Ruby Cacao Chip Valentine Cookies are a tasty way to enjoy ruby cacao chips and make a simple, rustic, heart-shaped cookie for Valentine’s Day. With only five ingredients other than the chips, this is a quick gluten-free cookie recipe to make for any day.
These six-ingredient Ruby Cacao Chip Cookies started out as a Paleo cookie, and I plan to make several Paleo versions of it. It's Valentine's day, though, and pink chocolate chips are too amazing to pass up!
Of course, adding the ruby cacao chips keeps it from being Paleo since they contain refined sugar. If you are not attached to the pink color, it’s easy to convert the recipe back to Paleo with cacao nibs.
But if you have been as fascinated as I have by the pink color and fruity flavor of ruby cacao, you might be tempted to throw a few of these chips into your otherwise healthy cookie.
Variations on this Cookie dough
- This cookie dough has a low quantity of added sugar to compensate for the sweetness of the ruby cacao chips.
- Although the dough recipe contains one egg, the recipe can be egg-free with a flax or chia egg.
- Depending on the amount of dough per cookie, they will be slightly crisp (¼ inch thick) to soft (½ inch).
What is ruby cacao?
If you are not familiar with ruby cacao, it’s not surprising, since it was only introduced in 2017 by the Callebaut chocolate company. It was in development since 2004, though.
In its article on the subject, Wikipedia notes that the exact production method is a secret but there is speculation that ruby cacao is from unfermented Brazil Lavados cacao beans, which are naturally pinkish and probably become more pink when citric acid is added to them.
Other than Callebaut, Chocolove bars and Kit Kat, there are few companies marketing the ruby cacao. In all cases, the products were much more expensive than what I bought at Sprouts. Someday, I'm picturing ruby cacao Oreos ....
Recommendations for Ruby Cacao Valentine Cookies
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Where do you buy ruby cacao?
I bought my ruby cacao chips from the bulk bins at Sprouts Market. At $11.99 per pound, I had to think twice about whether I wanted to spend that much. But after comparing them to Chocolove’s Ruby Cacao bars and any of Amazon's options, I rationalized that the chips were a little less pricey than any of those!
Ingredients for ruby cacao Valentine cookies
There are five ingredients other than the chips, which makes these quick and easy.
- almond flour
- coconut oil
- coconut sugar
- vanilla extract
- egg (or flax egg)
Once those ingredients are stirred together, fold in the ruby chips.
Tips for shaping ruby cacao chip cookies
Most chip cookies have a round shape from being rolled into smooth balls and then flattened. To make the heart shape, I pressed the same amount of cookie dough into my heart-shaped cookie cutter, then lifted the cutter off the cookie.
I used my 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to make the volume of each cookie about the same, though the presence of the chips made this a little challenging as they were unevenly distributed through the dough, even after stirring. 
Because the cacao chips were often close to the edge of the cookie cutter and kept the dough from being even at the edges, not all of the cookies were perfectly heart-shaped! But they are pretty close. Pat the edges down a bit after lifting the cookie cutter off to round the edges.
Tips for timing these ruby cacao cookies
Since there are so few ingredients, the mixing process is no more than 10 minutes, and a mixing bowl and spoon are just right for stirring them together. Placing each cookie on the baking sheet took another 10 minutes or so because of the time it takes to press each one into the cookie cutter.
As far as baking time, I adjust what would be about 10 minutes of baking at sea level to 12 minutes because of the high altitude here in Denver. Thinner cookies are done sooner and come out crisper. Any leftover cookies, even the crisper ones, will soften up when they are in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Thank you for the inspiration for this recipe from this site, which contains elimination diet and AIP recipes.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #amealinmind on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with. Thank you so much!!
