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

AIP Sugar Cookies

It’s not Christmas without sugar cookies. Seriously, I do not let my husband leave the house on Christmas Eve until we make Christmas cookies together and decorate them together. Not only is it a delicious dessert to eat a Christmas dinner, but it’s just so much fun! It’s easy to get pre-made cookie dough at the store, but making it at home without grains, eggs, sugar or dairy is a bit of a different story.

These cookies are totally paleo, gluten-free, AIP, and super cute and customizable! These particular cookies are made to look like Christmas trees, but you can get creative and with the decorations and shapes.

The Ingredients 

  • Tigernut flour & Tapioca starch. I haven’t tried any other flour mixtures for these specific cookies, but you can likely swap arrowroot starch for tapioca.
  • Gelatin powder. I use Vital Proteins gelatin (the green packaging) to help bind the cookies and help them rise a bit more. You don’t have to make a full-on gelatin egg for this recipe… just use the gelatin dry!
  • Palm shortening. Palm shortening is used in the base of the cookie and the frosting. It gives a really great cakey texture in the cookie!
  • Maple syrup. Rather than white sugar, this recipe uses maple syrup. You can also use honey.
  • Matcha & turmeric. You don’t have to color and frost your cookies, but if want to, matcha makes a great green frosting and turmeric makes a great yellow! I used the matcha for a green Christmas tree and the turmeric for a yellow star. You can also use something like beet powder to make red for ornaments or red mittens!

The Optional Tools

  • Cookie cutters. If you don’t want to mess with cutting the cookies, you can just make regular round cookies. However, these are cut out cookies, so cookie cutters can be used for sure! I used one Christmas tree cookie cutter, but you can easily get a variety pack of cookie cutters with shapes like snowflakes, mittens, etc.
  • Frosting piping bags and tips. For these cookies, I only used the piping bag and tip for the star on top of the tree.

How to Make AIP Sugar Cookies

  • Make the dough: Using a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. 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.
  • Cut into cookies: 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.

  • Bake: 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.

How to make the frosting & decorate AIP Sugar cookies

  • Combine the ingredients: 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.
  • Frost the cookies: 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!

 

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Christmas Cut out Sugar Cookies (Paleo, AIP, GF)

★★★★★

5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6-7 cookies 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

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

 

Ingredients

Scale

For the cookies

  • 3/4 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/2 cup tigernut flour
  • 1 tbsp vital proteins gelatin
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup palm shortening
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the green frosting

  • 1/3 cup palm shortening
  • 2 tbsp light-colored honey
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 1/2 tsp matcha powder

For the yellow frosting

  • 2–3 tbsp palm shortening
  • 1 tbsp light-colored honey
  • 2 tsp arrowroot starch
  • 1/4 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.

  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 386
  • Fat: 24.7g
  • Carbohydrates: 33.2g
  • Fiber: 0.7g
  • Protein: 2.6g

Keywords: sugar cookies

 

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