Welcome to the enchanting world of holiday baking, where tradition meets modern wellness! These delightful cut-out sugar cookies are designed to bring festive cheer without compromising your dietary goals. Perfectly tailored for those following a paleo or Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) lifestyle, and naturally gluten-free, these cookies are a guilt-free indulgence made entirely without refined white sugar. Imagine classic Christmas shapes, vibrant natural colors, and a tender, cakey texture that melts in your mouth—all while supporting your health. Get ready to create cherished holiday memories with a healthier twist on a beloved classic.

The Joy of AIP & Paleo Christmas Sugar Cookies

For many, Christmas simply isn’t complete without the heartwarming tradition of baking and decorating sugar cookies. There’s a certain magic in gathering with loved ones, rolling out dough, selecting fun cutters, and then meticulously adorning each cookie with colorful frosting. It’s an activity that creates lasting memories and fills the home with the comforting aroma of the holidays. While store-bought cookie dough offers convenience, for those navigating dietary restrictions like gluten, dairy, refined sugar, or even eggs and grains, finding a suitable option can be a challenge.

That’s where these exceptional AIP and Paleo sugar cookies come in. This recipe proves that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor, fun, or festive spirit when adhering to a specialized diet. These cookies are not only entirely paleo and gluten-free, but they are also AIP compliant—meaning they are free from common inflammatory ingredients such as grains, dairy, eggs, nuts, and refined sugars. Despite these considerations, they are incredibly cute, endlessly customizable, and utterly delicious. While we’ve crafted ours to resemble charming Christmas trees, feel free to let your imagination run wild with different shapes and vibrant decorations!

Essential Ingredients for Healthy Holiday Baking

Crafting delicious cookies that align with strict dietary protocols requires thoughtful ingredient choices. Here’s a breakdown of the key components that make these cut-out sugar cookies both compliant and scrumptious:

• Tigernut Flour & Tapioca Starch: These two flours form the base of our grain-free, gluten-free, and nut-free cookie dough. Tigernut flour, despite its name, is actually a tuber and is celebrated for its slightly sweet flavor and fibrous texture, making it an excellent paleo and AIP-friendly option. Tapioca starch, derived from the cassava root, provides a light, crisp texture and acts as a binder, contributing to the cookie’s structural integrity. While we highly recommend this specific combination for optimal results, arrowroot starch can generally be swapped for tapioca starch if needed, as they share similar thickening properties.
• Gelatin Powder: We incorporate Vital Proteins gelatin (distinguished by its green packaging) into this recipe. Its primary role is to act as a binder, helping the cookies hold their shape beautifully. Additionally, gelatin contributes to a slightly softer, more tender crumb and helps the cookies achieve a subtle rise. Unlike some recipes that require making a full “gelatin egg,” for these cookies, you simply add the dry gelatin powder directly to the flour mixture.
• Palm Shortening: This neutral, dairy-free fat is crucial for both the cookie dough and the frosting. In the cookies, palm shortening provides richness and helps create that desirable “cakey” texture that is both soft and holds its shape well after baking. In the frosting, it’s essential for achieving a smooth, spreadable consistency that hardens slightly without becoming brittle, mimicking traditional butter-based frostings.
• Maple Syrup: To keep these cookies refined sugar-free, we opt for pure maple syrup as our primary sweetener. Its rich, warm flavor complements the other ingredients beautifully without being overly sweet. Maple syrup is a natural, unrefined sugar alternative that is permitted on many healthy eating plans. If you prefer, raw honey can also be used as a substitute, offering a slightly different but equally delicious flavor profile.
• Matcha & Turmeric for Natural Color: One of the most exciting aspects of decorating cookies is adding vibrant colors, and we do so entirely with natural ingredients! Matcha powder, derived from finely ground green tea leaves, imparts a beautiful, earthy green hue perfect for our Christmas tree cookies. Turmeric powder, a spice known for its potent health benefits, provides a sunny yellow ideal for crafting bright stars. For even more creative possibilities, consider using beetroot powder for a lovely red (perfect for ornaments or mittens) or spirulina powder for a deeper blue or green. These natural colorants allow you to decorate your holiday treats without artificial dyes.

Optional Tools to Elevate Your Cookie Game

While delicious cookies can be made with minimal tools, a few additions can make the baking and decorating process even more enjoyable and professional-looking:

• Cookie Cutters: The very essence of “cut-out” cookies lies in their fun shapes! While you can certainly make simple round cookies if you prefer to skip the cutting step, festive cookie cutters are a must for truly embracing the holiday spirit. We used a classic Christmas tree shape for this recipe, but the possibilities are endless. Consider a variety pack of cookie cutters featuring snowflakes, stars, gingerbread men, reindeer, or even mittens to add diverse cheer to your cookie platter.
• Frosting Piping Bags and Tips: For intricate decorations and clean lines, piping bags and various frosting tips are invaluable. For these Christmas tree cookies, we primarily used a piping bag and a star tip to create the delicate yellow star on top of each tree. However, a range of tips can help you achieve different effects—from thin lines for garland to broader swirls for a fluffy snow effect. If piping feels daunting, simply use a small spatula or knife to spread the frosting, and still achieve a charming homemade look.

