Cacao Nib Cookies: The Less-Sweet Cousins of Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently went on vacation to Peru – which is a magical country. The people are friendly, the historic sites are majestic, and there is a lot of “verve.” I strongly urge you to go. One highlight, of course, was the food. Peruvian cuisine is, of course, well known for its artful use of native and introduced foodstuffs. But what I find interesting about Peru is how it was very much the cradle – or a cradle – of many of the foods we enjoy in the modern world today: including tomatoes, potatoes, and chocolate. Though cacao is more commonly associated with pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, it was actually first domesticated and grown in what is now the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador and Peru. Cacao is still grown in the region, and Peru is one of the top ten cacao growers in the world.

While there, I went on a “chocolate production experience” – where I got to learn a bit more about cacao nibs. These are bits of cracked, roasted cacao beans that have not yet been processed into chocolate. They have a bitter, nutty, complex flavor that is deep and still chocolatey. Learning about chocolate and cacao in Peru was very interesting – and I enjoyed tasting the different “terroirs” of different cacao beans.

After this experience, I brought back a kilo (2.2 pounds) of cacao nibs. Enter the experimentation.

Many people use cacao nibs as a substitute for chocolate chips in cookie recipes. Most of their cookie recipes, though, are quite complicated, or tend to use a lot of other specialty ingredients (to some of which I am allergic). Instead, I wanted to make a simple recipe with the cacao nibs that highlighted their savory nature, but was still friendly and approachable. Hence these cookies – which I have based on other cookies I have made before.

I have made these cookies several times now, and I really enjoy them. They are akin to a less-sweet cousin to a chocolate chip cookie, and the cacao nibs add a pleasant nuttiness. Many of the “taste-testers” who tried this recipe over several renditions over the past few weeks made similar comments to me. I hope you enjoy these cookies too.

Cacao Nib Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter or a butter substitute, softened

1 cup sugar (you can reduce this if you wish)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

½ teaspoon salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup crushed cacao nibs

1. Preheat your oven to 375F/190C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until well combined and beginning to get fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Add the flour mixture and the cacao nibs to the butter mixture and mix to form a dough.
5. Let the dough rest for five minutes.
6. Place walnut-sized balls on the cookie sheet, about 2 inches/5 centimeters apart.
7. Bake for 11 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let sit on the cookie sheet for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Thank you to my co-congregants at Mishkan Torah synagogue, many friends, and my colleagues for participating in User Acceptance Testing for this recipe.