Grain-Free Brown Sugar Maple Pecan Cookies
Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free option
As the leaves fall and the weather cools, a sweet, maple laced treat is sure to hit the spot. Bonus: baking these cookies will make your home smell like a warm, brown sugar candle, but they're even better because you also get to eat them!
Made with maple syrup and pecan butter these little delights don't need any eggs to make them the perfect chewy texture. Store them in an airtight container and they stay soft and chewy for days after you make them. You can make them ahead of time or whenever fits into your busy schedule and you can eat them all week long.
But don’t worry, even without wheat flour or eggs, these cookies have a perfectly delightful texture. You’ll want to eat them all day long. And who could blame you? They have the perfect blend of flavors with maple, pecan, almond, and vanilla. Plus, you can top them off with your favorite chocolate! What could be better?
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 12 Minutes
Total Time: 22 Minutes
Yield: 18 cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Otto’s Naturals - Cassava Flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ cup pecan butter (or sunflower butter for nut-free)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. melted non-hydrogenated palm shortening
- 1 tsp. almond extract (for nut-free sub 2 tsp. vanilla)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For rolling:
- 2 parts white sugar
- 1 part cinnamon
- (Measure with your heart)
For decoration:
- About 18 chocolate chunks (1 per cookie)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line parchment paper or Silpat on cookie sheets.
- In a large bowl add the dry ingredients together and mix well.
- In a separate medium sized bowl mix the wet ingredients together until well blended.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Blend well.
- Roll into 1 Tbsp. sized balls and coat in the cinnamon sugar mix.
- Note: If the dough is too soft to roll into balls, place into the refrigerator for a few minutes. They do not need to hold their shape once placed onto the cookie sheet.
- Place on a cookie sheet about 2" apart.
- Gently press one chocolate chunk into the center of each ball.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are cooled store them in an airtight container. They will stay soft and chewy for days!
Make your own Pecan Butter + Nut-Free Option
The pecan butter in this recipe is part of what gives it such a delicious texture. If you don’t have any pecan butter on hand you can easily make your own with just one ingredient--we bet you can guess what it is. Raw pecans without any added salt work great.
- Toast pecans by tossing them in a pan over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Be sure and stir often so they don’t burn.
- Pour (cooled) pecans in a blender or food processor. Blend the pecans on high for anywhere from 5-20 minutes, until you get a creamy, “buttery” texture. Be sure to scrape down the sides as you go.
Two cups of pecans will make about one cup of pecan butter. Toasting the pecans before blending them brings out their delicious, nutty flavor.
We'll be testing out other nut butters as time permits but if you need nut-free, Sunflower butter will work for you! Though be warned, Sunbutter has a tendency to turn green when baking soda or baking powder are present too! If you try other nut butters, please let us know how it goes in the comments below! Enjoy!
More Fall-Flavored Desserts
Do you need an entire menu that will give people fall feelings? Try our delicious grain-free pumpkin bread recipe or check out our fall recipe roundup for both sweet and savory recipes that have strong autumn vibes.
Are Pecans Good for You?
You shouldn’t need an excuse to enjoy a cookie now and again, but in case you’re looking for an excuse, here are some benefits of eating pecans. Pecans are a good source of manganese and copper, minerals that boost metabolic health. They contain dietary fiber, which is good for digestion.
Pecans are certified as a “Heart-Healthy Food” by the American Heart Association. And eating a handful of pecans may even lower cholesterol levels. You pe-can eat them every day!
All the more reason to eat a spoonful of pecan butter while you’re making the cookies!
