These buttery-sweet Tigernut Flour Shortbread Cookies are grain and nut free plus super simple to make and extra decadent dunked in a silky carob coating!
And so the unusual flour experiments continue.
Or more accurately the grain-free flour experiments, since coconut flour isn’t really unusual anymore. Or maybe just non-oat flour experiments, that is really the common thread here.
First I dabbled in almond flour baking with this buttery tart. Then there was banana flour in the form of this cake I can’t stop craving. And then there was coconut flour in the easiest recipe I think I’ve ever posted. And now tigernut.
I kinda want to circle back around now–funky flours round 2. Or maybe move on to cassava flour next, that is one I’ve been meaning to do a recipe with for a while now but somehow every time I order a bag the entire contents disappear in the form of mini donuts…oops!
But I digress. Back to tigernut…
Even though autocorrect has not yet recognized tigernut as a thing, the grain-free baking world seems to be all about right now. It’s gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, and actually made from tiny tubers. Plus it conjures up mental images of a ferocious jungle cat in my mind every time I say it, which is not something that can be said for many other baking ingredients.
Grain-free recipes. In my own life, I have been sticking to a mostly grain-free diet lately for the sake of a happy gut. And I must say it has been helping immensely! Adjusting to this different way of baking and all these new flours has been tricky and filled with fails, but fun nonetheless. There are still many things I have not yet figured out how to make without my go-to oat flour, which is why the grain-free recipes have been just slowly starting to pop up around here. But there will be more to come, so I hope you are enjoying them too.
Tigernut flour. I first tried tigernut flour in these adorable mini raspberry muffins from Food By Mars, because Alison is pretty much a pro with the grain-free baking. Then more recently I revisited it in these cute little chocolate cookies from my friend Mandy over at Be Sol-Ful Living. Although I sadly didn’t get a photo of those because…well…it was late and dark and they were very yummy.
The texture of the flour reminds me somewhat of almond flour, although it is much lower in fat so not as naturally buttery. The flavor (especially in those mini muffins) is very reminiscent of cornmeal or cornbread in my opinion. It is not super bind-y by itself, so often used in combination with other flours, although for these Tigernut Shortbread Cookies I did use it alone and employed coconut butter to help hold things together.
Other shortbread essentials. I modeled this recipe very closely off of a classic shortbread cookie recipe. They are usually quite simple: flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla. That’s it. No leavening agents. Sometimes salt, but it’s optional.
So sticking with that simple theme, my healthier grain-free version is: tigernut flour, coconut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.
AIP-friendly. Since tigernut flour is not only grain-free but AIP-friendly (something else I’ve personally been dabbling with lately) I stuck to that theme in my choice of “chocolate” coating. So while it looks like these shortbread cookies are chocolate dipped, they are actually carob dipped.
Instead of using melted chocolate, I created a carob sauce with sifted carob powder (because that stuff can be seriously lumpy!) and coconut oil so it would harden in the fridge. You could add maple syrup to sweeten, but carob is much sweeter than cacao powder in my opinion so I don’t even think you need it. Or you can just use melted chocolate of course if you don’t care about the AIP part.
Enjoy their buttery-delicious flavor plain. Dip in melted chocolate or carob. Or share with your favorite ferocious jungle cat friend!
Or if you are in search of a similarly simple cookie but with good old oat flour, may I suggest -> THESE
Tigernut Flour Shortbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 cookies 1x
Description
These buttery-sweet Tigernut Flour Shortbread Cookies are grain and nut free plus super simple to make and extra decadent dunked in a silky carob coating!
Ingredients
- 1 cup tigernut flour
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt ((optional))
Carob Coating (or you can use melted chocolate if not following AIP)
- 1/3 cup carob powder, sifted
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp maple syrup ((optional, carob powder is somewhat sweet on it’s own so I didn’t use it))
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Combine all the cookie ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix to form a slightly sticky dough.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls (they are fairly large cookies, feel free to make 10-12 smaller cookies).
