Raw Food Recipes for Gluten Free Diet and Healthy Holidays

Eating a gluten free diet and making raw foods recipes during the holidays need not be difficult.  You especially need not feel deprived.

Here's one of my favorite  raw food recipes for gluten free gingerbread cookies, taken from my book Healthy Holiday Traditions.  Before I switched to a gluten free diet, high raw foods and greens, I would bake gingerbread cookies and have lots of fun shaping them into people of various sizes and shapes.

This recipe results in raw vegan gluten free cookies that taste even better than the baked kinds.

I've given you two versions to try.  If you have a food dehydrator, I recommend you try the first recipe.  They come out warm and fragrant.  If you don't have a dehydrator yet, the freezer cookies are great too. I've even included a recipe for a creamy frosting to top the cookies with and decorate as you choose.

Additional gluten free raw foods recipes for healthy holidays are in our new book “Dessert:  Making it Rich Without Oil”, Sweets for the Holidays online videos and Healthy Holiday Traditions e-book.  All are available for immediate download.

Enjoy and have a happy, healthy  holiday.

Gingerbread Cookies – Dehydrated

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds, soaked overnight and rinsed
• 1 cup walnuts, soaked overnight and rinsed
• 1/4 cup raw date paste (see recipe below)
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 2/3 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/3 teaspoons cloves
• Pinch sea salt
• 1/2 – 1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Combine almonds, walnuts,  and date paste with salt and spices in food processor until well combined.
2. Knead the coconut a little at a time into dough. Use between ½ and 1 cup – as much as it takes to result in a rollable dough.
3. Roll or press dough onto paraflex sheets and use cookie cutters to make into desired sizes of gingerbread people.
4. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for a few hours until the cookies are firm enough to remove to mesh sheets.
5. Flip onto mesh sheets and dehydrate for another 8 hours or to desired texture.
6. Make a variety of colored frostings and apply using pastry bag and various tips.
7. You can also decorate cookies with dried fruits, nuts, seeds, or coconut.

Variations:

• Eliminate spices and use raw cacao powder to make chocolate cookies.
• Use a variety of cookie cutter sizes and shapes.
• Form cookies into rounds instead of using cookie cutters.
• Shape cookies by putting dough into a cookie press.

Gingerbread Cookies – Freezer Version Ingredients: 1 cup pecans 1/2 cup almonds, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil 3/4 cup dates, pitted 2 teaspoons ginger 2/3 teaspoons nutmeg 1 teaspoons cinnamon 1/3 teaspoons cloves pinch sea salt Directions: Process nuts and dates with salt and spices in food processor until they are completely chopped. Mixture should be a little coarse and should hold together. If needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. Roll or press dough onto wax paper or parchment paper, or use a non-stick dehydrator sheet. Use cookie cutters to form  into desired sizes of gingerbread people. Place in freezer until they are firm. Make a variety of colored frostings and apply using pastry bag and various tips. You can also decorate cookies with dried fruits, nuts, seeds, or coconut.

Creamy Cookie Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews or macadamia nuts (or half and half)
• 1/3  cup water, or coconut water
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup date paste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy.
2. If  too thick, add just a tad more liquid
3. Use dehydrated fruit powders and spirulina to pigment the frosting.

Date Paste

Many recipes that use liquid sweetener can be made with date paste instead.  It’s easy to make and keeps in the refrigerator for at least a week, if not longer.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dates, pitted
• ½ cup water

Directions:

Blend ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

Alternative:

Soak the dates in water for 20 minutes.  Then blend the dates and the soak water in a food processor until smooth.  You may need to add a little more water.