Yesss! Grain-free sugar cookies are possible! These yummy cookies have a distinctive lemon-ginger flavor. How is the dough so soft and pliable? And so easy to roll out and cut into your favorite shapes? Aha! The secret ingredient is coconut butter, pure ground coconut meat. It’s best to keep the dough cold, and not touch it too much with your warm hands, or it tends to soften and melt. When they bake, they get crispy. I haven’t yet figured out how to decorate Paleo cookies, so we get to eat these undecorated. I don’t mind that – they taste fantastic plain. Makes about 70 2-inch cookies.
The dough is pliable, so it’s easy to roll out and cut into your favorite shapes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sweetener. I used Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener, or use your favorite granulated sweetener.
- 1/2 cup arrowroot flour, or 1-2 tablespoons more, if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon unprocessed salt
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional for a buttery flavor)
- 1 1/2 cups softened coconut butter, or 340 grams if it’s hard. (If mixing by hand, soften it first)
- 3 inches fresh ginger root, diced (c. 40 grams) (If mixing by hand, grated)
- 2 large eggs, 110 grams, for a golden color. Or use 110 grams egg whites (that’s 3 to 4 egg whites) and they’ll come out perfectly white.
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a food processor or mixing bowl, add the sweetener, arrowroot, soda, salt, and nutritional yeast, if using. Mix well.
- Add the coconut butter and ginger root. Mix to a smooth paste.
- To the ingredients in the food processor or mixing bowl, add the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix well.
- If the dough is too soft, add 1-2 tablespoons more arrowroot flour, remembering that the dough will stiffen quite a bit when chilled.
- Wrap the dough in a piece of parchment paper and press flat. Chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Cut off a large chunk of the chilled dough, and roll it between 2 pieces of parchment paper to 1/8 inch thick. Dust with arrowroot powder or coconut flour to keep from sticking. Cut into shapes with your favorite cookie cutters or jar lids. Place on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
“Lead me not into temptation – I can find the way myself.” – Rita Mae Brown
