Do you have favorite holiday traditions from your childhood? Have you continued them with your own family today? When I think about Christmas as a little girl, my mom’s “Green Cookies” are top of the list. But, since our family has adopted a real food lifestyle I’ve had a hard time replicating them — until now!
Very much like a traditional Snow Ball cookie, with the addition of green food coloring, I needed to find ingredients to replace the white flour, confectioners sugar, and artificial dye, while maintaining the soft, crumbly texture, and nutty, almond flavor.
They’re one of my favorite family recipes for healthy cookies for kids!
I had tried many combinations of substitutions for these Green Christmas Cookies, but I think this one is a winner.
Cassava flour, coconut sugar, and plant-based food coloring (using spirulina and turmeric extract), along with walnuts, grass-fed butter, and almond extract, came together to bring my favorite holiday cookie back to life!
While there is only a hint of green (compared to the vibrant color I remember), the idea is there. You can also use green decorating sugar (made with spirulina and turmeric extract) to roll the cookies in as soon as they come out of the oven to give a richer color.
Now I can share these tasty morsels with my own kids and keep the tradition alive. Luckily, they think these Green Christmas Cookies are as delicious as I do! Give them a try and add them to your favorite healthy holiday treats list this year.
Also, check out our Healthy Edible Cookie Dough recipe for a no-bake option.
Festive Green Christmas Cookies with Cassava & Coconut Flour
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar, plus extra for garnish
- Scant 1 cup cassava flour
- 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped, or ground in food processor
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 30 drops plant-based, all-natural green food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add butter, sugar, and almond extract to a medium mixing bowl. Cream together until smooth with a hand mixer.
- Blend in flour, walnuts, and green coloring.
- Shape dough into approx. 1″ diameter balls (I like to use a cookie scoop), and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Roll in coconut sugar, or green decorating sugar, while still hot.
Notes
Makes 24 – 30 cookies
