Author: Christina Eleton
December 9, 2021

Paleo Sugar Cookies With "Buttercream" Icing (Gluten, Dairy & Refined Sugar-Free)

These Paleo cut-out sugar cookies are so fun & easy to make during the holiday season. Gluten, dairy & refined sugar-free!

Close up of baked sugar cookies

Cookie baking is one of my favorite holiday traditions that I enjoy so much with my daughters. We make several different kinds of cookies, but our favorite memories are when we make my Paleo cut-out sugar cookies. On Christmas Eve night my girls and I put on our cute little aprons just for this special occasion. We then spend the evening baking and decorating these sugar cookies while listening to our favorite Christmas songs. We have made so many memories throughout the years while making these yummy cookies.

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What You Need to Make These Paleo Sugar Cookies

Here's the ingredients I use to make my Paleo Sugar Cookies:

  • almond flour
  • coconut flour
  • arrowroot flour
  • palm shortening
  • raw honey
  • egg
  • vanilla extract
  • baking soda
  • sea salt
Close up of dough and cookie cutters

Traditional sugar cookies are made with bleached white flour, refined white sugar & butter. But, I promise you do not need any of those unhealthy ingredients to make a delicious sugar cookie.

Close up of person baking

My Favorite Healthy Flour Swaps

I like to use my favorite threegluten free flours: almond, coconut & arrowroot flour. The almond & coconut flour keep these low-carb and full of fiber, while the arrowroot helps bind the dough together helping the cookie hold it’s shape.

Close up of person cutting out cookies

Arrowroot flour is a complete gluten/cornstarch-free miracle!

Close up of hands cutting out cookies

How to Sweeten These Sugar Cookies

My Paleo sweetener of choice is honey for this recipe. Honey gives the cookies a soft cookie texture and delicious too!

Close up of cut out cookies

My Favorite Dairy-Free Butter Alternative

I discovered an amazing ingredient a few years back, palm shortening. Palm shortening is made from palm oil, an oil derived from the tropical palm tree. It is the best replacement for butter and traditional (trans fat-filled) shortening. It looks and works just like butter and traditional shortening. It is one of my favorite dairy-free alternatives. I absolutely love working with it in many of my recipes. It is great in this recipe and gives the cookies the perfect texture. I use a brand called Spectrum Organics. It is a blend of palm and coconut oils.

Close up of cut out cookies

How to Make These Paleo Sugar Cookies

This recipe is very simple & easy to make. Here's what to do...

  • In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together and set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer, cream together the honey and palm shortening until smooth.
  • Add in the egg and vanilla and mix together on low speed.
  • Next, add in the dry ingredients and mix. At this point, the dough will be a little wet and sticky. (This is where you will add in the extra arrowroot). Add in the extra 1/4 cup of arrowroot flour and beat until a dough starts to form.
  • With a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and form into a ball with your hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough for an hour in the fridge, or 30 minutes in the freezer. 
  • Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • On a separate sheet of parchment paper, sprinkle a few more tablespoons of arrowroot flour. Lay the cookie dough onto the parchment paper and cover with another piece of parchment paper. Carefully roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut out cookies with cookies cutters. Use extra arrowroot flour as needed if dough is sticky. Make sure to place your cookie cutters in the arrowroot flour before cutting out to prevent sticking.
  • Place cookies on the baking sheet and cook for 7 minutes. All ovens cook differently, so keep an eye on them starting at 6 or 7 minutes to make sure they do not burn.  You may need to go a minute or two longer, but watch carefully.
  • Cool completely and have fun decorating!
Close up of cut out cookies

For the Paleo Buttercream Icing: Combine the palm shortening, honey and vanilla together with a mini spatula until smooth. Next, add in the tapioca one tablespoon at a time until all lumps disappear and is completely smooth. You can add a natural food coloring to the icing if desired and decorate with dye-free sprinkles if you wish.

***Although not Paleo, if you want the traditional powdered sugar icing, it is definitely worth getting organic. Organic powdered sugar is cornstarch free, made with tapioca starch.

Close up of cookies with icing

Here are some of my girls' cookies that they made last year. I think they did a fantastic job! Hope you enjoy our cookie recipe and make lots of memories with your family!

Close up of baked sugar cookies

Paleo Sugar Cookies With "Buttercream" Icing (Gluten, Dairy & Refined Sugar-Free)

Author: Christina Eleton
These Paleo cut-out sugar cookies are so fun & easy to make during the holiday season. Gluten, dairy & refined sugar-free!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Course Baked Goods, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 48 small cut-out cookies

Ingredients
  

For the buttercream icing:

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together and set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer, cream together the honey and palm shortening until smooth.
  • Add in the egg and vanilla and mix together on low speed.
  • Next, add in the dry ingredients and mix. At this point, the dough will be a little wet and sticky. Add in the extra 1/4 cup of arrowroot flour and beat until a dough starts to form.
  • With a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and form into a ball with your hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough for an hour in the fridge, or 30 minutes in the freezer. 
  • Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • On a separate sheet of parchment paper, sprinkle a few more tablespoons of arrowroot flour. Lay the cookie dough onto the parchment paper and cover with another piece of parchment paper. Carefully roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut out cookies with cookies cutters. Use extra tapioca flour as needed if dough is sticky. Make sure to place your cookie cutters in the arrowroot flour before cutting out to prevent sticking.
  • Place cookies on the baking sheet and cook for 7 minutes. All ovens cook differently, so keep an eye on them starting at 6 or 7 minutes to make sure they do not burn.  You may need to go a minute or two longer, but watch carefully.
  • Cool completely and have fun decorating!

For the icing:

  • Combine the palm shortening, honey and vanilla together with a mini spatula until smooth.
  • Next, add in the arrowroot one tablespoon at a time until all lumps disappear and is completely smooth.
  • You can add a natural food coloring to the icing if desired and decorate with
    dye-free sprinkles if you wish.
  • ***Although not Paleo, if you want the traditional powdered sugar icing, it is definitely worth getting organic. Organic powdered sugar is cornstarch free, used with tapioca starch.

Notes

All ovens cook differently.  Make sure to start checking cookies at 6 to 7 minutes.  You may need to go a minute or two more.  This recipe will make 48 cookies if using the really small cookie cutters or 24 larger cookies with the bigger cookie cutters.
We usually triple my icing recipe when decorating these cookies.
My husband surprised me with a KitchenAid mixer last Christmas and I absolutely love it!  My cookies turn out so much prettier now!  I didn't think it would make much of a difference, but it does!
Keyword Christmas cookies, cutout sugar cookies, Paleo, sugar cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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