Sugar cookies without the sugar? Delicious AND Nutritious. Plus, perfect for that special sweetheart on Valentine's Day. Get the FREE recipe here.
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Valentine’s Day is upon us! I’m a big fan of making sure everyone has an opportunity to join in the festivities. I love holiday baking, and so making recipes free of allergens has become somewhat of a hobby of mine.
This cookie recipe is reminiscent of store-bought sugar cookies, but without the wonder of what ingredients are REALLY in them. These have zero added sugar, zero dyes, no milk or gluten, and they taste great with or without the icing!
All you need are some basic pantry staples, about 30 minutes, and some heart-shaped cookie cutters.
The Recipe
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No Added Sugar Cookies with optional Superfruit frosting recipe
Gluten-free | Dairy-free
Ingredients
Cookies
Yield ~16 cookies
1 ½ cups Gluten-free flour
¼ cup arrowroot starch
4 Tablespoons plant-based buttery spread, room temperature or melted
5 Tablespoons maple syrup*
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ tsp baking soda
⅛ teaspoon sea salt, fine
Instructions
Wash hands.**
Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour and starch with a whisk until there are no clumps and the mixture is evenly combined.
Next, mix in the plant-based buttery spread, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Stir the mixture well until you get a sticky batter sufficient to roll out and cut shapes from. If the batter is not working, add more buttery spread 1 Tablespoon at a time until the dough reaches desired consistency. Chilling for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before rolling the dough out may also help.
Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until the dough is about ¼-½ inch thick. Using a heart, or other desired shape, cookie cutter, cut out shapes. A spatula can help you to transfer the cookies onto a parchment lined sheet.
Roll the remaining scraps left from your cut out shapes into a ball and repeat step 5 until there is no dough remaining.
Bake for 8-10 minutes (at 8 they will still be a bit soft in the center, and 10 minutes will produce a cookie with a crunch).
Allow to cool before frosting
Optional Superfruit Frosting
This frosting is not sugar free, and I think the cookies taste great on their own! However, the frosting is healthier than your typical icing and makes a wonderful addition and a bright red/pink frosting without the need for food dye. Instructions: Using a hand or stand mixer, blend all ingredients together adding the starch in increments of 1 teaspoon at a time.
1 Tablespoon Superfruit Syrup (or other fruit syrup or pureed fruit)
1 Tablespoon plant-based buttery spread
½ cup Organic Powdered Sugar
Splash of lemon juice (~1 teaspoon)
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Arrowroot starch, added 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency
Notes
*Maple Syrup
Maple syrup acts as a sugar substitute in this recipe. To learn more about the nutrient benefits of using naturally sweetened foods in place of added sugars, read the article “Sugar, Sugar, or Honey, Honey (The Truth about Sugar Substitutes)” found at https://www.anniweeks.com/post/sugar-sugar-or-honey-honey .
Is Syrup better than Sugar?
The bottom line is that syrup is still sugar so on its own it is not a “healthy choice” per say. However, used in place of added sugars or paired with whole grains, it can be beneficial in regulating blood sugar swings when compared to other sweeteners.
**See this post for instructions on proper hand washing for optimal health: https://www.anniweeks.com/post/organize-with-anni-how-to-set-up-a-sanitation-station
References
Kirkpatrick K. Is Maple Syrup Better than Sugar. Cleveland Clinic. 2017. Accessed at https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-maple-syrup-better-for-you-than-sugar/
Lindberg S. Nutritional Facts: Pure Maple Syrup Vs. White Sugar. Livestrong. 2019. Accessed at https://www.livestrong.com/article/326813-nutritional-facts-pure-maple-syrup-vs-white-sugar/
Have you taste tested this recipe? Tell me what you think!😍👍
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