- Arrange on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Press to form cookies, optionally using a cookie cutter to make perfect circles.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350F. Let them cool completely before dipping.
- For the carob coating, whisk together the sifted carob powder and melted coconut oil. Or melt the chocolate chips if you are going with that option.
- Dip the cookies partway into the carob coating. Lay on a plate/pan lined with wax paper. Chill to set.
- Enjoy! Keep in the fridge.
Natalie I’m so envious of all of your new, exciting flour successes lately! I recently tried a new combo for a lemon cake and it was SUCH a fail *eye roll*…back to the drawing board on that one! Anyway, I have literally never heard of tigernut flour and I love the name. I may or may not picture a tiger holding an acorn when I say it in my head, but that’s not important! I used to LOVE shortbread but obviously haven’t had it in a long time – now that I see a healthy, delicious, carob-dipped version, I’m so excited to experience it in a healthified form!! These look simple but so elegant and delicious, like they’d be amazing with some coffee in the morning! That may have to happen this weekend. 🙂
I have had a few lemon-y fails of my own over here lately, what’s up with that flavor?? Urgh yes–recipe perseverance! Bahahaha the tiger + acorn image is so strangely adorable, I love it. Now that is all I will picture too?
Well, I know what I’m making later today! Look at these perfect little shortbread cookies! And dipped in carob….my current obsession. I even fooled Willow yesterday by making her a batch of my grain free cookies using carob and tahini and she devoured them. She did ask why there weren’t chocolate chips in them though ? I love the natural sweetness of carob! And tigernut flour has become one of my absolute favorite flours – so I always have a bag on hand. I will have to try those raspberry muffins…I forgot about them until you mentioned them again. These remind me a little of my AIP sugar cookies, except you’ve made these healthier by using coconut butter and not the oil. I am so excited to try these!!! I’ve gone back to a mostly AIP diet with little bits of nuts here and there…my gut is happier without the nuts, but I just miss them so much! ?? I can’t wait to see what other grain-free recipes you have in store!! Hope you’re having a great week, my friend. Thank you so much for making my cookies, means a lot! ❤️❤️❤️
Oooh you are so sneaky! I love that she ate them but still inquired about the ACTUAL chocolate chips…none of this chocolate imposter funny business? She’s so funny! It doesn’t really taste like chocolate to me, but I love it in it’s own way. These are so similar to your sugar cookies! Actually when I was on your site getting the links for this post I saw those and was like “Oh, Mandy’s already done pretty much exactly the same cookie recipe” lol When you take into account AIP + tigernut + plain simple cookie I guess there are only a few ways to do it, huh? I’ve gone back to AIP basics the past few days too. I find nut butter seems better than nut flours/meals for some reason, but cassava is still my gut’s fave. So picky? I am excited to do more AIP recipes soon too, it’s always a challenge but fun. And those cookies will be happening again…soon!❤️❤️ xo
Oh sweet Natalie! I love your site redesign!!
These cookies look so good! I haven’t seen tigernut flour around, but various special flours are popping up in grocery stores around me e.g. I think I saw apple flour o.O so it’s only a matter of time 🙂
Apple flour–yes I’ve heard of that too!! No idea what it would be like to work with though or what it would taste like…? I still have to order most of the funky flours online, but hopefully they will be come less obscure because they are really fun to experiment with 🙂 And thanks lovely!
Bring on ALL the grain-free flour experiments. I must live vicariously through you. You know I’ve been dabbling with this flour and that… but you’re way more adventurous/brave than I am! 🙂 Oh my gosh, if you talk about your buttery tart, your banana flour chocolate chip cake, or those cake bites any longer, I’m SURE I’ll pass out from hunger. Sure of it! As my bestie, you have to do something about this right? Ahem. Ahem. Hint, hint. 😉 These photos are so gorgeous and dreamy. I’m going googly-eyed over them. 🙂 Meanwhile, I’m so glad that your grain-free diet is going well. A happy gut means a happy Natalie. <3 Can't wait to see more experiments from ya! xoxo
Live vicariously!?! Silly willy, you are the one who mastered coconut flour loooooong before me. Plus to attempt to make anything creamy out of those coconut can disasters you’ve been dealing with requires massive kitchen adventurousness? That is some freaky lumpy stuff? Pass out from hunger–don’t worry I’d never let that happen to ya! Between the two of us there is most likely always a snack of some sort within arms distance…for safety reasons of course? Extra happy gut/natalie because its the weekend woo!! Hope you are having all the fun over there??
