Discover three holiday cookies, reimagined. They each taste luscious and rich, but those who take a bite will be shocked to realize there's no refined sugar, butter, or eggs. At Sakara, it's not about what's eliminated, but rather a celebration of all the goodness to add in—and dessert is no exception. Find gooey cacao cookies, with dough enveloped in almond butter; hazelnut (coconut) sugar cookies with festive, cashew frosting and sweetened with mineral-rich maple syrup; and "shortbread" cookies made from cassava, oat, and coconut, slathered in sticky date caramel and energizing maca root. Make one or all three sumptuous varieties and enjoy forging new traditions.
CACAO-ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES
gooey, soft, subtly sweet—makes 12 cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons flax seed + 4 tablespoons water
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 cup almond butter
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup oat flour
- ¾ cup cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips (we suggest Hu Gems)
- Optional: Maldon or flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a small bowl, combine flax seed and water, allowing to sit for 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine coconut sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond butter, flax seed, and whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, oat flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
- Begin to pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix with a spoon until combined.
- Fold in cacao chips/nibs.
- Place cookie dough in fridge and let chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper, then scoop out a large spoonful of cookie dough and roll it into a ball.
- Place cookie dough ball onto parchment paper and with your hand, flatten it and begin to shape into a small disc.
- Place cookies in oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. When they are done baking, they will need set, so allow them to cool on baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. Then, transfer them to a plate or rack.
- Sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy.
GRAIN-FREE COCONUT SUGAR COOKIES + COSMIC CASHEW FROSTING
bright, festive, and without fake color dyes, refined sugars, and grains for easy digestion—makes 12 cookies
Ingredients:
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 8-10 dates, pitted
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons flax seed + 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup hazelnuts, crushed or milled
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup cassava flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon flaky salt
Cosmic Cashew Frosting:
- ½ cup cashews, soaked overnight
- ¼ cup coconut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon plant based mylk
Suggested Frosting Colors:
- Green—Use any of the following: 2 full droppers of Detox Water Drops or 2 teaspoons matcha or 2 teaspoons nettle powder
- Pink— Use any of the following: 1 tablespoon rose powder or 1 teaspoon schisandra powder or 1 teaspoon beet powder or 1/4 of a small beet
- Purple—1 teaspoon butterfly pea flower powder
- Yellow— 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Blue—1 teaspoon blue-green spirulina powder
Optional Topping Ideas:
- Goji berries
- Edible flowers
- Bee pollen
- (Untreated) pine needles
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a bowl, combine flax seed and water, allowing to sit for at least 5 minutes.
- In a blender or food processor, place dates, coconut sugar, and coconut oil and blend until smooth.
- Pour date/coconut sugar mixture into bowl with flax seed.
- Add vanilla extract to bowl and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine crushed hazelnuts (crush by using a rolling pin or place in a blender and blend for 10 seconds), almond flour, cassava flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and mix well.
- Combine the wet mixture and dry ingredients and mix well.
- Place cookie dough in the fridge and let chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add a scoop of batter and form into a small flat disc.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
- While cookies are baking, place cashews, coconut butter, vanilla, plant based mylk, maple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth (about 2-4 minutes). To achieve a completely smooth consistency, scrape down the sides frequently and add liquid 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Divide frosting into multiple bowls (depending on how many colors you are creating) and add coloring with the measurements indicated above.
- Frost, decorate, enjoy.
SALTED MACA CARAMEL SHORTBREAD COOKIES
nut-free, crumbly, and luxe in flavor thanks to dates and seed butter—makes 12 cookies
Ingredients:
Shortbread:
- ¼ cup cassava flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¾ cup oat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon organic vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup (can also use coconut nectar)
- ½ cup coconut oil, softened
- 2 tablespoons flax seed + 4 tablespoons water
Salted Caramel:
- ¼ cup organic seed or nut butter of choice (suggested: tahini, coconut butter, almond butter)
- 10 large dates, pitted
- 3 tablespoons organic maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon maca powder
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine baking powder, cassava, coconut, and oat flour in a medium-sized bowl.
- In a smaller bowl combine flax seed, ½ cup coconut oil, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup.
- Combine wet oil-based mixture into flour blend and mix. The texture of the dough should be smooth, hold together well, but crumbly when handled. If it is too dry, add more coconut oil or maple syrup. If it is too wet, add more oat flour.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, scoop out a small spoonful of cookie dough and shape into small disc.
- Bake on 350F for 8 minutes. Once baked, take out of the oven to cool completely while you are making the caramel.
Salted Caramel:
- In a small pot, combine 3 tablespoons water and 10 large, pitted dates on low to medium heat, stirring often, until dates begin to resemble a paste.
- Add ¼ cup seed butter of choice, ¼ cup coconut oil, maple, salt, maca, and vanilla to date paste and stir until combined and warm.
- Once well combined, transfer to blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth, scraping down the sides frequently.
- Once cookies are cool, spread salted caramel on cookies. Let cool in the fridge before eating.
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