Paleo Chocolate Almond Butter Filled Snickerdoodles

About a year ago, I was having a major Snickerdoodle moment. When it comes to cookies, I don’t usually head straight to Snickerdoodles, but I had some pre-made gluten-free Snickerdoodle cookie dough from a random company in my fridge, so I thought I’d put it to use. My friends and I were having a girls’ night in, so I provided the snickerdoodles and the vegan ice cream.

The cookies were good. Really good. But I felt horrible afterward. My stomach was in knots from all of the weird ingredients. Just because it’s gluten-free does not mean it’s healthy, and my sensitive stomach paid the price. I wasn’t the only one who felt that way — my friends all agreed that although they were yummy, they wouldn’t have that dough again.

Despite the stomachache, all I could think about was how I had completely forgotten how good Snickerdoodles are. Chocolate chip cookies always steal the show and kinda leave Snickerdoodles left behind and forgotten about, you know? After that, I became obsessed with showing Snickerdoodles some love. And that meant making my own Snickerdoodles – ones that did not hurt my stomach. That is why I love baking things from scratch!

I tried out about 5 or 6 different recipes, and all of them were good, but none of them really did it for me. I needed to make them unique. Cookies alone have never been my favorite dessert because I feel like they need a little something else to make them exciting. Maybe a frosting on top, or some ice cream in between, or at least some nuts in there for a crunch.

I didn’t really know what to do with the Snickerdoodle. I didn’t want to add a nut, and I wasn’t going to add a frosting since there is already a cinnamon-sugar coating on the outside. That left me with one clear option – add a filling.

When I made this recipe a year ago, they were a total hit. I was so proud of them. A lot of people messaged me asking me to post the recipe, and my friends begged me to make more. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the consistency though, so I put it in my notes to adjust things again. I played with it and eventually got it right, but never ended up writing it down or taking pictures. And then I got Candida and a year flew by.

I’ve been cleaning out the Notes in my phone recently (very slowly, but surely), and I ran across this recipe again! I could not believe I had forgotten to share it. The holidays this year were the perfect time to make them again and test them out on a new audience, and it was a complete success. I have a friend who always recipe tests for me when I’m back in the Bay Area, and he rarely ever wants to bring the leftovers back with him. Too “healthy.” He wanted to bring all of these back with him, though. Sadly, I couldn’t let him bring them all home – my dad was desperate for a few more, too.

These Paleo Chocolate Almond Butter Filled Snickerdoodles are big, delicious cookies. They’re really Snickerdoodle balls, with a surprise inside! I think the chocolate almond butter filling gives them the perfect something “extra.” I mean… who doesn’t love a sneaky chocolate filling?!

I love that these cookies are very substantial. The worst is when your cookie is over after two bites. This is a full-on dessert, and it hits every flavor profile. You’ve got the warm cinnamon-sugar  coating juxtaposed with the soft snickerdoodle cookie that meets a sticky chocolate almond butter center – dreamy. Be careful when biting into them, though – sometimes the coating gets a little messy! This is a cookie you’ll want a napkin under.

If you like Snickerdoodles, you’ll love this upgrade on the old classic! These Snickerdoodles are Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free. Feel free to adjust the filling to your liking. You can use almond butter like I did, or you can use another nut butter. If you don’t like chocolate, leave it out for a plain nut butter filling! You could also completely eliminate the filling, if you’d rather just make regular, classic Snickerdoodle cookies! These are a crowd-pleaser even among people who don’t typically like Paleo baked goods. Who could turn down a delicious, chocolate-filled Snickerdoodle?

Paleo Chocolate Almond Butter Filled Snickerdoodles

Yields: 7 large snickerdoodles

Total time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

Snickerdoodle dough:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Snickerdoodle coating:

• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar or Lakanto monkfruit sweetener (use code WELLNESS for 15% off)

Chocolate Almond Butter Filling:

• 1/4 cup raw almond butter (can also sub for another nut butter)
• 2 tsp cocoa/cacao powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Optional: 1 tsp maple syrup (if you like it sweeter!)
• Optional: a bit of nut milk to thin, if you want it thinner

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with coconut oil.
2. Mix all of the snickerdoodle ingredients together in a large bowl until you form the cookie dough.
3. Place the coating ingredients into a small bowl and mix them together until incorporated evenly. Set aside.
4. Mix together all of the chocolate almond butter filling ingredients in another small bowl. If you’d like it a bit thinner, you can add nut milk. I personally like the filling to be a bit thicker! Feel free to include the maple syrup or leave it out – whatever your taste buds want!
5. To form the snickerdoodles, grab some cookie dough in your hands and flatten it out a bit, but not too thin. The outer layer needs to be thick so it doesn’t break. Take a spoon and scoop a bit of the filling into the center of the cookie, and then fold the cookie dough around the chocolate almond butter filling to form a ball. Add some dough to cover any openings if needed, and use your hands to smooth out the cookie. It should look like a smooth, round ball from the outside! You can flatten it a bit if you want, but be gentle so that the dough doesn’t break.
6. After you’ve made the ball, roll it around in the Snickerdoodle coating bowl until the whole cookie is coated. Place on the baking tray.
7. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the cookie dough.
8. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookies start to turn golden/brown.
9. Allow the cookies to cool for 15-20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

If you make these, be sure to tag me in a photo so I can see! I love when you make my recipes! What’s your all-time favorite cookie? Anyone else a big-time Snickerdoodle fan?!