recipes -

October 15, 2020

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!

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!).

Print Recipe

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Servings: cookies

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cassava flour
3/4 cup maple sugar
1/3 cup room temperature ghee butter, or palm shortening
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin spice
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, 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

Photo credit: Kelly Lockett Studio

April 23, 2019

The Original Easy Paleo Fudge Recipe

Homemade chocolate is such a decadent treat! This easy paleo fudge recipe is rich and satisfying and so simple to make!

True story: I’ve been playing with various paleo fudge recipes for years. At Christmas I made one that tasted JUST like conventional fudge, but it was a gooey mess. One year I tried using cacao butter and it was too heavy and made me feel sick.

Lots of paleo fudge recipes have to stay refrigerated to hold up, and others call for large amounts of coconut ingredients, which have a strong flavor.

This paleo fudge recipe has none of the above problems! While we place it in the fridge to set up initially, it’ll hold up at room temperature all day long (or for as long as it lasts!). Keep in mind, it will melt in your hands if you try to savor it too long like my kids do, however.

I used just a small amount of coconut butter so as to impart just enough texture without changing the flavor. And believe me when I say, this fudge doesn’t make me feel sick, but I COULD make myself sick on it because it’s hard to stop eating it!

My easy paleo fudge recipe: ingredient notes

This recipe does have sugar in it because it calls for chocolate chips, so let’s just get that out of the way. You could always use my homemade chocolate chips to keep it totally refined sugar-free, but it probably will not set up quite as well. (Note to self: trying that next.)

Aside from that, it’s sweetened with a combo of maple syrup and raw honey, my favorite way to sweeten things (as noted in this vanilla soft serve recipe). You could also use just one or the other.

You’ll also find cashew butter, but you could theoretically use any nut or seed butter. Cashew butter has a creamy, fluffy texture and a nice, neutral flavor, so it’s what I went with. I can’t promise that another nut or seed butter would have the exact same results, but it’s worth trying if you have a different one on hand. (If you use something different and it works well, let us know in the comments!)

Finally, you can top this paleo fudge recipe with anything your heart desires. I really like chopped nuts in fudge, but my kids are partial to sprinkles, so I used these naturally-colored sugar crystal sprinkles and they thought the fudge was extra special and fancy (it kinda was!).

This fudge really does come together quickly and easily and is much less finicky than conventional fudge recipes. Find the full recipe below.

Print Recipe

Easy Paleo Fudge

Cook Time5

Total Time5

Course: Dessert

Servings: servings

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips I use organic, soy- and dairy-free chips like this
3/4 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup coconut butter not oil, also sometimes called "coconut manna"
1/4 cup ea maple syrup and raw honey or 1/2 cup of one or the other
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Line an 8 X 8 glass dish with parchment paper.
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and place over medium-low heat on stove top.
Stir ingredients as they melt, and remove from heat once totally smooth and melted (this should only take a couple minutes).
Pour the fudge into your prepared dish and smooth top with a rubber spatula. It's ok if it doesn't reach the edges of the pan completely. It doesn't have to be perfect. 😉
Sprinkle nuts or sprinkles on top, if desired, and place in refrigerator for about an hour or so to set up.
Cut into small squares (this fudge is rich and a little goes a long way!) and serve. Store in an air-tight container or in the refrigerator if you prefer (though the texture will hold up at room temperature).

February 17, 2019

The Paleo Gluten Free Peach Cobbler Recipe (Healthy Peach Cobbler!)

We share plenty of healthy treats around here, and you can always bet they’ll be gluten- and grain-free, refined sugar-free, and, of course, guilt-free! This gluten free peach cobbler is all of those, and paleo to boot! Find my favorite healthy peach cobbler recipe below.

It’s amazing that it’s taken me this long to create a delectable, paleo-friendly, gluten free peach cobbler, seeing as how it’s my all-time favorite dessert. This healthy peach cobbler is surprisingly similar to the gluten and sugar-filled one I remember from childhood (if it doesn’t taste the same, don’t tell me. Healthy, grown-up me is convinced it does, ok?).

The truth is, it’s taken me years to nail a recipe I feel warrants sharing. For starters, paleo pie crust can be tricky. They always taste too egg-y or too almond-y or they are too thick or fall totally apart. I worked some finesse on this one, and with a little extra magic (see my tips below), I can confidently say this is the best paleo pie crust I’ve ever made. (Though the GAPS-friendly crust in my holiday cookbook is a close second!)

What is real cobbler?

