Spiced Cacao and Sesame Cookies with Ayurvedic Chocolate Topping
Truth be told— I must have played with this recipe at least 5 times…
My first version using almond meal worked best, however, I really wanted to create a nut-free / grain-free version — this I found much harder! So, after playing with green banana flour for a couple of recipes, I finally switched to Tiger Nut flour— which tasted much better! (Pssst: what’s your favorite grain-free / nut-free flour?)
Below you’ll find my first recipe— along with NF alternatives and some suggestions too! Most important here is fat and sweetener— and of course great cacao! But you, do you.
Side note: These taste delicious raw too— just skip the arrowroot and baking soda —and sub 1 cup of sesame seeds / shredded coconut or GF oats instead of almond meal if you’re NF.
1 cup raw cacao powder
1 cup almond meal (NF sub: 1 cup tiger nut flour or 50/50 cassava flour + coconut flour)
3 tbsp arrowroot
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup soaked medjool dates (sub: 1/2 cup maple / raw honey)
1/3 cup black sesame seeds
1/2 cup ghee (sub: coconut oil)
1/3 cup cacao nibs (optional crunch)
1/3 cup tahini (more fat the better!)
1 tsp cinnamon + ginger
1/2 tsp cardamon
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 tbsp culinary rose petals (optional, but lovely!)
Large pinch of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
1/4 cup chai tea or Rasa (sub: h2o)
Pre-heat oven to 350F
Blend all dry ingredients together in a food processor
Add in wet ingredients— including soaked dates. If you’re struggling to get everything blended together— add in a dash of boiling water as needed.
Line a sheet pan with baking paper or grease with coconut oil — and using a cookie scooper (I used a 1.5 tbsp size one) or a spoon (or your fingers!), scoop out cookie size balls and flatten down using the back of a spoon — should make about 12-16…
Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
**if you’re making these raw —just add the chocolate topping below— and set in the freezer for 20ish minutes. Store the cookies in the fridge between eating! ;-)
Chocolate Topping (optional— but YUM!!)
For this I used Elements Truffles Raspberry and Beet Chocolate bar**— and needless to say, it was delicious. Perfectly balanced and not too sweet. If you can’t get your hands on one of these— try go for a chocolate bar that has less sugar (or no sugar!) and ideally sweetened with coconut sugar, raw honey or maple (Try Thrive Market or Eating Evolved) — then if you want the ‘beet’ and ‘Raspberry’ — add in 1/2 tsp beet powder and 1/4 cup freeze-dried raspberries (plus more for decoration on top!)
Melt down one bar using either a double boiler method— or in a pan on very low heat— it will burn real easy— so don’t leave it alone! Stir it until it’s a perfect consistency (if you happen to have cacao butter at home (?!)— add in a small piece or two to make the topping go further.
Drizzle all over the top (you’re not having fun unless you’re making a mess!). Sprinkle some rose petals or freeze-dried raspberries on top, and any chocolate pieces you didn’t eat.
Set in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.
Viola xo
**use code EARTHLOVE15 for 15% off any order of Elements Truffles!
PS. Want to make your own raw chocolate? I got you.