I created this paleo diet recipe years before I even heard about this diet. After getting fed up with unhealthy, fatty cookies that have loads of sugar and flour (very bloaty!), I decided it was time to do some experimenting on my own to come up with a not-so-healthy-but-still-kinda-healthy-and-delicious alternative to the typical sugar or chocolate chip cookie. And thus, this recipe was born! My kids and friends have all loved it and it has gained much recognition online, so something must be working! 😉
I have found that by replacing conventional flour with almond flour, it provides a nice firm/soft texture ratio and will not give you that “bloating” feeling that other cookies will. Using 100% All-Natural Maple Syrup and coconut gives the cookies their sweet taste without having to sacrifice your waistline for indulgence! So go ahead and eat up! And let me know how you like them!
-In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients- almond flour, baking soda, coconut, and sea salt (optional).
-In a larger mixing bowl, mix together the wet ingredients- coconut oil, lime zest (optional), maple syrup, vanilla extract, and egg.
-Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the larger mixing bowl.
-Once everything is mixed together, put the mixture into the fridge (covered) for 10 minutes and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
-When the oven is warmed up and the mixture has finished in the fridge, take the paleo dough out and prepare a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or sprayed with non-stick spray (coconut oil works great to avoid sticking as well!).
-Roll the paleo cookie dough into 2 inch balls and place on the paper evenly spread apart.
-Put in the oven and cook for 5 minutes. This allows them to warm up and start to take shape. Once the 5 minutes is up, take them out and slightly flatten them in a criss-cross shape with the back of a fork.
-Place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes. The best rule of thumb is to take them out a little bit before they look done, because they will still cook slightly when you take them out of the oven, this avoids over cooking and hard cookies.
-Let cool and enjoy! If you can’t wait until they cool, please keep a cold glass of water nearby in case you burn your mouth! (the cookies are worth it though!)
The ideal macaroon is a light ball of toasted coconut goodness with a slightly chewy center. It took seven tries but I finally got a recipe and technique for the perfect macaroon.
Macaroons are a great option for gifts because they fit into most diets. This macaroon recipe is gluten free, grain free, vegetarian, naturally sweetened, and paleo! If you are following along on my Wahls Diet journey these macaroons also follow her diet. But are they delicious? Yes, I wouldn’t put them in my Christmas cookie tins if they weren’t.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a food processor, mixer or, if you want an arm work out, a whisk to combine the coconut butter, honey, egg whites, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. The mixture will be the texture of warm peanut butter.
Next fold in the sweetened and unsweetened coconut so it is evenly moist. The goal is to mix everything together without compressing to keep the batter light.
Using a scale measure out half ounce increments of dough and use wet fingertips to shape into loose balls. If you don’t have a scale you are aiming for about a tablespoon.
Place each ball onto the parchment paper. Macaroons don’t rise, so you can place them close together. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating the cookie sheet at 8 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet a couple minutes so they set before moving them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
These little bites are a nice treat when you don’t want to turn on your oven. Mix these no bake cookies up in about five minutes or so and then put them in the fridge for about 10. Viola!
Since discovering that several members of our family are gluten sensitive, we have been experimenting more with grain-free and gluten-free recipes. Now that it’s summer and 100+ degrees outside, we turn on the oven less. I love other no-bake cookie recipes and wanted to create something that my seven year old daughter could make by herself, since I’m not comfortable with her reaching into the oven just yet. This recipe is simple and delicious. Perfect for kids to make on their own.
You could even make other flavors by adding in lemon, lime or orange zest and playing with the seasonings. My daughter said that next time she wants to try dipping them in melted dark chocolate. Yum!
Combine coconut, almond flout and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together with a fork to get out any lumps.
Add remaining ingredients, except for milk. Stir together until the ingredients are well combined and start to stick together.
Test a piece of dough by lightly squeezing a pinch of it in your fist. If it holds together well, you’re done. If you need it, add the milk until it will hold it’s shape.
Roll into small balls or scoop with a cookie scoop and place on parchment lined baking sheets.
Refrigerate about 10 minutes to set.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
I wanted to make cookies for my family one night as a special treat, but as I looked at my pantry and my refrigerator it became apparent that I was out of many ingredients. I decided to try and whip something up anyway with things I had on hand and they came out great! The taste was delicious. The texture is crunchy, rather than chewy, but for no eggs or butter I was happy. I will remember these particular almond flour cookies to make for some friends who have dairy, egg, gluten allergies and those eating only honey sweetened desserts. Fast and delicious!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Mix together dry ingredients with a fork. Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips* and combine thoroughly. Let the dough rest for five minutes.