In addition, I really wanted to make the type of peach cobbler my mama made when I was a kid. ↓

I’m gonna say something that might upset you. And you can feel free to debate me, but this is my truth: those crustless, biscuit-topped cobblers are blasphemy. They just don’t cut it, and they are NOT what I think of when I think of cobbler.

The cobbler I grew up eating has a crust on bottom, and one on top, pie-style. And if a cobbler doesn’t have two crusts, I don’t want it.

Here’s the thing, every paleo or gluten free peach cobbler recipe I come across seems to be the biscuit kind. So, as with most of my recipes, necessity is the mother of invention. And trust me, a legit, paleo-friendly, healthy peach cobbler is very, very necessary.

But… after a debate in my Facebook group, it turns out there are a good number of you who like the biscuit-style cobbler. To each their own I guess. I’m thinking this must be a regional thing, so you’ll have to chime in in the comments and let us know what a real cobbler is to you, and where you grew up.

I suspect you’ll love my healthy peach cobbler recipe below either way.

How to make a crispy paleo pie crust

Let’s be honest, nothing ever quite measures up to the same taste and flavor as white flour, especially when it comes to pie crust. BUT- with the right ingredients and technique, you can get darn close.

As I was rolling this dough out, I remembered a tutorial for a puff pastry I watched a long time ago. I’ve never made a puff pastry, but I know that the key is folding it many times in many layers and rolling it and re-rolling it in order to get it flaky. That type of dough requires placing chunks of butter over and over into the layers, which will eventually result in the layers separating slightly as they bake in order to create that desirable, flaky pastry.

This pie crust is not a puff pastry, but I did borrow the technique in order to get a nice, crispy, slightly flaky crust for my gluten free peach cobbler. Rather than place butter between layers, I sprinkled a bit of arrowroot starch on the dough before each roll in order to keep the dough from becoming too sticky. If you know anything about working with paleo ingredients, you know they can be a bit finicky.

Read the instructions below for a detailed description of how to work the dough.

Be sure to serve this gluten free peach cobbler with the best, most creamy, super healthy homemade soft-serve style vanilla ice cream. P.S. my brother who used to refuse to eat any of my honey-sweetened goodies told me today that my ice cream was legit. It really, really is.

Print Recipe

Paleo Gluten Free Peach Cobbler

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Total Time1 5

Servings: servings

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups blanched finely ground almond flour
1 1/2 cups arrowroot starch plus more for working pastry dough
1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup palm shortening
2 tbsp water

For the filling:

3- 15 oz cans organic peaches no added sugar, liquid drained like this
1/4 cup ghee
1/4 cup light raw honey
1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
2 tbsp arrowroot starch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
+ extra melted ghee, maple sugar, and cinnamon for top

Tools needed:

parchment paper
rolling pin
8 " X 8" baking dish
suggested non-stick spray: avocado oil spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375*.
In a large saucepan, combine the filling ingredients, stir, and turn heat to med-low.
In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot starch, maple sugar, eggs, and water and combine using a fork or a pastry cutter. Dough will be dry and crumbly.
Add palm shortening and combine using a fork or pastry cutter, until a ball forms. Knead then with your hands until well combined.
Divide dough into two balls and prepare 8" X 8" baking dish by coating with non-stick cooking spray (see suggestion under tools above). Meanwhile, check on the filling mixture, which should be reaching a gentle boil. Allow to boil gently for a few minutes before turning to low to simmer while you finish preparing the dough.
Place first ball onto a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle a little arrowroot on top, then press it under a second piece of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll it between the two pieces of parchment paper until quite thin.
Carefully remove the top piece of parchment and fold the dough over on itself twice, in thirds, then again the opposite direction, twice, until you have a square.
Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp arrowroot on top of the dough, cover it again with the top piece of parchment, and roll it out once more until thin. Again, fold it over on itself in both directions until you have a square.
Sprinkle with arrowroot once more, place the top parchment on top, and roll out until thin, about 1/8" thickness.
Remove top parchment, then gently place dough into prepared dish. An easy way to do this is to place the dish upside down on top of the dough, then flip them over together, gently pressing dough into dish and slowly removing the parchment. Carefully press together any cracks. Dough should reach up the sides of the dish to the top, outer edges, where it will meet up with the top layer of dough in step 11.
Once the filling has simmered for 5-10 minutes, remove it from the heat while you prepare the second layer of dough. Repeat steps 5-8 on the second dough ball.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust, then carefully wrap the second crust around the rolling pin and transfer it to the top of the dish. Press it to the edges of the bottom crust, and remove any excess crust hanging over the edge of the dish.
Cut a few slits in the top crust and brush it with about 1/2-1 tsp of melted ghee, then sprinkle about 1/8 tsp each cinnamon and maple or coconut sugar over the top.
Place in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes, until slightly brown on edges. Allow to cool completely before serving, preferably with the world's best ice cream. 😉

