Description
Rainbow cookies make the perfect gift or dessert on Christmas, but today I'm taking the idea of Pride Month a little too literally. Traditional versions contain multiple sticks of butter, high sugar jelly, and of course artificial food dyes, so I had my work cut out for me here.
Rainbow cookies, healthy or not, are a multiple hour process, so be prepared to put in the work. They're absolutely worth the effort on occasion, and I love making these once a year or so. These cookies are free of added sugar and unhealthy fats, and don't even contain any food dye.
Beets are used to naturally color the red layer, and avocado is used for the green. The cookie layers, the raspberry jam, and the chocolate coating are all sweetened with granulated monk fruit instead of white sugar, leading to a cookie with no refined sugar that won't spike your blood sugar. Additionally, the cookie layers use almond flour instead of white flour, making them gluten free, higher in healthy fats and fiber, and lower in refined starches.
Rainbow cookies, healthy or not, are a multiple hour process, so be prepared to put in the work. They're absolutely worth the effort on occasion, and I love making these once a year or so. These cookies are free of added sugar and unhealthy fats, and don't even contain any food dye.
Beets are used to naturally color the red layer, and avocado is used for the green. The cookie layers, the raspberry jam, and the chocolate coating are all sweetened with granulated monk fruit instead of white sugar, leading to a cookie with no refined sugar that won't spike your blood sugar. Additionally, the cookie layers use almond flour instead of white flour, making them gluten free, higher in healthy fats and fiber, and lower in refined starches.
Time
Prep Time:
3 hours
Rest Time:
8 hours
Cook Time:
1 hour
Total Time:
12 hours
Cost
Total Cost:
Cost per Serving:
$0.35
Ingredients
Serving(s)
Cookie - Base
- 2 large Egg
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup Granulated monk fruit
- 1/4 cup Cashew butter
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Almond flour
Cookie - Colors
- 1 medium Avocado
- 1 tbsp Pickled beet juice
Jam
- 12 oz Frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup Granulated monk fruit
- 2 tbsp Chia seeds
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
Chocolate
- 1/4 cup Extra virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup Granulated monk fruit
Instructions
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- Preheat your oven to 350F, and line 3 9x9" pans with parchment paper. Lightly spray the paper with oil
- Separate the yolks from the whites, and add the egg whites to a large metal bowl
- In a large bowl, combine together the egg yolks with the rest of the cookie layer ingredients using a silicone spatula - applesauce, granulated monk fruit, cashew butter, almond extract, baking powder, salt, and almond flour
- Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until you have stiff peaks, about 3-5 minutes
- Carefully fold the egg whites into the cookie batter with a spatula
- Prepare 3 smaller bowls, one for each color. For the green layer, mash an avocado with the back of a fork until smooth. For the red layer, add in your pickled beet juice. Evenly divide the batter across the 3 bowls, about 2/3 cup or 169 g each, and mix each with a silicone spatula until fully combined
- Transfer the batters into the prepared pans
- Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes, or until set and lightly browned. Remove from the pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack
- Microwave your frozen raspberries for about 2 minutes to defrost. Add your raspberries and granulated sweetener to a medium stainless steel pan over medium low heat, and roughly mash with a potato masher. Cook with occasional stirring until thickened and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Stir in chia seeds and lemon juice. Refrigerate to cool, at least 30 minutes so the chia seeds can thicken the jam
- Once the cookie layers and the jam have totally cooled, spread half your jam (about 1/2 cup, 150 g) on top of the red layer inside the 9" pan. Place the white layer on top of the green layer, and spread the other half of the jam (1/2 cup, 150 g) on top of the white layer. Place the green layer on top
- Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the green layer. Place another pan on top of the top layer of parchment, and place a weight inside. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight
- The next day, remove the weight and top layer of parchment. Melt half of your coconut oil in a small bowl, and mix with half your cocoa powder and half your granulated sweetener with a silicone spatula. Spread onto the top layer of the cake. Optionally draw straight or curved lines using a fork. Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate is firm, at least 30 minutes
- Flip the cake and repeat with the other half of the chocolate on the other side. Again, chill to harden the chocolate, at least 30 minutes
- Once cooled, cut the cake into about 1 inch squares
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread out the cookies so none are touching. Freeze uncovered for at least 1 hour before transferring to an airtight container
Notes
- If you only have 1 pan (like me), you will instead bake the layers in 3 separate batches
- I'm using cashew butter here because it provides richness, healthy fats, and binds together the ingredients, but still has a neutral taste that won't overpower, as peanut butter would. Almond butter would also be good
- To make it nut free, replace the cashew butter with tahini or sunflower seed butter, and replace the almond flour with oat flour
- If you're using immitation almond extract, you may want to double (or triple) it
- 1 cup (180 g) of melted sugar free chocolate chips (1/2 cup or 90 g per side) would also work in place of the homemade chocolate with coconut oil, cocoa powder, and granulated monk fruit
- If you don't care to make them sugar free, then you can use standard granulated sugar in place of granulated monk fruit. Additionally, melt 1/2 cup (90 g) of chocolate chips each for the top and bottom instead of using the homemade chocolate (coconut oil, cocoa powder, and granulated monk fruit)
- My final batch of rainbow cookies weighed 878 g, or 1.94 lb. At $12.44 total, that means these cookies cost $6.14 per pound. For reference, rainbow cookies at a bakery may run you $20 per pound, which is over 3 times the cost. If you make them with sugar instead of monk fruit, the cost per pound is even lower, at $5.54, or about a quarter of the price compared to buying them
| Nutrient | Monk Fruit |
Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 65 | 91 |
| Protein | 1.9 g | 1.9 g |
| Fat | 5.1 g | 5.0 g |
| Net Carbs | 2.4 g | 9.0 g |
| Fiber | 1.8 g | 1.6 g |
| Added Sugar | 0.0 g | 6.8 g |
| Sugar Alcohol | 5.6 g | 0.0 g |
Nutrition Facts
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Total Fat: 5.1g (7 %)
Saturated Fat: 1.8g (9 %)
Sodium: 40mg (2 %)
Total Carbohydrate: 9.8g (4 %)
Fiber: 1.8g (6 %)
Net Carbs: 2.4g
Total Sugar: 1.3g
Sugar Alcohol: 5.6g
Protein: 1.9g (4 %)
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Vitamin B12: 0.03mcg (1 %)
Vitamin D: 0.07mcg (0 %)
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Calcium: 24mg (2 %)
Iron: 0.62mg (3 %)
Magnesium: 26mg (6 %)
Potassium: 109mg (2 %)
Sources of Inspiration
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