Paleo Cookie Dough-Gluten-free, Sugar-Free, GAPS

These delicious paleo cookie dough balls can be eaten raw or baked. While I love them baked, our kids enjoy them most “raw” and straight from the freezer. This cookie dough freezes and thaws well, and we regularly have a stash of around 50 cookies in the freezer. This recipe is so easy to make, that our 7 year old is generally exclusively in charge of making them. She loves to taste test along the way, of course ;). With only 4 ingredients, we can whip these up as a fast snack, treat, GAPS dessert, or traveling breakfast option. This paleo cookie dough is high in protein and healthy fats. See recipe notes for a dairy-free option as well!

GAPS Diet Cookie Dough

These can be introduced on stage 5 of the GAPS protocol and they make you feel like you’re missing nothing while you’re healing and sealing your gut lining. This recipe was initially inspired by Becky Plotner, in her book GAPS Diet Stage by Stage with Recipes. As Becky would say, these cookies are so good “it will make your tongue so happy it will jump out of your mouth and slap your eyebrows!”

If you haven’t heard of the GAPS protocol, it is a way of eating that promotes healing of the digestive and immune system by consuming healing foods and opening detox pathways in the body. Our family has healed from food allergies and autoimmune issues (and a ton of other more minor and pesky health concerns) following this protocol. While we no longer “have” to strictly follow the protocol, most of these delicious recipes have become family favorites and healthy staples we enjoy everyday.

Paleo Cookie Dough-Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free (Optional)

Making cookies with my mom and sister are one of those childhood memories I love. I remember my mom didn’t want us to eat the raw cookie dough, though, for fear e-coli bacteria in the raw eggs. My mom grew up on a farm and they ate raw eggs regularly, but they knew how the chickens were cared for. When animals are on pasture and fed their natural diet, the chances of bacterial contamination are much lower. This cookie dough recipe does not contain eggs, and the dough can be consumed raw. I am also thrilled we can enjoy this treat without negative effects of eating refined flour and sugar. If you want a dairy-free option, see the recipe notes for swaps.

How to Make Paleo Cookie Dough

This cookie dough recipe is very versatile. We most often make these cookies to freeze as cookie dough balls, but they can also be eaten fresh/raw or baked. I love them baked with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. They taste very similar to conventional snickerdoodle cookies this way. The dough is very pliable and can also be rolled out and made into fun shapes to bake or freeze. We have also added paleo mini chocolate chips or a sprinkle of cacao powder for a chocolate cookie version.

If you are looking for additional easy to make, healthy desserts, most of our family favorites on this blog can be easily made, even if you are new to the kitchen. Almost all of our desserts are made in large batches, as they freeze well, and are part of our meal planning home system.

How to Soak Nuts

Nuts, when not properly prepared, can be hard for our bodies to digest, especially while healing on the GAPS diet. This situation can easily be remedied by pre-soaking nuts before eating them:

• Soak nuts or seeds by pouring them into a glass container, such as pyrex (which we use for literally everything!) leaving room for the nuts and seeds to expand. I recommend filling the container about half full.
• Cover the nuts or seeds completely with water and a few pinches of sea salt or a squeeze of lemon. I add about 1 inch of additional water above the submerged nuts/seeds.
• As the nuts/seeds soak up water, you may need to add more.
• Allow the nuts/seeds to soak for 12-24 hours.
• Strain and rinse nuts in a colander. Lay on a towel or cooling/drying rack. Allow nuts to fully dry so they do not mold if you are not grinding into flour immediately.

You can also buy almond flour. After following the GAPS protocol for a period of time, our family seems to do just fine eating commercial almond flour.

Paleo Cookie Dough Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups of almond flour (homemade or store bought)
• 1 cup butter (substitute coconut oil or neutral fat of choice for a dairy-free option-see recipe notes for options)
• 1/2 cup of honey (raw honey preferred)
• 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Instructions

• Combine room temperature honey and butter using a whisk or immersion blender. Melted butter will work too
• Stir in vanilla
• Stir in almond flour
• Roll cookie dough into balls and place in freezer safe glass containers. Enjoy frozen or thaw for 5 minutes before eating
• Baking Instructions:
  • Flatten dough balls onto greased cookie sheet (or line with parchment paper)
  • Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown- about 10 minutes

Recipe notes

• These cookies can be eaten raw, frozen, or baked
• For a chocolate variation, add 1/4 cup cocoa or 1/2 cup chocolate chips (not gaps compliant)
• For a snickerdoodle variation, add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon into the dough or sprinkled on top

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• Unbleached parchment paper
• Almond flour
• Raw honey
• Butter
  • Or, for a dairy-free option, use a healthy fat substitute: (Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Ghee, Duck fat, Grass-fed lard)
• Real vanilla extract
• Freezer safe glass containers
• Stainless steel cookie sheet
• Sea salt
• Paleo chocolate chips
• Cacao powder
• Cinnamon
• GAPS Diet Stage by Stage with Recipes
• Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS book)

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I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as ours! Please let me know in the comments which variations you try and how you enjoy them.

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