APPLE SNICKERDOODLE [AIP RECIPE]

The autumn season always has a certain charm: the cool breeze, the coloured leaves, and the smell of warm cookies coming from the kitchen.

In particular, as autumn approaches, apple snickerdoodle cookies can be baked, which I have learned to make over the years in a way that suits even those on AIP.

While they can be very delicious, snickerdoodles usually contain lots of sugar, butter, and all-purpose flour, which are very unhealthy.

I made it healthier while keeping all the warming, gingerbread-like goodness that the recipe provides.

I want to tell you how you can indulge in these risk-free desserts without burning crumbs!

Key Takeaways

• Apple snickerdoodle cookies are a comfortable autumn apple treat adjusted to be less damaging, according to AIP.
• Sugar, butter, and all-purpose flour have given way to coconut oil, maple syrup, and cassava flour, respectively.
• Eggs are replaced by applesauce, which is sweet, moist, and full of dietary fiber.
• Coconut sugar and ginger create a delicious topping without affecting blood sugar levels.
• These cookies allow the enjoyment of cookies, usually a guilty indulgence at its best, while being supportive towards the body and its needs.

How to Make Apple Snickerdoodles (AIP Style)

Here’s the full recipe for these healthier apple snickerdoodles so that you can enjoy them at home, too.

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/4 cups cassava flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp mace (optional)
• 1 cup finely chopped apples
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (make sure it’s alcohol-free and AIP-compliant)

For the coating

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Instructions

1. Preheating the oven is the first step in preparing this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Mix the soft coconut oil and maple syrup in a large container. Add the applesauce and vanilla, mixing adequately.
3. In another bowl, combine the cassava flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, sea salt, ground ginger, and mace separately.
4. Combine all wet and dry ingredients and stir until the mixture binds into a dough. Add the chopped apples.
5. Combine coconut sugar and ground ginger in a small cup to coat the cookie.
6. Form small balls from the dough. Roll each ball onto the sugar until completely covered. Place such balls onto the prepared plain baking sheet.
7. At this point, the desired texture, a light golden brown, can be achieved by baking the cookies for 10 – 12 minutes or just until the edges are slightly brown in color. Leave the cookies for a few minutes to cool on the sheet, and then continue to cool them completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

• Calories: 140
• Total Fat: 10g (Saturated Fat: 8.5g)
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 65mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 13g (Dietary Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 7.5g)
• Protein: 0.5g

Tips for Perfect Apple Snickerdoodles

1. Solid Coconut Oil: Switch to hard coconut oil rather than slightly melted oil when the components are being mixed together. This prevents cookies from being spread too much.
2. Room-Temperature Ingredients: For the cookie’s moist and soft fluffy dough, all the elements should be at room temperature before use.
3. Refrigerate the Dough: If it looks too runny, put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This strengthens the cookies’ structure when placed in the oven.
4. Even Coating: After rolling into coconut sugar, make sure the ball of dough has an even coat of the sugar and ginger mix.
5. Watch the Bake Time: You should watch the cookies to ensure they look done, especially since ovens differ. Avoid checking the stove before ten minutes, as baked items are hard to recover from overbaking.

Health Benefits of the Ingredients

1- Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of the best butter substitutes for the weather forecast.

It contains many medium-chained triglycerides (MCTs) and healthy fats that help increase metabolism, promote heart health, and even aid in weight loss.

It is also a healthy substitute for butter, as cholesterol levels are not raised when coconut oil is used.

2- Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is a sweetener that is more than just sweetened; somehow, its benefits are more than just that.

It has a relatively lower glycemic index than processed cane sugar and does not raise blood sugar levels too quickly.

Maple syrup has health benefits, such as being rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. These make it sore throat-friendly and compliant with AIP.

3- Cassava Flour

Additionally, it is free of gluten and grains and is less likely to be causing irritation to the gastrointestinal tract compared to all-purpose flour thus making it a great choice for people with gluten intolerance or wheat allergies.

The only difference is the source from which it comes. Active fiber within cassava flour promotes gut health by increasing the frequency of bowel movements.

4- Ginger

Ginger does not only serve as an odorous condiment. It is a strong drug with a number of effective properties. It helps with digestion, calms bloating and inflammation and essentially contributes to the improvement of our immune system.

Adding ground ginger to cookie dough enhances its taste and has a positive effect on many aspects of health.

