A Sweet Tooth Solution

As someone who’s lucky enough to eat pretty much anything she wants, I’m usually wary of products that are anything-free. In my experience, it’s just not the same without the fat and the sucrose. But I recently had the chance to try the sugar-free, gluten-free and preservative-free cookies from the New York-based Caveman Bakery—and I was shocked (in the best way possible!).

Focusing on all-natural sweets, Caveman Bakery follows the Paleolithic diet, based on the principle that people best digest food that was around before the relatively recent practice of agriculture—avoiding groups like grains and dairy. We can definitely appreciate this focus on healthy habits, especially at a time when allergies in children are on the rise.

Though not everyone agrees on what causes the intolerance to certain food groups, this increase in allergies has encouraged everyone to think more carefully about what we’re eating and has prompted more and more players in the food industry to cater better to various dietary restrictions. And while this “Caveman Diet” is a bit controversial in the
nutrition world, there’s no denying that all of us can benefit from consuming food that is less processed and contains fewer calories.

Now back to the cookies. I’d already read that the almond flour-based treats are naturally sweetened by honey, but it wasn’t until I tried it that I could believe it. True to the bakery’s claim, the cookies were incredibly dense and chewy—and
definitely as sweet and satisfying as cookies go.

With a generous dose of nutmeg and cinnamon, the Original cookie was almost like a disk of gingerbread, but much more moist. Made with hazelnut flour and carob, a chocolate substitute from a plant, the nutty Alpine cookie was vaguely reminiscent of a Ferrero Rocher with a bittersweet burnt sugar-like taste that I especially loved. The third and last Tropical cookie, enrobed with unsulfured coconut and macadamia nut, had a pleasantly strong ginger taste—not spicy, but nice and warm—perhaps a good way to introduce kids to the fiesty root.

At 65-75 calories each (depending on the variety), I really can’t complain about any of these—especially when all of them pass the taste test that many regular sugar- and butter-laden cookies don’t! Indulging my sweet tooth and supporting at local business at no big cost to my health? That’s a definite win in my book.

Small bag of cookies (contains 6), $5.45, cavemancookies.com