Ahhhh… Christmas cookies. Is there really anything better? I’ve never had a big sweet tooth, but my kryptonite is a freshly baked cookie still warm from the oven. These gingerbread cookies are paleo and AIP friendly with a stage 1 reintroduction. Some of my strongest childhood memories are of baking Christmas cookies together with my mom. When I first experimented with this recipe I was immediately transported back to my childhood kitchen. I remember standing on a step stool holding the hand-held mixer with my mom as we mixed together the butter and sugar that is the base to any good cookie recipe. It’s crazy how food can elicit such strong memories, especially around the holidays. What are some of your favorite holiday food memories?
Alright enough about my childhood… let me tell you about these cookies! They taste like the real-deal and I’m not even exaggerating. If my family didn’t already know that everything I bake is either Autoimmune Protocol or Paleo-friendly they would have thought these were regular gluten & processed-sugar filled gingerbread cookies. They have a light, crispy texture with a little bit of chew just like traditional gingerbread and the molasses and spices give that familiar, comforting taste we all know and love. Serve these alongside this AIP Salted Caramel Hot “Chocolate” for a cozy holiday treat!
A Few Notes on Substitutions
- Can you substitute the egg yolks for anything?
I’m sorry to say, no you can’t. The egg yolks are what make this dough easy to roll out and work with and also give it that classic cookie texture.
- Can you substitute the tapioca flour for arrowroot flour?
Again, I have to say no. While they are very similar, tapioca really mimics the chewy texture in baked goods that gluten provides.
- Can you substitute the tigernut flour for coconut flour?
One more time, no. Coconut flour is HIGHLY absorbent so it will soak up all the liquid in this recipe resulting in a crumbly, dry cookie.
Gingerbread Cookies (Paleo/ AIP Reintro)
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
2 cups cassava flour
1 ½ cups tigernut flour
1 cup tapioca flour + extra for rolling
1 TBS gelatin
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 TBS ground ginger
1 TBS ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground clove
Wet Ingredients
⅔ cup coconut oil, room temperature
¾ cup coconut sugar
⅔ cup molasses
2 egg yolks (AIP stage 1 reintro)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS unsweetened applesauce
Directions
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil on medium speed using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Next, add the coconut sugar and molasses and beat on medium speed until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg yolks, vanilla, and applesauce on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Continue beating the wet ingredients on low speed and carefully mix the dry ingredients into the wet, working in batches until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the wet. NOTE: This dough will become very thick! Separate the dough into two separate balls, wrap in plastic wrap, and press down to create a disc shape. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for 3 hours.
To bake the cookies: preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Remove one of the dough discs from the fridge and generously flour the countertop and a rolling pin with tapioca flour. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place on the floured counter top. Roll out the dough, flouring as necessary, to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut out shapes and place on the lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
Bake the cookies for about 8 – 10 minutes and let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Continue rolling out the dough discs and baking in batches. It will probably take about 3 batches.
2 Comments
Are these sturdy enough to build gingerbread houses?
When the dough is rolled out thinly, about 1/4 inch, they definitely are strong enough!
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