It may be impossible to get through the holidays without trying to compete with sugar cookies. But we can still offer the good stuff without compromising on values.

The Food Babe has a great recipe for almond flour cookies. But we have a nut allergy in our family, so here is an alternate form we use.

Some great sugar substitutes are maple sugar, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. Gluten free flour blends make it easy to swap away from plain white flour, that often contribute to children’s behavioral issues. And we can avoid the colors and issues with dyes to turn to more natural forms of color abundant in other foods.

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey), see note
1 egg yolk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free flour blend(130g)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Icing

1 cup swerve powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk of choice

Instructions

With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter and honey. Beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Do NOT overmix.
Shape the dough into a flat disc and cover with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the dough is firm. Chilling the dough will make it easier to roll out and cut into shapes so do NOT skip this step.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make it easier to work with.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Lightly sprinkle with a small amount of flour. Place the dough in the center and place a second sheet of parchment paper on top. Gently roll from the center outwards, using light, even pressure and turning the dough occasionally to maintain an even thickness, about 1/4-1/3 inch is ideal.
Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes and position them closely together on the dough to minimize waste. Peel away the unused dough from around the shapes, and then transfer the entire parchment paper with the cut-out shapes to the cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown. In the meantime, you can re-roll the leftover dough scraps (may need to refrigerate again if too soft) and cut out more shapes. Repeat until you've used up all the dough.
Remove from the oven (they might seem under-baked but they're not!) and cool for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy as is or have fun decorating!

Icing

In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine all the ingredients. Stir well to combine. If the icing is too thick, add an additional teaspoon of milk one at a time until you reach your desired consistency. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.