September 3, 2018

The Fudgesicle Recipe with GAPS, Paleo & Keto Options

Homemade popsicles are a favorite around here, so it was only a matter of time before I made this fudgesicle recipe, especially because fudgesicles were one of my favorite treats as a child. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

By the way, this post is sponsored by Perfect Supplements, but you can bet opinions are all my own!

I can remember sneaking fudgesicles out of the freezer as a kid. I remember their white plastic wrappers, and even the taste of the wooden stick as I would lick every last drop of fudgy goodness from it. They’ve always been a favorite of mine, so I don’t know why it took me so long to recreate a healthy fudgesicle recipe!

I wanted to really capture the creaminess of the original junky version I remember, without a texture that came out too icy or wouldn’t hold up. I’m happy to say these treats are just what I’d imagined, only this time, we can avoid refined sugars, gluten, dairy, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and lots of other yucky ingredients.

But you know I don’t just care about avoiding junk food; I’m all about making food nutritious, even if it’s a treat. You’ll find good fats and gut-healing ingredients in my fudgesicles, making them a totally guilt-free treat that I want my kids to eat!

Fats are uber important.

You know my heart for kiddos and behavior, after all, it was my own son’s behavior that led to creating this blog. Because we completely overhauled his diet, he has healed from so many behavioral disorders, and I continue to strive to feed all my kids brain-healthy foods.

Because the brain is made mostly of fat, good fats feed and nourish the brain. The MCT oil and other good fats in these fudge pops are the perfect way to give your kiddos a hit of brain food. And trust me, they won’t complain (or even know brain-healthy ingredients are in this recipe).

Since learning about the benefits of MCT oil, I’ve found lots and lots of ways to get it into mine and my kids’ diet. While it’s pretty easy for Mr. Incredible to squeeze it into his morning Joe, and believe me- he does, because he understands all of the brain-boosting benefits MCT oil offers and loves to start his day off right, I have to find other ways to get it in for us non-coffee-drinkers.

This fudgesicle recipe is one easy way to sneak in the amazingly good fats in MCT oil, but I also have put it in everything from fat bombs to custard to a shot glass (I’m only sort of kidding… only because I don’t own a shot glass).

Why is MCT oil so important, you might ask?

MCT oil: the healthiest fat on the planet?

While you know I’m not afraid of good fats, and promote eating everything from butter to lard to coconut oil, adding MCT oil to the mix just might be a game-changer because of its unique properties, which you cannot easily get from any other source.

Why is MCT oil so unique? Can’t you just get the benefits from coconut oil (after all, MCT oil is derived from coconut oil…)?

I assumed that at first, too. I’m generally a fan of eating whole foods, and look down on processing separated parts. However, MCT oil is special.

MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides or medium chain fatty acids. It’s a type of fat usually derived from coconut oil, but it’s also found in palm oil, butter, and grassfed beef.

The reason separating these medium chain fats from the rest of the coconut oil makes for such a superior food is because it isolates the very best benefits of coconut oil.

While there are lots of fatty acids in coconut oil, there are only a handful of MCTs:

Caproic acid (C6)
Caprylic Acid (C8)
Capric Acid (C10)
Lauric Acid (C12)

It’s actually debatable whether lauric acid is a true MCT, because it doesn’t behave in the body the way the other MCTs do. The other MCTs (caproic acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid) are rapidly absorbed in your body, having essentially bypassed the digestive tract and gone straight to the bloodstream.

MCTs= brain food

Because MCTs are readily absorbed by the liver and go quickly into the bloodstream, they are able to be converted quickly into ketones, a desired source of energy for the brain.

When your brain is able to start using ketones for fuel instead of glucose (which a sugar and carb-heavy diet will give you), a few things happen.

GABA (a calming, inhibitory neurotransmitter) is increased in the brain, while aspartate (an excitatory neurotransmitter which can be neurotoxic) is decreased.
Production of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), the main source of energy for most cellular processes, becomes more efficient.
The brain is able to use this energy more efficiently with less toxic waste that is likely to result in brain inflammation.

