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Paleo Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies (Healthy Pumpkin Spice Cookies!)

Sugar cookies are sort of my thing. And after I mastered paleo sugar cookies last year, I continue to update it as seasonally necessary. Yes, sugar cookies are necessary. Ask my kids. You can find my newest iteration in the pumpkin spice cookies version below!

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies | Healthy Pumpkin Spice Cookies from The Family That Heals Together

I am unashamedly all about that pumpkin spice. Every year I come up with some new way to squeeze pumpkin into my recipes: pumpkin pasta, pumpkin blondies, pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake… and I think, “Where else can I use pumpkin?”

In pumpkin spice cookies, of course. But not just any cookies. My paleo sugar cookies are a family favorite. I can barely stop myself from running to the kitchen and whipping some up now, just writing about them. But I’m exercising self control because if I do that, you’ll never get this recipe, and you need this recipe.

C’mon, fall, it’s pumpkin spice cookies time!

So here we are, coming up on the end of October, and it was so hot here in Houston today that my kids wouldn’t play outside.

Funny… Mr. Incredible traveled up to the mountainous wilderness of Wyoming last week and frolicked in the snow. He shot himself a big ol’ elk that I can’t wait to get my hands on and cook up. I hear elk meat is some of the tastiest, though I don’t recall tasting it myself.

I don’t think it snows in Houston. Or recognizes fall or winter as official seasons at all. But I’m ignoring that. I made a yummy clam chowder for supper tonight in the Instant Pot, so maybe I’ll just will the weather in from my kitchen. (By the way, the whole family loved that clam chowder, so you can expect to see the recipe soon!)

But I’m also in the mood for things like pumpkin spice cookies and ice cream. Below, I’ll give ya one of ’em so you can make ’em too (even if it is actually cold where you live!).

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies | Healthy Pumpkin Spice Cookies from The Family That Heals Together
Print Recipe

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 24 cookies
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350*.
  • In a large bowl, beat the ghee on high with a hand mixer, until creamy.
  • Add the maple sugar, pumpkin spice and baking soda, and beat once more until combined, scraping the sides to mix well.
  • Beat in the egg, pumpkin puree, 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 using one of the options below.

Frosting Options

  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1/4 cup ea butter and cream cheese, softened but cold 1/4 cup thick, raw honey 1 tsp vanilla Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and beat on high with a hand mixer, scraping sides, until smooth.
  • Other frosting options
  • Vanilla Buttercream Frosting or Simple Mills pre-made organic and paleo(ish) frosting

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies | Healthy Pumpkin Spice Cookies from The Family That Heals Together

Photo credit: Kelly Lockett Studio

Paleo Copycat Chick fil A Nuggets (+ Healthy Special Sauce)

My love affair with cassava flour is no secret, and this copycat Chick fil a Nuggets recipe takes my adoration to a whole new level!

Copycat Chick Fil a Nuggets (Paleo & Grain-Free)

In a moment of weakness, I told my boys I would take them to Chick fil A. We were leaving the park and it was cold and we were hungry, and, well, I’m weak and outnumbered so I said yes.

A few minutes later when my GPS wouldn’t cooperate and I had no idea where to find a Chick fil A in the new town we recently moved to, I had to backtrack and tell them we weren’t getting fast food after all. And while I suffered through the inevitable whining, I was also relieved we had dodged a bullet.

Copycat Chick fil A Nuggets > Fast Food

It’s not like fast food is ever healthy. It’s not like we tolerate it that well. But dang, Chick fil A is tasty. I don’t have to tell you that’s because it’s loaded with msg, gluten, sugar, and all kinds of other yucky additives. Not to mention, it’s fried in peanut oil, which is super inflammatory and not at all the healthy oil it’s touted to be.

So I decided I would make us all happy and surprise them with copycat chick fil a nuggets. No junk food meltdowns or headaches later and still super {duper} delicious!

I love when I get to surprise my boys with food that they love. And they LOVED these nuggets.

Healthy ingredients for the win

Instead of gluten, I worked with a completely grain-free, paleo-friendly flour that behaves just like all purpose flour in this recipe. Get my favorite cassava flour here.

You’ll also find real, whole-food ingredients like organic spices (and a lil’ sugar; you can use maple sugar or organic cane sugar, or leave it out, but it gives the recipe that slight sweetness chick fil a nugs are known for).

In addition, I used organic, grassfed buttermilk, but if you’re dairy free, just sub your favorite dairy-free milk and add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Easy peasy.

Look for quality, pastured chicken breasts and egg for the best nutrition (I tend to more frequently buy whole chickens for complete nutrition, but sometimes boneless, skinless chicken breasts are needed!).