I love shortbread cookies but I never make them. I’ve used almond flour once and twice and loved it. Ohhhhh I’ve had cassava but have used cassava flour that will be interesting. I’ll look for tigernut flour on my next shopping trip.
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These would be really good with almond flour too, they are quite similar in texture just a little different in taste of course. But almond flour makes for a really rich cookie! Cassava flour is completely different, very sticky and gluten-like actually. I’m excited to experiment with it some more 🙂 Good luck hunting down the tigernut flour Mary!
Where do I even begin??? I love tigernut flour so much – we always have a bag (or two) on hand and I’m learning just how versatile it is. What amazed me was that while I was trialing those sugar cookies, I used coconut butter, but the texture wasn’t what I was looking for…BUT for a shortbread cookie, you NAILED it! They are perfectly buttery, biscuit-like, and totally dippable. I’m in love. I opted for the smaller cookies so I could justify eating more than one in a sitting 😉 And I had to get over my perfectionist ways and skip the perfect circle since I seem to have misplaced my circle cookie cutter, but when they came out of the oven, that was the last thing on my mind…I just wanted to eat them! Haha!! Now let’s talk about the dreamy carob concoction. Willow kept sneaking a spoon into it because it was so good. And once solidified it created the perfect “chocolate” coating. I had a decent amount of the carob leftover so I poured it into chocolate molds…which I totally forgot about until now! The flavor combos here along with the perfect shortbread texture makes one heck of an amazing cookie. I see another batch in my future very soon! Oh! And not only do I love them, but so does Josh and a friend who is staying with us this week! Happy weekend, my friend <3 xoxoxo
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Well I am glad your cookie cutter is MIA because I actually loved slight crackly top and browned edges look that I think yours have even more than mine! When I saw them on IG I was actually a little jealous and for a split second wanted to reshoot mine haha. You are going to turn Willow into a carob AND chocolate lover yet! I want so bad to love them equally, I am going to try to keep using carob in hopes that it will happen eventually. Oooh but enjoy those little carob bites, I am totally going to purposely make extra next time now that you’ve shared this little idea 🙂 Thank you so much for trying them out and yay for approval from non vegan/aip peeps too!! You are amazing and I hope your weekend is amazing as well <33 xo
These cookies are seriously what I need to see on a Friday! They look so good and while I haven’t tried tigernut flour yet, I can see and imagine how delicious it is in these because it has my other favorite ingredients in it…coconut butter, syrup and vanilla, hello! I love coconut butter in cookies…it really does give such an amazing buttery flavor and crisp factor. I have carob powder here at home too, a HUGE bag and well, I guess I need to break it out for these. I need to try Mandy’s cookies as well, I love every single thing I’ve tried from her. She and I have such similar taste so I know I can always love her recipes. Her cookies looked so good! I feel spoiled looking at hers and yours both this week! I’m seriously needing to get in the kitchen and make some cookies stat! They look great Natalie!
Haha yes, with those other cookie ingredients even a funky flour can’t mess things up. Plus I actually really like the taste of tigernut flour, like I said almond flour meets cornmeal is my best description. I was worried they might be too dry since cookie cutter cookies can get that way quite easily but that coconut butter is just magical stuff–SO moist and buttery! When I went to make the coating I realized I have not one but 2 big containers of the stuff in my pantry lol…you can tell how much I use it 😀 And Mandy’s little chocolatey cookie nuggets are delicious, I am actually making more today because I miss them already 🙂 Hope you have a marvelous weekend Brandi!