Basically, MCT oil is the perfect brain food to help with energy production, improved mood, and sharper, better mental performance.

You can see why I strive to get MCT oil into our daily diet, and why I’d create yumminess like this fudgesicle recipe in order to do so!

I do think it’s important to mention that not all MCT oils are created the same.

Remember how we talked about the different types of MCTs? Many MCT oils on the market are made from lauric acid (which does not bypass the digestive tract or get converted quickly to ketones). Others use c6 (caproic acid), which converts to energy well, but can cause some stomach upset and may taste bad.

Perfect MCT Oil is different. It’s made only from c8 and c10 fatty acids (caprylic and capric).

In addition, Perfect Supplements’ MCT oil:

is made from 100% organic sustainable coconuts
is USDA certified organic
contains 100% MCTs (C8 and C10)
is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and non-GMO
is batch tested (one of my favorite things about Perfect Supplements and their commitment to safe, quality products!)
uses low heat processing; no chemical extraction
is more affordable than lesser-quality MCT products

As with all Perfect Supplements products, I’ve been nothing but impressed with the quality of Perfect MCT Oil.

If you’re ready to give it a try, you can get Perfect MCT Oil here. Be sure to use code FAMILYHEALS10 for an extra 10% off your order.

How this fudgesicle recipe feeds your brain (& your tastebuds!)

These fudgesicles were made for nourishing.

I know that it’s got MCT oil, but what else is about it?

If you don’t know what the above heading is referencing, please watch the video below. You’ll thank me.

Now that you’ve had a good chuckle, and hopefully showed the video to your kids so they can have a good chuckle too and see that they aren’t the only ones with a crazy, hippie, health nut mom, let’s talk about what else you’ll find in my fudgesicle recipe.

In addition to MCT oil, I’ve also added gut-healing gelatin (again, Perfect Supplements for the win- they have the highest-quality, most affordable grassfed gelatin, which they even test for contaminants like pesticides). Not only does the gelatin provide additional health benefits, but it is essential for the texture of the fudgesicles. You can get it here.

Milk

You can make this recipe with your milk of choice. Coconut milk offers good fats, and is allergen-friendly. I use the “simple” Native Forest brand without added thickeners. Almond milk or another nut milk would also work, but you would lose some creaminess and good fat.

Our family’s favorite type of milk to use is raw, full-fat cow’s milk. It imparts the most neutral flavor and offers lots of health benefits as well.

Sweetener

Our sweetener of choice is raw honey. However, you could also use maple syrup, or to keep it keto, a liquid stevia like this. Start with about 8 drops and taste as you go, adding more until it reaches desired sweetness.

+ A secret ingredient

I also slipped just a little avocado into the mix to add a bit of creaminess. You can’t taste it, but it improves the texture and adds even more good fats + some vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and potassium.

With the above options in mind, this fudgesicle recipe can be strictly GAPS diet-friendly, paleo, or keto. Just choose the combo of ingredients that works best for your needs! Find the measurements in the recipe below.

Print Recipe

Fudgesicle Recipe

Prep Time10

Total Time8 10

Servings: Pops

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

3 cups milk of choice
6 Tbsp raw honey up to 1/2 cup, to taste
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup Perfect MCT Oil
1/2 average size avocado about 1/4 cup
1 Tbsp Perfect Bovine Gelatin
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Put one cup milk in a small saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Turn heat on low and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved.
Put remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add warm milk and gelatin and blend once more until smooth.
Pour into ice cream bar molds (I used this 10 bar capacity mold, which holds a total of 1 qt. This recipe makes almost exactly 1 qt of fudgesicle liquid, so keep that in mind.)
Place on a tray in the freezer for 8 hours or over night to freeze solid. Run under warm water briefly to loosen fudgesicles from mold.

August 16, 2018

The Animal Cracker Recipe for Paleo & GAPS Diet

It’s time to start thinking about yummy kid foods that are lunchbox-friendly, and this animal cracker recipe fits the bill! Find the recipe below.

When I shared on my personal Facebook page that I was having fun in the kitchen with this animal cracker recipe today, a friend commented “You’re so creative!” I do mention frequently here that I like to get creative in the kitchen, so guilty as charged I guess… but there’s so much more behind my motivation.

When you’re a parent of a kiddo who has to eat a special diet (but let’s be honest, all kids should be eating whole, real foods, regardless of their health or behavioral status!), it can become a sore subject between parent and child.

