Olive Oil & Sea Salt Cookies

½ cup olive oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs or the equivalent egg substitute (see notes)

¾ cup flour or ¾ cup Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour or ¾ cup Trader Joe’s All Purpose GF flour or 3/4 cup of your favorite GF flour + ¼ tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour already contains)

¾ cup GF cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp hot water

½ tsp sea salt + more for sprinkling

1 ½ - 2 cups (10 oz bag) GF mini chocolate chips (you can use regular size GF chocolate chips or Hershey’s Sea Salt Caramel Baking Chips, 10 oz bag, or Kraft Caramel Bits*, 11 oz bag, chopped (*no gluten listed in ingredient list, but package NOT marked GF)

Mix olive oil & sugar until well combined at low-medium speed.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda & hot water. Set aside.

Whisk together cocoa, GF flour, xanthan gum & salt. Add to egg mixture & beat until dough forms.

Add baking soda mixture to dough.

Stir in chocolate (or caramel) chips.

Scoop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt.

Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes, until edges are set.

Cool 2-3 minutes on baking sheets.

Remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes: If you’re not used to working with cocoa powder, just know that it is dusty! So go easy when you scoop it into measuring cup & when you start mixing it.

I use Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, which usually works well for me. When I used the egg replacer in this recipe, I found that the dough did not stick together very well. The solution is to refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours after mixing it. The consistency is still not exactly like it is when real eggs are used, but you can squish it together in the palm of your hand & it will hold it’s shape. Then bake as per the instructions.