Monday, September 15, 2014

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies!!! YUM!!!

I love to lurk on Pinterest and blogs reading and pinning recipes.  I also love cookbooks.  I collect them and I read them cover to cover.  Here's the thing . . . I almost NEVER make the recipe exactly as written.  I have been cooking and baking a long time and I know what my family likes and what they don't.  I also have learned to substitute ingredients and have found that I sometimes like the sub better than the original.  Since July 29, 2013, I have adapted my fair share of recipes to suit our new lifestyle.  There is a LOT of material out there on grain free and sugar free recipes but, I have never found one that was perfect for my family as it was.  I am always tweaking.  This is a recipe that is sort of the love child of a cookie recipe from an old, stained church cookbook and the skills I have learned over the past year or so adapting recipes.  I have used this cookbook for as long as I have been able to cook alone.  The copyright is 1981!  As you can see, it is well used and well loved!

 
 
This is the recipe that I used to make a lot.  It was submitted by Ida Ropiecki.  Sister Ida was old when I was little but, I remember her being a very sweet lady.  She always brought really tasty desserts to church functions.  I have never really been a "nut in my dessert items" kind of girl but, these cookies were so good.



My crew really only ALWAYS wants chocolate chips in EVERYTHING . . . So, here is what I did to get what you see in the picture below.  I call them "Chocolate Chip Cheese Cake Cookies" or "C to the 5th"!  Sorry!  Cheesy teacher humor!  Back to the recipe!

 

 8 oz 1/3 fat Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp salted butter, softened
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter

I put these in a large bowl and because I am impatient and didn't want to wait for them to soften, I took my cold ingredients and nuked them for 30 seconds in the microwave.  I whipped them together with my hand mixer and added:

1 cup xylitol
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

I whipped these until all was incorporated and fluffy . . . maybe a minute.  Then I added:

3 eggs

I mixed after each egg and as I mixed, the batter got fluffier.  Then I added:

1/4 tsp sea salt (you could add more if you use unsalted butter but, I used salted.)
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup almond flour
1 scoop (1/3 cup) vanilla whey protein powder (I used Jay Robb.)

I mixed it all together being careful to get all the almond flour lumps smoothed out.  Then I added:

2 cups sugar free chocolate chips!!!  ((GASP!!!))

I know that's a lot but, my motto is "Go BIG, or Go home!"  We went big!  I mixed these in with the spatula and stuck the bowl in the fridge while I preheated the oven to 350 degrees.  The batter is just that . . . a batter.  It is super soft and needs to be chilled or it will spread really quickly.  10 minutes does the trick.  I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper and used my small Pampered Chef cookie scoop to scoop even balls of batter onto the sheet.  I baked for 15 minutes (or until the edges are golden).  I let them cool a few minutes on the sheet before I transferred the cookies to the counter to finish cooling.  I got exactly 50 cookies from this recipe but, the last 2 cookies were larger than the rest of them.  Here is a close up!  It looks like a chocolate chip cookie but . . . one bite reveals the lovely taste of cheese cake!  What a happy surprise!

Each cookie has 50 calories,  2.5g fat, 0.6g net carbs and 1.3g protein.  If you follow THM, these cookies are S!  I ate 3 while I was baking them!  Don't you wish your cookie looked just like this?!  Go!  Make these NOW!!!


Just a few notes:
* I like 1/3 fat Philly because there is no carrageenan and it has the lowest carbs.
* You could do half chocolate chips and half chopped nuts of some sort but . . . why?
* I wanted these to be soft.  They are the consistency of Soft Batch cookies from Keebler.  The original cookies are dense and the recipe calls for 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of nuts.  I cut back on the butter and added an extra egg.  I used a total of 1 cup of dry ingredients (2/3 cup almond flour and 1/3 cup whey protein powder).  Protein powder (much like coconut flour) will soak up moisture in a recipe.  You can always add but, you can't take away, so if you want a denser cookie, go with 1 cup of almond flour and 1 scoop of whey.  Mix it and check your consistency.  Then, add your extra whey a tablespoon at a time until the batter looks right to you.
ENJOY!!!

