SALTED CHOCOLATE ALMOND FLOUR PECAN SANDIES
This delicious gluten-free pecan Sandie recipe uses almond flour and features an extra special touch of chocolate chips and flaky sea salt—a treat you’ll love!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 14 - 16 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American, Vegan
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour or almond meal
- 1/4 cup sugar (coconut, turbinado sugar, or pure cane brown or white)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda or 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, room temp
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup pecan pieces (raw pref. or roasted), chopped
- 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (we love Enjoy Life)
- large flake salt, to garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a light coat of coconut oil, a sheet of parchment paper, or a silicon mat.
Mix: In a large bowl, beat together the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Add the almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, and mix to combine. Toss in the pecans and chocolate chips, and mix again.
Shape: Scoop rounded tablespoons and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Firmly but gently press each ball into a ball, and place on the cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Using your fingers, gently press down to flatten, molding edges as needed. For aesthetics, spruce up the top of the cookies with a few strategically placed extra chopped pecans and mini chips. Finish with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.
Bake: Place the cookies in the oven on the center rack and bake for about 18 – 20 minutes. They may look like they need to cook more, but don’t worry—once they cool, they will darken slightly, harden a little, and be perfect cookies. Let them cool and enjoy!
Makes 14 to 16 cookies
Store: Cookies can be stored on the counter for up to 5 – 6 days or kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To keep longer, freeze for up to 2 – 3 months.
Notes
You can make your own almond meal in a food processor. One and a half cups of almonds will easily give you two cups of almond meal, and it’s super easy, too. Simply process for four minutes or so, depending on your processor. Store any leftover flour in a mason jar or the sealed container of choice for later use. Store your flour in the refrigerator to maintain maximum freshness.
I used blanched almond flour in this recipe. Since the skins have been removed, almond flour tends to be lighter in color than almond meal. I’ve made this recipe with both almond meal and almond flour, and both work great. Use whatever is more accessible and convenient for you.
I’ve used both baking powder and baking soda. Either one works well, and to be honest, I couldn’t see any difference between the batches. My conclusion is to use whatever one is on hand.
Recommended Equipment: I love using a silpat or parchment paper to line my baking sheets. And this medium trigger cookie scoop helps keep the cookies uniform when scooping.
Find it online: https://simple-veganista.com/salted-chocolate-pecan-sandies/