This post is also available in: Suomi (Finnish)
Ho ho ho! Are you guys in a total holiday spirit already? Here things are still pretty low-key. After learning from last year’s disaster experience, I got a small pretty christmas tree in a pot instead of a huge one (also, the two ornaments that we have look way better now). And instead of playing christmas classics non-stop, I’ve found myself listening to Spotify’s Hip Hop Christmas playlist. And it seems to do the trick while I work!
But speaking of classics, there’s no Christmas without chocolate. Or cookies. So it’s only logical to introduce these double chocolate and orange cookies. I made these earlier this autumn for the christmas issue in Ilta-Sanomat but I had to share these here too, since…cookies. Before I hop over to the recipe, I need to warn you: these guys are addictive. So addictive, that I thought I should keep a break from making these since they always disappear so fast that it’s like they never existed. Cookie magic? Maybe.
These cookies are gluten-free (as always), vegan, and super chewy. I prefer a moist, dough-like cookie to a crispy one so that’s what I’m serving you. I added some orange zest and a bit of orange juice to these too to bring in some extra flavor and those cozy winter vibes. And if you wanna go all out and serve these with homemade hot chocolate (like I did), you’re pretty much set for a trip to a chocolate-flavored heaven.
Level of addiction: major.
Level of happiness: even bigger.
Sending you light and love and I hope you enjoy the recipe! ♡
Double Chocolate and Orange Cookies (GF + V)
notes: oat and almond flour are my favorites in gluten-free baked goods, but you can try these with buckwheat or rice flour too.
makes 10 to 12 cookies
3 ripe bananas
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cacao powder)
zest of one small organic orange
2 tbsp orange juice
Chocolate frosting:
1/3 cup raw cacao butter
1-2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
3 tbsp raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cacao powder)
OR
about 100 g dark chocolate
+ raw cacao nibs / shaved chocolate for decorating
METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F degrees. Slice the bananas, place in a small bowl, and mash with a fork or a hand mixer. Mix in the melted coconut oil. Set aside for a moment.
2. In a large bowl, measure the flour, coconut sugar, vanilla powder, baking powder, salt, and raw cacao powder and mix well. Add the orange zest and juice. Pour the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until a firm dough forms.
3. With the help of a spoon, roll the cookie dough into 10 to 12 balls and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Press down the middle of each cookie ball slightly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly browned. Let cool and prepare the chocolate frosting in the meantime.
4. Melt the raw cacao butter in a warm water bath or in a small saucepan on low heat. Add maple syrup and cacao powder and whisk into a smooth sauce. One by one, dip the cookies into the chocolate sauce, place on plate covered with parchment paper and let the frosting set either in room temperature or in the fridge. Once the frosting has set, serve and enjoy!
These cookies look so delicious, I’m a big fan of chewy and/or cakey cookies (leave the crispy ones for others! ha!). :-)
Just one question: when you say 1/3 cup of cacao butter, is it grated, chopped or melted?
Thanks!
xo
Yess I’m with you on the chewy ones! Don’t even think about giving me a crispy one :D And I mean grated cacao butter, thanks for bringing it up! I hope you enjoy the cookies <3
Mitä on raw cacao butter ja mistä sitä saa? :D
Kaakaovoita! Saa ainakin terveyskaupoista, nykyään myös joistakin ruokakaupoista! Se toimii hyvin kotitekoisen suklaan ja myös vaikkapa raakakakkujen valmistuksessa :)
Just finished making these! First off, they are delicious. I do have a few notes though.
1. I used all oat flour and it worked great! I will say I did not have a firm dough though. It looked like a batter for banana bread so I put them into a muffin tin and baked that way for 25 minutes and they turned out just fine :)
2. While these are great I wouldn’t say that they’re cookies exactly if that’s what you’re expecting. This might be due to me not using almond flour though which may have given it a more cookie like texture. Like I said earlier they remind me more of banana muffins. However the addition of Orange is delicious and they have just the right amount of sweetness. Definitely give these a try! They won’t disappoint.
I’m so happy you tried these! And yes, the almond flour brings a bit more of a cookie-like texture as it’s a pretty ‘dry’ flour. But making these into muffins is a great idea too! Thanks for sharing your experience :)
Oh these look so yummy! Wow! I will definitely be making these this week, I LOVE the combination of orange and dark chocolate; it’s not very common but it’s incredibly delicious. Thank you for giving us all some suggestions for healthy holiday treats to make this time of year! Who needs wheat, milk, and cane sugar?! These are even better! Keep up the good work! :) XOXO
Orange and dark chocolate go so well together, I hope you like these! And thanks for your sweet comment! <3
Hey :) I made your double chocolate and orange cookies this week and they were so absolutely delicious ….mmmmh =D
I didn’t change anything at all and they turned out amazingly good! I think next time I’ll put them in the fridge before frosting them, as the frosting kept running off but that didn’t change anything about them being lovely ;)
Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Yay! I’m so happy to heat you enjoyed the recipe! Have a lovely New Year <3
Since bananas come in different sizes, can you tell me by weight or measuring cups how much banana to use in this recipe?
I happen to have some ripe bananas and will be trying this recipe next. Thanks!
I forgot to add that your hot chocolate looks really yummy in these photos too! Do you have a recipe for it? Thanks!