Chris Pratt Presents the Best Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
Hey, Chris!
Sorry if this is awkward, but you look super handsome.
You're welcome! So I have some good news and some bad news. Want the good news first?
We're about to share a recipe for cookies.
Dude, mine, too. But here's the bad news. For the next few months, I have to give up dairy. Which means... no butter.
I know. Your empathy is touching. But put down the bottle because there's more good news! I came up with a cookie recipe that's dairy-free! Not only that, it's gluten-free, AND the cookies are seriously delicious. Like, not "delicious for cookies made of dust" but actually good cookies!
I know! So you try to be be healthy, right?
No no, Chris. Hey, CHRIS! I didn't mean you needed to start lifting right now. CHRIS! Take it down a notch, dude; it's distracting.
WE'RE TRYING! But you need to do your part to help us out, so rein that mess in, man! Okay, do something stupid so we can get back to the cookies.
Not what I had in mind.
Okay, so here's the deal. A lot of people want to get healthy this time of year, and others have to give up all the good stuff for health reasons. It's a terrible thing, but we're trying to make it better. There are two problems. One, most alternative desserts taste like mulch and hatred. Two, folks get really freaked out by recipes that don't have gluten or dairy because the ingredients are new and confusing.
My point exactly. And that's just with regular milk! But I've come up with a recipe that uses ingredients you can buy at Target and comes together just like any other cookie would. And again, they're delicious.
So here's the first thing we need to do. We need to talk about the ingredients that might be a little different for people.
No need to be nervous. I promise.
Here's what you need: coconut oil (perfectly common these days and our butter substitute), coconut flour, brown rice flour, and white rice flour. If you're already gluten-free, you probably have these in your pantry anyway. If you're not, you can buy small bags at Target or buy exactly what you need from the bulk bin at Whole Foods or something just to try it out. Good idea, right?
You're so sweet. And extremely hot. Also you seem really sensitive under all that funny.
Sorry, I lost my head there for a second. Okay, here's why I use those three flours and not a gluten-free mix. Gluten-free flour is inherently gritty, so it's hard to get around that completely, even in this recipe. But if you want chewy cookies with crispy edges, you need flours that can make those things happen, and I don't trust the general mix to do exactly what I need. Coconut flour gives the dough its bulk. White rice flour creates the lightness that crisps up. Brown rice flour does a little bit of both. And the grit is minimal. Barely there.
So shall we reveal the cookie?
I mean... I don't think we need to make it that dramatic, but... okay sure, if you're reading the moment like that, go for it.
It looks like a real cookie! Because it is a real cookie! Isn't this the best?!
So we'll leave the actual recipe below for people to try at home. I really think they'll love it, don't you?
Alright, Chris, thanks for helping me share these cookies with my friends. You're the best.
No, YOU are.
GF/DF Chocolate Chip Cookies That Taste Like Actual Cookies
1 cup coconut oil (not melted)
1 cup coconut sugar (I use coconut sugar when I want something to be a little healthier, but you can light brown sugar for sure.)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (Don't substitute this; we need the sugar for structure and tenderness. Like Chris.)
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt (I think the salt contrast is really important here, but if you loathe salt in your desserts, drop it to 1 tsp. But also don't.)
2 cups chocolate chips (check the ingredients to make sure they don't contain dairy)
Use a mixer to cream together the coconut oil and sugars on medium-high speed. The mixture will get fluffier and start to stick to the sides of the bowl; this takes 3-4 minutes.
While that's mixing, crack your eggs and the yolk into a small bowl along with the vanilla. I like to crack my eggs into something else so I don't accidentally drop shell into the batter. Now add the eggs one at a time on low speed. Once the egg yolk breaks, raise the speed to medium. Once you don't see anymore yellow, drop the speed and add another egg. This is super important in building cookie structure. Since we're losing gluten - the basic building block of all baked goods - we have to compensate with mixing the eggs this way.
Measure the dry ingredients on to a piece of wax or parchment paper, and gently whisk it together on the paper. Then add all the dry ingredients into the dough and mix it on low until it's about halfway incorporated. Now add the chocolate chips and continue slowly mixing until you no longer see flour.
Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to scoop out all the dough into tablespoon-sized balls on to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You're not baking them like this, so feel free to make them cozy with each other, like me and Chris I mean what what's happening never mind YOU'RE obsessed. Chill the dough balls in the fridge for about half an hour or put them directly in the freezer to firm up. This is important if you want the cookies to look their best.
When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375. Once it's ready, bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes. The edges will be golden, and the top should look done. They'll continue to set up as they cool.
I always bake a few cookies and then freeze the rest of the dough balls in a gallon freezer bag. That way you can have cookies whenever you want. And for these, it's important to bake them as you need them. Gluten-free stuff especially doesn't have the longest shelf life before the texture starts to hate you. So eat these the day you bake them for the best results.
Bye, Chris.
