FUDGY CHOCOLATE DELIGHTS
/Aka grain-free AVOCADO CACAO PROTEIN cookies!
These keto & paleo-friendly fudgy chocolate cookies are amazingly good AND good for you. They contain no grains or refined sugar and are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, fibre, healthy fats, and protein. All that plus they are super quick and easy to prepare!
I have been making chocolate avocado pudding for years and figured it was time to try a baked version — with added protein and natural adaptogens (optional), of course! This recipe has now been tasted-tested numerous times and is always a hit. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Amazing Avocado
Avocado is a relatively unique fruit in that it is low in carbohydrate (most of which is fibre!) but high in healthy monounsaturated fat.
Avocados are incredibly nutritious and contain powerful disease-fighting antioxidants like lutein & zeaxanthin along with a wide range of vitamins & minerals, including vit K, folate, and potassium. Research suggests that avocado consumption may help to lower cholesterol levels; relieve arthritis symptoms; promote eye health, healthy blood pressure & weight control; and even reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Along with these amazing health benefits, avocado has a lovely creamy texture and mild taste that seems to go with just about anything! Search “avocado” on this site to find other healthy and delicious recipes.
Crazy for Cacao
Cacao is the purest form of chocolate we can consume. It is free of all the unhealthy sugar and other additives found in most processed chocolate. And it is a nutritional powerhouse!
Raw cacao is unbelievably rich in antioxidants and minerals including iron and magnesium. As a bonus, the vitamin C from the orange helps our bodies absorb that plant-based iron. Furthermore, cacao is a great source of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, making it a natural mood enhancer.
Fudgy Chocolate Delights Recipe
Ingredients for 8-10 cookies:
This vegan batch was made with flax egg and Nuzest Clean Lean Smooth Vanilla protein.
1 medium to large avocado, peeled and pitted
1 pasture-raised egg or flax egg (see note below*)
3/4 cup drippy almond butter
2 Tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Giddy Yo raw cacao powder
1/3 cup Lakanto Golden sugar-free monk fruit sweetener (non-keto can substitute organic coconut sugar)
1/4 cup Nuzest Clean Lean Rich Chocolate (or Smooth Vanilla or Just Natural) protein powder
2 Tbsp almond flour
2 tsp Plant Burst or Organika maca powder (optional)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
*Notes: For a flax egg, mix 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal with 2 1/2 Tbsp warm water. Allow mixture to sit for approximately 10 minutes until it has a gloopy egg-like consistency.
I like this one-egg version. However, for softer, almost pillowy, muffin-top-like cookies (preferred by some of my taste-testers), try using 2 eggs. The cooking time will be slightly longer.
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Put avocado, egg/vegan egg, almond butter, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Blend well with a hand mixer. Note: if your almond butter is dry, you may need to add an extra Tbsp of oil.
In a small bowl, mix together cacao, protein powder, almond flour, maca (if using), baking soda, and salt. Add to avocado mixture and blend until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom as needed. Batter will be thick.
Drop large spoonfuls of cookie dough onto your baking sheet and flatten slightly with a fork.
Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes or until top has set. The key with these cookies is to slightly under cook them so they get that nice crispy outside and soft, fudgy inside.
Remove from oven, cool a few minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
We usually devour these in less than 24 hours, but Fudgy Chocolate Delights can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge one week or frozen for up to 2 months.
Fudgy Chocolate Delights made with Nuzest Clean Lean Rich Chocolate protein.
These cookies were originally published Oct 10, 2017. Updated November 2018 and February 2020.