24 Gluten Free Holiday Cookie Recipes

No matter what holiday you celebrate in December, ’tis the season for… COOKIES!

I just love a good cookie, don’t you? But if you or your loved ones are gluten-free, dairy-free, or both, it can be challenging to find cookies to make (and give as gifts) that fit your dietary needs and still taste good. So here are 24 delicious, allergy-friendly cookie recipes that are so darned yummy, no one will know the difference!

Tips for Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Baking Substitutions

Flour Substitutions

Many of these cookie recipes call for coconut flour (I use this one.), cassava flour (I use this one.), and/or almond flour (I use this one.), so if you’re making a lot of cookies, you’ll want to stock up and get at least a few pounds of each.

Coconut flour CANNOT be substituted for other flours; it simply will not work. It requires a lot of liquid and/or eggs to hold together.

Fat Substitutions

Some gluten free cookie recipes call for grass-fed butter, but you can easily substitute an equal amount of coconut oil, ghee, or palm shortening. If you like the taste of coconut, use virgin coconut oil. (I use this one.) If you don’t, or if coconut flavor won’t fit the recipe you’re making, use refined coconut oil, which has no flavor. (I use this one.)

If you use palm shortening in a recipe, you’ll want to make sure you get it from a sustainable source that doesn’t clearcut rainforest or harm orangutan habitat. (I use this one.)

Other Allergy Substitutions

If you are on the GAPS diet and cannot use baking powder, you can substitute 1 tsp. of baking powder for:

1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch OR
1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk, sour milk or yogurt to replace 1/2 cup non-acidic liquid in the recipe

If you need gluten-free or alcohol-free vanilla extract, you can make your own, or buy it here.

And now, without further ado, here are my favorite Paleo, dairy free, and grain free holiday cookie recipes, collected from awesome food bloggers around the web…