This is my favorite time of year! Time with family and friends…. and oh, yeah, great food! Since giving up grains and sugar over two years ago, I have had my work cut out for me recreating my favorite foods. It has been fun and rewarding, knowing that these recipes will help not only me, but YOU, feel satisfied without grains. Some recipes have been everyday foods like bread or roasts, and others seasonal treats like these cookies. Looking for other holiday cookies to eat or share with your family and friends? Check out these recipes.
Cookie Recipes from the blog:
- Happy House Chocolate Chips Cookies. These are EVERYONE’s favorites!
- Chocolate Graham Crackers. Yep, enjoy a tasty chocolate graham cracker cookie, either by itself, or as a yummy chocolate crust.
- Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies. These are more like a cake in the shape of a cookie and they are nut-free!
- Almond Butter Spice Cookies. These are wonderful. No special flour required with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice…very festive! This recipe can also be made using Sun Butter to make them nut-free.
- Chocolate Chip Cookies. These were my first cookie recipe. Simple and delicious!
- Triple Chocolate Cookie Cake. Another delicious and CHOCOLATEY cookie! Share this big cookie with your family. This recipe is also nut-free and dairy-free.
- Cookie Cake. Avoid the mall, the bloating and the sugar crash, and make your own Cookie Cake! Perfect for birthdays or just because.
- Lady Fingers. Use these traditional cookies in a Tiramisu or even use them as your “Vanilla Wafers” in my Banana Pudding. You can also enjoy them right by themselves.
- Candied Nuts. These aren’t cookies, but they are delicious for the holiday season!
Cookie Recipes from Comforting Eats Cookbook:
- Shortbread Cookies. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these cookies. Nice and crunchy! These are also great to roll out and create cute cookies using your favorite cookie cutters.
- Biscotti. I have always loved biscotti, and you will love my grain-free version.
- Coconut Macaroons (Nut-Free). So easy, and a great way to use those extra egg whites you have hanging around in the fridge.
- Slice-n-bake “Sugar” Cookies. Make this dough and stick it in the freezer for a cold or rainy day and have cookies in about 15 minutes!
- Ginger Snaps. Nothing says the holidays more than these yummy, gingery, spicy cookies. Roll them out and make gingerbread men (or women). 🙂
- Kitchen Sink Cookies. No, you don’t mix these in your sink, but they have a few of my favorite ingredients: coconut flakes, nuts, chocolate chips and a little bit of banana. YUMMY!
- “Oatmeal” Raisin Cookies. There is no oatmeal in these cookies, but you would NEVER know.
- Holiday Spice Cookies (Nut-Free). Yummy, soft, holiday spiced cookies!
Cookie Recipes from Satisfying Eats Cookbook:
- Apple Harvest Breakfast Cookies. It doesn’t get better than these soft cookies with apples and holiday spice.
- Southern Pecan Cookies. These are my FAVORITE! This is my version of Pecan Sandies.
- “Sugar” Cookies. Enjoy these yummy Sugar Cookies this holiday season.
- Lemon “Sugar” Cookies. I love this variation on the sugar cookie. A little zest and lemon juice really transform these cookies.
- Lemon-Thyme Cookies. The perfect pairing, even in a cookie. These were inspired by Christmas cookies I received a few years ago before going grain-free that were so delicious!
- Melissa’s Milano Cookies. This cookie is not really named after me, but are my version of those yummy Milano cookies you buy in the bag at the store.
- Thumbprint Jelly Cookies. This is another one of my favorite Holiday Cookies! My aunt has made them for years and I couldn’t resist making a grain-free and low-carb version.
Here are a few “candy” recipes that I LOVE around the holidays. These recipes are found in Satisfying Eats:
- Daddy’s “Corn” Flake Clusters. These are my absolute favorites, both in flavor and memories. My daddy used to LOVE these corn and sugar filled treats, but he would be proud I have made them healthier.
- Peanut Butter Balls. These are so easy and just as good as the ones you buy in the store.
