Chocolate cookies

Ingredients

• 120 gbuckwheat flour
• 80 galmond flour
• 100 gcoconut oil
• 4 teaspoonsraw cacao powder
• 30 gcoconut blossom sugar
• 2 tablespoonsagave syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoonspeculaas spice
• 1/2 teaspoonbaking soda
• 1 teaspoonbaking powder with cream of tartar
• 20 gsugar-free dark chocolate
• about 2 tablespoonswater

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat and mix

   Preheat the oven to 160°C. In a mixing bowl, stir together the buckwheat flour, almond flour, speculaas spice, baking soda, baking powder, cacao powder and coconut blossom sugar.

2. 2

   Make the dough

   Melt the coconut oil in a small bowl. Add it and the agave syrup to the dry ingredients, mixing first with a spoon and then kneading well by hand. The dough will probably still be quite crumbly.

3. 3

   Cut the cookies

   Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Press a generous ball of dough flat on the parchment, cut out a cookie with a cutter and remove the surrounding dough. Return the scraps to the remaining dough and repeat until it is all used.

4. 4

   Bake and cool

   Bake the cookies for about 15–20 minutes, then let them cool completely.

5. 5

   Drizzle with chocolate

   Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate with about 2 tablespoons of water until fluid. Drizzle it over the cooled cookies with a spoon, reheating the mixture if it becomes too cool to drizzle. Leave the chocolate to set before serving.

What are chocolate cookies?

These are crisp-edged, crumbly chocolate biscuits with a Dutch-inspired speculaas flavour. Speculaas is a spiced biscuit tradition associated with the Netherlands, and its warm spice blend gives these cookies more character than cacao alone.

Here, buckwheat and almond flours make the base, while coconut oil and syrup bind it. Cutting the dough with a cutter gives the cookies a neat shape, and the dark chocolate drizzle provides a simple finish.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 215 calories, 5g protein, 26g carbs, 13g fat.

The almond flour and coconut oil provide most of the fat, while the flours, coconut blossom sugar and agave syrup contribute most of the carbohydrates. Almond flour supplies some protein, but these cookies are not a substantial protein source; serve them with fruit and a protein-rich snack such as yoghurt if you want a more balanced plate.

The flour and spice

Buckwheat flour: despite its name, buckwheat is not wheat, and it brings an earthy flavour to the dough. Almond flour adds a softer, nutty note alongside it.

Speculaas spice: its warming flavour complements the cacao. Stir it thoroughly through the dry ingredients so it is distributed throughout the batch.

Handling a crumbly dough

Dough texture: the mixture may remain crumbly after mixing; the method expects this. Knead it well by hand, then press a generous ball firmly flat on the parchment before cutting.

Scraps: gather the offcuts back into the remaining dough and repeat. If a cut-out breaks, press it together gently rather than adding extra liquid.

Cutting and baking

Even shapes: press the dough flat before using the cutter, and aim for cookies of a similar thickness so they bake at roughly the same pace. Work on the lined tray to avoid having to move delicate cut-outs.

Baking cue: bake at 160°C for about 15–20 minutes, then let the cookies cool completely. They are crumbly, so allow them to firm up before lifting or decorating.

The chocolate finish

Drizzle: melt the dark chocolate with about 2 tablespoons of water until it is fluid enough to spoon over the cookies. Reheat the mixture if it cools and becomes difficult to drizzle.

Setting: wait for the chocolate to set before serving. This keeps the finish from smearing when the cookies are handled.

Serving ideas

Serve the cookies with tea or coffee, or arrange them on a small dessert plate after a meal. Their crumbly texture makes them easier to enjoy over a plate than on the go.

For a fuller snack, pair one or two with fruit or a yoghurt alternative. Keep the cookies cool and dry so the chocolate topping stays neat.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use parchment paper so the delicate cut-outs are easier to handle.
• Press the dough firmly before cutting to help the shapes hold together.
• Return all dough scraps to the remaining mixture and keep cutting until it is used.
• Let the cookies cool completely before lifting them or adding the chocolate.
• Reheat the chocolate mixture if it cools before you have finished drizzling.

Variations

• Use honey: replace the agave syrup with honey as suggested in the ingredient list.
• Change the cutter: use a different cookie-cutter shape while keeping the dough thickness consistent.
• Adjust the drizzle: add a lighter or more generous chocolate drizzle to suit your taste.
• Skip the decoration: leave the cookies plain if you prefer the cacao and speculaas flavours on their own.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Expecting a smooth dough: it will probably remain crumbly, so knead it well and press each portion firmly before cutting.
• Moving warm cookies: they are fragile before cooling; let them cool completely before handling.
• Overbaking: use the stated 15–20-minute range and check the cookies as they approach the end of that time.
• Drizzling thick chocolate: melt it with about 2 tablespoons of water and reheat it if it cools too much.
• Discarding the offcuts: return the surrounding dough to the remaining mixture and reuse it.

How to store

Once the chocolate has set, store the cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Their crumbly texture means they are best handled gently; the recipe does not specify a storage duration.

Frequently asked questions