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Dang! That's Delicious Corn Free Gluten Free Maple Bison Tallow Cookies without White Sugar by The Allergy Chef

Awesome Bison Tallow Cookie Recipe (without White Sugar)

  • 17 min read
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Today, I am completely beyond excited to share a cookie recipe with you that features bison tallow rather than butter, and it’s made without white sugar. What’s even more exciting is that this is one of the few recipes I can personally sample, so I’ll be able to tell you alllllll about them.

When I took the first bite of these cookies, my first thought was: FREAKING AMAZING!!! These cookies have a great function, crisp edges, and chewy center. However,  they absolutely have a tallow after taste, but it’s mild. I had taste testers try these since I didn’t want to be the only one with these goodies and they all reported that these are some of the best cookies they’ve ever eaten. And they’re made without white sugar and feature tallow of all things.

So, let’s get to baking!!

Watch the Episode

This recipe is featured on my show, Dang! That’s Delicious. You can see me make these amazing maple bison tallow cookies (without white sugar) step by step. You can also visit the Youtube channel for more episodes and step-by-step video tutorials.

What the Tallow Does in This Cookie Recipe

If you know anything about my story, you know that I have less than 10 safe ingredients to eat. So, being able to create these cookies was nothing short of a miracle. Prior to making these particular cookies, I experimented with other forms of basic “cookies”. The tallow was a true game changer, and here’s why.

Adding tallow to the cookie recipe brings crispy edges and a chewy texture to the table. When I say the difference is mind blowing and day & night in comparison to cookies without tallow, I’m not exaggerating one bit. My “cookies” without tallow were more like…. a round semi-hard, kind of crunchy, sweet food to eat.

So if you’re like me and you have super limited options but miss crispy chewy cookies, you’re in for a real treat.

Related Article: Tallow vs Butter

Tallow vs Butter by The Allergy Chef

Sugar Substitutions & Options

I know not everyone needs to use organic maple sugar, or wants to. I’m going to list out all of the sugar options you have when making these amazing cookies. If you want stellar results, the most important thing is that you use a granulated sugar, not a liquid sweetener such as honey, maple syrup, or agave. You also cannot use an alternative sweetener such as allulose or stevia in this cookies, or powdered sugar.

You can substitute the organic maple sugar for:

  • Organic Light Brown Sugar
  • Organic Dark Brown Sugar
  • Caster Sugar
  • Organic Dat Sugar
  • Organic Coconut Sugar
  • Organic Cane Sugar
  • Turbinado Sugar

For those of you who can have cane sugar, the light and dark brown sugars would give your cookies a really cool brown sugar taste, and if you ask me, you could call them brown sugar cookies at that point.

Also know: maple sugar is more mellow in sweetness and has a subtle caramel flavor. Should you swap the sugar, you may find that your cookies are super sweet.

Tools & Supplies Needed

To make these fantastic gluten free cookies, you’re going to need a few tools.

  • Small Oven Safe Dish (for melting your tallow)
  • Kitchen Scale
  • Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer (with the paddle attachment)
  • Parchment Paper
  • Baking Tray/Cookie Sheet

If you’re missing a tool or two, you can see the items I like in my Amazon Shop.

Ingredients

  • 70 – 90g Bison Tallow (I use The Honest Bison), melted
  • 200g Organic Maple Sugar
  • 20mL Organic Vanilla Extract
  • 500g Natural Almond Flour (not blanched)
  • 80g Organic Maple Sugar
  • 10g Pink Salt (Redmond’s or Himalayan)
  • 200mL Water

You’ll notice that this recipe isn’t broken down into wet ingredients and dry ingredients. That’s because we need to use the ingredients in the specified order to ensure the tallow is able to be mixed in and that everything comes together beautifully in the end.

About Your Tallow Amount and Choice

Do not purchase the tallow from Northstar Bison for these cookies. Their tallow isn’t like a traditional tallow and will leave your cookies with a really awful aftertaste. Their bison tallow is great for cooking steaks and vegetables, not for baking cookies. You need The Honest Bison tallow for these cookies. You’ve been warned.

I’ve tested these cookies with both 70g of tallow and 90g of tallow and can’t decide which version I like better. You could always meet me in the middle with 80g of tallow. No matter what you use 70 – 90, all of the other ingredient amounts stay the same.

For those who are wanting to use melted butter in this cookie recipe instead of the bison tallow, you can give it a try. However, since it’s not a substitution I can test out, I can’t promise that it will work. In theory, you should be fine to try it. I’d suggest making a half batch of cookies to test the melted butter, in case things go south. I’d hate to see you lose a bunch of expensive ingredients.

If the melted butter works out well, next time you can make a triple batch and have freezer stock.

Step-by-Step Instructions (with Pictures)

Start by placing an empty container on your kitchen scale. A small bowl (glass) or small metal pot will work, it just needs to be oven safe. Measure your tallow into the dish, then place it in your oven until it’s melted completely.

Bison Tallow on Kitchen Scale

Whilst that’s in the oven, place your mixing bowl on your kitchen scale and add the first 200 grams of organic maple sugar (or the granulated sugar you’ll be using). This is also a great time to make your prepared baking sheets. You’ll want to cover your baking trays (or cookie sheets) in parchment paper.

