This recipe is a oldie because it’s one I posted in my notes section of my Facebook when my website was being a b*tch. But if you don’t have Facebook, which I think is dumb, or don’t check Facebook like me because Facebook is annoying, then you didn’t see this gem of a recipe. Cookies that are nut free, with gigantic chocolate chunks, mixed with vanilla beans is always a good choice. Try this recipe. It can be your Xmas cookie recipe to share with your friends that bad mouth paleo. Show them what’s up.
The holidays are weird when it comes to commercials. Mostly because the perfume and cologne commercials get even more ridiculous than they already are. What in the hell is up with those commercials? They make absolutely no sense, they have no purpose and no theme, and just incredibly good looking people. Just because the person is good looking doesn’t mean they smell good. Believe me, I coach people for a living…I know this.
So I pretty much got all my Christmas shopping done the other day. The mall is much more bearable when you get there right when the doors are opening. An hour in, it’s hell. But I ended up only buying a few things for myself. THEY WERE ON SALE, OK!! I couldn’t help it. The New Year is sneaking up quickly and I’m trying to be sexier by then. It’s not really working. My hair is super long though, so if I wanted to try to send in Maxim magazine style shots with just my hair covering my nipples, I totally could. Too far? My bad.
Anywho, have you heard the news?!!? That my first cookbook, ‘OMG. That’s Paleo?‘ is now ready to preorder?! It’s the truth!! I’m so excited! The book is filled with some of my life stories, some great advice because I’m full of it, and far too many pictures of myself. Kind of similar to my blog.
Here’s what you should know about preorder!! Everyone will receive $5 off, but only Continental U.S. will get free shipping. Anyone outside the Continental U.S. can order, but you’ll have to email presales@scribe-publishing.com for us to calculate the shipping and then invoice you separately (so it might actually be better for those people to wait the extra two weeks for it to go on Amazon, and it will be available on the international Amazon sites as well).
YAY! Click here to purchase it right now!
- 1 cup sunflower seed butter (or nut butter)
- ⅓ cup raw honey
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 vanilla bean stem, slit lengthwise, little baby beans removed with the edge of your knife
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ½-1 cup Enjoy Life Mega Chocolate Chunks (or dark chocolate chips)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out a dollop of cookie mix and pour onto baking sheet. Space out so cookies do not form together when they bake (like mine did).
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, be careful not to overcook these.
- Let cool. Then eat up!
- My mix made 7 large cookies, but you could make them smaller!
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thank god. my house is being inundated with scads of Christmas confection sugar-bombs that are hard to resist despite how icky they make me feel later. now i’ll be able to sneak in a plate of these at family functions and have peace of mind (and everything else below it) haha :)
I am so eager to try this recipe; it looks like a good one! I like the chunks. By the way, a vanilla bean is a ‘pod’ and the tiny bits inside are the ‘seeds,’ just so you know.
I am such a cookie whore. For serious. I made a dozen almond flour cookies a week ago and they were gone in 16 hours. I even snuck out of bed in the morning to eat them before my husband woke up. Cookie. Whore.
Oh, me too! I can only make cookies as gifts for other people and I have to immediately pack them up in such a way that it will be horribly obvious if I were to try to steal “just one little one!”
Can we be friends? My name is Katie, and I am a cookie whore too. There. I said it.
Can we be friends? My name is Katie, and I am a cookie whore too. There. I said it. I am also a sunflower butter whore. Can I buy it in bulk?
I want to join this group! I’m hereby confessing my status as a cookie whore too.. Let’s bake together ;)
I, too, am a self-proclaimed cookie whore… pre-paleo I could polish off a bag of chips ahoy no problem. Why can’t they be a whole macronutrient in themselves??
This is going to sound stupid but what do you do with the vanilla bean pod?
you take it, use a sharp knife to slit it open lengthwise and then use the edge of your knife to scrap out the beans! not a stupid question at all!
Okay so you use the seeds in the recipie. Sorry, I have never used an actual vanilla bean before. I will have to try this
yes ma’am!
Ah, I thought you were using the actual pod. I was wondering what happens to that thing. :)
These look like real cookies!
Juli – No “flour” needed… ie almond flour? They look awesome and so simple to make. Will def be making these this weekend!
the ingredient list is so small. i dont know how you got 7 cookies out of this! i want to go buy nut butter just to see if this is even possible!! Pahaha
I think this will be one of my Saturday projects along with the maple bacon meatballs of yours. (Already have George’s banana bread and Health-bent’s brownie bites on the agenda for tomorrow’s snow day and I’ll have an extra set of hands Saturday.)
