The Paleo community on Instagram is all a-buzz over lifestyle blogger Nicole Modic’s (aka KaleJunkie’s) Life-Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. “They’re crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. And the best part is they’re gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, Paleo, and easily made vegan…did I leave anything out?” she wrote in an Instagram post. The original recipe is from September 2018, and has gotten plenty of new renditions from devotees (like adding in espresso!).
Wait, tahini in cookies? Basically, the sesame seed paste acts as a butter substitute, lending all the healthy fats required for baking without resorting to dairy (which is a no-no when you’re Paleo). It also adds a slight nutty undertone to your cookies, making the flavor a bit more complex (and delicious). Basically, if you like sweet and salty foods, you should probably check out this recipe.
Besides the tahini, you only need a few other ingredients: almond flour, maple syrup, baking soda, dairy-free chocolate chips, an egg, collagen peptides (optional), and sea salt flakes. If you want to make them vegan, “you can easily sub the egg for a flax egg and the consistency will still be the same—aka no pancake-flat cookies,” Modic writes.
If you’ll excuse me, I’m off on an urgent tahini-buying mission, because I suddenly have a hankering for some chocolate chip cookies.
This isn’t the only Paleo recipe you should try. You can also learn how to make a killer Paleo cheesecake that has a banana filling, or snag a Paleo pumpkin bread recipe from Lauren Conrad’s favorite nutritionist.