99 comments:

  1. I have yet to find unsweetened chocolate chips. Where do you get them?

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    1. I buy Hersheys SF Choc Chips at Walmart

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    2. http://www6.netrition.com/lilys_dk_choc_baking_chips.html

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  2. Can I go without the xantham gum and the whey protein and increase the almond flour or sprouted wheat flour.

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  3. I bought my stevia sweetened choc. Chips at whole foods!! Lily's you can also but them online!!

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  4. I just used Hershey's sugar free chocolate chips because sugar alcohols do not bother me the way they do some people. I have used Lily's before but, they are expensive. I get them at Walmart.

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  5. You can leave out the xantham gum and whey protein but, you will change the texture and the nutritional value. I would not do the wheat because, if you follow THM, you are making them a crossover. If you have to sub out the ingredients, try gluccomannan for the xantham gum and coconut flour for the whey.

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  6. I don't have vanilla flavored whey. Just plain. should I do equal amounts of that? or could I do equal amount of coconut flour? Thank you in advance! These look fantastic!

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  7. I made these cookies this after, did everything exactly, except for subbing coconut flour for the whey protein. They did not look like yours at all! in fact, they never flattened out. just browned on the bottom. any ideas???

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  8. I think maybe next time use you unflavored whey protein instead of the coconut flour. I have used it with success in other recipes but, it is a finicky flour and different brands work differently. If you must use coconut flour use only 1 Tbsp in this recipe in place of the full scoop of whey.

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  9. Can I use truvia instead of xylitol, and if so would the measurement be the same? Thanks! Can't wait to try these!

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  10. Yes, you can use Truvia in the same amount.

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  11. I just made these tonight for our family boating trip tomorrow!
    They taste great...I'm just wondering, with nearly every THM baked dessert I make they are tingly and "cold" on my tongue; same with these. Do you know how to fix that? I'm guessing it's the truvia (I've tried Xylitol as well, but it still tingles).
    Thanks for sharing!!
    Kaitlin

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  12. I do not have that problem with xylitol or Just like Sugar. I have only ever experienced that with erythritol (which is in swerve, truvia, THM sweet blend, etc.). Sorry, that taste was the reason I switched to straight xylitol. I ususally get Xyla brand made from North American Hardwood rather than corn. I also have no idea if that makes a difference. I do know that it is ground finer than NOW brand or Xylasweet brand xylitol.

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  13. Thanks Kristi! I'll have to look into Xyla brand...maybe that's the problem!
    Kaitlin

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  14. You are welcome, Kaitlyn. Just FYI- Xyla has their 1 pound bags on sale for $3.99. No limit.

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    1. Sounds like a great deal, where do I go to buy this? Website?

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    2. What website did you find if for 3.99 a lb?

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  15. Do you have any recommendations for substituting the Almond Flour for a person that can't have any nuts? Your insight will be helpful! Thanks!

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  16. just an fyi that if you use the greek yogurt cream cheese, you will cut your fat in 1/2. It only has 3g fat per serving :)

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  17. Additions I made was extra dark chocolate, chopped into bits and chopped macadamia nuts as well!

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  18. Beth, you can use that Greek yogurt cream cheese and cut your fat in half but, you would be almost tripling your carbs. I prefer higher fat and lower carbs which is why I chose the cream cheese that I did.

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  19. Erika,
    Can you have sunflower seeds? They are a seed and not a nut. You could process sunflower seeds into meal and use that 1 for 1.

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  20. can I substitute coconut flour or golden flaxseed meal for the almond flour if I'm out?!?

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  21. Where do you find xyltitol (sorry, I know that's probably misspelled!). I detest buying things un-tested online, especially as they are often in bulk containers (compared to the grocery or places like Sprouts or WinCo with a bulk section).
    I have to get back on the LC train and the only way it will remain a lifelong choice is if I have changed my "typical" food for LC versions.
    Thank you so much!!!!

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  22. Do you think you could use blended oats for oat flour instead of the almond flour?

