Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

I kid you not. These cookies are fantastic and will become a regular holiday treat at my house. They are called "hot" chocolate because they contain cayenne pepper. When sweetening desserts I usually stick with dates, date sugar, or a low amount of maple syrup but made an exception here. These cookies are so good I had to give some to my neighbors and friends to prevent me from overeating them so watch out!!

I got this original recipe from Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures, but modified it just a bit.

For more information about the best way to scratch your chocolate itch, watch this 1-minute video by Dr. Greger.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste (I added an extra 1/8 teaspoon)

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted almond butter, softened

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 Tablespoon molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons unsweetened plain plant milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place oven rack in the center position.

2. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

3. Whisk together the Dry Ingredients and Wet Ingredients in separate bowls.

4. Add Wet Ingredients to Dry Ingredients. Stir well to combine.

5. Drop/roll the dough onto the baking tray (~2 tablespoons per cookie). I found it best to use a soup spoon to ensure cookies were uniform in size.

6. Flatten each cookie into a round disk (~1/2 inch thick). I used the bottom of a glass covered in plastic to flatten. Wet the plastic slightly to prevent the cookie from sticking.

7. Bake for about 10 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven, allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for a minute to firm up, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.