For the pickle juice marinade, I used some juice from a jar of Bubbies pickles, our family’s fave store-bought pickles. They’re made through traditional fermentation so they’ve got good bugs in ’em.

Finally, we use high-quality, heart healthy palm shortening to fry up our goodies in. You can also use expeller-pressed coconut oil or other fat that you love- just keep it nourishing! Don’t ruin these healthy nuggets with conventional shortening or vegetable oil, mmk?

Copycat Chick Fil a Nuggets (Paleo & Grain-Free)

Made to feed a crew

I made a huge platter of these bad boys thinking maybe, just maybe, there’d be leftovers for lunch the next day. Ha. Yeah right. They demolished them.

The recipe below is for 4-6 people. Our family of two grownups and four boys was very satisfied, but some of my kids eat more than I do. 😉

Either way, this recipes makes a lot of nuggets, so you can feed more than a few people. (Am I the only one with a semi-big family who constantly has to double and triple recipes?) And if you need a smaller batch, just adjust the number of servings below on the recipe card.

According to my ten-year-old: “If you eat like 20 of these nuggets, you’ll have a stomach ache, but if you stay at least around 15, you’re good.” Can’t argue with that wisdom.

Copycat Chick Fil a Nuggets (Paleo & Grain-Free)
Print Recipe

Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets w Special Sauce

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Main Course
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 1/2 cups cassava flour
  • 1 1/2 cups palm shortening or expeller pressed coconut oil
  • 1 cup pickle juice
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or dairy-free milk of choice + 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp organic cane or maple sugar
  • 1 Tbsp season salt
  • 2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Chop chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes, then put them, along with the pickle juice, in a sealed baggie to marinate for one hour.
  • Meanwhile, make roasted sweet potatoes or french fries to go on the side.
  • In a medium bowl, combine cassava flour, sugar, season salt, and pepper and whisk to combine.
  • Put shortening in a 12-14" inch skillet and turn heat to medium.
  • Combine buttermilk with egg in a small bowl and whisk.
  • Drain pickle juice from bag of chicken and replace with buttermilk mixture. Seal and move the pieces of chicken around to ensure they all get coated in the mixture.
  • Turn the heat down on the skillet to medium-low and drop a small bit of flour in it to be sure it sizzles.
  • Grab a small handful of chicken pieces and place them in the bowl of flour, turning each one around to ensure it gets coated well. Place them, one by one, in the oil until the skillet is filled.
  • Turn nuggets after 3-5 minutes, once flour has browned, and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes on the second side. Stir them gently around so as to not knock off the batter to ensure all sides are well cooked, then use a slotted spatula to move them to a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Repeat with remaining nuggets until all are cooked.
  • If you'd like to make a copycat Chick fil A special sauce to go with these nuggets, simply combine the following ingredients and stir until smooth:
  • 6 tbsp mayo
  • 2 tbsp mustard
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Enjoy! And be sure to share using one of our buttons because everyone needs these copycat chick fil a nuggets in their life!

Cassava and Coconut Flour Banana Bread Recipe

Cassava and Coconut Flour Banana Bread | The Family That Heals Together

If you want to make a little boy (or big guy) happy, make him banana bread for breakfast. It’s a proven fact. (I hear little girls like it too, but I don’t have any daughters to confirm this rumor.) And since I’ve been baking with coconut flour for ages, making a coconut flour banana bread was a piece of cake, er, slice of bread.

Even though I LOVE the texture of coconut flour (it’s my favorite for cakes & muffins), it’s a little dense and the flavor can be overpowering in some recipes. My very favorite paleo baking recipes are the ones in which I combine two or more flours to create that just-right texture. It’s how I came up with my Ultimate Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (if you haven’t made them, what are you waiting for???).

You know that cassava flour is a favorite around here, because it most closely mimics white flour in lots of recipes, but there is a learning curve. Overdo it, and the finished product will be gummy, but get it just right, and you may convince even your friends who eat wheat that they won’t be missing out if they go grain-free.

Why go grain-free?

Our family has been (mostly, off-and-on) grain-free for over five years now. We’ve learned what works for us and have healed our guts enough that we don’t have to stick with a super rigid diet, but the fact is, we all feel best (and behave best) on a grain-free diet.

Grains contain a number of components that can be hard on digestion, including:

  • lectins- found in legumes and grains, lectins are a part of plants’ natural defense mechanisms. They are difficult to digest and can even damage the cells that make up the gut barrier, contributing to leaky gut.
  • gluten- found in wheat, barley, rye, and some oats, gluten is a difficult-to-digest protein. It’s especially problematic for children with behavioral disorders because it can bind to key receptors that effect mood and behavior, as well as those with autoimmune diseases. Today’s processed and pesticide-laden wheat is best avoided by everyone.
  • phytic acid- an anti-nutrient that blocks your body’s absorption of minerals. Not only is it difficult to absorb any of the nutrition found in grains themselves, but they may prevent you from absorbing nutrients from the other foods you eat along with them.

