In my experience, there have been a number of products where the directions are less than perfect. Some have been outright wrong. However, there are some products where the directions could have been written a bit clearer which includes this Trader Joe's Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix.
Making these
So as a part-food writer, foodie at heart let's go over some basics of recipes. Most of us do it wrong.
What I mean by that is most of us read the directions as we go. So we get the ingredients out and don't always manage the read the directions all the way through. Or worse, we make assumptions about what should go in when. However, in reality, a recipe should be read first and then read a second time for follow-through.
This is one of those products that if you don't read the directions, this product won't work for you. When it first debuted I was shocked to see people complaining of it failing.
Usually, mixes should go 1-2-3. However, with a mix, it is easy to assume that every ingredient goes in and you pop it in the oven and in 10 minutes you'll get the pictured cookies.
So here is how I foresee a few people seeing the directions: Add 3 tablespoon butter or oil, 2 teaspoon vanilla extra, and 3 tablespoon milk to mix.
In reality, if I could reword what you need to do, it would read something like this add 3 tablespoon butter or oil, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon milk + 2 tablespoon more if necessary until it looks like a dough.
The vast majority of the complaints are going to come from the confusion about the milk. I found that after 1 tablespoon of almond milk it looked like familiar cookie dough.
That's when I didn't add in the other 2 as they weren't necessary.
Now, this is an interesting item because when I originally reviewed Trader Joe's Almond Flour it already had a chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back. Granted the one on the back wasn't vegan, but it was still gluten-free.
Review & Taste
And what came out of the oven was good chocolate chip cookies for gluten-free cookies. There was a difference but nothing major.
But as non-gluten-free individual I thought this product is kind of redundant. We already had something similar to the recipe on the bag of almond flour. To be honest, I liked that recipe better. This mix is quicker but not by much.
But this mix won't save you if you just dump everything you think you should in.
But the cookies were on the soft side so if you like crispy leave them in for another minute or two.
Overall
For $4.99 for a mix that makes just 12 cookies, it isn't going to save you that much. You'll be able to make far more cookies from the bag of almond flour in the same aisle.
Would I buy this again? Trader Joe's Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix is a pass from me.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Product Photos
The box of Trader Joe's Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix:
Calories and ingredients
Instructions
After being cooked you get:
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
Trader Joe's Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix
Product Name: Trader Joe's Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix
Product Description: Trader Joe's Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix is a new gluten-free and vegan cookie mix that comes together quite easily.
Price: $4.99
Currency: USD
Availability: InStoreOnly
Summary
Trader Joe's Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix is easy as 1-2-3 as long as you read the directions first
-
Taste
-
Value
-
Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Makes cookies quicker than your oven can pre-heat
- If you don't read the directions, this might turn out terrible.
Cons
- Pricey for just a dozen cookies
Alek says
At least it nice offering for the gluten free & vegan crowd. I could foresee this being converted to bar shape. Or even teeny snack size.
Melly says
Did you like the taste and texture though?
becomebetty says
Hey Melly! It wasnt bad. Texture is par for a cookie and the taste was ok. I still preferred the original almond flour recipe on the back of the bag.
Robin says
Thanks for review. I always have almond flour on hand and wondered if this was worth splurge (I would use Splenda since I have keep my carbs low).
Think I will try the recipe on the flour.
Harmony B says
As a gluten free vegan, I found these easy and delicious. Yes, the recipe was a bit misleading, but you can't get the same from the recipe on the back of the almond flour. Vegan is pretty hard to sub and taste good, so this mix is fantastic! I ate all 12 cookies myself in less than 4 days. I had to pace myself. I have been GF for 15 years so trust me, this mix is a game changer.
becomebetty says
Hey Harmony! Thanks for adding this. Glad to hear you enjoyed this mix. Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to stop by and share!
Lee says
I've learned to read all the directions before starting a recipe, so I saw that it might not need all the milk. I didn't follow the instructions in that I added a glob of cream cheese (1/4 cup?) and one egg yolk as well as 1/2 cup (guessing) of nuts and 1/4 cup (another guess) full sized chocolate chips, and I sprinkled the cookies with salt flakes. Oh, and I browned the butter lightly when I melted it. I got 30 two-inch cookies that were light textured, soft on the inside, and a little crispy on the outside. I'm was on a girl's weekend in the desert (used all 3 Tbs. of milk) so I didn't want to spend a lot of time on a fresh baked treat. t took me about fifteen minutes to get them in the oven, and they were perfect. I ate too many while they were cooling. I'll buy this mix again for convenience, and I'm happy there is no grain flour, and no xanthan gum.
becomebetty says
Hey Lee! Thanks so much for sharing. I know this is sold as being vegan, but it is so wonderful to hear how people are making it and making it work for them. Thanks again for sharing!
Justine says
I made these cookies today. I read the milk part after adding all 3 tablespoons. Why should the recipe be as needed? They should determine the amount. Anyway, I thought through batter looked too runny but to my surprise they came out looking perfect. I used 3 TBS of good earth vegan butter (did not melt it) and used oat milk for the non-dairy milk. My husband and I both liked them but thought they needed a little more sugar. They are made with coconut sugar so they taste less sweet. The chocolate chip look tiny in the mix but they taste very chocolatey.
becomebetty says
Hey Justine! Thanks for sharing!
Ronda Hoxsie says
I made this mix as I needed something quick to take to a dinner. The hostess can not eat eggs and I've been GF for 13 years. Everyone loved the cookies. Not too overly sweet which was nice. I would make them again.
becomebetty says
Hey Ronda! Thanks for sharing!
Shannon says
Made these today. Guess I didn't read the part about the milk. Just added everything in, stirred, scooped & baked. Cookies are super soft & stuck a bit to my cooling rack. Oops.
Not a fan of the price. Cookies tasted okay. These cookies are better than giving up chocolate chip cookies altogether. I might try adding chopped walnuts next time, if I buy this mix again.
Cookie Monster says
I agree with this review! Unforch I blindly followed the measurements and it was too wet so I added some extra almond flour I had left over luckily. I didn’t add that much for it to be the excuse that these were bland. Also I was shocked how small the bag was that I pulled out of the box twice it’s size?! Did not make many cookies. Not worth it.
Meg says
Have bought the box and made these several times... VERY good low sugar cookies. I add extra dark chocolate chips, and I melt half coconut oil/ half butter. Amazing.
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing Meg!