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  23. I would not sub straight coconut flour. You would have to at least double your eggs and it would change the taste and texture. Flax meal will give you a chewier texture and I am not sure how much to sub for the almond flour.

    I but my xylitol online where ever the best price is. You can buy it in a 1 pound bag but, I buy it in bulk because it is cheaper per pound that way. I usually buy Xyla or Now brand. I don't buy these types of things at the store as they tend to be much more expensive.

    If you substitute oats, you would be making this a crossover (if you follow THM). The point of this recipe is that it is low carb and high fat. If you sub oat flour, it would be high carb and high fat and would cause weight gain. Besides, I don't eat grains so I wouldn't do it but, if you do, I would use less because it is a dryer flour than almond flour.

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  24. I made these tonight and I am very pleased! I substituted 1 tbsp coconut flour for the whey protein and they turned out great! I also used regular chocolate chips because I didn't have any sugar free. I calculated that with 100 g of mini semi sweet chips they are about 3.5 carbs each. Mine only made 29 cookies though, I guess I have a larger cookie scoop than yours. Thanks for the great recipe! They are worth the 3.5 carbs when I want something chocolate!

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  25. Made these today! Loved them. Wondering about the best way to store them as they are very moist.

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  26. You can store them in the fridge or freezer. They are very good even straight from the freezer. Just don't stack them as they will stick together. Keep them in a single layer.

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  27. I am not a baker, but I would love to bring these to my Bible study. If I were to make them into bars (using a 9 by 13) do you think 20-25 minutes would cut it? Thanks. Any advice would be great.

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  28. I am making these cookies right now. I tasted the dough, because, why not?!? Wow!!!! Even my 9 yr old was all over it! This is a total game changer! THANK YOU! ��

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  29. I mixed these, and put the batter in the refrigerator for 2 hours and they are spreading pretty much...I didn't have quite enough xylitol, so I added stevia...other than that no changes...thinking about making bars instead...or it might make a great "brownie" base for a cheesecake...thanks for the recipe!

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  30. Yes, I would say, start with 20 minutes and watch it from there if you are going to make them into bars.

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  31. Hey, I just had to update. I waited 24 hours or more til I got around to baking the dough, and they didn't spread as much....out of the freezer, they are amazing! Such a treat! Thanks so much for posting this recipe!

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  32. I am trying this recipe on Saturday and I can not wait!!! Thank you!

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  33. Made these today. First, let me say that I'm picky about baking. I don't want to settle for things that taste crappy just because they are low carb. But these were really, really good. Not just "good enough", but GOOD.

    A couple of comments to other people like me who might be new to the LC baking thing.

    1. I despise coconut. Really, really hate it. I can detect it at one part per zillion in food. I could be a coconut detector at an airport if coconuts were illegal. And I was willing to lick luggage. Which I'm not, really. So a word on the coconut flour - you can smell coconut when you mix the dry ingredients, but you can't taste it at all in the batter or the final cookie. Not at all.

    2. The author commented that the batter was thin. I found the opposite - it was quite thick and didn't spread out. I think the variable is the brand of coconut flour, or the exactness of measuring. They turned out really well anyway, tastewise, just looked like haystacks instead of cookies. Next time I might use a hair less coconut flour, and titrate it in. Or squish the cookie a bit before putting in the oven.

    3. I used finely ground almond flour, and I think this made a big difference in the final product. Almond meal might give a very differnt texture, less like a flour cookie, but still probably acceptable.

    4. I also got some LC baking flour today that had a cookie recipe on it. I baked a dozen for comparison. These cheesecake cookies won by a mile.

    5. They don't exactly brown, except on the bottom. Be careful not to overcook.

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  34. We just turned these into little cupcakes and they are brilliant!

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  35. I never said the batter was thin. I said that you needed to get it cold so it wouldn't spread out too thin. There is NO coconut in this recipe UNLESS you are subbing 1 TBSP for the whey protein powder.

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  36. Do you think almond meal would work too? Everything else I am doing exactly as posted, but don't have almond flour, only meal. thank you.

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  37. Yes, you can use almond meal in place of the almond flour. It will work just fine.