- Peanut Butter Cups. More of my two favorite foods together… peanut butter and chocolate!
- Sweet-Spiced Nuts. Transform ordinary nuts into something sweet and festive.
- Refrigerator Fudge. This ain’t your grandma’s fudge…for those die-hard chocolate lovers, it’s a hit!
Wow, including this recipe, that’s 24 grain-free cookie recipes, one for EVERY occasion…especially the holidays! Make some for Santa or give them as gifts. Don’t let going grain-free spoil your holiday traditions!
About the Recipe
This recipe was inspired by the recipe that I used to follow on the Ocean Spray Cranberry bag for Cranberry-Orange Bread. I always just loved it. The cranberry and orange just made the perfect match, and the loaves always made the perfect gifts around the holidays. Last year, I created a scone recipe for my first cookbook and I thought I would tweak the recipe a bit more and create a wonderful “cookie” that could be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just by itself! 😉 Many may ask, “What is a satsuma?” Satsumas are like clementines or mandarin oranges. They are VERY easy to peel and are plentiful here in Louisiana. Our property has about eight very mature citrus trees, including a 15 foot lemon tree, satsuma, mandarin, orange, and even kumquat trees.
Helpful tips for recipe success:
- Be sure to zest your citrus BEFORE trying to juice it… much, much easier… I speak from experience. I love this microplaner. I use it for zesting, grating fresh Parmesan cheese and grating nutmeg. Don’t get out your juicer, use this EASY gadget that doesn’t take up hardly any room!
- Mix the dry ingredients in advance to save time on baking day.
- Don’t have Satsumas? Just use any sweet citrus like orange, mandarin or clementine. You could even use blood orange, but be sure to use fresh juice. The stuff in the carton at the store is so processed and 99% of the time contains “natural flavors”… it’s true, just read the label!
- Make these in any shape you like! Use a large scoop to make bigger cookies, or use a muffin tin or loaf pan, which ever you prefer.
- Use what ever sweetener you prefer. I used KAL Stevia and a small amount of coconut sugar, but any sweetener will work. Be sure to taste your batter before baking. Make it slightly sweeter than normal since the cranberries are pretty tart by themselves.
- Want a little more orange flavor? Add a bit of pure orange extract.
- Don’t like orange or cranberry? Use lemon juice and blueberries instead.
- Want more than 7 cookies? Double or triple the recipe and stash some in the freezer. To reheat, pop them in your wide mouth toaster.
- Looking for a list of all my favorite kitchen gadgets?? See THIS post!
- Need them to be Dairy-Free?? Simply use ghee or coconut oil instead of butter.
- Can’t have nuts? Try substituting ground sunflower or pumpkin seeds in the place of almond flour.
Makes 7 medium cookies
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour (I prefer Honeyville)
- 2 tbsp. coconut flour (I prefer Tropical Traditions or Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. KAL Stevia OR 1/2 tsp. Organic Trader Joe Stevia or sweetener of choice (to taste)
- 1 tbsp. organic coconut sugar or sweetener of choice (optional)
- 2 eggs
- Zest of 2 satsumas or mandarins, or 1 orange
- 3 tbsp. fresh squeezed satsuma, mandarin or orange juice
- 1/2 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp. salted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup chopped cranberries
- 1/2 tsp. orange extract (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then blend dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT cranberries to dry mix and blend well. Taste for sweetness and adjust if needed. Fold in cranberries.
Scoop batter onto prepared pan 3 inches apart (using a heaping medium scoop or a 2 tbsp. measurement). For flatter cookies, hit the pan on your counter-top to flatten. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until cookies are slightly brown on top (cooking times may vary). Remove from oven and cool on wire cooling racks.
ENJOY! Can be kept at room temperature for up to 1 day, then they are best if refrigerated.
- Nutrition: 150 Calories, 14 grams of Fat, 4 grams Net Carbs, 3 grams Protein per Cookie
Be sure to leave me a comment below about which of these cookies are your favorites!
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