You came here wanting recipes for Christmas treats that will fit your special diet. No need for a long intro, let’s get right to the gluten-free, dairy-free Christmas cookies and treat recipes.
You’ll also find nut free and egg free options as well!
I did not create all these allergy friendly treats myself. A couple friends (and fellow autism parents) offered their recipes for gluten-free, dairy-free Christmas cookies and treats too!
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies And Treats:
Recipes Include:
- Chess Pie Bars
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Ginger Spice Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies (From Cass at Warrior Parent Coaching)
- Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad
- Eggnog (with egg free, dairy free option)
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies And Treats:
Recipe #1 Chess Pie Bars
If you don’t know, chess pie bars are kind of like a pie in cookie form. They have a simple crust and a gooey yet crunchy topping. They are so good!
I have to start with these because they were my favorite as a kid. Of course, this was long before we went GFCF for my son’s autism.
Below you will find the recipe my mom created by adapting the old recipe I loved as a kid to fit our new special diet (isn’t she awesome). I must warn you though. They can be quite addicting.
One Quick Note
This recipe does use grass fed butter, so it’s technically casein free and not necessarily dairy free. You can easily substitute refined coconut oil or organic palm shortening to make it dairy free.
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups Almond flour
- 1/4 cup Organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Kerrygold Butter (or other grass fed butter)
Filling
- 3/4 cup organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup organic sugar
- 1/2 cup melted Kerrygold butter
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp Almond flour
- 2 organic eggs (preferably pasture raised)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
Crust
- Combine flour and organic brown sugar.
- Using a mixer on low speed, cut in butter (until particles are fine)
- Press evenly into a 13’X9″X2″ pan
- Bake for 10 minutes on 375
Filling
- Combine all ingredients (except walnuts) and beat well.
- Add walnuts
- Pour filling mixture over crust
- Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
- Cool in the pan, then cut into 2″ squares.
Makes about 2 dozen
Egg Free Option
Funny story. The first time I made these gluten free dairy free Christmas cookies, I actually forgot the eggs.
I did notice the filling was too liquidy, so I added an extra tbsp of almond flour and a tsp of psyllium husk. It still turned out quite nicely.
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies And Treats:
Recipe #2 Pecan Pie Bar
I must admit that I am about to be annoying right now. The recipe for these pecan pie bars is the exact same as the chess pie bars only with pecans instead of walnuts.
However, to make it easier for you to follow, I copied the pecan version below.
If you want a gluten-free, dairy-free, christmas cookie that is closer to a true pecan pie bar here’s a recipe from Real Food With Jessica.
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups Almond flour
- 1/4 cup Organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Kerrygold Butter (or other grass fed butter)
Filling
- 3/4 cup organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup organic sugar
- 1/2 cup melted Kerrygold butter
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp Almond flour
- 2 organic eggs (preferably pasture raised)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans*
*You could leave the pecans in halves if you want that pecan pie-like presentation.
Directions:
Crust
- Combine flour and organic brown sugar.
- Using a mixer on low speed, cut in butter (until particles are fine)
- Press evenly into a 13’X9″X2″ pan
- Bake for 10 minutes on 375
Filling
- Combine all ingredients (except walnuts) and beat well.
- Add pecans
- Pour filling mixture over crust
- Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
- Cool in the pan, then cut into 2″ squares.
Makes about 2 dozen
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies And Treats:
Recipe #3 Ginger Spice Cookies (These are keto too)
In addition to grains, sugar, soy, & dairy, my son with autism also has to watch out for too many high oxalate foods. For this reason, this cookie recipe is made from coconut flour.
Recipe Notes
When working with coconut flour, always add it at the end and very slowly.
Coconut flour absorbs water very well and your cookie can become very dense, very quickly.
Add just enough to be able to form your dough into a cookie. You can even leave it as a thick batter (like a thick pancake batter) and just pour small amounts onto your cookie sheet or pan.
For Best Results
Freshly grated ginger makes these cookies taste so much better than ground ginger. Plus, your home will smell so good as they bake!
To grate fresh ginger, peel it and then simply use a cheese grater to shred.
1 tsp or ground ginger can also be used if you don’t have fresh.