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  38. Hi! Just wondering if it makes a difference to leave out the peanut butter due to an allergy? And if I leave it out do I need to replace the peanut butter with another ingredient?

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  39. You could leave it out or just sub butter or cream cheese for the peanut butter.

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  40. What would happen to the texture/fluffyness/spreading out quality if no sweetener was added?

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  41. Oh, and what if you used arrowroot instead of xanthum gum. I am in awe of the extent to which you can answer all these questions. I am new to LC, and overwhelmed by the whole experience
    (I've always disliked artificial sweeteners, which has complicated things as well.)

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  42. What a treat these cookies are!

    I used natural peanutbutter (no sugar), confectioner's Swerve (3/4 c.) and vanilla flavored rice protein powder.

    The cookies did not spread much, which was fine. I only put in half the chocolate chips - I used Lily's brand and I find them to be a little overwhelming in large amounts, hence why I halved it.

    Can't wait to make them again!

    Thanks for the recipe. Hard to find decent LC cookies that taste good!

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  43. Xylitol IS NOT an artificial sweetener. It is a sugar alcohol derived from North American hardwood trees, certain fruits and corn. It is a naturally occurring substance with many beneficial qualities. The sweetener in this recipe adds bulk and texture just as sugar does in a regular cookie recipe. You can leave the xantham gum out or substitute konjac root powder (one for one). Arrowroot does add carbs to the recipe (although not many in this small of an amount). I have never used it in place of xantham gum so I couldn't say how that would work. I know it works in place of cornstarch.

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  44. Kristi, where do you buy xyla? thanks, Dorothy

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  45. I hope you and your family are Ok. I noticed its been quite awhile since you posted. Prayers, Fellow THM Mom.

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  46. Can glucomannon be used in place of xanthum gum?

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  47. Wow!! Just made these! These are great! My 19 month old son loved them too! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! This will help me get my sweet fix while following ketogenics. I need to see if our Walmart carries the SF chips. I'll be sharing these cookies with my doctor and coworker who are both following ketogenics!

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  48. These look amazing! Would it work to use stevia instead of the xylitol? If so, do I need to add anything?

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  49. Made them and the kids L.O.V.E.D. them! Huge hit! Even used Lilly SF chocolate chips. I stored mine in the fridge in a container, with parchment paper between the layers of cookies. Otherwise, they stick together. SOOOO Soft! Great recipe!

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  50. I was wondering if I can substitute coconut oil for the butter? Thanks!

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  51. Yes, you can use coconut oil in place of the butter.

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  52. I made these cookies yesterday. Like other people, I've really struggled to find good low carb/high fat recipes and these were fantastic! Much better than I expected! Thanks for the great recipe! I used full fat cream cheese but otherwise followed the recipe to the T and mine didn't flatten out at all when baking. Perhaps my almond flour was more fine and it ended up being too much - not sure but they were delicious anyway. Just had more of a "cake" feel than a cookie, which is fine by me! Thanks again for the awesome recipe! I highly recommend trying these for anyone thinking about it!

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  53. Hey kristi. I can't have almonds but I can have any other nut. Can you think of anything besides ground sunflower seeds I could use that would have same consistency? Also can I use egg beaters instead of real eggs? Thanks in advance!

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  54. You can use any nut flour that you want. Hazelnut, cashew, pistachio, pecan, etc. It might change the macros a little. You can use egg beaters if you want.

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  55. what about Carbquik instead of almond flour

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  56. I was wondering if you have tried this recipe with the New THM baking blend. Do u think it could?

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  57. What is the serving size on these?! I had my doubts....I mean...no flour?! LOL! But O-m-g!!! So good. I could eat them all in a sitting. Which I pretty sure is not the serving size. lol! Thanks so much for the recipe! I pinned it!

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  58. HI! I am finding it very difficult to print this as it is not friendly to print. Sounds great to try!

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  59. Can I leave out the peanut butter? I am not liking all the THM desserts with peanut butter. Personal preference I am assuming.