Kids can begin to feel like they are being deprived and can become resentful that they can’t eat the fun foods their friends eat at school, church, and sports or other activities. From the beginning of our paleo journey, I’ve made it a priority to remake all of my kids’ favorite foods and treats with healthy ingredients they can have.

In the same breath, I’ve made it a priority to teach them about nutrition, explain to them why our family eats the way we do, and make sure the majority of their diet is meats and veggies. (See: Is The Paleo Diet Healthy for Kids? for more information.)

But back to the fun foods. I’ve found that when I provide something that my kids feel is special, they don’t complain about not getting to eat whatever food-dye laced, gluten-filled, hydrogenated pseudo-food is being served up to their unsuspecting peers.

A while back, I started thinking about how fun it would be to recreate an animal cracker recipe with GAPS and paleo-friendly ingredients my kids could have.

I set to work searching for the perfect little cookie cutters and was a little nervous when all I could find was a set on ebay for less than $3 that would be coming from China. But, for less than three bucks, I was willing to risk them never arriving if that was the case. (I’ve since found some on Amazon that I’m not sure how I missed before, and I’ll share those with you below.)

Thankfully, they arrived, and surprisingly quickly. And they worked perfectly! Just look at these little cutie patooties!

One of my little guys mentioned that there was no camel, which I thought odd because they’ve never had “real” animal crackers! Which means that whether these taste just like the real deal or not, my boys think they’re the bees’ knees.

(Because these are GAPS diet-friendly, they contain no starches and are lower in carbs. This means they are a bit softer and more chewy than typical crunchy, starchy animal crackers. But still delightful!)

Yeah, you could turn this animal cracker recipe into any ol’ cutout cookie, but what would be the fun in that? Because of the adorable little shapes, these cookies are just… special.

Which means, when we pack them for snack at church or in a lunch box for our homeschool coop, I won’t get any flack because my kid can’t have whatever packaged food the kid next to him pulls out.

He has animal crackers. That mom made specially for him. And he can make the lion growl or make trumpeting sounds for the elephant and it’s ok to play with his food.

Sorry not sorry, Mister Zebra. Just another example of why animal crackers are so much fun!

My easy animal cracker recipe: the deets

So here’s the thing. These crackers are super duper simple. I based them off of my cheesy crackers recipe in my holiday cookbook Nourishing Holiday, but instead of cheese, I added a little honey and a smidge of vanilla and spices to create a lightly sweetened cookie-cracker.

But- they can be a bit tedious too. I’m not gonna lie, those adorable little cookie cutters were a pain in the behind. You have to wiggle them just right, and the thinner spots like elephant trunks and giraffe necks are prone to breaking. Thankfully, the dough is forgiving and it’s easy to smoosh parts back together.

If you want to keep them uber easy, I would suggest getting regular cookie cutters, which are bigger and don’t have little details for the dough to get stuck in.

But, if you love the authentic look of real animal crackers, these cookies cutters are your best bet.

The trick to tricky cookie cutters

Because the dough for this animal cracker recipe uses alternative ingredients, it’s a bit sticky, which means it sticks to the cookie cutters. I figured out if I pushed the plunger in and out as I wiggled the cookie cutter up off of the dough, it broke away pretty seamlessly.

You can also dip the cutters into a bit of starch before each use.

Mostly, it just takes a little finesse to get the dough from counter to cookie sheet. Let’s break down the steps.

First, you need to roll out the dough between two layers of parchment paper, to about 1/4″ thickness. Carefully use the cookie cutters to cut your shapes, using the tips above.

Transfer the shapes to a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. I like to use a thin fish spatula to do the transfer.

Once baked, allow the animal crackers to cool before transferring them to an air-tight container. Or eagerly waiting hands.

See the full animal cracker recipe below!

Print Recipe

Animal Cracker Recipe for GAPS and Paleo Diets

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time38

Servings: dozen

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups finely ground almond flour
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp baking soda
dash salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*.
Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Add wet ingredients and mix using a hand mixer. Dough may become a bit crumbly.
Roll dough into a ball and place on a large piece of parchment paper, laid on a flat surface. Add another large piece of parchment on top.
Roll out dough using a rolling pin, to about 1/4" thickness.
Use animal-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes. If using plunge-style cutters, gently wiggle and push plunger in and out as you pull away from the dough.
Gently transfer shapes to a lined baking sheet, spacing cookies about an inch apart. A thin fish spatula can help with the transfer.
Bake for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden on the edges. Allow to cool before serving or storing in an air-tight container.