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Easy Coconut Flour Cut-Out Cookies that are vegan, grain-free, gluten-free & paleo. The dough can be made ahead and baked later–easy!
No, you didn’t wake up in the middle of December, it’s merely me jumping the gun with the holiday cookie baking. I hope you don’t mind. Also, if you grab some Halloween cookie cutters, you can make these into some wickedly awesome treats. Halloween’s a holiday, too, right? Maybe I planned this all along! (I did not plan this at all :)).
In fact, I had no intention of posting about about these treats, I just needed to make some cookies. More specifically, my tea time breaks need cookies. Add to that, my recent coconut flour ventures. Do the math and the sum of these parts is an impromptu post about coconut flour cutout cookies!
These cookies are so simple to whip up, and so delicious to eat, I knew I had to share asap, regardless of the season.
Ready to bake a batch? Here you dough go!
Cut-out cookies are all about the dough. This one happens to be a cinch, especially compared to traditional cut-out cookie doughs. First and foremost, no mixer required. No creaming of any kind is needed because, with the absence of grains and gluten, this dough creates perfectly light and tender cookies with no more effort than a quick whisking and some simple stirring.
I have mentioned it before, but it’s worth bringing up again for this recipe in particular: coconut flour is very thirsty. When liquid ingredients and coconut flour combine, the initial result is not indicative of the final batter or dough because coconut flour will rapidly absorb more of the liquid in a matter of minutes (much faster than wheat or other grain flours). Hence, you’ll mix up this dough, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then add a bit of tapioca starch–just a tablespoon or more–to make the dough smooth, firm and pliable.
Wrap it up, let it hang out in the refrigerator for an hour, and you’re ready to roll!
And what an easy dough to roll! I (very lightly) dusted a cutting board with tapioca starch and rolled out the dough, just shy of 1/4-inch thick. Roll them too thin and they go from raw to burnt (with no in between).
Granted, a too-high oven temperature was part of my problem. But my mistakes equal your success, because I can now advise that 3/8-inch thickness + a low oven temperature (325F) equals perfect coconut flour cut-outs.
Re-Roll the Dough as Much as You Like
Note, too, that grain free doughs such as this can be rolled and re-rolled countless times without becoming tough (it’s the gluten in traditional cookies that seizes up and becomes tough). *Love*
I’ve also gone ahead and tested these with a regular egg (in place of the psyllium egg) and I am happy to report that it works beautifully! If you eat eggs, feel free to skip the psyllium step in step 1 and replace with 1 large egg.
Vary and Dress Up the Cookies to Your Liking
These have a delicate, yet distinctive, coconut flavor (yum) but you can go bold with the flavorings to change it up. I’ve added vanilla here, but consider citrus zests–lime is amazing!–almond extract, finely chopped cacao nibs, etc. to create just about any flavor profile you like.
Decorate these any which way you like–icings, sprinkles, drizzled chocolate, you name it. I’m choosing plain (for now). Enjoy!
Related Posts:
- Maple Almond Flour Cut-Out Cookies {vegan, grain-free}
- 2-Ingredient Almond Flour Cut-Out Cookies {vegan, keto option}
- 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Cookies {Vegan, Oil-Free, Keto Option}
- Chocolate Coconut Flour Cookies {Vegan, Keto Option}
- Overnight Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding (vegan)
- Healthy Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies {vegan, oil-free, GF}
Coconut Flour Cut-Out Cookies {paleo + vegan option)
Crisp, light, easy-to-make cut-out cookies made with coconut flour. They are vegan, grain-free, gluten-free, Paleo, and the recipe includes an option to make them vegan.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons whole psyllium husks
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the psyllium husks and the water. Let stand for 5 minutes to thicken.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract to bowl with psyllium egg, whisking until blended. Add the coconut flour mixture, stirring until completely combined; it will have the consistency of pancake batter. Let the stand for 5 minutes (the coconut flour will absorb more liquid while it sits). Stir in 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch, or more, to make dough smooth and pliable.
- Gather dough into a ball and securely wrap (plastic wrap, parchment or wax paper) and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a flat surface sprinkled with a very light dusting of tapioca starch, roll out dough to about 3/8-inch thickness with a tapioca-dusted rolling pin.
- Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. Gather scraps and re-roll; cut out additional cookies until all of the dough is used. Place cookies on prepared sheet, spacing 1 inch apart..
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 13 minutes until golden brown at edges (go by color, not firmness as they will still be slightly soft). Transfer sheet to a cooling rack and let cookies cool completely on sheets (they will firm up as they cool).
Notes
Use a regular egg if not vegan: If you do not need the recipe to be vegan, replace the psyllium egg in step 1 with a large egg.
Keep Cookies the Same Size: Cut the cookies any size, but keep the all the same size for each batch you bake. If making small cut-outs start checking for doneness after 7 minutes; larger cookies will need an extra minute or so depending on size.
Coconut Oil Tip: Other vegetable oils will not work in this recipe. If you eat dairy, an equal amount of melted ghee or unsalted butter can be used in place of the coconut oil.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1 cookieAmount Per Serving Calories 72Total Fat 2.8gSaturated Fat 1.6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 54mgCarbohydrates 9.1gFiber 1.6gSugar 7.9gProtein 0.6g
Sabina
Wednesday 11th of November 2020
Can I replace the maple syrup with something? Simple syrup? White sugar? Honey?
Thanks!
Camilla
Monday 23rd of November 2020
Hi Sabina, Yes, you can use honey, agave, brown rice syrup, or even corn syrup if you are ok with that (simple syrup would be too thin)
Bel
Tuesday 17th of September 2019
Thanks! I flavoured mine w fresh ginger and cinnamon instead of vanilla and they"re great! a perfect biscuit with a cup of tea :)
Camilla
Wednesday 8th of January 2020
That sounds DELICIOUS, Bel!