Autumn-Themed Paleo Sugar Cookies

Simple ingredients and natural colors make these Autumn-Themed Paleo Sugar Cookies a fun alternative to traditional Halloween treats and fall desserts.

Real Food & Natural Colors

A while back, I fell in love with a Paleo Sugar Cookie recipe from Gluten-Free Baking. It’s an amazing recipe, but over the past year I’ve found myself reducing ingredients (sweeteners) and eliminating other ingredients (oil, baking powder) to the point where my own version is quite different from the original. And, now that it’s officially sugar cookie season, it’s time to share how we make cookies in our house. As you’ll see, these Autumn-Themed Paleo Sugar Cookies are made with just six simple ingredients and are naturally colored with turmeric, cacao, and matcha.  I think you’re going to like these…

Cacao, Turmeric & Matcha

Before making these cookies, I looked into a few different types of food coloring. While some were definitely better than others, I just didn’t find one I could go with 100 percent. For example, most natural green food coloring is made with spirulina, which is great, unless you’re dealing with autoimmune disease. Would a few bites really cause an autoimmune flare? Probably not, but I’d rather use ingredients that nudge my kid’s immune system in the right direction, and it’s hard to find a more anti-inflammatory combination than turmeric, green tea, and cacao.

The turmeric taste, though subtle, may not be universally kid-approved. If you have time, one trick is to pour out some turmeric and leave it uncovered for a few days. This will help make it a little less fragrant. We eat turmeric regularly in our house, so it’s a familiar taste and the orange cookies were actually my son’s favorite. I also think it gives the cookies an interesting flavor.

When it comes to the green cookies, there are a couple of options. I personally prefer to use this Matcha Latte with Probiotics and Vanilla powder from Organic Traditions. It’s paleo and sweetened with ingredients like coconut sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. If you can’t find this matcha latte powder, you can always use pure matcha tea powder. If you like the taste of matcha tea, you’ll probably find it delicious, but both of my kids definitely prefer the sweeter matcha latte powder.

The green cookies on the left were decorated by my kids using matcha latte powder. You’ll notice that they’re a lighter green compared to the pure matcha tea powder cookies on the right.

Green Cookies with Matcha Latte Powder

Green Cookies with Matcha Tea Powder

The cacao is delicious and definitely my favorite as it gives the brown cookies a hint of chocolate.

The Perfect Dough

There’s nothing complicated about this cookie dough. After you’ve mixed your ingredients together, use your hands to knead the dough. Once all the ingredients are fully incorporated, form the dough into a ball, wrap it in parchment paper, and place in the refrigerator. Let the dough chill for at least two hours before cutting out the cookies.

After the dough has chilled, place it between two pieces of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to flatten it out. The cookies pictured in this post were made using these 2-inch cookie cutters with plungers that come in the shape of a pumpkin, turkey, acorn, and leaf. The leaf and turkey cookie cutters have a few intricate designs and require a little bit of patience, but my three year old was able to easily do the pumpkin and acorn by himself. If you’re using regular-sized cookie cutters, you can expect to get at least a dozen.

Decorating

As you cut out the cookies, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. When you’re ready to add the color, I recommend using nothing more than your fingers. Grab of pinch of turmeric, cacao, or matcha and gently spread it onto the cookie. My three year old helped me color the cookies below. It was so much fun watching him work with the different color combinations. We’ve also experimented by adding other toppings, such as chia, which you can see in some of these pictures.

Bake and Enjoy

Bake these cookies for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

This time of year there is sugar, sugar everywhere, but these Autumn-Themed Paleo Sugar Cookies prove sweet treats can be both healthy and fun. Wishing you a Happy Halloween and a healthy autumn!

Products I Used To Make These Cookies

5 from 7 votes

Print

Autumn-Themed Paleo Sugar Cookies

Simple ingredients and fun natural colors make these cookies a great alternative to traditional Halloween treats and fall desserts.

Course Dessert

Keyword Cookies, Dairy Free, Gluten Free

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 25 small cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup blanced almond flour
• 1 cup tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon cacao
• 1 tablespoon matcha latte with probiotics and vanilla or matcha tea powder
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the almond flour, tapioca starch, and sea salt in a medium mixing bowl.
   

2. Combine the maple syrup, egg and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
   

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Use hands to knead the ingredients together.
   

4. Form the dough into a bowl with your hands and wrap in parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
   

5. When the dough is properly chilled, remove from fridge and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
   

6. Unwrap the dough and place between two pieces of parchment paper. Flatten the dough using a rolling pin.
   

7. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies.
   

8. Place cookies on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly sprinkle/rub with turmeric, cacao, and matcha latte powder. Add chia seeds if desired.
   

9. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
   

10. Let cool and enjoy!
    

Recipe Notes

Cooking time does not include time chilling dough.

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