Lemon Poppyseed Grain-Free Cookies

Vegan, Paleo & Keto Friendly, Gluten/Grain-Free Cookies

I’ve been paying a lot of attention lately to how my body reacts to certain foods that I’ve been suspecting for a long time, may be toxic triggers.  And while grains of all kinds (especially corn!) are comfort foods, more and more research is coming out about how they can be very difficult for most people to process and digest.  It certainly does not help that many of the grains that are used in the Industrial Food Supply have been treated with pesticides and are likely GMO (genetically modified organisms) but also vital to note that they are high in carbohydrates, which raises insulin levels, blood sugar and fat-storing in the liver.  Furthermore, the coating on the seeds of most grains have lectins, which are resistant to human digestion and can be the culprits in many auto-immune disorders and even “Type 3 Diabetes” considered the precursor to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

But I’ve also discovered that if I don’t find tasty and indulgent treats that satisfy in the same way that gooey, grain-based sweets and breads, sooner or later (usually sooner!) I will succumb to eating something that is not going to do my body any good.  I’ve experimented with a lot of different Paleo and Keto breads and desserts, but most of them contain eggs, and even when I do (rarely) eat eggs, I don’t like the taste of baked goods that have eggs and almond flour.  So, I was attracted to a recipe I found for “Orange Blossom Cookies”   My first batch was not bad – I replaced one of the cups of almond flour with ground black sesame seeds but I wasn’t in love with the taste of orange.   Then I had the idea of doing a lemon/poppyseed version.  These came out great!  I do want to acknowledge the source of the original cookies, since mine are rather similar.  Added some cardamom, because I can’t ever get enough of that spice!  And I shaped them much flatter as we tend to like a crispier cookie.

And my “cookies with a cup of tea” is fully satisfied by this recipe.  Very easy to make – let me know what you think if you try them.  According to the recipe online (see link above) these are also acceptable for GAPS and AIP (food reintro phase) lifestyles.

Lemon Poppyseed Grain-Free Cookies

Ingredients:

Makes approximately 15 cookies

3 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
Zest of 1 medium lemon
2-3 TB. poppyseeds
1 TB. vanilla extract (preferably alcohol-free)
1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking soda
Juice from the lemon (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup raw honey or coconut nectar
pinch of sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl and blend well, either with clean hands or a pastry blender.  Form a large ball and wrap it either in waxed paper, plastic wrap or parchment paper and place in freezer for 15 minutes.  This improves the consistency of the cookies so that they are not too flaky when baked.

Pull a 1 inch ball from the cooled dough and form into a cookie (desired width and height) and place on cookie sheet.  They can be close together as they don’t spread.  If you’d like, you can make a cross hatch pattern with a fork, but wet between cookies as it may be sticky.

Bake around 13-15 minutes but make sure to check them beforehand as they may get too brown on the bottom.  Remove from oven and allow to cool before you transfer to a plate.

Guilt-free – Grain-free Goodness!