Oy. This bread. I lost count of the trials it took before finally landing on a version I wanted to share. I don't really know what to call it, either. It's not traditional Irish soda bread, but it's not really like other types of bread or baked goods.

It falls in between Irish soda bread, drop biscuits, cornbread, and scones. That's why I finally decided on Irish Soda Bread-ish. Just like I'm Ir-ish.

I am also this funny in person.

Irish Soda Bread {ish} | edibleperspective.com

I started out making this bread with almond flour, millet flour, and sorghum flour. The flavor was great but the texture just wasn't doing it for me. It was slightly gritty/grainy and turned slightly paste-like as you chewed. That sounds absolutely horrible. It was more than edible but just not what I wanted.

I then switched the almond flour to almond meal for a little more heartiness and swapped millet flour for out flour. The millet was definitely contributing to the grainy texture but the oat flour helped soften things up. Most gluten-free soda bread recipes call for starch and xanthan gum, which is probably what helps gives it a more traditional soda bread texture. While I have no problem with those ingredients, I try to bake using only whole-grain/nut flours as much as possible. I was determined to do what I could with the almond meal, oat flour, and sorghum flour.

Typically, Irish soda bread recipes also call for kneading the dough. But when I limited the amount of buttermilk to the point where I could knead the dough, it created a way-to-dense and dry loaf. Those were not edible.

I found that folding the wet and dry together worked the best. You don't want to overwork this dough. The ingredients should be just combined before scooping into the pan.

The dough is quite shaggy and on the sticky side, for sure. It has a lot of airiness to it, so be gentle when you transition it to the pan. If you spread it firmly to the edges the air pockets will fill and you'll have a much denser loaf. When you move it to the pan you barely have to do anything at all. A few light taps to help it spread and you're good to go.

It comes together in under 10 minutes and then takes about 30 minutes to bake. Definitely an easy bread to make and a fabulous breakfast option. It's very low in sugar and has a good bit of protein and fiber from the whole-grain (and almond) flours.

So what's the best topping for this non-traditional Irish soda bread?

Butter + jam.

Simply the best.

I have eaten my weight in this bread. I mean, really. It was bad. But oh so good.

While this may not be traditional Irish Soda Bread, I think you'll still approve.

Print Recipe!

Irish Soda Bread-ish

gluten-free

1 cup gluten-free oat flour
1 cup almond meal
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sorghum flour
2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or other granulated sugar)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold butter
1 large egg + 1 yolk
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450° F. Grease a 9-inch cast iron pan or pie dish.

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir together until combined. Chop butter and cut in to the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until evenly distributed and crumbly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. (Be sure oven is fully preheated before mixing wet and dry. As soon as the dough is mixed and placed in the pan it needs to go in the oven.) Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Fold the dry and wet ingredients together with a wooden spoon until you no longer see dry flour. Avoid over-stirring.

Hold the bowl over your pan and gently push the dough into the center of the pan. It should be sticky and thick. Gently tap (do not pack down or firmly spread -- work lightly) the center of the dough to help it spread towards the outer edges of the pan. The dough should be about 1 inch from the outer edge. The dough will be very shaggy with an airy feel.

Bake at 450° for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake for 20-25 minutes. Bread shoudl be golden brown on the top and edges and when you tap it should sound sort of hollow and feel set.

Let cool for 10 minutes then slice while warm and top with butter and jam. Let fully cool before storing. Bread loses outer crustiness once stored.

Notes:

I highly recommend making this recipe exactly as stated above for the best texture outcome.
I like using Kerrygold butter here but regular butter will also do!

A large hunk of this bread, warmed, with 2-3 drippy eggs = breakfast perfection.

Ashley

Let’s get right down to business today. I know you most likely don’t have a ton of time to be reading blogs this week, and I definitely do not blame you!

You’re most likely…

on winter break
at work with a million things to finish up
cuddling with your kiddos
trying to finish shopping
taking an internet break

But I just HAD TO share these cookies. I haven’t stopped thinking about them (or eating them) since last Friday. I promise they are the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookies you have ever tasted.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

They’re a riff from last year’s chocolate chip cookies with pistachios and orange zest. I forgot how incredible the base chocolate chip cookie is. You will never, ever, ever (promise!) guess these are gluten-free. They are my dream cookie texture.

They’re thick, chewy, and super nutty from my favorite flour combination, oat flour and almond meal. And then to make things a little more exciting they’re studded with THREE different mix-ins.

One of which you may have seen me post about on instagram last week.

It starts with coconut butter.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

The coconut butter is mixed with just a few ingredients to create COCONUT BUTTER CHIPS. This was one of my most exciting discoveries in the kitchen in quite some time.

