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Ladies, this treat is for you.
Because I know that some afternoons just require a little sweet treat to perk things up. (And afternoon coffee needs a partner, right? ;) )
On one such afternoon when I was brewing up a pot of French press, I decided to take a peek into my pantry to see what I could nibble on along with my coffee. As soon as I opened the door, the overwhelming smell of my favorite caramel extract wafted out. Sadly, it had spilled (no idea how that happened!) but at least it made the entire pantry smell like heaven. And don’t worry, I had three backup bottles, lol. 
The smell of caramel combined with the smell of brewing coffee took me back to my college days when I’d head to Starbucks to study with a group of friends (and of course “studying” meant spending time drinking coffee and idly chattering). It reminded me of one of my favorite Starbucks drinks, the Caramel Macchiato, and I knew I wanted to make it into a cookie.
For me, something “healthy” or “light” isn’t just about reducing calories; it’s just as much about the source of the calories – the kinds of food – I’m putting into my body. These days I’ve been trying to use healthier substitutes for all-purpose flour and white sugar as much as I can, so I really didn’t want just any old cookie. I wanted a cookie that would leave me feeling energized and happy, not gross and lethargic. (Coming down off a full-fat/full-sugar cookie high isn’t always pretty, is it ladies?) So these cookies are devoid of such ingredients, and instead are full of healthy, nutritious things like almond meal, coconut flour, and coconut oil.
These cookies are amazing. They puff so cutely when they cook and even though they look like they’d be dense and/or dry, they aren’t; they’re moist and almost cake-like, but much chewier than cake. A snack of two cookies along with a cup of coffee makes for a perfect afternoon…definitely much better than the after-effects of a regular cookie! :)
And p.s., I use this recipe to make endless variations! I will be sharing more with you soon…
Skinny Caramel Macchiato Cookies
Yields 12 to 14 cookies
1 cup almond meal/flour
3 tablespoons coconut flour
Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2-3 packets stevia (more or less to taste)*
3 tablespoons coconut oil, softened slightly but not fully melted
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon caramel extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
1 oz good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
*If you want to play around with the recipe using a sweetener other than stevia, here is a guideline on how sweet 1 packet of stevia is: the amount of stevia in 1 packet measures 1/2 teaspoon, which is about as sweet as 2 to 3 teaspoons of regular sugar.
Preheat oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and stevia; set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the softened coconut oil until smooth, then whisk in the maple syrup; after that, whisk in the egg, vanilla extract, caramel extract, and dissolved coffee. Use a wooden spoon to stir the dry ingredients into the wet all at once, then stir in the chocolate.
Let the batter sit for 5 minutes, then use a 1 1/2 tablespoon ice cream scoop to measure it onto the baking tray, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Bake until the cookies are set and golden on the bottom, about 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely on the tray before removing.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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Could I use butter instead of coconut oil? Or would they spread?
John-Mark, I haven’t tried this with butter instead of coconut oil. Yes, they may spread a bit more, but it would probably be delicious. If you decide to use butter instead, make sure it’s at room temperature so you can beat it, but it’s not melted. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
I so much want to make these but I haven’t seen the nutritional list. What are the Net carbs?
Thanks
Barbara, Thank you so much! I don’t calculate calories or other nutritional information for my food, but there are several free online tools that will help you with this. Calorie Count is a pretty useful tool, and can be found here. I hope this helps and that you like the cookies if you try them! :)
Hello!
I was wondering if it would be possible to replace the flours with half whole wheat and half oat flour?
thanks!
Sonia, I haven’t tried this recipe with those substitutions, so I don’t know how the cookies would turn out. I’ve played with the recipe a few times and noticed it’s pretty forgiving though, so it may work. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Faith, has anyone tried making these with an egg substitute? Would love to feature them on my Month O’ Cookies, but they need to be vegan. Let me know.
Stephanie, I haven’t tried this recipe with an egg substitute, and I haven’t had anyone mention to me that they’ve tried these cookies with egg substitute. I think it might work, or a flax “egg” might also give good results, but I honestly can’t say for sure since I haven’t tried it myself.
