell you, I will be sharing that creation next week, but today I wanted to just talk about the topping. :)

I’m not really a huge fan of playing around with dessert recipes. Typically it takes me much more time than I intend, so when I need to make a special Paleo dessert to celebrate a birthday or other special occasion I’ll first turn to those who’ve already done the trial and error. From there I’ll make a couple minor adjustments based on the ingredients I’ve got or on the rare occassion I’ll stick to the recipe as is. Just like some people dread the process of going to the kitchen to make dinner, I feel that way when it comes to making a Paleo dessert recipe, although I’ve been getting much better at it over the last few years.

This recipe was a winner with only a slight adjustment. Originally this came from Make It Paleo, but Bill & Hayley also have it published on their site. I have to admit, I’ve never used it to make cookies, only frozen cookie dough.

I store the pre-chopped squares of cookie dough in a sealed container in the freezer for a quick little treat. I’ve also made Paleo chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream -without an ice cream maker- using the frozen banana ice cream method and throwing these guys in at the last minute.

I even brought some of these along with me at one of my cooking events. Everyone really loved them and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share.

Yield: ~50-60 cookie dough pieces

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground sea salt
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, grade B
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I prefer 72% and higher)

Directions

In a small saucepan melt the coconut oil over low heat.
Combine almond meal, sea salt, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Add in dark chocolate chips, or chop chunks of chocolate from a block of chocolate using a sharp knife on a cutting board.
Pour in melted coconut oil. As you add in the coconut oil some chocolate will melt since the coconut oil is warm. Be sure to cut large enough chunks so it doesn't all melt and stir quickly to combine.
On a parchment paper lined, rimmed baking sheet pour out the mixture. Using your hands, a spatula or a large spoon spread the mixture out evenly and transfer to the freezer.
Freeze for 2-3 hours, or until completely solid and combined.
Transfer parchment paper to a cutting board and using a large knife chop cookie dough pieces into squares of your desired size. I prefer 1" pieces. Transfer chopped squares to a medium sized glass dish with layers separated by pieces of parchment (pop a few in your mouth) and top with the lid.
Store in the freezer for a super delicious cookie dough treat when you get a craving.
Enjoy! :)

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough