Gluten-Free Bourbon Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love the warming spices inside a great glass of bourbon. Same for strong notes of vanilla and chocolate together. While you could eat chocolate chip cookies while sipping a whiskey, this cookie recipe is just as good! This recipe uses Ryze flour and Enjoy Life Foods baking chocolate.

And before you come to comment about how hard liquor isn’t safe for those with celiac, “OMG IS BOURBON GLUTEN FREE? IS WHISKEY GLUTEN FREE?,” let’s chat a little about the science of distillation here. Yes, have a shot of (good) whiskey and celebrate.

PIN IT FOR LATER

I’ve been making these cookies for months, and have made even a paleo version (it wasn’t that great) and one stuffed to the brim with pecans for a nut-lover. This, however, is just the basic recipe. But it’s just a modified version of one of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes I’ve found so far – and it’s just a recipe on the back of a flour bag!

I’ve been making these chocolate chip cookies off of the Ryze Gluten Free Flour Blue Bag bag. You can buy the Ryze flour off of Amazon (through my affiliate link so I can get a cat-food kick back). The flour is just rice flour, but some how it makes the most perfect chewy, melty, chocolate chip cookies from this recipe. I have used the flour in other ways, and I honestly like this recipe the best – then again, anything chocolate chip cookie wins me over any time.

The addition of the powdered vanilla and bourbon to their original recipe give it a kick of vanilla that is paired so eloquently with the subtle taste of bourbon. Now, if you really want to go overboard, I did make a few batches with up to 1/4 cup of whiskey (or more – I don’t know, maybe I was drinking when I made it – that whiskey is so good). But this recipe is the best for all tastes – even if you don’t like whiskey. And trust me, this won’t be the only recipe that you’ll use the powdered vanilla for – that stuff is legit. I know, it’s a bit expensive at around $25 a bottle, but it’s a must-have in my baking cabinet.

FIND THE FULL RECIPE + INSTRUCTIONS HERE

Here’s my modified recipe to make these cookies!

• 2 cups RYZE Blue Flour Blend (make sure you spoon it in!)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks) at room temperature (I used Earth Balance sticks)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I used Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract – Amazon link
• 1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla powder – Amazon link
• 2 tablespoons whiskey/bourbon (use the good stuff like Westward Whiskey from House Spirits)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs (I used egg replacer – Bob’s Red Mill – Amazon link)
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Foods baking chocolate chunks and chips)
• 1 package Enjoy Life Foods Valentine’s Day minis (for topping when pulled out of the oven, slightly cooled).

Follow the Ryze chocolate chip cookie instructions as follow:

• Line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the RYZE Blue Flour Blend and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the salt and liquid vanilla and beat. Add the two sugars, along with the powdered vanilla and the bourbon. Beat well until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs and beat. Add half of the flour mixture at a time, beating after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Drop cookie dough using a cookie scoop (I use OXO medium cookie scoop – Amazon affiliate link) about 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until bottoms are golden browned. Remove from the oven and place on cookie racks. **Don’t place the Enjoy Life Foods Chocolate Minis on top of the cookie right out of the oven, or it will melt too quickly. You want to wait a few minutes for when the cookie is just hot enough to melt the bottom of the chocolate to keep its hold to the cookie. Feel free to make these just using the baking chips, if you’re not a choc-o-holic like I am.**

I partnered with Enjoy Life Foods to create this recipe using their chips and chocolate minis, now available for Valentine’s Day! Each package contains a cute Valentine’s themed cut-out that you can place on windows or on DIY cards.

Buy these adorable Valentine’s Day packages of minis online now! 

If you like the Valentine’s Day printables I used in these photos in this blog post, you can find the downloadable PDF HERE! Thanks to Enjoy Life Foods for providing these sweet Valentine’s Day cards that are perfect for sharing these bite-sized minis!

If you’re looking for MORE gluten-free Valentine’s Day recipes using Enjoy Life Foods, here’s a few of my favorite from other gluten-free bloggers:

gF Jules: GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES

My Gluten-Free Kitchen: VALENTINE’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

My Gluten-Free Kitchen: CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY MOUSSE PIE {GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE}

Flippin’ Delicious:  GLUTEN FREE COOKIE DOUGH BROWNIE TRUFFLES

Gluten-Free Palate: HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Eat At Our Table: GF DF MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR TWO

Meaningful Eats: DAIRY FREE CHOCOLATE FONDUE

Allergy Free Alaska: TWO INGREDIENT CHOCOLATES

If you’re looking for any other recipes using Enjoy Life Foods baking chocolate, check out my blog post highlighting my favorite blogger recipes using their baking chocolate!

This recipe is sponsored by Enjoy Life Foods. Thank you Enjoy Life!