These may seriously be the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies I've ever had! These Tigernut Flour Cookies have delicious crispy edges with perfect chewy centers. Everything you need from a chocolate chip cookie!
I've mentioned it on many occasions before that we don't actually follow any specific diet restrictions. We try to eat a diet that includes lots of vegetables and is clean about 80% of the time - otherwise we embrace gluten free, vegan, or omnivore recipes alike.
What we really love is variety! And you all know my love for experimenting with gluten free baking from my coconut flour recipes.
What is Tigernut Flour
The tiger nut, also called chufa, is not a nut at all. And they have nothing to do with actual tigers either.
Tiger nuts are actually a tuber (root vegetable) that is grown underground just like potatoes.
After being sun-dried tiger nuts can be enjoyed as a delicious snack all by themselves. They have a delicious naturally sweet flavor. And they also get milled into tiger nut flour for baking. Which is great for those eating grain-free but also can't have tree nuts, like almonds or almond flour.
They have been around for a really, really long time (over 4 thousand years). Tiger nuts are also the main ingredient of Spanish-style horchata (tigernuts blended with water, cinnamon and sugar)
Tiger nuts can be found all over Southern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and also in India. And now they are also making their way into North American markets.
Tigernut Flour Benefits
There are many reasons you should give tigernut flour a try. To give you a better overview of all the benefits, let me just list them in simple point format:
- Tigernut flour is an all natural gluten-free, grain-free and tree nut-free flour alternative
- Allergy friendly: no nuts, no gluten, no lactose
- AIP friendly (autoimmune protocol)
- It is very high in prebiotic fiber (a resistant starch that feeds the friendly gut bacteria and aids digestion)
- Paleo-friendly
- Nutritional minerals: iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, potassium
- Vitamins C, E, and B6
- Natural sweet, nutty flavor
- Can be replaced 1 for 1 for wheat flour in most sweet recipes like cakes, muffins, quick breads,
How to Make Tigernut Flour Cookies
Ingredients
Despite having just said that it can be replaced in equal parts with flour, I still made a few changes from my go-to Clean Eating Chocolate Chip Cookies and Coconut Oil Cookies.
Because of the tigernut flour's natural sweetness, I reduced the usual amount of sugar. And in the next test batch I had to reduce it even more. Otherwise the cookies were just too overwhelmingly sweet.
For the same reason I also used quite a bit less chocolate chips than I usually would. Even when using dark chocolate chips or chunks they add to the overall sweetness of the already sweet tigernut flour cookies.
This also makes the cookies perfect for dunking into a glass of really really cold (dairy-free) milk.
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Method
In terms of method, this is a really easy healthy cookie recipe. You can stir it all together in one bowl with just a wooden spoon.
First combine all of the wet ingredients (sugar, melted butter or coconut oil, egg*, and vanilla extract). And then add the dry ingredients (there are just the tigernut flour, sea salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips).
I am just realizing that this is a super simple 8 ingredient cookie recipe (4 dry, 4 wet). And aside from the tigernut flour you probably have all of them already in your pantry and fridge.
Where to Buy Tigernut Flour
To get your hands on tigernut flour, unless you live near a really well stocked health food store, your best bet is probably ordering it online. >> Tigernut Flour on Amazon
Another great option is Natureul. I've use their Tigernut Kasha (a blend of tigernut flour, ground chia, mesquite powder and more) for the flour in the recipe below and it made amazing cookies. The Crunchy Cacao variety makes yummy chocolate flavored cookies with crunchy texture bites. The Carob and Cinnamon results in cookies with warming spice flavor that is perfect for holiday baking.
Vegan Substitution:
Use a vegan egg alternative like flax egg. The cookies come out a little softer, but still perfectly delicious.
Coconut oil or other vegan butter works well to replace regular butter.
