These cassava flour sugar cookies are the best grain free cut-out cookies! They have a no chill dough that is easy to make and roll out, and bakes within minutes. This paleo Christmas cookie recipe is made with cassava flour, and is nut free, dairy free and refined sugar free.
I've always had a soft spot for cut-out cookies.
Growing up, my family made them every year around Christmastime. I fondly remember spending hours upon hours with my sister, intricately decorating the cookies with colored frosting and sprinkles.
These cassava flour sugar cookies are a little different than what I made during my childhood, being that they're completely gluten free and dairy free. But this cassava flour sugar cookie recipe is just as delicious!
Recipe Highlights
- Nut free - paleo sugar cookies made with cassava flour
- Dairy free - no butter or milk
- Lower in sugar - less sugar than your "typical" cookie and refined sugar free
- Only made with cassava flour - no other flours needed
- No chill dough - the cookie dough doesn't require any refrigeration
- Easy to make - the dough is easy to roll out and cut into shapes
I know I'm biased and all, but these really are the ultimate cassava flour sugar cookies. They're SO easy to make and bake and even easier to eat 😉
Ingredients
Only a few simple Paleo ingredients are needed to make these grain free cut-out cookies:
- cassava flour
- baking soda
- salt
- palm shortening
- maple syrup
- egg
- vanilla
No substitutions have been tested. However, grass fed butter should work in place of the shortening. I like using shortening because it bakes similarly to butter but is paleo and vegan friendly (inexpensive too).
If you are looking for an egg free sugar cookie recipe, check out my Tigernut Flour Sugar Cookies.
How to Make Sugar Cookies Using Cassava Flour
These grain free sugar cookies are made in one bowl and don't require any refrigeration.
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the Cookie Dough
Combine the cassava flour, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then, add in the shortening, using your hands to work the dough. At this point, the mixture should be clumpy and fairly dry (see photos below).
Next, add the remaining ingredients. Mix first with a fork, then use your hands to knead the dough.
The dough should be dry enough that you can roll it into a ball and it won't stick to your hands. (It all depends on the size of your egg and how accurately you measured the ingredients.) If your dough is sticky, then you'll need to use more cassava flour when rolling out the dough.
Roll the Dough and Cut Out the Cookies
You'll be rolling the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment. If your dough is wet, then sprinkle the bottom layer of parchment paper with cassava flour.
Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it on top of the sheet of parchment paper. If needed, sprinkle extra cassava flour on top of the dough. Then roll the cookie dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper until it is about ⅛-1/4 inch thick.
Remove the top layer of parchment paper and cut the dough into shapes. Place the cookies on a lined baking sheet.
Bake the Cookies
Lastly, bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cooking time will vary slightly depending on the size, shape and thickness of the cookies.
Cool the Cookies
After baking, let the cookies rest for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet. This step is important so that they don't break. Then, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and cool on a wire cooling rack.
Once cooled to room temperature, the cookies can be frosted.
How to Make Paleo Sugar Cookie Icing
I combined a few simple ingredients to make my own paleo icing. However, you can choose to frost these with anything you wish.
My favorite healthier frostings to buy are from Simple Mills (love their vanilla frosting) and Miss Jones. Although they aren't paleo, they are made with simple, organic ingredients. These frostings are great for when you don't want to make your own.
Here's what I used to make this paleo sugar cookie icing:
Paleo Vanilla Icing
- ½ cup powdered monk fruit
- 2 tsp tapioca flour
- 4-5 tsp almond milk (or coconut milk)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Simply, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until the icing is smooth. Place the icing in a small plastic bag and cut a hole in the corner. Then, pipe the frosting onto the cookies. This icing does harden when sitting out, so use immediately after making.
Paleo Cookie Decorations
For this recipe, I added organic, dye-free sprinkles on top of the icing. While the sprinkles are not paleo, they are naturally colored. I have, however, seen keto sprinkles on Amazon that are paleo friendly and keto, but I have not tried them myself.
Some great paleo decorating options include:
- bee pollen
- shredded coconut
- cacao nibs
- chopped nuts
- crushed, freeze dried fruit
- cinnamon or pumpkin spice
- Natural food coloring in the form of beet powder and spirulina
Storage
These nut free paleo sugar cookies are best stored in a sealed, airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to two months.
More Cassava Flour Cookie Recipes
FAQ
Cassava flour comes from from the cassava (or yuca) root. It is peeled, dried and ground to make cassava flour. This flour is grain free, gluten free and paleo friendly. Furthermore, cassava flour works well as a 1:1 substitution (by weight) for wheat flour and many gluten free baking mixes.
No. While cassava flour and tapioca flour/starch both come from the cassava root, they have very different baking properties. Tapioca flour is a starch, similar in texture to cornstarch. It acts as a thickening agent and helps with texture in grain free baked goods.
Cassava flour can be used to make any and all kinds of recipes. I love using it in baked goods such as muffins, breads, pancakes, donuts and scones. It can also be used for breading chicken or thickening soups and sauces. Cassava flour often works as a substitution (by weight) for wheat flour.
