Almond Flour-Sugar-free-chocolate crisp

– 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened--I would like to try coconut oil next time for a different hint of flavor..and will try less butter next time and maybe add in applesauce or banana, though I don't think it will be as crunchy
– 2 cups almond flour
– 6 tbs. Stevia or Splenda + 2 tbs. brown sugar*--I used all stevia, no brown sugar
– 1/2 tsp. salt
– 1 tsp. vanilla
– 3 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1/2 cup semi-sweet or sugar-free chocolate chips (optional)--I did not add any

Use stevia to taste--my first batch was bitter b/c I added in too much!
I did a combination of powdered stevia and liquid form.

. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, add the softened butter, almond flour, Stevia and brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix together with a hand mixer or stand mixer until well-combined. Add the cocoa powder (and chocolate chips) and mix until well-combined.
2. Line a baking sheet with a non-stick mat or parchment paper. Scoop out batter about 1-2 tbs. (it really depends on how big you want your cookies to be!) at a time and roll into a ball. Place the dough balls on the baking sheet leaving enough space to smash the cookies down. Using the back side of a fork, smash the cookies down so they are about a 1/4 of an inch thick. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Let cookies cool completely before serving.
Notes:
- If you want to make these completely sugar-free, replace the brown sugar with two additional tablespoons of the sugar substitute of your choice.
- Be careful when handling and storing these cookies. The almond flour makes them extra crumbly!

Serving Size: about 16 cookies

Number of Servings: 16

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user WANNABESINGER9.