Thin and crispy almond chocolate chunk cookies… these buttery treats are delicious! They’re a little twist on a traditional chocolate chip cookie, with crunchy almond goodness.
Have you ever noticed that some of the best recipes come out of happy accidents?
I got a few bars of my favorite smooth dark 70% chocolate at the store the other day and you might imagine my surprise when I got home and saw that two of the bars were 70% chocolate with almonds!
So we had no choice (such a shame!) but to try the chocolate. I’m happy to say it was great, as ever. The almonds were toasted and crunchy and overall the bar was a bit saltier than the plain bars. We prefer snacking on chocolate bars without nuts, so the recipe-idea wheels started turning in my head.
Since the almonds were crunchy, I didn’t want to make big soft chocolate chip cookies, like those that usually include softer nuts like pecans or walnuts.
By the way, did you know that cacao is not just an amazingly tasty food, but it is also excellent for health? Ancient cultures, like the Olmecs and Maya who lived in tropical regions where cacao grows best, drank cacao as a superfood energy drink. Even its Latin name, Theobroma Cacao means “Food of the Gods” because cacao was considered nearly mystical due to its profoundly positive effect on the mind and body.
Cacao’s constituents, that include a high percentage of iron, theobromine, magnesium and phosphorous, plus tons of antioxidants, do wonders for the physical body. But these nutrients also work together synergistically to improve concentration, elevate moods and energize the entire body’s functioning. So much so, that cacao was revered in ceremony during ancient times, in thanks to the powers-that-be for its amazing benefits.
Am I making a good enough case for eating chocolate? Of course, in ancient times, cacao was taken in liquid form with minimal processing and was bitter, rather than the sugar-enhanced chocolate products we enjoy today…
But still… there are health benefits to be gained from good quality chocolate nowadays, as long as it is not over-processed and does not contain synthetic flavorings, colors and tons of sugar. I could go on and on about the virtues of cacao and chocolate, but back to these almond chocolate chunk cookies…
Let’s Make Some Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies
The happy result was these little crispy almond chocolate chunk cookies that perfectly complement the crunchy salty almonds in the chocolate. They are almost like a butter cookie, plus melty chocolate, but not quite. I made little cookies instead of huge ones; each cookie is about two bites worth.
Crunchy, buttery with yummy chocolate chunks and those almonds… we ended up loving these little cookies!
One of my fondest childhood memories is of my mother making chocolate chip cookies. My sisters and I would always want to watch my mom baking.
Anyway, on these baking occasions, we were allowed to perch on the high kitchen counter and watch my mom baking.
When it came to adding in the vanilla, Mom would pass the vanilla bottle under each of our noses so we could get a deep whiff of the amazing vanilla aroma. (My mom claims that I insisted on tasting it once, although she warned me that I would not like vanilla extract straight from the bottle… I, of course, do not remember this moment 😀 )
This recipe is inspired by the original Toll House Cookie recipe, which was and still is one of my favorites… although they are flatter and crunchier cookies than seems to be the current norm. Most recipe sites these days tout the “softness and chewiness” of a chocolate chip cookie… which I also adore. Either way, chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, crispy or chewy, chocolate chip/chunk cookies are the best in sweet comfort food… in my book anyway!
If you want to go the soft and chewy route, this recipe can be adjusted with a bit more flour and a bit less cooking time to accomplish that effect. (Details included in recipe notes below)
Because they are almost bite-sized, these little almond chocolate chunk cookies would look wonderful on a holiday buffet table tray or on a tea table tray.
Are you one of those people who like frozen chocolate chip cookies? I’m not, really, but my mom loves them that way and I know lots of folks who like frozen cookies and frozen chocolate bars… what do you think?
For those who like them, these almond chocolate chunk cookies would also freeze well… although cookies don’t usually last long enough in our home to make it to the freezer… ?
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Crispy Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 2¼ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups high quality bar chocolate with almonds, cut into chunks
- ⅔ cup cup finely chopped toasted salted almonds
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients (except for chocolate chunks), set aside
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs
- Add dry ingredients, ½ cup at a time, incorporating thoroughly
- Add almond chocolate chunks and chopped almonds
- Drop cookie dough in very small (approx 1½ inch rounds on cookie sheets
- Bake at 375°F for between 8-11 minutes or until edges are browned
- Remove from oven and let cool before removing from cookie sheet or place carefully on flat rack to cool¾