As soon as your tallow has melted, use an oven mitt to take it out of the oven and pour it into your mixing bowl with the sugar. You’ll want to mix right away with your paddle attachment. If you allow the tallow to sit around, it will start to return to a solid state. You’ll notice that the temperature change from the oven to the bowl will start the change.

Adding Melted Tallow to Mixing Bowl

Beat/cream the tallow and sugar together. It won’t look like a traditional cookie dough, and that’s ok. You want to make sure the tallow is well distributed. Turn your mixer off, then scrape down the edges of your bowl. Really put your elbow into it because some of the tallow will have set hard. Mix again one more time.

Creaming Tallow and Maple Sugar Together

Place your bowl back on the kitchen scale and add the vanilla extract. Next, add the sugar, salt, and almond flour. Finally, add the water on top.

Dry Ingredients in Mixing Bowl

Return the bowl to your stand mixer and mix again until a cookie dough forms. The total mix time is about 1-2 minutes from start to finish.

Adding Water to Mixing Bowl

Now that your cookie dough is ready, use a medium cookie scoop (I like the OXO brand and you can see them in my Amazon Shop) to form cookie dough balls. For reference, it’s about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough. They don’t need to be perfect. Place place a ball of dough on your prepared baking sheet

Maple Bison Tallow Cookie Dough Balls on Baking Tray by The Allergy Chef (Gluten Free, Truly Corn Free)

I use a large baking tray (officially a half sheet) and can fit 12 cookies nicely. A quarter sheet can hold 6 cookies nicely. If you do more than 6/12, they will totally run into each other as they spread.

Once your cookie dough balls are on the tray, use a small piece of parchment paper to press them down some. You’re not going for a flat pancake, just pressed enough to make sure they spread properly.

Bake at 350f/175c. Your baking time is 17 – 19 minutes. I played with 17, 18, and 19 minutes and was happy with each option. That extra 1-2 minutes does make a difference, so be sure to test the three times to see which one you like best. You want the bottoms to be golden brown (see the closeup shot in the video). Past golden brown and your cookies will have hints of a  burned taste, however, they’ll also be a lot more crispy.

Maple Bison Tallow Cookies on Baking Tray by The Allergy Chef (Gluten Free, Truly Corn Free)

When your cookies come out of the oven, they will still be on the soft side. Leave them on the tray to cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to the counter top. You have enough cookie dough batter to bake several batches. I like to take the entire piece of parchment with the cookies still on it and stack it on the cookies that are already on the counter (rather than use a wire rack).

Once you’ve baked all the cookie dough, that’s it. You’re ready to enjoy your awesome bison tallow cookies made without white sugar.

Maple Bison Tallow Cookie Stack by The Allergy Chef (Gluten Free, Truly Corn Free)

How I Freeze my Baked Cookies

Having delicious cookies always ready to go just makes me ridiculously happy. Yes, you could freeze pucks of cookie dough and bake from fresh each time. However, my personal preference is to freeze baked cookies. This allows me to grab whatever I need, and after about 10 minutes, you can eat them. The best part is that you can spend a day baking like mad, then have several months of cookies on tap.

To freeze baked cookies, first, let the cookies cool completely. Then, stack your cookies in a single layer on your baking tray/cookie sheet. Each layer should be divided by a sheet of parchment paper. It’s OK if the sides of the cookies are touching one another, but that sheet of parchment between the layers of cookies is a non-negotiable.

I place the entire tray into the freezer, and once the cookies have frozen solid, I transfer the cookies to a freezer bag. You can also store the frozen cookies in a freezer-safe container or an airtight container.

If You’re a Bison Fan, You’ll Enjoy This Article: 25 Easy Ground Bison Recipes and Ideas

25 Easy Ground Bison Recipes and Ideas by The Allergy Chef (Gluten Free, Allergy Friendly, Truly Corn Free)

More Amazing Truly Corn Free Cookie Recipes Without White Sugar

If you’ve made it down the page this far, there’s a good chance you’re managing some kind of restricted diet. ARS, cf, link free cookies, I’ve got you covered

Fluffy Lemon Paleo Corn Free Cookies by The Allergy Chef (Gluten Free, Vegan, Top 9 Allergy Free) Corn Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies by The Allergy Chef (Gluten Free, Vegan, Dairy Free, Milk Free, Top 9 Allergy Free)
Corn Free Crunchy Tiger Nut Cookie Recipe by The Allergy Chef (Vegan, Nut Free, Top 9 Allergy Free) Corn Free, Refined Sugar Free, Reduced Sugar Cookie Recipe by The Allergy Chef (Gluten Free, Top 9 Allergy Free, Vegan)

Answering Your Cookie Recipe Questions

Could I add peanut butter to the cookie dough to make a peanut butter cookie?

I wouldn’t suggest adding anything like that to this cookie recipe. The reason why is because it’s been hyper engineered to work with these specific ingredients. Plus, since I can’t eat peanut butter, I can’t reasonably test it out to tell you if it would work.