Recipe Variations

• Vegan Option: As my recipe already includes coconut oil and applesauce, it is, per se, vegan-friendly. But you can try agave syrup or some other sweetener of plant origin that is more than maple syrup.
• Nut-Free Option: People allergic to coconut can use sunflower seed oil instead of coconut oil as it is a neutral-tasting oil that doesn’t affect the texture of cookies very much. Both oils also have a mild flavour and would not affect the flavour.
• Flavour Variations: If you like playing with flavours, you may want to sprinkle some clove, nutmeg, or cardamom in the cookie dough. These spices will work harmoniously with the apple cinnamon flavour and give the combination an enhanced depth of flavour.
• Keto/Paleo Version: If you are on a keto diet, you can adjust this liquid ingredient and add low-carb maple syrup like monk fruit or stevia. You may replace cassava flour with almond flour, but there’s the need to reduce the liquid ingredients, as almond flour has a different consistency.

Substitutes for Different Diets

 

• For Keto/Low-Carb: Instead of traditional maple syrup, switch to a keto-approved sweetener like Erythritol or monk fruit sweetener. Almond flour is an alternative to cassava flour, although the texture will differ slightly.
• For Paleo: This recipe is almost 100% paleo. Yes, almost 100% paleo. However, Italian cassava flour can be substituted with almond flour. Use only organic pure maple syrup for more adherence to the paleo guidelines.
• For Gluten-Free: This recipe is gluten-free, as it uses cassava flour, so there’s no need for adjustments!
• For Dairy-Free: My recipe uses butter substituted with coconut oil; hence, it is dairy-free already. No changes are required.

Nutritional Comparison: Traditional vs. Healthier Version

Ingredient	Traditional	Healthier Version
Butter	High in saturated fats	Replaced with coconut oil (healthy fats)
White sugar	Refined, high glycemic index	Replaced with maple syrup (low glycemic index)
All-purpose flour	Gluten, low fiber	Replaced with cassava flour (gluten-free, high fiber)
Eggs	Potential allergen	Replaced with applesauce (fiber and sweetness)
Baking powder	Contains corn	Replaced with cream of tartar (AIP-compliant)

My Journey to a Healthier Cookie

I spent years in the kitchen, looking for the anatomical hit of the rest of the recipe.

I substituted many flours, sweeteners, and techniques. But, at last, I was able to put together an apple snickerdoodle recipe that actually tastes great!

What makes it better? Well, these are autoimmune protocol cookies, which means they are free from dairy, gluten, sugar, and all other gut-health provisions.

If you’re not on AIP, it’s a great opportunity to indulge in a healthy treat without feeling guilty.

Swapping the Bad for the Good

1. Coconut Oil Instead of Butter: Out goes the butter, and in comes the coconut oil. Coconut oil is a healthier fat that does not clog like butter. Moreover, it compliments the cookies so well that you cannot even notice it in the taste of the cookies.
2. Maple Syrup Instead of Sugar: I will not use refined sugar, but there is no reason why the cookies have to be tasteless. I pour in some maple syrup, which is nature’s sweetener, controls blood glucose, and has anti-inflammatory effects.
3. Applesauce Instead of Eggs: Applesauce is the ingredient I use most popularly in making these cookies. It has the added benefit of replacing eggs (which are non-compliant with AIP) and a little extra sweetness and fiber. Plus, it serves only to bind that dough perfectly.
4. Cassava Flour Instead of All-Purpose Flour: I find cassava flour quite a wonderful substitute for plain wheat flour. This is because it is gluten-free and grain-free and, hence, much easier to digest. It also has a very good moisture-binding capacity, which is very important when making a nice chewy cookie.
5. Cream of Tartar Instead of Baking Powder: Cream of tartar is a staple in snickerdoodles, but traditional recipes use baking powder, which usually contains corn a no-go on AIP. By sticking with just cream of tartar, we keep things compliant and still get that classic snickerdoodle tang.
6. Coconut Sugar and Ground Ginger for the Coating: While most people roll the cookies in standard sugar, in my case, I use coconut palm sugar (sugar made from the sap of the coconut tree) and ground ginger. Coconut palm sugar does not elevate a person’s blood glucose levels as regular sugar does and it provides a taste that balances well with the apple and cinnamon.

The Result: Deliciously Healthy Apple Snickerdoodles

Because of these ingredient substitutions, the appearance of the cookies is a bit more dramatic: the edges are crunchy, the centers are chewy, and they are spiced with autumn flavors.

The apples bring freshness and sweetness, while the nutmeg and ginger provide the warm, spiced feeling we all want in cookies in the cold season.

I have made the tricks innumerable for these cookies, making them part of the fall baking for me.

They are ideal for movie nights, a resting afternoon with tea, or even a light dessert alternative to take to an event. The most important thing is that they fall right within my AIP diet, so I do not have any fears when eating sweet things.

My Opinion

Baking apple snickerdoodle cookies is now one of my favourite fall activities. These cookies are healthy and great-tasting, suitable for my diet. Apples and warm spices, such as cinnamon and ginger, surround them, making them soft and nice.

Whether you are on AIP or are simply looking for a modified version of a cookie, I hope this recipe finds you. I hope my reasoning in this line of belief was strong enough for you to follow through with it.