Paleo Brownie Avocado Cookies

I guess I like to experiment with chocolate and avocado, as there's a pattern forming here (see my Creamy Avocado Chocolate Pudding)!

These cookies are lovely. They're soft and slightly chewy like brownies, not overly sweet, and extremely dark and chocolatey. They contain three superfoods: avocados, cocoa, and walnuts, so they're good for you!

I couldn't decide if I wanted to make spicy cookies or nutty cookies, so I'm giving ingredients and directions for both. Feel free to experiment with other add-ins, and if you do, then please share what you did!

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2 very ripe (but not brown) avocados

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 tsp cayenne powder

Whip avocados and maple syrup with an electric hand mixer until smooth.

Add vanilla and eggs, mix well.

Combine cocoa powder with baking soda and incorporate it into the avo mixture, stirring until well combined.

Divide the batter evenly into two small mixing bowls.

To one bowl add the cayenne and mix well, then stir in the chocolate chunks.

To the other bowl add the walnuts and stir to mix them in evenly.

Choose a bowl. Spoon 2-Tbsp mounds of batter, spaced an 1.5 inches apart, onto a lined cookie sheet. This will make approximately 8 cookies.

Choose the other bowl. Do the same with that batter on the other lined cookie sheet.

The cayenne and chocolate chunk cookies will take approximately 10 minutes to bake. When you pull them out of the oven they'll look slightly underdone in the middle. This is okay: they'll firm up a bit as they cool. Cool them on wire racks.

The walnut cookies will take a couple of minutes longer. I'm not really sure why, but so it is. So bake those ones for approximately 12-13 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool on wire racks.

You'll want to eat these fairly quickly, methinks. This is my first experiment with avocado in cookies, and I don't yet know how to store them, or how long they'll last in a hostage (covered container) situation. So just eat them, okay?

I'm thinking I should have added some cinnamon to the cayenne cookies for an extra kick, but they're also really nice just as they are!