Girl Scout Cookies: Healthy Alternatives! If you're anything like me then you're a sucker for girl scout cookies but they don't exactly fit into your healthy eating plan. That's why I taste and bake tested these gluten, dairy, sugar and soy free recipes just for you. Now you can enjoy healthy alternatives to your favorite Girl Scout cookies; Thin Mints, Tagalongs and Somoas. Enjoy! |
Samoas
Prep Time: 45 minutes (plus 15 minutes for chilling)
Servings: 12 large cookies (or 24 small cookies)
For the cookie:
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup honey or coconut nectar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 egg
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
For the caramel:
1 cup coconut crystals (aka, coconut sugar or palm sugar)
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
Optional: 1/4 cup coconut butter or coconut oil or ghee (adds richness to the caramel, but is just as good without it)
For the tops:
1/2 cup toasted, unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
1/3 dark chocolate bar or chips (over 85% or Enjoy Life brand, can mix types)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry cookie ingredients.
3. Add wet ingredients to the dry and blend well with a hand mixer. Cover and refrigerate dough 15 minutes.
4. Scoop cookie dough by the tablespoonful onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool cookies on a wire rack.
5. In a medium saucepan combine the caramel ingredients. Heat over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil until it reaches 250°F (about 20 minutes; use a thermometer). Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
6. To make the toppings, toast shredded coconut by placing it in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to toast evenly.
7. Place chocolate in a double boiler and stir until almost melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted and smooth.
8. To assemble cookies, place a small spoonful of caramel on top of each cookie, then sprinkle with toasted coconut. Let cool.
9. Dip bottoms of each cookie into melted chocolate. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet to set.
10. Once cooled, drizzle tops with chocolate. Let cookies sit for about one hour. Store in an airtight container for up to five days or freeze for up to three months.
Tagalongs
Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus three hours to chill)
Servings: 24 cookies
For the cookies:
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/3 cup coconut nectar
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Chocolate coating:
1 cup dark chocolate bar or chips (over 85% or Enjoy Life brand, can mix types)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Filling:
Organic creamy sunbutter or peanut butter
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, blend dry ingredients.
2. Add wet ingredients, except for the coconut oil, and blend with a hand mixer. With mixer on low, slowly add coconut oil to the bowl and mix well.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and roll into a log. Freeze for three hours or overnight.
4. Slice dough into quarter-inch rounds. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 13-15 minutes or until center is firm to the touch and edges are golden brown. Cool cookies completely on wire racks.
5. For the chocolate coating, melt chocolate and shortening in a saucepan, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
6. Place cooled cookies back on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
7. Spread one teaspoon of sunbutter on each cookie. Spoon the melted chocolate over the top and sides or dip into chocolate. Repeat for all cookies.
8. Tap/shake baking sheet on the counter to help smooth the chocolate.
9. Freeze until chocolate sets, about one hour. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freeze for up to three months.
Thin Mints
Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 15 minutes for chilling)
Servings: 12 large cookies (or 24 small cookies)
For the cookies:
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup cacao powder (can also use chocolate rice protein powder)
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/8 cup walnut oil (olive oil also works)
Chocolate Coating:
1 cup dark chocolate bar or chips (over 85% or Enjoy Life brand, can mix types)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Take all the ingredients for your cookies and mix them together.
3. Form into a dough. Take dough form in a ball and place on parchment paper. Roll out your dough into a thin flat sheet.
4. Using a cookie cutter (or a small cup) cut out as many cookies as you can.
5. Place on parchment paper and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.
6. Allow cookies to cool.
7. Once cookies have cooled, take chocolate melt in a saucepan. Add extract, mix.
8. Dip cookies into chocolate and place on wax paper. Once all coated, place in refrigerator until chocolate has harden.
9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freeze for up to three months
Adapted from: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/paleo-girl-scout-cookies#ixzz3QRJybNeR
Prep Time: 45 minutes (plus 15 minutes for chilling)
Servings: 12 large cookies (or 24 small cookies)
For the cookie:
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup honey or coconut nectar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 egg
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
For the caramel:
1 cup coconut crystals (aka, coconut sugar or palm sugar)
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
Optional: 1/4 cup coconut butter or coconut oil or ghee (adds richness to the caramel, but is just as good without it)
For the tops:
1/2 cup toasted, unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
1/3 dark chocolate bar or chips (over 85% or Enjoy Life brand, can mix types)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry cookie ingredients.
3. Add wet ingredients to the dry and blend well with a hand mixer. Cover and refrigerate dough 15 minutes.
4. Scoop cookie dough by the tablespoonful onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool cookies on a wire rack.
5. In a medium saucepan combine the caramel ingredients. Heat over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil until it reaches 250°F (about 20 minutes; use a thermometer). Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
6. To make the toppings, toast shredded coconut by placing it in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to toast evenly.
7. Place chocolate in a double boiler and stir until almost melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted and smooth.
8. To assemble cookies, place a small spoonful of caramel on top of each cookie, then sprinkle with toasted coconut. Let cool.
9. Dip bottoms of each cookie into melted chocolate. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet to set.
10. Once cooled, drizzle tops with chocolate. Let cookies sit for about one hour. Store in an airtight container for up to five days or freeze for up to three months.
Tagalongs
Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus three hours to chill)
Servings: 24 cookies
For the cookies:
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/3 cup coconut nectar
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Chocolate coating:
1 cup dark chocolate bar or chips (over 85% or Enjoy Life brand, can mix types)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Filling:
Organic creamy sunbutter or peanut butter
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, blend dry ingredients.
2. Add wet ingredients, except for the coconut oil, and blend with a hand mixer. With mixer on low, slowly add coconut oil to the bowl and mix well.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and roll into a log. Freeze for three hours or overnight.
4. Slice dough into quarter-inch rounds. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 13-15 minutes or until center is firm to the touch and edges are golden brown. Cool cookies completely on wire racks.
5. For the chocolate coating, melt chocolate and shortening in a saucepan, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
6. Place cooled cookies back on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
7. Spread one teaspoon of sunbutter on each cookie. Spoon the melted chocolate over the top and sides or dip into chocolate. Repeat for all cookies.
8. Tap/shake baking sheet on the counter to help smooth the chocolate.
9. Freeze until chocolate sets, about one hour. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freeze for up to three months.
Thin Mints
Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 15 minutes for chilling)
Servings: 12 large cookies (or 24 small cookies)
For the cookies:
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup cacao powder (can also use chocolate rice protein powder)
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/8 cup walnut oil (olive oil also works)
Chocolate Coating:
1 cup dark chocolate bar or chips (over 85% or Enjoy Life brand, can mix types)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Take all the ingredients for your cookies and mix them together.
3. Form into a dough. Take dough form in a ball and place on parchment paper. Roll out your dough into a thin flat sheet.
4. Using a cookie cutter (or a small cup) cut out as many cookies as you can.
5. Place on parchment paper and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.
6. Allow cookies to cool.
7. Once cookies have cooled, take chocolate melt in a saucepan. Add extract, mix.
8. Dip cookies into chocolate and place on wax paper. Once all coated, place in refrigerator until chocolate has harden.
9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freeze for up to three months
Adapted from: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/paleo-girl-scout-cookies#ixzz3QRJybNeR