I wasn’t sure if they’d hold up in the cookies or not but they did and way better than expected. I thickened them up with some cashew butter + homemade powdered sugar.

I tried making the coconut butter chips twice. The second time I added unsweetened shredded coconut for more coconut flavor, but they ended up slightly crumbly. They still cut into chunks but flaked more easily. Both batches were great but the original had less crumbs, so that is the recipe I’ll give you below. If you’d like to add shredded coconut, simply mix in 1/4 cup. They’re both excellent!

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

Print Recipe!

Coconut Butter Chips

gluten free, dairy free

1/2 cup melted coconut butter
2 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil
2 tablespoons creamy cashew butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Line an 8x4 pan with parchment or wax paper. Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Pour into the pan, smooth out, and freeze for about 15-20 minutes, or until solid. Pull out from the pan and place on a cutting board. Chop into chunks (typical chocolate chunk size or slightly larger). Store in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Notes:

Can be baked into cookies, eaten alone, or topped on things like oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, etc.

There are no subs for coconut butter. Click link above for a detailed how-to.

You can make your own sugar easily with pure cane sugar (or white sugar). Place 1 cup in a blender with 1 tablespoon of arrowroot starch and blend until soft. Store in a sealed container. I typically like to use coconut sugar or sucanat to make powdered sugar but wanted to keep the white color for the chips.

You can use creamy (not overly oily) almond butter. I used cashew butter to keep the chips lighter in color.

Add in 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut if desired. They will be slightly crumblier when chopped.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

And then there’s the crushed candy cane. I buy hippy-dip, natural candy canes (that I love!) and thought they’d be a fun, holiday mix-in. You can definitely incorporate these into the dough, but I pressed a few pieces on top of each cookie before baking.

I don’t think I mentioned the brown butter yet…

So, yeah. Brown butter. It adds an extra layer of richness that you definitely don’t want to miss out on.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

I must admit I’m fully obsessed with the coconut butter chips. I have a jar leftover in the fridge that I constantly snack on throughout the day.

I’ve also plunked a few on top of my morning oatmeal and watched them slowly melt into a puddle of coconut deliciousness. Highly recommend.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

Sea salt on top, of course. It’s the perfect contrast to the sweet chocolate chips + candy cane pieces.

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

Is it weird if I beg you to make these?

MAKE THESE!!!

And then snap a photo and instagram them with the #edibleperspective !

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes | edibleperspective.com

Print Recipe!

adapted from my: gluten-free chocolate chip cookies with pistachios

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chips Cookies with Coconut Butter Chips + Candy Canes

gluten-free // yields appx. 30-40 cookies

for the cookies:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons brown butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup packed muscovado sugar, or brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons natural creamy cashew butter, or almond butter
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup coconut butter chips, refer to beginning of post
crushed candy cane pieces
large flaked sea salt

In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, almond meal, oats, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, pour the melted (and mostly cooled) butter and whisk together with the sugar, maple syrup, and cashew butter until well combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated. Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and stir with a fork and/or your hands until fully combined and stiff. Mix in the chocolate chips and coconut butter chips (if using). The dough will be tacky and thick. Cover with plastic-wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight (don’t skip).

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spoon some of the dough into your hand and pack/roll into about a 1 1/2-inch ball (does not need to be smooth). Place on a nonstick baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough leaving 2-inches between each cookie. Lightly press some of the crushed candy cane pieces into the top of each cookie (do not flatten). Alternatively, you can mix in 1/2 – 3/4 cup crushed candy cane pieces into the dough. Sprinkle with large flaked sea salt (optional, but recommended.)

Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes depending on desired doneness. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before eating. Cookies firm as they cool. Once fully cooled store in a sealed bag or container on the counter.

Notes:

If you don’t want to make brown butter, simply sub 6 tablespoons melted butter.
If you want to keep these standard chocolate chip cookies up the chocolate chips to 1 cup and leave out the coconut butter chips and candy canes.
I’m not sure if melted coconut oil will work with these or not. They may need an extra tablespoon or so of oat flour if they seem too sticky.
Avoid cashew or almond butter that is overly oily. If oily, be sure to fully incorporate before using.
How to make Brown Butter: Heat a light colored saucepan [so you can see when it browns] over medium/medium-low heat with 1 stick of butter cut into tablespoon sized pieces. Let melt then start whisking constantly. While you whisk the butter will start to foam, then simmer, then turn clear, and then foam a bit more and eventually little brown bits will start to show up after a few minutes. When brown bits start to form remove the pan from the heat and continue to whisk for another 30 seconds. Pour into a jar, let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate or use in its liquid form. You’ll definitely be able to see and smell [very rich and nutty] when the butter starts to brown. Do not try and speed the process with a higher temperature or it will burn. You want golden brown liquid, not at all blackened.