It’s officially December…which means cozy sweaters, hot cocoa, decorations, gift-giving, and holiday BAKING! I’m not one for baking a lot…I am much more the type that prefers cooking where you just “throw in a little of this” and “add a little of that” rather than following a recipe to the T. But I will sacrifice my dislike for precise baking to make a few of my favorites around the holidays. Plus, these recipes are so easy to make and follow, I don’t mind pulling out my measuring cups a few times around the holidays.
During Thanksgiving, my family is all about the pies; pecan, pumpkin, derby, & more. But once December hits, something about the cute & bite-sized Christmas cookies makes me so excited. So let’s make these Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies & Vegan Cashew Cookies happen!
Yall, these cashew cookies are TO. DIE. FOR. They are so rich and decadent, you could probably get away with making them into even smaller cookies because they are so dense. These were inspired by @shutthekaleup, and the cashew nut butter is the key, so try not to switch it out for another nut butter. I switched a few of the other ingredients around, but head over to @shutthekaleup ‘s Instagram page for her OG recipe! Mine turned out perfect, I’ll definitely be making these again soon.
My two favorites holiday cookies this year?
{Vegan & GF} Cashew Cookies with Coconut Sugar Icing & {GF} Gingerbread Cookies
PrintVegan Cashew Cookies
These vegan & gluten free cookies inspired by Janette Ogden from @shutthekaleup are dense, rich, and oh so delicious. Packed with creamy cashew butter and protein-packed almond flour, the perfect nutty after dinner treat or afternoon snack!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- CASHEW COOKIES
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup cashew butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 TBSP date syrup
- dash of sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maca powder
- 1 tsp ashwaganda powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ICING:
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix together all cashew cookie ingredients in a large bowl until a dough is formed.
- Form batter into hands (about the size of a golf ball) and add to baking sheet covered in greased parchment paper.
- Repeat until all batter is used.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until starting to turn golden, but watch for burning.
- Once cooled, blend all icing ingredients together until a smooth paste forms.
- Add icing to small Ziploc bag, cut off tip, and add to top of cookies.
- Enjoy!
These delicious gingerbread cookies (below) are gluten-free and THE REAL DEAL, YALL. I made them with molasses to give them that rich, deep flavor and switched out a few ingredients to make them just a touch lighter (coconut oil in place of butter, coconut sugar and maple syrup in place of white table sugar). These were a HIT and they are already gone at our house (oops).
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
These classic gingerbread cookies have been made a touch healthier, and gluten-free for everyone to enjoy! Made with rich molasses, coconut sugar, and coconut oil to replace butter and white table sugar. A must-have holiday treat!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 12 mins
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- dash sea salt
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 3 TBSP maple syrup
- 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 egg
- powdered sugar (optional – for dusting)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, sea salt, cloves, and baking soda and baking powder. Whisk until blended together.
- In a separate smaller bowl, combine melted coconut oil and molasses. Whisk until combined, then add in coconut sugar, maple syrup, and egg.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture, while continuously stirring and mixing well until batter is formed.
- Once batter is made, divide in half, place in Ziploc bag or covere in plastic wrap, and place in fridge for up to 1 hour to chill.
- Once batter has chilled, preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Roll out dough, cut into desired cookie shapes, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Let cookies bake in oven for 8-12 minutes (8 minutes for softer cookies, 12 minutes for crisper cookies).
- Let cool and enjoy! Dust with powdered sugar or add frosting if desired.
Happy baking and happy holidays!
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