Caramelized shiitake pieces masquerade as chocolate chips, but feel more like dried fruit when you bite into them. The strong mushroomy taste is balanced with sweet-salty almond butter that makes it almost a savory treat. You can use rye instead of all-purpose flour for a slightly more crumbly texture, or substitute a gluten-free flour blend if you want. You can also add chocolate chips in addition to the shiitake, which will make the cookies sweeter and a little less weird. For more delicious recipes by Kate Ray, please follow her substack and IG!

Yield: 10 large or 20 small cookies
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the shiitake bits:
~15 large shiitake mushroom caps (300 grams), sliced into thin 1/2” long slices
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar

For the cookie dough:
½ cup (135 grams) natural almond butter, well combined (i.e. Justin’s)
½ cup (156 grams) maple syrup
½ cup (100 grams) white sugar
3 tablespoons (40 grams) refined coconut oil, melted
1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour*
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Additional crunchy salt for sprinkling

*Note: To make them gluten-free, substitute Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free flour

Method

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare 2 sheet trays with parchment.

Step 2 - Heat a large pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons oil and add the mushroom pieces. Let them sear until slightly brown, then agitate and keep cooking until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the salt and cook off they release water. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the sugar, which will dissolve quickly. Stir continuously until all the pieces are lightly browned (another 5 minutes) and cook out as much water as you can without burning. Set aside to cool.

Step 3 - In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, sugar, almond butter and coconut oil. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until uniform, then stir in the shiitake bits.

Step 4 - Scoop the dough with an ice cream scoop into 10 balls (75 grams each) and put 5 on each of the trays with 3” between each cookie to allow for spreading. Sprinkle crunchy salt on top.

Step 5 - Bake for 15-17 minutes (shorter if making smaller cookies), until the cookie edges are just getting brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely, then store lightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage.