Like I mentioned earlier this week, I’m really limiting sweeteners right now on my healing protocol…so I’m eating very few sweets right now. Every 4 or 5 days, if I’m truly feeling deprived (which is rare), I treat myself to something just a little indulgent, like these Honey Almond Chai Wafer Cookies.

They’re my take on grain-free graham crackers, but I think they’re so much better than those! They have a subtle chai spiced flavor and just enough natural sweetness from the honey to make them taste like a treat. A wafer or two pair perfectly with a cup of warm tea (or bone broth if you sip it by the cup like me).

When I was writing my cookie book, I learned that almond flour creates very buttery tasting cookie dough all on it’s own, no butter needed. It’s neutral flavor makes it easy to pair with just about any spice or extract. It doesn’t overpower the palate.

A few tips for making roll-out cookies:

• Even though this dough is gluten-free, almond flour makes a wonderful rolling dough so you don’t have to worry too much about working with it delicately. However, all dough is fragile to some extent, so roll and cut with care. Don’t rush!
• I have only tried this dough with honey, but I would imagine that maple syrup would make a suitable stand-in. If you try it, do let us know in the comments. (Note that you must use a liquid sweetener here. Granulated sugar of any kind won’t work.)
• As with just about all of my cookies, these freeze well. If you’re going to keep them on the counter, eat them up within a few days. Otherwise store them in an airtight container in the freezer for several weeks.

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Sugar Cravings

Thanks for your comments on my last post about what I’m eating and not eating on my new healing protocol. I hope to tackle some of your questions in an upcoming Q & A video, so stay tuned!

One common question that arises in many comments here on my blog and also in emails that people send me is how to kick sugar cravings once and for all. It’s no secret that most of us have sugar addictions (even to natural sugars) that are literally controlling our lives. But this should not be so. You CAN live a happy, healthy life that is free from the oppressive rule of sugar!

I want to do another post entirely about this topic. I want to address why we crave sugar, what we can do to stop the cravings, how to use natural sweeteners responsibly, and the best way (in my opinion) to quit the sugar habit.

I’m no stranger to having a sweet tooth. I wrote a cookbook all about cookies, for heaven’s sake! But I do believe that sugar in all its forms should be very limited in our diets. I’ll talk more about the why and how of it all in a future post.

For now, indulge responsibly and delightfully in these naturally sweetened cookies!

Honey Almond Chai Wafer Cookies

Makes about 25 cookies

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2 cups (192 grams) blanched almond flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice.

In a small pot set over low heat, combine the honey and coconut oil. Cook, stirring, until the oil is melted. Stir in the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir to form a thick dough.

Pat the dough into a rectangular-shaped lump of dough and place it on a large sheet of parchment paper. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Trim any jagged edges. (These are great for snacking!) Transfer the rectangle of dough, parchment paper and all, to a baking sheet. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into rectangular wafers.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until deeply golden brown. The cookies will still be soft to the touch upon removing from the oven. Allow to cool completely. Then cut or break along the pre-cut lines into individual wafers. Store in an airtight container.