The holidays are in full swing at the Radical Roots homestead, and that means it’s sugar cookie time. My husband is a cookie fiend (if you didn’t know that already), and since the day after Thanksgiving, he’s been asking for sugar cookies to have with homemade eggnog (next recipe coming your way).
I can’t take all the credit, though, Otto’s Cassava Flour has made baking so much more fun and so much more successful. If you haven’t tried this flour yet, I highly recommend it. Maybe even buy a bag for a friend or family member. It’s currently (as of the date I’m writing this post) on sale too for 37% off. Click HERE to order a bag for yourself.
Ok, back to the holidays and the best Christmas cookies I’ve ever made. I love Christmas. I love the traditions, the Christmas movies, the time with family and friends, and the joy that comes from seeing people spread the love. Some of our traditions include cutting down our tree every year on Thanksgiving weekend, and now that we’re in the Pacific Northwest, we can actually go into the Olympic with a permit and cut our tree down, so we aren’t supporting mono-crop industry and we know it’ll grow back and keep the cycle going. Another favorite tradition is picking out a new ornament every year to add to our tree. This year, our first in the PNW, we fittingly found the coolest mushroom ornament at a local store. On Christmas Eve, we practice my favorite of all traditions – homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I have the best memories of Christmas Eve at my aunt and uncle’s house, and I am honored to carry it on for my friends and family now.
And this year, we start a new tradition of making grain free sugar cookies from scratch and enjoying them as we decorate the tree with Elf playing in the background. It’s something I look forward to someday doing with kiddos of our own (working on a frosting recipe to add to the mix for some extra messy fun). So happy holidays, everyone in whatever capacity or belief system you might celebrate. I would be honored if these cookies made your holiday a little brighter. Maybe you could even whip up a few batches of the dry ingredients, and provide the recipe and dry mixture to some of the people in your life. Who doesn’t love making sugar cookies?
In the chaos of the season and the marketing all around you, don’t forget what this season (and whatever it means to you) is really all about. Love your neighbors, your family, your friends, this earth, and yourself. In times when the world seems filled with hate, remember that you can make a difference with the love and energy you put out there every day. Thanks for reading, and thanks for always living even just a little bit rad. Happy holidays!
♡ Laura
Grain Free Sugar Cookies (GF, NF)
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup grass fed butter at room temperature
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1 pastured egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
WHAT YOU DO:
- preheat oven to 350F
- in a small bowl, combine flours, baking soda, and sea salt
- add butter and sugar to medium bowl and mix until soft and fluffy
- add egg and vanilla to butter mixture and mix until combined
- now slowly add flour blend to butter blend, mixing until combined into a nice soft cookie dough
- if you’re making regular cookies, take golf ball sized portions of the dough and place on cookie sheet with 1″ between each, slightly flatten with your hand
- if you’re using cookie cutters, take one golf ball sized portion at a time, sprinkle with extra Otto’s flour, and flatten out on cookie sheet until it’s just centimeters thick
- use your cut out and leave it on while you peel the remaining dough away, then continue this process until all dough is gone
- bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown (for crispier cookies, cook 15-18 minutes)
- Enjoy! Happy holidays everyone!
Cheers to a great holiday filled with love and laughter! What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Could I use maple syrup or molasses instead of “sugar”?
Hi Susan. That would change the texture of the cookie quite a bit. Coconut sugar or turbanido sugar would work well but would just change the color of the cookie. If you try it out, I would be curious of the liquid sugar substitute works. Enjoy!
these cookies are absolutely delicious! I used a duck egg instead of chicken (allergies to chicken eggs) and they are so yummy! The dough is a little tricky to work with but definitely worth it! Thanks for a great recipe!!
So glad you enjoyed them! If the dough seems sticky, try sticking it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes! Makes it easier to work with. Happy holidays!
Can you replace the coconut flour? Our family has severe allergies (one of which is coconut). I know it is a very absorbent flour so can’t just omit.
Hello Joni! I have not tried subbing the coconut flour for another flour at this point, but I have a couple ideas. I might try swapping the 1/4 cup coconut flour for 1/8 cup cassava and 1/8 cup tapioca. I am not sure exactly how this will work, but I think it could be similar. I am not sure how you do with rice flour, but you could try that as a swap as well. The texture will change slightly, but I think they’ll still be good! I will give this a try soon and report back, or if you try it out, let me know how it goes! 🙂 I always test out recipes and tweaks with 1/4 or 1/2 batch to make sure it works ok. Thanks for asking!
You don’t say how long to leave cookies on baking sheet after they are done. Can they be removed immediately or do they need a minute or two?
Hi Brenda. I did eat one straight out of the oven, but I’d recommend waiting 5-10 minutes to ensure the cookies are cooled a bit before moving them to ensure they are solid first. Fresh baked cookies are a bit more fragile. I hope you enjoy!
My son is allergic to eggs and coconut, what can I use in place of those?
Hey there! Unfortunately, this particular recipe does require both. I have not tested it without and therefore, cannot tell you what a replacement would be. I do have other recipes without each ingredient. Sending hugs!