Most of the low histamine cookie recipes out there use oat flour or generic gluten-free flour as the base, but these dairy-free white chocolate macadamia nut cookies use a delectable blend of three specific low histamine flours to create chewy but pillowy treats. They’re a delight for all the senses!
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About this recipe
Low Histamine Dessert. For me, one of the toughest things about a low histamine diet is the loss of sweets. Or at least, it feels like a loss of sweets, since you’re not supposed to have sugar outside of a short list of fruits. So this cookie recipe uses half the regular sugar and remains dairy-free by using coconut oil and rice milk chocolate chips in place of the usual milk-based versions.
Low Fodmap. Everything in this recipe is fodmap-friendly as well as being low histamine, which has been really important while yet again following an elimination diet for my stomach.
Easy to Customize. If you’re afraid to try chocolate of any kind, or even want to use regular white chocolate chips, or replace them with more nuts or fruit bits, be my guest. This dough can hold about 1.5 cups of mix-ins (or less).
Ingredients
Tapioca Flour: also known as tapioca starch, this low histamine flour has a very unusual texture, sort of sticky but also extremely smooth, like powdered sugar. In reality, it’s the starchy portion of the yuca root (also called cassava), and it’s known for having almost no discernable taste, making it great as a thickener. A good alternative is arrowroot starch.
Sweet Rice Flour: note that this is NOT the same as white rice flour, brown rice flour, or anything generically marked ‘rice flour.’ Also called glutinous rice flour, it creates a very sticky dough when mixed with water. While I use the intact version of this grain for my mango sticky rice, I most often use the flour in other dessert-type dishes.
Sorghum Flour: this is often said to be the best substitute for white flour, as it can be used 1-to-1 in almost any recipe. The flavor is mild and sort of earthy, but doesn’t taste as sweet to me as popped sorghum, one of my favorite low histamine snacks. A good alternative is oat flour.
Psyllium Husk Powder: this is the binder for the gluten-free flours above, making up for the lack of gluten. The alternative is xanthan gum.
Baking Soda: this is NOT the same as baking powder, but serves a similar purpose in that it helps the cookies rise. Too much and they’ll get too cakey with a slight bitterness, but too little and your cookies will be more puddle than cookie.
Rice Milk White ‘Chocolate’ Chips: While these contain a small amount of maltodextrin, they’re otherwise completely free of common allergens. I like this brand. You can also can sub up to 1/4 cup for another inclusion, like candied fruit peels (I used orange peels, even if I’m wary of trying the insides).
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C); once heated, you can toast your raw macadamias in it for 4-6 minutes, to bring out more of the nutty flavor.
Step 2. Then combine all the dry ingredients except the vanilla powder in a bowl and set aside.
Step 3. Whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add them to the dry ingredients’ blend and quickly mix well. Don’t add any extra liquid, even if the dough seems very thick; just mix it with your fingers.
Step 4. Add in the chocolate chips & macadamias (once cool, if toasting) and blend well.
Step 5. Form 16 cookies of roughly two tablespoons each, and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets, each spaced at least one inch apart.
Step 6. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, until they no longer look doughy in the middle and the edges are just starting to brown.
Step 7. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for at least 5 minutes before enjoying; this allows the psyllium husk to finish setting. Enjoy them while still warm!
Recipe notes & tips
Making It Vegan. Since the egg mainly acts as the binder in this recipe, you would do just as well to make a flax egg in place of the existing egg, and voila! It’s now vegan-friendly. Just note that I’ve never tried this sub myself, so I can’t vouch for it working equally as well.
Subbing Flours. While I haven’t tried them myself, you can follow this low histamine flour guide to find alternative flours to swap for the sorghum, sweet rice, or arrowroot. Each one plays a specific role in replacing the typical white flour, so make sure to swap for its role rather than its flavor.
Freezing the Cookies. You can safely freeze these cookies for up to 6 months, and defrost them at 375°F (190°C) for 3-5 minutes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or directly on the rack.
Homemade White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies Recipe Card
As always, if you like the recipe, I really appreciate a review or comment!
Dairy-Free White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Chewy gf white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, dairy-free with just a touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 Cup sweet rice flour (NOT white rice flour)
- 1 Cup sorghum flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 5 teaspoons psyllium husk
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon monk fruit powder (optional)
- 3/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar of choice
- 1/2 Cup melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
- 3/4 Cup raw macadamia nuts pieces
- 3/4 Cup rice milk white 'chocolate' chips (can sub 1/4 Cup for another inclusion, like candied fruit peels)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C); once heated, you can toast your raw macadamias in it for 4-6 minutes, to bring out more of the nutty flavor.
- Then combine all the dry ingredients except the vanilla powder in a bowl and set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add them to the dry ingredients' blend and quickly mix well. Don't add any extra liquid, even if the dough seems very thick; just mix it with your fingers.
- Add in the chocolate chips & macadamias (once cool, if toasting) and blend well.
- Form 16 cookies of roughly two tablespoons each, and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets, each spaced at least one inch apart.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, until they no longer look doughy in the middle and the edges are just starting to brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheets for at least 5 minutes before enjoying; this allows the psyllium husk to finish setting. Enjoy them while still warm!
Notes
Making It Vegan. Since the egg mainly acts as the binder in this recipe, you would do just as well to make a flax egg in place of the existing egg, and voila! It's now vegan-friendly. Just note that I've never tried this sub myself, so I can't vouch for it working equally as well.
Subbing Flours. While I haven’t tried them myself, you can follow this low histamine flour guide to find alternative flours to swap for the sorghum, sweet rice, or arrowroot. Each one plays a specific role in replacing the typical white flour, so make sure to swap for its role rather than its flavor.
Freezing the Cookies. You can safely freeze these cookies for up to 6 months, and defrost them at 375°F (190°C) for 3-5 minutes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or directly on the rack.