It’s because of these problematic elements of grains that our family chooses to skip them for the most part. We’re also human and enjoy occasional indulgences and even made a party of eating at Chick Fil A this week while our house was being shown (remind me to tell you about that time we sold our house with four children underfoot and a husband traveling the majority of the time- I’ts. A. Walk. In. The. Park.).

I’ve found we do best with balance and without being too controlling, but still focus on most of our diet being nutrient dense. Which is why I have to come up with grain-free recipes my boys love like this coconut flour banana bread.

Cassava flour for the win

To get just the right texture, and avoid the overly-coconutty flavor that happens sometimes, I did a 1:1 combination of coconut flour and cassava flour for this recipe. Mr. Incredible said, and I repeat, “This is legit!”

The rest of us rather liked it too. We grabbed it as a snack before heading out when our house was being shown… and before going to Chick Fil A, because boys are always hungry.

I love cassava flour for a number of reasons, including:

  • it more closely mimics all-purpose flour than anything else I’ve tried
  • it is free from inflammatory proteins
  • it is a good source of resistant starch, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut
  • it’s totally grain- and gluten-free
  • it contains minerals like calcium, manganese, and iron
  • it’s a good source of fiber
  • it’s a good source of carbohydrates

Cassava flour is not low carb, but with all the fiber in this bread, I feel great about adding it in. Plus, this bread doesn’t have a lot of added sweetener since bananas are already sweet, so it’s great for breakfast with a smoothie or protein drink (like bulletproof chocolate milk or tea), or a tall glass of raw milk.

Get my favorite cassava flour here.

Tip: add chopped nuts or chocolate chips for a yummy treat- I made one of each and the boys loved both!

Grab the recipe for Cassava and Coconut Flour Banana Bread below.

Print Recipe

Cassava & Coconut Flour Banana Bread

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Servings: 1 loaf
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 2 bananas with brown spots
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup cassava flour
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • dash salt
  • Optional: 1/4-1/2 cup chopped nuts or allergy-friendly chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Grease standard-sized loaf pan (I love this kind) with fat of choice.
  • In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to mash the bananas.
  • Add the eggs, vanilla, oil, and maple syrup and mix on high until combined well. It's ok if the bananas are a little lumpy.
  • Add the flours, baking soda, and salt, and combine once more until smooth.
  • Add nuts or chocolate chips, if desired, and stir by hand to disperse.
  • Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  • Cool before slicing and serving warm with butter or ghee.

Share this Cassava & Coconut Flour Banana Bread recipe by pinning or using a link below.

Cassava and Coconut Flour Banana Bread | The Family That Heals Together

Paleo Sugar Cookies with Cassava Flour

Paleo sugar cookies seem like a sort of oxymoron, since sugar isn’t paleo. But I love to play with natural sugar replacements and paleo ingredients to paleo-fy conventional recipes, like I did with these cassava flour sugar cookies. Below, you’ll find an updated version of that recipe.

Paleo Sugar Cookies with Cassava Flour | The Family That Heals Together

 

Why cassava?

It turns out cassava flour is my absolute favorite paleo flour, and here’s why:

  • it more closely mimics all-purpose flour than anything else I’ve tried
  • it is free from inflammatory proteins
  • it is a good source of resistant starch, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut
  • it’s totally grain- and gluten-free
  • it contains minerals like calcium, manganese, and iron
  • it’s a good source of fiber
  • it’s a good source of carbohydrates

Now, cassava is not a good choice if you’re on the GAPS diet or other low-carb or keto diet. It’s not low carb, and it is starchy. However, it’s a much better choice than wheat or even gluten-free flours.

Plus, if you’re a Veggie Tales fan, it might bring back fond memories of Cassie Cassava.

Paleo Sugar Cookies with Cassava Flour | The Family That Heals Together

So, paleo sugar cookies…

They are basically the single best way to please a little boy on a strict diet. Trust me on this. Food = love in a little boy’s (or big boy’s) heart.

I recently sat on a panel for mamas with nutrition questions. One great question was “how do you fill up hungry boys on a gluten free diet?”

I mentioned potatoes and rice (which are great fillers without introducing a lot of allergenic proteins, at least for most of us. If you’re allergic to rice like my friend Paula… I’m so sorry. I love a side of rice now and again.).