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 1/2 cup organic palm shortening
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp clove
- 1 tbsp molasses or Lakanto maple syrup
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1-2 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
- ¼-1/2 cup of coconut flour
Directions
- Turn oven on 375
- Beat eggs, honey, molasses, and monk fruit. (I like to use my Vitamix here)
- Mix in melted shortening, then add baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice,
- Slowly add in the coconut flour until it thickens just enough to be spoonable. It should be thicker than pancake batter, but thinner than traditional cookie dough.
- Spoon batter into pan of your choice. I prefer to use a glass Pyrex pan.
- Bake for about 15 minutes
Adjust Sweetness For Your Preferences
If your family is used to very sweet Christmas cookies, you may want to double the sweeteners. However, I think they have just the right amount of sweetness, and my kids eat them up.
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies And Treats:
Recipe #4 Cass’s Allergy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
This Christmas treat comes from Cass of Warrior Parent Coaching.
As a mom of an allergy kid, I make my recipes as clean as I can so my son can enjoy them too.
My recipe is free from most allergens… Gluten, Dairy, Grain, Egg, Peanut, Tree Nut, Corn, Soy, Shellfish, & Seafood…… And Still Delicious!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Organic Shortening (Palm)
- 1 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
- 1 cup Organic Applesauce (I prefer Trader Joe’s)
- 2 tsp Gluten Free Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Otto’s Cassava Flour
- 1 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
- 1 cup Pascha or Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Mix all ingredients except Chocolate Chips together.
- Do not eat the dough for Cassava flour needs to be cooked before eating*
- Add Chocolate Chips and mix until incorporated.
- Form cookies into desired shapes. Cookie cutters can work with this dough.
- Bake for 11 minutes.
- Cool before serving
*Cassava contains naturally occurring cyanide, so you definitely do not want to eat raw dough. Cooking cassava renders it harmless. Good Tip Cass!!!!
Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Good All Year Long. Pin Cass’s Recipe For Later
Who Is Cass
Cass and her husband Len are the founders of Warrior Parent Coaching and the hosts of Autism Parenting Secrets Podcast.
When her son was diagnosed with autism and life threatening allergies she quit her corporate VP job so she could focus 100% on healing her son. Now, she empowers other parents to do the same.
She has put in over 15,000 hours in the kitchen – creating recipes to accommodate allergies and special diets. Cass’s a certified Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Connect With Cass & Len:
- To learn more about Warrior Parent Coaching click here
- To listen to Autism Parenting Secrets podcast click here
- To take Cass’s Mastermind class on WTF (What To Feed) Your Picky Eater click here
- Follow Cass & Len on Instagram @warriorparentcoaching
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies And Treats:
Recipe #5 Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad
My wife’s family introduced me to strawberry pretzel salad, and I thought it was the weirdest thing. Then I tried it, and it’s been one of my favorite Christmas treats ever since.
Unfortunately, making this gluten free dairy free Christmas treat used to be impossible(unless you made your own pretzels).
I could have used walnuts or pecans instead, but that’s just not the same.
Sure, there have been GF DF pretzels available for years, but they are full of GMO ingredients, yeast extract (aka MSG), and other ingredients that are not part of a nourishing diet. (IMHO)
Good News
There are now decent options for those of use looking for a better pretzel, and now this gluten free dairy free Christmas treat is possible!
There are 3 layers to this gluten free dairy Christmas treat. For the healthiest and cleanest version, you’ll have to make most of it from scratch. But, you can cheat a little to make it simpler.
3 Layers Of Strawberry Jello Salad
- Strawberry Gelatin
- Dairy Free Cream Cheese
- Pretzel Crust
Ingredients
Pretzels
- 2 bags of GF DF pretzels*
- ½ cup melted refined coconut oil
- 1-2 tsp of sea salt*
* Use whichever brand of pretzels you like. I used 1 bag of butternut squash pretzels and one bag of cauliflower pretzels (brand: From The Ground Up). However, Fitjoy looks like an even better option and they’re about the same price, so I’ll be using them moving forward.
The healthier pretzels don’t have as much salt (IMHO), so I added coarse salt to drive home that pretzel flavor.
Strawberry Gelatin
- 2-4 cups organic strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, or organic sugar
- 2 tablespoons grass fed gelatin
- Sprinkle of salt
*Notes
Strawberries are part of the dirty dozen, so use organic if possible. I used frozen strawberries because finding fresh organic strawberries in December is not easy.
You’ll use half to make the gelatin and then you’ll slice the other 1-2 cups and add it at the end.