I have never heard of this flour! I am always afraid of trying new things because I never know how they will react to different ingredients. I’m glad you are taking all the guesswork out of it. I have got to try this!!
I know exactly what you mean, I have tried my fair share of odd new ingredients I spot at the health food store and never gotten anywhere with them? But this one I am actually really enjoying and finding quite a few recipes to test out with it too 🙂 Plus these little cookies are sweet and simple and I might just use up the whole bag making more of them haha!
So easy, so buttery-looking…so YUM!!! I love shortbread so much and haven’t made any of my own before. I need to try these cookies ASAP!!
I think this is my first time, but I love it too!! And it’s like the easiest thing to make, so I don’t know what has taken us so long 😀
This look seriously good. Next time I’m at the health shop I’m picking up some tigernut flour and trying these!
I hope you can find it, new ingredients are always fun aren’t they!??
These are so stunning Natalie! I love tigernuts, but I’ve never used them to make cookies before! I definitely need to go and buy some tigernut flour now so I can make some of these beautiful treats! <3
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Funny thing is I actually have yet to try the whole tigernuts? I jumped straight to the flour, I feel like I need to back track now because I bet they are a yummy little snack!
These sound incredible. I love nutty shortbread, and you’ve convinced me to try this cleaner option!
Mmmm nutty almond flour shortbread is so so good too!?
I can’t believe that these cookies are made with such simple ingredients! They look amazing!!
Shortbread is supposed to be simple, mine is just simple and a little non-traditional 🙂 They are so yummy though!
These look great Nat! Now i need to get my hands on some tigernut flour!
Oooh you should totally try it!! So many funky new ingredients, so little time 😀 Thanks Jess!
WHAT. These look insane – love all the ingredients <3 I'm pinning this.
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Maple syrup, coconut butter, and unusual flours…pretty much my ingredients for every thing right now? Thanks Alison!
Hey Natalie,
How funny, I also just started experimenting with tigernuts lately!
Your recipe looks and sounds amazing! I find that the texture of baked tigernut creations always seems a little gritty though, almost as if some sand is in the dough. Did you have the same experience?
All the best
Jana 🙂
Haha the tigernut experimentation urge must be in the air 😀 The texture definitely can be sandy/grainy, similar to almond flour in my opinion. After baking though I don’t find the finished product to be gritty, I think some sort of fat in the recipe makes a big difference for texture though. Idk, in a shortbread of a cookie especially I didn’t have that problem, but I can see in a cake where it may be weird. Can’t wait to see what you make with it 🙂
Hey Natalie,
Thank you for your super quick response! 🙂
I just posted my latest tigernut recipe. It’s a brownie slice. I didn’t add oil or fat but let it soak in water prior to blending and baking. This helped a lot with the grainy texture and they turned out so well, I was actually quite surprised, hee hee…
I will have to try your cookie recipe too! Hopefully I’ll find some time soon 🙂
All the best
Jana 🙂
I never would’ve thought of that, what a great idea! And holy cow it looks so fudgy and amazing😋
Where can we find your brownie recipe, Jana?
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe tried it the other week awesome i missed crunchy cookies 😀
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I’m so happy you liked them! Thanks for the feedback and I hope there are more delicious batches to come 🙂
These are hands down the easiest cookies I have ever made. I was skeptical of the recipe because of just using tigernut flour but these are AMAZING! My toddler even loves these. Easy, healthy and delicious! I will definitely be making these again!!
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I am SO happy to hear is Susan! Tigernut flour sounds much more exotic than it actually is in my opinion. I’m so happy your little one likes them too, that is always the ultimate test 🙂 Thanks for the feedback and enjoy the rest!
