These are mostly sugar-free because I used chocolate chips instead of a sugar-free alternative like carob chips. Substitute carob chips for the chocolate chips and you have yourself some delicious sugar-free cookies.
The cookies are made with Isomalt, which is a sugar substitute that is suitable for those who suffer from diabetes. Isomalt also has only half the calories of sugar, however it is suggested that adults should not consume more than 50g per day and 25g for children. I first learned of Isomalt while I was in my Baking and Pastry course at school. I am in no way an expert of working with sugar alternatives but I wanted to give this a try seeing as Bryan’s dad has diabetes and both of my grandfathers (who have now passed away) had diabetes. We are really trying to cut back out sugar intake this year and when I was sent samples of this I wanted to give it a try. This recipe was developed with Bryan’s dad and our dear friend Warren in mind.
Many may think of Isomalt being used in sugar-free hard candies, but it can also be used as a 1:1 substitute in baked goods. The big high point is – there is NO weird after taste that you get from the other sugar substitutes out there.You can purchase Isomalt online from Amazon.
Here is a little information about Isomalt from the company who sent me the samples: Beneo Group:
ISOMALT’s proven benefits, such as being kind to teeth, low in calories and low glycaemic
ISOMALT – the only sugar replacer made from pure beet sugar that tastes as naturally sweet as conventional sugar.Toothfriendly, reduced-calorie and low glycemic – with these benefits, ISOMALT suits every consumer profile. ISOMALT’s technological advantages make it easy to produce sugar-free premium products for the growing market of health-conscious consumers.ISOMALT provides healthy products without compromising on taste. As a result, ISOMALT is the number one sugar replacer around the world, and can be found in more than 1,800 products worldwide.
I really wanted to just play around and see how it would work in baked goods. I have to say I was rather impressed with the texture and taste of these cookies. I’m not a huge sugar person anyway but I really enjoyed that these were not overly sweet, but were crunchy yet soft at the same time. The first thing that came to mind was the cookies that you buy in the mall…yummmm. I mentioned above that Isomalt is a 1:1 substitution for sugar, but I wasn’t sure how sweet this was going to be so I cut it back a bit and only a little less than 1/2 cup vs 3/4 cup – I really liked them on the less sweet side.
Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies*
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Isomat
1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick softened)
1 Large Egg
1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Almond Flour
1 Cup Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
*To make this recipe 100% sugar-free use Carob Chips! Be sure they are gluten-free.
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a medium bowl add the almond flour, baking and pancake mix, salt, and baking soda. Mix well, and set aside.
- In a stand mixer cream together the softened butter and Isomalt.
- Once the butter and Isomalt are creamed together, add the egg and vanilla while the mixer is on low-speed. Mix until well incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- On low-speed, slowly add the dry ingredients.
- Mix until just incorporated – do not over mix. Add chocolate chips and combine by hand using a rubber spatula.
- Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat sheet, scoop six cookies by using a small ice cream scoop. Gently press the top of the cookies down.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes (depends on your oven)
- Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Makes: 1 1/2 dozen cookies.
Options:add 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds) when you add the chocolate chips.
Substitute carob chips for the chocolate chips to make this 100% sugar-free.
Again, I’m not an expert on Isomalt or sugar substitutes. I was sent samples and wanted to experiment with it to hopefully create a sugar-free recipe for Bryan’s dad and our friend Warren with out a nasty after taste. I do however hope to experiment more with sugar-free recipes in the near future, so if you have any suggestions please let me know. Thank you!
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Author Information: Jenny Manseau – Gluten Free Blogger.
Location: Portsmouth, RI
Website: www.creativecookinggf.com
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