Trying to cut carbs, but can’t shake your sweet tooth?

If you’re looking for ways to make your diet moreketo-compliant, you’re not alone. 

Millions are right there with you trying to reduce the carbohydrate content of their diets. 

But what if you still need a sweet treat to satisfy that craving deep down in your soul? 

We know how this feels, as if you have been waiting years for the heavens to open up and drop down precious manna. But fear not, lover of sweets – this article will provide you with the saintly wisdom you need to have your cake (or cookies, in this case) and eat it, too.

There are plenty of reasons to reduce the amount of carbs that you eat on a daily basis, especially refined ones. Sugar in various forms – glucose, fructose and sucrose in particular – is a major component in the foods you probably consume throughout your week. 

Bread, fruit, potatoes, and, of course, sweets, are all abundant sources of carbohydrates in one form or another. When you are looking to shed a few pounds, cutting down on carbs can help. Carbs aren’t the devil, but many Americans give their bodies far more carbs, especially in less-than-ideal forms, than they actually need. 

If you are sticking to a strictketogenic, or very low carb, diet, but still want a delicious dessert to enjoy,Nunbelievable is here for some delicious moral support on your journey. 

One of the most often-craved treats for many is the classicchocolate chip cookie. In this article, we’ll walk you through some important guidelines for making your own keto-friendly chocolate chip cookies at home. Follow these commandments, and you’ll make the nuns proud.

Commandment 1: Honor thy nut-based flours.

One of the components of a cookie that often accounts for a large portion of its carbohydrate content is the flour used to make its dough. The average cookie is usually made with wheat-based flour or perhaps a combination of multiple grains like barley or oats. 

For those who cannot eat gluten, there are several forms ofgluten-free cookie dough, such as the divine dough used inNunbelievable’s double chocolate cookies, which is made of a combination of brown and white rice. 

When you are aiming to make your daily carb count the lowest it can possibly be but stillneed some sweetness in your life, these grain-based flours are probably not the best option for your homemade cookies. 

Instead of using grain-based flour for your keto-friendly chocolate chip cookies, opt for almond or coconut flour instead. 

Almond flour is often favored by adherents to the keto diet thanks to its low carb content and versatility. Almond flour can be used for making pastries, cookies, cake, and bread that is lower in carbs than its grain-based counterparts.

Commandment 2: Thou shall not forget the sugar-free chocolate chips.

Another major source of carbohydrates in chocolate chip cookies is, of course, the chocolate chips. Without these delicious little morsels, though, a chocolate chip cookie would lose its identity, stuck forever in a dismal purgatory. 

So, how can a peaceful reconciliation be made between the necessity for chocolate chips and the desire to adhere faithfully to a ketogenic diet? 

Easy: sugar-free chocolate chips. Can we get ahallelujah? 

When you need to keep your chocolate chip cookies low in sugar, using dark chocolate chips with no sweetener added is a wise and discerning move.

Dark chocolate chips are an acquired taste, to be sure, but their richness and unmistakable chocolatey flavor make them powerful contenders to put up against standard milk chocolate chips.

If you are planning on sticking with a keto diet for a while, make sure to make the most of dark chocolate. The sugar content of standard milk chocolate will make it hard to fit into your extremely low-carb regimen, but dark chocolate and keto are fast friends. 

Pairing a non-grain-based flour with sugar-free dark chocolate chips will keep the carb count on your keto cookies low, letting you enjoy them without guilt.

Commandment 3: Thou shalt use stevia.

When your cookies need some extra sweetness but sugar isn’t an option, stevia becomes your new best friend. This naturally-derived sweetener is virtually free of carbs, making it the favorite of keto adherents everywhere. 

Stevia is often used in prepackaged keto desserts, but you can also get it at the grocery store to use in your at-home baking escapades.

It is important to consider, however, that many chocolate chip cookies have sweeteners in them that contribute to not just their taste, but their texture as well. 

If you choose to bake with stevia, you may need to add something to your cookies that will help them retain a desirable texture and stay firm without being rock-hard. Fortunately, this is where our next commandment comes in.

Commandment 4: Thou shalt have no other gums before xanthan gum. 

You may have heard of xanthan gum at some point, perhaps from reading the nutrition facts label of a keto-friendly dessert. Based on the name alone, it doesn’t exactly sound like something you would want to eat. 

However, don’t let the name scare you away – xanthan gum just might be your keto chocolate chip cookies’ saving grace.

In many keto-friendly desserts, xanthan gum acts as a bonding agent that helps your cookies get that oh-so-nice texture that you want them to have. Xanthan gum is well worth keeping in your home if you do lots of baking, and it also has plenty of other uses. 

Just a fraction of a teaspoon of xanthan gum added to a blended drink like a smoothie, or to a homemade sauce or dressing or many other concoctions can make a big difference in terms of texture.

Xanthan gum is flavorless and has no carbohydrate content in it, meaning you don’t have to worry about it messing with your keto diet. 

Instead, it simply gives your cookies that much-needed boost in their integrity. Consider this: if the walls of Jericho had been made with xanthan gum, they may not have come tumbling down when that guy Joshua walked around them (kidding, kidding!). 

Commandment 5: Thou shalt keep it simple.

When baking, there is often a temptation to overwhelm your recipe with extra ingredients. Many at-home bakers like to drop a few nuts or pieces of dried fruit into their homemade treats, giving them a bit more of that wholesome, granola-esque taste.

However, when you are baking keto-friendly chocolate chip cookies, simplicity is the way to go. 

Nuts, fruit and other extras can quickly add up and make the carbohydrate content of each cookie much higher than you would want. It’s a small sacrifice to make for a cookie that helps you stick to your culinary convictions, but when you’re trying to keep to a keto diet, the simpler the better.

Commandment 5: Thou shalt not feel guilt or shame for wanting dessert! 

When you have a major sweet tooth, it’s often easy to chastise yourself. “I just don’t have enough willpower,” you might say. Cookie-lover, this should not be. 

Instead of guilting yourself because of your righteous hunger for a treat, commend yourself for your appreciation of the things in life that bring you joy.

It’s not a sin to love dessert.The keto diet is a challenge for many, and tests the willpower of even the strongest and most disciplined individuals. Plus, as proven by the heavenly cookies baked byNunbelievable, a cookie can do the world a great deal of good. 

Dessert is one of those little parts of life to savor, embrace and enjoy. If you don’t, you just might find yourself guiltily cramming in an entire tray of cookies tomorrow night after hours of straining to stop yourself from simply enjoying one. 

Oftentimes, the more food restrictions you impose upon yourself, the easier it is to cave and end up binging on treats, leaving you feeling sick and needlessly guilty.

Instead, make a conscious effort to enjoy dessert and to savor the joy it brings you, even when you are on a keto diet. Dessert is good for your soul, and a treat every once in a while won’t hurt your body, either. 

As with so many things in life, enjoying sweets is all about moderation and being present in the moment. So, go ahead and make those cookies!

(Or, just buy some... each keto-friendly chocolate chip cookie you buy from Nunbelievable is one meal donated to feed the hungry --learn more by clicking here!)

Sources:

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19434332/what-is-the-keto-diet/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/style/self-care/keto-diet-explained-benefits.html

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101