Cassava Flour Sugar Cookies (Paleo, Nut Free, No-Chill)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
Description
Paleo sugar cookies made from cassava flour. Dairy free, nut free, grain free and no refrigeration needed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 3 Tbsp cassava flour spooned and leveled (160g)*
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup palm shortening
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cassava flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add in shortening. Use your hands to work the shortening into the flour mixture until the dough starts to clump.
- Mix in egg, maple syrup and vanilla. First, mix with a spatula or fork, then use your hands to knead the dough.
- Roll the dough into a ball, then flatten and roll between two sheets of parchment paper using a rolling pin. The dough should be about ⅛-1/4 inch thick. If your cookie dough is sticking to the parchment paper, add more cassava flour when rolling**
- Remove the top layer of parchment and use cookie cutters to cut shapes in the dough. Transfer the shapes from the parchment paper to a lined baking sheet.
- Bake in your preheated oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Baking time will vary slightly depending on how thick the cookies are.
- After baking, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool 5-10 minutes on the baking pan. (If you remove them immediately they will break.) Then place the cookies on a wire cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
- Once fully cooled, frost and decorate as desired.
- Cookies are best stored in a sealed, airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to two months.
Notes
*For best results, measure the cassava flour by weight.
**The texture of your dough will depend on the size of your egg and how accurately you measured the ingredients. I've made this recipe a dozen times, sometimes the dough is perfect and I don't need to add any extra cassava flour. Other times the dough is slightly sticky. Dusting the bottom sheet of parchment paper with cassava flour, placing the dough on top and then dusting the dough with more cassava flour always gives me good results.
simplywendi
wow!!! They look beautiful 🙂
Katie
Thank you! 🙂
simplywendi
🙂
April
Would butter be a good replacement for palm shortening? Not something I am able to use.
Katie
Yes! Butter should work well 🙂
Sarah
I made them with a flax egg and it worked beautifully! I used 1 TBSP of ground flax mixed with 3 TBSP of water and let sit 15 minutes. I don't know if this is necessary, but I also swapped out 1 of the tablespoons of maple for honey because honey is an acid and I wanted it to react with the baking soda since I removed the egg. Hope this helps!
Katie
So glad the flax egg worked! I know a lot of people have been wondering if these could be made with an egg replacement. Thank you! 🙂
Joy
Genius swapping in some honey!
Renee
Ever try with egg replacer so is vegan??
Katie
I haven't. But my Tigernut flour sugar cookies are Paleo and Vegan - you can take a look at those 🙂
Holly
Can butter replace the shortening?
Katie
Yes! Butter or ghee should work in place of the shortening.
Jacqueline
Does anyone know if these cookies freeze well?
Mel
Turned out great! Thanks for a great recipe!
Katie
Yay! Thank YOU 🙂
Janelle
My dough is very sticky. I didn’t miss any ingredients. I’m chilling it for a little while to see if it firms up. Tastes amazing though!
Katie
Did you measure the cassava flour by weight? That can make a huge difference. If the dough is still too sticky after chilling, I suggest adding more flour 🙂 Hope they turn out!
Leslie
Measured flour by weight , dough tiny bit sticky , I did refrigerate and that made a big difference . Beautifully hold their shape and do not puff up or spread ! Will definitely make again ! (Have not tried frosting yet but look forward to try as well ) THANK YOU ♥️
Addie
Hi Katie, How long do these cookies last once they are made? It says no refrigeration needed, but would they last longer in a cold place? Thanks.
Katie
Hi Addie, they last well 4-5 days at room temperature or a little over a week in the fridge. They store well in the freezer too!
Carly
What is the yield for one batch roughly?
Katie
It really depends on the cookie size/shape, but I'd say 2-3 dozen "normal sized" cookies.
Lynnsey Perruchon
One batch…makes 2-3 dozen?
Katie
It's really going to depend on the cookie thickness and size.
Josie F.
Quick and easy to throw together, and they hold up well! We plan to make cookie sandwiches using chocolate hazelnut spread! Love that this can be a base for endless cookie flavors! Thank you for the recipe!
Katie
Thank you for the review Josie! I'm so glad you like them 🙂
em
Can't wait to try all your sugar cookie recipes -- cassava flour, tiger nut flour and coconut flour! I used to make cut-out cookies alot but gluten concerns ended that -- and now with your gluten-free recipes I can resume something I so much enjoy! Your examples are absolutely gorgeous! Thank you so very much!
Katie
Thank YOU! I hope you like them - they're some of my favorite recipes on the blog 🙂
Angela
Can I substitute the palm shortening with coconut oil?
Katie
You can, but the cookies are a bit crumbly with coconut oil.
Gina
Hi Katie. I was wondering if I could just use a cookie scoop to shape these instead of rolling and using cookie cutters? Does the dough need to be thin to bake properly? Also is the texture of these cookies more hard/crunchy or soft like? Thank you so much!
Katie
I'm not sure how the cookies will look if they're just scooped and baked, but it should work. The bake time will probably be longer too. As for texture, these cookies are right in-between crunchy and soft. They hold together well, but melt in your mouth.