Chia Chocolate Drops

Chocolate Chia Drops

Oh, wow: these are yummy!  I just made them to take to my friends house for dinner tonight.  These addictive (fair warning!) and delicate cookies will remind you of a peanut butter cup.  With a fun, little, crispy crunch from chia seeds.  As with most desserts and sweet treats, I prefer to make them very rich, small, and flavorful.  Just one or two will satisfy you.

  • 1 cup peanut butter (or use sunflower butter or a mix of both – my personal favorite variation!)
  • 1/4 cup light coconut milk (from the can) or other alternative milk
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp seasalt (up to 1/2 tsp if using unsalted nut butter)
  • 2 Tbsp whole chia seeds (find in the bins at Whole Foods Market; buy only what you need at a great price!)
  • About 4.5 ounces dark chocolate, ideally 70% cacao or higher (this is 10 squares of Trader Joe’s “Pound Plus” dark chocolate bar – a great deal!)

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  You will need 2 sheets of parchment paper to line a single cookie sheet for two batches.

In a double boiler (or small mixing bowl set in the top of a pot), melt chocolate over boiling water.  (Don’t try to do this directly in a pan, as chocolate very easily burns.)  Once melted, remove bowl from pot, set aside, and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, mix first 4 ingredients with an electric mixer until well-blended and well-whipped.  Add next four ingredients and blend with mixer again for about 15-30 seconds, being sure to stop in the middle to scrape sides of any wayward ingredients. (The batter will thicken dramatically with the chia and arrowroot.)  Once chocolate is cooled (very important to wait until it is), add to batter and blend once more with mixer until chocolate is thoroughly incorporated.

Use 2 everyday teaspoons (not the measuring kind) to scoop out 1″ balls of dough.  Place on cookie sheet (atop parchment if using), about 1″ apart.  These cookies do not spread much.  Use either a form or your fingertip to depress middle of the ball to make cookies flat.  Bake for 13-14 minutes.  Don’t overcook, as chocolate may burn and cookies can become too dry.  Until they are 100% cooled, cookies will be soft to the touch and very crumbly and will fall apart easily.  I don’t recommend allowing cookies to cool on the pan, as they are likey to overcook.  Instead, carefully slide parchment (with cookies on board) from pan and rest on counter or cooling rack.  Ask someone to help you if you aren’t sure you can do this with finesse; four hands make it easy.  It will be very frustrating (but yummy clean-up) if the cookies go tumbling onto the counter.  Allow to cool fully before eating or moving.  Store in air-tight container.  Excellent with tea for an afternoon snack (I am doing that right now, in fact!).   Makes about 25 cookies.