I originally named these Almond Ecstasy because Almond Joy is already taken. And to be quite honest, these little guys produce some emotions that go a little bit beyond joy. I mean, they have COFFEE in them for heaven’s sake! These are a nice little treat for coffee time, snack time, movie time, post-workout time. Pretty much anytime.

These cookies are a spin on an earlier post, Rosemary Pecan Cookies. So go check that out if you’re not into chocolate and coconut. But if you’re not into chocolate and coconut, I seriously question your priorities.

Note: These are not very sweet so you may increase the sweetener if you so desire. For all the hardcore paleo people, these actually might be perfect for you and your newfound taste buds. It’s amazing really, as you start to eat less and less refined foods, especially refined sugars, you discover that many foods are inherently sweet without adding anything! I swear, sometimes I am blown away by the sweetness of an apple, a yam, or even 72% dark chocolate. I can’t even touch the stuff anymore. It’s 85 % or higher for me or I start buzzing like a sugar bee. I’m not saying this to brag, I just want to assure all you “sweet-tooth’s” out there, that it really is possible to re-train your tastes to be satisfied with naturally sweet foods. I don’t mean naturally “sweetened” foods like cookies, cakes, and bars sweetened with honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or stevia. I just mean the naturally occurring sugar in fruits and vegetables. If you’ve gone a long time without sweetened foods and drinks, you know what I mean. It’s an amazing feeling when you reach the point when you can bite into a carrot and are consciously aware of how sweet it tastes. Good on ya!

Coffee Almond Bites

1.5 c. almond meal
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. coffee grounds
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350

   

2. In a bowl, mix together all ingredients (If you want to get fancy, you can mix the dry ingredients separate from the wet, but I’ve found that in this recipe, it doesn’t matter much since we’re not using egg).

   

3. Drop a tablespoon of batter on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for  about 7 mins. The bottom will brown even though the cookie may seem to soft. Take them out and as they cool, they will firm up!

   

4. Enjoy with your morning coffee 🙂