Orange Dark Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts

. These Orange Dark Chocolate Cookies have the addition of macadamia nuts for extra crunch and are just delicious!

One of my favorite flavor combinations for cookies is orange and dark chocolate. It is bright and fresh with a decadent touch. And best of all, the cookies are totally gluten-free!

Treating yourself to baked goods when you follow a Paleo plan can be a bit of a challenge.  Refined sugar and wheat products are not part of the diet.

But this doesn’t mean that baked goods are a thing of the past. Making them just requires a bit of creativity.  See some of my Paleo baking tips to get you started.

Let’s make some Orange Dark Chocolate Cookies!

These amazing cookies are use both coconut flour and almond flour to substitute for normal wheat flour. In place of granulated sugar, I chose pure maple syrup.

Macadamia nuts give a nice crunch and dark chocolate gives a rich flavor to the cookies.

I love that these cookies only use 1/4 cup of added sweetener. Compare that with a normal chocolate chip cookie which has 1 1/3 cup of two sugars! I have cut my sugar cravings by following the Whole30 plan and enjoy just mildly sweet treats now.

Cooking with coconut flour and almond flour gives a very different batter than a normal cookie recipe does since coconut flour sucks up moisture.  It is much thicker.

Also, you will need to blend a few starches together and not just scoop out one flour. Be sure to use almond flour, not almond meal which is much coarser in order to keep the cookies light.

To start, whisk the flour with arrowroot, sea salt and baking soda in a bowl.

This combination of orange zest, dark chocolate, and chopped macadamia nuts is what gives the cookies their amazing flavor.  Use a very dark chocolate and check the labels to make sure it is dairy-free.

I go for one that is above 75% cacao and often 85% or even higher.  I’m used to the dark chocolate taste now and quite enjoy it.  Plus, you can eat far less of it than you can of milk chocolate.

My recipe only uses 1/2 cup of chocolate for 20 cookies.

Use your stand mixer to combine the wet ingredients and then beat in the flour mixture to get a stiff batter. Fold in your orange zest, nuts, and chocolate. The batter will be quite thick.

I use a small scoop to place heaped tablespoons of the dough on a cookie sheet.

The dough of these orange dark chocolate cookies will not spread the way normal cookies do, so a bit of a press on top of the dough balls will give you the cookie shape you want.

If you don’t do this, you’ll end up with baked balls of dough, without a cookie shape. I left mine still fairly thick since that is what I wanted when I was done, but you can press them flatter if you wish.  (Just adjust the cooking time down a little.)

Bake for 11-13 minutes 15 350 º F until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges, then remove to wire racks to cool.

Time for a taste!

If you are looking for a grain-free, dairy-free Paleo cookie that has no added refined sugar, give these orange dark chocolate cookies a try.!  (If you want to make them vegan, substitute 2 tbsp of applesauce for the egg.)

These yummy cookies have a hint of fresh orange flavor with each bite.  They also have lots of crunch and the dark chocolate gives just the decadent touch that I am going for.

They remind me a bit of an English scone.  Not too sweet, perfect for a snack, and really tasty. Enjoy!!~

These tasty cookies work out to about 155 calories each. Here is the full nutritional information:

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Yield: 20

Orange Dark Chocolate Cookies with Macadamia Nuts

Print

These orange dark chocolate cookies are Paleo and gluten free. Snack on one today!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups of blanched almond flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp of coconut flour, sifted
• 1/3 cup of arrowroot starch
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of pink sea salt
• 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• 1 extra large egg (can substitute 2 tbsp applesauce for vegan)
• 2 tbsp of melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• zest of one orange
• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips (check your labels)
• 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 º F.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot, baking soda and pink sea salt. Whisk well to combine.

Place the maple syrup, pure vanilla extract, orange juice and egg into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until will combined. Mix in the melted coconut oil and mix well.

Gently mix in the flour mixture and orange zest and beat until you have a thick batter.

Fold in the dark chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts.

Scoop out rounded tablespoons of the dough on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Flatten the dough slightly.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Store the cookies in an air tight container. They also freeze well.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 155.6Total Fat: 12.3gSaturated Fat: 3.5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2.3gCholesterol: 12.1mgSodium: 126.3mgCarbohydrates: 11.3gFiber: 2.7gSugar: 5gProtein: 3.6g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

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