Fold in chocolate chunks or chips. (I just chop up my favorite dark chocolate candy bar).
Roll into small balls and place on the parchment paper. Use the bottom of a glass to gently press down the cookies. If the glass is sticking too much, wet it with water on the bottom.
Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cookies will not brown much. Slide parchment onto wire racks to cool. Allow to cool on a wire rack before removing from parchment.
*Feel free to sub carob chips if you don’t eat chocolate.
Classic chocolate chip cookies, with a twist! Made with sprouted wheat flour and other wholesome ingredients, they are satisfying and not stripped of important nutrients. (Just keep in mind that Sucanat is still sugar, so eat sparingly!)
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line cookie pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, Sucanat and molasses together thoroughly with an electric mixer.
Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well.
Combine the flour, salt and soda and add all at once to the batter and beat well.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. When the edges are browning, they are done. (If you use an airbake pan, or baking stone, this will change the cooking time.)
Cool for 1 minute and then using a spatula, transfer cookies to a clean dish towel and allow to cool.
These freeze well.
I’m excited to share a gluten-free and grain-free adaptation of my grandma’s petit fours Easter cookie recipe. It’s moist yet not crumbly, and it’s low-carb, filling, and delicious. Best of all, it’s suitable for anyone avoiding grains or gluten, and made with just a few accessible ingredients. Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix the almond flour, fat and sweetener. In a food processor, mix the almond flour, fat (I used a combination of coconut oil and ghee), and honey or maple syrup.
Mix the egg and extracts. In a separate blender, beat the egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.
Combine the mixtures. Pour the egg-extract mixture into the processor with the almond flour mixture, and whirl until well incorporated.
Shape petit fours. Shape 1 teaspoon-sized pieces of the dough into round cookies, and add to baking sheet, gently pressing down very slightly to flatten a bit. Space cookies at least an inch apart because they expand. You can make smaller cookies if you wish, or larger. These were about one and half to two inches wide.
Bake petit fours. Stick baking sheet in preheated oven and bake for 7-9 minutes. If you keep for an extra minute, they get darker. For the darker cookies, I kept for 8 minutes, and then ‘broiled’ for a minute to get the top to brown. Since I was trying it for the first time, I wanted to test the texture of both the light and dark ones, and I’m happy to report that each was tasty in its own way. Be very careful and monitor the cookies carefully so they don’t burn.
Leave to set. After baking, leave out on the counter to set for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy warm, with a glass of milk or tea. To store, keep in a sealed container on the counter for up to a week.
This fudgey cookie is easy to make. It’s crisp on the outside with little cracks and has a soft and moist center.
Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. (Or if your oven is temperamental like mine, leave one rack in the middle and bake one sheet at a time. It will not hurt the other batch to sit out while one is baking)
Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat eggs and cream of tartar (if using) until soft peaks form. Slowly add maple syrup or sucanat and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Pour the melted chocolate and chopped nuts onto the beaten egg whites. Gently fold until the color evens out and there are not more white streaks.
Spoon by teaspoons onto the parchment paper 1-inch apart and bake 10-12 minutes or until the tops are cracked. They will be firm on the outside, but gooey when pressed. Allow to cool on wire racks.
These little treats are so yummy and rich! Honey-sweetened and grain-free, they are healthy and high in protein. They are also very easy to whip up at the last minute.
Melt butter and stir in honey, milk and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Turn off heat and stir in coconut and peanut butter. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper and place in the freezer until set.
Note: To make these dairy-free, simply use coconut oil and coconut milk instead of butter and milk.
These cookies are chewy and soft plus have much less sugar than traditional cookies and still taste great. Sandwich them with some cream cheese frosting for an extra special treat- Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies.
Mix together: Sourdough Starter, Melted Butter or Coconut Oil, Rolled Oats, and Whole Wheat Flour. Make sure everything is moistened. You may need to add a little bit more starter or butter. The oats should not clump together and should still look dry, but when you touch them they should feel wet and when you grab a small handful you should be able to press them together and they will stick.
Let this mixture sit 8- 24 hours, the longer the better when it comes to oats.
