Caramel Pretzel Cookies with Otto's Naturals Grain-Free Cookie Mix!

I was so excited when Otto's Naturals reached out to send me some of their new, grain-free cookie mix! When they released it, I immediately looked at the ingredients list and thought, "what a perfect mix for a school treat!" A lot of my usual paleo baking has some type of nut in the flour blend, I always like to throw in a little almond flour for some healthy fat when I'm doing higher sugar items! Unfortunately, that means a lot of my baking isn't safe for things like school parties or school friends! You never know about allergies, and sometimes people aren't expecting almond flour in everything!

Cassava flour is made from Yucca root, and Otto's is the most thorough and patient in their extraction processes! They don't cut corners, and this means the cassava flour they produce has a mild taste and light texture, similar to all-purpose flour. It truly is the best option if you want to do a 1:1 grain-free swap. I also love that it is a single ingredient, top 8 allergen free, and easy to add to pretty much anything! It's really helped in trying to keep a grain-free lifestyle fun for Brant. He truly can't indulge in grains, "even just once" without experiencing horrid symptoms. Otto's has become his best friend too!

The cookie mix comes together so easily. Melted butter (or coconut oil), a single egg, and vanilla is all you need to add, but you can add up to 1 cup of your own add ins! In this recipe, I processed 1/2 cup of FitJoy Brand Grain-Free pretzels until they were the consistency of graham cracker crumbs. You could use any gluten-free or plain pretzels you'd like, we obviously chose the grain-free variety due to family allergies!

I also whipped up the caramel myself, which sounds like its a complicated feat but I promise you it's simple, to avoid grains and highly processed syrups. The caramel comes together by boiling coconut milk, coconut sugar, 3 tablespoons of butter or ghee, and 1 tsp vanilla until "softball" stage, about 235F with a candy thermometer. It's called "softball" because you should be able to drip your caramel in a cup of water and have it remain in a soft ball, rather than disintegrate. You can test your caramel this way as well, if you're without a candy thermometer.

You boil the caramel down for about 20-30 minutes, it is a bit lengthy in time and a bit scary. Things look like you're going to ruin or burn your caramel, but keep going. It's supposed to bubble and boil!

I justified the homemade caramel because the cookies are an under 5 minute process to stir up, haha! Plus, what a special cookie right?

I'm promptly delivering these to my friends because I've been recipe testing WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR lately. Get ready for greens on greens on cruciferous vegetables next week!

Click on this banner to head to Otto's Naturals' website and snag their 4-pack of cookie mixes! Definitely the type of thing you want on hand in your pantry!

I love using Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour in my kitchen! It is the best quality and consistency available on the market. When you're trying to make your favorite recipes grain-free, that matters! Follow the link to purchase. Full Disclosure: I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when purchases are made through this link.

Enjoy!