Cream Cheese Layer
- 1 cup of homemade DF cream cheese*
- 2-4 tbsp of maple syrup
- 1-2 tbsp of DF milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
*Notes
Find my recipe for cashew cream cheese here. You can buy DF cream cheese. Kite Hill is probably the cleanest brand.
Traditionally this layer is made with a cup of sugar, cool whip, and cream cheese. I don’t think that much sugar is needed. Plus, I just made mine with only cream cheese and it was awesome.
If you want a lighter filling, So Delicious has a premade coconut whipped cream, or you could make your own.
Start With The Cream Cheese
You can do this days before if you like, but if you do make sure you set it out about 30 minutes prior to assembling to make it easier to spread.
- Follow my recipe for cashew cream cheese here, or use a store bought version.
- Mix in maple syrup, DF milk, and vanilla
- Set aside
The Crust
- Preheat oven to 350
- Carefully open your pretzel bags and let the air out. As you hold the top closed, start crushing the pretzels. Your hands should work just fine, but you’re welcome to use whatever you’d like to crush them. Just use caution not to crush them too much. You want little pieces not a powder.
- Pour crushed pretzels into a glass bowl and add in the melted coconut oil and sea salt.
- Mix together thoroughly and taste it to make sure you like the salt level. Add a dash more salt if needed
- Press pretzel mixture into a glass Pyrex dish.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes then set aside to cool
Strawberry Gelatin
- Heat 1 cup strawberries and water until strawberries are soft (about 10 minutes).
- You can transfer the mixture to a high powered blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender to puree.
- Strain pureed strawberries. (A finer mesh yields a smoother gelatin).
- Stir in maple syrup and salt.
- Pour out about ¼ cup of the mixture to a separate bowl
- Sprinkle gelatin in this mixture stirring steadily, but not too fast. Rapidly stirring gelatin can cause a foam to form on top.
- Let the gelatin bloom a few minutes(i.e. turn into a paste) Meanwhile, return the rest of the strawberry mix to the stove top.
- Heat mix until hot, (but not too hot) then stir in bloomed gelatin. Mix thoroughly to combine.
- Let cool
- Slice the remaining strawberries and set aside
Assembly
Once the crust has cooled and your strawberry gelatin mixture is not warm, then you’re ready to assemble.
- Carefully spread cream cheese mixture on top of crust. Make sure you cover every bit of pretzel because they will get soggy by the strawberry mixture if not.
- Pour the strawberry gelatin mixture over the cream cheese layer
- Top with sliced strawberries (look how pretty it is)
- Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours to let gelatin set.
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies And Treats:
Recipe #6 Eggnog & No-Eggnog
Eggnog is not one of my favorite Christmas treats, but it is a popular holiday drink that my wife enjoys. You can also make eggnog to be both dairy free & egg free.
The egg free version will not taste exactly like a traditional nog, but that’s okay. It’s still pretty good. I actually prefer the egg free recipe.
Ingredients
- 2-3 eggs (depending on size)
- 2 cups yogurt (or dairy free milk)
- 1-2 tsp .vanilla
- 2-3 tsp. honey
- 2-3 tsp. monk fruit
- 1-2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch for presentation
Directions
If you like your eggnog cold, then simply throw all the ingredients into a blender and blend for about 30 seconds.
For Warm Eggnog:
- Heat up the yogurt. If you want to preserve the probiotics in the yogurt use caution not to overheat.
- Add eggs and other ingredients to blender. Start blending on medium speed.
- Slowly pour in warm yogurt. Continue blending until nice and creamy.
- Pinch cinnamon on top to make pretty. Serve and enjoy.
***Use caution with raw eggs.*** We only eat eggs raw if they are from our local farmer. We’ve gotten to know them, and we trust that their birds are healthy and less likely to make us sick. ***
Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Eggnog
- 2-3 cups unsweetened DF Yogurt
- 1-2 cups unsweetened DF milk
- 1-2 tsp .vanilla
- 2-3 tsp. honey
- 2-3 tsp. monk fruit extract or stevia*
- 1-2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch for presentation
*You can use whatever sweetener you wish. I find liquid sweeteners (stevia extract, maple syrup, honey…etc) easier to work with.
Directions
Simply throw all the ingredients into a blender and blend for about 30 seconds. Serve cold or warm it on the stovetop.
Enjoy!
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies And Treats:
How To Create A Delicious Gluten Free, Dairy Free, or Keto Thanksgiving
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