Soft and Satisfying Ginger Cookies

by Noor Saleem

During the past few years, 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 puts in their body. While there are many gluten-free options hitting the store shelves, be very wary of marketing tactics. Just because something 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 other cookie recipes to compute this soft, flavorful, and healthy ginger cookie. They can easily become ginger snaps by baking them a bit longer, resulting in a nice and crisp texture.

I make these cookies 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 multiple cookies. 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, heartburn, and much more. It’s mentioned in both the Qu’ran and Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). I recommend to my clients, friends, and family to include ginger in their daily diet. This cookie recipe is made with organic cold-pressed avocado 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. One of my favorite companies for all of my ginger products is none other than The Ginger People. From their pickled ginger to their ginger shots, it’s a company I trust in both taste and ingredients. You can find holistic remedies for ginger, how it could transform your health, delicious recipes, and much more, in my book, SUNNAH SUPERFOODS, available on Amazon. Try this recipe, and you’ll find it difficult to purchase store-bought ginger cookies again.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup organic cold pressed avocado oil
• 2/3 cup organic coconut palm sugar
• 1 organic pasture-raised egg
• 2 cups almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• 2 tablespoons organic ginger, ground
• 1 tablespoon organic cinnamon, ground
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek, ground

Directions:

1. Mix the avocado oil, coconut palm sugar and egg in a medium mixing bowl. Combine well.
2. Add all spices and nut flours. Mix until well incorporated.
3. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, covered.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll the dough into balls and place on a baking sheet.
5. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool on your cooling rack.

*If you prefer a crunchier texture (similar to ginger snap cookies) bake them for about 14 minutes; or until they reach your desired crispiness.

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.