When we posted our recipe for L&W’s Wheat-Free Blueberry and Flax Dog Cookies we were asked if we could come up with a grain-free cookie recipe.  It’s been a challenge, but I think we came up with a major winner here!

Instead of using wheat or rice flour, we chose coconut flour. Coconut flour is very finely ground dried coconut meat, which is left over after extracting the coconut oil.  It is very dense, so in most recipes many eggs are needed to allow the baked good to rise properly.

Did you know?

• At 58% fiber, coconut flour has 10 times more fiber than wheat flour and more than twice as much fiber as wheat bran!
• Coconut flour is naturally sweet, so you can use less sugar in baked goods.
• Coconut flour is low carb.  Using it in baked goods lowers their glycemic index and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
• Coconut flour is rich in protein.
• Coconut flour is grain- and gluten-free.
• Coconut flour has only 120 calories per 1/4 cup.

L&W’s Grain Free Coconutter Cookies

The directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the coconut flour into a medium bowl.  Coconut flour tends to be clumpy, so you may need to use a spatula or spoon to break up the clumps in your sifter.

Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix well, until a soft dough forms.

Using a small cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon, drop dough onto a greased cookie sheet.

Press a fork into some coconut flour so that it doesn’t stick to the dough. Then use the fork to gently flatten the cookies in a criss-cross pattern.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until the bottoms begin to brown around the edges. Do not open the door.  Turn the oven off and allow the cookies to sit in the warm oven for 1 hour.  Cool completely before serving to your dog.

While your cookies are baking, enlist the help of your cleanup crew.

The finished product

Printable recipe:

L&W’s Grain Free Coconutter Cookies

The ingredients:

3/4 cup coconut flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon molasses

The directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift the coconut flour into a medium bowl.  Coconut flour tends to be clumpy, so you may need to use a spatula or spoon to break up the clumps in your sifter.
3. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix well, until a soft dough forms.
4. Using a small cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon, drop dough onto a greased cookie sheet.
5. Press a fork into some coconut flour so that it doesn’t stick to the dough. Then use the fork to gently flatten the cookies in a criss-cross pattern.
6. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until the bottoms begin to brown around the edges. Do not open the door.  Turn the oven off and allow the cookies to sit in the warm oven for 1 hour.
7. Cool completely before serving to your dog.

Makes 18 cookies