I should’ve mentioned these paleo sugar cookies and cassava flour. Or maybe not, because the way my boys eat them, you’d think they never get full. These disappear in no time flat at my house. The end.

But cassava is a great way to fill out a gluten-free diet, especially with recipes like Cassava Flour Buttermilk Biscuits, or, of course, these paleo sugar cookies.

These cookies are perfect for every holiday, so grab some cassava flour, some cookie cutters, and this insane organic frosting (or grab my recipe for paleo buttercream frosting with protein and probiotics here) and get to baking. They are quick and easy to make, I promise.

Oh, and if your kids LOVE colored frosting without the red dye meltdown, grab these natural food colors.

Are you a visual person? Enjoy the video below before you check out the recipe!

 

Print Recipe

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 2 dozen cookies
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cassava flour
  • 3/4 cup maple sugar
  • 2/3 cup  room temerature ghee or butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • Optional natural food coloring like this

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350*.
  • In a large bowl, beat the ghee on high with a hand mixer, until creamy.
  • Add the maple sugar, and baking soda 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. 

Do you have a friend that would appreciate these paleo sugar cookies for a special occasion or holiday?
Be sure to share using one of our links!

Photo credits: Kelly Lockett Studio

Cassava Flour Buttermilk Biscuits

Whether you live in the south like me or you just miss this classic breakfast staple, these cassava flour buttermilk biscuits are sure to hit the spot. Find the grain-free recipe below, complete with a dairy-free, paleo option!A grain-free recipe that satisfies the southern belle (or gentleman) in all of us: cassava flour buttermilk biscuits, just like grandma used to make!

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make you the happiest… snuggling up with my boys and burying my face in their hair and they smell like sunshine and outside and grass. Mr. Incredible coming home from a long day of work and grinning wide before wrapping his arms around me so I can welcome him home. Enjoying foods you thought you’d never get to enjoy again… yeah, those are the cloth happy is cut from.

Biscuits are just one of those things that you never really get over losing… I can eat meat and veggies and the occasional honey-sweetened treat and be pretty satisfied. I don’t even really miss conventional breakfast foods like cereal or poptarts (gross). But biscuits. Buttermilk biscuits. I just miss them sometimes. It used to be a regular thing, Mr. Incredible making old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits on the weekends, but we hadn’t had his buttermilk biscuits in a long time… until this past weekend when I said “hey you should try making your buttermilk biscuit recipe with cassava flour. It should sub equally for all purpose flour.” He delighted me by agreeing to give it a try!

It worked like a dream and we ate real buttermilk biscuits. Cassava flour buttermilk biscuits. Gosh, I love that man and his biscuits. I’m going to have to see what else I can put him to work remaking with cassava flour because he used to bake all the time before I banished gluten from our kitchen. Try out his recipe for grain-free cassava flour buttermilk biscuits below!

A grain-free recipe that satisfies the southern belle (or gentleman) in all of us: cassava flour buttermilk biscuits, just like grandma used to make! A grain-free recipe that satisfies the southern belle (or gentleman) in all of us: cassava flour buttermilk biscuits, just like grandma used to make!

We even shared with family members who usually eat gluten- and they enjoyed them too! Total win.
Bag image

Buy Otto’s cassava flour here.
A grain-free recipe that satisfies the southern belle (or gentleman) in all of us: cassava flour buttermilk biscuits, just like grandma used to make!

A grain-free recipe that satisfies the southern belle (or gentleman) in all of us: cassava flour buttermilk biscuits, just like grandma used to make!
Print Recipe

Cassava Flour Buttermilk Biscuits

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Servings: 12 large biscuits
Author: Jaclyn Harwell

Ingredients

  • 2 cups - Otto's cassava flour
  • 1 cup - buttermilk*
  • 1/2 cup - butter - softened at room temperature**
  • 1/2 cup - half and half - we mix half raw milk with half raw cream*
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tbsp - honey
  • 2 1/2 tsp - baking powder - homemade or grain-free
  • 1/2 tsp - cream of tarter
  • 1/2 tsp - salt
  • *For dairy-free option replace buttermilk and half and half with 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, combined with 1 tbsp lemon juice.**Replace butter with ghee, palm shortening, or lard for a dairy-free option.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450*.
  • Combine dry ingredients: cassava flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt.
  • Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until a crumbly dough has formed and there are no chunks of butter left.
  • Add the honey, cream, and buttermilk and mix until combined.
  • Whip the egg whites with a stand mixer or high-powered hand blender until they are thick and fluffy.
  • Using a rubber spatula, fold the whites into the dough until just a streak remains. Don't overmix biscuits or they'll become tough.
  • Using two spoons, scoop large spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing two inches apart.
  • Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove when the tops have begun to brown.