Last year around the holidays, I started playing with a fun new flour that boasted taste and texture similar to regular ol’ white flour. As I fell more and more in love with cassava flour (check out my recipe for cassava flour buttermilk biscuits here), I started looking around online for cassava flour sugar cookies. Problem was, I couldn’t find any recipes.
The first cassava flour sugar cookies?
Well, necessity is the mother of invention (either that, or being a mama to four hungry boys- that’s also the mother of invention, in the kitchen anyways), so this year, I decided I better just create my own cassava flour sugar cookies. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas without making a mess in the kitchen cutout cookies with my kids.
Needless to say, the whole Harwell clan gave these cookies, along with my vanilla buttercream frosting, a rousing round of applause. The batch was gone in one night, which is less a reflection of how delicious these cookies are (though they are delicious) and more a reflection of having a big, hungry family.
The best part is that, as usual, you will find zero grains, zero refined white sugar, and zero junkie fats in these cookies, which means zero pain and behavioral meltdowns later. I love indulging without consequences!
How to choose cassava flour
After Otto’s hit the scene last year, I knew I had to give cassava flour a try. I’ve been delighted with the results and continue to enjoy experimenting with it!
Primarily, you want to make sure whichever cassava flour you choose is checked for gluten contamination and mold spores, which Otto’s is. I’ve heard that some brands have a grainy texture and musty flavor. I haven’t had either of those problems with Otto’s, but I can’t vouch for other brands.
Get Otto’s cassava flour here.
You’ll find my recipe for cassava flour sugar cookies below. Make sure to top them with this vanilla buttercream frosting, which is high in protein and even contains probiotics!
You can still grab some cute stainless steel Christmas-themed cookie cutters here.
Cassava Flour Sugar Cookies
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cassava flour
- 3/4 cup maple sugar
- 2/3 cup softened butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter on high with a hand mixer, until creamy.
- Add the maple sugar, baking soda, and salt, and beat once more until combined, scraping the sides to mix well.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Add the flour and mix with a rubber spatula until mostly combined, then finish mixing with the hand mixer.
- Place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and place the ball of dough on it.
- Flatten it out and place another piece of parchment paper on top, then carefully roll it out to 1/4″ thickness with a rolling pin. Don’t press too hard or the parchment paper will stick. Remove top piece of parchment.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out festive shapes, then carefully transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet with a spatula.
- Space cookies 1-2″ apart before baking on the top rack for 10-12 minutes, until edges become lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, repeat cookie cutting process with remaining dough by combining dough scraps into a ball and rolling it back out. Bake remaining cookies.
- Allow cookies to cool before transferring them to a serving dish. Frost with vanilla buttercream frosting for best results. 🙂
Courses Dessert
Oooh these look delicious! Will definitely try making these with my own two boys! Thank you!
Let me know how you like them Nadine!
Looks delicious. Can I replace maple sugar for maple syrup or coconut sugar? What would be the amount? TiA
Love Anthony’s cassava flour (and the price tag, too)!
My brother can’t have dairy, so I’m going to try these with both palm shortening and lard from a pig pastured on an organic farm. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Has anyone tried these with maple syrup instead of maple sugar?
They will definitely work with palm shortening, and probably lard, depending on the texture. Maple syrup will not work, as it is liquid and will add too much moisture to the dough.
Excited about this recipe – the cookies turned out beautiful in high altitude- as you know can be tricky baking anything!
I didn’t have mà ple sugar at this baking so used the Swerve brand sugar replacement-
The cookies are soft but kept there cut out shape perfect and seem to be firming up as they cool – I did glaze with some organic confectioners sugar so you do get a bit of sweet in that bite however I enjoyed them without any frosting with their mild buttery flavor – sharing this guilt free healthy recipe
So glad you liked them Brenda!
Can you sub coconut sugar for the maple sugar?
I haven’t personally, but readers have and say it works.
I just treid these and they were a complete fail. I have no idea what I did wrong. The were too musy so I just rilled them in ball and cooked them but then they just crumple apart after cooked. Any thoughts?
Hm. Sorry to hear that Rachael. I would wonder if you used a different cassava flour than suggested, because that can make a difference. Otherwise, I really can’t be sure, as I’ve made these many times over and they turn out the same each time. :/
Made these last night, and they were a huge hit with my family! I used half the dough for cut-outs with a half-batch of the frosting, and the other half of the dough for a cheesecake crust! Whipping the buttercream for a long time helped the collagen absorb with minimal grainy texture. As a bonus, the frosting took food coloring beautifully, so I was able to let my kids get artsy. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m so glad to hear this Bethany! <3
Made these for my daughter’s Christmas school gathering and sadly they fell apart. I used Otto’s Cassava Flour as I always seem to have luck with the flour holding together. Perhaps it was the flaxmeal substitute for the egg.
Yeah, it was definitely the flaxmeal sub. Sorry that didn’t work.
Do you refrigerate the dough before rolling out, like you would with a traditional sugar cookie dough?
No I don’t. If you use a different brand of cassava flour, it could change the texture a bit, requiring refrigeration.
Hi! So excited about these cookies! I made them yesterday, and they were very brittle. So you suppose it is in the amount of flour used? Can you give us a weight of flour? I used Otto’s and I spooned it into a measuring cup very carefully trying to make it light as I measured it. Maybe cassava should be weighed instead?
Thanks for the recipe!
I have never weighed cassava flour. These cookies are a bit more delicate than those made with wheat flour, but if they were brittle, they may have cooked just a bit too long or been rolled out a bit too thin.
I needed an easy recipe to make with my 4 year old nephew & this was perfect! These were delicious (they do not need frosting!) so easy to make and do not require chilling time. I used coconut sugar since I didn’t have maple sugar so they turned out dark in color like a gingersnap, which, by the way, would be a fantastic variation.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These were so gross. Ordered the flour online and everything. Ugh ugh waste of butter
That’s too bad they didn’t work out for you, Annalise. You are literally the first person to complain. Sorry you were disappointed.