It appears the dough may spread a bit, maybe I’ll throw it in the fridge or freezer prior to baking to minimize spread, that always seemed to work with traditional cookies. Wish that worked for the spread that results from consumption of treats ;)
I know it’s not as good, but can I use vanilla extract (the real stuff) instead of vanilla bean seeds? They cost and arm & a leg to buy here in Hawaii.
hell yeah!! i just got lucky and my friend bought them for me! extract will be just fine!
I want to eat these cookies, like now!
Hey guys, I know this is sorta random but does anyone have any lunch ideas that dont need to be heated before eating
I recently ran across a site with lunches and I thought “anyone can make salad with meat on it” but I was totally wrong. I decided to buy the book and it’s FABULOUS. It’s called Paleo Power Lunch ebook by Stormy Sweitzer and it’s packed with combinations and ideas and solutions that are both easy and delicious and they fight that “salad with meat boredom” that we paleos struggle with. I was really glad I bought it. I hope this helps!
These are soooo good. Just made them. I used almond butter.
Your’s must of been GIANT if you only made 7. I made 13 regular to big cookies. Need to give some away before I eat all of them! Thanks for the recipe.
Best Paleo/grain free cookie yet!
Juli,
I made the cookies tonight and I believe I let them bake too long 19min 20 seconds. They are smaller but I guess I didn’t mix he ingredients well enough. Somethings tastes off but I get the chocolate and sunbutter taste.
What did I do wrong. It was a pretty oily looking batter.
thx,
Melissa
Can I use vanila extract?
How much would I use?
Thank you.
yes! 2 teaspoons would be great!
Hi there…I’m a relatively new reader of your blog. I do not follow the Paleo diet but I do have insulin resistance so it’s something I should probably be doing. I struggle with my weight and over the years I’ve learned that when I stay away from white foods (refined or enrighed flour, sugar, potatoes, pasta & rice) I lose weight quickly. For that reason alone I have done ‘my’ version of the Atkins diet sporadically thru the years. I eat meat and veggies, with some dairy…like cheese and sour cream. No fruit, but lots of nuts. So in reading your blog, I have learned that I have been ALMOST eating a Paleo diet.
I love your spunkiness. You’re entertaining to read, curse words and all.
One thing I wanted to say to you personally though, is this. ‘Sexy’ is in the eye of the boholder. Having a sense of humor is sexy. ‘Trying’ to be sexy is not sexy…just be yourself. I have a feeling you’re way sexier than you realize.
Your recipes are incredible. I will be finding the time to make one or ten very soon! Have a blessed holiday season and a Merry Christmas!
Tammy
Made these! Love em!!!!!
Definitely making these on Christmas Eve! They look amazing!
Pre-ordered your book! Can’t wait! :)
So, I didn’t have any vanilla beans, but had to make this recipe anyway, and it is so good!!! Juli, you rock! By the way, I used a Tablespoon measure and was able to get 21 cookies, approximately 2 3/4 inches in diameter.
THESE ARE INSANE AMOUNTS OF FANTASTIC. thanks Juli :)
Just tried these! Amaaaaaaazing. I used almond butter instead. I also didn’t have vanilla beans but used a tablespoon of vanilla extract. Really good!!, I am always trying paleo “treat” recipes and the texture is always wrong. these are perfect! Oh, one last thing – only cooked mine for about 15 min’s before they started to burn – got them out of the oven just in time.
Yum, thanks! :) Will take these to my Crossfit pals!
OH.MY.F-ING.GOSH!! WOW! These are ahhhhmazing!! Thank you thank you thank you!! Santa will be very happy with us tonight ;)
Wait…whaaattt? These are PALEO!? I’m exploring this diet option to help control my PCOS and all it’s flippin’ ridiculous symptoms. Yours is the first blog I’ve seen that actually shows good-looking, VARIED food!
So, I can eat cookies, eh? I’m one step closer to “in”!
Lauren,
I also have PCOS and have found by cutting out refined sugar and flour help. But it is difficult to do with all the convenience foods out there filled with these two ingredients. I think I might give the Paleo diet a chance. Blogs like this make it easier!
Lauren and Tammy, I also have PCOS. I went Paleo a few days before Christmas and it has changed my life. I feel like my quality of life has improved so dramatically. I hope you do try the Paleo diet. It’s really amazing how good it will make you feel.
Santa ate all of these cookies last night, left us crumbs. In his defense, they are totally awesome, and I hid another batch in my cookie jar.
Could you use almond butter instead if you don’t care if they’re nut free?
absolutely!!
Any suggestions for making these egg free???
banana or flax seed i’m guessing!
Did you try either egg free option?
I made them both ways for the kids (and me) in the last two weeks. Gotta say, I far preferred them with an over ripe banana than with an egg.
Wow. That just blew my mind. I don’t cook or bake, so I have started trying some of these yummy recipes – starting with the Treats section and only the really easy things! Ha! Swapping an egg for a banana is CRAZY. I’m gonna do that right now. Yum. Thanks!!
Could you perhaps use homemade coconut butter?
coconut butter wouldn’t work the same as nut butter or sun butter
I just made these without the vanilla bean and with freshly food-processed almond butter and they are to die for! Thanks Juli!
The sunbutter looks great but am trying to drop some pounds. Is there an alternative or just skip them for now :)
skip for now :)
That’s a depressing answer. Haha!!
I made these recipes last night as a quick refuel for my bf when he came in from a day of being knocked on his ass (aka a judo workshop) and they were gone by the time he left this morning for day two of being knocked on his ass! I just made another batch, this one adding in 2 teaspoons of cocoa and swapping the vanilla bean for a teaspoon of mint extract. Oh, and I make my own butters, so for this one I used half and half almonds and pecans, with 1/3 cup of agave syrup. Predicting they’ll be gone by tomorrow morning again, and it’s just me eating them this time. :D
Thank you SO much for this recipe!!! Having a tough time with a new diet and these cookies totally made my day. That and the creamy avocado and spinach chicken make for a stress free cooking day.
I made these tonight and they were awesome! Thanks for the great recipes.
These were so wonderful!! I didn’t have sunflower seed butter on hand, but I did have 1/4c ish of almond butter and a bunch of walnuts. So I processed the crap out of the walnuts to make up for the difference (walnut butter?), and I also added walnut pieces to the batter…Worked beautifully and happiness ensued. Thank you, Juli!!
So there is no flour in them at all? no coconut or almond flour??
AMAZING. They taste like real cookies no joke. I used almond butter and I made these for my sick crossfit trainer. I didn’t keep a close eye on them so some burned on the bottom but they were still soooo soft and chewy!
Yep, dumb question, but what is the difference between almond butter and almond meal?
Is it just that the almond meal hasn’t been ground as long? Or has it actually had some of the oils removed so that it doesn’t go to butter form?
I tried to make almond butter tonight, but my food processor started overheating before it got to a butter stage. Not sure if it even would have if I had kept going (had been going for maybe 10mins all up).
We don’t have all the same ingredients here in australia so I am trying to play around and substitute.
yes, almond meal hasn’t been ground as long so the oils haven’t leaked out and made it become a butter! try using almond oil next time to speed up the almond butter process and not burn out your food processor
Will they still taste good if I leave out the vanilla bean and vanilla extract?
absolutely!
Every other day I find myself baking cookies from this site. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but these were absolutely DELICIOUS and so simple to make. Well worth the $6 spent on ONE vanilla steam/pod/stick. Just had 5 out of the 15 that I made. So hard not to eat more :(
Just wanted to let you know that I am going through a tough time health wise and you have helped so much. I enjoy reading your posts and find your recipes amazing! Whenever I get down, I look at your sight and I can immediately refocus. Keep doing what you are doing!
that’s so cool to here theresa, glad i could help in some way. get better soon!
I just tried these. They tasted really awesome except mine didn’t spread out very well. Were your ingredients (i.e. the sun butter) at room temperature? Mine was in the fridge so it was kind of stiff when I got done mixing the batter. They stayed in a lump on the pan :(
Yeah it was at room temperature so it spread out when I put it on the baking sheet
Any alternative to honey…? I am suddenly ALLERGIC to it and I break out in a rash around my nose and mouth (?!?!). Ugh! :)
you could use maple syrup
I used maple syrup and no chocolate chips (I’m lactose and didn’t have any on hand) and these were still amazing! Best paleo cookie I’ve ever tried. Hands down.
I made the “small” version so 15 of these suckers just came out of the oven and I’m not going to share!
These were friggin fabulous even my fat and sugar lovin husband said they were good. I am making these for my kids, they will love them. Thank you so much!
Juli, I want to be like you when I grow up! Awesome BLOG!! I went Paleo about 2 months ago. And you know, it just makes sense. But I’m pretty much like you, I alter my paleo food recipes and I’m in the kitchen daily. I have to say, this cookie recipe tops any other paleo cookie recipe on the plant! I did add 1 tablespoon of coconut flour and 1 tablespoon of hazel nut flour and 1/2 c carob chips. I used tahini for the nut butter too and everything was perfect. Juli, you’re my best friend!!!! Thanks for the recipe! I will buy your book. Keep up the good work! I will be reading your blog every night. Many thanks!!!!!