What I can tell you is that you could make a mega delicious peanut butter glaze and top the cookies with that instead. You could also drizzle melted chocolate on your cooled cookies for an extra pop of flavor.

Is this essentially a sugar cookie dough, but with maple sugar instead?

I don’t think so? Focus on that question mark. You have to remember that I have more than 200 food allergies and intolerances, so I can only go on what the taste testers relay to me. Even though I was able to eat this recipe, I can’t eat sugar cookies. I had one as a child, and this doesn’t taste like sugar cookie dough to me, based on what I remember.

Now, if we were to call it a maple sugar cookie dough, maybe? However, these cookies don’t have the same texture as a traditional sugar cookie recipe. If you’re like me and you haven’t had a “proper cookie” in over ten years, I think you’ll just be happy to have them, sugar cookie or not.

Should I cool these cookies on a wire rack?

No, cooling these cookies on a wire rack isn’t necessary. In the directions, I outline the cooling process, and that it needs to be done on the tray out of the oven. Once the cookies have cooled and set, you can stack them using the parchment paper they were baked on.

Can I swap the almond flour for an all purpose flour?

No, you can’t swap the flour in this recipe. Well, yes, you can, but it’s not a 1:1 substitution, and I wouldn’t be able to tell you how much to use. Almond flour doesn’t behave like other flours (wheat or gluten free flours). The ratios in this recipe are designed for these specific ingredients.

If you need to use an all purpose flour instead of the almond flour, I suggest searching online for a “wheat flour tallow cookie recipe”. That should get you to a starting recipe that will meet your needs.

Could this recipe be the base for classic chocolate chip cookies?

I could easily see someone converting this into easy chocolate chip cookies. You would need to fold in your chocolate chips of choice before baking. Knowing the height of these cookies, if you have a mini chocolate chip option, I think mini chips would give you the best results and cookie-to-chip ratio.

Will unsalted butter work in place of the bison tallow?

Yes, unsalted butter will work in place of the tallow in this recipe. I can’t speak to the spread or flavour since I’m allergic, but the function will be the same.

Can these cookies be stored at room temperature?

Yes, they can be stored at room temperature, however, I haven’t tested this much. Since I made these cookies for myself, and I’m a huge fan of batch cooking and freezing, I store all of my baked cookies in the freezer.

Could I bake these on a silicone mat instead of parchment paper?

Yes, you can bake these cookies on a silicone mat rather than parchment paper. The results will be slightly different, but not in a bad way. You’ll be very happy with your cookies in the end.

What can I do to make a thicker cookie?

If you’d like your cookie to be thicker, use a little less tallow (less spread) and a bit more almond flour. You can also skip pressing the cookies down like I do. You’ll need to play with the tallow and flour ratios until you find a thickness you enjoy.

Would olive oil or vegetable oil work in place of the tallow in this cookie recipe?

Maybe. This is a very special recipe that’s been designed for these ingredients specifically. I can’t predict how an oil swap would change the texture or flavour of these cookies. What I’d suggest is starting with a recipe like this one. I’ve designed it to be made for oil rather than butter or tallow. This recipe is also truly corn free, made without white sugar, and features corn free chocolate chunks.

Could I make these cookies in a large bowl and mix by hand?

I don’t recommend it. I actually tried that first but the tallow sets faster than you can mix by hand. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can always use a handheld electric mixer, and those cost a lot less. You can see the one that I have (and enjoy) in my Amazon Shop.

Do I need to chill the cookie dough before baking?

No, there’s no chill time involved in making these awesome cookies.

Can I add baking powder to this recipe for more lift?

You could, but I can’t predict how the cookies will come out. If you’d like to add baking powder, I suggest adding it to half your cookie dough and doing a test bake. If it doesn’t work out, at least you’ve only lost half the dough rather than the full lot.

Where can I purchase truly corn free chocolate chips?

The only truly corn free chocolate chips that I know of at the moment are made by Pascha. You need their 100% pure dark chocolate chips that are vanilla and sugar free. Rather than use them whole, I always suggest grating them into a batter because the taste is STRONG. It’s pure dark….

What happens if I accidentally use too much flour?

It depends on how much is too much. If we’re talking 50 grams or less, not much will change. More than that and you’ll see a change in the texture and thickness of your cookie. It won’t spread as much and may not have the same delicate crispy edges I was able to achieve.

If at all possible, remove the extra flour, but it may be too late for that. If your batter doesn’t look like mine in the video because there’s an abundance of extra flour, you could add a little bit of water to help loosen the cookie dough. By little bit, I mean start with 20mL of water. A little can go a long way in this recipe (been there, done that, ruined some cookies).

Could I use brown butter to make these cookies instead of the tallow?

You could try, but I make no promises it will work. Since I’m allergic to butter, I can’t test this substitution. In theory, you should be absolutely fine. I suggest making a half batch of cookies to test the brown butter, that way, if it doesn’t work out, you don’t lose all of your pricey ingredients.

Can I melt my tallow on the stove top rather than in the oven?

Yes, you totally can. Place your tallow into a small pot and heat on medium heat until it’s fully melted. Then, continue with the rest of the recipe.

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