Cookies for gut health? Yes, please!
Maybe you’re a pro-crasti-baker like me or maybe you’ve reached that point in quarantine where crafting baked goods are helping pass the time. Either way, the boys and I needed a gut-friendly cookie, so I whipped these gut supportive cookies up. They yield a baker’s dozen or so and they combine both crisp edges and a chewy center, which happen to be my favorite combo in a gluten-free cookie.
Bonus: these cookies are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free and grain-free, too! They pack a protein punch with the collagen, which I love anytime I’m giving my kiddos anything sweet. That combo of fat, fiber and protein in a baked good helps to keep our blood sugar from spiking while keeping the hangry feels at bay, too! All welcome perks while we’re living in close quarters.
What makes this cookie gut supportive?
Tigernut flour: Despite its name, tigernut flour is actually not a nut. Tigernuts are a small root vegetable that is ground into a flour. Tigernuts are the healthiest of grain-free flours as they are very high in resistant starch which in indigestible, feeds the colon flora, making it excellent for our gut microbiome. These properties make it great for those with constipation, without causing diarrhea. It is great for antihistamine cooking and baking, boasting a nutrient lineup containing fiber, iron, potassium, protein, zinc, magnesium and vitamins E and C.
Arrowroot flour: Arrowroot has protein, decent mineral content and a b-vitamins. Arrowroot is extracted from a the root of a starchy tuber, isn’t processed - only dried and powder. Though it’s a white flour, it is rich in trace minerals because it’s grown on tidal flats where sea minerals are abundant. Arrowroot flour has anti-inflammatory properties, too, as well as healthy fiber to feed your gut microbes. Arrowroot is often used as a healthy swap for cornstarch, which is increasingly a common allergen. Many credit this to corn’s structure when milled - it is similar to wheat - creating molecular mimicry reactions in those with celiac and non-Celiac gluten sensitivity. Corn is also one of the most highly sprayed crops in the US, and often it's just this portion that causes ill responses in some people. Overall, arrowroot offers some good nutrients, a crispness around the cookie edge and is less likely be an allergy/sensitivity/intolerance.
Collagen powder: Sourced from both cows and fish, I prefer the grass-fed, bovine version. It comes from around bones, ligaments, tendons and other body parts. Collagen is a good source of the amino acids proline, glycine and hydroxyproline. Collagen has many purpose in the body, including supporting tissue repair (gut!), joints, ligaments, tendons, hair, skin, nails and general gut health. Additionally, your gut bacteria can ferment collagen into butyric acid, which supports our intestinal cells’ health. This multi-collagen is supportive of the most systems including: bones, joint health, cartilage, liver, bone marrow, healthy hair and lymph. Multi-collagen is the best choice for those with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, respiratory and intestinal troubles and those looking to increase skin health for its combining types 1-5 of collagen
Low sugar: As Americans, we each consume an average of 150 pounds of sugar annually. Evidence has shown a strong link between inflammation and sugar, because of this food overtaking our food supply. Sugar increases the body’s need for B and C vitamins. Sugar also feeds yeast and other organisms in the gut depleting beneficial gut flora. Overall, I like to keep our sugar consumption as low as possible and limited to natural sugars that have other nutritional values. This recipe breaks down to 1/3 tablespoon sugar per cookie - less than you’d likely put on your pancake! I find anything a winner that is both enjoyable and causes less blood sugar swings!
Free from common allergens: When working a healing protocol or simply working to improve your gut health, removing common allergens can help to reduce inflammation and make room for healing of the GI tract. This recipe is grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free. Coconut is likely the only remaining allergen that would aggravate. Is a joy to have a handy, quick and simple cookie recipe that everyone in the family can enjoy!
Gut-Loving Chocolate Chip Cookie
Paleo AIP Chocolate chip cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, grain-free - crisp and chewy!
Makes: 1 Dozen Cookies
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10-12mins
Ingredients:
1 cup Tigernut Flour
⅔ cup Arrowroot Powder
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup collagen
¼ cup honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup allergen-free chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenehit. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients: tigernut flour, arrowroot powder, collagen, baking soda, cream of tartar and sea salt.
Melt coconut oil and combine in a separate bowl with wet ingredients: coconut oil, honey or maple syrup, vanilla, apple cider vinegar.
Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing by hand or with a mixed until there are no lumps, without over-mixing.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Use a cookie dough scoop to portion out dough on a lined cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown and tops are a bit golden. Allow to cool before serving.
Substitutions
In this recipe, maple syrup and honey substitute well for one another. If you’re on a LOW FODMAP diet, use the maple syrup instead of honey. The texture is a bit more chewy with honey, but maple syrup worked great, too! I haven’t found the rest of the ingredients to be swappable, largely due to the nature of being egg-free and the way both tigernut and arrowroot flours work.
My favorite off-beat materials:
