MAKES 18 COOKIES
Ingredients
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• ¼ cup finely chopped prunes or dates
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 cups (480 ml) almond flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cups palm sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
• ½ cup cacao nibs
Preparation
1. Bring water and prunes to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce to a simmer and cook until prunes are tender and most of the water has evaporated (about 20 minutes). Using a rubber spatula, press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl to make a date purée. Scrape any prunes left in strainer into the purée (you should have ¼ cup of purée).
2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325°F (165°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt coconut oil in microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle beat prune purée, coconut oil, and palm sugar on medium speed until blended. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture until just incorporated. Give batter a final stir by hand, and then stir in all but two tablespoons of the cacao nibs.
4. Working with two tablespoons at a time, roll dough into balls and press with fingers to create a cookie shape one-quarter-inch thick. Space cookies, torn side up, about two inches apart on prepared baking sheets (9 cookies per sheet). Press remaining two tablespoons of cacoa nibs evenly into tops of cookies.
5. Bake cookies, one tray at a time, until edges are light golden brown and centers are soft and puffy (8 to 10 minutes) or until lightly browned, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to wire rack and cool completely
More Recipes You'll Love
Chocolate chip cookies get a paleo makeover here: a quick prune puree replaces the usual extras and cacao nibs stand in for chips, tucked into a soft almond flour dough. The result is chewy, faintly caramel, and studded with chocolatey crunch. Best warm, honestly.
Pro Tips
- Simmer the prunes until most of the water evaporates, then press them through a fine-mesh strainer. That puree is the moisture and caramel note of the cookie.
- Press the dough with your fingers to a quarter-inch thickness and bake them torn side up. The rough surface gives the right chewy edge.
- Reserve two tablespoons of the cacao nibs for pressing into the tops. They look like classic chocolate chips and add crunch.
- Bake one tray at a time at 325 F for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are light golden and the centers are still puffy.
- Cool on the sheet 10 minutes before moving. The cookies set during that rest and stay soft for days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the prune puree do in these cookies?
It replaces added fats and binders with fruit, giving the dough moisture, a gentle caramel sweetness, and a chewy texture.
Can I use dates instead of prunes?
Yes. Simmer and strain them the same way. Dates make the cookies a touch sweeter and stickier.
Why cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips?
Nibs keep the cookies grain-free and unsweetened, letting the prune puree and palm sugar carry the sweetness. If you use chips, choose a bittersweet non-dairy kind.
Are these chocolate chip cookies paleo?
Yes. Almond flour, prune puree, coconut oil, palm sugar, eggs, and cacao nibs, with no grains, dairy, or refined sugar.
Recipe Card
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup finely chopped prunes or dates
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1¼ cups palm sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup cacao nibs
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