Wonderful! Thank you for all the suggestions. I’ve not come across Watkins in Canada but I’ll sniff around to see about comparables…I could always purchase on-line as well. Thanks again. Cheers, k.
Kelly, I’m glad I could help! :) Hope you’re able to find it, but if not let me know and I’d be happy to send you a bottle.
Tried to find your lovely sounding caramel extract this past weekend, but no luck ;( I came across maple and rum but they were both artificial; not what I was looking for. What brand of caramel extract do you use?
Kelly, Frontier Natural Products has a pretty large selection of natural extracts/flavorings (here’s their site, if you’re interested: http://www.frontiercoop.com/ — they make an amazing butterscotch flavoring!); unfortunately, they don’t have caramel. There are a few brands that do make a natural caramel flavoring, such as Silver Cloud Estates, Bakto Flavors, and Olive Nation, but they are very hard to find in my area so I haven’t tried any of them. Honestly, I LOVE Watkins Caramel Extract. It is an imitation flavoring, but it is thick, rich, aromatic, and so flavorful. A little goes a really long way so I generally don’t mind using it. (If you want to read more about it, I wrote about it in my post for Skinny Caramel Hot Cocoa.)
These look perfect for getting that Starbucks hit without having to venture into the all too common London rain! I love the idea of turning classic drinks into cookies.
I love how accidents (spills!) can lead to great things. And this sounds like one of those happy occasions. But where do you get caramel extract? Never heard of such a thing. I live in the UK so I guess I will have to head to Amazon, or wait until I visit family in Florida in October :D
I LOVE caramel macchiatos and won’t even buy them b/c I can pound them down in like 2 mins! But now I can whip up a whole batch of cookies – love this!
the caramel macchiato is one of the best and most often mispronounced espresso beverages ever. :) while i don’t have most of these ingredients in my cabinets, i feel like i need to go buy them immediately. :)
These cookies sound fantastic!
These sound amazing—and they have some of my fave ingredients in them!
Too bad about the caramel extract :( But, as a super cook and accomplished woman, you have extras! ;) I completely agree about finding healthier substitutes for ingredients that taste great and don’t leave me feeling gross. These caramel macchiato cookies look perfect for enjoying with a cup of coffer or tea!
caramel extract the name itself excites me to try out these healthy gorgeous cookies soon! Accompanied with a hot cuppa..Mmmm..bliss.
Hi Faith, I have never used caramel extract–this one has been off my radar, so, like Kelly, I’ll have to keep my eyes open for it.
Yes, this is exactly the sort of treat I would like with an afternoon pick-me-up cuppa coffee.
Caramel extract… how intriguing, I’ll have to keep my eyes open for it. I like how you offer different sweetening options here and provide the stevia/sugar ratio (many people don’t realize that stevia is considerably sweeter tasting than stevia). I too enjoy a little nibble with my afternoon brew ;-). Lovely recipe.
I love everything about this recipe! This is right up my alley and I plan to try them.
yum! i love the caramel macchiato at starbucks… these are right up my alley!
YUM, what a treat! I have to say, I have not come across coconut flour…will need to have a little hunt for this in the shops. A really useful wheat and gluten free option.
These cookies look wonderful, love the caramel and coffee pairing!
I love this – a “skinny” cookie recipe, packed with protein and fiber! Caramel and coffee are such a great combination too.
I am trying to control my weight, so these cookies are the perfect idea Faith, especially during these, desperate for sweet, afternoons!
smart girl with the back up bottles of caramel… ;)
these look fantastic – I don’t want to wait until the afternoon!
Funny, caramel macchiato is also one of my fave Starbuck’s drinks, iced though. Love this cookies inspired by that and your college days. A great afternoon pick me up snack!
I could use a few of these right now!!! :)
Delicious and surely irresistible! A wonderful creation.
Cheers,
Rosa
Divine!! What a great idea- one of my favorite beverages. Such a creative lady!