Need a Paleo chocolate chip cookie with a twist? Enjoy foraging for dandelions, but need a good recipe to use them up? Well, make these Paleo Dandelion Cookies and win on both counts! 
Paleo Dandelion Cookies?
Not familiar with the Paleo diet? No worries, as far as this recipe goes, all that means is we used almond and coconut flour instead of a grain flour. I tweaked a recipe for chocolate chip cookies from Danielle Walker’s book, Against All Grain and whipped up these dandelion cookies easily – I love that book.
We’re not Paleo forever, we’re just using some Paleo methods right now to heal our tummies.
Things to Make With Dandelions
Dandelions are an easy to forage plant because they’re very recognizable and because there are so many things you can do with them in the kitchen (cookies aren’t the only thing) and medicine chest.
Just take a look at this dandelion post from The Prairie Homestead – 16 Dandelion Recipes.
I’m just tossing this one into the mix because I think its really cool – from Little Mountain Haven Homestead Homeschool: Making Dandelion Oil.
The Gallagher family from Learning Herbs.com, shared a picture tutorial on how to make dandelion cookies and that’s what we tried first. This is a wholesome, oatmeal cookie recipe with added dandelions and we made a batch of this kind, too.
(Alert – This recipe from Learning Herbs is not Paleo because of oats but if you’re using pure oats that you’ve rolled yourself OR you buy rolled oats from a source you trust, oats are gluten free.)
Recipe for Paleo Dandelion Cookies
These are so simple that even the kids can make them, and they’re a great grain-free treat or snack. A very obvious thing to do with many wild edible plants is to make cookies. That’s what my five year old says, anyway. She’s very smart and knows a good cookie when she finds one.
Recipe for Paleo Dandelion Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup palm shortening
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup coconut crystals
- 2 Tbls honey - you don't have to use raw since this will be baked
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 2 Tbls coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 cups dandelion flowers*
- 1/2 cup diary free chocolate chips cacao nibs or carob chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Mix shortening and egg until relatively smooth; add crystals, honey and vanilla and blend until combined.
- Add the flours, baking soda and salt and blend again. Make sure you've incorporated all those dry ingredients, especially the coconut flour.
- Fold in dandelion flowers by hand and then the chocolate chips.
- Scoop onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet (or you can use silicone baking mats) with a nice sized spoon. Press them down a bit to flatten them to 1/2 inch.
- Bake 10 minutes or until browned around the edges. Cool on a baking rack. These set up beautifully but you must let them cool down all the way or they're break.
Notes
Paleo-ish Substitution
If you, like me, run out of almond flour in the middle of baking your second batch as your family sits wolfing down the first batch and wonder what you’re going to do, never fear.
If you’re doing the Paleo thing, you probably have different nuts on hand. I had about 2/3 cup of almond flour and just ground up some cashews and pistachios to make the rest of the almond flour measurement. Now, a Paleo purist would probably not use either cashews or pistachios but I’m not a purist.
I did everything else the same as the original recipe and they turned out perfectly chewy. Remember to let the cookies cool when using nut flours or they will break more easily.
You’re going to need some help rounding up all those dandelions! Please visit our post over at Hobby Farm to learn more about foraging with kids.
These have so curious…I certainly would have no problem finding dandelions about…and trying them in cookies sounds fun! Thanks for sharing it this week on FW, I am featuring your recipe!
Thanks, Tessa! Its so nice to “meet” another Tessa! The dandelions give the cookies a honey/pollen flavor – every earthy. That’s why I liked using two cups of petals instead of just one – we liked that flavor. Thank you for the feature!
I am seriously intrigued by this. Adding it to my dandelion recipe box. The kids and I love finding new ways to eat dandelions!
Its a good one because it basically tastes like an oatmeal cookie…with sunshine in it.
I’m in the middle of making these. Just realised it says Tsp for baking soda and salt! Because it was capitalized I read Tbsp. Usually teaspoon is tsp. I hope they turn out ok.
Ack – did I capitalize it? I’ll go fix it so no one else has that problem – thank you for letting me know!
Thank you so much Debbie for the catch on the Tbsp and tsp and posting it. As I might not have caught it until after the fact. I guess Homestead Lady got to busy or forgot to change it because it is still there and it is over 2 years later. And thanks for the turn out report too.
Hi, update from last comment – they turned out yummy. I was using sucanat instead of coconut crystals because that’s what I had. I added extra because of the extra baking soda and just because I was afraid they wouldn’t be sweet enough. They turned out very sweet! Next time I’d use the amount called for in the recipe. I love the flavour though! I used two cups dandelion petals. Nice chewy texture.
Thank you so much for the update – I’m so glad they turned out well! I love the flavor, too – it really is like sunshine. And the color is just so lovely. Thanks for taking time to let us know how it went. 🙂
You mention oatmeal in the notes for this recipe; but it’s not even mentioned in the ingredients. Do I just add the oatmeal, one or two cups to the recipe you show?
If you’d like to make an oatmeal version of this recipe, you can follow the link at the top of the post (not the top of the recipe) for John Gallagher’s recipe from Learning Herbs for oatmeal dandelion cookies. They’re delicious all the ways, so I hope you enjoy them!
I don’t have palm shortening, is coconut oil a good substitute? Thanks!
Yes, that would be a great substitute! You can also use butter, if you don’t mind them not being 100% Paleo.