Description
This might be as healthy as a sugar cookie gets! These cookies are sweetened with maple syrup making them refined sugar-free. They work for everyone since they are dairy-free and gluten-free. Decorate them with my Vegan Vanilla Frosting or melted coconut butter and dye-free sprinkles to really get in the holiday spirit. Happy holidays, friends!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup virgin coconut oil or vegan butter, softened (such as Earth Balance Soy-Free Vegan Butter)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/4 cups super fine almond flour from blanched almonds* (see notes below for nut-free version)
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- Vegan Vanilla Frosting or melted coconut butter (see notes below) – natural food dyes can be found here if you want colored frosting
- White dye-free spinkles for snowflake decorating OR Valentine’s Day pink sprinkles linked here OR Valentine’s Day heart sprinkles linked here (these are all not refined sugar-free)
Instructions
- Place the coconut oil or softened vegan butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract in a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to combine on medium low speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients (almond flour, oat flour arrowroot powder and salt) and mix on low speed until combined.
- Divide the dough into two balls and wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten into a disc. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour or overnight.
- When you are ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two half sheet baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place one disc of dough on a marble pastry board that has been coated with arrowroot or oat flour.
- Using a well-floured rolling pin (you can use arrowroot powder for flour), roll out the dough until it is ¼ inch thick.
- Cut the dough into desired shapes. I have used these snowflake cookie cutters and 2-inch Hanukkah cookie cutters, but you can use any type of cookie cutters you want. Or if you don’t have cookie cutters you can roll into small circles about 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 8-12 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake or the cookies will be too dry. I like to do 8 minutes for a softer cookie. If you use very large cookie cutters or the dough is thicker than 1/4 inch, the baking time may vary. Check on the cookies toward the end as they can burn easily. You want them to look slightly golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes (this allows them to harden a bit before handling them).
- Carefully move cookies to cooling rack to cool fully (they will harden once fully cooled).
- Repeat with the other disc of dough.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, decorate using melted coconut manna homemade OR Vegan Vanilla Frosting. Add natural vegan sprinkles if desired before the frosting sets. .
Notes
* For a nut-free version, you can substitute oat flour for the almond flour. The batter might be slightly drier. If so, you can add extra coconut oil or softened butter to the batter if needed. I recommend one tablespoon at a time. You can use store-bought oat flour or make it yourself by grinding up gluten-free oats in your blender until the oats become a very fine flour.
If using coconut butter (also known as coconut manna) for the icing you will want to melt it at 10 second intervals in your microwave stirring with a whisk between each round. You can sweeten with maple syrup and thin it out with almond milk (or any plant-based milk). I would recommend 3/4 cup melted coconut butter + 3 tablespoons room temperature maple syrup + 3 tablespoons room temperature almond milk. I like to go with a thinner consistency and dip the top of the cookies into the icing. I then let it set at room temperature or in the refrigerator to allow the coconut butter to harden a bit. Be sure to use sprinkles soon after you frost the cookies so that they stick.
Please comment below with any questions!
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sugar cut out cookies