Beth
Other cookie recipes you may enjoy
Raisin-Sweetened Oatmeal Cookies; Gluten-Free
Cranberry Almond-Flour Pinwheel Cookies
Pecan Almond Flour Red White and Blue Cookies
Almond Flour-Carob Pinwheel Cookies
Almond Flour Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies; GF
Ruby Cacao Chip Valentine Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Parchment
- Ruby Cacao Chips and Chocolove Bars
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar reduced from ¾ because of ruby chips
- 1 egg lightly beaten - flax egg also works great
- ½ cup coconut oil slightly melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups almond flour
- ½ cup ruby cacao chips plus extras to place on top of the cookies
Instructions
- Line cookie sheet with parchment, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In medium-sized bowl, stir almond flour and coconut sugar together.
- Stir in egg, coconut oil and vanilla until wet and dry ingredients are well mixed.
- Fold in ½ cup of ruby chips.
- Scoop by 2 tablespoonfuls into heart cookie cutter. Press evenly into the cookie cutter to fill out the heart shape. If you have large clumps of chips, you may want to redistribute them.
- Gently lift up on the cookie cutter to release the cookie, and pat the edges with your fingers to round them. Press extra ruby chips into the tops of the cookies.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown (12 minutes at high altitude).
- Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition information is an approximation, as always - in this case, because the Ruby Chocolate Chips were not found in the HappyForks.com database.
Please pin for later!
Elaine
I was looking for the perfect edible gift, and here it is! Just need to get a ribbon, and I am all set. Thank you!
Beth
Thanks, Elaine - I'm all for edible gifts these days, and so few people have tried of the ruby chips, so it's extra special!
Gloria
Just in time for Valentine's Day. I was just saying I need to make some heart cookies for the grandkids. Off to look up these super cute chips!!
Beth
These are such a fun variation on chocolate chip cookies, I hope your grandkids will enjoy them a lot. I hardly put any sugar into the ones I made for my grandson and he thought they were great!
Bernice Hill
Too cute! I have had ruby cacao before and it is so delicious and unique. I would love to try it in these cookies. Hopefully I can find the ruby cacao chips close to home.
Beth
Thanks, Bernice - I love the ruby cacao too with that fruity flavor. I'm hoping that since I found the chips at Sprouts it means they'll become more widely available.
Chef Dennis
Valentine's Day is coming and this is the moment for sweets like cookies! Your Ruby Cacao Chip Valentine Cookies recipe looks absolutely mouthwatering!
Beth
Thank you for that comment Dennis - these cookies are pretty addictive, and the ruby chips really put them over the top.
Aleta
Oh my gosh these are just adorable! I love that they are naturally sweetened coconut sugar; the only sugar I give my kids! They are going to have a blast making these cookies with me on Valentine's Day!
Beth
It sounds like such fun to make these cookies with your kids, and I hope they love them! Of course, I can only wish that one day we'll be able to get the ruby chips sweetened with coconut sugar too - we can dream.
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
These heart cookies are so adorable and also quite healthy. I would totally add the ruby cacao chips because they are delicious and so unique!
Beth
Nicoletta, thank you so much - these cookies are really tasty and a great way to enjoy the ruby chips (if you don't nibble them all first!)
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
What an adorable sweet treat! I love how cute these are! I've never used cacao chips before, but definitely willing to try!
Beth
Patricia, if you can find the ruby cacao chips it's fun just to figure out what they taste like - we think fruity. I hope you find a source!
Tammy
These sound so good! I love the heart shapes too..a perfect treat for Valentine's Day!
Beth
Thanks, Tammy - it's time for tasty heart-shaped things and these are so good.
Jo
Those cookies looks super cute! Love that these are gluten free cookies. With heart shapes, these cookies are super adorable treat for valentines day!
Beth
Thanks, Jo. It's so much fun to make heart-shaped treats for Valentine's Day plus the pink color is perfect.
Moop Brown
Before seeing this recipe, I'd never even heard of Ruby Cacao but I love the way it's used here for such tasty looking cookies!
Beth
Glad to show you something new and so I can also warn you it's pretty addictive. Thanks, Moop!