This post about hazelnut flour cookies is sponsored by Honeyville and contains affiliate links.
I’ve been using almond flour in my baked goods for a long time. It’s one of the first “alternative” flours I started experimenting with when I first went gluten-free back in 2012.
I’ve learned that almond flour has a neutral texture and bakes up nicely in cookies, cakes and more. It also nets a moist cookie due to the high fat content, and a smooth texture, especially when you use blanched almond flour (blanched means the hull, or outer shell, is removed before grinding).
But last month, I took an at-home food sensitivity test that revealed I had a moderate sensitivity to almonds. Shoot! I eat almonds all the time – both almond flour in baked goods and chocolate covered almonds for snacking. Let’s just say I was totally bummed to learn that almonds might be contributing to the dull tummy ache I was experiencing daily. I took almonds out of my diet and I feel better, so I decided, for now, I’m going to avoid eating almonds.
However, it’s not so easy when you’re a food blogger and one of your partner brands is Honeyville – the makers of the almond flour I love and use all of the time.
In good faith, I could not create recipes I couldn’t taste, so I asked my partner at Honeyville if I could try one of their other nut flours instead. He agreed without hesitation and allowed me to choose a flour to try.
I finally settled in on hazelnut flour – a flour I know NOTHING about. I figured it would be similar to almond flour – after all – they’re both nut flours, but I was wrong.
I tried to swap the almond flour with hazelnut flour in my awesome Almond Flour Cookies recipe; however, the hazelnut flour cookies were way too moist and greasy feeling, they spread really thin, and they totally fell apart (flaked) when you tried to pick one up. Fail.
Here’s what the hazelnut flour cookies looked like when I was done with them (yep, that’s my trash can)!
- I cut back on the fat (butter) and added more flour to decrease the moisture content.
- I swapped white sugar for brown sugar to see if I could deter the cookies from spreading.
- I included a new ingredient, ground flaxseeds (flaxseed meal), to help soak up any excess moisture from the high-fat hazelnut flour.
The recipe worked this go-round and I netted a wonderfully moist, rich and slightly chewy, slightly crunchy gluten-free and grain-free hazelnut flour cookie. I loved them! And they look so pretty too – like a perfectly round, soft-baked cookie should look!
The cookies ended up being a big hit at my house too. I saw my husband enjoy a few yesterday and then again this morning.
If you make these hazelnut flour cookies, I recommend enjoying them in moderation as they are made from a high-calorie flour (and contain sugar too). Chances are you’ll be full after eating one cookie… like many desserts made with nut flours, these cookies are filling and leave you feeling full and satisfied.
I want to encourage you, too, to get out of your comfort zone and try a new flour. I was pleasantly surprised at how neutral the hazelnut flour tasted, and how beautiful my cookies turned out. Sure, it took some effort and a few rounds of baking, but it finally worked and I’m so happy it did because now I have my first hazelnut flour recipe and am determined to create more!
If you’re interested in experimenting with hazelnut flour, you can purchase it on the Honeyville website for $27.99 for a 2.5 lb bag. As I understand it, hazelnut flour works well in pie crusts and cakes, so I think I might have to experiment in the pie crust making world next!
You can find this hazelnut flour recipe published on the Honeyville website too.
Recipe for Hazelnut Flour Cookies
Hazelnut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
November 2, 2017
Hazelnut flour offers a rich, moist, nutritious, and totally grain-free (paleo) alternative to regular gluten-free flour blends that often contain rice flours. Hazelnut flour is made from ground hazelnuts, which are high-fat, high-calorie tree nuts that offer up many nutritional benefits including high levels of important polyphenols and antioxidants.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
-
10 mins
10 mins
20 mins
- Yields: 15 cookies
Directions
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking liner
In your standing mixer, cream together butter and sugar for about 30 seconds until well blended.
Add egg and vanilla and mix well on medium speed until combined.
In a small bowl, blend together flour, flaxseed meal, baking soda and salt.
Slowly add dry flour mixture into wet mixture until evenly mixed.
Fold in chocolate chips by hand.
Scoop small handful of the dough and roll with your hands into approximately 15 2-inch dough balls. Set each ball on baking sheet about 2 inches apart as the cookies will slightly spread.
Once all the dough balls are on the baking sheet, press gently on each to slightly flatten them.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until dough is set and edges are lightly browned.
Remove from oven and cool before serving.
Don't omit the ground flaxseeds! The cookies are very moist due to the high fat content of the hazelnut flour. I had to experiment a lot to get these just right. The flax will aid in soaking up the excess moisture and is essential to holding the cookies together.
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