When ready to bake: Turn oven on to 375 degrees and add to the soaked mixture: Cinnamon, Vanilla, Salt, Nutmeg, Eggs, and Honey. Mix well.
Add: Raisins and Baking Soda.
Mix until just incorporated.
Spoon onto baking stones or cookies sheets, and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes. If you are using a cookie sheet you may want to check after 10 minutes. I use a stone which means a longer baking time but more evenly baked cookies.
When done let sit for a couple minutes then move to a cooling rack to cool. Store in airtight container.
To make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies just omit the cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins and add 1 cup (or more) chocolate chips.
If your heart has been craving a pistachio dessert for ages (as mine has), and you want to make something healthy and raw, consider this dessert, which only uses a handful of ingredients to create rosewater-scented pistachio cookies. With a modern twist on classic Middle Eastern flavors, this vegan treat is sure to please anyone with a sweet tooth.
Soak pistachios and dehydrate: If you have pistachios in their shells, crack them open and clean from their shells until you have about 2 cups. Alternatively, you can simply buy some shelled pistachios. Soak the pistachios overnight in warm filtered water with half a teaspoon unrefined sea salt. Rinse the pistachios, dehydrate in the oven until dry, but not roasted.
Grind pistachios: In a food processor (I used a small bullet blender), add the dry pistachios and pulse until ground into flour. Take out a few tablespoons (3-4) of the flour and set aside. Keep the rest of the pistachio flour in the processor.
Add other ingredients, blend and refrigerate: Add 4 tablespoons shredded coconut, 3 tablespoons pure rosewater, 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, 1/3 cup or so pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and pinch unrefined salt, and blend until all ingredients are well integrated. Refrigerate mixture overnight for flavors to intensify and for mixture to harden.
Dust with pistachio flour, garnish, refrigerate and serve: Take out mixture from fridge, use a tablespoon to scoop out a little less than a tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll each piece in leftover pistachio flour. You can shape into flattened out cookies or round balls. I mixed it up. Garnish with shredded coconut or dried read cherries or cranberries for color contrast. Arrange on serving platter, add back to fridge to set, and serve with tea or as an afternoon snack. Enjoy!
Lady fingers are a staple cookie that can be enjoyed alone with tea, or used in a multitude of recipes such as, ice-box cakes, trifles, charlottes and tiramisu. The sponginess of these cookies is what makes them favorable for these types of recipes. They wonderfully absorb flavors without becoming mushy.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If you will be piping your lady fingers, fit a large pastry bag with a plain 1/2 inch round tube. (I chose to spoon mine out which made them a bit wider, but still great-and less clean up!)
Place egg whites in a bowl and beat on high until soft peaks form. Slowly drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not overbeat or the egg whites will break.
In another bowl beat egg yolks, remaining maple syrup and vanilla. Whip until thick and pale in color.
Sift flour, arrowroot and baking powder together. Do not skimp on the sifting. It is imperative when working with coconut flour which has a tendency to clump.
Fold half the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in flour mixture, and then fold in the remaining egg whites.
If using the pastry bag, transfer the batter to a pastry bag and pipe out 3 inch long fingers onto the parchment about an inch apart. Alternately, spoon batter into fingers on the parchment (Still works, but may not be as uniform and pretty). Bake for 8 minutes.
Allow to cool on wire racks completely before peeling away from parchment. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. These do freeze well. Freeze in a single layer on baking sheet and then transfer to a storage container.
NOTE: My ladyfingers are so yellow because of the crazy orange colored yolks I have on my backyard pastured eggs! Most store-bought ladyfingers are a drab white.
These are the yummiest cookies and the best part is that they’re so easy. I LOVE that they are inherently allergy-friendly (well, supposing your allergies are not to peanut butter or eggs…) so they are a great go-to for us. I love that I don’t have to mess with measuring and figuring out gluten free flours because they do not contain any flour…yet you’d never know! Give these a try…you won’t regret it! I won’t tell anyone if you eat seven in one day…
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl and stir until mixed. Toss in chocolate chips and stir to combine. Drop by small spoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 9 minutes.
*Each time I’ve made these, I have had to add a few splashes of water to the mix in order to get it to be wet enough - I think it is because my peanut butter is on the drier side. If your mixture is crumbly, feel free to add a little water until it’s moist and they will still turn out great!