How to Make AIP & Paleo Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Creating these allergy-friendly holiday cookies is a straightforward and rewarding process. Follow these detailed steps to ensure perfectly baked and beautifully decorated treats:

1. Prepare Your Workspace and Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then lightly grease it with coconut oil or another AIP-compliant fat to prevent sticking. Set this aside, ready for your cookie creations.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a spacious mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together all the dry ingredients for the cookies: tigernut flour, tapioca starch, gelatin powder, and baking soda. Ensuring these are well combined prevents pockets of unmixed ingredients and leads to a uniform cookie texture.
3. Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, cream together the palm shortening and maple syrup until they are smooth and well-incorporated. This step helps to aerate the fats and sweeteners, contributing to the cookies’ light texture. Stir in the vanilla extract until fully blended.
4. Form the Dough: Gradually add the wet ingredient mixture into the dry flour mixture. Stir carefully, starting with a spoon or spatula and then using your hands if necessary, until all ingredients are combined and a cohesive dough forms. Be careful not to overmix; simply mix until no dry streaks of flour remain. The dough should be soft but manageable.
5. Roll and Cut the Dough: Transfer the prepared cookie dough onto a clean pastry board or a large piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, gently flatten the dough to an even thickness of about ¼ inch. Aim for consistency—you don’t want them too thin, as they might become too crispy, nor too thick, as they might not bake evenly. Use your chosen cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes. Carefully transfer each formed cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. Gather the remaining dough scraps, gently re-roll them, and cut out more cookies until all the dough is used. This recipe typically yields about 6-7 cookies, depending on the size of your cutters.

6. Bake to Golden Perfection: Place the baking sheet with the evenly spaced cookies into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown and they are firm to the touch. Baking times can vary slightly depending on your oven and cookie thickness, so keep a close eye on them towards the end.
7. Cool Completely: Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack. It is absolutely crucial to allow the cookies to cool completely before attempting to frost them. Warm cookies will cause the frosting to melt and slide off, making decoration impossible. Patience is key for this step!

Mastering the Art of Frosting & Decoration

Once your cookies are perfectly cooled, it’s time for the most enjoyable part: frosting and decorating! This is where your creativity truly shines.

1. Prepare the Frosting Colors: In separate small bowls, combine the ingredients for each frosting color you plan to use. For the green frosting, mix palm shortening, light-colored honey, arrowroot starch, and matcha powder. For the yellow frosting, combine palm shortening, light-colored honey, arrowroot starch, and turmeric powder. Start with the suggested amounts of matcha and turmeric, then gradually add more if you desire a deeper, more vibrant color. Taste each frosting and adjust with a tiny bit more honey if you feel it needs to be sweeter to balance the flavor of the natural colorants. Stir until each frosting is smooth and lump-free.
2. Decorate Your Christmas Trees: To decorate your festive Christmas tree cookies, begin by using a small spatula or knife to layer the green icing evenly over the entire surface of each cookie. Take your time to achieve a smooth and uniform base. Next, for the star, fill a piping bag fitted with a small star-shaped tip with the yellow icing. Carefully pipe a yellow star onto the top of each green Christmas tree. For an extra touch of festive sparkle, consider sprinkling some shredded coconut over the green frosting to mimic snow, or adding tiny edible silver “pearls” (check for AIP compliance if necessary) for ornaments. Get creative with different designs and make each cookie a unique work of art!

These AIP and Paleo cut-out sugar cookies are more than just a treat; they’re a testament to the fact that healthy eating doesn’t mean sacrificing holiday traditions or delicious flavors. Enjoy the process of baking and decorating, and savor every bite of these wholesome, festive delights!

If you like this recipe, you may also like…

• Grinch Cookies
• Paleo Peppermint Bark
• Orange Cranberry Scones

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (based on 7 reviews)

Christmas Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Paleo, AIP, GF)

Yield:

6
-7 cookies

Prep Time:

20
mins

Cook Time:

15
mins

Author:
Michelle

These cut-out sugar cookies are perfect for Christmas! They’re paleo, AIP, gluten-free, and made without refined white sugar.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the cookies

• ¾ cup tapioca starch
• ½ cup tigernut flour
• 1 tbsp vital proteins gelatin
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ⅓ cup palm shortening
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the green frosting

• ⅓ cup palm shortening
• 2 tbsp light-colored honey
• 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
• ½ tsp matcha powder

For the yellow frosting

• 2-3 tbsp palm shortening
• 1 tbsp light-colored honey
• 2 tsp arrowroot starch
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

Instructions

For the cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Very grease with coconut oil or other. Set aside.
2. Using a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together the palm shortening and maple syrup. Add the mixture into the flour mixture and stir in the vanilla extract until the ingredients are combined and a dough is formed.
4. Transfer the dough to a pastry board or parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1/4″ thick (you just don’t want them to be super thin!). Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into the desired shape. Transfer the formed cookie dough onto the baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remainder of the dough. You should have about 6-7 cookies.
5. Evenly space the cookies on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden brown.
6. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before decorating.

For the frosting & decorating

1. Using separate bowls, combine the frosting ingredients. Add more or less matcha/ turmeric to reach your desired color. Add more honey to balance flavor if needed.
2. To decorate the Christmas Tree cookies, layer the green icing onto the cookies and evenly spread. Use a piping bag and frosting tip to pipe on a yellow star with the yellow icing. Add more decor like shredded coconut if desired!

Notes

All nutritional facts are estimations and will vary.

Serving:
1
cookie

,

Calories:
386
kcal

,

Carbohydrates:
33.2
g

,

Protein:
2.6
g

,

Fat:
24.7
g

,

Fiber:
0.7
g

All nutrition facts are estimated and will vary.

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Recipe by Michelle, Unbound Wellness. Photos by Eat Love Eats