Scrumptious Ginger Cookies

By: Noor H. Salem, contributing columnist

I’ve come across many clients who are frustrated when avoiding gluten or dairy due to limited options, especially when it comes to desserts. I’ve had a family member excitingly purchase ginger snap cookies, since they were gluten free. It took me a minute to skim the ingredient list to recognize preservatives, sugar, and other ingredients I don’t recommend anyone eats. While there are many gluten free options hitting the store shelves, be very wary of marketing tactics. Just because something is labeled gluten free on the package, it is not a guarantee the food item is healthy. I’m a fan of ginger and ginger snap cookies are no exception. Unfortunately, whether they are gluten free or not, many are full of bleached flours, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, and other ingredients harmful to your health. I’ve experimented with different ingredients and my recipes to compute this ginger cookie. They can easily become ginger snaps by baking them a bit longer, making them nice and crispy.

This recipe is made with almond flour, which is both delicious and extremely healthy. Almond flour is very high in healthy fats, promoting satiety. This is especially great in a dessert, since it’s usually easy for people to consume beyond necessary. Almond flour is high in protein, vitamin E, and cardiovascular health benefits. Eating nuts is undoubtedly part of a healthy diet and I enjoy tossing them into dessert recipes, too. The ginger in this recipe is perfect at giving your taste buds a good kick. It’s strong, but perfect for a ginger cookie if you’re a fan. Ginger is great for nausea, morning sickness, indigestion, heart burn, and much more. It’s mentioned in both the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I recommend ginger to my clients, friends, and family as part of a daily food item. This cookie recipe is made with coconut oil, which is one of the best fat choices available. It’s high in healthy fats and has a high smoke point which makes it suitable for high heat cooking or baking. The cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg give them perfect touch to what’s almost a flawless cookie. Try this recipe, and you’ll find it difficult to purchase store bought ginger cookies again.

Ingredients:

¼ cup organic virgin coconut oil

2/3 cup organic coconut palm sugar

1 organic pasture-raised egg

2 cups almond flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt

2 tablespoons organic ginger, ground

1 tablespoon organic cinnamon, ground

½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground

Directions:

1. Mix the coconut oil, coconut palm sugar and egg in a medium mixing bowl, combine well
2. Add all spices and nut flours, mixing well
3. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, covered
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while rolling the dough into balls and place on a baking sheet
5. Bake for 10 minutes, and allow to cool on your cooling rack

Noor H. Salem is an author, speaker, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, from Michigan. Noor works with clients in better understanding their bodies and healing with natural foods through her wellness practice, Holistic Noortrition. She presents various workshops, school lectures, group coaching classes, and community lectures on the topic of holistic health. Noor recently published her book, Sunnah Superfoods, a culmination of life-changing recipes and remedies, with a foreword by Dr. Waleed Basyouni. Her book consists of prophetic hadith, modern research, and delicious recipes, and is in the process of being translated into other languages.

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