AIP Holiday Baked Goods Recipe Roundup
With just 10 days before the big holiday, it’s definitely
officially Christmastime. There’s the décor and carols and parties aplenty. On
the Gulf Coast, I’m back and forth between flip flops and boots, coats and
short sleeves, but most of the rest of the country is warming themselves by the
fireplace or under a pretty blanket of snow. Christmastime means something
different for everyone. We all have our little traditions that help get us in
the spirit of the holiday. Growing up, my favorite tradition was the day each
year that my mom and I spent together in the kitchen baking batches and batches
of baked goods like cookies and breads and dessert bars to share with family,
friends, and neighbors. We’d make all kinds and divvy them all up into a mixed
assortment to give away.
Pre-Paleo, baking was one of my favorite pastimes. I loved
the routine and ritual of baking something from scratch from start to finish.
After I started Paleo, baking became less and less of a priority because I
didn’t enjoy almond flour concoctions. At that time, it was pretty much almond
flour or nothing. I switched to using white rice flour for some goods, but the
more and more research I did, the more I felt that desserts weren’t really
“Paleo” even if the ingredients were. So I slowly transitioned to not eating
many desserts at all. And that’s where I stand, especially now as someone who
is trying to closely follow the Autoimmune Protocol.
My stance is that baked desserts aren’t AIP. Now bear with
me and hear me out. The idea of the Autoimmune Protocol is to eat nutrient
dense foods that heal our bodies and provide us with the most nourishment we
can get. All the baked goods might taste delicious, and they might have safe
ingredients, but they are almost never nutrient dense and usually have high
quantities of ingredients that we should be consuming in moderation, like
coconut flour or sugars. So if you ask me if that dessert is AIP? I’m going to
say, “No, it’s not.”
But. There’s always a “but”. The desserts might not be AIP,
but I do think they are “AIP-friendly”. That’s not an official term, but you’ll
see it often on my blog. What does that mean? While the idea behind desserts
and baked goods may not completely jive with all the essentials of AIP, if all
the ingredients are approved on the protocol, then I feel this makes them
“AIP-friendly.” And I firmly believe that AIP-friendly baked goods and desserts
have a place in the Autoimmune Paleo lifestyle or any other healing diet.
Because AIP isn’t just about the food. AIP is about learning
our bodies, and learning to cut back on stress and enjoy life so that we can
nourish our souls too. Now I’m not
arguing in favor of binge-eating or emotional eating, but we get cravings for
comfort foods, and they are called “comfort foods” for a reason. Mark Sisson
has a great article about Why We Crave Comfort Foods, where he addresses the psychological
aspect of eating certain foods, and why it’s not always that bad to cave and
enjoy them in moderation.
AIP treats allow us to do just that, and to do that without
completely derailing our healing efforts. AIP can be extremely difficult,
because this isn’t a diet where 80/20 or cheat days are feasible. You’re either
all in or you’re dealing with serious setbacks every time you consume a
damaging food. And that’s why I’m glad for the other bloggers who create these fabulous treats for us. I may not be much of a baker myself any more, but any
dessert or treat that allows us to “splurge” or enjoy ourselves and stay
compliant to the Autoimmune Protocol at the same time is something that I can
truly appreciate.
So this year for Christmas, I’m not going to spend the day
baking batches and batches of desserts and confections to share. I’ve decided
to round up the best AIP Holiday Baked Goods to share with all of you
instead. Merry Christmas!
*Special thanks to all the bloggers of the AIP community that
take so much time developing these recipes. It’s a true science and art form
that I personally struggle with, so I couldn’t have created such a wonderful roundup without their help!*
Cookies
Bars & Handpies
Macaroons
Breads
Barks
