Though the food industry is slowly offering more options for those with food allergies, it can still be a difficult and frustrating journey to find good-tasting food that doesn't break the bank and is safe for those with allergies. As a mama of a family that deals with many different food allergies and special diet needs, finding alternatives to traditional recipes has been something I have done for quite a while. I know the struggle of trying to look for recipes and it feels like there is one thing in every recipe that has something your family can’t have. It seems like more and more it is common for every household to have some kind of special diet requirement.
The great thing about these cookies is that they can taste great and still be gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, diabetic-friendly, vegetarian, or vegan if needed. They are kid-friendly, and you can feel at ease knowing what is in your food. My goal is not just to teach you one sugar cookie recipe but for you to be able to look at a recipe and see what substitutes you could use to make it work for your family. Being an allergy and special diet mama, I know this can be daunting at first, but you can do it and I am here to help.
Allergy Friendly Sugar Cookies for the Holidays
Valentine's Day and St. Patrick’s Day are my favorite holidays to make these allergy-friendly cookies, though you can adapt them for any holiday or special occasion. All you have to do is switch out the cookie cutters. I make them for Valentine’s Day, along with our fondue tradition (check that out here). Baking these gives me a winter activity to do with littles and provides a great opportunity to learn more about shapes and colors. Making these holiday cookies with your kids and their friends would also be a fun activity (watch how I make them here).
Know the Ingredients in Your Sugar Cookies
I am all about breaking down recipes into single-ingredient items. I can’t tell you how much I love cooking and baking with this principle in mind. It is part of my mindset when it comes to providing healthy meals for my family. It gives me a great sense of peace about what I am feeding to everyone. Overall, once you purchase the ingredients that you can stock in your pantry, it is more budget-friendly to make meals, snacks and treats from scratch.
Most importantly, for those of us who deal with food allergies, it is a necessity to know what is going into what you eat. I love working with single ingredient items as a foundation for a recipe because if you have multiple people in your family with different food allergies, it is easier to swap out one ingredient for another that can work for everyone.
As an example, it can be hard to find a diabetic-friendly, no-dye, gluten-free, no vegetable oil, soy-free pre-made item at the store that is also organic. That is a long list of things that can’t be included. When you change how you shop and view store-bought products, it will free you from worrying about always scanning the nutritional info box on the back of a package for allergy-inducing ingredients.
How To Substitute Ingredients
Flour: You can use any all-purpose flour. My go-to when I need to make something gluten-free is Bob Red Mill’s 1:1 flour. Almond flour is also a go-to if you don’t have a nut allergy.
Butter: For butter, I usually use grass-fed organic butter but there are also vegan butters that you can substitute with. We do better with grass-fed than soy which is found in a lot of plant-based options.
Sugar: I substitute monk fruit for raw cane sugar in recipes. This helps the cookies to not cause the glucose spike that cane sugar does. This can be very important for those who are diabetic and need to watch their numbers. Monk fruit can be used as a 1:1 sub for raw cane sugar.
Note: Monk fruit is a great substitute for cane sugar, however it will taste a little different. The sweetness of the cookie is more subtle than it would be with cane sugar.
Egg: Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer or aquafaba. This is the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans, believe it or not. Here are the conversions for using that liquid:
1 Tbsp.= 1 egg white
2 Tbsps.= 1 egg yolk
3 Tbsps. = 1 whole egg
Dye-Free Food Coloring and Sprinkles: I use these to avoid dyes and preservatives. (Watkins food coloring and sprinkles, and Supernatural food colors and sprinkles).
I also used up some of the leftover chocolate fondue (link mentioned above for how I make this) from our #strawberries (see how I wash and store those here) for frosting on our Valentine’s heart shaped cookies made with the assistance of a little helper.
How to Make Powdered Sugar
You put a cup of sugar and blend it on high for 30 seconds. You can achieve that smooth texture by adding 1 tablespoon of arrowroot (as a substitute for cornstarch) per cup of sugar. Blend on high in a blender for 30 seconds. This works in both the Magic Bullet and Vitamix blenders. I have not tried to make it in other blenders. When I make my powdered sugar, I work with 1 cup batches.
I normally put a towel over the lid to catch any particles flying and give it a minute to settle so you don’t breathe in all of that very fine sugar. The short video of me doing this is below.
After I learned how to make powdered sugar I stopped purchasing it from the store. This trick allows me to store less items in my pantry and still be prepared to make anything without making a trip to the store. To see my pantry blog post and a more detailed tour of it on YouTube, click here and here respectively.
I only make as much as I will need for a recipe. It is not recommended to save it. If you do choose to buy powdered sugar from the store, make sure to store it in a glass jar to keep it longer.
Storing Your Cookies
If they aren’t all eaten first, they will last about 2 weeks in a glass container. When you put them in a container and they are frosted, make sure to let the frosting set for a few hours before stacking the cookies. Otherwise you will have a sugary mess on your hands. Literally.
I have included my Auntie Nessa’s special frosting recipe at the end of this post for you all to use if you wish. She has some great substitutions which could be very helpful for those who need it. Traditional vanilla frosting, believe it or not, contains Red dye 40. Auntie Nessa’s recipe has only the good stuff.
I hope you have fun with these and that these tips will help your family to adjust the recipe as needed for your special dietary needs. Happy baking!
Allergy-Friendly Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
Instructions
PREPARE THE DOUGH:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon to the butter and sugar. Mix all together.
- Slowly mix in the flour, cup by cup.
- Finally, add in the baking powder and salt. Mix until a dough forms.
- Chill dough for an hour in the fridge before baking for the best results
CUT OUT YOUR COOKIES:
- Dust the countertop with flour and roll out cookie dough until it is ¼" thick.
- Using whatever cookie cutters you want, cut the dough into shapes and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
BAKE AND DECORATE:
- Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Decorate as desired.
Video
Notes
- Lemon is my little trick to these cookies. You don’t even really notice it, but it does something magical for your tastebuds. Don’t worry though, adding in the lemon does not make them taste like lemon cookies. It just adds a bit more to the flavor profile.
- This dough does not need to chill before rolling.
Nutrition
Auntie Nessa's Italian Buttercream
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
- 6.37 oz. Egg whites, roughly the whites from approx. 6 eggs (room temperature)
- Pinch of salt
- 1¾ c. Sugar,
- ¾ c. Water
- 5 sticks Butter (room temperature)
Instructions
- Whip the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until foamy, add a pinch of salt, continue to whip until it reaches stiff peaks.
- In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and water together and cook until it reaches about 240° F.
- Slowly, and very carefully, drizzle the sugar syrup into the egg whites while the mixer is going. If you pour it too fast it will pool at the bottom of the bowl and won’t incorporate. Let it whip until it cools to just warm.
- With the mixer still going, start adding the butter in pieces, roughly half a stick at a time. It might look soupy during this part, but don’t panic. Continue to add the butter until it has all been added. If it is still soupy, let it whip. It should thicken as it cools.
Notes
Nutrition
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