My wife and I also each tried an Enjoy Life "chocolate chip cookie" - I put the product name in quotes because what we ate was certainly not a chocolate chip cookie per my definition. These cookies are part of their on-the-go cookie packs product line, and come with two cookies per package. So, we each tried one. And, though they were acceptable as a snack, they are definitely different from a "normal" chocolate chip cookie. This is a softer type cookie - there is no crunchiness like you will find throughout, or at least around the edges of, a traditional Toll House cookie; but, on the flip side, there is also no gluten, dairy, or cholesterol, and very little saturated fat in the Enjoy Life version.

Reviewing a product like these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies is difficult for me, especially when gluten-free desserts are my area of expertise. When I think of chocolate chip cookies, I think of the traditional Toll House variety that I remember eating from when I was a child all the way through my mid-30's when I had to go gluten-free. I still remember the "real" ones rather clearly, and this makes evaluating a chocolate chip cookie that is not just gluten-free, but also allergen-free, really rough.

Consider the fact that a traditional Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe relies heavily on both gluten, eggs, and dairy to obtain it's distinctive flavor. In fact, I'd say that a lot of the flavor in a normal Toll House cookie is from the butter. A typical recipe will use 1 cup (yes 2 whole sticks of butter!) to achieve it's flavor, and such a recipe will yield 4-5 dozen cookies. So, when you are eating a Tablespoon of butter in every 3 cookies consumed (i.e., a Teaspoon of butter in each cookie!), the "real" chocolate chip cookie is bound to taste good!

So, Enjoy Life has to first remove this major component of chocolate chip cookies, and thus with it, they dramatically alter the flavor of what many would consider a "normal" chocolate chip cookie to be. If that wasn't enough, they must also remove the couple eggs you would normally use in the recipe. Now, certainly the result is bound to be healthier - no cholesterol for one thing - but the taste and texture is also quite different.

There is a noticeable taste from the date-paste used in the cookie. I am not used to dates in my chocolate chip cookies, and this just doesn't fit well for me. Likewise, a bulk of their sweetening comes from concentrated fruit juices, and this too plays with the flavor. The only real flour used in their glutenfree chocolate chip cookie formula appears to be Sorghum flour (a fine choice in my opinion), and it seems they use a bit of Xanthan Gum to help bind it all together.

To me (and my wife), the resulting taste and texture is just "OK". We both ate the entire cookie, which is saying something. I have had other GF cookie products I have just taken a bite from and pitched into the trash. This was certainly much better than that. But, in my mind, I can't help coming back to comparing this "chocolate chip cookie" with what I am used to a chocolate chip cookie being. We make GF chocolate chip cookies, and they taste very similar to the "real" thing - but then again, we'll use eggs and butter, granulated sugar, and a combination of flours (and, certainly no date-paste).

So, where does this leave me? I could eat these cookies for snacks, especially when traveling or at a conference or something where I want quick access to something guaranteed safe to eat, and where the pre-packaged on-to-go styling is advantageous. What I have not tested is how well they'd hold up if I threw them in a briefcase and had them bouce around in there for a week or two before opening the pack. If I have time to bake my own chocolate chip cookies, with the requisite eggs and butter I just can't help loving the taste of, that is what I would prefer. But, realizing that there are many people that can't or won't eat dairy and eggs, this product will probably be a welcome gluten-free / allergen-free product for many.

Where to Buy:  Enjoy Life products are available in many natural food grocers throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Distribution has also begun in Dillon, Fry’s, King Soopers, Kroger, Smith’s and Wegmans stores.  See their website for a store locator or to purchase online. 

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