More Tigernut Flour Recipes
Once you have tiger nuts or tigernut flour in the house you are probably looking for other ways to use them
Tigernut Flour Cookies
These may seriously be the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies I've ever had! These Tigernut Flour Cookies have delicious crispy edges with perfect chewy centers. Everything you need from a chocolate chip cookie!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup cane sugar or coconut sugar, muscovado, etc.
- ¼ cup butter melted (or coconut oil)
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-¼ cups tigernut flour *
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips and/or chunks
Instructions
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In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Either by hand or with an electric hand mixer.
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Add tigernut flour, sea salt, baking soda and stir in until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips/chunks and chill the dough in the fridge for about 1 hour.
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Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Once chilled, scoop 12 cookie dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet (about 6 fit on a regular baking sheet). Top with a few more chocolate chips/chunks while slightly flattening the cookie dough balls.
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Bake the chocolate cookies for 12-15 minutes until the edges are just set. Don't overbake them. Leave the cookies one the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Store in an airtight container at room temperature 2-4 days.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*Measuring TIP: Tigernut flour (and any flour) should be loosely spooned into a measuring cup. If you dip the measuring cup into the flour, you are compacting it and end up with much more flour. Which would result in dry cookies that don’t spread.
Karen
I don’t normally double a recipe the first time I make it, but I was glad I doubled this one. I loved the butterscotch-like taste and chewy texture. After four years of baking keto cookies, I’m trying paleo/gluten free flours other than almond and coconut, and find these others like tigernut give a texture more like a “real” wheat flour cookie. It was tricky figuring when it was baked, but I followed your instructions to bake until the edges are set, and that did the trick. Now I need to try other tigernut recipes!
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Karen! 🙂
Tiffany
I love this recipe! I make it for a quick healthy cookie and my family loves them! I want to adapt it a little for my mother in law. Do you have any suggestions for replacing the egg?
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
Hi Tiffany, you should be able to replace the egg with a flax egg, although it may add a slightly different flavour to the cookies. You can make a flax egg by mixing 1 tbsp of flax meal with 2.5 tbsp of water and allowing it to thicken. Once thickened, it will have the consistency of egg white. Let us know if you try the flax egg and how it goes.
Tiffany
Hi Jennifer,
I wasn't able to do the flax egg, because mine went rancid. But I did end up doing a chia egg and loved it! I mixed 1 Tbsp chia seeds with 2 Tbsp water, stirred and let sit for 15 minutes. I also used date sugar in place of the coconut sugar and it was delicious. My mother in law was very happy to have such a yummy treat for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
Oh yes, a chia egg is a great option too! I'm so glad you were able to offer your mother-in-law a tasty dessert for your Thanksgiving! 🙂
Christine
I have been searching for a good cookie recipe since being put on an anti-inflammation diet without much success. I was skeptical when I came across your recipe but the cookies are so delicious, I nearly cried! Thank you for sharing this with everyone…I will be making many of these going forward!
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
Thank you for your lovely comment, Christine! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
C Martin
Hello,
I made the tiger nut flour chocolate chip cookies and they were excellent! Nobody would ever know that they are not made with regular flour and as some else commented: perfectly sweet. This is my new go-to recipe. Thank you!
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for providing your review.
Esperanza
These cookies are so delicious!!! I tripled your recipe and they came out wonderful. Thank you so much! They are perfectly sweet and very delightful!!
Regina | Leelalicious
Wonderful! So great to hear you enjoyed the cookies
Sonia Lunas
Actually, I have all those ingredients - including the tigernut flour. I ran across it the other day and thought, I wonder what I can do with that and now I know!
Emma Padmore
I used 1/8 cup coconut sugar and coconut oil. They're good but too sweet. I'll make without sugar next time. The tiger nut flour and choc chips will make them sweet enough.
Regina | Leelalicious
That is so interesting. I wonder if the sweetness of tigernut flour varies from batch to batch? Or maybe my dark chocolate chips balance it out more. Anyway, glad to hear you are going to try again. Would like to hear if omitting sugar altogether works out better for you