Gluten Free Almond Butter Cookies

I'm going to start off this post by saying that if you're someone who feels bad about eating 2 or 3 (or 6) cookies, don't read any further.  This recipe is not for you.

I don't think we're ever going to make these cookies again because they are literally that good.  They have the perfect combination of salty and sweet that has you saying "just one more" repeatedly.  I think they lasted about 24 hours in our household, so don't feel bad if you make these and then eat them all in a sitting or two.  It's okay, it happens to the best of us.

Just look at those cookies.  How good do they look?  They aren't your classic gooey cookie, but they are a twist on a classic peanut butter cookie topped with some sea salt flakes for an added hint of salty sweet goodness.

This recipe is an adaptation of an Alton Brown peanut butter cookie that we made just a little better by adding chocolate chips.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 12-16 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients:
1 cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt + salt for topping
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
2. Add sugar and almond butter into a large bowl, stirring to combine.
3. Add egg, baking soda, vanilla, and salt.  Stir until fully incorporated.  
4. Add your chocolate chips and mix until spread evenly.
5. Scoop 12-16 even dough balls and place on baking tray.
6. Take a fork and gently smash down the cookie, dragging the tines of the fork across the cookie.  We're aiming for the classic peanut butter cookie cross-hatch.  Once you've done the fork imprint one direction, go the opposite way.
7. Once your cookies are all cross-hatched, crack or sprinkle some salt across the top.  This way you'll have the perfect bite of salty and sweet.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes until slightly firm to the touch.  Note that they'll continue to firm up once they cool, so don't over bake them.
9. Transfer baking trays to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

We used Justin's almond butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips, which I would definitely recommend.  The almond butter rendered itself a little drier than peanut butter would, but it just made a nice, crispy cookie bite.  I know I said we wouldn't make these cookies again, but if we did, we would definitely try it with Justin's vanilla almond butter.

Here's what your mixture should look like once you've combined all the ingredients.

Form your dough into even sized balls and place on a baking sheet.

Here is where you're going to press down with a fork to create those classic peanut butter cookie lines.  Press down gently and drag your fork across the cookie, making sure you don't break the cookie.  Then, pick up your fork and drag across the other way. 

The final result: crispy, salty sweet goodness.

Sheet perfection.

There's nothing better than a salty sweet bite.  Happy Baking!