These were amazing. So skeptical when I saw the ingredients list, but just absolutely delicious. Moist and chewy and just awesome. I used maple syrup because of a honey allergy and I think honey would have tasted better, but still just awesome. Thanks!!
These were amazing!!! I used almond butter, and extra real vanilla extract. Made them big, cooked for 18 minutes, not a minute more!! They were golden brown. A minute longer and they would have burned. I love your site and your amazing recipes!! Thank you, Juli!!!!
couldn’t rate in last post.
We just started Paleo a few weeks ago and I happened upon your blog from Pinterest which is cool because we live in Denver. We are starting this lifestyle change for weight loss and just getting healthier which means is recipe isn’t what I should be cooking just yet but if I don’t have something that makes me feel “bad” I will jump ship all together. With that being said, they were GREAT! I did overcook slightly but thank god caught in time for it not to be a total disaster. I will be remaking tomorrow just to take a better result in to work for others to try but feel the need to say thanks for the yummy recipes thus far ( 3 total).
These were fabulous. And beautiful looking cookies, just like yours. I didn’t have any real vanilla, which as everyone says here, costs a fortune. But some day I do want to try that. These were best eaten the same day of baking. The next morning they will be more chewy. Still yum.
These are AMAZING! I have been searching for the perfect Paleo chocolate chip cookie, and these are possibly better than non paleo cookies. Great recipe! I added a little extra salt, nixed the Vanilla bean and used almond butter. SO GOOD!
I’m trying to not consume any sugar refined or unrefined. Can I use stevia drops? Would I need to adjust the amount of nut butter to proportion the wet ingredients?
yes, i’m sure you could and it would work, just not sure how many drops
Amazing. Gets me through those chocolate cravings.
These are seriously the best! The first cookie that is husband approved too!
Whenever I ave baked with sun butter in the past the baking soda turns the sunflower butter bright green making he baked good look very unappetizing…I wonder why ths recipe doesn’t. Will def try – my daughter and ar allergc to nuts and peanuts.
Made these last night. I burned the first batch at 18 mins – which everyone ate anyway – and the 2nd batch is DELICIOUS at 15 mins. The raw honey I have is very dense and was difficult to mix in. Any suggestions for softening it a bit? warm it perhaps?
first, put it in the microwave to melt it a bit, then add it!
hi! I used a cup of almond butter…it came out nice and firm but they got soggy the next day. I kept them in an air tight container. Did I underbake it? it was getting very brown at 15 minutes.
Love it, my first success at cooking a paelo sweet.
( ok I’m new to this ). Yummy
Thanks xx
I am obsessed with this recipe. I don’t use vanilla bean and use almond butter instead, but am seriously in love and think they maybe better than non paleo chocolate chip cookies!
Just made these and they were AMAZING. Instead of using a vanilla bean, I just put in a little bit extra vanilla extract. I also didn’t have chocolate chips on hand, so I melted a tablespoon of coconut oil and mixed that with 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. I also added just a bit more honey to replace the sweetness from chips. I mixed in the chocolate concoction into the batter so they actually turned into chocolate cookies. I’m not a fan of chocolate cookies, but I loved these! They tasted so real! Definitely making them again soon!
5 stars all the way. I’ve made these twice since going paleo 3 weeks ago. First time I used cashew butter, second time sun butter. I must admit that I much preferred cashew butter but of curse it’s a matter of personal preference.
OMG. There are no other words to describe these cookies.
The first time I made these I forgot to add the eggs hahaha, but they still weren’t bad even though I messed it up…just a little grainy because I used Almond Butter. I just made them again tonight and they are waaaaaaay better. The only thing I found was that you said to pour the mix onto the cookie sheet and my mix was thicker like a regular cookie dough so when I put the mix on the sheet I flattened them out a bit and they turned out great! I should also mention this is the first time I’ve baked anything Paleo.
I used Tahini butter, dark farmer honey and Ghirardelli bittersweet choc. chips. Finally, I used chopped raw pecans to thicken the dough. Tablespoon size drops, cooked 15 minutes. Now craved even by non health conscious work cohorts!
I didn’t have chocolate chips so instead I put some cocoa powder. Turned out absolutely delicious. Great recipe!! (:
Making these with my nephew this weekend! A treat that I can enjoy with the little man, thank YOU so much. You are amazing!
Juli, I wish I had your culinary talent. These are hands down the best paleo cookies, EVER. Instead of sunflower seed butter, I used crunchy almond butter. Insanely delicious. Thank you for your paleo awesomeness yet again!
OMG, fantastic! Thank you!
These are so yummy! They totally satisfy my sweet tooth!