Any sub for coconut buttet? Being intolerant to coco ut AIP is a lot harder than it should be 🙁
Oh wow, that is a tricky one! Hmm you need some sort of high fat ingredient here so what about palm shortening perhaps? I know there is an AIP approved one that isn’t hydrogenated. The only other non-coconut AIP fat source I know of is avocado, and I’m just not sure how good that would taste here. That’s the only thing I can think of, sorry :/
Oh! ive got that palm shortening on hand , would you still keep the same amount? thanks for the help btw your recipes are the best
I’ve honestly never worked with it so I can’t say for sure, but I would start with the same amount and adjust shortening vs. flour until you get the same dough consistency as in the video. Good luck!
Are these supposed to be crunchy? Mine came out kind if chewy. I just can’t seem to find an AIP recipe that produces crunch 😣
They are supposed to be chewy in the middle with crispy edges. Crunchiness of a cookie has a lot to do with the type of flour and sugar, so since most AIP recipes use more alternative ingredients they are likely not going to be super crunchy.
What did you sprinkle on top of the dipped carob side? Thanks in advance! I LOVE shortbread so I really want to try these. Thanks for making these look so easy. Now to get the flour. I SO wish one of these health food grocers would carry these online only ingredients.
Hi Kelly! That’s just shredded toasted coconut, but you could use anything–it’s mostly just to make them look pretty 🙂 Ugh yes, I wish tigernut was easier to find here too. But hopefully shipping is fast and you can try them soon!
I have to tell you that it was so nice to have a crunchy cookie again and that I love, love, love Tigernut flour. However I will not order it in a heatwave again because it had a very bad after taste but that still didn’t stop me from eating the cookies..lol…I ordered some when it got cooler out and tried again, so glad I did… Thank you so much
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I am so happy you liked them Greta!! The coconut butter makes for a lovely slightly crisp texture, doesn’t it? Oh how interesting, I suppose tiger nut flour is more sensitive than we thought. I wish it was easier to find locally, I’m currently quite low, but it is awesome stuff 🙂
Am excited to try these! Can one use coconut oil – or do I specifically need coconut butter?
You could use coconut oil although since it is much thinner when it’s warm/melted I would suggest chilling the dough before rolling it out. They may be a bit more oily after baking. Any kind of nut or seed butter would work instead of the coconut butter too!
I used coconut oil and they turned out great! Also, I did not put the maple syrup in the carob bean sauce, it was plenty sweet for me.
Hi Sarah! I am so happy you liked them, it is absolutely the perfect time to find a new and delish cookie🤗 great to know that the coconut oil worked, and I never thought of carob as almost a “sweetener” but it really does have a great flavor on its own. Thanks for the feedback and enjoy!
What an amazing recipe!!!! Just in time for the holidays. Thank you very much.
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These are the best cookies I have made while on AIP. No high-carb starches. I even cut the sweetener in half and it was plenty sweet enough for us.
I hope you are still answering questions on this post. I had trouble with the carob coating. It very quickly separated and I couldn’t get it to blend again. The carob turned grainy and the coconut oil sat on top. Did I do something wrong?
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Hi Diane! I am so happy you liked the cookies, and great to know that less sweetener still tasted good 🙂 So the carob coating turned out more grainy than regular chocolate for me too, I think that is inevitable although perhaps could vary with the brand of carob you use. As for the separating issue, perhaps your house was cooler than mine so it is already starting to set while you are dipping? Maybe try heating the oil up more and dipping them while its still quite warm. You could also try coconut butter + carob powder instead of oil–it’s naturally sweeter and sets better in my experience. Hope that helps, and always here to answer questions on any and all posts!
This looks great! Do you think substituting honey for the maple syrup would work?
Absolutely, it will work just as well 🙂 Enjoy!
My last attempt with a tigernut flour recipe did not go so well, so I was nervous to try these. But I’m so glad I did. I had to make a few substitutions (I’m allergic to coconut so used butter instead, and since I’m trying to drop sweets I cut the maple syrup in half and left off the carob coating). They came out just like a shortbread cookie and were just the pick me up I needed. So good. Thank you!
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