I have to admit something — I am not a fan of following recipes. As a Health Coach, many of my clients request (and expect) recipes… and I often feel stuck in my response. I love preparing food intuitively, and the thought of a recipe seems restrictive. I also realized I have a belief that recipes are inherently ‘hard to follow’ or ‘too much work’…

That being said, I’ve had my fair share of ‘food failures’ due to not following recipes… so, I’ve been keeping track of what works, both from a taste, health and convenience standpoint. I think it’s important to combine intuition with structure…

My recent experimentation has led to my very own invention of the ‘RECI-FREE’! It’s a version of a recipe that allows freedom and creativity. Following a reci-free should feel expansive and simple instead of restrictive and challenging… and in my opinion, it is a form of meditation…

The following reci-free is SO EASY TO MAKE and SO HEALTHY, it’s almost ridiculous. In addition, it is completely free of dairy, sugar and all grains. When I think of the word ‘cookie’ I automatically assume there’s no way to make it ‘healthy’. Even a gluten-free cookie does not necessarily mean it’s healthy. Many people are sensitive to grains, even gluten-free grains.

I’ve been experimenting with grain-free flours in order to create these wonderful treats… without sacrificing flavor and texture… and VOILA! It worked! And, with less than ten ingredients and done from start to finish in 30 minutes.

Enjoy and savor mindfully!

What You’ll Need

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon fine Himalayan pink salt
• 1 cup roasted almond butter
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (liquid)
• ¾ cups honey, raw if possible but must be liquid
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks (I use Hu chocolate)
• 1/3 cup raw walnuts, crumbled (optional)

What You’ll Do

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line
2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand up mixer, mix the almond flour with the baking powder, cardamom and salt at low speed until combined.
3. At medium speed, beat in the almond butter, honey, coconut oil and vanilla until smooth (I just use my hands).
4. Add the chocolate chunks and walnuts and beat until just incorporated.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 15 minutes.
6. Take dough out of the freezer to warm up for a few minutes.
7. Scoop 1/4-cup of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets and flatten into 1/2-inch-thick disks leaving 1½ inches between each cookie.
8. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and firm around the edges.
9. Let cool completely before serving.

Shayna Hiller

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