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  60. Buy Lily brand sugar free chocolate chips, they have less carbs than Hershey's sugar free. You can order Lily's sugar free chocolate chips on the intetnet

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  61. Hi. How much THM baking blend would you use? The same amount in replacement of the almond flour?

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  62. Thanks for the yummy recipe AND all the details! I like having a clear recipe, not a pinch of this and a scoop of that kind of thing lol

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  63. Is there a way to link this to pinterest?

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    1. It is linked to pinterest. Just click on a picture or us the pin button at the top of the post.

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  64. How much of THM Sweet Blend would be used? Also can I use the THM Baking Blend instead of the Almond Flour?

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  65. These just came out of my oven. Yummy! I used hazelnut flour and sprinkled with chopped pecans. I baked them in a 9x13 pan so they are cookie bars instead of cookies.

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  66. Xylitol can kill my dogs. What would you suggest in its place?

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    1. Do you plan on not using chocolate either? Both are poisonous to dogs.

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  67. These are BY FAR the best low carb chocolate chip cookies I've ever made/had! Thank you so much for perfecting this recipe!! :) They are perfect!

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  68. Just a word of warning to those using xylitol. If you have pets, make sure they don't get ANY of the raw or end product. Xylitol is EXTREMELY toxic for dogs (and I would guess cats too and maybe other pets). http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/xylitol-toxicity-in-dogs/4340

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    1. Xylitol can kill pets, but so can chocolate. If you have no problems keeping chocolate in your house, the same applies to xylitol.

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  69. I am so excited to try these!! Wondering if I could use oat fiber for any portion of the almond flour? I'm an accomplished baker of all things carb, and have zero experience with low carb! Thank you!

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  70. I am so excited to try these!! Wondering if I could use oat fiber for any portion of the almond flour? I'm an accomplished baker of all things carb, and have zero experience with low carb! Thank you!

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  71. I made this recipe last night. It was the absolute best low carb thing I've ever had. I couldn't even tell that they weren't "normal" cookies. I did substitute the vanilla protein for chocolate.

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  72. Could I make this with raisins instead of chocolate chips? We don't have sugar free ones in my country...

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    1. You can make your own SF chocolate chips (you can find many recipes on Google).
      If you're considering raisins, I'm guessing you have no problems consuming sugar or carbs, so you might as well use regular chocolate chips of your preference.

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  73. They are the best cookies I've tried yet. Thanks for the recipe. My son said they taste like chocolate chip pancakes. I think they have a pudding like texture.

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  74. Could I use THM baking blend and if so, how much?

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  75. I am new to the low carb thing and obsessively double check the carb count in every recipe I find. I don't see how these could only have .6 net carbs per cookie considering the xylitol alone brings 192g to the whole batch. Am I missing something? If anyone could explain please do, I would love to make these but I just need to make sure the nutrition facts are right.

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  76. What is THM? I am on a low carb diet.

    I looked for a "printer friendly" version of your recipe "chocolate chip cookies" and don't see one? Is there one?

    Were the sugar free chips you found at Walmart with the other chocolate chips or in another section? ( I wanna check my walmart).

    I also am a more chocolate chips is better person. LOL!
    Kirsten

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    1. The Hershey's sugar free chips are with all the other baking chips in walmart.

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    2. The Hershey's sugar free chips are with all the other baking chips in walmart.

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  77. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that doesn't raise blood sugar levels or insulin levels. The carbs can be completely subtracted. I airways use lily's because the maltitol in Hershey soule blood sugar and insulin response

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  78. Hi Kristi,

    I know this is somewhat old post. But 2 cups HSF choc chips = 32 tbspoons. A s per the pack, 1 tbspoon is 9g total carbs ;ess 1g fibre = 8g. So im confused on how come you arrived at the carb count of less than 1g per cookie.

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    1. You need to also subtract the sugar alcohols.

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  79. I like your blog it's really cool and nice thank you for sharing this great information about the Chocolate Factory keep posting.
    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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  80. Just letting you know--Ive been making your cookies for five or six years now. They turn out brilliantly every time. They are still the best low carb cookie I've ever seen. I spread the love whenever I can. Thank you for this recipe.

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