Cookies like Ginger Snaps or Snickerdoodles are a holiday tradition! This version lets anyone enjoy and participate with replacements for gluten, dairy products, and processed sugar. Choose soft and chewy with a shorter bake time, or make these more like a crisp ginger snap with a longer bake time.
I chose a flour blend in this case for a young client who was moving out of a food sensitivity for almond. We were slowly reintroducing almond sources while restoring gut biome and health. The blend of grain free flours with some almond flour helped make it a success, and the texture was perfect! You can also make this recipe using only almond flour for the full amount as shown here, if you want strict SCD, GAPS or Paleo compliance. And if almond butter doesn’t work, try sunflower butter or any other safe nut or seed butter. Sunflower butter is quite bitter when unsweetened, so consider adding a dash of stevia (either in glycerite drops or powder) if you would like to improve the flavor without affecting texture.
A perfectly spiced holiday cookie that works for most any elimination diet or food sensitivity. For SCD, GAPS or Paleo compliance, use only almond flour for the full 1 and 1/4 cups. Option to add colorful sprinkles to cookies just prior to bake, or stir in chocolate chips or chopped nuts too!
A perfectly spiced holiday cookie that works for most any elimination diet or food sensitivity. For SCD, GAPS or Paleo compliance, use only almond flour for the full 1 and 1/4 cups. Option to add colorful sprinkles to cookies just prior to bake, or stir in chocolate chips or chopped nuts too!
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease two medium or one large baking sheets, line with parchment paper, and set aside.
Combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl.
In a smaller bowl, use a sturdy wooden spoon to stir almond butter, honey, and vanilla extract. It will be stiff. Add almond milk as needed to make this whip smoothly into an even, thick liquid texture.
Mix wet ingredients into the dry and stir thoroughly to evenly combine. The dough will be very sticky.
Grease your palms with a small amount of coconut oil. Scoop spoonfuls of batter into your palms to make ~1" size balls. Place these about 2" apart on the cookie sheet. The coconut oil on your palms makes this task go more smoothly and gives the cookies a nice texture, add more to your palms as needed.
Bake time varies. For a soft chewy cookie, try an 8-10 minute bake time. For a crisp snap cookie, bake 12-15 minutes. Either way, bake until cookies begin to firm up on the outside.
Allow to cool for a few minutes on baking sheet before moving to a wire rack or serving plate. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
For SCD, GAPS or Paleo compliance, use only almond flour for the full 1 and 1/4 cups. Option to add colorful sprinkles to cookies just prior to bake, or stir in chocolate chips or chopped nuts too!
Chocolate? What’s not to love? This Chocolate Chia Pudding is so easy and so good. Unsweetened plain cocoa powder is one of my favorite foods to recommend for kids. Here’s why you should let your kids enjoy it:
It has a good mineral profile, providing zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and copper.
It is rich in polyphenols, which lend antioxidant power.
It might even help you boost good cholesterol – that is, the high density lipoprotein (HDL) that helps cholesterol work healthfully in the body.
It has an array of all macronutrients too, including protein, carbs, fiber, and fats.
Plain cocoa powder is unsweetened and has no cane sugar – which means you can get its health benefits when you use it in all sorts of recipes.
This Chocolate Chia Pudding recipe brings together a bunch of all-good ingredients, giving you a fast easy option to store bought sugary pudding cups. Besides cocoa powder, the recipe’s chia brings the pudding texture to life while delivering its own complement of minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphorus), omega 3 fats, protein, and fiber. Full fat canned coconut milk – another go to in many of my nutrition care plans – gives high calorie, easy to digest fats that work well for a fast-access energy boost, without sugar. These fats, called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), have an array of health benefits for heart health, weight loss, and even immune support. And good local organic honey – raw if your children are over a year old – will give antioxidants, more traces of minerals, and all the sweet you need.
For Paleo Chocolate Chia Pudding, just blend ingredients and chill – it will set in 1-3 hours. I’ve had some batches set quickly, while others take longer – in that case, I’ll add an extra spoonful of chia and give it another hour or more to set.
Paleo Chocolate Chia Pudding
Print Recipe
Rich and creamy, deep cocoa flavor, with soft texture of gelled chia seed. Enjoy!
In a blender, food processor, or with hand mixer, combine all ingredients but the chia seeds. Process until texture is smooth and all ingredients are evenly blended.
Fold in chia seeds, so that they are evenly distributed throughout the pudding mixture. Cover and place in refrigerator until firm.
If pudding hasn't set after two hours, stir in 1 more tablespoon chia seeds and allow another hour for it to set.
